• Urgent, New Proposed Increases by City of Harare
• JAG Open Letters Forum No. 197
• We'll overcome woes and build a rival world power, Mugabe tells Zimbabwe
• Protests WOZA 3 Dec and Johannesburg, South Africa 5 Dec
• Women injured in Zim protest
• Enos Nkala on ZanuPF
• DA calls for 'Road Map to Democracy in Zimbabwe'
• Absent Mugabe set to overshadow Commonwealth summit in Abuja
• Wait for outcome of Zim court case: Mbeki
• Report Back - David Coltart
• CHRA Harare Budget Public Meeting
• Zimbabwe oppostion to accelerate resistance
• Oil Companies Start Using Noczim Pipeline
• The full text of Mugabe's speech
• 'African leaders must unite to boot Mugabe'
• Zimbabweans to blame for crime, says Botswana
• Doctors reject 200 percent salary hike
• SACP to focus on Zim workers
• Zambia bids to end Zimbabwe Commonwealth sanctions
• Foreign funds provides some good news for health sector
• Cholera outbreaks a serious threat
• Australia hopes Zimbabwe will not derail Commonwealth
• SA solicits MDC's views

Harare - At least five women were injured and 10 arrested when Zimbabwe
police broke up a demonstration against food shortages in the second largest
city, Bulawayo, an activist claimed on Wednesday.

Magodonga Mahlangu of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) said from the
southwestern city that riot police arrested them after they marched through
the city making "a lot of noise, beating pots and waving placards".

The demonstration, which she said had the support of around 200 women, had
been called to protest against "high prices of food and shortages that are
leading us into starvation", according to a Woza statement.

Perpetua Dube, a lawyer for the women's group, confirmed the arrests. She
said the women were "being held at various police stations" around Bulawayo.

But police denied that there had been any demonstrations in Bulawayo.

"It's a lie. There were no demonstrations," police spokesperson Smile Dube
said.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of severe food shortages threatening around half of
the country's 11.6 million people. Even people with jobs struggle to make
ends meet with hyper-inflation, currently at more than 500%, eroding wages.

In October Bulawayo health officials reported that 43 people, mostly
children, had died of malnutrition in the city in the previous two months.

Mahlangu said on Wednesday the demonstrators had been able to march for
around 5km to central Bulawayo before three truckloads of riot police broke
up the demonstration.

"I've got five injured (protesters) who were beaten by the riot police," she
said.

The march by the women comes around two weeks after the country's main
labour body called for countrywide street demonstrations to protest high
taxes and economic hardships.

More than 100 activists, including labour leaders, were arrested during
those demonstrations, which were also broken up by police.

      Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe will instead be presiding from
tomorrow over a conference of his ruling party.

      Observers are looking for a sign of when and in what circumstances the
ageing president might stand aside for a transitional government to take
Zimbabwe out of its spiralling economic and political crisis and end its
international banishment.

      Commonwealth members have argued bitterly up to the last moment about
whether Mr Mugabe should be allowed to join their meeting.

      A Commonwealth panel ordered Zimbabwe's suspension from the
organisation's ministerial councils, initially for a 12-month period, after
Mr Mugabe's disputed re-election in March last year. The measure was
extended to enable the full Commonwealth to decide this month what to do
with its most troublesome member.

      African members, less critical about the elections than observer teams
from outside the continent, have been loath to ostracise Mr Mugabe or
question his government's expropriation of white-owned farms, which has
crippled the export economy.

      The issue has driven a wedge between Zimbabwe's African neighbours and
the "old" or "white" Commonwealth - Britain, Australia, New Zealand and
Canada. It threatens to undermine the role that the Commonwealth - a
voluntary, non-treaty organisation made up mostly of former British
colonies - seeks to play as a bridge between north and south.

      Only two weeks ago, Mr Mugabe was teasingly saying how he looked
forward to the summit. Yesterday he railed against what he called "the
Anglo-Saxon unholy alliance", in a state of the nation address to the
Zimbabwe parliament.

      His presence would almost certainly have forced Tony Blair, UK prime
minister, and other leaders to cancel their attendance, and would have
created a quandary for Queen Elizabeth II, due to open the meeting in her
capacity as titular head of the organisation.

      Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has been gaining credit as
a regional peacemaker and wants a successful meeting, said emphatically last
week that Mr Mugabe was not invited. Piqued, Mr Mugabe said Zimbabawe might
"say goodbye to the Commonwealth" and tried to rally others to stay away in
protest. But Commonwealth officials said there were no signs of a boycott,
with some of Mr Mugabe's sympathisers - such as Namibia's President Sam
Nujoma - already in Nigeria.

      Don McKinnon, the organisation's secretary-general, is working towards
a compromise, which would involve setting up a mechanism to review
Zimbabwe's case. The New Zealander's own position, as he seeks reappointment
for a second four-year term, is being contested, largely as a result of his
handling of the issue.

      This is the second Commonwealth leaders' meeting to be held in
Nigeria - both dominated by Zimbabwe. The first, in 1966, was called to
discuss how to deal with Ian Smith's minority white regime, after its
unilateral declaration of independence in what was then Rhodesia. Zimbabwe
joined the Commonwealth when white rule ended and Mr Mugabe came to power,
in 1980.

      Many of the Commonwealth's 19 African members view Mr Mugabe's regime
as embarrassing, as well as damaging to investment in the continent.

      But even the most critical governments, such as Kenya's, are unwilling
to take a public stance against another African state.

      On the three-member panel responsible for looking into Zimbabwe's
case, John Howard, the Australian prime minister, has been in a lengthy
stand-off with two African presidents: Nigeria's Mr Obasanjo and South
Africa's Thabo Mbeki.

      South Africa, which has been facilitating low-level contacts between
government and opposition parties in Zimbabwe, is hoping to ensure enough
progress towards a transitional arrangement to justify ending the country's
exclusion at the Abuja meeting.

      Apparently convinced that Mr Mugabe has already decided to stand down,
Mr Mbeki has confidently predicted a settlement by the middle of next year.

      South African officials argue that attempts to isolate Mr Mugabe have
failed to achieve anything.

      In the Commonwealth, the issue has become entangled with that of
Pakistan, which is also seeking an end to its suspension, decreed after
General Pervez Musharraf's 1999 military coup.

      "We expect them to lift it. The reasons for which we were suspended
are not there any more," said a Pakistani diplomat, citing the country's
move back towards civilian government with last year's parliamentary
elections.

      But African members say the Commonwealth would be practising double
standards by approving a military ruler.

      Nigeria, the host, was readmitted four years ago only after President
Obasanjo, himself a former military dictator, was elected to power as a
civilian.

Combined Harare Residents Association is holding a public meeting on the
proposed
HARARE MUNICIPAL BUDGET
tomorrow Thursday 4 December
5.00 - 8.00 pm

The Herald (Harare)

December 3, 2003
Posted to the web December 3, 2003

Harare

SOME private oil companies have already started using the National Oil
Company of Zimbabwe pipeline to transport fuel from Beira into the country.

Other companies were expected to finalise contracts with Noczim by the end
of this week, in a move that is expected to bring down the prices of fuel as
the companies cut on transport costs.

Petroleum Marketers Association of Zimbabwe chairman, Mr Masimba Kambarami
yesterday said they had formed a technical committee to oversee the
implementation of the deal.

The committee, comprising Noczim and oil companies representatives, would
monitor and help in distributing the right quantities of fuel to companies
that would have used the pipeline.

"Using the pipeline is more efficient and we are looking forward to that,"
said Mr Kambarami.

"We are waiting to finalise the contracts and each company will have its own
standard agreement with Noczim."

Mr Kambarami said the use of the pipeline had many advantages over using
haulage trucks that were costly and unreliable to transport large quantities
of fuel.

"This will have an effect on prices as Noczim will charge a standard fee
that is lower than that being charged by road transporters," he said.

Oil companies were charging pump prices of nearly $3 500 a litre for petrol
depending on the costs incurred by a particular company to transport the
fuel.

The gazetted pump price of petrol is $1 980 a litre.

One of the private oil companies, Comoil (Pvt) Ltd, said the pipeline was
the most formidable and reliable means of bringing fuel into the country.

Comoil spokesperson Mr Fanuel Kangondo said in a statement, relying on
overland transportation of fuel into Zimbabwe would not satisfy demand.

"We have to use the pipeline as it is by far the cheapest and fastest mode
of transportation of liquid fuels into the country," he said. The Government
in August deregulated the oil industry and introduced a two-tier pricing
system.

Under the new system, Noczim would sell fuel to selected institutions at $1
750 a litre for petrol and $1 650 a litre for diesel.

The public would buy leaded petrol at $1 980 a litre from filling stations,
with diesel costing $1 850 per litre. The service stations would sell
unleaded petrol at $2 600 a litre.

The deregulation of the oil industry was meant to improve efficiency in the
procurement of fuel that has intermittently been in short supply since the
end of 1999.

The Herald (Harare)

DOCUMENT
December 3, 2003
Posted to the web December 3, 2003

Harare

THE full text of the Sixteenth State of The Nation address by President
Mugabe in Parliament yesterday.

Mr Speaker, I address this honourable House at a time our hope for a better
agricultural season is being generated by the falling rains. Yet economic
difficulties continue to pose challenges that demand solutions.

Despite the prevailing hardships, Government has remained committed to
creating conditions for genuine and far-reaching economic empowerment of the
indigenous people, that began with the recovery and redistribution of land
as the basic natural resource. Only through such an empowerment programme
can we hope to grow an economy that responds to our needs.

Mr Speaker, as we continue to consolidate the economic empowerment policy,
underpinned by the land and agrarian reform, we have to confront the issue
of full utilisation of this newly acquired land for poverty reduction and
wealth creation. The Presidential Land Review Committee was thus established
to map the way forward for agriculture in the new circumstances of changed
land ownership. The conversion of Agribank to a fully-fledged development
Land Bank provides a new vehicle through which enhanced support can be
provided to the agricultural sector.

Mr Speaker, the shortage of foreign currency and its pervasive influence on
all economic activities has created a highly inflationary environment. The
situation is aggravated by the drought experienced in the 2002/2003 season
that negatively impacted on agricultural production and, in turn, the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). These circumstances have prompted Government to
remain committed to creating conditions for accelerated economic revival,
growth and development.

The experience of the past few years has clearly emphasised the need to
resolve basic distortions in the economy which have often yielded new and
not always helpful personalities in the citizenry. It is quite clear to us
that two-tier interest rates; two-tier exchange rates and a two-tier economy
cannot take us forward. We are one country that would be best served by one
integrated economy driven by clear, predictable, stable and sensible
socio-economic rules.

The coming year should see a vigorous enforcement of well designed
turn-around programmes across all the sectors with emphasis given to key
industries in both the primary and secondary sectors. The monetary and
fiscal sector should be effectively addressed and the issues of inflation
and interest rates handled in a manner that will promote production and
enable greater credit and investment.

However, of major concern to Government is the present externalisation of
foreign currency and precious minerals, especially gold, by unscrupulous
business entities and individuals to the detriment of national development.
Measures will thus be taken to plug loopholes in existing regulations in
order to send a clear message that corruption and dishonesty will not be
tolerated. The Zimbabwe Republic Police, with the assistance of related
agencies, will therefore be urged to enforce the law without fear or favour,
and without regard to stature or status of persons or organisations.

Mr Speaker, the burden to effect positive changes is not just that of the
public sector. It has to be that of the private sector which, after all,
bears the greater and more practical responsibility of growing this economy.
There is a lot that is not right in the private sector and that needs to be
corrected in order to move the economy forward. The smart partnership
binding Government, Business and Labour, should be re-invented to supersede
the current negative culture of name-calling, finger-pointing, and
duplicitous behaviour. We all are witnesses to the futility and high cost of
trying to build an economy in a social environment poisoned by pointless
conflict.

The ever rising prices are adversely affecting the individual incomes of the
generality of the populace. In an effort to protect consumers from
unprecedented, and often inexplicable price increases, Government will
henceforth undertake rational management of prices of basic or controlled
and monitored commodities through the use of pricing models that have been
developed on select basic goods.

Mr Speaker, there can never be sustainable economic revival and development
without clear policy directions in the critical areas of energy and
transport. Funding for the Expanded Rural Electrification Programme
continues to be mobilised from both domestic and international sources, and
especially friendly countries. On the Domestic scene, bonds worth $22
billion have been raised to fund the programme, while a facility of US$110
million was successfully concluded with the Chinese. Negotiations with India
for a facility of US$300 million are at an advanced stage. Other similar
programmes are being negotiated with other countries. To date, 1 992
projects have been completed since the inception of the Rural
Electrification Programme. Of these, 197 were undertaken in the last 12
months. An additional 522 projects are currently in progress.

Comprehensive activities to confirm commercial viability of coal bed methane
extraction in Matabeleland North are underway. These will be followed by a
pilot project involving the drilling of production wells and testing gas
flows, according to international standards so as to ensure sustainable
levels of gas exploitation, determine the size of investments, as well as
the lifespan of commercial projects. Discussions are underway with Iran for
interested investors to work with the Lupane Gas Development Company, a
national investment vehicle, constituted to promote and develop the project.

The electricity reforms currently underway seek to raise resources to expand
local generation capacity and enhance security of power supply.

Because of the pivotal role that the rail sector plays in the economy,
Government has embarked on a recapitalisation programme meant to restore the
National Railways of Zimbabwe's capacity as an efficient bulk traffic mover
in the short to medium term period.

Improvement of public passenger transport is another Government priority. To
this end, the NRZ's recapitalisation programme will also cover the
refurbishment of commuter coaches in order to increase carrying capacity.
Government has granted ZUPCO a $5.5 billion guarantee for its
recapitalisation, $1 billion having been disbursed in this financial year to
procure more buses. Another $2,4 billion has been earmarked for the
reconstruction of old buses as part of measures being taken to rehabilitate
and increase the fleet.

A good road infrastructure is vital for economic development. As a
consequence, Government, through the Road Fund, has approved maintenance
activities of all Road Authorities in a bid to preserve the roads
infrastructure. This year, the Fund collected $5,5 billion and disbursed
$4.4 billion to the four Authorities, namely, the Department of Roads, Urban
Councils, Rural Councils and the District Development Fund.

Further, Government is embarking on the construction of highways on a dual
trunk basis in order to improve traffic flow as well as reduce accidents. It
has enlisted the assistance of the private sector through the Build-Operate-
and-Transfer (BOT) Concession Arrangements for identified major routes in
the country.

In telecommunications, Tel-One has completed the Matabeleland digitalisation
programme that saw the installation of state-of-the-art communication
equipment at the Victoria Falls Exchange and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls
link; commissioning in Harare of the second Trunk Switch for international
connectivity and mobile interconnection; and launching of two digitalisation
projects for Beitbridge and Murewa. The opening of fourteen new postal
outlets, bringing the total number of outlets in the country to 314, will go
a long way in facilitating mail communication, especially in rural areas,
where the majority of our citizens reside.

In order to embrace and benefit from the convergence of telecommunications,
multimedia and broadcasting technology, giving rise to the concept of
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), consultations are
underway for the development of a national ICT policy and strategy
framework. The framework will seek to harness ICTs in the empowerment of our
people in various fields of endeavour.

Mr. Speaker, housing is a basic socio-economic human need and a critical
factor in determining the culture, values and wealth of a nation. Government
is therefore implementing the National Housing Delivery Programme as a
matter of priority to ensure swift and integrated housing delivery to
overcome the current backlog that has risen to unsustainable levels. The
programme covers major urban centres as well as small towns and growth
points, and ensures the delivery of basic services, particularly potable
water and sanitation to newly resettled farmers.

Mr. Speaker, the implementation of the Tourism Recovery Plan has led to
partnership building between Government and business in tourism promotion
and development, resulting in aggressive marketing campaigns on the
domestic, external and new markets, particularly, China and Malaysia, where
tourism offices are now operational. Furthermore, the establishment of the
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, through regional co-operation, is expected
to further strengthen our tourism industry. The sector is already showing
signs of recovery as both the number of visitors and foreign exchange
receipts are on the increase.

Mr. Speaker, the HIV and Aids pandemic continues to ravage the country as
demonstrated by the still unacceptable prevalence rate of 24.6% among the
sexually active age-group of 15-49 years. To strengthen and expand
interventions aimed at HIV and Aids prevention and mitigation, 123 Voluntary
Counselling and Testing centres are operational, while 174 maternity units
are providing the full package of Prevention of Parent-to-Child Transmission
including Nevirapine. Notwithstanding our range of mitigatory measures, by
far the biggest challenge in dealing with HIV and Aids remains the need to
adopt healthy lifestyles.

Pursuant of an education system that produces highly competent, patriotic
and globally competitive Zimbabweans, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary
Education has been developing all vocational and technical training
programmes to Higher National Diploma level and setting up systems to
upgrade polytechnics to degree awarding institutions. In line with this, the
entire training curriculum is being reviewed to conform to regional and
international trends.

Remarkable strides have been made in university education. The Harare
Institute of Technology (HIT) is being transformed into a technological
institution awarding higher level Bachelor of Technology Degrees and will
act as an incubator for technologies produced by local scientists and
inventors. The functional plan, draft university bill, and resources
required, are in place, with co-operating partners such as UNESCO already
providing funding to kick-start the project. Arrangements with the National
University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the SIRDC are at an advanced
stage to ensure that the first group of trainees commences training next
year. Government is also working on the construction of a State University
in Lupane as part of our continuing decentralisation of university
education. A Government-appointed steering committee is working on the
modalities to operationalise the institution in 2004.

However, achievements recorded in manpower development are being eroded by
the brain drain, largely in the health and education professions. Government
is ready to work with the private sector in formulating national policies on
the utilisation of skills and other resources of Zimbabweans in the diaspora
for the development of the country.

Government has remained supportive of the welfare of citizens by
intensifying the thrust of social protection mechanisms. Consequently, the
implementation of the drought relief programme was decentralised to all the
58 districts and the 28 urban councils in the country in response to the
recurrent flood and drought seasons of the past three years. The vulnerable,
elderly, disabled and chronically ill persons continue to receive allowances
while the able-bodied are employed in various public works programmes in
return for food or cash remuneration. An amount of $12,5 billion was made
available this year to cater for the public works programme benefiting some
1,3 million people.

In response to Government's appeal for humanitarian assistance, the
international community contributed aid amounting to US$212,8 million
through the World Food Programme during the period July 2002 to June this
year. Further, US$64,8 million has been mobilised to cover the period July
2003 to June next year. This gesture by the international community is
sincerely appreciated. Nonetheless, Government continues to call upon
co-operating partners to extend their support to our land reform programme,
a major vehicle for poverty reduction and economic empowerment.

Persistent droughts have increased the risk of malnutrition among children
in both rural and urban areas. Worst affected are children under five and
those of school-going age. In view of this, Government allocated $2,1
billion for child supplementary feeding. To reduce the number of vulnerable
children dropping out of school due to economic hardships, Government
assisted more than 680 000 children in both primary and secondary schools
through the payment of levies, tuition and examination fees under the Basic
Education Assistance Module.

Mr Speaker, on the international stage, Zimbabwe continues to defend the
right of self-determination of nations and non-interference in the internal
affairs of other states, particularly where such interference is not for
self-evident humanitarian or other moral imperatives. We abhor global
high-handedness of the strong and powerful; we abhor unilateral interference
in the internal political affairs of other countries, especially smaller
states. We accordingly jealously guard our sovereignty against such
interference.

The recent events in Iraq have clearly shown that the uni-polar order that
presently governs international relations is both unjust and unsustainable.
It is a source of conflict and even of war and calls for a more positive
alternative order in which the principles of the United Nations Charter
prevail.

Developments in Latin America, the Carribean, Asia and here in Zimbabwe,
coupled with the growing strength of the People's Republic of China as an
alternative global power point indicate a new alternative direction which in
fact could be the foundation of a new global paradigm. Zimbabwe must work
for this new paradigm which is founded on principles of sovereignty and
independence. Our continued membership of the Commonwealth, itself a mere
club, is dependent on this fundamental consideration currently being
vitiated by Britain, Australia and New Zealand, the Anglo-Saxon unholy
alliance against Zimbabwe.

It is important to note that we continue to enjoy the support and solidarity
of many nations where some Western powers have chosen to be hostile to us
because of our Land Reform Programme. The 13th Summit of the Non-Aligned
Movement in Kuala Lumpur; the COMESA Summit in Khartoum; the African Union
Summit in Maputo; the SADC Summit in Dar-es-Salaam and the 58th Session of
the United Nations General Assembly, all bear testimony to growing support
for our position. It is gratifying that our friends have remained steadfast
on matters of high moral principles such as our Land Reform Programme. After
all, Zimbabweans seek nothing more than being in charge of their own
resource and means of production, the land. We alone should remain the
makers of our destiny. There is thus the need for us to work for genuine
unity so that our family house is not divided and remains solid and
impenetrable.

The Zimbabwe Defence, Police and other Security Forces have continued to
further the cause of our internal peace and stability and thus remain the
ultimate defenders and protectors of our Independence and sovereignty.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the challenges currently facing Zimbabwe can be
overcome. The onus is upon all of us to work as a united people, proud
Zimbabweans, in tackling the present macro-economic instability, in
succeeding to reverse the negative growth rates and effecting the envisaged
turn-around of our economy. We can do it and indeed we shall do it!

May I, on this note, wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and
Prosperous New Year.

Canberra - Australia on Wednesday urged African leaders attending this
week's Commonwealth summit to pressure Robert Mugabe to resign as president
of Zimbabwe, a member of the 54-nation grouping.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth's decision-making councils
after alleged intimidation and vote-rigging in Mugabe's 2002 re-election.

Speaking ahead of his departure for the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja, Australian Prime Minister John Howard
said he wanted "strongly increased international pressure" on Mugabe to
resign.

"I'm rather hopeful that at the Commonwealth conference, those leaders that
are closer to him in Africa will understand the strength of world opinion
and will bring pressure to bear on him to depart the scene," he told a Perth
radio station.

      'Wanted strongly increased international pressure on Mugabe'
Howard lobbied leaders at the previous summit hosted by Australia in
February 2002 for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the group if the March 2002
presidential elections were not declared fair by a Commonwealth observer
group.

Mugabe, who was not invited to this week's summit, sought support from
fellow African leaders to be allowed to attend.

Queen Elizabeth II - who remains head of state of most of the Commonwealth
countries - and the prime ministers of Britain, Australia, Canada, New
Zealand and Pacific nations said they would boycott the meeting if Mugabe
attended.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said last week Mugabe was welcome to
visit his country, but would not be allowed to attend the December 5-8
summit.

Mugabe then indicated he might pull out of the Commonwealth, blaming "white"
nations like Australia for excluding Zimbabwe.

      'They would boycott the meeting if Mugabe attended'
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon and other and member countries
like Britain, Australia and New Zealand have repeatedly criticised Mugabe
for human rights violations.

Under Mugabe's despotic rule the struggling southern African nation's
economy is in free-fall.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told parliament this week
Zimbabwe's economy is expected to shrink by 13 percent this year.

Downer said inflation was 526 percent and expected to rise up to 700
percent, half of the population was in need of food aid and there was
insufficient foreign exchange to buy seed, fertiliser and spare parts. -
Sapa-AP

Botswana's police chief has broken ranks with its government by blaming
hordes of illegal border-crossers from Zimbabwe for a sharp increase in
crime, a daily newspaper reported on Wednesday.

"The influx of illegal immigrants into Botswana, most especially the
Zimbabweans, is a serious problem impacting negatively on the crime scene
and undermines crime prevention efforts," police commissioner Norman
Moleboge told the Botswana Gazette.

"Zimbabweans have now become a formidable burden to the police service," he
said. "The police facilities are overcrowded by Zimbabweans. Our facilities
are flooded... and we are no longer able to maintain a proper upkeep of our
offices."

Botswanan President Festus Mogae last month vowed to crack down on illegal
immigrants and constantly referred to the regional political problems in
Zimbabwe without directly naming the country.

Botswana is currently experiencing a huge influx of illegal immigrants from
Zimbabwe as a result of a political and economical meltdown in the
neighbouring country.

The country's immigration department has said more than 125 000 Zimbabweans
enter the country illegally every month. On an average, only 2 500 are
repatriated every month.

The police boss said even law-abiding Zimbabweans who entered the country
covertly were "draining the resources" of Botswana.

The illegal immigrants have been blamed an upswing of crime in the country,
including robberies, murders, rapes and petty theft. - Sapa-AFP

      REPRESENTATIVES of striking doctors in Zimbabwe have rejected a 200
percent salary increase believed to have been made after Special Affairs
Minister John Nkomo intervened to end an industrial action that has crippled
the public health delivery system.

      Sources close to the matter said Nkomo was believed to have been
tasked by President Robert Mugabe to end a stalemate between the government
and striking doctors.

      An official of the Hospital Doctors' Association said the Public
Service Commission (PSC), which employs civil servants on behalf of the
government, had made the offer of a 200 percent pay hike after Nkomo gave
the organisation a 48-hour deadline to table an offer to the doctors.

      "(PSC chairman) Mariyawandah Nzuwa offered the increase on Monday, but
we refused to accept it because it was too low," an official with the
doctors' association said.

      "The offer was made through the senior doctors following Nkomo's
intervention."

      Junior doctors, who are demanding a 15 000 percent salary hike, have
been on strike since last month, and have been joined by senior doctors and
consultants.

      The senior doctors and consultants joined the industrial action saying
the government's failure to resolve the dispute with their colleagues had
burdened them with too much work.

      Doctors earn a monthly salary of about Z$300 000 (US$55), excluding
allowances. The government has conceded that a salary review is needed, but
has described the doctors' demands as outrageous.

      The impact of the doctors' strike has been compounded by the decision
by public hospital nurses to down tools two weeks ago, saying the government
had failed to honour its promise to award them an 800 percent salary hike.

      The situation at public hospitals remained critical this week, with
most wards remaining closed. Doctors and nurses seconded from the uniformed
forces were this week only attending to critical cases.

      Sources said Nkomo had taken over negotiations with doctors after it
became apparent that the PSC had failed to avert the crisis.

      The sources said Nkomo met with senior doctors at his offices on
Thursday and Friday last week and on Monday this week, and pleaded with them
to convince their junior counterparts to return to work.

      The sources said the meetings had shown that the PSC had not made an
offer to junior doctors, even though it claimed to have done so.

      "It became apparent that Nzuwa had lied when we asked him to give us
the figures so that we could convince the junior doctors to return to work,"
a senior consultant who attended the meetings said.

      "On Friday, Nkomo then ordered Nzuwa to come up with an offer by
Monday. But Nzuwa's offer was too low."

      It was not possible to secure comment from Nkomo or Nzuwa.

Cape Town - South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade
Nzimande is to lead a delegation next week to Zimbabwe to focus attention on
the plight of the Zimbabwean working class.

In a statement the party said the five person delegation would meet the
ruling Zanu-PF of President Robert Mugabe, the major opposition formation -
the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai, key social
movements and civil society organizations, including the Zimbabwean Congress
of Trade Unions and faith-based structures.

The SACP - which is in alliance with the ruling African National Congress
(ANC) in South Africa - said the visit had been "fully canvassed" with the
ANC, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, "and colleagues in
government".

SACP spokesman Mazibuko Jara said: "The visit occurs within a context of
ongoing South African and Zimbabwean interaction and solidarity efforts, in
many of which the SACP has been an active participant."

Among the objectives of the visit were to enrich "at first hand" the SACP's
understanding of the strategic perspectives and concerns of the key
political and social protagonists in Zimbabwe and to discuss fostering wide-
ranging Zimbabwe dialogue and negotiation

The party would focus attention on the working class including the urban and
rural poor "including millions of Zimbabwean women in the context of the
current political impasse and deepening economic crisis."

With Nzimande in the delegation will be SACP deputy general secretary Jeremy
Cronin, who is an African National Congress MP and chairperson of the
National Assembly transport portfolio committee; Lindelwa Dunjwa, member of
the central committee; Themba Mthembu, KwaZulu Natal provincial secretary;
and Lucian Segami, member of the steering committee of the Young Communist
League.

JOHANNESBURG, 3 Dec 2003 (IRIN) - Cholera outbreaks have claimed the lives
of about 40 people in Zimbabwe and international NGO Save the Children UK
(SCUK) has warned that if the disease spreads to urban and former commercial
farm areas it could be disastrous.

Chris McIvor of SCUK told IRIN that the district of Binga, in Matabeleland
North province, first experienced a cholera outbreak about four weeks ago.
This was followed by an outbreak at Nyaminyami, in Mashonaland West
province. These districts in the western Zambezi Valley are two of the least
developed in Zimbabwe.

So far, 350 cases and 19 fatalities have been recorded in Binga, while
around 400 cases and about 20 deaths have been reported in Nyaminyami,
McIvor told IRIN.

"The real issue is: is it sufficient to call it an epidemic, and is it
serious? In Binga and Nyaminyami, I would say, certainly it is," he said.

The fatality ratios in the two districts pointed to a serious lack of
preparedness for the coming rainy season. Cholera is a waterborne disease.

"Normally [the fatality ratio] should be about one percent - above 2 percent
indicates that treatment has been slow, medication has not been supplied,
and that health and awareness campaigns have been delivered slightly later
than they should have been," McIvor added.

While "everybody's worked very hard, and the commitment of the ministry of
health team has been very evident - with nurses staying in [quarantine]
camps for three to four weeks at a time - the cholera outbreak has caught
all of us unawares and unprepared". Anti-cholera prophylaxes and treatment
drugs "were not pre-positioned, neither were they available at national,
provincial, or district level", he said.

"If the cholera continues and spreads to other areas, given that there's a
national shortage of drugs, then we could be in trouble," McIvor warned.

SCUK was exploring the possibility of importing drugs from South Africa in
case of future outbreaks, as well as to make sure the currently affected
districts had adequate supplies.

IMMEDIATE INTERVENTIONS

The NGO had already distributed "primary drugs for the treatment of cholera,
as well as prophylaxes" for people in contact with cholera sufferers in
Nyaminyami. McIvor explained that prophylaxes were important, as someone
"may be a-symptomatic, but still a carrier" of the disease.

SCUK had also assisted in setting up cholera quarantine camps, "we've
managed to source some tents from ICRC (International Committee of the Red
Cross), water bowsers from UNICEF (UN Children's Fund), as well as food and
some household items for those facilities".

"We've also provided for Binga 1,600 litres of diesel and 400 litres of
petrol, so the ministry of health technicians can get around the district to
provide the public with information, set up camps, take people to hospital,
etc, while in Nyaminyami we provided 1,400 litres of diesel, and 400 litres
of petrol for similar purposes," McIvor said.

One of the main ways of preventing the spread of cholera was through public
education, he added. The disease is "quite easy to control if people have
the information - that they should wash their hands after going to toilet,
etc. It can be treated if people know what [symptoms] to look out for -
lives can be saved through good public education, setting up [quarantine]
camps and making sure they're adequately stocked."

He said about 5,000 bars of soap had been distributed "to every family in
the main site of the Binga outbreak, and we will be supplying soap, along
with public education, to families in Nyaminyami in the very near future."

He warned that the latest outbreaks needed to be quickly contained.

"Are we prepared if cholera expands? At the moment we are not adequately
prepared. The disease thrives in overcrowded conditions, and if it reaches
urban or former commercial farming areas [which have been densely
resettled], there's potential for us to see a significant rise in deaths,"
McIvor said.

Fighting cholera "has got to be everyone's responsibility: national
government, local government, international and national NGOs".

"This is an emergency - it's not a joke, cholera is appalling when you see
it. Young kids sitting with drips on stone floors, or lying in their own
vomit and diarrhoea ... if you see it once, you never want to see it again.
It's a preventable, treatable, social disease. It's everybody's
responsibility," McIvor concluded.

SA solicits MDC's views

In an apparent move to give an urgent push to talks on a Zimbabwean
settlement ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth heads of government
meeting this weekend, foreign affairs department officials met leaders of
Zimbabwe's main opposition group yesterday. No statement has been issued
yet, but Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad has called for greater political
will "on both sides" in Zimbabwe to work towards a settlement. With Zimbabwe
on the Commonwealth agenda in Abuja it is likely yesterday's meeting was
aimed at assessing the current position of the Movement for Democratic
Change. SA is under international pressure to show the results of its quiet
diplomacy policy on Zimbabwe.