http://www.nytimes.com/
By CELIA W. DUGGER
Published: April 1,
2011
JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe’s neighbors, long accused of being soft on
its
autocratic president, Robert Mugabe, are putting an unusual amount of
public
pressure on him to halt the political violence, intimidation and
arrests
that have surged since his party began agitating for elections in
recent
months.
After meeting on Zimbabwe’s deteriorating political
climate, the presidents
of South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique issued a
statement late Thursday
night expressing “grave concern” about the country’s
increasingly polarized
environment, one that human rights groups have
attributed to Mr. Mugabe’s
party, ZANU-PF.
Zimbabwe had achieved a
tenuous political stability in the two years since
regional leaders first
pressured Mr. Mugabe to enter a power-sharing
government with his longtime
rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, following a
discredited, violent 2008
election.
But that stability has been shaken in recent months.
Journalists, activists
and civic workers have faced harassment and jailing.
Soldiers and youth
militia under the control of Mr. Mugabe’s party have
assaulted Mr.
Tsvangirai’s supporters, while police officers also answerable
to Mr. Mugabe’s
loyalists have arrested leaders in Mr. Tsvangirai’s party,
the Movement for
Democratic Change, on charges the party says are
false.
In recent days, the state media, controlled by Mr. Mugabe, has
called for
the arrest of Mr. Tsvangirai himself on grounds that he should be
held in
contempt of court for saying the country’s judicial system is biased
in
favor of Mr. Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF.
In the past, regional
leaders have stayed away from such issues, leery of
having Mr. Mugabe, a
liberation hero to many for his role in ridding
Zimbabwe of white minority
rule, accuse them of interfering in a sovereign
nation’s legal
system.
But South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, the region’s mediator
in the
Zimbabwe’s crisis, made it clear in meetings with Mr. Mugabe and Mr.
Tsvangirai in Livingstone, Zambia, on Thursday that Mr. Tsvangirai was not
to be arrested and that acts of violence, harassment and intimidation needed
to cease, said Mr. Zuma’s adviser, Lindiwe Zulu.
Ms. Zulu said in an
interview Friday that Mr. Zuma declared, “All these
things must
stop.”
Without mentioning Mr. Mugabe by name, the three southern African
leaders
also insisted in their statement that Zimbabweans must have a chance
to vote
on a new constitution, and that rules must be laid out to ensure a
free and
fair vote, before the country holds an election to pick a
president. Mr.
Mugabe has been pushing for a quick election this year –
something Ms. Zulu
has said in recent interviews would take “a miracle”
given how far behind
schedule the country’s constitution-making process has
fallen.
Mr. Zuma’s bluntness, as described by Ms. Zulu, is a departure
from the
much-criticized quiet diplomacy of South Africa’s former president,
Thabo
Mbeki, who was seen by many analysts as having protected Mr. Mugabe,
in
power since 1980, through years when his party oversaw elections widely
viewed as corrupted by fraud and violence.
But while Mr. Zuma has
talked tougher than Mr. Mbeki, some diplomats in
Harare say that he has
proved to be easily distracted by his own
considerable domestic political
problems and has not yet found an effective
strategy for halting Zimbabwe’s
backsliding – one that could bring back the
political crisis that has led to
the country’s economic ruination.
Nelson Chamisa, the spokesman for the
Movement for Democratic Change, said
Friday that his party appreciated that
this influential committee of the
15-nation Southern African Development
Community had recognized the severity
of Zimbabwe’s problems.
“We
await practical measures to make sure that the resolutions have an
impact,”
he said. “In the past, resolutions are put on paper but not been
carried out
in practice.”
The spokesman for Mr. Mugabe’s party, Rugare Gumbo, said in
an interview
Friday morning that he had not yet been briefed on how to
respond to the
statement issued by the regional heads of state. He did not
respond to
repeated calls and text messages for the rest of the day.
http://af.reuters.com
Fri Apr 1, 2011 1:15pm
GMT
* Regional leaders urge end to Zimbabwe violence
*
Analysts say crackdown part of ZANU-PF campaign strategy
* Mugabe still
pushing for early general elections this year
By Cris
Chinaka
HARARE, April 1 (Reuters) - Southern African leaders are
hardening their
line against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe over
political violence
before elections that may be held later this
year.
Analysts say a call by a mini regional summit on Thursday for an
end to a
crackdown on the opposition, including a wave of violence many
blame on
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, may help to ease tension in the coming
weeks.
But violence and intimidation are expected to resurface as
Zimbabwe gets
closer to parliamentary and presidential polls.
"There
is definitely a significant change in tone in what we heard from the
summit,
it's quite hard by SADC standards," said Eldred Masunungure, a
political
science professor at the University of Zimbabwe.
"I think for now, it is
going to help because ZANU-PF will take note and may
not want to antagonise
SADC at a point when the stakes are not that high.
But when we get closer to
the elections, we could get the usual game,
violence and intimidation," he
told Reuters.
A meeting in Zambia on Thursday of the Southern African
Development
Community (SADC)'s security organ, attended by Zambian President
Rupiah
Banda, South African President Jacob Zuma and their Mozambican
counterpart
Armando Guebuza, condemned events in Zimbabwe in unusually
strong language.
"There must be an immediate end to violence,
intimidation, hate speech,
harassment, and any other form of action that
contradicts the letter and
spirit of dialogue," the regional bloc said in a
statement issued late at
night.
The summit in the Zambian resort of
Livingstone was also attended by Mugabe
and arch rival Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, who were persuaded by SADC
to form a unity government two years
ago after a disputed 2008 election.
Elections are meant to be held in
2013 or when democratic reforms are
completed and agreed with opposition but
Mugabe has been considering early
polls for political advantage.
SADC
has been criticised in the past for being too soft on Mugabe but the
tone of
its leaders has stiffened as the country lurches from crisis to
crisis.
Mugabe, 87 and in power since independence from Britain in
1980, has been
pushing for early polls before agreed democratic reforms,
accusing his
opponents of wasting time on quarrels over appointments and
delaying a
constitution re-writing process.
Analysts say an election
without reforms, including a new constitution, a
free media and improved
voter registration, will favour Mugabe and his
ZANU-PF party.
"The
SADC position could help ZANU-PF to change course, not so much in
spirit but
maybe in some sort of smoothness, in which case we get more
psychological
games of intimidation than open violence," said Lovemore
Madhuku, chairman
of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), a political
pressure
group.
"But it's hard to say for certain what's going to happen."
http://www.voanews.com/
Peta Thornycroft | Johannesburg April 01,
2011
The regional Southern African Development Community or SADC has
delivered a
sharp rebuke to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and expressed
disappointment at the lack of progress in implementing the global political
agreement which is the foundation stone of the two-year-old inclusive
government.
The SADC also decided to call for an extra ordinary
summit on Madagascar.
The so-called Organ on Peace and Security
comprising the leaders of three
countries in the southern Africa region
handed out stinging criticism of
the inclusive Zimbabwe government’s
progress.
South African president, Jacob Zuma, SADC’s mediator on
Zimbabwe, expressed
"grave concern" about the resurgence of political
violence, arrests and
intimdation and demanded an immediate end to
it.
The SADC leaders communique strongly rebuked Zimbabwean leaders for
the
continuing stalemate and said they will appoint regional officials who
will
monitor progress towards free and fair elections.
Though it did
not single out any of the Zimbabwean parties for blame,
independent human
rights groups have directly criticized Mr Mugabe’s ZanuPF
party for a
resurgence of political violence, arrests and intimidation.
Mr. Mugabe’s
police have recently arrested Energy Minister Elton Mangoma of
Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change(MDC) party
and
other officials and have threatened to arrest Mr. Tsvangirai himself.
The
police have also banned rallies by Mr. Tsvangirai’s MDC and the smaller
MDC
led by Welshman Ncube. Both leaders and Mr. Mugabe were at the meeting
in
the Zambian resort town, Livingstone Thursday.
Zimbabwe political analyst
Brian Raftopoulos said the SADC communique and
committment was far stronger
than usual, and that he was encouraged by its
commitment to insisting on the
full implementation of the multi party global
political agreement, or
GPA.
"I think this is a real breakthrough for the democratic forces in
Zimbabwe....issues around the violence around the full implementation of the
GPA around preparations for free and fair elections," said
Raftopoulos.
South Africa has a team of three mediators who regularly
visit Zimbabwe to
check on implementation of the political agreement. SADC
decided Thursday to
back them up with a small presence of SADC personnel in
Zimbabwe.
"Most importantly is the inclusion of a monitoring team from
SADC to have a
semi permanent presence in Zimbabwe and be able to evaluate
and report
back," he said.
Mr. Mugabe has been pushing to hold
elections this year, but a new
constitutution will only be ready for a
referendum in Setpember, and most
political analysts now believe the next
polls will be held in March, 2012.
The summit also considered the
political crisis in Madagascar which has been
suspended from SADC because of
a military coup in March 2009 which ousted
elected President Marc
Ravalomanana and installed the current leader Andry
Rajoelina.
SADC
has also been mediating there under former Mozambique President Joaquim
Chissano who recently proposed a "Roadmap" to guide the country back to new
free and fair elections and constitutional order.
But the political
parties of Ravalomanana and two other former presidents,
Didier Ratsiraka
and Albert Zafy, rejected the roadmap because they said it
would leave Mr.
Rajoelina as president with too much power during the
transition.
The
three leaders said Mr. Rajoelina had violated even the terms of the
unacceptable road map in his recent decision to appoint a prime minister and
cabinet ministers without consulting other parties.
The SADC Troika
summit in Livingstone Thursday decided to refer the Malagasy
crisis to an
extraordinary full summit of SADC which would be convened
urgently.
http://news.yahoo.com/
AFP
– 1 hr 17 mins
ago
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) – Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Friday
vowed
to resist pressure from fellow African leaders to resolve tensions in
his
power-sharing government with Morgan Tsvangirai.
"The MDC thinks
SADC or the AU can prescribe to us how we run our things,"
Mugabe was quoted
as saying by the state-run New Ziana news agency at a
meeting of his party's
central committee.
"We will not brook any dictation from any source. We
are a sovereign
country. Even our neighbours cannot dictate to us. We will
resist that."
Mugabe's response came after an unusually strong rebuke
from regional
leaders criticising slow pace on the power-sharing deal with
Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) leader Tsvangirai and demanding an end
to political
violence.
The 87-year-old said President Jacob Zuma of
South Africa, which brokered
the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) backed unity deal with
Tsvangirai as prime minister, should not
dictate what should happen in
Zimbabwe.
"The facilitator is the
facilitator and must facilitate dialogue," Mugabe
was quoted as
saying.
"He cannot prescribe anything. We prescribe what we should do in
accordance
with our laws and our agreement."
Tsvangirai has accused
Mugabe of cracking down on his supporters ahead of
new elections expected
later this year.
The presidents of South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and
Namibia did not
mention either rival by name but echoed concerns raised by
Tsvangirai in a
statement issued after the SADC's security body met in
Zambia.
"The summit noted with grave concern the polarisation of the
political
environment as characterized by, inter alia, resurgence of
violence, arrest
and intimidation in Zimbabwe," they said in the
communique.
"There must be an immediate end of violence, intimidation,
hate speech,
harassment, and any other form of action that contradicts the
letter and
spirit of the GPA" (unity pact).
Mugabe and Tsvangirai
formed the unlikely unity government in February 2009
to end a political and
economic crisis after disputed 2008 elections.
While the deal succeeded
in halting the economy's tailspin, mainly by
ditching the local currency,
the rivals have repeatedly locked horns over
implementing it.
Both
leaders have said they are ready for elections that would end the
transitional government.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Stanley Gama in Zambia
Thursday, 31 March 2011
14:39
LIVINGSTONE - Zimbabwe's civic society groups have pleaded with
regional
leaders to intervene immediately to stop the country’s security
forces from
intimidating and coercing people to support President Robert
Mugabe and Zanu
PF.
Speaking on the sidelines of the SADC Troika on
Politics, Defence and
Security meeting here yesterday, civic society groups
under the Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition banner said if the security
structures, including the
military, were not stopped, there was a likelihood
that the country would
slide into anarchy.
They especially appealed
to SADC facilitator to the Zimbabwe political
crisis, President Jacob Zuma
of South Africa, to ensure that the latest
Troika meeting comes up with a
lasting solution.
Crisis spokesperson, Phillip Pasirayi said: “SADC
should stop the deployment
of soldiers who are brutalising and torturing
people. We do not have guns to
protect the people and that is why we want
SADC to intervene.
“We reiterate that Zimbabwe is not ready for elections
in 2011 and that on
her own, without assistance from SADC and the African
Union, Zimbabwe cannot
deliver a credible election.
“We state
unequivocally that the conditions obtaining in Zimbabwe such as
widespread
state-sponsored violence, partisan application of the law,
increased
deployment of soldiers across the country openly intimidating
citizens and
campaigning for Zanu PF, and increased arrests and harassment
of rights
activists and MDC leaders all confirm that state institutions
remain
unreformed and unrepentant,” said Pasirayi.
He further urged SADC and the
AU, to deploy peace-keeping monitors at least
three months ahead of
elections to prevent state sponsored violence and
intimidation and to
guarantee peaceful transfer of power to the eventual
winner of the
elections.
Crisis also implored SADC to make sure that a democratic
constitution, which
guarantees freedom of expression and an updated voters’
roll was in place
before the elections.
Zimbabwe has in the past few
months been experiencing widespread
intimidation with hundreds of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters
arrested or displaced from their
homes.
Already, Tsvangirai has
alleged that Mugabe is no longer in charge claiming
that all the power was
now with the military.
Tsvangirai told the Daily News last week that he
came to the conclusion that
Mugabe had lost grip of the country because
whenever they agreed on
something, the 87-year-old leader would change that
position after meeting
hardliners in the security structures of
government.
The civic society organizations have also documented
statistics of MDC
supporters that have been arrested, beaten up and
intimidated by Zanu PF
activists and the police.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights (ZLHR) executive director Irene Petras
said there has been an
upsurge in the number of cases they had handled
saying the figures were now
so alarming that SADC needed to come in.
“Since February, our lawyers on
the ground have recorded 576 people directly
affected by violence and
intimidation by politicians and government
structures. The cases include
unlawful detentions, selective application of
the law and malicious
prosecutions.
“We have seen MDC supporters and officials being charged
with public
violence, criminal insults – some against President Mugabe,
treason,
subverting constitutional government and revival of old cases. This
is what
lawyers have gathered and, we do not even know the extent of other
cases,”
said Petras.
Zimrights director, Okay Machisa who is also
part of the Crisis group which
wants to petition the SADC leaders also
expressed alarm at the level of
intimidation and harassment in Zimbabwe and
urged the Troika to come up with
a solution this time around.
“SADC
has been holding meetings on Zimbabwe for the past three years and we
hope
that this time around, they will come up with a concrete solution.
SADC
cannot be discussing Zimba- bwe only for three years and now they
should
push for a commitment from President Mugabe to implement the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) in full,” said Machisa.
Mugabe, Tsvangirai
and deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara were due to
arrive in Livingstone
late yesterday for the Troika meeting to try and find
a peaceful solution to
the political crisis in Zimbabwe.
President Rupiah Banda of Zambia
arrived in this resort town on Tuesday
while Zuma was also expected late
yesterday.
Zuma, as the facilitator is under pressure to ensure that he
comes up with a
solution to the crisis including an acceptable road map
which will lead to
credible and acceptable elections.
http://www.voanews.com
Zambian President Rupiah Banda warned countries in the region
including
Zimbabwe to heed the lessons of Tunisia and Egypt and implement
democratic
reforms before they too face mass demonstrations
Blessing
Zulu | Washington 31 March 2011
A Southern African Development
Community mini-summit in Livingstone, Zambia,
took a surprise turn on
Thursday as Zambian President Rupiah Banda warned
countries in the region
including Zimbabwe to heed the lessons of Tunisia
and Egypt and implement
democratic reforms before they too face mass
demonstrations and
uprisings.
Banda as host made his remarks in opening the meeting of the
SADC troika on
security, defense and politics called to examine the current
stage of the
crisis in Zimbabwe as well as issues in other countries in
Africa's southern
tier.
"If there is anything that we must learn from
the upheavals going on in the
northern part of our continent, it is that the
the legitimate expectations
of the citizens of our countries cannot be taken
for granted," President
Banda declared.
"We must therefore continue
at the SADC level to consolidate democracy
through the establishment of
institutions that uphold the tenets of good
governance, respect for human
rights and the rule of law," he said. ""The
issues that we will be
addressing require decisive resolutions in charting
the future of our
regional body."
In addition to Zimbabwe, Mr. Banda was referring to
Madagascar, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho and
Swaziland.
But sources said his remarks were aimed in particular at
Harare which
recently arrested 45 activists on charges they plotted
Egyptian-style
protests, and has been cracking down on the former opposition
Movement for
Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai. Sources
said SADC has become increasingly
concerned.
President Ian Khama of Botswana, one of the most outspoken
leaders in the
region on Zimbabwe, recently said Harare must not become a
permanent SADC
problem.
The SADC troika invited not only the three
principals in the Harare unity
government – President Robert Mugabe, Prime
Minister Tsvangirai and Deputy
Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, but also MDC
formation leader Welshman
Ncube. That MDC wing has challenged Mutambara's
right to his post now that
he no longer leads the party.
Sources said
late Thursday that the troika, which besides Mr. Banda includes
President
Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, took
the
decision to recognize Mutambara before the summit was convened.
Mr Zuma,
SADC's mediator in Harare, reported on progress in his mission in
Harare.
Sources said the troika criticized the crackdown on the MDC and
civic
groups.
The leaders also called for the full implementation of the 2008
Global
Political Agreement for power sharing in Harare, and said they want a
clear
road map to elections, adding that they would send monitors to
Zimbabwe for
the elections, as yet unscheduled.
President Mugabe was
said to have objected, saying Zimbabwe is a sovereign
state. But the troika
members said that because SADC like the African Union
was a guarantor of the
power-sharing arrangement following 2008 elections,
they must monitor the
next elections which many hope will yield a government
with full
powers.
Tsvangirai spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka earlier told VOA Studio 7
reporter
Blessing Zulu that Mr. Tsvangirai's main demand was for a clear
road map to
elections.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional
Coordinator Dewa Mavhinga, lobbying on
the sidelines of the mini-summit,
welcomed Mr. Banda’s remarks on reform.
http://www.timeslive.co.za
Apr 1, 2011 4:45 PM | By Sapa-AFP
A top
human rights activist has been arrested in Zimbabwe, in what Amnesty
International deplored as an attempt to silence government
critics.
Abel Chikomo, director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum, was arrested
on Wednesday and charged with failing to properly
register his organisation,
police said.
"The charges against Abel
Chikomo appear to be part of an orchestrated
strategy by the Zimbabwean
police and other state security organizations to
silence critics of their
human rights record," said Michelle Kagari,
Amnesty's deputy director for
Africa said in a statement.
"The charges against him must be dropped
immediately."
The arrest was made on the eve of a regional security
summit in neighbouring
Zambia, where African leaders demanded an end to
harassment and intimidation
in Zimbabwe, in what was seen as a rebuke to
Mugabe.
The charges against Chikomo are the latest in a growing list of
human rights
activists facing arrest and unlawful detention for their
work.
In February, 45 activists including former lawmaker Munyaradzi
Gwisai were
charged with treason for discussing mass protests in Egypt and
Tunisia.
Thirty-nine of the activists were later acquitted but the remaining
six who
were released on bail could face the death penalty if
convicted.
In Bulawayo, the leaders of the activist organization Women of
Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA), Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, have gone into
hiding
following threats of arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention.
http://www.amnestyusa.org
Friday,
April 1, 2011
Human Rights Leader Charged
as Crackdown Continues
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, strimel@aiusa.org
(New York) -- The
Zimbabwean police authorities must end the systematic
harassment and
intimidation of human rights groups, Amnesty International
said today after
the head of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum was
targeted with
politically motivated charges.
Abel Chikomo, director of the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum, on Wednesday
was charged with running an illegal
organization.
"The charges against Abel Chikomo appear to be part of an
orchestrated
strategy by the Zimbabwean police and other state security
organizations to
silence critics of their human rights record," said
Michelle Kagari, Amnesty
International’s deputy director for Africa. "The
charges against him must be
dropped immediately."
Since the beginning
of February, Chikomo has been under police investigation
and subject to
regular interrogation, mainly on his organization’s work on
transitional
justice. The police have alleged that he has been managing and
controlling
the operations of an illegal Private and Voluntary Organizations
(PVO) -
charges he denies.
Organizations registered as common law associations,
as provided for under
Section 89 of the constitution of Zimbabwe, are
supposed to be exempt from
registration under the PVO Act.
"Police
and other state security organizations in Zimbabwe are obliged to
observe
the country’s obligation to respect the rights of human rights
defenders
provided under international law," said Kagari.
The charges against
Chikomo follow a recent increase in the numbers of human
rights activists
facing arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention for
conducting their
legitimate work.
In February, 45 activists were charged with treason for
watching videos
clips of events in Egypt and Tunisia. Thirty-nine of the
activists were
later acquitted but the remaining six who were released on
bail could face
the death penalty if convicted.
In Bulawayo, the
leaders of the activist organization Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA), Jenni
Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, have been forced to go
into hiding
following threats of arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention.
Amnesty
International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist
organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers
in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The
organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the
public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and
dignity are denied.
ZLHR Press Release: High Court Judge Justice Nicholas Ndou on Thursday 31 March 2011 quashed Magistrate Gideon Ruwetsa’s ruling denying bail to Bulawayo resident Vikas Mavhudzi, who is charged with subverting a government by unconstitutional means.
Justice Ndou’s setting aside of Magistrate Ruwetsa’s ruling came after Mavhudzi’s lawyers Lizwe Jamela and Nosimilo Chanayiwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) appealed to the High Court challenging Magistrate Ruwetsa’s decision to deny Mavhudzi bail. In their application, the ZLHR lawyers argued that Magistrate Ruwetsa erred and misdirected himself when he denied bail to Mavhudzi.
Magistrate Ruwetsa had on Wednesday 16 March 2011 denied bail to the 39 year-old Magwegwe resident, who is facing charges of subverting a government by unconstitutional means over a comment he allegedly made on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s facebook page. In dismissing Mavhudzi’s bail application, Magistrate Ruwetsa said he based his decision on public security and “what happened in Egypt is a reality”.
Mavhudzi was arrested in Bulawayo last month for reportedly expressing his approval of the protests in Egypt that led to the resignation of Hosni Mubarak as president.
According to the State, on 24 February 2011, Mavhudzi “unlawfully or suggested” to Prime Minister Tsvangirai “the taking over or taking over or attempt to take over the Government by unconstitutional means or usurping the functions of the Government, that is to say he sent an e-mail to Morgan Tsvangirai saying: ‘I am overwhelmed, I don’t want to say Mr. or PM what happened in Egypt is sending shockwaves to dictators around the world. No weapon but unity of purpose worth emulating, hey’.”
HRD’s Alert
1 April 2011
Chipinge police on Friday
1 April 2011 charged Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Chipinge West Member
of Parliament Hon. Sibonile Nyamudeza with
theft for allegedly stealing some pre-cast concrete pipes belonging to the
District Development Fund (DDF).
Hon.
Nyamudeza reported to Chipinge Rural Police Station on Friday morning in the
company of his lawyer Langton Mhungu of Mhungu, Matutu, Kwirira and associates, who
is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, where he was charged by the
police for allegedly stealing some concrete pipes.
Prosecutor
Last Goredema alleged that Hon. Nyamudeza stole the pre cast
concrete pipes some time between the beginning and the end of February. Goredema
accused the Chipinge West legislator of instructing “certain” people to steal
and ferry the concrete pipes which belong to the DDF from Bangwe to Tanganda in
Chipinge without the authority of the government-run institution.
Mhungu
said his client denies the charges.
Nyamudeza
was granted $100 bail by Chipinge Magistrate Chrispen Ngweshiwa, who
ordered him to report once a week on Fridays to Chipinge Rural Police
Station.
Magistrate
Ngweshiwa also ordered the legislator to continue residing at his given address
and not to interfere with witnesses.
ENDS
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
01 April
2011
The head of the diamond trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process (KP),
has
insisted that Zimbabwe can export diamonds from the controversial
Chiadzwa
diamond fields, despite international protest over the
decision.
KP Chairman Mathieu Yamba said last month that Zimbabwe could
begin shipping
diamonds from Chiadzwa “with immediate effect,” making a
reported unilateral
decision. The decision has since been questioned by KP
members, including
Canada and the US, who called for a consensus agreement
before Zim exports
resume.
But Yamba told the Bloomberg news service
this week that the KP will not
reverse its decision, despite the objections
raised by other members. Yamba
said that a review will be conducted at
future meetings of the KP.
Exports from Zimbabwe were barred in 2009 over
human rights abuses at the
Chiadzwa fields, abuses that are reported to be
ongoing. The KP, tasked with
ending the trade in ‘blood diamonds’, has come
under pressure to ban
Zimbabwe completely from trade. The group has instead
taken a lenient
approach to dealing with the country, allowing two monitored
diamond exports
to take place last year.
This was meant to pave the
way for an agreement by all members, which would
allow full exports to
resume. But no agreement has been reached despite KP
policy dictating that
decisions must be consensual.
Meanwhile, Mines Minister Obert Mpofu has
said that Yamba’s decision proves
Zimbabwe is adhering to the rules. “We are
going ahead because we are
compliant,” Mpofu told Bloomberg.
He said
complaints by Western countries are “political games,” adding: “They
are
bent on frustrating our economic development. Zimbabwe has acted
responsibly
and will continue to act responsibly.”
http://www.voanews.com
Daily News
reporter Xolisani Ncube was reported to have been attacked last
week outside
the headquarters of the Movement for Democratic Change of Prime
Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai
Studio 7 Reporters | Washington 31 March
2011
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has welcomed the return
of
Zimbabwe's formerly banned Daily News newspaper, but expressed concern
following reports that a Daily News journalist was attacked outside the
offices of a political party.
Daily News reporter Xolisani Ncube was
reported to have been attacked last
week outside the headquarters of the
Movement for Democratic Change of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai while
conducting interviews.
Reports said Ncube was attacked by MDC supporters,
one of whom hit him in
the face, and his digital camera was
stolen.
Reporters Without Borders said the attack last week came a
fortnight after
an incident in which MDC press staff ejected freelance
journalist Nkosana
Dhlamini from a Tsvangirai news conference because his
questions were deemed
to be hostile and tilted toward the ZANU-PF party of
President Robert
Mugabe.
The group urged all parties to promote media
freedom and let journalists do
their jobs.
Deputy Chairman Njabulo
Ncube of the Media Institute of Southern Africa’s
Zimbabwe chapter told
reporter Sandra Nyaira that no party has the right to
abuse
journalists.
Elsewhere, another independent daily newspaper launched in
Harare Thursday
with the publication of a limited edition of the Mail. Daily
publication
will begin next week.
Mail Editor Barnabas Thondlana told
VOA Studio 7 reporter Ntungamili Nkomo
that his newspaper is owned by a
consortium of businessmen, and promised
that his publication will report
news that Zimbabweans want to read about.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Chief Reporter
Friday, 01
April 2011 11:30
HARARE - The recently relaunched Daily News has been
hit with a US$60,000
damages claim by the man who banned the newspaper seven
years ago.
Zanu PF Politburo member Prof Jonathan Moyo has filed the suit
against the
paper demanding that the paper immediately stops publishing his
archived
content that is scathing in its criticism of President Mugabe and
Zanu PF
ostensibly because the paper does not have his
authorization.
Although the publication mentioned that the the articles are
publicly
available on his blog prof-jonathan-moyo.com, it is very possible
to sue the
Daily News under the Copyright and Neighbouring Act if the paper
doesn't
take any action to stop, legal experts say.
Moyo's suit cites the
Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, the publishers of
the Daily News, as the
first respondent, and managing editor John Gambanga
as the second
respondent, in a move media observers say is the latest
attempt to gag the
paper.
"The offending works are a reproduction of the original works (or
substantial part thereof.)," says Moyo's suit. "Further, the second
defendant has caused the first defendant tyo sell or by way of trade offer
or expose for sale or distribute in Zimbabwe copies of the offending works
to such an extent that the plaintiff is prejudicially affecvted," Moyo says
throuigh his lawyers Hussein Ranchod and Co.
Gambanga said the ANZ will
"defend the matter." Moyo accuses the Daily News
of violating copyright
laws by giving its
readers access to archived newspaper articles which the
papers themselves
would now charge people to read, and wants "all copies of
the works in the
defendant's possession returned."
http://www.ohio.com/
Published on Thursday Mar 31,
2011
Ohio's Case Western Reserve University is awarding its annual
$25,000 ethics
prize to a prominent human rights attorney who defends jailed
journalists in
Zimbabwe.
The university said Thursday that Beatrice
Mtetwa (meh-TAH'-bwah) will be
honored with its 2011 Inamori Ethics Prize in
September on the Cleveland
campus.
The award honors outstanding
international ethical leaders. Past winners
include Ireland's first female
president, Mary Robinson.
The Committee to Protect Journalists presented
Mtetwa with its International
Press Freedom Award in 2008 for aiding
journalists jailed or threatened by
the government of President Robert
Mugabe.
Zimbabwean journalists have faced arrest and harassment for the
past decade.
Western critics and political rivals have complained about
Mugabe's
authoritarian rule. Mugabe's party and state media have mounted a
campaign
to discredit them.
http://www.fpif.org
Foreign Policy in
Focus blog
By Michael Busch, April 1, 2011
Mugabe Jintao(Pictured:
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and China's
President Hu
Jintao.)
In what has to be one of the largest protection money payouts
ever recorded,
the Chinese government announced last week that it had agreed
to loan
Zimbabwe $700 million in desperately needed funds. Of course, the
Chinese
did not frame their offer as anything other than humanitarian,
announcing
that the loan would be used for investment in the agricultural,
health and
water sewage sectors. But amidst President Robert Mugabe’s demand
that all
foreign-owned mining ventures sell majority holdings to black
Zimbabweans,
the meaning of the money was clear. Vice Premier Wang Qishan,
visiting
Harare last week to announce the agreement, was unambiguous about
the
expected return on the loan, stating flatly that he “hope[d] Zimbabwe
will
protect the legitimate right of Chinese businesses in the
country.”
Mugabe is likely to respect Beijing’s wishes. China’s largesse
was timed
perfectly with a particularly acute moment of crisis in Zimbabwe
where
political turbulence is quickly being overshadowed by the increasing
threat
of food shortages in the country. The country’s agricultural
minister,
Joseph Made, announced this week that six of the country’s ten
provinces are
currently facing severe food shortages. The country claims to
have enough
food to stem the threat of widespread hunger but not the
resources to cover
transport and distribution costs. The UN has requested
nearly half a billion
dollars in emergency aid to help aid efforts, but Made
managed to soil the
offer by announcing he would refuse to allow the
UN-affiliated agencies into
the country to assess Zimbabwe’s needs in the
name of national security. The
reason? “We don’t want to have politics in
food,” Made argued. The country’s
food czar quickly performed a rhetorical
about-face, however, claiming that
he had been misrepresented in response to
critics’ contentions that the only
person salting the country’s food with
politics was the agricultural
minister himself. But given the current
circumstances, this may be the least
of his problems.
The looming
threat of mass starvation couldn’t come at a worse moment. As
nationwide
elections approach, steadily mounting political tensions between
Mugabe and
opposition prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai threaten to collapse
the unity
government that has been precariously in place since 2008. In
recent weeks,
Mugabe has ordered an end to MDC protests, jailed one of the
prime
minister’s closest allies, and has threatened to arrest Tsvangirai
himself.
But the prime minister has more than just Mugabe to contend with.
The MDC
leader must also keep his own party from splitting apart at the
seams. A
breakaway faction lead by Welshman Ncube has been flexing its
muscles of
late, refusing to come under the discipline of the party’s high
command.
Ncube claims he was blocked from a top parliamentary
position by a
Mugabe-Tsvangirai tag-team effort, and that his faction will
no longer
follow the party line at a critical moment when the MDC needs all
the help
it can get. Complicating matters further, Ncube’s son is married to
the
daughter of chief peace negotiator and president of South Africa, Jacob
Zuma, who dispatched his team to Harare to help find ways to keep the
peace.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s food security forecast is bleak. After a
brutal
drought last month, crop yields are expected to be virtually
nonexistent
throughout much of the country over the coming months which will
almost
certainly prompt an accompanying spike in food prices
nationwide.
The shortages are nothing new in Zimbabwe, which has suffered
through a
decade of Mugabe’s failed land reform policies on the one hand,
and Western
sanctions targeting the regime’s dismal human rights record on
the other.
But this year looks to be especially bad, which makes China’s
timing all the
more remarkable.
Last month, the Chinese boldly
offered Mugabe $3 billion for complete
control over the country’s platinum
reserves and a share of its lucrative
diamond mining sector. By most
accounts, Mugabe was ready to seize on the
deal, but was rebuffed by
opposition members of his coalition government who
pointed out China’s
opportunistic attempt at a wholesale land grab. Public
outrage followed,
and for good reason. Conservative estimates of Zimbabwe’s
platinum reserves
value them at between $30 and $40 billion, nearly ten
times greater than
what the Chinese offered.
Since then, China has ordered a public
relations full-court press to contain
resentment of their presence in
Zimbabwe. Immediately before Vice Premier
Wang landed in Harare, the Chinese
government dispatched a small army of eye
surgeons to the country to perform
free cataract removal for hundreds of
poor Zimbabweans. These complimentary
procedures were the first in what the
Chinese government promises will be a
series of missions to cure the entire
population of reversible blindness.
Not only that, China has underscored its
commitment to help Mugabe’s
coalition government battle western sanctions,
and most recently extended
the landmark $700 million loans for agricultural
revitalization.
Their efforts have already paid off. On Sunday,
Mugabe announced that he was
aggressively moving ahead with his plan to
force all foreign-owned mining
firms to sell majority stakes to local
investors. Mugabe made clear that
foreign-held mining corporations have
until May 9 to outline plans for
turning over majority control to Zimbabwean
financiers, and six months to
finalize indigenization of the country’s
mining sector, or face unspecified
penalties. All corporations, that is,
except for those owned by China.
According to the Wall Street Journal,
“Chinese companies, including those
mining diamonds in Marange, will be
exempt from indigenization regulations
because they are carrying out
‘national projects,’ said Indigenization and
Empowerment Minister Savior
Kasukuwere.”
If this defense for exempting Chinese multinationals from
national policy
sounds fishy, that’s because in all likelihood it is. The
irony, of course,
is that while the indigenization scheme is designed to
decisively erase the
last vestiges of western colonialism’s legacy in
Zimbabwe, Mugabe is
potentially opening the door to the next generation of
foreign domination.
Only this time, instead of Europe maintaining the upper
hand, Zimbabwe’s
economic dependency will be hitched to the growing power of
Beijing and a
new era of imperialism—with Chinese characteristics.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
01 April, 2011
The looting of Zimbabwean companies
continued this week after it was
reported that a local consortium, led by
Leo Mugabe, was set to acquire
majority shares in the mobile giant
Telecel.
Leo Mugabe has connections at the very top of government, being
Robert
Mugabe’s nephew. He is known to have used that status to build a huge
business empire and has been after the Telecel shares for some
time.
Reports said 60 percent of the shares are owned by the Egyptian
firm Telecel
Globe. The company had allegedly “agreed” to reduce their stake
to 49
percent by selling shares to the Zimbabwe Wealth Creation and
Empowerment
Council, run by Leo Mugabe.
This Council boasts several
organizations affiliated with ZANU PF, including
the notorious war vets who
spearheaded farm invasions and the Affirmative
Action Group at the forefront
of indigenization. They reportedly pressured
Telecel to sell the shares,
claiming they lost shares through “trickery”
when the company was
formed.
The news comes in the same week that the Finance Ministry hosted
another
economic conference in Harare, in an attempt to encourage more
business
activity in the country.
Economic analysts have said ZANU
PF’s policies are driving away all
investment.
Reuters
April 1,
2011
By Cris Chinaka
HARARE, April 1 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe's security
officials have cancelled several
opposition rallies and detained some rival
figures, heightening political
tension ahead of a possible general election
this year.
Divisions
between coalition partners Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai have
widened after a minister from Mugabe's ZANU-PF party
published regulations
giving an ultimatum to foreign-owned mines to cede
majority control to
locals by September this year.
Mugabe has also threatened to pull out of
the writing of a new constitution
seen as vital for free elections, while
accusing his coalition partners of
delays to avoid the
polls.
Tsvangirai has has responded with an appeal to regional leaders to
persuade
Mugabe to allow for wide democratic reforms before elections, but
political
analysts believe he will only concede ground if there is threat of
regional
isolation.
In an unfolding turf war, Tsvangirai's Movement
for Democratic Change party
(MDC) and ZANU-PF supporters have clashed with
clubs and bare hands in a
spate of violence in some districts, including
townships in the capital
Harare.
Mugabe, forced into a unity
government with Tsvangirai after a disputed
election in 2008 marred by
violence, is pushing for presidential and
parliamentary elections this year,
two years ahead of schedule.
Tsvangirai, who once backed an early
election, now says conditions are not
conducive for a free vote, and
threatened to boycott polls if they are
called for this
year.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Pro-Mugabe heavies -- led by veterans of
Zimbabwe's 1970s independence war
and ZANU-PF youth brigades -- have stepped
up countrywide campaigns,
sparking turf wars with MDC supporters.
The
rivals blame each other for the violence and Tsvangirai says he fears a
bloodbath before the next poll.
Violence in the last elections caused
thousands to flee to neighbouring
South Africa, leading to a migrant crisis
Pretoria is still trying to sort
out.
Attempts by backbenchers in
parliament across the political divide to resist
an early election appear to
have failed.
But Tsvangirai's MDC and a smaller MDC faction, which is
also in the unity
government, hope to lobby leaders in the Southern African
Development
Community to pressure Mugabe.
What to watch?
- An
increase in political violence which could force ordinary people to
flee and
ZANU-PF security organs to crack down on opponents. A number of MDC
legislators have been arrested on charges of fanning violence.
-
Arrests of activists and journalists suggesting Egyptian-style anti-Mugabe
protests. Zimbabwe's tight security laws have sweeping provisions against
anything that could be viewed as inciting violence or rebellion.
-
Reactions from influential regional leaders, especially South African
President Jacob Zuma, who is the region's mediator in the Zimbabwe political
crisis.
CRACKDOWN ON CRITICS
Security officials have arrested
dozens of political activists accused of
plotting anti-government protests
against Mugabe, who has been in power for
31 years, similar to those that
toppled long-standing leaders in Egypt and
Tunisia.
Most have been
freed by the courts, but five are still awaiting trial on
treason
charges.
Police have also arrested a senior Tsvangirai ally, Energy and
Power
Development Minister Elton Mangoma, on corruption charges, and several
MDC
legislators for political violence in what the party sees as selective
prosecution. Mugabe's ZANU-PF has previously threatened to expel foreign
diplomats and ban non-governmental organisations "meddling, and interfering
in Zimbabwe's internal political affairs".
Analysts say while
Tsvangirai and his lieutenants have legitimate complaints
against Mugabe
over outstanding reforms, there is growing frustration among
his supporters
that he is being outwitted by Mugabe, a cunning political
veteran.
Attorney-General Johannes Tomana has ordered a probe against
Tsvangirai over
State Department cables released by WikiLeaks about his
briefings with U.S.
ambassador Charles Ray.
According to another
confidential U.S. cable dated October 2009 on
WikiLeaks, a senior MDC
official suggested the United States should
contribute to a fund to buy off
security service chiefs to achieve regime
change in Zimbabwe.
What to
watch:
- Any moves against foreign-funded civic organisations involved in
election
education and monitoring work.
- How Mugabe uses WikiLeaks
to pressure Tsvangirai.
ANTI-SANCTIONS CAMPAIGN
ZANU-PF has
launched a campaign for more than 2 million signatures for a
petition
against the travel and financial sanctions it says have ruined
Zimbabwe's
economy.
The MDC is in a quandary because it is bound to support the
power-sharing
government but does not believe ZANU-PF has reformed enough
for the embargo
to be lifted.
What to watch:
- How the MDC
responds to the anti-sanctions drive which ZANU-PF is sure to
use as part of
an election campaign.
NATIONALISATION
Mugabe has turned the heat
on foreign-owned mines after the government gave
the firms 45 days to submit
plans on how they plan to transfer majority
stakes to locals within six
months.
Mugabe signed an Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act in
2008, which
forces foreign-owned companies worth over $500,000 to achieve at
least 51
percent black ownership within five years.
But there are
sharp differences on the policy which the MDC says could hurt
economic
recovery efforts.
Mugabe has warned ZANU-PF will nationalise firms from
countries that have
imposed sanctions, arguing they cannot operate freely
while Western powers
punish his party further worrying investors interested
in the resource rich
country.
What to watch:
- How mining
companies will react to the short timeline set by the
government and impact
on new investment in the sector.
- Establishment of an anti-sanctions
fund and a plan requiring executives to
declare their positions on
sanctions.
CONSTITUTION
Although a multi-party parliamentary
committee leading a constitutional
review process says it will respect the
wishes of ordinary Zimbabweans, the
final charter is likely to be a
compromise between ZANU-PF and the MDC who
both lack a two-thirds majority
in parliament needed to pass the new supreme
law on their own.
A
referendum on a version in which there is no agreement between the two
parties could lead to violence.
Tsvangirai says Mugabe has used war
veterans, youth brigades and security
forces to whip up support in the
countryside, which allowed ZANU-PF to
dominate public debate on the new
charter.
ZANU-PF denies the charge and says Tsvangirai is already
preparing an excuse
for his party's defeat.
What to watch:
-
Compromise deal. Many Zimbabweans hope a new charter, replacing the
pre-independence document, will strengthen the role of parliament, curtail
presidential powers and guarantee civil, political and media liberties.
http://ipsnews.net
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Mar 31, 2011 (IPS) -
Zimbabwe's veteran women
politicians fear there are no younger women coming
up through the ranks to
replace them. Measures to improve women's
representation have achieved
little and young women are absent from the
traditional entry points into
politics.
Tabitha Khumalo, deputy
national spokesperson for Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai’s Movement for
Democratic Change party (MDC-T) says there has not
been much effort in any
of the country's political parties to encourage and
support women in
politics. Khumalo, who was a constitutional reform team
leader for the
MDC-T, says the drawn-out process of drafting a new
constitution including
nation-wide consultations with the public represents
a missed
opportunity.
"I am disappointed with the lack of capacitation of women
during this
(constitutional reform) exercise," she told IPS. "Political
parties merely
concentrated on proportional representation but neglected to
say whether
this would be by merit. It is not enough to say women must be
allocated
equal slots as men and end there," she said.
The veteran
politician says there are a few powerful and active women in
Zimbabwe's
politics. "We have a handful of women like Gladys Dube, for
example, who
have made their mark to change the colour of both the writing
of the
constitution and local politics. But it is always the same women
being
called upon to wear different hats. So what happens when we grow old
and
there are no younger women to take over from us?" asks Khumalo.
(Dube is
the MDC-T Senator for Mabutweni, a poor working class suburb in
Bulawayo and
is also the deputy chair of the Constitution Select Committee.)
But she she
does not see many women working their way up through the
structures of
political parties today.
"Some of us are from the labour movement, and
ours is a road less travelled
by women," she said. "We have been arrested
and getting here has been no
easy walk. I believe we still need to have more
active involvement for women
in national politics despite the obvious
challenges."
Khumalo says there hasn’t been any emphasis on recruiting
young
university-educated women into the political ranks, which has meant
there is
no continuity in grooming more women into Zimbabwe’s political
movement.
These views are echoed by Sylvia Chiume, a gender expert and
academic who
says the nature and history of local politics has not
encouraged young women
to follow that path.
"It can be seen even with
student activism at tertiary colleges. Not many
girls take up the gauntlet
and it is known that politicians in Zimbabwe cut
their teeth at university
campuses fighting for students’ rights," Chiume
said. (END)
Embassy of the United
States of America
Public Affairs
Section
April 1st
2011
Key Highlights:
·
The United States has been proud to stand with our
NATO, Arab, and European partners. We’ve been responding to the
appeals of the Libyan people and to the Arab League’s call for urgent
action.
·
The United States
Government is truly honored to be associated with Africa University, an
academic institution clearly dedicated to improving the quality of life by
promoting peace and prosperity for the peoples of Africa. The university held
the 10th Anniversary
Celebrations for the Jokomo Yamada Library on Thursday 31 March 2011 at its
campus in Mutare, Zimbabwe.
· A cool
drink on a hot day is one of life’s joys. But when freshwater grows scarce, that
simple pleasure becomes a source of conflict, says
Ambassador Charles Ray in a recent oped published in a local
daily.
· We captured Ambassador Ray’s
public lecture on video last week, at
the Women’s University in Africa featuring
inquiries (some cheeky) from his audience
including the issue of visas to the United States for Zimbabwean women,
U.S. policy regarding Libya, and the various programs by the U.S. to support
women in Zimbabwe
·
Website
Decommissioning ---www.america.gov is being decommissioned on March 31,
2011, and will be available only as an archive site. Information on U.S. foreign
policy and national interests will be available through http://harare.usembassy.gov or www.state.gov
On
Our Calendar:
·
Food for Thought at
our Eastgate auditorium: On April 5 at 3 pm: Dr. Grace-Mae Taruvinga of the Leadership Agenda
will talk about “Hope for Zimbabwe: Outlining Transformational Strategies for
Development.”
·
National
Library Week (April 11-15), Earth Day (April 22), and Jazz Appreciation
Month
·
The United States
Achievers Program (USAP) assists disadvantaged Zimbabwean A level students
negotiate the application process for college and university scholarships in the
U.S. The deadline for applications for the next cohort/ class is April 16, 2011.
All the details you may need are available
here.
Andrew Posner, Acting Public Affairs
Officer, U.S. Embassy, Harare
Follow us on
Twitter
Join our Facebook page
http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com
1st
Apr 2011 15:03 GMT
By a Correspondent
MISA-Zimbabwe today launched
the memoirs of veteran Zimbabwean journalist
Bill Saidi as captured in his
publication, A Sort of Life in Journalism, at
a ceremony attended by
luminaries of Zimbabwean journalism.
The book which was written under
MISA-Zimbabwe’s Journalist-in-Residence
project, captures the escapades and
experiences of the veteran journalist in
a career spanning more than 50
years dating back to 1957 when he first cut
his teeth in the journalism
profession.
Veteran journalist Bornwell Chakaodza, who was the guest
speaker said of
the book which he also edited and proof-read:
“One
of the most provocative and potentially important books on journalism
to
appear in some time in this part of the world. After reading this book,
it
is hard not to feel hopeful about the power and ability that each
individual
journalist has to make an imprint.
“Sometimes funny, at times serious,
his descriptions of people and events
can be completely hilarious. Bright
and fascinating, Bill parades some of
the figures he reported on
entertainingly and with a spice of mischief! You
could hear the crushing of
egos!
“This book written by Bill is the work of a newspaperman, not a
university
scholar – simply and beautifully written, the power of words, the
sheer
vigour and expressiveness of writing, is out of this
world!”
Chakaodza lamented the reluctance by Zimbabwean journalists to
write their
own memoirs despite spending time reporting on other people
including
politicians who then go on to write their own experiences based on
the work
of journalists.
“We (journalists) must appreciate the fact
that things exist in their own
time. We need to write our own experiences
and from our own perspectives
rather than letting other people do these
things for us.,” he said.
MISA-Zimbabwe Chairperson Loughty Dube
concurred with Chakaodza noting that
the country’s contemporary history-
from a journalistic perspective- has
over the years been written and
projected through the pens and lens of
foreign journalists that have lived
and worked in Zimbabwe.
“We as Zimbabweans and more so as journalists,
should be the chroniclers and
writers of own history. We should therefore
take the lead and be the
reference and entry points for historians,” said
Dube.
He said it was against the background of the existence of the
knowledge gap
within the media and the public at large that MISA-Zimbabwe
decided on the
Journalist-in-Residence project as part of efforts to
encourage journalists
to write their own memoirs.
“The narratives of
the experiences of journalists remain imperative to
foster media freedom
that is cognisant of both history and its impact on
the present and future,”
said Dube.
The Journalist-in-Residence project is designed to among other
considerations, encourage senior Zimbabwean journalists to share their
experiences with fellow professionals and members of the public through the
writing of memoirs, blog posts and lectures as well as mentoring upcoming
journalists.
The first phase of the programme was launched last year
and drew on the
expertise and experiences of Bill Saidi as the inaugural
MISA-Zimbabwe
Journalist-in-Residence Fellow. During his fellowship stint,
Saidi
conducted journalism lectures throughout the country and also found
time to
write his memoirs culminating in tonight’s launch
ceremony.
The second phase of the project is already underway following
the engagement
of veteran journalist Grace Mutandwa to follow in Bill’s
footsteps.
Harare, March 28, 2011: The United States Embassy’s Public
Affairs Section is inviting academically
qualified and motivated, low-income, Upper Sixth “A” level students in Zimbabwe
to join the United States Student Achievers Program (USAP) to apply for
consideration for its 12th cohort. The successful USAP students work
with Education USA Advising Centers in Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo during the
course of the 2011 and 2012 to secure places and financial assistance to begin
study in the U.S. in August 2012.
Application forms are
available online at http://www.usapglobal.org/usap-application-forms.htm and through the Education USA Advising Centers
at the Bulawayo Public Library, Gweru Memorial Library, Turner Memorial Library
in Mutare and the US Embassy’s EducationUSA Advising Center on the
7th Floor of the Goldbridge in Eastgate in Harare. Forms should reach
any of these offices by April 15, 2011.
USAP assists highly-talented and determined,
economically-disadvantaged Advanced Level
students to negotiate and finance the admissions process for colleges and
universities in the United States with the aim of producing
highly-skilled and widely-educated leaders to build tomorrow’s Zimbabwe. More
than 250 Zimbabwean students have studied in the U.S. on full scholarships
through USAP. This year’s acceptances include USAP students who have been
offered funding to attend Columbia, Davidson, Harvard, Mt Holyoke, MIT, Smith,
University of Pennsylvania, Williams and Yale.
USAP works closely with students through regularly scheduled meetings and
seminars to assist them throughout the application process to secure admission
and scholarships for colleges and universities in the United States. USAP
finances all costs of the application process, including registration fees for
required standardized examinations and provides free membership to the Education
USA Advising Center.
“We expect a sincere commitment of students to
give back their energy and time to the program and to their communities and to apply themselves to the
intensive US university application process. We are committed to helping them
at all stages with the hope of nurturing a cohort of dynamic, open-minded and
highly-educated future leaders for Zimbabwe,” said Rebecca Zeigler Mano,
EducationUSA Advisor.
She said that USAP welcomes Upper Sixth students from all
parts of the country and all types of high schools as long as they fulfill the
USAP criteria of academic talent, demonstrated leadership potential, the ethos
of giving back to community and economic disadvantage. Students who will write
either ZIMSEC or Cambridge "A" level examinations in November 2011 are eligible.
In addition to financial need, students must demonstrate exceptional academic
achievement and be actively involved in co
-curricular, leadership and community activities. For more information on the
program and the success of its participants, please see www.usapglobal.org
# # #
Issued by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section, Harare.
Inquiries should be directed to Andrew Posner, Acting Public Affairs Officer, hararepas@state.gov, URL: http://harare.usembassy.gov
BILL WATCH
13/2011
[31st March 2011]
The House of Assembly has adjourned to Tuesday 5th
April
The Senate has adjourned to 10th May
MDC-T’s
Lovemore Moyo Elected as Speaker [Again]
Proceedings commenced at 3 pm on 29th March, less than 24 hours after
the official announcement of the date and time of the election. The
announcement had been preceded by days of secrecy on the part of Parliament over
what was happening, which seemed uncalled for about an event of such national
interest.
Results of
the vote were
announced by the Clerk of Parliament shortly after 6.30 pm, as
follows:
Lovemore
Moyo [MDC-T]: 105
Simon
Khaya Moyo [ZANU-PF]: 93
Spoilt
ballot paper: 1
Events in
the House Before the Poll
·
Lovemore Moyo
ejected by the Clerk of
Parliament, Austin Zvoma, on the basis that he was not a Member of Parliament,
whereupon MDC MPs objected to the presence in the House of Vice President John
Nkomo. The Clerk said he would not allow
any questions or challenges.
·
Vice President John
Nkomo and Oppah Muchinguri sworn in as members of the House by the Clerk. This gave ZANU-PF two more votes. [Note: Oppah Muchinguri was last week
nominated to fill a non-constituency seat that had been vacant for over two
years. Mr Nkomo’s swearing-in came as a
surprise [for detailed comment see below], but the Clerk ignored objections from
the MDC MPs.]
·
The Clerk addressed
MPs,
explaining the background of why there was a new election for Speaker, saying
that the President had fixed Tuesday 29th
March at 3.00 o'clock as the date and time for the election [see comment
below] and laying down new ground rules for the election, taking into
account the Supreme Court’s judgment.
·
Nomination of
Candidates
Mr Simon Khaya Moyo –
ZANU-PF [nominated by Lawrence Mavima, seconded by Joram
Gumbo]
Mr Lovemore Moyo –
MDC-T [nominated by Tendai Biti, seconded by Murisi
Zwizwai]
Mr Jonathan Moyo –
ZANU-PF [nominated by Tongai Matutu, seconded by Amos Chibaya of MDC-T], but Mr
Moyo promptly declined.
·
Speeches for
Candidates
Lawrence Mavima spoke
urging members to vote for ZANU-PF candidate Simon Khaya
Moyo.
Tendai Biti then
spoke in support of MDC-T candidate Lovemore Moyo.
He prefaced his statement with scathing remarks especially about the
manner in which the Clerk had handled the whole issue since the Supreme Court
decision, and also mentioned that some members of his party had been approached
with bribes by ZANU-PF MPs, to vote for
ZANU-PF. The Clerk said such remarks would
not be recorded, and they do not appear in the official Hansard report of yesterday’s
proceedings [see comment below].
Voting
Statistics
199
members were present to take
part in the poll out of a possible 203 eligible members of the House [members
had to be present to vote].
Possible Actual
ZANU-PF 98 [including Nkomo and Muchinguri ]
96
MDC-T 97 [after exclusion of Lovemore Moyo] 96
MDC
8
7
These
figures prompt the conclusion that 3 ZANU-PF members voted for Lovemore Moyo
[see comment below].
Absent
Members [4]
ZANU-PF Neddie Masukume
[ill] and Cephas Sindi
MDC-T Elton Mangoma [in
remand prison – the State had that morning thwarted his release on bail by
notifying its intention to appeal against the bail order under section 121 of
the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act]
MDC Edward Mkhosi
[ill]
Mr Speaker Moyo’s Acceptance Speech
In a short speech to the assembled MPs after the result had been
announced, Mr Moyo thanked members across party lines for showing confidence in
his leadership. He said that his re-election gave all MPs an opportunity to
continue work to democratise, modernise and strengthen the House of Assembly’s
portfolio committee system, and mentioned the need to ensure that Parliament
takes up its position in the regional and international family of Parliamentary
diplomacy. He also managed to work in an oblique comment on his removal from office by
the Supreme Court: “Moving
forward from here, I think there is need for the nation to open a broad debate
on the meaning of the doctrine of separation of powers between the three arms of
the State with a view to strengthening our institutions and defending their
operational autonomy for the good governance of our country. It is healthy for
our country to have these debates on this and many other questions that remain
unanswered and that prevent the emergence of a strong sense of
nationhood.”
Comments on the
Election
John
Nkomo’s Membership of House of Assembly Until
Tuesday Vice-President John Nkomo was regarded as an appointed Senator, having
been appointed by President Mugabe in August 2008. He continued to be listed as
such by Parliament in Hansard after his appointment as Vice-President in
December 2009. His swearing-in as an ex officio member of the House of Assembly
is questionably based on what Article 20.1.8 of the GPA says about the
consequences of appointing a Vice-President: “Persons appointed to
the posts of Vice-President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister and who
are not already Members of Parliament, become ex officio members of the House of
Assembly. Should persons so appointed be already members of Parliament, then
the Party of which that person is a member or nominee shall have the right to
nominate a non-constituency member of the relevant House.” But, Mr Nkomo
was already a member of Parliament [as an appointed member of the Senate]
when he was appointed Vice-President. That being so, the first sentence of the
Article does not apply to him and he did not become an ex officio
member of the House of Assembly. He remained an appointed Senator, and in terms
of the second sentence of Article 20.1.8, ZANU-PF had the right to
nominate a non-constituency Senator – which it did last week by nominating
Rugare Gumbo. If his party had wanted Mr Nkomo to sit in the House of Assembly,
he should have resigned his Senate seat to entitle him to a lower house seat
under the GPA.
Omissions from
Hansard report
The
omission from the Hansard report, by direction of the Clerk, of certain things
that were said during Tuesday’s proceedings is surprising and a cause for
concern. Hansard is supposed to be an authoritative and complete
verbatim record of what is said in the two Houses of Parliament. This may cause
an unfortunate precedent and result in lack of transparency in the business of
Parliament.
President’s Role in
Timing of the Election Neither the
Constitution nor Standing Orders authorize the President to fix the date and
time of a Speakers election during the life of a Parliament. As events turned
out, his intervention did not prejudice the
MDC-T candidate, but again it is a bad precedent, as timing could favour the
preparations of one party.
Ballot-Papers Must Be
Kept Secret After the Election There have been
reports of a ZANU-PF witch-hunt to identify the party members who voted for
Lovemore Moyo. It is axiomatic that in a secret ballot the completed ballot
papers remain secret – so the Clerk of Parliament cannot allow anyone to have
access to the ballot papers in an effort to trace how individual members voted.
In any event the ballot papers were not numbered, so cannot be traced to
particular voters.
MDC-T
Case against Clerk of Parliament Withdrawn
The
MDC-T legal case challenging the Clerk of Parliament’s handling of the run-up to
the Speaker’s election came before Justice Hlatshwayo on Wednesday 30th March,
the day after the election. The upshot of the hearing before the judge was that
MDC-T withdrew the case, which had been rendered academic and not urgent by the
holding of the election the previous day. The judge will decide who should pay
the costs of the case in due course, after receiving written submissions from
both parties.
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot
take legal responsibility for information supplied