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Crisis government talks postponed amid reports of tensions

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
27 April 2009

Crisis talks between Zimbabwe's government leaders were postponed after a
brief meeting on Monday, amid reports of a tense atmosphere brewing between
the country's three main principals.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara
have been locked in discussion with Robert Mugabe over key outstanding
issues, such as the appointment of governors, permanent secretaries and the
recent attempts to weaken the power of Nelson Chamisa's Information
Communication Technology Ministry. Last week's round of talks all proved
inconclusive, with the meeting being rescheduled to Monday.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson James Maridadi explained on Monday that
the meeting to discuss the outstanding issues convened as planned, but was
adjourned later in the day, until Tuesday. But a source close to the talks
has told SW Radio Africa that Monday's meeting was 'tense', a likely cause
of the yet unexplained postponement.
The tensions are in direct contrast to public statements made by the Prime
Minister over the weekend, where he said there was no going back on the
unity government. He was addressing supporters at a rally in Chinoyi, where
he called for reconciliation among the country's political opponents.
Tsvangirai expressed satisfaction with the progress of the inclusive
government so far, as well as his dealings with Mugabe, saying: "There is
nothing Mugabe does without me approving. There is nothing I do without
Mugabe approving."
His statements came a day after his MDC party on Friday said the failure by
the government's leaders to resolve the outstanding issues is threatening
the viability of the unity government. In a sign of growing frustration at
the talks, the MDC said the delays to resolve the outstanding issues and
several other problems had left the country with a "handicapped government"
that was not fully functional.
Tsvangirai's 'satisfaction' with the government will therefore likely need
explaining, as will the apparent relationship of approval that Tsvangirai
has said he maintains with Mugabe.
If the Prime Minister's approval is sought over various violations of the
Global Political Agreement, this would have serious negative implications,
as so far they have all been attributed to Mugabe.


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Zimbabwe Inclusive Government Watch : Issue 4

Sokwanele - Enough is Enough - Zimbabwe
PROMOTING NON-VIOLENT PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY


Zimbabwe Inclusive Government Watch : Issue 4
Sokwanele : 27 April 2009



Zimbabwe Inclusive Government Watch (ZIG Watch) is tracking articles and reports which provide examples of violations of the agreement between Zanu PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Formations signed in Harare on 15 September 2008. This report reflects a small sample of breaches identified through comprehensive logging and monitoring of media articles. Many more breaches are viewable on our website: www.sokwanele.com/zigwatch


As March drew to a close amid ongoing reports of lawlessness across the country, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai warned those engaged in unlawful activities that they would be brought to justice. "Of particular importance is restoring the rule of law, without which we will not make progress on any front. I have tasked the Ministers of Home Affairs to ensure that all crimes are acted upon and the perpetrators arrested and charged. For too long a culture of entitlement and impunity has stained our society, but after the signing of the Global Political Agreement no crime will go unpunished," he said.

However, as Zimbabwe Inclusive Government (ZIG) Watch has demonstrated since its inception, the Rule of Law is violated daily by corrupt Zanu PF ministers who have enriched themselves ruthlessly at the expense of the entire population - and continue to do so.

As South Africa's Business Day commented on 31 March: "The party (MDC) has assumed token responsibility for critical aspects of the country's governance such as the running of the economy, but does not have the political power or access to resources to turn things around. Meanwhile, an unrepentant Mugabe has been given a new lease on life and Zanu PF thugs continue to run rampant, grabbing land from the few remaining white farmers and preventing free political activity…."

The Rule of Law is the principle that no one is above the law. Its most important application is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedural steps that are referred to as due process. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance, whether by a totalitarian leader or by mob rule. Thus, the rule of law is hostile both to dictatorship and to anarchy.

For Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies, who have relied on the power of a dictatorship and strategically engineered anarchy to achieve unlimited power and fabulous wealth, a return to the rule of law is not only undesirable but could see them facing charges at the International Criminal Court.

One of the thorns in their flesh is respected lawyer Tendai Biti in his new role as Finance Minister who has already made significant changes in his short tenure. Of the Mugabe appointees most at risk from Biti's reforms, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono - widely blamed for the collapsed economy - heads the pack.

On 8 April, the Zimbabwe Telegraph reported drama at the offices of the Ministry of Finance when Zanu PF MPs stormed the office of Minister Biti and threatened to beat him up. The spark that ignited their vitriol was his denouncement of Gono's move to parcel out expensive Mercedes vehicles to MPs. Sources said Gono had whipped up emotions in order to stage a mutiny.

The transitional government faced another challenge with President Mugabe's unilateral decision to strip the Information Communication Technology Ministry of its control over the contested communication portfolio. The key issue regarding this Ministry, headed by MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa, is that the Interception of Communications Act, crafted to ensure the state security apparatus can spy on citizens, falls under it.

Other MDC officials targeted were Head of Security, Chris Dhlamini and Gandhi Mudzwinga, formerly Tsvangirai's personal assistant. On 25 November, Dhlamini was abducted by gunmen from his home. Together with Mudzingwa, he was brutally tortured and arraigned on charges ranging from terrorism and banditry to sabotage. They were finally released from detention on 17 April and have been recovering from extensive injuries in hospital. On 20 April their security was once again threatened when they were paid a visit by three of the detectives responsible for illegally locking them up.

Three days previously, Zimbabweans were shocked to learn that a High Court Judge granted the Attorney General's office permission to appeal against the granting of bail to Dhlamini, Mudzingwa and Shadreck Manyere, a freelance photojournalist. Manyere was held in the notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for nearly four months, also accused of terrorism.

The inhumane conditions under which prisoners are incarcerated, the scale of starvation and escalating prison death rate were highlighted by an SABC Special Assignment documentary broadcast on 31 March. It caused an international outcry and demands for the resignation of prisons head Paradzai Zimondi. However, within three days, three prison officers suspected of collaborating with Special Assignment were arrested and charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act.

Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa continues to operate above the law. This time he allegedly ordered the release of Zanu PF activist Edmore Hwarare from police custody behind the backs of court officials. Hwarare was arrested for fraud involving a consignment of sugar worth over US$132 000.

In pre-Global Political Agreement mould, police reversed clearance of an MDC rally scheduled for Independence Day on 18 April after Zanu PF politicians insisted it was cancelled.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara (MDC-M) drew significant criticism when he announced that the coalition government had resolved to divert humanitarian aid, chiefly for paying the salaries of the civil service.

Farm evictions continued to escalate and on 8 April President Mugabe told party stalwarts at Zanu PF headquarters that his land "redistribution" programme was "irreversible". His remarks came in the wake of reports that Tsvangirai was pressing for the end of the agricultural disruptions.

On Stockdale farm in the Chegutu district, a man was murdered, allegedly by farm guards working for Edna Madzongwe, the Senate President, who is occupying the farm illegally. The man was tortured and killed for taking a few oranges from the orchards which belong to the Etheredge family, the legal owners of the farm.

The suffering of farm workers and their families throughout the chaotic land invasions has been immense, devastating the entire sector. Masori Range plantation farm in the Headlands area was "acquired" by the government from commercial farmer Johan Hains. The workers were then bundled into army trucks and dumped 30km away in an area with soils unsuitable for agriculture and without housing or amenities. In stark contrast, senior council officials from the Makoni Rural District Council and politicians are growing rich from timber sales from the farm's plantations.


Chinamasa ordered prisoner released
Zimbabwe Times, The (ZW): 17/04/2009

MASVINGO – Sources within the Ministry of Justice have indicated that minister Patrick Chinamasa allegedly ordered the recent release of Zanu-PF activist Edmore Hwarare from police custody behind the backs of court officials in Chiredzi and also cautioned prosecutors over the way they had handled the case. Hwarare, a former Zanu-PF provincial political commissar in Masvingo, was arrested for fraud involving a large quantity of processed sugar worth over US $132 000. Chinamasa allegedly ordered prison officials to release the self proclaimed chairman of the Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Workers Union after he was remanded in custody. Prosecutors at the Chiredzi magistrate courts promptly boycotted their duties in protest at the irregular handling of Hwarare’s case and what now turns out to have been Chinamasa’s action. Sources close to the case say Hwarare’s loyalty to Zanu-PF is unquestionable. He is well-known for his generous donations of money and goods at major party functions in Chiredzi and is said to enjoy a special relationship with Chinamasa. Masvingo area prosecutor Mirirai Shumba said Hwarare was released from custody after the state had failed to launch an appeal against the granting of bail. Chinamasa refused to comment on the issue on Friday.

ZANU PF MPs threaten Zimbabwe Finance Minister Biti
Zimbabwe Telegraph, The (ZW): 08/04/2009

There was drama yesterday afternoon at the offices of the Ministry of Finance when Zanu PF MPs stormed the office of Tendai Biti threatening to beat him up as long as the vehicles that were promised by central bank governor Gideon Gono were not handed over to them. They are said to have th reatened to seek audience with President Robert Mugabe to cow Biti into giving them their vehicles, arguing they are elected public figures who should be respected accordingly. Sources say Gono whipped up emotions of the Zanu PF MPs to stage a mutiny against his boss Tendai Biti.

Chamisa Dismisses Annexing of Ministry's Functions
RadioVOP: 10/04/2009

Information Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa has described the annexing of functions under his ministry and hand over to an expanded Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development led by Nicholas Goche as a joke, indicating that President Robert Mugabe does not have the mandate to do so. A Herald newspaper report indicated that President Mugabe had expanded the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development to include the Department of Communications and that the new portfolio would now become the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development under Minister Nicholas Goche. Chamisa said he was awaiting the decision of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on the matter.

State agents pay intimidatory visits to Mudzingwa and Dhlamini in their hospital beds
Sokwanele.com: 20/04/2009

Chris Dhlamini and Gandhi Mudzingwa were paid a visit in their hospital ward by three of the people instrumental in illegally locking them up in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. The three men walked in and walked around but took nothing. They were Detective Chief Inspector Ntini (the boss), Detective Inspector Muchada and Detective Assistant Inspector Mukwaira.

Prisons Scandal: Officers Arrested Over SABC Report
Zimbabwe Standard, The (ZW): 04/04/2009

Three prison officers suspected of smuggling investigative reporters from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)’s Special Assi gnment programme into Beit Bridge Prison were arrested on Friday. Thabiso Nyathi (35), Siyai Muchechedzi (35) and Thembinkosi Nkomo (28) were arrested in Gwanda. The trio is being charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act. The SABC recently screened the documentary exposing the sorry state of prisoners in the country’s filthy jails, showing sickly inmates who appeared to be deprived of food and medical care. The SABC crew worked with some wardens and officers over three months with cameras smuggled into the prisons. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was quoted as saying the documentary, which shocked many Zimbabweans due to its horrifying pictures of gravely ill inmates, was “a fraud”.

Murder on Stockdale Farm
SW Radio Africa (ZW): 15/04/2009

A man was murdered in Chegutu, allegedly by farm guards working for Edna Madzongwe, the Senate President. A Justice for Agriculture (JAG) spokesperson said the man had been caught stealing oranges at Stockdale Farm, owned by the Etheredge family but taken illegally by Mrs Madzongwe. JAG said the Senate President, who has been an illegal resident at the farm since 5 March, was in residence when the murder took place. It is believed the man was just an ord inary member of the public who probably got hungry. He was taken to the citrus pack shed where he was tortured for most of the night. At around 05:00 he was released by the guards (no police report was made of the theft), and the body was found near the entrance to the farm. A report was made to the Chegutu police and three of Madzongwe’s guards, plus two Stockdale former employees, were picked up by the police and taken to the police station. No arrests have so far been made.

Officials ‘reaping where they did not sow’
Zimbabwe Standard, The (ZW): 18/04/2009

Masori Range plantation farm was acquired by the government from commercial farmer Johan Hains and the farm was later given to Makoni Rural District Council to manage. Without no income, resident farm workers were stranded, and were later bundled into army trucks and dumped 30km away from Headlands at Gudo where loose sandy soils are not suitable for agriculture. But while they are struggling, senior council officials from Makoni Rural District Council and politicians are growing rich from timber sales from the plantation at Masori Range.

 

We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression!

 


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Zimbabwe assets face seizure after tribunal rules for farmers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Air Zimbabwe's passenger jets could be seized at Gatwick airport after an
international tribunal ruled that the country's assets could be confiscated
and sold in order to compensate farmers whose land has been seized.

By Peta Thornycroft in Harare
Last Updated: 8:21PM BST 27 Apr 2009

The decision by the Washington-based International Centre for the Settlement
of Investment Disputes (ICSID) came after a six-year legal battle between a
group of Dutch farmers and President Robert Mugabe's government.

It finally ruled last week that Mr Mugabe's government had broken a
bilateral investment treaty with the Netherlands and awarded the group more
than £14 million in compensation.

The ICSID is part of the World Bank and the judgment can be enforced by
seizing Zimbabwean state assets - such as Air Zimbabwe's aircraft - in any
of its more than 100 member countries, which include both Britain and
America. Embassy buildings, though, are excluded from seizure under the
Vienna conventions.

At a hearing in Paris, which was closed to both the public and media,
Zimbabwean officials defended the eviction of more than 4,000 farmers saying
the best agricultural land was taken by white "settlers", mostly British,
during the colonial era.

One of the farmers, Ben Funnekotter, 49, born of Dutch parents in Zimbabwe
and who now lives in Australia, was one of the first forced off by Mr
Mugabe's thugs in 2000.

"We need to see if the award will be paid," he said. "If it is not, then I
will start proceedings to impound any assets belonging to the Zimbabwe
government."

Matthew Coleman, a British lawyer who represented the farmers in Paris,
said: "We hope this encourages others to come forward and bring claims under
the bilateral investment treaties."


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Coltart admits school fees unaffordable

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=15831

April 27, 2009

By Ray Matikinye

BULAWAYO - Government is considering reducing the amount of school fees
charged in primary schools as "hardly any parent can afford" those announced
recently although the cutback will not be dramatic, Education, Sport and
Culture minister, Senator David Coltart says.

Coltart told parents and party supporters at a constituency meeting at
Mahatshula Primary school in the city on Saturday that the level of fees
announced in March was arrived at after consultation with experts who set
the figures as the amounts needed to educate a child a term.

There has been growing outrage from parents who say they cannot afford the
US$150 fee announced when most of the civil servants are paid a US$100
monthly allowance.

But Coltart said his ministry had put in place a new policy where parents
would apply for relief through a Means Test Application (MTA).

The MTA requires parents who cannot afford the fees to apply at every school
through the school head who, together with the parents committee, will
assess the level of fees they can pay. MTA is unlike the Basic Education
Assistance Module (BEAM) which was administered in Harare but had
discontinued giving assistance to pupils without means to pay fees due to
lack of funds.

Under BEAM some schools that had applied for funds have not received what
they had applied for, for the past three years before the program was
discontinued.

"We know that people are suffering, businesses are closing and financial
assistance from donors is not forthcoming as fast as we would have
anticipated. Parents will have to play an active role in making sure the
schools are kept open by contributing whatever they can afford," Coltart
said.

Zimbabwe's education system is on a knife's edge and risks disintegration
unless government finds donors willing to bankroll salary demands by an
estimated 80 000 teachers to persuade them to remain on their jobs up to a
time when the country can start to generate foreign currency of its own
through  sustainable economic activities.

Since January teachers, who form the bulk of the civil service, have not
received any salaries.

Instead, they have received monthly allowances that can hardly cater for
their housing, transport and other basic needs such as school fees for their
own children. Most of the schools are in a state of decline because
government has not put enough money into the education sector.

Last year's Grade Seven and "O" Level examination results have not been
released because funds provided by donors, particularly UNICEF, have run
out.

Coltart said most potential donors had no confidence in the Global Political
Agreement which they say has not been implemented properly.

"We might get just enough funds to get the education system going. We are
looking at incentives to keep teachers on the job and this alone required
US$4, 5 million assuming we increase teachers' allowances to US$150 a
 month," Coltart said.

Teachers' unions have threatened that their members will not report for work
when schools open in May unless they are paid proper salaries, and not the
allowances which they are receiving at the moment.

All public servants regardless of seniority or grade receive the same amount
and this has riled professionals who feel the practice does not reward
professionalism and academic qualification.


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Student leader still in custody 6 days on

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
27 April 2009

The Zimbabwe National Students Union has issued a statement slamming the
continued incarceration of Courage Ngwarai, their secretary for legal
affairs who was arrested 6 days ago. On the 21st April Ngwarai and 22 other
students were arrested in Masvingo, following a demonstration at the Great
Zimbabwe University. Students were protesting against the exorbitant fee
structure which has been pegged in foreign currency.

Although the other 22 students were released on Friday, ZINASU is worried
that the state has opened fresh charges against Ngwarai, dating back to 2007
when he led previous student demonstrations. The students union called for
his release and urged, 'the inclusive government to loosen the primitive
measures which the police have traditionally taken against innocent and
peaceful students' protests. The arrest and detention of Ngwarai flies in
the face of the spirit of the Global Political Agreement and is a violation
of human rights and academic freedoms.'
Meanwhile 3 students from the Midlands State University in Gweru, who were
suspended indefinitely for leading protests against the dollarization of
fees, are expected to appear before a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. Obert
Masaraure, Prince Ncube and Arthur Maboshe were suspended in February this
year. Lawyer Brian Dube will be representing them.


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Makumbe: Tsvangirai covering up for Mugabe's misdemeanours

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
27 April 2009

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has been making statements that people find
hard to reconcile with events on the ground. There is speculation as to
whether he is trying too hard to make this controversial unity government
work.
This weekend he told thousands of party supporters: "We respect each other,
although we may disagree. There's nothing (Robert) Mugabe does without me
approving and there is nothing I do without him approving."
People are questioning what could have made the Prime Minister make such a
statement, at a time when his own Director of Security, Chris Dhlamini, and
former aide Gandhi Mudzingwa, are being hounded by the police and are under
an illegal arrest. And to what extent has the Prime Minister been consulted
on the ZANU PF led violent farm invasions campaign?

Observers say the trouble is by saying such things Tsvangirai makes himself
equally responsible or accepting liability for ZANU PF's wrongdoings. If it
is the case that the two leaders respect and consult each other, did Mugabe
consult Tsvangirai when he appointed his own governors and permanent
secretaries? If it is true that there's nothing Mugabe does without
Tsvangirai approval, why are the political rivals locked in a stalemate over
issues to do with appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney
General?

Political commentator Professor John Makumbe said: "I think it's an
exaggeration of the reality on the ground in the sense that there are things
that Mugabe has done without consulting either Morgan or Arthur (Mutambara)
and these things have been challenged by Tsvangirai and Mutambara. So I
think he is really covering for Mugabe's misdemeanours - which is really not
necessary. He should tell it like it is, that it is a daily battle and that
Mugabe would like to run the country as if the MDC or the GNU do not exist."

To some extent it is natural for a politician to put a spin on government
policies, to remain consistent with the principle of collective
responsibility.  Makumbe also believes that to some extent the Prime
Minister is left with little choice, saying a collapsed government of
national unity could mean going straight back to violence.

But the commentator added that Tsvangirai does not have to try so hard to
sanitise Mugabe's appalling behaviour.

International donors are not fooled by this inclusive arrangement and have
repeatedly said they will only increase the flow of aid to Zimbabwe when the
government respects the rule of law and property rights.


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Mutambara MDC deny suspending former MP Sikhala

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
27 April 2009

The MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara has denied suspending its Secretary
for Defence and Security, Job Sikhala, for organizing an 'unsanctioned'
rally at which he attacked the party president. The maverick former St Mary's
MP has so far held 3 rallies in which he has accused Mutambara of being too
close to Mugabe, to the detriment of the party's image. Sikhala claims that
when Mutambara praised Robert Mugabe as the'Father of Africa' and also 'the
best leader Africa has ever produced' the party members were ashamed to move
in the streets and the MDC-M suffered irreparable damage.

Speaking to Newsreel on Monday deputy party spokesman Renson Gasela denied
any knowledge of a decision being made to suspend Sikhala. Several online
websites have covered a story claiming Sikhala had been suspended and that,
'an announcement will be made on Monday or Tuesday.' They claimed Sikhala
will be 'on suspension pending a disciplinary hearing that would be
conducted within a certain period of time according to the party's
constitution.' All quoted an unnamed party source, claiming the decision was
reached during a meeting chaired by Lyson Mlambo, the party's Secretary for
Disciplinary Affairs.

But Sikhala told Newsreel on Monday that the story had been planted in the
media by party officials 'trying to test the waters' and gauge the reaction
to a possible suspension. He also said he had not received any letter
notifying him of the reported suspension, as claimed in the story. Pressed
on whether reports linking him and Nkayi South legislator Abednico Bhebhe to
the formation of a breakaway faction of the Mutambara MDC were true, Sikhala
denied this. Instead he said they were seeking, 'a process of purification
to get rid of ZANU PF moles who are trying to yoke the party to Mugabe.'

Meanwhile there are reports that the planned transformation of Dr Simba
Makoni's Mavambo Movement, into a full fledged political party, has been put
on ice. A report in The Zimbabwean newspaper quotes Makoni's spokesman
Godfrey Chanetsa saying; 'Makoni didn't see it fit to launch the party when
there is bickering in the movement. New dates for the launch will be decided
once there is peace in the movement.' Problems erupted last year in October
when several provincial executives sought to topple Makoni, demanding among
other things that he account for financial resources donated to the party.


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30 000 turn up for MDC rally in Chinhoyi

http://www.swradioafrica.com

27 April, 2009

MDC President, Hon. Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday raised concerns over
outstanding issues that are affecting the inclusive government formed in
February.

He was addressing over 30 000 MDC supporters gathered at Chinhoyi Stadium in
Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province to commemorate the MDC's 10th
anniversary celebrations.

Although the President gave a commitment that there was no going back on the
inclusive government, he was deeply concerned that the inclusive government
was facing a number of teething problems that were affecting its day-to-day
operations.

"There's no reverse on the inclusive government. There will be insults, but
we will get there. We have one project, which is the inclusive government.
It has specific policies and specific targets, which is to pull this country
out of the quagmire," Hon. Tsvangirai said.

"We respect each other, although we may disagree. There's nothing Mugabe
does without me approving and there is nothing I do without him approving,"
he said.

However, Hon. Tsvangirai said some of the challenges the government was
facing included the appointments of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor,
the Attorney-General, ambassadors, permanent secretaries and the swearing of
Senator Roy Bennett, the MDC national treasurer as deputy Agriculture
minister.

He also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners such as,
Gandhi Mudzingwa, his former personal aide and Chris Dhlamini, the MDC head
of security.

Hon. Tsvangirai also raised concerns over the lawlessness that was taking
place in some farms.

"Let's not take the law into our hands. We should be able to distinguish
between land issues and criminality. We will not tolerate violence and chaos
that is taking place in some farms especially here in Mashonaland West
province," he warned.

"The issue that we all should speak with one voice is the land," Hon.
Tsvangirai said.

He explained that under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) there was no
room for taking the law into one's hands.

President Tsvangirai also called for the training of the police and army in
human rights issues in order for them to conduct their duties
professionally, without being partisan.

The president also paid tribute to several MDC supporters from Mashonaland
West province and Senator Bennett who were recently released from remand
prison on trumped-up charges of banditry, terrorism and insurgency.

Those who were abducted by the State security agents and spent at least
three months in remand are; MDC Mashonaland West provincial chairperson,
Concilia Chinanzvavana, and her husband, Manuel Chinanzvavana, Violet
Mupfuranhewe and her husband Collen Mutemangau and their two year-old son,
Nigel Mutemangau.

"They are the true cadres of the nation. We salute you because without your
sacrifices, the MDC would not be what it is today," said President
Tsvangirai.

The President was accompanied by senior MDC leaders who included, the
national chairman, Hon. Lovemore Moyo, Senator Bennett, national organising
secretary, Hon. Elias Mudzuri and the secretary for information and
publicity, Hon. Nelson Chamisa.

Meanwhile, Hon. Chamisa, who is also the MP for Kuwadzana East in Harare on
Sunday, told a report back rally in the constituency that the inclusive
government was trying to solve problems bedevilling residents.

"We want to make sure that residents have affordable water and electricity
while those areas that have no electricity we will make sure that something
is done as a matter of urgency," Hon. Chamisa told over 10 000 MDC
supporters gathered at the rally.

Speaking at the same rally Senator Bennett said was humbled by the support
he had received from the people during his incarceration in Mutare but said
there was an unstoppable winds of change engulfing the country.

"All the persecution I have suffered is unwarranted and an attempt to stop
the winds of change. When I was in prison you prayed for me. And I want to
thank you all the people of Zimbabwe for remaining resolute in the face of
such harassment and terror," he said.

Bennett said nothing could stop the winds of change adding the persecution
he had suffered was nothing as compared to the violence endured by many
Zimbabweans across the country during election-related violence last year.
He said many paid the ultimate prize.

"Zanu PF is scared of the people going to vote. The only thing that can
defeat Zanu PF is the X. No amount of persecution can stop an idea whose
time has come. These people think they can stop change by refusing to swear
me into office. But no one can ever go against the people and God and hope
to succeed," said Senator Bennett.


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Bennett receives rousing welcomes

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=15827

April 27, 2009

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - Persecuted MDC treasurer-general Roy Bennett received rousing
welcomes at two rallies in Chegutu East and Harare on Sunday, with thousands
openly showing empathy for a man who has endured a sustained harassment
campaign by Zanu-PF hardliners.

Bennett addressed a rally attended by over 2 000 people at Neuso Township in
Ward 2 of the Chegutu East constituency together with MDC spokesman Nelson
Chamisa and deputy national organising secretary Morgan Komichi. The rally
was also attended by Chegutu Mayor Francis Dlakama and Chegutu West MP
Takalani Matibe.

Neuso Township is under the jurisdiction of Zanu-PF MP Webster Shamu, who is
also Media, Information and Publicity minister.

There was deafening applause as Bennett alighted from his vehicle at Neuso.
The rousing reception was a ringing endorsement for a man whom President
Mugabe's key allies have fiercely campaigned to push out of government.

But the deafening applause at both rallies as Bennett was introduced bore
testimony to the widespread support he commands even in remote parts of the
country.

At Kuwadzana 4 Open Space in Harare where over 5 000 thronged the grounds
for a constituency feedback rally organised by Chamisa, Bennett was asked to
return to the podium by public demand at the end of his address.

A simple and deeply religious man, Bennett moved the thousands as he spoke
about his persecution, his stints in jail and what he called the unstoppable
winds of change.

"Leaders are installed by God and removed by God," he said to applause. "All
the persecution I have suffered is unwarranted and an attempt to stop the
winds of change. When I was in prison you prayed for me. And I want to thank
you all the people of Zimbabwe for remaining resolute in the face of such
harassment and terror," he said, speaking in fluent Shona.

Bennett said he was born in Zimbabwe, his father was bon in Zimbabwe, and
there was no other home he knew.

"This is my home, I am from Karoi where I was born but I relocated to
Chimanimani in 1993 where I bought a farm called Charleswood from (business
tycoon) Tiny Rowland," he said.

Bennett said nothing could stop the winds of change adding the persecution
he had suffered was nothing as compared to the violence endured by many
Zimbabweans across the country during election related violence last year.
He said many paid the ultimate prize.

"They are scared of the X," he said. "The only thing that can defeat them is
the X. No amount of persecution can stop an idea whose time has come. These
people think they can stop change by refusing to swear me into office. But
no one can ever go against the people and God and succeed."

Bennett, who was nominated deputy minister of Agriculture by the MDC, has
not been sworn to office because President Robert Mugabe will not swear him
in, ostensibly because he is facing serious charges. He is facing charges of
attempting to assassinate Mugabe in 2006.

Bennett, who in 2005 had been jailed for one year for shoving Justice
Minister Patrick Chinamasa in Parliament, fled in 2006 to South Africa after
the charges to assassinate Mugabe were brought against him.

He returned home in February just before the formation of the inclusive
government, after he had been nominated by the MDC as an MDC representative
in government.

Bennett said he was humbled by the support shown to him by Zimbabweans when
he was in prison in February. He said the MDC was now in government but the
job was not yet done.

Chamisa told the rally that leadership renewal was healthy for democracy.

"Leaders are like nappies, if they are not changed, they can cause harm to
babies," he said. "Leaders need to be regularly changed."

Chamisa told the rally in Neuso that the MDC was working out a compensation
package for those who lost their livestock and property due to Zanu-PF
violence last year. He spoke of national healing and the government
programmes to bury the hatchet and build a new Zimbabwe.

Chamisa explained to the rural people why the MDC decided to partner Zanu-PF
in the inclusive government.

He said the party wanted a new Constitution that will define term limits for
leaders. He rubbished reports that Mugabe was still in charge.

"Don't be fooled that Mugabe is still in charge," he said. "There are now
two centres of power, one occupied by Mugabe and the other by Tsvangirai.
Mugabe is the head of State and Tsvangirai is the head of government," he
said.

Chamisa said Zanu-PF had apparently indoctrinated rural folk that Mugabe was
still in charge. He said the MDC also decided to partner Mugabe to end the
economic ruin that had exacted an enormous toll on the people.

He said the party also wanted a reform of institutions, especially the
electoral machinery and said the present Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had
contaminated and polluted the integrity of Zimbabwe's elections.

"ZEC chairman George) Chiweshe cannot even run a burial society," Chamisa
said to applause. "We want an independent electoral commission to run
elections in two years time."

Chamisa, who is now minister of Information Communication Technology,
received a rousing response when he told the Neuso rally that as minister
responsible for telecommunications, he wanted greater penetration of cell
phones into the rural areas.

"You must be able to call your fellow herdsman with a cell phone to look for
your cattle if they have gone astray," he said to applause.

He said there were spirited attempts to strip him of powers by switching the
telecommunications functions from his ministry to the Transport ministry but
said he had rejected these attempts.

He said the principals were dealing with the issue "but in the meantime, I
retain all functions of my ministry until the principals decide otherwise,"
he said.

Chamisa told the rally at Kuwadzana 4 that all outstanding political issues
were being addressed by the three principals.

He said the issue of provincial governors, ambassadors, the Reserve Bank
governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana would be dealt
with this week, adding that three meetings held last week had, however,
failed to resolve the issues.

Chamisa also revealed that change in reporting by the State-controlled
Herald newspaper and radio and television was also one of the outstanding
issues.

The Kuwadzana rally was also attended by MDC organising secretary, Elias
Mudzuri, the Energy Minister who explained that the intermittent power cuts
were caused by a shortage of power imports as Mozambique had slashed power
supplies to Zimbabwe from 300 megawatts to 100 megawatts. He said there was
need to boost power generation capacity.


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Judge reserves ruling over political detainees' re-arrest

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
27 April 2009

Two MDC officials and a freelance journalist continue to fight for their
freedom in the courts, even though they were lawfully released out of police
custody more than a week ago. On Monday their lawyers made an urgent High
Court application to remove the armed police guards at the hospital, where
Chris Dhlamini and Gandhi Mudzingwa are receiving treatment.

The police are also searching for freelance journalist Shadreck Andrison
Manyere and have been looking for him at his house to re-arrest him, but
they have failed to locate him. Lawyer Alex Muchadehama said his bail
condition merely stipulated that he must reside at his place but did not say
he must always be there.

Muchadehama said despite the fact that the three were lawfully released on
bail on April 17, armed police are illegally guarding his clients - Dhlamini
and Mudzingwa - at the Avenues Clinic. He said the police are continuing
with their unlawful actions even though they "have no court order which
allows them to continue guarding them and they have not re-arrested them for
any new charges."

High Court judge Justice Bharat Patel reserved judgment on this matter to
Thursday.

The three are among a group of people accused of plotting to destabilise the
Mugabe regime through acts of banditry and sabotage. Scores of activists
have been released on bail but there appears to be a concerted effort to
single out Dhlamini, Mudzingwa and Manyere in particular.

Prior to Monday's hearing the State had also made a court application on
Saturday in which it argued that the three accused persons were improperly
released and should be sent back to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. But
the defence counsel said the State was approaching the court with dirty
hands as they had already incarcerated the MDC officials without any court
order and without following any legal procedures.

The matter was heard by Justice Chinembiri Bhunu - the judge who initially
granted the State the right to appeal to the Supreme Court against a
decision granting bail to three on the 17th. But the accused persons were on
that same day released because the State had been granted leave to appeal
outside the seven day period.

Muchadehama asked for the judge to recuse himself in the latest matter,
because he had already ruled in favour of the State and also argued that the
application was supposed to have been heard by Justice Hungwe, the High
Court judge who had initially heard the bail application. Eventually Justice
Bhunu recused himself and is expected to refer this matter to another judge.

The court battles continue and the State maintains the police will remain
guarding the MDC officials and will continue looking for the journalist, to
re-arrest him.


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Wounded Chegutu farm worker arrested

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
27 April 2009

A Chegutu farm worker who was wounded after police opened fire on Stockdale
citrus farm last week, has been arrested and is being held and questioned by
police.

The farm worker and a colleague were both struck in the legs when police
fired random shots at the vehicle the workers were travelling in on the farm
property last Tuesday. They had accompanied the farm's owner, Peter
Etheredge to inspect the farm that has been forcibly taken over by the
President of the Senate, Edna Madzongwe. Madzongwe has refused to leave the
land that most of Stockdale's employees and the Etheredge family have been
forced to flee. The Senate President, who has timed her invasion to coincide
with the profitable orange harvest season, has since enlisted the assistance
of the Chegutu police to guard the farm.

Peter Etheredge was arrested after the police attack on Tuesday and spent
almost four days behind bars. He was released on Friday, but the harassment
has continued this weekend with one of his wounded employees being arrested.
The worker now joins another seven Chegutu farm workers who have been hauled
behind bars in recent weeks, as part of the ongoing offensive against the
commercial farming community. The other seven detained staff, all from
Chegutu's Mount Carmel farm, were arrested more than two weeks ago and are
being held on trumped up kidnapping charges. The rest of Mount Carmel's
staff is in hiding for fear of their lives, as invaders have almost
completely taken over the land.

No effort is being made by the police to stop the illegal takeovers, and in
most cases the police have been wholly supportive of the sometimes violent
activities. In Chegutu, which has been worst hit by the fresh wave of
attacks, the farming community has been left with little option but to wait
and see what the government's decision on land reform will be. It follows a
visit by a ministerial delegation more than a week ago that was tasked to
probe the farm attacks. The delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara, called for an end to the invasions, and ordered the invaders to
stop preventing critical farming activities. But the orders have been
ignored, in a clear sign that the MDC still has no power in the unity
government, with Robert Mugabe still firmly in charge.

Meanwhile, thirteen commercial farmers in Guruve have been granted 'offer
letters' and are now being allowed to stay on the land that is legally
theirs. It is being reported in the state's mouthpiece publication, The
Herald, that the farmers have been "complying with all the terms of the Land
Reform Programme" and were "co-operative and hardworking." The move has
prompted an angry response from observers, as the farmers do not require any
form of permission to stay on their own land.


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Zimbabwe allocates land to 13 white farmers

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe has offered farms to 13 white farmers as the
government moves to conclude a land reform programme which has been branded
as racist and has cost the country crucial economic aid, APA learnt here
Monday.

The official Herald daily reported that the 13, from the rich agricultural
belt of Guruve to the northeast of Zimbabwe, were part of the first group of
commercial farmers to be given government offer letters to enable them to
retain their farms.

The government has said in the past it would allow only 300 of the original
4,500 white farmers to retain their properties under a controversial land
reform programme that has alienated Zimbabwe from international donors who
accuse the country of failing to protect property rights.

The move to allocate land to white farmers is an attempt by the Zimbabwean
government to dispel the notion that the land acquisition programme is
biased and discriminates landowners on the basis on race.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal last year ruled
in favour of 78 Zimbabwean commercial farmers who were contesting the land
reform programme on the grounds that it discriminated them on the basis of
race.

  JN/nm/APA 2009-04-27


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The Cost of the Farm Invasions



In the late 90's the Government of Zimbabwe held a conference on land reform
in Zimbabwe. Broad agreement was reached between the State, the stakeholders
and international aid agencies but the agreement was never implemented. Two
years later, in an attempt to destroy the opposition base on commercial
farms, the State began what it eventually called the 'Fast Track Land
Reform' exercise.

They justified this programme to the rest of the world by arguing that they
were redressing historical injustices and racial imbalances in the ownership
of the land. The reform programme ignored the legal situation prevailing in
respect to farm ownership and it also ignored the issue of fair and
reasonable compensation for assets taken over by the State.

The legal position was quite straight forward - commercial farmers held full
freehold title and in over 80 per cent of cases, also held a 'certificate of
no interest' issued by the Zimbabwe government allowing them to buy the
farms on the open market after 1980. Such a requirement was mandatory - in
order to enable the State to acquire the farms if they so wished, on a
willing seller, willing buyer basis. Some 3,8 million hectares of farmland
was in fact acquired in this way since 1980.

Farmers holding both the title and the certificates held an unassailable
legal right to the land and all improvements. By so doing they held the
right to receive in full, the market value of such assets when they were
sold, less any bond obligations to banks.

In the following 8 years, thousands of farms were 'acquired' with the regime
changing the law every time a farmer or group of farmers secured legal
judgements in their favour. Eventually a group of farmers took their case to
the SADC Legal Tribunal in Windhoek, Namibia where they initially obtained a
decision saying that they had the right to go to the Tribunal on the issue
(the State had apposed the action) and subsequently secured a ruling in
favour of the farmers - instructing the Government of Zimbabwe to protect
the farmers legal rights.

One small group of affected farmers also enjoyed the protection of a
'Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement' signed between the Government of
Zimbabwe and the farmers home Government. A group of farmers of Dutch origin
who had invested after Independence and were protected by the BIPA took
their case to the international Courts in the Hague. Last week the highest
legal tribunal in the world ruled in favour of the Dutch investors and
granted them nearly 22 million dollars in compensation, payable in 90 days.

The attitude of the regime towards the farm acquisitions was quite straight
forward. They were 'taking the farms' from their owners. They simply went to
a nominated agency or individual and obtained an 'offer letter' which then
allowed the 'beneficiary' the right to take occupation. No protection was
afforded to the owner or his staff and no interference was permitted, as the
operation was considered 'political'. In the majority of cases force was
used - mainly in the form of groups of young, politically motivated thugs
who acted on behalf of the 'beneficiary'. Once the owners and their senior
staff had been evicted, the new farmers took occupation and took advantage
of the assets and even standing crops and livestock on the farms.

Many elderly and outstanding farmers were evicted in this way - leaving some
of them so traumatised that they never recovered. One such farmer, Keith
Harvey, was evicted from his cattle ranch in the midlands and subsequently
went into a cationic coma for two years before he eventually died. He was a
former chairman of the Natural Resources Board and a life long
conservationist. A fine cattleman and a person of great integrity and
commitment to the country of his birth.

But no estimate has yet been made of just what the disruption of commercial
farms has cost us and I asked economists in the farming industry to let me
have the numbers. Even I was shocked by the statistics. In 2000 the total
output of the agricultural industry in Zimbabwe was 4,3 million tonnes of
agricultural products worth at today's prices US$3,347 billion. This has
declined to just over 1,348 million tonnes of products in 2009 worth US$1
billion - a decline of 69 per cent in volume and a decline of 70 per cent in
value.

What is often not appreciated is that smallholder farmers have been just as
badly affected by the collapse of the industry as the large scale commercial
farmers. Their production in the past season is estimated to have decline by
73 per cent over that achieved in the year 2000. This is on top of the
forced displacement and loss of employment for 250 000 people and their 1,3
million dependents on commercial farms.

Despite these stunning figures the farm invasions have continued with 480
incidents on remaining farms recorded since the GPA was signed in September
last year. Even those farms that were granted legal protection by the SADC
Tribunal have been specifically targeted on a punitive basis by the elements
that are carrying on with this illegal activity and in fact are openly
defying the SADC decisions. The international decision is enforceable and
creates very significant challenges for the new Transitional Government.
Estimates put the total value of potential legal claims at US$5 billion
dollars, some 30 per cent more than current GDP.

It is quite clear that the reform programme pursued by the Zanu PF led
regime since 1998 has been a costly failure. This is demonstrated when it is
appreciated that over 90 per cent of all production from commercial farms in
the past season has emanated from the remaining large scale farmers who are
now being disrupted. There are reports that over half of all the farms taken
over are in fact now derelict and abandoned. Many of the individuals now
'taking' farms are doing so for the third or fourth time. The fact that
sugar production in the lowveld, on highly developed irrigation estates, has
declined by 35 per cent - almost all of the decline outside of the control
of the core Estates of Triangle and Hippo is due to illegal land
occupations.

It is time to accept that the past policies on land have been a failure and
that it is time to rethink and to put policies in place that will give all
farmers security and enable then to finance their operations properly. Such
policies cannot be implemented until the issue of the rights of farm owners
is resolved and the issue of compensation addressed. The combined costs of
the folly of the land invasions are staggering - they include US$2,8 billion
in international food aid on an emergency basis, nearly US$12 billion in
lost agricultural production over 10 years and now a potential bill for US$5
billion in compensation - a total of US$20 billion dollars.

And now we are asking for billions of dollars to fix this self-inflicted
damage - its bizarre.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 28th April 2009


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Zesa slashes workers salaries

http://www.sundaynews.co.zw

Monday, April 27, 2009

By Tafadzwa Chiremba

THE Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) has slashed its workers'
salaries in line with the downward review of the tariff structure.

The reduced wage bill has resulted in workers earning 35 percent less than
what they had been receiving since the introduction of the multiple currency
system.
Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira confirmed the development yesterday
saying the company was in the process of reviewing all operational costs
following the reduction of the tariff regime.
"Following the review of the tariffs in support of the Short Term Economic
Recovery Programme (Sterp), Zesa is in the process of reviewing all its
operational costs including salaries and allowances," said Mr Gwasira.
The move is, however, likely to trigger industrial action from workers who
feel hard done.
Zesa Technical Employees Association general secretary, Mr Thomas Masvingwe,
yesterday said the workers were angered by the employer's move to reduce
salaries, adding that they had since written to their employer indicating
their intention to go on strike.
"We have given notice to the employer on our intention to resort to
collective job action in defence of the Union," reads part of the letter
signed by Mr Masvingwe.


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Get the children back to school

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
 
Monday, 27 April 2009
school_children.jpg
Summary:

The education system in Zimbabwe collapsed almost entirely in 2008 and the right to education continues not to be realised by Zimbabweans in 2009. This campaign outlines the state of the education system in Zimbabwe and calls on AI sections and structures to implement a twofold campaign targeting both the Zimbabwean authorities and the donor countries to ensure that the right to education is respected, protected and fulfilled in Zimbabwe.

Timing:
Start: immediate
End: 31 July 2009.
The issue: failure to realise the right to education

As a result of economic and political instability in Zimbabwe, the country’s education system ground to a complete halt in 2008, denying millions of children their internationally guaranteed right to free primary education for all.
In February 2009 UNICEF reported that 94 per cent of Zimbabwean rural schools were closed. Examinations from 2008 remain unmarked.
An Amnesty International delegation which visited Zimbabwe in March 2009 received reports from parents and teachers that very little teaching or learning was taking place in most schools except a few elite schools.

Economic crisis – teachers and parents affected
In 2008, hyper inflation rendered the salaries of the teachers so meagre that in December 2008 they could buy just one loaf of bread with a whole month’s wage. For those who had to travel to work, the cost of transport far outweighed their salaries. The teachers went on strike for extended periods of time throughout the year, stopping work altogether from around September 2008 to January 2009.
Parents of school-going children were and still are unable to pay the tuition fees, levies and top-up fees demanded from them for their children at both primary and secondary school. Communities in rural Zimbabwe are particularly vulnerable as they bear the burden of caring for the bulk of Zimbabwe’s more than one million children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. Many are dependent on food aid and were also exposed to state sponsored violence in the run up to the 27 June Presidential election in 2008.

State-sponsored torture and ill-treatment of teachers during elections 2008
Between the March and June elections in 2008 teachers were targeted in a wave of state-sponsored torture and other ill-treatment directed at perceived supporters of the MDC or as a result of their affiliation to the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ).The PTUZ recorded the deaths of seven of its members and the harassment, intimidation and even torture of more than 60 others during this time.
Many teachers left the country, preferring to do menial work in neighbouring countries. Those who stayed earned a living by trading informally or finding other ways to make money.  In December 2008, Amnesty International interviewed teachers and other professionals who had fled to South Africa, who had been harassed and driven from their communities by war veterans and other ZANU-PF supporters.  Professionals such as teachers and health workers from rural areas appear to have been particularly targeted because of the suspicion that they were influential in their communities and were thought to be likely to sympathise with the MDC.  As a result, Zimbabwean children’s education was severely disrupted.

Measures taken by the inclusive government
The strike ended in February 2009 and the teachers went back to work in late February and early March. The inclusive government has gone some way to ensure that the teachers remain at work by paying them, as well as all other civil servants, US$100 a month as an allowance.
An amnesty was also granted by the government to those teachers who had stopped teaching or left the country. In conjunction with the $100 allowances, the amnesty proved to be an incentive which has resulted in about 80 per cent of teachers coming back to the classroom.  Despite the amnesty granted in order to provide an incentive for teachers to come back to the classroom, the Public Service Commission, which is technically the employer of all civil servants, has been accused of putting in place excessive measures which many teachers cannot meet in order for them to get their jobs back. For example, teachers report having to pay approximately US$23 in photocopying charges and to get certified copies of their teaching certificates and other documentation demanded from them by the Public Service Commission. This is unaffordable for most. 

Remaining challenges to realisation of the right to education
Serious problems remain in Zimbabwe’s schools. The fees are unaffordable for the majority of families, including teachers themselves who have children of their own who need to be educated.
Even though some rural schools were charging as little as US$1 per term for levies, in a country of 94 per cent formal unemployment even US$1 is unaffordable for many. A parent in rural Bindura district, who is also a member of School Development Association in charge of setting the levies, told Amnesty International that 75 per cent of parents at her school were unable to pay the $1 development levy because they had no source of income.
The government, which is crippled by the lack of funds in its coffers, is unable to pay the salaries being demanded to Zimbabwe’s approximately 80,000 teachers and unable to reach its minimum core obligations to fulfil the right to education. Absenteeism among teachers is high as they are forced to find other ways of earning a living in addition to teaching.
Zimbabwean schools are in dire need of teaching materials, text books, exercise books, chalk, desks and other furniture. Many schools were looted or vandalised while they were not operational. One teacher interviewed by Amnesty International in Harare said that she now had just nine text books to share between the 40 children in her class, some of whom were forced to stand during lessons because of the lack of chairs and desks. Parents are also being asked to buy teaching materials in addition to the tuition fees and levies that they have to pay.
Amnesty International has received reports of continued intimidation of returning teachers by the people responsible for the beatings and torture of teachers in 2008, particularly in Mashonaland Central province.
Children in Zimbabwe lost out on their education during 2008 and the same risks happening again in 2009 unless urgent measures are taken by the government, with the support of the international community, to restore the education sector.

International law and the right to education
Under international law, primary education should be available free to all. Zimbabwe is a state party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) both of which recognise and guarantee the right of every individual to education.

The role of the international community in supporting the right to education in Zimbabwe:
While the primary obligation clearly lies with the Zimbabwean authorities to ensure that the right to education is realised, the international community also has an important role to play.
The donor countries have expressed reservations about providing funding to assist the government to realise its minimum core obligations with respect to the right to education, concerned about insufficient guarantees from the government that money would not be diverted to other issues or misused.
The government of Zimbabwe urgently needs to put in place a mechanism that ensures that resources allocated by the international donor community to education are fully accounted for in a transparent manner and reach the intended beneficiaries. The absence of such mechanisms is a barrier to international support to the education sector, among others.
However, donors have found ways of funding the health system in Zimbabwe in a way in which both the donors and the government of Zimbabwe were satisfied with the safeguards employed to ensure accountability. Donors have opted to fund health directly through an independent organisation Crown Agents or international organisations such as UNICEF. This indicates that it should be possible to find ways of supporting the funding of the education system in the short term, while the government establishes robust and effective accountability mechanisms for international donor funding.

Strategy:
In order to ensure that the right to education is realised in Zimbabwe, Amnesty International’s strategy is twofold: on the one hand, AI is putting pressure on the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that the right to education is realised in Zimbabwe; and on the other hand AI is putting pressure on donor countries to support the government of Zimbabwe to fulfil its minimum core obligations on the right to education.

Aim and objectives:
Aim: to ensure that the right to education in Zimbabwe is realised
Objectives:
1.    The Public Service Commission creates an enabling environment for teachers to return to work.
2.    International donor countries assist the government of Zimbabwe to fulfil its minimum core obligations on the right to education.
3.    To show solidarity with teachers in Zimbabwe

Amy Agnew, Africa Programme, Zimbabwe team


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Elephant exodus reported from troubled Zimbabwe

Associated Press

Apr 27, 3:26 PM EDT

By ANGUS SHAW
Associated Press Writer

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Growing pressure from poaching and human
encroachment in Zimbabwe has driven hundreds of elephants to migrate from
the country and at least one leopard to stalk an upmarket Harare suburb,
conservationists said Monday.

The independent Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force appealed in its latest
monthly bulletin for more action - and money - to preserve the troubled
nation's wildlife.

In Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, "humans are encroaching more and more into
areas previously reserved for wildlife," the task force said.

As many as 400 elephants have crossed the Zambezi River, which separates
Zambia from northern Zimbabwe, in recent months, said Johnny Rodrigues, head
of the task force.

Three elephants also roamed into the eastern border city of Mutare this
month and state wildlife authorities "want to shoot them before they kill
somebody," he said.

The task force and a Zimbabwe animal group received official authority to
capture and transport the elephants to Chipinda Pools, believed to be their
original home area 125 miles (200 kilometers) to the south.

"The problem is funding for the relocation," Rodrigues said. State game
rangers "won't wait much longer before destroying the elephants."

In northern Harare, rangers also wanted to track and kill at least one
leopard, which also is suspected of having a cub. Rodrigues said the task
force set up drugged, baited traps for predators so they could be returned
to the wild, but none has been caught since a guard dog was attacked earlier
this month.

Tourism and photographic safaris have dropped sharply during years of
political and economic turmoil since the often violent seizures of thousands
of white-owned farms began in 2000, disrupting the agriculture-based economy
in the former regional breadbasket.

Longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe blames Western sanctions for the
economic crisis that has led to acute shortages of food, gasoline and the
most basic goods.

Poaching of small animals has intensified, with villagers torching the bush
to drive even rodents and rock rabbits into traps for food, conservationists
say.

Rodrigues said more animal fencing was needed at wildlife preserves to
combat poaching and the escape of animals from their natural habitat after
being made skittish by gunfire.

Conservationists already have raised the alarm for Zimbabwe's rare rhinos
after a sharp increase in poaching over the past year because of a breakdown
of law enforcement in the country.

The head of the state Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Morris
Mtsambiwa, told state media Monday that his nation faced censure from CITES,
which regulates trade in endangered species, for the surge in rhino poaching
blamed on "well-coordinated local, regional and international syndicates."

He said one rhino poacher, identified as a former Zimbabwean army officer
equipped with a heavy caliber rifle, was shot and killed by rangers in
southern Zimbabwe last week. The poacher's accomplices escaped.

"Rhino poaching is now becoming a very serious problem for us. We now have
to answer serious questions at CITES," he said.


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Zimbabweans asked to forgive and forget

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk

Ministers in Zimbabwe are calling on victims of politically-motivated
violence to forgive its perpetrators to stabilise the power-sharing deal
between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabwe's coalition government is set to hold a healing and reconciliation
summit next month as it moves to unite Zimbabweans that have faced political
violence and intimidation for the past decade.

The country was last year plunged into political chaos ahead of the
presidential June 27th run-off following the inconclusive March polls.

Current prime minister Mr Tsvangirai was forced to pull out of the race due
to intimidation and violence that left over 200 Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) supporters dead, thousands injured and displaced.

Victims of political violence have demanded compensation and the prosecution
of the perpetrators.

However, political leaders are calling on reconciliation and forgiveness so
as not to jeopardise the shaky power sharing deal between President Mugabe
and Mr Tsvangirai.

Gorden Moyo, the minister of state in the prime minister's office said
ministers charged with leading the national healing and reconciliation
process are meeting and consulting various stakeholders to build a framework
for the process.

"The ministers will also hold a summit next month to be attended by various
stakeholders to discuss and prepare a framework for undertaking national
healing and reconciliation.

"The whole process is sensitive and has to be handled with care that is why
they have to come up with an agreed framework," Mr Moyo said in an
interview.

John Nkomo, the Zanu-PF chairman, Gibson Sibanda, the vice president of the
Arthur Mutambara breakaway MDC and Sekai Holland, a top official of the
Tsvangirai-led MDC are the three ministers of state charged with leading the
national healing and reconciliation process.

"It's part of their mandate to hear the best way forward to lead the
process. Once they have a draft framework they will present it to the
council of Ministers for debate, ratification and approval," Mr Moyo added.

Human rights organisations have called on the joint transitional government
to implement a clear programme of action on past human rights abuses to
avoid a repeat of human rights violations in future.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report released last moth said perpetrators of
human rights violations should be prosecuted as part of human rights reforms
to avoid violations in future.

"The authorities have not provided victims of abuses with effective
remedies, as required by international law, including judicial redress and
other forms of reparation.

"Zimbabwe's political situation remains precarious, but unless the new
power-sharing government promptly brings perpetrators of abuses to account
and makes clear that no further abuses will be tolerated, the country risks
sliding back to possibly even greater political turmoil," HRW noted

President Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has since 2000 attracted international
censure over its human rights record. A bid to maintain a grip on power saw
the party unleash a wave of violence on defenceless opposition supporters,
to cow them into voting for Zanu-PF.

However, Mr Tsvangirai and President Mugabe at the swearing in of the former
extended an olive branch to each other, promising to bury the past as the
nation surges forward with the implementation of a power sharing deal.
© Adfero Ltd
27 April 2009 12:24 GMT


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Time to trust Zimbabwe’s new government?

http://www.radionetherlands.nl
 

By Louise Dunne

27-04-2009

Senior Zimbabwean politicians are on a charm offensive, trying to persuade donor countries that the new unity government is stable and deserves support. Progress has already been made since the government was formed in February they say - and what the country needs now is a little help from its friends.

ZimbabweanZimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti met senior US officials in Washington last Friday - but came away empty handed, with the White House insisting that more progress was needed before the flow of aid could be resumed.

Progress
Two other Zimbabwean Ministers were in the Netherlands over the weekend, with the message that yes, the country is damaged - but recovery is already underway. According to Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube:

"So far [the new unity government] has made tremendous progress in the short life it has had. It has brought back hope to the people of Zimbabwe, started on some democratic reforms, started on economic reforms. Things are now on the right track."

His colleague Elton Mangoma, Minister for Economic Planning and Investment, agreed:

"We have started well. There are of course challenges, there are still farm invasions taking place. We have now had all the political prisoners released, which is a huge plus on the side of the inclusive government. There's still a lot of work to be done but much of the foundation work has already been done."

Show of faith
As a result, Minister Ncube believes its time for donor countries to show faith in the new government. Zimbabwe is fragile he says, and needs urgent assistance.

Minister Mangoma is also keen to point out that despite the problems, Zimbabwe is in a good position to recover quickly, if help from investors and donors is forthcoming.

"It's not totally dysfunctional...the infrastructure is there, the infrastructure is there. With the sound economic policies we have put in place, with a little money by way of credit lines, a little support for the utilities, we can be on our way very quickly."

Looking ahead
And while there's considerable concern abroad about the long-term stability of the unity government, both men are upbeat about the future. What Zimbabwe needs now, says Mr Mangoma, is a little help from its friends.

"We will succeed with or without international support. But without it, it will be painful, it will be slow it will be long. But with international support we will move very quickly to a different Zimbabwe. A democratic, prosperous Zimbabwe, which respects human rights, which respects the rule of law... And we are saying to the international community, help us achieve this, by giving us the capacity to do the things we have committed ourselves to do."


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Who Speaks for the People on New Constitution?

http://www.ipsnews.net

By Stanley Kwenda

HARARE, Apr 27 (IPS) - "Are you still unemployed? Take charge and complete
the change. We the people shall write our own constitution," read the many
bright posters now adorning street walls, lampposts and rubbish bins in
Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

The messages are part of a campaign launched by the National Constitutional
Assembly (NCA) to oppose the constitution-making process proposed by the
coalition government.

Zimbabwe currently operates under the 1979 Lancaster House Constitution
inherited from the British-backed colonial government at independence. It
has been amended 19 times since 1980.

A new constitution was a key demand of the MDC on joining the unity
government with Zanu-PF and President Robert Mugabe whom critics have
accused of using the constitution to retain power. Article 6 of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) between the two parties spells out that a
parliamentary select committee of legislators and representatives of civil
society would be entrusted with crafting a new constitution.

But civil society has objected to a process led by politicians and are
demanding that an independent commission take charge.

"The reason why we are saying we are rejecting that process is because it is
now heavy with the influence of parliamentarians. This means that Parliament
has closed its doors on very effective participation of the citizens and the
process is going to produce a predictable outcome," Lovemore Madhuku the NCA
chairperson told IPS.

"We say no to a defective constitution born out of a defective process. We
will repeat what happened in 1999. We are campaigning for a no vote."

The NCA brings together civic groups, women's organisations, churches,
opposition political parties, labour and student movements. In 1999 it
worked with the MDC to reject a government draft constitution in a
referendum handing President Mugabe his only defeat at the ballot box.

"The whole process has to be transparent enough. It has to be opened to all
members of the society. We have our own specific needs as labour and we will
need those to be included and that can only happen if we are part of the
process," Lovemore Matombo, president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions told IPS."

The NCA has also rejected the plan to use a draft constitution agreed upon
by the two MDC parties and Zanu-PF in power-sharing negotiations in
September 2007 as a starting point for consultations. Negotiated in the
resort town of Kariba in northern Zimbabwe the "Kariba Draft" has yet to be
made public.

"They cannot try and impose a document of their own compromise on the people
of Zimbabwe. We will soon launch street demonstrations to reject the whole
process," Madhuku told IPS.

Civil society groups' outrage comes shortly after Speaker of Parliament,
Lovemore Moyo, announced the setting up of a 25-member parliamentary
committee to lead the constitution-writing process. According to Moyo
consultations will be held throughout the country culminating in a national
referendum in July next year. Civil society is however adamant that the
"social conditions" in Zimbabwe are not conducive to an "inclusive" process.

"Repressive laws which makes it impossible for people to meet and discuss
freely issues of national importance are still there making it difficult to
engage on a people-centred constitution-making process," remarked Fambai
Ngirande of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations
(NANGO). "A properly people-driven process would include an independent
commission of a broad spectrum of the Zimbabwean society including those in
the diaspora."

The government has defended its stance by drawing parallels with South
Africa's constitution-making process where parliament acted as a constituent
assembly. "Who has the monopoly to say I represent the people when the same
people you say do not represent the people were elected by the very same
people," Eric Matinenga, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister
told IPS.

But Madhuku refuses to budge. "Politicians cannot play referee in their own
game because this is a crucial issue which should govern even the way
politicians do their work and for them to be at the centre of crafting the
rules that becomes dangerous."

Harare-based political analyst John Makumbe told IPS that "The process is
not written in stone. Civil society groups can lobby the politicians to
amend the political agreement's article six to include everyone in the
process. Once that happens then the process would be people-driven," he
said.

The absence of a democratic constitution is seen by many as the cause of
Zimbabwe's political paralysis. The current constitution has no presidential
term limits. Although the government is forging ahead despite civil society
protests, it still has a huge hurdle to climb.

The process will require funding and the government is broke and struggling
to pay civil servants. It has appealed to international donor agencies to
fund the drafting of its first post-independence constitution that will lead
to new elections as outlined in the unity deal signed last September.


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Daily cholera update and alerts, 25 Apr 2009


 Full_Report (pdf* format - 188.3 Kbytes)


* Please note that daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the numbers.

Any change will then be explained.

** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may occasionally result

A. Highlights of the day:

- 18 Cases and 0 deaths added today (in comparison with 48 cases and 5 deaths yesterday)

- Cumulative cases 97 185

- Cumulative deaths 4 244 of which 2 606 are community deaths

- 63.3.0 % of the reporting centres affected have reported today 38 out of 60 affected reporting centres

- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate = 1.7%

- Daily Institutional CFR = 0.0 %.

- Data Cleaning

- Chitungwiza data was adjusted after data cleaning exercise from the 10th to 25 th April


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HIFA kicks off today

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Novell Zwangendaba, Leonard Matsa & Kim Mbunga

The premier Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) opens today
with several international artists billed to perform alongside their
resilient local talent. Dubbed Enli'ten'ment, the organisers of the annual
Zimbabwean festival say they are 'striving for and achievement of greater
knowledge and understanding, the process through which we 'see the light'.

According to wikipedia, the principles of 'enlightenment' are 'intellectual
and philosophical developments of that age (and their impact in moral,
social, and political reform) aspired toward more freedom for common people
based on self-governance, natural rights, natural law, central emphasis on
liberty, individual rights, reason, common sense, and the principles of
deism. These principles were a revolutionary departure from theocracy,
oligarchy, aristocracy, and the divine right of kings. The Enlightenment
marks a principled departure from the Middle Ages of religious authority,
guild-based economic systems, and censorship of ideas toward an era of
rational discourse and personal judgment, republicanism, liberalism,
naturalism, scientific method, and modernity.'

The National Arts Merit Awards, NAMA 2009 Arts Service Award-Winners say,
"The evolution of HIFA over the last 10 years has been a shared journey of
progressive enlightenment, a varied road trip in pursuit of
thought-provoking creative endeavour, offering escape as well as empathy,
fantasy as well as reason, beauty as well as realism. Our 2009 Festival is a
snapshot from an important destination along the way. "

Hifa celebrates ten years of constistant service save for 2002.

"This year we ask you to consider different forms of enlightenment. We
invite you to be part of diverse creative perspectives that bring to light
ideas about where we are and where we are going. We urge you to come
together in a spirit of blazing communal solidarity and to revel in the
vibrant power of the arts to engage feelings in us that that are often
beyond rational explanation and yet are powerfully illuminating. "

A lot of people interviewed by zimgreats.com say HIFA 2009 comes at a very
challenging time. Paradzai Makosi a graphic designer who runs the BrandActiv
advertising studio says, "...this year, the anticipation for greater
perfomances and influence is not promising. for the majority of zimbabweans,
the expenses of HIFA shows is too high, especialy now more than ever. The
feeling of detachment is still very much alive. the elitist mentality does
not allow for many prominent Zimbabwean artists to feel strong and have a
clear sense of equality in terms of free expression and a greater pride in
the artistic fairness, trading the beauty of different cultures, traditions
and complex sounds with a unprejudiced and open minded exploration."

Major highlights at this year's edition are; the Premier Banking Corporation
National Gallery Exhibitions, the Global Quarter Craft and Design Market, In
Living Colour at The Standard Theatre Rute Mbangwa at the Coca-Cola
Green,Thank you for the Music (and flowers) at the North Gallery, National
Gallery of Zimbabwe, Funk Fusion Fashion Show at Global Quarter Platform ,
Light Special at theReps Theatre,  Big Ass BBQ at Global Quarter Platform,
the Victoria falls based Music Crossroads champions, Makoomba at African
Banking Corporation Global Stage, Matthew Reid (Clarinet) Pieter Van Zyl
(Piano) at Recital at The Recital Room, Capture at HIVOS Poetry Cafe,  Kraft
at Reps Theatre, Oedipus at The Standard Theatre,  A Spring of Rosemary at 7
Arts Theatre, Broz Piano Quartet Programme at The Recital Room,  La Brass
Banda at African Banking Corporation Global Stage, Out of Darkness - A Rite
of Passage at African Sun Main Stage , African Destiny at Coca-Cola Green,
Spitfire at The Standard Theatre, Possible Insolite at Reps Theatre, and the
mouthwatering HIFA Bira Ceremony at African Banking Corporation Global
Stage.

Performing together once more at HIFA this year, Sam Mtukudzi (son to the
legendary Oliver Mtukudzi) and Max Wild (son to the world famous Flora-Veit
Wild whose synonymous with the Zimbabwean genious poet, Dambudzo Marechera)
joined by the Toyi Toyi poet Comrade Fatso are set to electrify the Global
Quarter with their highly charged stage presence. Sam Mtukudzi who jetted
into the country yesterday from South Africa -Malawi Tour says, " HIFA comes
at a very significant time for Zimbabwe, and myself , Max and the others
cant wait to be on stage. For me personally its a time for the emerging
artists."

So, at a time when all Zimbabweans are seeking 'a light at the end of the
tunnel', the lightening of our individual burdens and an ethos of reason,
clarity and resolution, HIFA presents the largest and most luminous Festival
yet. HIFA plan to prominently celebrate their 10th anniversary but also to
turn a spotlight on all of us - our fears, our sadness, our joys and
ultimately on our hope for a brighter future

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