http://www.radiovop.com
Harare, October 18, 2009 -
Government will go ahead with cabinet
meetings without the Movement of
Democratic Change (MDC) which last week
announced its decision to disengage
with Zanu PF on all matters pertaining
to the power sharing deal, the
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Media,
Information and Publicity, Cde
George Charamba told the state-owned Sunday
Mail weekly
paper.
Charamba was quoted describing the MDC move
to "disengage" from "the
inclusive Government as a non-event".
He
said: "The MDC-T has disengaged from nothing. It's sound and fury
signifying
nothing. The MDC-T president knows that. It's a poor protest. "As
you will
certainly see on Tuesday, Cabinet will be held. The agenda for the
meeting
has been circulated and decisions that are binding will be taken.
Remember,
Cabinet does not function through a quorum."
Charamba said the MDC-T
was wasting time talking about elections
because, "elections would be held
following a decision by President Mugabe
who is empowered by the
Constitution to do so. There is no amount of monkey
business that will
change things on the ground."
Asked about the President's reaction to
the MDC-T decision, he said:
"We were busy with the selection of students
that are set to go to Fort Hare
University. And remember, we also had Cosafa
here. It was important to give
our boys a resounding good luck like what the
President did on Friday. As
for this needless excitement from the MDC-T, I
suppose the President will
find time when the right time comes."
A
Zanu PF spokesman Ephraim Masawi also said on Saturday the MDC's
move was
racist as it was done to appease a "white man"
Morgan Tsvangira's MDC
took the decision to boycott the new
government, until all outstanding
issues of the power sharing deal have been
attend to. This followed the
indictment of the party's treasurer general and
deputy minister of
Agriculture designate, Roy Bennett to appear in the High
Court this week on
terrorism charges.
The MDC beleives Bennett is being persecuted because
he is "white" and
he is "MDC". It also believes that many of its legislators
are being
persecuted on trumped up charges.
MDC has since appealed
to the Southern African Development Community
(SADC), which brokered a peace
deal that came into effect in February, to
help resolve outstanding issues
that include the swearing in of Bennett as
deputy minister and the
appointment of Gideon Gono as Reserve Bank Governor
and Johannes Tomana as
Attorney General.
President Mugabe has refused to swear in Bennett,
saying he needs to
be cleared of all court charges.
By CHENGETAI ZVAUYA (AP) -
9 hours ago
HARARE, Zimbabwe - President Robert Mugabe is too busy with
students and
soccer to address the crisis in his unity government, his
spokesman was
quoted as saying Sunday.
The comments in a state-run
newspaper reflect the contemptuous indifference
with which Mugabe's party
has reacted to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's
announcement Friday that
he was withdrawing from the coalition until several
disputes could be worked
out, chief among them the trial of a top aide.
Getting the two sides to
work together is crucial - and difficult given the
hardening
attitudes.
Mugabe spokesman George Charamba told The Sunday Mail that
Mugabe was
spending time arranging scholarships for students and welcoming
soccer
players in Zimbabwe for a regional tournament.
"As for this
needless excitement from (Tsvangirai's party), I suppose the
president will
find time when the right time comes," Charamba said.
Tsvangirai told
reporters that members of his Movement for Democratic Change
party would not
attend Cabinet meetings or engage in other executive work
with Mugabe's
party, but Tsvangirai said he remained committed to the unity
agreement.
ZANU-PF spokesman Ephraim Masawi said Friday the work of
government would go
ahead, and that "we don't have a problem with"
Tsvangirai's
disengagement.
Charamba told The Sunday Mail that a Cabinet meeting would
go ahead Tuesday
as scheduled.
The unity government was formed at the
urging of Zimbabwe's neighbors after
two violence-plagued elections left the
country at a political standstill
and in economic ruin. South Africa, the
main regional power, has expressed
concern for the future of the
coalition.
South Africa Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane called
Saturday for
"the speedy resolution of challenges in Zimbabwe." U.S. State
Department
spokesman Ian Kelly said Friday that Washington understood "the
frustration"
of Tsvangirai's party, and called on Mugabe to make the
power-sharing
agreement work.
In announcing the boycott, Tsvangirai
cited the "persecution" of a top aide,
Roy Bennett, who faces trial on
weapons violations charges. Bennett denies
the charges, which are linked to
long-discredited allegations that
Tsvangirai's party plotted Mugabe's
violent overthrow.
In addition to the Bennett case, Tsvangirai has
condemned continuing human
rights violations and unilateral moves by Mugabe
to fill government posts.
Mugabe has demanded that Tsvangirai do more to get
international sanctions
lifted and foreign aid and investment
restored.
The coalition is Mugabe's only hope for taking Zimbabwe out of
international
isolation, and it has brought Tsvangirai closer to power than
any election.
Foreign governments and multilateral donors have expressed
support for
Tsvangirai, warmly welcoming him on a recent international tour.
But
concerns persist about propping up Mugabe, accused of trampling on
democracy
and ruining a once prosperous economy. Even with Tsvangirai in the
government, donors prefer not to give money directly to Zimbabwe's treasury,
instead working through independent aid groups.
Pinsi Tauro, Gladys Guvheya and Tariro Benhura were heavily assaulted with an iron bar by a ZANU PF self confessed war veteran Jacob Chiripanyanga yesterday around 0700 hours in the morning at Foothills farm in Bindura. Tauro, who is battling for his life sustained serious head injuries, lost a lot of blood, collapsed and was unconscious for one and half hours before he was admitted at a local hospital in Bindura where he’s yet to receive treatment.
Jacob Chiripanyanga uprooted plants from Tauro’s garden before striking him several times with an iron rod in a deliberate move aimed at violent ouster for all the farm workers deemed supporters of the Movement for Democratic change (MDC).The warfare has now been directed towards destruction of the only source of livelihood for the farm workers who survive on small scale gardening.
It is unfortunate that no action has been taken by the police to bring the culprit Jacob Chiripanyanga to book despite the fact that the incident was reported at Bindura police station yesterday.
Residents of Foothills farm have been locked in a fierce legal battle with Jacob Chiripanyanga who is seeking their ouster after he occupied the farm under the ongoing violent land grab by ZANU Pf supporters.
Chiripanyanga is taking matters into his own hands despite the fact that he has filed an application at the Bindura magistrate courts under case number C232/9 due to be heard on the 19th of October. Inhabitants of Foothills farm are exposed to the worst human rights violations in the hands of marauding ZANU Pf supporters who have become law unto themselves, unleashing a reign of anarchy in Mashonaland West province.
Political violence against farm workers continues unchecked across the country as law enforcement agents are reluctant to act in political cases involving Mugabe’s loyalists.
Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe (ROHR) is calling for the government to address the plight of farm workers around the country who are exposed to rampant gross human rights violations in the absence of the law. We encourage Giles Mutsekwa the co-minister to ministry of home affairs to provide the much needed balance and put an end to the ZANU Pf cancerous culture of impunity.
Meanwhile the vice president of ROHR Zimbabwe Sten Zvorwadza is set to appear in court on Monday 19 October 0800 hours at Rotten Row magistrate courts on trumped up charges following a peaceful protest that was held last year in January in which more than 200 members of ROHR Zimbabwe were calling for the investigation of the murder of Fibeon Mafukidze who was beaten to death by army officials from Eastdale military base in Gutu under the instruction of Selina Mumbengegwi wife to the then minister of finance Samuel Mumbengegwi.
26 people were heavily assaulted and brutalized by the ZRP police for taking part in the peaceful demonstration.
One year after the formation of the coalition government between ZANU Pf and the two MDC formations, it is regrettable that the attorney general’s office continues to harass and persecute outspoken human rights activist through the systematic abuse of the rule of law when people who committed documented bloody crimes with impunity during the March- June 2008 harmonized election violence are still walking free.
Renowned human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama has also fallen victim to the attorney general’s misconduct and intimidation campaign that is targeted at human rights defenders.
(Information via ROHR Zimbabwe)
http://www.zimnetradio.com
By KING SHANGO
Published on: 18th October,
2009
MUTOKO - An MDC Mutoko councillor, Chamunorwa Mundete, has fled his
home in
Nyamuzizi after more than 10 armed Zanu PF supporters besieged his
home in
the middle of the night and threatened to kill him.
Mundete,
who is the councillor for Ward 28, had to sneak out through his
bedroom
window after armed Zanu PF thugs stormed his home and said they were
going
to kill him if he continued to support the MDC.
"I was saved by the
darkness as it was around 3 A.M when the thugs came. I
left with only the
clothes that I am wearing and I am staying with some
relatives here in
Harare," said Mundete.
Mundete said because of the darkness, he could not
identify the intruders
but his wife had since made a report to Mutoko
police.
"I am scared to go back home as I don't know the next step these
men are
going to take. My family and the community that I represent in
council are
also failing to come to terms with what has happened to me," he
said.
He said the threat on his life had also affected his family
business and
farming activities as his wife was also living in fear these
thugs.
The MDC has 6 councillors out of 23 in the Mutoko Rural
Council.
There has been an increase in the number of MDC supporters and
officials who
have been persecuted by Zanu PF supporters across the country
but the police
are not taking any action
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Harare's unity government in tatters as
Tsvangirai pulls out of joint
cabinet
Oct 17, 2009 10:22 PM | By PADDY
HARPER and
AFP
President
Jacob Zuma is expected to urge Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai
and President Robert Mugabe to resume talks on issues threatening
that
country's fragile unity government.
Zuma, who played a key role in getting
the two rival parties in Zimbabwe to
talk, is likely to urge them to resolve
the issues cited by Tsvangirai when
he announced on Friday that the Movement
for Democratic Change would
disengage from the cabinet and other executive
structures.
Officials within the SA Presidency told the Sunday Times that
although Zuma
would be firm, a public repudiation of Zanu-PF was
unlikely.
The Department of International Co-operation's spokesman,
Nomfanelo Kota,
said that, as a member of the Southern African Development
Community, the
South African government was "very concerned" about the
latest developments
in Zimbabwe.
"We are aware that the SADC (peace
and security) organ troika remains seized
with the matter, and obviously
from our side we urge the parties to recommit
themselves to the letter and
spirit of the GPA (Global Political Agreement)
and move towards resolving
outstanding issues," Kota said.
In Harare, a judge yesterday granted
lawyers for MDC member Roy Bennett -
whose arrest prompted Tsvangirai to
temporarily abandon shared rule with
Mugabe - more time to prepare for trial
on weapons charges related to a
discredited claim that the MDC was plotting
a coup.
Bennett was freed late on Friday from jail in Mutare, 270km east
of Harare.
He told AP Television News that the power-sharing arrangement
that Mugabe
and Tsvangirai entered into in February was
unreliable.
The unity government was formed after two violence-plagued
elections left
the country at a political standstill and in economic
ruin.
Tsvangirai told reporters his party members would not attend
cabinet
meetings or engage in other executive work with Mugabe's
party.
"Roy Bennett is not being prosecuted, he is being persecuted,"
Tsvangirai
said of his nominee for deputy agriculture
minister.
Bennett was arrested the day the unity cabinet was sworn in in
February. He
had been free on bail since March, but that was revoked earlier
this week.
Bennett denies the charges against him.
"Until
confidence has been restored we can't continue to pretend that
everything is
well," Tsvangirai said, referring to Bennett's trial and other
disputes with
Mugabe.
However, Tsvangirai told a news conference in Harare that his
move did not
spell the collapse of the government.
"We are not really
pulling out officially," he said, noting that the MDC
would continue with
parliamentary activities.
US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said on
Friday that Washington
understood "the frustration" of Tsvangirai's party,
and called on Mugabe to
make the power-sharing agreement work.
"This
is an agreement that Mr Mugabe himself signed, and he hasn't taken the
concrete steps to show a commitment to democratic reform and opening up his
political system," Kelly said.
The indifferent reaction from Mugabe's
Zanu-PF party underlined tensions
within the coalition.
"If MDC wants
to disengage ... we don't have a problem with that," said
Ephraim Masawi, a
Zanu-PF spokesman.
"We were having problems with MDC, working together.
We have been trying,
but it was not easy."
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by STAFF REPORTER
Friday, 16 October 2009 07:58
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority boss Karikoga
Kaseke (pictured) last week
threatened a journalist with unspecified action
after the reporter asked him
what the authority was doing to woo back
visitors from Britain which remains
one of the biggest source markets for
the local tourism industry.
The journalist John Chimunhu had to leave
the press conference early
in fear of Kaseke, who is known to have a fiery
temper. "I begin to
question your level of education for asking that
question, you cannot win ..
if you start a war with me you will not win it
for I will be the winner,"
said the fuming Kaseke, who also branded Chimunhu
a British journalist.
Chimhunu apparently angered Kaseke when he asked
the ZTA boss why
Britain, which contributes 48.5 percent of tourist
arrivals, was allocated
only 27 of the 155 free tickets to the Shanyai
tourism showcase. Chimunhu
also queried the criteria used to select
candidates for the free visits. The
specially invited buyers are expected to
bring direct business to the
country through bookings for the Christmas
season while they are in
Zimbabwe. "I am quite shocked by the massive
threats, condemnations and
insinuations that come from Kaseke as a person
who holds such a high
position to sink so low," said Chimunhu.
While political relations between Zimbabwe and Western nations
especially
former colonial ruler, Britain, have soured over the past decade,
the local
tourism industry has continued to benefit from its traditional
ties with the
European market even though arrivals dropped.
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare, October 18, 2009 - A
marauding group of Zanu PF youths on
Friday tried to force Nestle-Zimbabwe
to buy milk from the Gushungo Dairy
Estate but the bid failed after
authorities maintained that the company no
longer buys milk from Zimbabwe's
first family.
"There was a heated debate at the company
premises and the youths were
saying if Nestle still wants to operate from
Zimbabwe they should just buy
the milk. They said the company should not get
political otherwise they were
going to lose it," said the
source.
A Zimbabwean lawyer Selby Hwacha who is representing
Nestle confirmed
the development on Saturday saying a tanker full of milk
from the dairy had
to be turned away on Friday despite a protest from a
group of youths from
Zanu PF.
"Its true there was a tanker
from Gushungo Dairy estate that was
turned away. The company has made it
clear that it will no longer by milk
from the said suppliers," said Hwacha
without elaborating.
The group of Zanu PF youths led by Youth
Minister and Zanu PF
politburo member Savior Kasukuwere's young brother
Tongai, tried in vain
tried to force Nestle Zimbabwe employees to offload 22
000 litres of milk
from President Robert Mugabe's farm.
The
tanker carrying the milk, which has been dubbed "blood milk" by
activists
against Mugabe's continued grip on power, failed to offload after
more than
four hours of intense negotiations.
Sources from the Nestle's
Southerton depot in Harare said the Zanu PF
youth threatened the management
with company seizures if they continued with
their stance.
Contacted for a comment Kasukuwere junior declined to comment about
Friday's
protest.
Nestle-Zimbabwe stopped buying milk from Gushongo Dairy
Estates, a
farm owned by President Robert Mugabe's wife Grace, which was
seized under
his controversial land reforms following and international
campaign calling
on a boycott of all Nestle products.
Nestle
said in light of the recent controversy surrounding our
relationship with
the Gushungo Dairy Estate, "we believe that
thisannouncement reflects our
long-term commitment to Zimbabwe while
acknowledging the specific
circumstances around these events."
Meanwhile a pioneering
indigenous commercial farmer has been evicted
from his farm in defiance of a
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Tribunal ruling barring his
eviction.
The SADC Tribunal ruled recently that the repossession
and sale of the
farm by Agribank in order to recoup an outstanding loan was
"illegal and
void." The regional court also ordered the government to take
all the
necessary measures through its agents from evicting Tembani (72) or
his
family from the property and to stop interfering with his use and
occupation
of the property.
But Mutare Deputy Sheriff
identified as Dzobo evicted Tembani from his
farm known as the Remainder of
Minverwag of Clare Estate Ranch, which he has
occupied since 1983 to make
way for Takawira Zembe who claims to have bought
the farm from the local
financial institution.
Tembani became one of Zimbabwe's
first black commercial farmers
shortly after independence in
1980.
Zimbabwe claims it has withdrawn from the SADC tribunal so
its
decisions are not legal binding. However legal experts have said the
tribunal judgements are legal binding as Zimbabwe is a full member of
SADC.
Mugabe's seizure of white commercial farms for blacks
has drawn heavy
criticism from Western countries, who say their aid won't
flow to help
Zimbabwe's economic recovery until the land grabs stop and
political and
economic reforms are implemented.
Mugabe,
who has formed a power-sharing government with rival Morgan
Tsvangirai, has
accused his Western foes of sabotaging Zimbabwe's economy
through sanctions
in retaliation for his land reforms, which critics say
ruined the
agriculture sector. He claimed the policy was meant to address
historical
land ownership imbalances.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Simpiwe Piliso
Sunday, 18
October 2009 06:26
EC offers to fund probe into farm
ownership.
The European Commission has offered to fund Zimbabwe's
audit of land
ownership - a process that the country's commercial farmers
union believes
will reveal President Robert Mugabe's multi-million dollar
farm empire.
The embattled Commercial Farmers Union of Zimbabwe
(CFUZ), which
represents scores of white farmers who have lost their farms
as a result of
Mugabe's controversial land reform programme, has been
protesting for the
government to proceed with the audit, which was recently
shelved..
The Mugabe family's personal agricultural enterprise is
believed to
comprise more than 12 large commercial farms.
"We
want a land audit done as soon as possible. Our concern though is
that the
audit will not be done by a truly independent team according to
international standards," said Deon Theron, president of CFUZ.
The Zimbabwean government recently announced that it was seeking to
establish an independent land committee - an inter-ministerial body to be
made up of permanent secretaries and other senior government officials - to
drive the land audit.
The audit, which was proposed to ensure
the government's
"one-man-one-farm" policy, was called for in the 2008
Global Political
Agreement for power sharing, and is one of the major
targets set by
Zimbabwe's inclusive government during a ministerial retreat
at Victoria
Falls in August.
It was a key element of the
power-sharing agreement in September last
year that resulted in the
formation of a unity government between Mugabe and
the opposition Movement
of Democratic Change, headed by Morgan Tsvangirai.
The audit,
scheduled to have started last month, was shelved after
lands minister
Herbert Murerwa told Zimbabwean media that the government did
not have the
estimated US$31-million to conduct a process that is expected
to take nine
months.
The government has not commented on the European
Commission's offer
this week to fund the entire audit. But the commission,
which is the
executive body of the European Union, has stated that it would
only fund an
inclusive, transparent and comprehensive land
audit.
On Friday, Xavier Marchal, the head of the commission in
Zimbabwe said
the commission had has expressed its availability to support
"a meaningful"
land audit.
"We need now to discuss its content.
What the European Commission
would like to support is a land audit that
resolves the land issue," Marchal
said. "We are aware that government said
they need US$30-million for the
land audit. But we have not received any
concrete request with concrete
explanations of what is needed. We remain
ready, of course, to discuss this
at any time."
The farmers'
union welcomed the EC's offer, but was critical of
government's involvement
in the process, saying that it was "ridiculous"
that the government would be
involved in conducting and steering it.
"As an interested party
they cannot be involved in auditing
themselves. The final results of such a
audit would be very questionable,"
Theron added. "We want a land audit as
soon as possible, but then it needs
to be done by an international,
independent body with no vested interest,"
he said.
According
to the union, an independent audit would not only reveal
multiple farm
ownership, but would also show "how corrupt the
identification, allocation
and evictions have been".
Since 2000, when Mugabe began encouraging
the invasion of the
country's white-owned commercial farms, food production
in Zimbabwe has
withered, hunger has afflicted millions of people and the
national economy
has collapsed.
The land grabs set off a
scramble for the best farms among the
country's ruling elite, who often had
little knowledge or interest in
farming and simply used the seized farms for
holiday getaways.
Mugabe's relatives, as well as generals, judges,
ministers and members
of parliament, have been beneficiaries.
Today many farms lie fallow or are poorly managed and yield a fraction
of
their potential output.
Last month, the UK newspaper Sunday
Telegraph reported that Mugabe's
wife Grace owned properties totalling about
4856 hectares.
The most important of these is Gushungo Dairy
Estate, which until
recently supplied milk to Nestlé Zimbabwe, the local
subsidiary of the Swiss
company. The farm, which was reportedly selling up
to one million litres of
milk a year to Nestlé, is managed by Russell
Goreraza, Grace Mugabe's son
from her first marriage.
Last
month Nestlé SA's Zimbabwean unit announced that it was no longer
sourcing
milk from the Mugabe farm.
Mugabe's wife, who has assumed control
of at least six of Zimbabwe's
most valuable white-owned farms since 2002,
seized Gushungo Dairy Estate
following a campaign of violence in the area
over several months in 2003.
Sunday Times (SA)
Agence
France-Presse (AFP)
Date: 18 Oct 2009
by Griffin
Shea
HARARE, Oct 18, 2009 (AFP) - Workers trudge through foul-smelling
mud in a
trench seeping with clean drinking water and raw sewage in one of
the Harare
neighbourhoods hardest hit by last year's cholera
epidemic.
The repair work is a race against time to patch the city's
sewage system
before the rainy season begins in November, when health
workers fear the
water-borne disease could erupt again.
The
three-metre (10-foot) deep trench cuts through Usuf Austin's driveway
and
runs the length of his block, forcing his family to leap across the hole
to
get into their house.
But he's happy for the crew to replace the leaky
pipes blamed for fueling
the epidemic that killed more than 4,200 people and
sickened nearly 100,000.
"The sewage was coming out day in and day out,
24 hours a day" when cholera
first struck in August 2008, he
said.
"This sewage water mixes with the rain water during the rainy
season," he
added.
The epidemic erupted last year as post-election
violence swept Zimbabwe,
already crippled by a decade of economic decline
blamed on controversial
reforms by autocratic President Robert
Mugabe.
The country's collapsing public infrastructure added to
chronically
overburdened sewer systems and water shortages. This in turn
gave free rein
to the diarrhoeal disease, which is easily preventable with
clean water and
proper sewage but thrives in places without proper
sanitation.
The crew on Austin's road is one of dozens tearing up streets
around the
Zimbabwe capital, including much of the city centre, in a
donor-funded drive
to fix the worst of the sewer problems.
Raw sewage
still trickles along street sides in working class neighbourhoods
like this
one, but the onset of rains could easily turn it into streams.
The work
is gruelling under Zimbabwe's tropical sun, as the crew use pick
axes and
shovels to dig the trenches by hand, without protective gloves or
masks.
"We have to go to the houses to ask for gloves, even shovels,"
said Titus
Sibanda, 35, the crew's foreman. "All the people on these
streets, they help
us."
Zimbabwe declared an end to the cholera
epidemic at the end of July, and
only five cases have been reported since
then, in a rural district where
periodic outbreaks are common.
What
distinguished last year was its epicentre in Harare, which accounted
for
most of the victims.
-- 'Harare is going to come back' --
Residents of the capital had been used to reliable, clean drinking water
and
had never had to take cholera precautions.
But leaky pipes left
raw sewage seeping into the water supply. Mounds of
rubbish, accumulating by
the day, have also become a common landmark on the
outskirts of most poor
suburbs as authorities lack fuel or spares to keep
dump trucks on the
road.
Zimbabwe's economic meltdown last year left hospitals and clinics
without
money for basic medicines and supplies, while doctors and nurses
went on
strike to demand their wages.
The result was the worst
cholera epidemic anywhere in the world in more than
a decade.
Most of
the response was led by aid agencies, who shipped in water treatment
tablets
and medicines, and set up emergency cholera clinics.
The UN Children's
Fund has warned that a new outbreak is "almost inevitable"
when the rainy
season begins in November, as an estimated six million people
have little or
no access to safe water and sanitation, the main driver of
cholera.
"Unfortunately we do believe that cholera has become endemic
within
Zimbabwe," UNICEF's chief of health Mickey Chopra said
recently.
"There's not been enough time to repair that infrastructure, so
we are
preparing for a cholera outbreak in the rainy season."
But
Health Minister Henry Madzorera said Zimbabwe is better prepared this
year.
Doctors and nurses are back on the job, so clinics are running again.
Education campaigns have highlighted the importance of boiling water,
washing hands and other prevention measures.
"You'll notice in Harare
there is a lot of excavation happening. The water
supply is going to
improve," he told AFP.
"We encourage people to take hygiene measures," he
said. "But the rainy
season is coming, we may have a few
problems."
All the pipes that need replacing will never be fixed before
the rains, the
crew foreman in Highfields said it's important for the public
to see efforts
are being made.
"People need to see things working day
to day," Sibanda said. "Harare is
going to come back."
http://www.scmp.com
Fanny W. Y. Fung
Oct 18,
2009
Lawmakers have warned that China and Hong Kong's
international image could
take a beating for allowing Zimbabwean first lady
Grace Mugabe to return to
the city, seven months after she was granted
diplomatic immunity to escape
assault charges for attacking a
photographer.
The wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived on
Friday from
Johannesburg.
The visit was her first since she
allegedly punched Richard Jones, a British
photographer and Hong Kong
resident, while he was taking photos of her
shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui on
January 15. Two months later, the Department of
Justice said it would not
prosecute her because she was entitled to
diplomatic immunity.
The
Democratic Party's James To Kun-sun, who sits on the Legislative
Council's
justice and legal services panel, questioned why China should
welcome
her.
"If it does, this is recognising her assault was right," To said.
"Unless
she is coming here to apologise, there is no reason to let her
in."
At a panel meeting in March, Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung
told
legislators that the Hong Kong government had raised concerns with
Beijing
over the assault case. Mugabe's return must have meant that the
effort had
been useless, To said.
While noting that the Hong Kong
government may not lead in diplomatic
matters, Civic Party leader Audrey Eu
Yuet-mee said the government could
still urge Beijing to classify Mugabe as
persona non grata.
Another panel member Ip Wai-ming, of the
Beijing-friendly Federation of
Trade Unions, warned of the damage to Hong
Kong's image. "If she challenges
the law here again, the Hong Kong
government and the Foreign Ministry should
consider the matter seriously. If
someone abuses [diplomatic immunity], this
is not good for the reputation of
the local government," Ip said.
Jones, who is a freelancer who has worked
with the London-based Sunday
Times, said he was not surprised by Mugabe's
return. "It's a slap in the
face to press freedom in Hong Kong. It's also a
slap in the face to the
general public here. It gives people the impression
that China pulls the
string."
In another incident in February, two
bodyguards of Mugabe's daughter Bona
were accused of attacking two other
photographers from the same newspaper.
The police said they were
investigating whether the guards had been working
illegally on tourist
visas, and the Department of Justice said it was still
studying whether it
would press charges.
Michael Vidler, the lawyer for the two journalists,
described the first
lady's return as unbelievable. "I think not only my
clients, but the people
of Hong Kong also deserve an explanation as to why
she is allowed to get in
again," he said. "If people breach the law, they
should be prosecuted."
The Immigration Department said it handled all
entry applications in
accordance with the law and immigration policy and
having due regard to
individual circumstances. A spokesman said it would not
comment on
individual cases.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Fungi
Kwaramba
Friday, 16 October 2009 12:51
HARARE - Zimbabwe's
tourism body is trying to woo international soccer
teams that qualify for
the 2010 World Cup to be hosted in South Africa to
consider setting their
training camps in the country come June next year.
Speaking at a
media briefing last week Zimbabwe Tourism Authority
(ZTA) boss Karikoga
Kaseke said even though there were strong indications
that European soccer
giants England are inclined to be based in Zimbabwe,
the Fabio
Capello-coached team is yet to confirm whether it will stay in the
country.
"England have already indicated that Zimbabwe is their
first
preference while Ireland and South Korea have both made strong
indications
that they are interested in coming to the country," said
Kaseke.
Kaseke also added that the Polish soccer team has already
indicated
that they will be based in Zimbabwe.
However it is the
English soccer team - the Three Lions - who are
expected to be followed by
over 35 000 supporters that the country aims to
entice into coming to
Zimbabwe.
"We need the British more than we need any other team and we
have
talked to the vice president of the English Football Association over
the
matter," Kaseke said.
Despite political differences between
Harare and its former colonial
power Britain over the past decade, England
continues to provide the highest
number of tourists to the southern African
country which is slowly on the
mend thanks to the formation of a coalition
government last February.
According to Kaseke, South American soccer
giants Brazil are also
interested in coming to Zimbabwe whose facilities are
second to World Cup
hosts South Africa in the southern African region.
(AFP) - 3 hours
ago
HARARE - Hamilton Masakadza smashed the 11th highest score in ODI
history on
Sunday when his career-best, unbeaten 178, led Zimbabwe to a
142-run win
over Kenya.
The home side piled up 329-3 off 50 overs,
their second 300-plus total of
the series which they claimed
4-1.
Masakadza and fellow opener Forster Mutizwa put on on 127 by the
25th over
for the first wicket before off-spinner Jimmy Kamande provided the
breakthrough, having Mutizwa stumped for 55.
Brendan Taylor joined
Masakadza and the two then put on 102 for the second
wicket with Taylor
hitting three fours and three sixes.
Masakadza reached his century and
his 167-ball effort yielded 17 fours and
five sixes.
Kenya then
slumped to 85 for 5 with Chris Mpofu claiming three wickets.
Jimmy
Kamande top-scored with 37 as Kenya were all out for 187 in 39.3
overs.
Prompted by the vindictive persecution of Roy Bennett – who was one of the people who first suggested the Vigil – we have launched a new petition calling for a more robust approach to Mugabe. It reads: “Petition to the Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai. We urge you to refuse to co-operate with President Mugabe until he respects the rule of law and complies fully with the agreement under which the Zimbabwean coalition government was formed in February.”
We know Tsvangirai has already adopted this attitude but unfortunately he has a record of flip-flopping and we have worded the petition this way in case he changes his mind next week. sBut we were pleased that he has at last taken the gloves off. People who discussed the matter at the Vigil thought that Tsvangirai has nothing to lose. Donor countries have clearly not bought his previous line that things were going well with the inclusive government and he was rapidly losing credibility. So we were relieved when Morgan stood his ground and challenged Mugabe over the jailing of Bennett. Mugabe blinked first and Bennett was released. The Vigil believes that Mugabe must be confronted on every front with the prospect of the interim government collapsing if he does not meet the MDC’s legitimate expectations.
Vigil supporters were encouraged by Botswana President Ian Khama’s comment that he would not recognise Mugabe as President if Zanu-PF was left to rule alone. He said Mugabe was not elected President. We believe that if the interim government collapses it would present SADC and the AU with a problem they could no longer duck.
It was another boisterous Vigil as we embarked on our 8th year. An Australian came by and signed our petitions and said he was an adviser to the Australian Prime Minister and would tell him about our demands.
Last week’s Mugabe shopping expedition at Harrods was widely followed on the internet. There were three times the normal amount of hits on our photo website – which means people all over the world found the shopping expedition entertaining. Or it might just be the CIO . . . .
Going through the register we see that lots of people came down from Liverpool last week. We are pleased to announce that RORH Liverpool are to have regular fortnightly demonstrations there. The first one is next Saturday, 24th October. Please check ‘Events and Notices’ for time and venue.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/
FOR THE RECORD: 188 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
· ROHR Liverpool Branch First Demonstration. Saturday 24th October from 2 – 4 pm. Venue: Liverpool City Centre outside Primark. Demonstrations will be held fortnightly.
· ROHR Leicester relaunch meeting. Saturday 24th October. Venue: Bishop Street Methodist Church,10 Bishop Street, Leicester, LE 1 6AF. NB. No parking at the venue; please use NCP / Dover / Haymarket / City Council parking spaces. ROHR President and UK Executive present. Speakers to include: Rev Jill Marsh (Methodist Church), Celia Fisher ( Leicester Aids Support Services). Contact: Dennis Sibanda 07901742649, Dr N Masamvi 07825525834, L Maposa 07837788807, F Mzemba 07932449899, G Mutimukulu 07508029001, N Maziso 07732545514, A Mutambira 07768610423 or P Mapfumo 07915926323/07932216070
· Southern Africa: Democracy and Development. Saturday 31st October at 2 pm. Venue: Unite, 128 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8TN. Will Zimbabwe's unity government collapse? When will the world wake up to the situation in Swaziland? ACTSA's Annual Conference will feature leading southern African trade unionists who will discuss key issues from the region, especially on democracy and development in Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Confirmed speakers include: Vimbai Mushongera, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, and Vincent Dlamini, Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions. A British Government minister has also been invited. For more information please visit: http://www.actsa.org/page-1421-Annual_General_Meeting.html
· ROHR West Bromwich general meeting. Saturday 31st October from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: St Peters Church Hall, Whitehall Road, West Bromwich B70 0HF. ROHR Executive and a well known lawyer present. Contact Pamela Dunduru 07958386718, Diana Mtendereki 07768682961, Peter Nkomo 07817096594 or P Mapfumo 07915926323 / 0793221607
· ROHR Liverpool general meeting. Saturday 7th November from 2 – 5 pm. Venue: 80 Aspen Grove, Toxteth, Liverpool, L7 0ST. T-shirts available for only £10.00. NEW MEMBERS ARE VERY WELCOME. Contact: Desire Chimuka 07917733711, Anywhere Mungoyo 07939913688, Patrick Kushonga 07900857605, Trywell Migeri 07956083758.
· ROHR North London launch meeting. Saturday 7th November from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: Tottenham Chances, 399 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 6QN, Nearest Tube Station: Seven Sisters, then buses towards Tottenham, 3rd Bus Stop from 7 Sisters Station. Routes: 123, 149, 259,279, 349, 476, 341 243. Contact: Gladys Mapanda 07877670522, Collin Chitekwe 07957712691, Valerie Chengaose 07956586377, Bekithemba Nyahwa 07534905348, P Mapfumo 07915926323 or Phyllis Chibanguza 07908406069
· Zimbabwe Association’s Women’s Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays 10.30 am – 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays).
· Strategic Internship for Zimbabweans organised by Citizens for Sanctuary which is trying to secure work placements for qualified Zimbabweans with refugee status or asylum seekers. For information: http://www.citizensforsanctuary.org.uk/pages/Strategic.html or contact: zimbabweinternship@cof.org.uk.
· Vote for Betty Makoni of Girl Child Network as one of CNN’s top ten heroes of 2009 via this link: http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/
Vigil Co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
In cases where family
planning is used to limit the size of a family unit
and modern
contraceptives are unavailable, or because of certain religious
beliefs,
Coitus Interruptus is often practised. This is a method of birth
control in
which coitus is initiated but withdrawal is deliberate prior to
ejaculation.
However, this technique is not recommended for overzealous
teenagers engaged
in casual, premarital recreational sex, or men with
hereditary premature
ejaculation problems.
The GNU is equivalent to a gullible
youthful man reluctantly married to an
ageing lady of loose virtues (geza
tidye); one is not supposed to
impregnate-let alone marry. If the young
eager male partner suggests the
pull-out method, this will certainly result
in an abortion, or a first born
child aptly named "Mistake", or the last
born "Zvakwana" -enough is enough.
It is time that all non-ZANU
(PF) actors completely pull out of the GNU;
leaving it half-way in still
results in an unwanted pregnancy.
"Indecision is like a
stepchild: if he does not wash his hands, he is called
dirty, if he does, he
is wasting water." ZANU (PF) is disingenuous,
manipulative and an outright
deceiver that treats its Global Political
Agreement (GPA) partners like
"mubvandiripo", a stepson to the chief's
family-an unwanted stepchild-who is
always neglected. Mugabe has used his
GPA partners to buttress his waning
political fortunes and to regroup his
war machinery for another brutal
election campaign in 2011.
Draconian laws have not yet been
repealed. Gono, the Reserve Bank Governor,
and Tomana, the Attorney General,
are still occupying offices they should
have vacated. Farm invasions and
business property misappropriations are
ongoing, encouraged by Mugabe
himself. National healing has failed to occur
and the continued blatant
raiding of state coffers remains unchecked.
Perpetrators of violence and
violators of international humanitarian law are
still roaming free.
Furthermore, specifications, arbitrary arrests, torture,
and the murder of
innocent civilians is prevalent. The conspicuous absence
of the rule of law
is a fundamental failure of the GNU. The Joint Operations
Command (JOC)-the
defacto sovereign authority in Zimbabwe-is still in charge
and functioning
outside of the provisions of the constitution.
Mugabe lost the
presidential election and yet insists on being addressed as:
His Excellency,
Comrade Robert Mugabe, the Head of State and Government,
Commander in Chief
of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President and First
Secretary of ZANU (PF),
Life President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
The GNU was born out
of a secretive political compromise by persons who
prematurely penned a
surreptitious agreement for political expediency, and
to appease an
unpopular SADC leader, Thabo Mbeki. Two principals to the GPA,
Mutambara and
Mugabe, are unelected and unpopular.
Karl W.Deutsch noted in
1953: ".totalitarian regimes require more power for
dealing with their
subjects than do other types of government, such regimes
stand in greater
need of widespread and dependable compliance habits among
their
people."
Morgan Tsvangirai is being used to legitimise tyranny
and to extricate ZANU
(PF) from its pariah status. His function in the GNU
is to ensure the
removal of travel restrictions and the asset freezes
imposed on perpetrators
of human rights violations. Without Morgan
Tsvangirai, ZANU (PF) has no hope
of receiving any financial support from
multi-lateral institutions.
Zimbabweans seeking real change need to
suffocate the regime with a
chokehold on its air supply-the oxygen that
makes it breathe-money.
Mugabe acquiesced to the Ministry of
Finance being run by the MDC hoping for
a financial windfall. Tsvangirai and
Biti were expeditiously dispatched to
Western capitals, holding Mugabe's
begging bowls, but returned with less
than the US $8 billion Mugabe required
for righting his mismanagement. ZANU
(PF) is technically insolvent; Zimbabwe
is fiscally bankrupt, only foreign
aid is propping up our country's
decimated economy. Without political
stability brought about by the
immediate cessation of wanton violence, a
lean government, a new
constitution, accountability and an adherence to a
stringent ethos of fiscal
discipline, the GNU is nothing more than an
expensive
experiment..
Once a commercial sex worker is married to an
honourable man, she becomes
respectable too, unless she reverts to her trade
whilst married. Tsvangirai
should pull out now; the continued human rights
violations occurring under
the GNU will be a shared
responsibility.
"Simba rehove ririmumvura"-once separated
completely, Tsvangirai should
immediately call for a referendum on the
constitution, a fresh general and
presidential election under the auspices
of the United Nations, and return
the perks of ZANU (PF)'s poison chalice.
Aristotle warned long ago that ". .
. tyranny can also change into
tyranny."
"ZANU ndeyeropa" - ZANU spills blood, the popular dogma
that is at the core
of the ruling party's ideology. MDC was offered a quick
ride on the back of
a man-eating lion and now the challenge is how to
dismount.
With the support of the people who voted for the MDC in
March of 2008,
pragmatic Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
members, visionary
African Union (AU) leaders, and the international
community, democracy will
prevail. Democracy will be ZANU (PF) and Mugabe's,
Achilles' heel.
Phil Matibe - www.madhingabucketboy.com
The global political agreement (GPA)
that was solemnised in Harare amidst
much pomp and ceremony on September 15,
2008 has been anything but a happy
marriage.Marriages of convenience are
never known for their marital bliss
and harmony.For a young and vibrant
political party such as the MDC led by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to
seek to enter into a marriage of
convenience with a tired and faction-ridden
party such as ZANU(PF) was
always going to be a tall order.The MDC and
ZANU(PF) are fundamentally and
structurally dissimilar.Whilst the MDC is a
movement that believes in a
genuine democratic dispensation where the
leadership of the party is
accountable to its membership and is never
allowed to degenerate into a
one -person band; ZANU(PF) has a tradition of
being a commandeering and
top-down political party where the '' big man''
syndrome is deeply
entrenched.ZANU(PF) is an organisation where any form of
alternative
thinking is ruthlessly clamped down and denounced as sell-out
and/or
neo-imperialist machinations.Whilst the MDC is forward-looking in its
ideology and easily encourages robust debate amongst its membership,ZANU(PF)
is deeply stuck in history and rather than engage the future and move
forward,this party spends precious energy and time '' celebrating'' its
past glory and eulogizing its former heroes; both living and dead regardless
of the apparent fact that some of these '' heroes'' have since mutated into
rabid tyrants who viciously clamp down upon any form of dissent; real or
imagined.Such is the tragedy of ZANU(PF) that only a miracle can save it
from inevitable disintegration and collapse.
The MDC's decision to
dis-engage from ZANU(PF) and not from the inclusive
government is
instructive.To some of us who have been carefully monitoring
events in the
inclusive government as they happened,we were not at all
surprised by this
bold and courageous decision.We had seen it
coming.Mindfull of the inherent
mistrust typical of all forced marriages, we
appreciated that a battered and
habitually abused spouse in any unhappy
forced marriage will,at some point
in time,cry out foul and seek to assert
his/her rights vis-a-vis the abusive
partner.Put alternatively,the MDC
tolerance threshold for continued abuse by
ZANU(PF) was not going to last
forever.The mere fact that eight months after
the signing of the GPA,the
contracting parties are still haggling over
outstanding issues such as the
Gono and Tomana appointments and the sharing
of gubernatorial posts was in
itself a symptom of a very unhappy and
unstable political co-habitation.When
a husband promises to take his wife
out for dinner at a trendy restaurant
and then ends up unilaterally and
selfishly cancelling the dinner
appointment and replacing it with a parcel
of rotten beef for dinner at home
then alarm bells should start to ring in
that union.Something will be very
wrong in that marriage.Without mutual
trust,love and affection in a
marriage,divorce attorneys should always be
ready to file the necessary
papers at court.I must confess that personally I
was very pleased with the
decision taken by the MDC to dis-engage from
ZANU(PF) until such a time that
all the afore-mentioned outstanding issues
have been conclusively
resolved.The MDC won the Parliamentary elections that
were held on March 29,
2008.Morgan Tsvangirai beat Robert Mugabe hands down
during the Presidential
elections that were held the same day.I will not
dignify the electoral farce
that took place on June 27, 2008 by making a
substantive comment on it
suffice to state that even the most die-hard
ZANU(PF) supporters would
agree that the June 27, 2008 run-off election ''
result'' will not be
accepted as a genuine and free expression of the
people's will even in
violence-ridden and lawless Somalia.
As
expected,some latter-day opportunists and turncoat political ''
analysts''
have wasted no time in condemning the MDC decision to dis-engage
from
ZANU(PF) in both the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers.What these
individuals seem not to appreciate is that the MDC has not walked out of the
inclusive government.The MDC has simply given notice to their hostile and
unco-operative partner in the inclusive government,ZANU(PF), that unless
they start honouring their obligations honestly and honourably,divorce
summons will sure be issued sooner rather than later.In the practice of
law,what the MDC has done is tantamount to issuing a strongly worded letter
of demand.Any lawyer worth his/her salt will tell you that if a letter of
demand is flagrantly ignored by the person to whom it is sent,appropriate
legal action should ensue forthwith.Thus,ZANU(PF) will languish in a fool's
paradise if they think that the MDC is just playing mind games.For some
strange reason,all the twenty five (25) articles of the GPA do not
specifically provide for any dissolution mechanism of the agreement.But this
does not and should not be taken to mean that the GPA is cast in stone and
can,therefore,not be dissolved.It can.Upon good and sufficient cause being
shown and proved by any contracting party,any agreement( and this includes
the GPA) can be terminated.I am not by any stretch of the imagination
suggesting that the GPA should be terminated.All I am submitting is that the
GPA cannot be allowed to hang around the neck of the MDC like some kind of
the sword of Damocles.As a social democratic party,the MDC is busy
consulting its supporters and Zimbabweans in general to decide whether or
not this unhappy marriage called the inclusive government should be allowed
to continue subsisting.The consultative process is on-going.The people will
ultimately decide.This again shows the democratic and people-driven
credentials of the MDC.
Some misguided senior civil servants who are
still nursing a hangover of the
expired ZANU(PF) political hegemony have
gone ahead to mislead the nation by
announcing that it will be business as
usual in the inclusive
government,even if the MDC has dis-engaged from
ZANU(PF) in the Cabinet and
the Council of Ministers.It is this type of
denialism that has been the
hallmark of ZANU(PF)' s descent into a deeply
unpopular and rag tag
organisation that is loosely held together by
bitterly opposed and
largely,tribalistic factions.Without the MDC under the
astute leadership of
Morgan Tsvangirai,Zimbabwe cannot be taken any further
on the
democratisation and socio-economic development fronts.ZANU(PF) is
beyond
redemption and indeed,all right-thinking and genuinely patriotic
Zimbabweans
locate the salvation of this great country in the MDC and not in
ZANU(PF).Constitutionally,executive authority in Zimbabwe shall vest in the
President,the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.How ZANU(PF) dreams of turning
around the fortunes of this country without the involvement of the MDC
simply boggles the mind.They can continue with this ostrich mentality as
they have done in the past.The consequences are there for everyone to
witness.However,the good news is that both SADC and the AU are not as naive
as some ZANU(PF) apologists would want the nation to believe.These two
organisations are acutely aware of the crisis that Zimbabwe has gone into
because of the MDC decision to dis-engage from ZANU(PF).And believe you me
these two bodies are already working frantically to ensure that the
inclusive government experiment in Zimbabwe is not aborted.
The MDC
decision to dis-engage from ZANU(PF) in both the cabinet and the
council of
ministers is a well thought-out political decision.This a
strategic game
plan that ranks amongst some of the major masterstrokes in
contemporary
world politics.It is an act of sheer political genius.And
behind the
scenes,ZANU(PF) is panicking.
Written by:
Senator Obert Gutu
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by The Editor
Friday, 16
October 2009 12:40
By nature coalition governments are never a
harmonious affair as
otherwise sworn political enemies brought together by
the mere force of
circumstances beyond their control each, from time to
time, seek to impose
their will on their partners in
government.
So, it was to be expected that a political marriage
between Zanu (PF)
and the MDC parties that hold diametrically opposed
doctrines of how to
conduct politics would encounter its fair share of
squabbles, broken
promises and downright betrayal.
But for
President Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF) - even with their
deplorable record of
deceitfulness in such matters - to embark on a brazen
campaign to undermine
the unity government as they are doing through their
persecution of Roy
Bennett is dishonorable and a show of utter contempt of
Zimbabweans.
The detention of Bennett last week is nothing but a
deliberate and
clearly racist strategy by allies of Zanu (PF) in charge of
the justice
system to victimise one individual in the hope of frustrating
the MDC-T into
quitting the coalition government.
They want to
overthrow the unity government because it restricts their
powers to do as
they please with our country.
Forget all talk about legal
technicalities that Bennett had to be put
in jail following the decision to
refer his case to the High Court.
We will not let the devil run away
with the Gospel. Since when have
Zanu (PF) and its operatives running the
institutions of state lived by the
letter and spirit of the law? Are they
not the same people who are
determined to withdraw Zimbabwe from the SADC
Tribunal process rather than
abide by orders not to invade commercial
farms?
The same people who would rather charge victims of political
violence
instead of the perpetrators because they happen to belong to the
same party
cannot now turn around and lecture us about the rule of law. God
forbid!
The state had promised to begin Bennett's trial last Wednesday.
They
chose to ambush him with the request for indictment to the High Court
in
order to buy time because they know, as we all do, that they have no case
against the man.
But who are we to stop Zanu (PF) from making a rod
for their own back.
For, in the same way that they drag Bennett to court
even when they know he
is not guilty shall they - in the fullness of time -
be brought to court to
answer for their many transgressions. And let no one
among them say they
were never warned.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Eddie Cross
Friday, 16 October 2009 13:46
The decision of the Magistrate in Mutare
yesterday to imprison Roy
Bennett is yet another example of the wilful
disregard that Zanu PF has for
the welfare of the country and its citizens.
First the facts: (Pictured: Roy
Bennett)
Roy has been
threatened, had to flee for his life and cross the border
illegally, lived
as a refugee in South Africa and been imprisoned and
harassed. His farm (his
only asset) along with his cattle and a thriving
coffee business has been
confiscated and ransacked, the homestead burned and
a lodge on the property
destroyed. His wife was beaten and lost the baby she
was carrying.
He is a born Zimbabwean and has fully integrated himself into the life
and
cultures of the country. His investments were all authorised by the
Government after Independence in 1980 and paid for in cash.
The
charges on which he has just been accused and set down for a High
Court
trial in 2010 are so ridiculous that they are almost laughable. The
arms
charges relate to the attempt, three years ago to charge and convict a
local
arms dealer with the same charges, even though they detained this
individual
for three years they could not build a case against him and in
the end the
charges were dropped.
Now they accuse Roy of the same false and
malicious crimes. They
originally accused him of a "plot" to assassinate the
State President - by
pouring oil on the road to Mutare. Completely without
basis and absurd they
seem to have dropped this charge in the latest Court
hearing while retaining
the lesser charge of procuring arms of war.
They have made these false accusations for the past year and remanded
Roy on
bail on a regular basis - then finally when they ran out of excuses
for not
going to trial they set the date for the start of this trial -
Tuesday the
13th October and when Roy arrived with his team, he was
confronted with the
ploy to rearrest him, detain him and take the case to
the High Court on the
pretext that these are so serious as charges that the
Magistrate cannot deal
with the case. The fact is that they still do not
have case against him even
though they have been desperately searching for
people who will testify
against him.
While they dragged their heels in setting a date for the
case, they
lost no time in his arrest and detention and this morning I have
heard that
he is being held in Prison in leg irons.
This is a step
too far for the rogue elements in the Transitional
Government. This act
comes after months of wrangling over unlawful
appointments, the failure to
appoint Governors in regions where the
respective Parties won a majority,
failure to consult on key appointments
and a refusal to convene the National
Security Council and disband the Joint
Operations Command.
Violence
has continued, trumped up charges against Members of
Parliament and other
leaders of the MDC have gone on unabated and Zanu PF is
refusing to
co-operate with its partners in the Government in the
constitutional,
electoral and media reform programme. As a consequence
progress has been
slow or non existent and the International Community
reticent about
re-engagement even though this is a key to recovery.
So today, the MDC
National Executive meets in Harare once again to
decide what to do in these
circumstances. It had to come to this sooner or
later, but the Bennett issue
will now be the catalyst for a change in
strategy for the MDC and a renewed
crisis for the region.
I do not think we will pull out of the
Transitional Government, but
believe me, it's not business as usual for this
Government. Regional
consultations are inevitable and the much delayed
meeting of the SADC Troika
is now probably going to take place. When it does
meet it will be confronted
with many crucial decisions and
responsibilities.