LONDON If
we are sincere in pursuing Saddam Hussein and his fallen regime for abusing
their citizens and committing acts of state terror, we must also look
honestly at Zimbabwe. . When atrocities are committed in accordance with
state policies that either sanction or turn a blind eye to systematic human
rights abuses, those who ultimately authorize such acts must be held
accountable. Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, is one of those
people. . The gap continues to widen between international guarantees of
human rights for the people of Zimbabwe and the living reality of the abuse
they endure. The government's grave attacks against its citizens show an
increasingly desperate president undermining human rights and the rule of law
in order to maintain power. This systematic oppression of an already
impoverished people is being supplemented by a widespread government policy
of subverting the press, the judicial system and the economy. The end result
is a country in ruin. . Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate is over 620
percent and climbing. The unemployment rate exceeds 70 percent. The World
Health Organization reports that one in four Zimbabweans is HIV positive;
4,000 of them die every week. The country's agricultural output has been so
ravaged by the government's policies that Zimbabwe now has the highest number
of citizens starving to death in Africa. . It is time for the UN
Security Council to instruct the International Criminal Court (ICC) to
initiate a preliminary investigation against Mugabe for crimes against
humanity. No single act would more accurately reflect the purpose and
importance of the ICC, nor give more hope to the victims of Mugabe's policies
that he will not escape justice. . The ICC was established on July 1, 2002
as the first permanent international court to investigate and try individuals
for the most heinous violations of international humanitarian law, including
crimes against humanity. These include murder, enslavement, torture,
imprisonment, rape, displacement and other inhumane acts of a similar nature
that intentionally cause great suffering. The well-documented and mounting
evidence of these crimes committed by Mugabe's government is
staggering. . Mugabe's atrocities are not limited to inflicting egregious
pain on individuals. The ICC should be able to hold him accountable also
for committing "other inhumane acts" under the statute. This would include
the systematic and widespread policy of using food as an economic
weapon. Interviews with a number of Zimbabweans reveal a nefarious government
policy of manipulating the supply and distribution of international and
government food aid. If a Zimbabwean does not possess a registration card
from Mugabe's ruling party, then he or she cannot register for this
life-sustaining grain. . There is a general misconception that the ICC
does not have jurisdiction over acts committed by Mugabe in Zimbabwe. It is
true that the ICC can exercise jurisdiction only over crimes committed after
Zimbabwe has ratified the ICC Statute, which it has not done. Mugabe may
think that by not ratifying the statute he is immune to the Court's
jurisdiction. He is wrong. . There is an obscure but forceful provision in
the ICC Statute that pointedly addresses the situation in Zimbabwe. Article
12(3) states in part that a state which is not yet a party to the statute
"may, by declaration lodged with the Registrar, accept the exercise of
jurisdiction by the Court with respect to the crime in question." Thus a
post-Mugabe government could immediately accept the jurisdiction of the ICC
and so sanction a full investigation and indictment of Mugabe for crimes he
committed since July 2002. . Under the ICC Statute, the UN Security
Council could already authorize the court to immediately investigate crimes
committed by Mugabe. Such an investigation can occur even though Zimbabwe has
yet to accept the jurisdiction of the court. . Such an investigation
would give a tremendous boost to the people of Zimbabwe. They would know that
although Mugabe can manipulate and evade domestic justice, he cannot do the
same under international law. Those who have been victimized would know that
Mugabe will be held accountable for his actions. . A fundamental tenet
of the ICC is the repudiation of impunity for those who commit gross
violations of international law. Thus the failure to deter these types of
violations is not a result of the absence of law, but rather of a failure of
political will to curtail these violators. By initiating a preliminary
investigation against Mugabe, the UN Security Council and the ICC would send
a clear and strong message: Justice is not expendable; there will be no
impunity for Robert Mugabe. . Mark Ellis is executive director of the
International Bar Association.
Britain is trying to woo Libya into ending its support for
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe following British Prime Minister Tony
Blair and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's very first meeting in Tripoli last
week.
Blair told the House of Commons this week that his country
hoped it could change Gaddafi's mind regarding his continued support for
Mugabe.
He was answering a question from Labour parliamentarian
Kate Hoey, who asked whether he had, in his discussions with Gaddafi, raised
the question of Libya's continued support for Mugabe. - Foreign
Service
.. This article was originally published on page
4 of The Cape Argus on April 01, 2004
A Zimbabwean journalist was tonight
named as the first winner of the Speaker Abbot award honouring reporters who
seek to perpetuate and promote parliamentary democracy.
Dumisani
Muleya, 28, chief reporter of the Zimbabwe Independent, who has been
imprisoned and threatened with his life by Robert Mugabe's regime
will receive his award later this month at Westminster from Commons
Speaker Michael Martin.
The award was inaugurated to mark the
bicentenary last year of the House of Commons Press Gallery.
It is
named after the Speaker who first allowed reporters access to
Commons proceedings, and is made to the journalist who is considered to have
made "the greatest contribution internationally to the protection, promotion
and perpetuation of parliamentary democracy".
A citation to Mr Muleya
from his proposers, SW Radio Africa - an independent station run by a
Zimbabwean and based in London - said: "Due to repressive media laws, Mr
Muleya's job is made very difficult.
"However, he continues to report
human rights abuses and highlight the problems that Zimbabweans face, despite
threats from the regime."
His citation said: "On a weekly basis he deals
with general issues of repression, as well as almost daily human rights
violations.
"Specifically, he wrote about the plight of farm workers in
2001 and as a result was arrested and charged. The case is still
pending.
"Last month, he was arrested and charged, together with Iden
Wetherell (editor), Vincent Kahiya (news editor) and reporter Itai Dzamara
for writing about Mugabe's commandeering of an Air Zimbabwe plane to holiday
in the Far East."
Dumisani said tonight: "I am delighted to win the
first-ever Speaker Abbot Award. I believe this is a victory for the Zimbabwe
media in general.
"The closure of the Daily News was a terrible blow and
has really affected the morale of journalists. I dedicate this award to all
the journalists of Zimbabwe who have suffered in the cause of democracy."
COLUMN April 1, 2004 Posted to the web April 1,
2004
Greg Mills Johannesburg
ON THE 10th anniversary of the
Rwandan genocide, there is understandably much focus on what the west and
other external powers could have done to prevent the event, and on the type
of environment and leadership that led to the slaughter of 800000
Rwandese.
A major complaint of developing countries and liberation
movements of the Cold War years was the support lent by the superpowers to
poor, repressive and undemocratic leadership.
The Congo's Mobutu Sese
Seko, "Emperor" Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic, Haiti's
father and son "team" of Papa and Baby Doc Duvalier, Ethiopia's Mengistu
Haile Mariam, Augusto Pinochet in Chile, or support for white South African
National Party leadership are among many illustrations used to justify this
hypothesis.
Yet the existence of a similar leadership typology in a
post-Cold War context, unfettered and without the proxy support of outside
powers, apparently undermines such a dirigiste, externalist argument
including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Haiti's Jean-Bertrand Aristide, or Hugo
Chavez in Venezuela.
Leadership of states and movements is one vital
factor which can serve to radicalise political environments or
not.
Indeed, perhaps the best comparative illustration is that between
SA's Nelson Mandela and the Yugoslav federation's Slobodan Milosevic. Little
over a decade ago, these two leaders stood atop countries teetering on the
brink of disaster. One chose to consolidate power by ethnic nationalism. The
other chose to be inclusive, playing the democratic card.
SA's
democracy is an example of the success of conflict prevention, and of the
benefits of avoiding paying the price of war and reconstruction, as has been
exacted in the former Yugoslavia.
The choices faced and taken by
leadership in the Middle East is another case in point. Why did, for example,
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat choose not to accept the terms of the
Clintonbrokered Camp David accord in 2000 with then-prime minister Ehud
Barak, giving him 95+% of what the Palestinians were looking for? Was this
because he feared how the radicals might respond, that his concessions would
undermine his already limited authority? Did he doubt Barak's sincerity or
negotiating mandate? Or did he just display a lack of prescience and
leadership in snatching failure from the jaws of compromise and progress,
thereby leading his nation and Israel towards where they are
today?
What compels leadership to make these choices?
Author and
journalist David Halberstam identifies three different Slobodan Milosevics.
Milosevic One: "The original, dutiful Communist Party believer." Milosevic
Two: the young, more pragmatic technocrat flirting with capitalism. Milosevic
Three the version which prevailed in Yugoslavia was the super- nationalist,
"a complete cynic who believed in nothing save his own rise to power" and who
was prepared to fan ethnic tensions as a means of enhancing his own
power.
Milosevic Three was of course a product of the ethnic patchwork
that was Yugoslavia, where Serb Orthodox Christians, Catholic Croatians
and Slovenians, and Bosnian Muslims and Kosovar Albanians lived in uneasy
accord together under an authoritarian regime. But his role and ultimately
his downfall was dependent on whether the west allowed him to get away with
his brand of sectarian political violence.
As Larry Eagleberger,
deputy secretary of state under the Bush Snr administration and former
ambassador to Belgrade, noted, the only thing able to catch Milosevic's
attention was "a cold- blooded threat backed by genuine military force".
Without it, what Halberstam refers to as a "Milosevic dynamic" emerged: "A
quick military probe to see if there was any western resistance, and if none,
then an even more brazen assault."
The west was, however, unprepared to
commit military forces until much later in the day. Stopping Milosevic's
brand of ethnic politics and warfare would have required, back in 1991,
decisive US-led military action which the Bush administration was not
prepared to give.
Of course the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato)
was prepared to make this commitment, especially over Kosovo, actions which
led directly to Milosevic's departure. In all the brouhaha over coalition
unilateralism in Iraq, it is sometimes forgotten that the precedent of
operating without United Nations support was in Kosovo since Nato allies
feared a Russian or Chinese security council veto, given the former's
relationship with Orthodox Serbs and the latter's concerns over the impact of
intervention on sovereign norms.
Wise men and women on the Independent
International Commission on Kosovo declared the Nato operation illustrated
the need to "close the gap between legality and legitimacy" in guiding
responses to humanitarian catastrophes.
But until Kosovo, "(Europe's)
intelligentsia", as Boyd Tonkin put it, "sat firmly on its postmodern
posterior as 250000 corpses piled up on prime time TV". As with Bosnia in
1995, until Washington became involved through the Dayton process, the
Europeans battled alone to make any diplomatic headway.
It is still
difficult to know where and when to intervene. Why Kosovo and not Rwanda for
example? Or if the US had intervened in Afghanistan to stymie September 11,
2001, what would have been the international reaction given that it would
have been very difficult to find a "smoking gun". It would have been very
difficult to justify as it has been with Iraq invasion of a sovereign nation
on the basis of what might, as opposed to did, happen.
A decade on, the
Rwandan genocide serves as a timely reminder of not only the need for
internal compromise and reconciliation, but also of the benefits and
necessity of external engagement and involvement. Those who make a business
of berating US foreign policy should remember this.
Mills is national
director of the University of the Witwatersrand-based South African Institute
of International Affairs.
THE Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social
Welfare is investigating the mysterious disappearance food sourced from
various civic organisations for some children's homes.
The ministry's
permanent secretary, Mr Lance Museka yesterday said investigations into what
could have happened are underway.
"We are investigating what could have
happened. The food was sourced from various organisations following an influx
of children in the homes when some street kids were accommodated," he
said.
Children's homes such as Matthew Rusike, Upenyu Utsva, Vimbainesu
and Mbuya Nehanda allegedly received fewer cartons of food stuffs than those
which were meant for them.
The food was allegedly delivered to the
Grain Marketing Board's Msasa depot by the Department of Social
Welfare.
Each home, according to sources, was supposed to have received
250 cartons. But some of the cartons contained nothing while the others,
which were not sealed, had some food items missing. Some homes said usually
the cartons, which mainly contained, powdered milk, beans, rice, sugar,
cooking oil, pop corn and wheat are brought to the GMB sealed.
The
board chairperson for Mbuya Nehanda Children's Home, Mrs Betty
Mutero yesterday confirmed they had received only 34 cartons out of the 250
which were meant for the home.
She said in some cases, some cartons
contained empty milk tins or empty plastics of sugar.
"We never saw
any wheat or pop corn while the other 216 cartons were empty. Officials who
had gone to collect the food did not manage to get any explanation," Mrs
Mutero said.
"This has really troubled us because we do not know what
this is supposed to mean considering the scarcity of food at our home and
other homes," she said.
Zimbabwe delegation to meet ECB over tour Thu 1 April, 2004
14:27
LONDON (Reuters) - A three-man delegation from Zimbabwe
will visit London later this month to discuss England's scheduled tour of the
country from October, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
says.
England are expected to pull out of the tour on moral grounds as a
protest against the regime of Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe, following
concerns from the British government.
However, the ECB has invited
Zimbabwe Cricket Union chairman Peter Chingoka and two colleagues to a
meeting at Lord's cricket ground on April 20, when the Zimbabweans are
expected to make a final bid to persuade England to confirm the
tour.
"It is in the interests of international cricket that these tours
take place as scheduled," Chingoka told Sky Sports News on
Thursday.
"We look forward to receiving them warmly in Harare...because
there is no obstacle and no legal basis on which they should not meet their
obligations, he said.
The ECB said in a statement: "This meeting will
allow both boards to directly, and more fully, discuss the issue of England's
scheduled tour to Zimbabwe later this year."
England could face a
heavy fine and exclusion from the International Cricket Council Champions
Trophy in September if they pull out after the ICC ruled countries could only
cancel a tour for security reasons or if ordered to by their
governments.
England refused to play in Zimbabwe in last year's World Cup
because of security fears and the England players, under then captain Nasser
Hussain also suggested they had moral concerns.
Zimbabwe played a
two-test series and a triangular one-day tournament in England last
July.
A TEAM of
academics, specialists and business people are spearheading an initiative to
establish a university in the country's third largest city
of Chitungwiza.
The university is expected to open its doors to the
first intake of students in March 2005.
The university will have an
initial enrolment of about 65 students in the Faculty of Industry, Trade and
Commerce. More faculties including Agriculture, Behavioural Sciences, Arts,
Science and Technology, Ecolo-gical and Environmental issues and Health are
expected to be established. The secretary of the project proposal planning
committee Mr John Mushaninga said $580 million was required for the first
phase of the project and so far $200 million had been availed by a donor. He
said they would start to fundraise once they were granted a certificate of
registration by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.
The
university, which will specialise in research related to indigenisation and
resource management, will provide under-graduates and post- graduates with an
opportunity to play critical roles in transforming economies of developing
nations.
He said the university aims to encourage research in
agriculture, provide agro-based technical and entrepreneurial education and
training. It also aims to encourage co-operative inter-disciplinary teaching
and research of established academics in identified areas to harness their
innovative capacity and link the education of students to the development of
their economies.
"Education that is relevant to a country's level of
development and resources is an important weapon in transforming the economy
from a poor subsistence status to a progressive advanced world. Developing
countries need graduates who are creative and are prepared as producers, in
both areas of agriculture and industry," said Mushaninga. - New Ziana.
Robert Mugabe has apparently ordered an investigation to
determine who shot the MDC activist in Zengeza on Sunday. It turms out the
young man, apart from being an MDC activist is reported to be also a relative
of Mugabe's.
EDITORIAL April 1, 2004 Posted to the web April 1,
2004
Harare
The overwhelming majority of Zimbabwean parents take
the education of their children very seriously indeed, being prepared to make
substantial sacrifices in money and time to ensure that the school their
children attend is the best possible.
This is why so many rural
families, weary from a day in the fields, will put in many hours of extra
work to mould bricks and build classrooms. This is why so many parents living
near a school they believe to be inadequate will move heaven and earth to get
their children into another school. This is why parents pay for extra
lessons, buy books, and spend hours helping children with
homework.
And this is why so many parents at both Government and private
schools are ready to agree to the highest possible fees and levies that can
be afforded, even though many have to make very significant sacrifices to pay
these.
We, therefore, do not understand the hard-line stance taken by the
Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture this term and why decisions on fees
and levies, arrived at through a democratic process, should be
criminalised.
School development associations at Government schools,
which recommend levies, are elected by the parents and are representative of
the parents. Boards of governors at private schools, which recommend fees,
draw most, and sometimes all, their members from the ranks of parents and
ex-parents. Such bodies know the expectations of parents in the community
they serve and have an excellent idea of what that community can and cannot
afford.
All schools summon meetings of parents to discuss the recommended
fees or levies. A significant number of parents are willing to go along with
the recommendation without attending. Others, worried whether those making
the recommendation have considered all factors, including affordability,
attend. Sometimes these meetings see huge turnouts and lengthy debate. But in
the end there is almost always near consensus.
If the majority of
parents at these meetings agree to the new fees the majority view should
prevail and vice versa.
But if school heads are indeed increasing school
fees without the approval of parents who take the trouble to attend meetings
to discuss these issues, then they certainly have a case to
answer.
The system works. Parents have become used to the powers they
were granted by Zimbabwe's first ever democratic Government in the 1980s;
they have relished the responsibility they were given by their own elected
Government rather than being dictated to by the colonial authorities of the
past. We do not understand why the ministry wishes to get involved in the
nitty-gritty of fee-fixing at private schools. Parents choose to send their
children to these schools rather than to their local Government school, which
is obliged, by ministry policy, to offer them a place if they apply. No one
is forced to send their children to a private school.
The approach
taken on private colleges and even universities, an area where Zimbabwe has
been a pioneer in Africa, could be adopted as a model. Care is taken to
ensure that these universities and colleges offer real degrees and other
qualifications and that certain standards are upheld. But budgets, fees and
the like are the sole business of the institutions. This allows
the Government to concentrate State money on its own universities,
polytechnics and teachers' colleges and so boost its own
standards.
When it comes to levies at Government schools, the ministry
may have a better case to demand the right of final approval. It would be
wrong to forbid children to attend their local school because their parents
earn a lot less than the majority in a particular zone.
But standing
policy, worked out over the last two decades, has solved most problems. No
child can be denied a place because a levy is not paid, and this means even
the most enthusiastic SDA needs to carefully consider affordability. Most
work on the basis that 80 to 90 percent of parents can afford and will pay
the full levy and the rest can be given permission to pay less. So long as a
large majority of parents accept a levy, why then should the ministry object,
especially in light of its own policy?
It appears that the ministry has
been caught in the old trap. The small minority who object are the ones who
complain, frequently very vocally. The majority who agree with, or go along
with, the fees and levies do not phone or write.
FOOD sold from registered
outlets actually exposes consumers to more health risks than food prepared
and sold at open stalls like Mereki in Warren Park, Mbare's Chipangano and
another eating spot along Chinhoyi Street in Harare.
A workshop for
environmental health officers from the City of Harare last week revealed that
food from these open-air joints was basically fresh roasted meat purchased
from a registered butchery.
Sadza to accompany the barbecued meat was
cooked and eaten almost immediately while still very hot.
"There is no
food storage like what happens in hotels, restaurants and food takeaways.
There are hardly any leftovers because the food is eaten and finished," said
Mr Andrew Nyadzayo an environment health officer with the council.
At
registered outlets, food is refrigerated, reheated and served again. Oil used
to fry chips is reused and this is very dangerous, yet consumers buy this
popular takeaway oblivious of the dangers involved.
Cockroaches, rats and
other pests were dangerous to human health if they invaded these places of
eating; an issue which vendors at food vending markets do not experience, as
they had nothing to store that would attract such vermin.
One of the
leading five star hotels in the capital has had its kitchen closed twice this
year for not conforming to stipulated health standards.
A journalist
recently suffered stomach complications after taking an orange flavoured
drink that had developed some greenish stuff, which had been bought from a
food takeaway along First Street. She had to stay away from work for two
days.
Three people are known to have died after eating food bought from
yet another food takeaway along Jason Moyo Avenue in November last year.
Mr Nyadzayo also reported that a pharmacist died after taking a meat pie
she had bought from some food outlet.
The list of people dying after
eating unhealthy food is endless but most of the time it has not been linked
to food bought on the streets or food outlets, the environment health
officers agreed.
A lot of people will suffer diarrhoea complications
following food poisoning and if that stops after perhaps 10 hours the sick
person will not report to a clinic. Very few incidents of food poisoning
whose other symptoms include vomiting ever get recorded.
Meat pies are
some of the foodstuffs that are refrigerated, reheated in microwaves and
resold, a practice described as very hazardous to health. And yet these are
the most favoured takeaway foods that most workers rely on particularly
during lunch break.
Whilst health experts may have proven that the
"vendors' fast foods" are a lot healthier than those offered by the
traditional fast food outlets, a lot has to be done to improve the status of
these popular joints by providing proper training to improve food
handling.
Initially council had the capacity to control vegetable vending
by providing people's markets, but the influx of food vendors has become a
difficult task as more and more people venture into this lucrative
business.
The vendors started by selling barbecued meat at butcheries
where patrons would drink beer at bottle stores with Zindoga Shopping Centre
in Waterfalls having been the starting point in the mid
80s.
"Barbecues and sadza vending has become a common trade and although
both Zimbabwe Republic Police and municipal police tried to monitor
these practices, the exercise has been unsuccessful," said Mr
Nyadzayo.
In the late 90's Mereki was temporarily closed because there
were no water and waste disposal facilities. Medical status of the food
handlers was also questionable.
But there was a public outcry over the
issue resulting in refurbishment of Mereki that now has shelters and a water
tap for washing hands and cleaning utensils.
Mr Nyadzayo who covers
Greendale, Mabvuku, Borrowdale and Tafara known as the eastern district said:
"Annual medical examination is a requirement for all food handlers before
renewing licenses and also before issuing the initial license to registered
food outlets.
"We insist on chest x-rays to check on TB and we also take
stool tests for enteric pathogens like salmonella, typhoid and cholera. These
are highly communicable through the faecal-oral route.
"If the hygiene
is not up to standard, the clients are basically eating the handler's faecal
and if you suffer cholera it actually means that a person would have eaten
faeces."
The city is divided into nine districts and environmental health
officers representing those areas were at the one week trainers of trainers
workshop who would in turn go out to their areas of jurisdiction and train
vendors on food handling.
The training would have to take place at
their areas of operation, as it would be difficult to bring them in one
place, as they were very busy people wanting to make the best of daily
profits.
A lecturer with the University of Zimbabwe in the food and
sciences department Dr Henry Gadaga said Zimbabwe had a better opportunity to
improve the situation than for example Zambia where 5 000 people had died
since January this year from cholera. Soweto Market in Lusaka has one tap and
a dysfunctional toilet for use by thousands of food vendors.
Zambia
has a vibrant food vending trade ranging from kebabs and sauces but most of
the food was prepared under unhygienic conditions. Cholera had since become
endemic in this neighbouring country.
"There is a direct link between
water and food. Utensils that are normally used to serve these foodstuffs are
normally plastic plates and cups that require hot water and detergent to
clean.
"Microorganisms love food hidden in the corners of these plates
and so dipping all plates in one bucket is also very dangerous
because contamination was highly probable.
"We are not saying we
should legalise selling of food under a tree but rather let's spend money in
preventing disease outbreak and also come up with a proactive approach
because there is no doubt that informal sector creates a lot of employment
opportunities," Dr Gadaga said.
"Again we are not saying that street
vended foods bring about food poisoning but it is difficult to trace sources
of raw materials in case of food poisoning incidents. This is unlike
registered food outlets where sources of these foods are
traceable."
He also cited an example from some African countries where
hoteliers bought beasts, which they slaughtered, and then called health
personnel to inspect for disease control.
THE cash-rich Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited (DZL) has
come up with fresh strategies to ensure reliable supply of raw milk and milk
products.
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed group headed by Anthony
Mandiwanza this week said it had established a milk supply development unit
that would lend support to new and established dairy
farmers.
Responding to questions from this newspaper, the group, which
also owns Lyons and Charhons, cited the example of the Lyondell Estates set
up in Chipinge last year.
"The main objective of launching this
project was to supplement milk supply, (and to) provide a model which would
provide research information for strategic decision-making and extension
services, such as training, for the benefit of new entrants in the dairy
industry," said DZL.
The project has also boosted milk supplies to DZL.
Lyondell Estates now contributes 15 percent of Chipinge dairy's milk
intake.
The farm has a milk herd of 116 out of a total of 205 cows and
there are plans to grow the herd. This year alone, the project posted a
profit after tax of $20.4 million.
DZL said its vision was to run at
least one dairy farm in each province and continue to look for
opportunities.
"Opportunities to grow the product portfolio through
continuous innovation are our major focus in both milk and non-milk brands,"
said DZL.
The group would also focus on growth driven by volumes on its
value added products, while implementing stringent cost control
measures.
DZL said programmes in progress to stimulate the production of
raw milk would be further consolidated and expanded.
Efforts to grow
exports in the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa regions would also continue to ensure future
availability of foreign currency.
In its financial results for the period
ending December 2003, the group said turnover went up to $101.4 billion, an
increase of 439 percent.
Operating profit was up 596 percent to $18.6
billion, while attributable earnings rose by 755 percent to $17.6
billion.
Non-milk products contributed 60 percent to group operating
profit, with the new transport subsidiary contributing three percent.
By Shepherd Sibanda Showbiz
Editor 01/04/04 THE King of Pop Michael Jackson will make a second visit
to Zimbabwe in May or June this year for a concert tour to raise Aids
awareness, New Zimbabwe.com can reveal today.
Jackson was cheered by
crows out of a Capitol Hill office building Wednesday after he met with
lawmakers to discuss lending his celebrity to the fight against AIDS in
Africa.
A spokesman for Jackson confirmed that among other countries he
will visit on his tour will be Zimbabwe, South Africa and
Senegal.
"Michael loves it there (Zimbabwe) after his visit a few years
back and plans to return to help the people of Zimbabwe and Africa fight the
Aids menace," he told us.
Jackson, facing allegations of child
molestation in America is set to get his passport back for the tour either in
May or June. He has denied the charges and his brother Jemaine has described
them as a "modern day lynching".
"There's never been a meeting in
Congress like this particular meeting," said Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois.
"This man, Michael Jackson, is going to lead the global effort to make sure
that we provide all of our resources -- all of our attention -- to
eliminating and dealing with this scourge called AIDS."
It was
Jackson's second visit to Capitol Hill in as many days, and, this time, he
met with more lawmakers.
About 50 onlookers cried "Michael! Michael!" as
Capitol Police and security guards helped Jackson push through the crowd in
the corridor of a House office building on his way into and out of the
meeting.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said Jackson has committed to
an African concert tour to raise money for anti-AIDS efforts.
Jackson
wore a sequined scarlet tunic with sergeant's stripes on the sleeves for his
two-hour meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and African
diplomats. He did not speak at a news conference that followed the meeting
but gave an occasional thumbs-up or peace sign to support points made by
other speakers.
The Washington visit comes the same week that prosecutors
in Santa Barbara, California, have begun presenting a child molestation case
against him to a grand jury. The 45-year-old singer has pleaded not guilty to
the charges.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. defended the "sideshow," saying
reporters would not have covered an anti-AIDS meeting without the King of
Pop.
"The Congressional Black Caucus has held dozens of press conferences
on this subject," the Illinois Democrat said. "We have met with our
colleagues about this, and we have seen no change in the substantive numbers
that can address the scourge of AIDS on the continent of Africa."
The
congressman -- no relation to the singer -- said the Bush administration had
failed to follow through on its $15 billion pledge to fight the spread of the
disease.
Michael Jackson has been charged with seven felony counts of
committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and two counts of
giving the child an "intoxicating agent." He has denied any
wrongdoing.
In planning the Capitol Hill visit, his publicist had
requested a meeting for the singer with the entire Congressional Black
Caucus, but was turned down. The caucus cited scheduling conflicts, but aides
privately acknowledged that many members didn't want their picture taken with
the embattled star.
Lee, the vice chairwoman of the caucus, said
Jackson is not the first person accused of wrongdoing to visit Congress, and
said his legal problems "will be addressed in a court of law."
"No one
is taking lightly these charges," she told CNN. "No one is condoning any of
the actions that are alleged. But this is a people's house."
The imaginative way in which Zimbabwean prosecutors invent
charges
Comment
By Michael Hartnack
Now
even the representative of Robert Mugabe's most influential ally - perhaps
his only real ally - is getting the treatment from the regime's bully boys.
South African Ambassador Jeremiah Ndou and his vehicle were repeatedly
searched as he passed through one checkpoint after another in an attempt to
monitor proceedings in Chikurubi maximum security prison against the 70
alleged mercenaries arrested March 7. The men include 20 South African
nationals. The hearing was held at the prison because, said the authorities,
they lacked the transport and escort details to convey the men securely to
Harare magistrate's court.
The ambassador was heard at one stage to
protest to a Zimbabwean officer that his diplomatic status was being grossly
violated. His representations were spurned. He then said he would telephone
Foreign Affairs Minister Stan Mudenge to record his complaint. The officer
said he would not be allowed to do this. Ndou asked why this ban was being
imposed on the rightful privilege of a South African diplomat. "Because I am
talking to you," replied the officer, loftily. If this is the way regime's
officials treat the South African ambassador, we may imagine how they treat
powerless rural peasants, and teenagers in militia training
camps.
The only weapons the detained men - who were remanded in
custody until April 13 - seem actually to have got their hands on were 10
Browning pistols, although they had planned to take delivery of AK47 assault
rifles, hand grenades, mortars, machine guns and rocket launchers. The
parastatal Zimbabwe Defence Industries planned to sell them a job lot for
US$180 000 with a US$90 000 down payment. Prosecutors said ZDI did background
checks and found their customers - Simon Mann and others - were
"renowned mercenaries" bent on overthrowing Equatorial Guinea's government,
which was itself brought to power by a coup in 1979.
While the
mercenaries, deemed to be "terrorists" by Zimbabwe's state media, were being
put before a magistrate in the prison, in Matabeleland the Roman Catholic
Church authorities in Hwange, and at Bulawayo's Mater Dei Hospital, were
being hauled into court as common criminals for violating the exchange
control regulations. Full details have yet to emerge, but it appears they
were given compararatively small donations in foreign exchange, of the order
US$2 000, which they chose to trade on the "parallel" or black market rather
than give to the regime for a fraction of its realistic worth. Due to the
widespread distress now afflicting Matabeleland, the church is desperately
short of funds for every branch of its work.
Talking of foreign
exchange, there was the new Finance Minister, Chris Kuruneri, declaring that
"my hands are clean" regarding construction of a R30 million luxury home in
Llandudno, on the Cape Peninsula. Although Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono
says all monies earned by Zimbabweans for "exported" goods and services must
be repatriated and exchanged promptly for Zimbabwean currency at the
unrealistic official rate, Kuruneri says he was entitled to keep "offshore"
the commissions he was paid by foreign organisations in 1992. He said he paid
"only" R7 million for land at Llandudno. Further South African press reports
said Kuruneri owns another home in the Cape, now being rented out. Mugabe
himself last week got a pay rise, backdated to January 1, virtually
quadrupling his salary and allowances. While his new annual Zimbabwe $3,7
million might not seem much if converted into foreign currency, it is tax
free, and comes with three state residences. So it is more or less pocket
money. Like all members of regime, Mugabe gets special foreign currency daily
spending allowances for foreign trips.
Local film maker Simon
Bright was picked up as he tried to board a London flight on March 19 on
suspicion of assisting the BBC's Hilary Anderson make a documentary for the
programme Panorama on atrocities committed in National Youth Service training
camps. He was held in a lice-ridden cell for the weekend, and released after
being charged under the Public Order and Security Act with "communicating a
statement wholly or materially false".
The imaginative way in
which Zimbabwean prosecutors invent charges was illustrated by plans they
disclosed to charge the alleged mercenaries with "conspiring to conduct a
coup contrary to United Nations Resolution 1373 of 2001 and 1456 of 2003".
This plan was dropped after defence lawyer Jonathan Samkange pointed out that
UN resolutions do not have force of criminal law in Zimbabwe.
A Justice for Agriculture Team met with the IMF mid-day
yesterday (31st March 2004). We were joined by a senior representative from
GAPWUZ. GAPWUZ, like JAG are part of Civil Society under the crisis coalition
and are signatories to the Freedom Charter.
Our joint presentation, on
behalf of Commercial Farmers and Farm Workers, which involve an hour and a
half of very frank discussion from both sides and searching questions from
the IMF Staff Team, was well received. It was opportune to have met with
them towards the end of their consultation discussions, and it was felt on
all sides that the meeting had been very constructive.
From The IMF,
31 March IMF statement on the conclusion of 2004 Article IV consultation
discussions with Zimbabwe
A staff team from the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) visited Harare from March 17-31, 2004 in connection with the
annual Article IV consultation between the IMF and Zimbabwe. The purpose of
the visit was to hold discussions with the Zimbabwean authorities on the
economic situation and macroeconomic policies. The staff team also met with
representatives of civil society, such as NGOs, the business and financial
communities, political parties, and trade unions, as well as the diplomatic
community. Zimbabwe's economy has experienced a sharp deterioration in the
last five years. Real GDP has declined by about 30 percent, and is still
contracting. Inflation doubled in each of the last three years to reach 600
percent at the end of 2003. This has had dire social consequences:
unemployment is high and rising, poverty has doubled since 1995, school
enrollment declined to 65 percent in 2003, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic remains
largely unchecked. While this in part reflected exogenous shocks, such as
inclement weather, structural changes in agriculture related to the way in
which the land reform was implemented negatively affected agricultural
production. In recognition of Zimbabwe's grave food shortages, foreign donors
have provided large amounts of humanitarian aid, but other donor assistance
has been curtailed because of concerns over governance
issues.
Economic policies have not adequately addressed the difficulties.
In particular, loose monetary policy intensified inflationary pressures
and has left interest rates highly negative in real terms, imposing a heavy
tax on savers, encouraging excessive borrowing, and increasing financial
sector vulnerability. Excessive liquidity growth led to a flight to
alternative assets that contributed to record increases in real estate and
stock prices, hoarding of goods, and the depreciation of the parallel
exchange rate. Exports suffered because of the uncompetitive official
exchange rate, and official imports were severely constrained. However,
reflecting strong performance in the last quarter, budgetary operations of
the government were almost balanced in 2003. This was due to higher sales tax
collections after the mid-year liberalization of most prices, including fuel,
and the further compression of expenditure in real terms, including wages.
The staff team welcomed some of the steps taken in the 2004 budget,
the December Monetary Policy Statement, and subsequently, the efforts
to strengthen banking supervision. It encouraged the authorities to
accelerate and broaden these efforts. Among the recommendations discussed
were:
- The importance of a commitment to consistently focus monetary
policy on taming inflation and reducing pressure on the exchange rate, taking
into account the vulnerability of the banking system.
- The need to
gear fiscal policy to support monetary tightening.
- Use of the exchange
rate decisively to reinvigorate exports and contain import demand.
-
And, restarting tripartite discussions on Zimbabwe's economic challenges in a
concerted and comprehensive way involving all social partners.
While
Zimbabwe's arrears currently preclude access to IMF lending, further strong
policy efforts would be an important signal of Zimbabwe's determination to
address its serious economic difficulties. Such efforts would also begin to
lay the basis for regularizing Zimbabwe's arrears to the IMF (US$290 million
at end-February 2004) and other creditors. The staff team welcomed the
authorities' recent payments to the IMF of US$6 million, and the renewed
commitment to make further small quarterly payments of US$1.5 million. The
IMF's Executive Board will closely examine the progress made on policies and
payments when it considers the Article IV consultation report and the issue
of Zimbabwe's overdue payments to the IMF in early July.
We are delighted to advise you all that Kay is back home and
progressing steadily and with determination. Below is a message from the
Conolly family.
Some economics first. The total bill for Kay's
operations have totalled R604 071.85. She still requires a further medical
procedure and it is estimated this will cost R70 000.00. Your generous
donations have amounted to R432 248.00. We are still short!
"Where
does one begin to say "thank you" to all the people all over the world who
have contributed the way you have ? We, as a family, have been so aware of
your physical support, but perhaps even more aware of the constant and
numerous prayers that were made on our behalf. I KNOW without a shadow of a
doubt, that without the intervention of my Lord and Saviour, I would no
longer be here. This fact was reinforced dramatically for me when the surgeon
who had operated on me said to me shortly before I left the hospital, "When I
look at your case, and your recovery, I am forced to acknowledge that there
IS a miracle working God. There is no medical reason that you should be alive
today!"
It has been a long, and sometimes harrowing journey but, at the
same time there has been much to be excited about. Never have I been so
certain of the goodness of God, and of His amazing and awesome power, love
and grace. We have watched His miracles unfold on a daily basis, and can only
marvel at what He has brought us through. He is a caring, loving God who took
care of our every need in our time of distress.It has also been amazing to
be reminded of the goodness of the people around us.We have received
gifts from all over the world- many of you that have given are complete
strangers to us, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. My daily
prayer is that God ( who knows all of you by name) will return the blessing
to you in some form or another ,as you have certainly blessed us!
In
terms of recovery I am doing really well. I have had to reach the point where
my standards of achievement (from last year) have now become my goals for the
future. This is often times easier said than done, and I am having to deal
with the frustration of feeling fine, but physically not being able to do all
that I would want to do. There was a huge amount of muscle degeneration due
to the sepsis (spelling?), so all that has had to be rebuilt. What a job!
Learning to walk at 40-something years old is not the easiest of tasks!
However, every day sees me able to do more and more and I am very grateful
for every inch of progress.
As a family we are just enjoying being
together. The children have coped remarkably well - all due to their
wonderful father and the incredible support of Dave's family. What a joy they
have been ! It has been a life-changing experience for all of us
!
This was supposed to be a brief thank you e-mail, so let me close
by thanking you again. You will never know the extent of your blessing, but
be assured that the living God knows and He is watching over you
always.He knows you, and loves you and is longing for your
fellowship.Although we don't know all of you by name, we, as a family, will
continue to pray for you all. May God bless you richly, With love and thanks,
Dave, Kay, Emma, Mark and Paul Conolly"
Donations will be kindly
administered by Ernst and Young. Cheques to be made payable to Ernst and
Young (Bulawayo) - Gerry House, 6th Avenue, Bulawayo or P O Box 437,
Bulawayo, and clearly marked ' for Kay Conolly Appeal' attention Mr Dave
Power. Due to our erratic postal service, if possible please could you drop
us an email to say that there is a cheque in the post, so if it doesn't
arrive we can follow it through. Alternatively Rand Cheques can be deposited
into this account:
Name of Account: Sunninghill Park Clinic - Kay
Conolly's reference number T144550. Bank: Nedbank - Riviona -
RSA Branch Nr: 196905 Swife code: NEDSZAJJ Account Nr:
1969101466 PLEASE NOTE THAT ITS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT KAY'S REFERENCE
NUMBER IS PUT ON THE DEPOSIT SLIP. TO ADMINISTER THIS WE REQUIRE THAT A COPY
OF THE DEPOSIT BE SENT TO OUR APPEAL ADMINISTRATOR BELOW.
We now have
a collection point in the UK, and when a sufficient amount is collected it
will be passed onto the Beresford Trust in Jersey. David Lushington DNL
Management Services 166 Oxford Road Abingdon OX14 2AF Tel: +44
(0)1235 533 165 Fax : +44 (0)1235 521 963 Email: dnlms@corunna.com - please enter NOTJUNK in
the subject heading.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY "The principle of equality does not destroy the imagination,
but lowers its flight to the level of the earth."
- Alexis De
Tocqueville
Letter 1: SUBJECT: The Financial Director and the
Board Dear Jag,
I am reliably informed that Mr. Taylor Freeme was in
Bulawayo recently and addressed a CFU open meeting numbering less than a
dozen. This was followed by him addressing a Matabeleland Farmers'
Association meeting with over a hundred people present. Apparently Mr. Freeme
expounded the virtues of Mr. Gono at the meeting.
Two fundamental
issues arise from this visit to Matabeleland.
Firstly, the Trustees of
the CFU were in Bulawayo in February on a fact finding mission. The meeting
was cordial and productive. John Meikle and Richard Winkfield were
accompanied by Stan Parsons as facilitator and chairman. Farmers must now be
wondering what sort of message was delivered back to Mashonaland, Manicaland
and the rest of the country by the Trustees. The message delivered in
Bulawayo was clear - on both occassions; There is none so deaf as he who will
not hear.
Secondly, for any thinking man to attempt to 'sell' Mr. Gono
requires some serious further thinking. *Is it not reasonable to look upon
Mr. Gono as really being the Financial Director of "the company?" *Does a
recommendation of an FD and "the company" not put one's own reputation on the
line? *Who are the senior Board members, Chairman and the CEO of "the
company?" *Have they, and "the company" achieved international recognition
for their business ethics over the last twenty years? *What is their track
record with Mr. Freeme's company (CFU plc) over the last four years? *How
has CFU plc blossomed through a mutually beneficial working relationship with
"the company" over the last four years? *Assuming that Mr. Freeme was doing
market research for CFU plc, in Bulawayo, what competitive advantage in terms
of service, product or technology could CFU plc offer its 3 000 or more ex
customers by dealing with the FD and "the company?"
I believe that
these same questions will be asked by Big Business when Zimbabwe suddenly has
the incredible urge to be productive and trade in the world market. In the
interim, it might be a good 'tutorial' and questionaire for CFU plc to ask
its Board Members to participate in. There are only seven simple
questions. It will not take long. We have the time. (and "the company"
the watches?) It might even give them an idea as to where CFU plc is going
and
why.
Freethinker.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- All
letters published on the Open Letter Forum are the views and opinions of the
submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice for
Agriculture.
Please send any job
opportunities for publication in this newsletter to: JAG Job Opportunities
<justice@telco.co.zw>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.
Advert Received 25th March 2004
Please could you advertise the
following.
We are desperately looking for a good gardener for Avondale
Ridge area. Single accomodation provided. It is a large property and we
already employ one gardener but need two. Please reply to: Jan Whyte: Tel:
335395 or email on earthco@africaonline.co.zw
I spoke to you this
morning with regards to my husband, Neels Scott, looking for employment. He
is 25 years old, has experience in farming including roses, hypericum and
citrus as well as the usual crops etc. He has been doing landscaping for the
past 6 months. His cellphone number is 091 306603 and our email address is
hanga@mweb.co.zw . If anyone
is interested they could phone him or mail us for more details.
Please
could you also send us the details of how to go about becoming members of
JAG.
Well known Harare bowling club require the services of a club
manager. Main duties would be to control bar stocks, care take the grounds
and buildings, supervise staff and general duties as may be prescribed by the
club president. This position would suit a semi- retired person of
strong personality and discipline.
Further information from Joe: 091
338414 or Malcolm
011-604929
4.
Advert Received 29th March 2004 Kindly place the following advertisement in
your next issue of Job Opportunities VACANCY FOR A GARDENER A vacancy
has arisen for a gardener who must be over 35 years of age, of sober habits,
honest and possesses good references. Be must be experienced in all aspects
of gardening and able to perform duties without supervision. Competitive
salary offered
Contact: Ms Bassett KDB HOLDINGS (PVT)
LIMITED Telephone: 758921 With many thanks Keri Bassett PERSONAL
ASSISTANT TO MANAGING
DIRECTOR
I am a lady of 39 yrs looking for a
bookkeeping job in Harare to start immediately. My qualifications are a
Bachelor of Accountancy degree and Pitmans up to level four. I have more than
10 years experience and computer experience
includes Excel,Lotus123,Pastel,Brilliant,Softrite,Solution6,Quickbooks. My
contact phone number is 741708
Harare.