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African leaders react to events in Egypt - Godfrey Mwampembwa

Fear as govt marks 2 yrs in office

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Edward Jones     Friday 11 February 2011

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s troubled coalition government marks its second
anniversary today and although it is credited with mending a broken economy,
talk of it winding down to allow elections sometime this year has stoked
fears of a resurgence in violence that swept the last poll in 2008.

The troubled southern African country has witnessed a spate of politically
motivated violence in suburbs in the capital Harare and President Robert
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s parties are exchanging blame
for the skirmishes.

The unity government, which was brokered by former South African president
Thabo Mbeki, was meant to heal political wounds after a cycle of electoral
violence, which critics say mostly targeted Mugabe’s rivals in the
opposition and civil society.

Ordinary Zimbabweans who had seen their country return to normal in the last
24 months, including GDP growth and an end to shortages of food, fuel and
foreign exchange, now dread that another election will roll back the
economic gains brought about by the coalition and return the country to
violence.

They may not be wrong, after ZANU-PF supporters attacked their MDC opponents
in the last two weeks, which culminated in looting of a downtown shopping
complex in Harare by youths supporting Mugabe’s controversial empowerment
programme on Tuesday.

“All the two years of peace we had enjoyed will go to waste if we have
another election and already with these reports of violence in the suburbs
it doesn’t look good,” said Tawanda Makarau, a 36-year-old who operates a
flea market stall in downtown Harare.

At the flea market, a huge campaign poster of Mugabe adorns the entrance and
Makarau said ZANU-PF youths had forcibly put it there.

The unity government has hobbled along, with tensions between Mugabe and
Tsvangirai over how to equally share executive power.

Mugabe has rejected MDC demands to swear-in its treasurer general Roy Bennet
and five of its members as provincial governors and has refused to fire
central bank chief and financial adviser Gideon Gono and attorney general
Johannes Tomana, who has publicly said he is a ZANU-PF card carrying member.

Mugabe, on his part accuses the MDC of not doing enough to convince Western
countries to remove a European Union travel ban and financial freeze on his
close allies and United States sanctions and that he would not yield to the
MDC demands until the sanctions are removed.

Police Complicit

Critics say the unity government has failed to end human rights abuses and
to reform the security services, whose top brass has vowed that it will only
recognize Mugabe as president.

The MDC accuses police of complicit in the recent spate of violence that has
gripped the capital but the law enforcement agents have hit back, saying the
former opposition party is responsible for the violence but rushes to play
victim.

“Such unlawful actions (political violence) violate the Global Political
Agreement and demonstrate that the undermining of the rule of law has not
changed fundamentally,” the United States embassy in Harare said in a
statement yesterday, in which it said it was alarmed by the violence.

State-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and other government-owned
media, which are pro-Mugabe, have said the unity government expires today
and that Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara (who represents a splinter
MDC faction but has been rejected by that formation) will meet to decide
whether to extend its life.

Mugabe has previously said he was reluctant to prolong the tenure of the
coalition and wants elections this year even before a referendum on a new
constitution but the process is nearly a year behind.

Under the global political agreement, which was signed in September 2008,
the leaders of the three political parties in the unity government will meet
after a new constitution has been adopted to decide whether to continue or
call elections.

Under the original timeline a referendum would have been held last month.

"If we start talking about elections the first thing that comes to people's
minds is the trauma they went through in 2008," said Okay Machisa, director
of Zimbabwe Human Rights Association.

"We should (instead) be talking about reforms in the security sector, the
media and electoral systems," he added.

Military Deploys

Already the MDC says hundreds of its members have fled their homes after
attacks from ZANU-PF supporters in urban centres, the party’s stronghold and
are being put in safe houses.

Investigations by ZimOnline have shown the military deploying in the rural
areas in large numbers ahead of elections and last week senior military
officers, including Air Force Vice Air Marshal Henry Muchena, a staunch
Mugabe ally who is now heading the executive in the ZANU-PF commissariat,
resigned from their posts, to lead Mugabe’s re-election campaign.

Mugabe lost to Tsvangirai in the March 2008 presidential vote after his
ZANU-PF party surrendered its parliamentary majority to the MDC for the
first time in a parallel election but the veteran leader, who turns 87 in
two weeks, managed to cling on after a violent campaign during a run-off,
which Tsvangirai withdrew from.

With the economy in turmoil, marked by inflation of more than 500 billion
percent and refugees flooding into big neighbour South Africa, Mugabe was
forced by his peers in the Southern African Development Community into a
coalition with Tsvangirai.

Now ZANU-PF, which during the power-sharing talks wanted the unity
government to last five years, says the marriage cannot be allowed to
continue and elections should be held this year.

“Any election that is held before a new constitution or security and
electoral reforms will be just another sham and will be more violent than
what we saw in 2008,” John Makumbe, a political science lecturer at the
University of Zimbabwe said.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network said in a report last month that
almost a third of the names appearing on Zimbabwe's voters roll were of
people who had died.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has previously said it was not ready for
an election this year. -- ZimOnline

Zim Leaders Meet Ahead Of Unity Govt Expiry

http://www.radiovop.com/

11/02/2011 16:23:00

Harare, February 11, 2011 - THE three Principals who signed the Global
Political Agreement (GPA), President Robert Mugabe of Zanu (PF), Prime
Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai from the MDC-T and Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur
Mutambara of MDC were expected to meet on Friday to discuss, among other
items, Zimbabwe's explosive security situation and to review the GPA.

The GPA brought about the new unity government which was put in place in
February 2009. However, it has not been fully implemented due to
disagreements mainly between Mugabe and Tsvangirai over appointments of
governors and ambassadors among other issues.

Meanwhile there have been wide spread demonstrations in Harare by rowdy Zanu
(PF) youths in the city centre. The youths, many of them who were visibly
intoxicated" came mainly from the populous Mbare High Density suburb.

"We are meeting later today to discuss the security situation in Zimbabwe,"
said Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara."We will also discuss the GPA since it
is expected to expire today (Friday). We will have to renew it."

He said international investors were worried that property rights in
Zimbabwe were not being adhered to or respected.

Many commercial farms have been grabed from white commercial farms and
distributed to black farmers mainly from the former ruling party, Zanu (PF).

This week the Minister of Indigenisation and Employment Creation, Saviour
Kasukuwere, threatened that the government of President Mugabe would also
grab firms belonging to whites if they continued to destroy the economy or
engage in illegal deals.

He said the new Indigenisation Act would deal with the white culprits.

Mutambara said it was very important that property rights be respected by
Zimbabwe in order for it to receive support and financial aid at a time whe
when the economy is on its knees.

"We must negotiate better deals with our partners," Mutambara said at a
discussion about investing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). "We must just
not send rough diamonds to foreign nations but we must sell them jewellery
made here in Zimbabwe."

He said it was unfortunate that the Chinese were taking over many Zimbabwean
firms but said they were simply helping out.

"This is the reason why we are meeting today to discuss how we can increase
our investment levels because the situatiion is just not good enough right
now and I am the first person to admit it," he told the investors.

Mutambara left the discussion early in order to attend to the "important"
meeting with the two other principals, Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

"There might be some passengers too who will be joining us in the
discussion," Mutambara jokingly said, referring to his new boss, Professor
Welshman Ncube, now MDC President. Ncube was also expected to attend the
meeting on security at Cabinet Offices.

Intensified propaganda signals impending polls

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Ray Matikinye
Friday, 11 February 2011 17:54

HARARE - When a green file cobra flies over your homestead, it portends a
dreadful mishap; when an owl perches near your home in broad daylight,you
better seek the services of a traditional medicine man. These are beliefs
that the superstitious  among us live with.

But a phenomenon more precise than scientific meteorological forecasts and
that  has guided peasants in predicting freak droughts or bountiful seasons
merely requires checking how high the raucous weaver birds have built their
nests above the river’s normal water level.

Peasants can deduce the chances of the river breaching its banks from the
height of the nest and make contingent evacuation plans.

When a weaver bird constructs a nest at a low height, there is bound to be a
drought.

Just as the height a weaver bird’s nest is a precise barometer, so is the
trite con-trick of parading opposition party supporters defecting to Zanu PF
ominous of impending national polls.

These stage-managed defections, involving people of little or dubious
political virtue being “born again” portend an election in the offing,
particularly when abetted by a state media blindly retailing a ruse long
past its sale-by date.

When Zanu PF abuses the sole broadcaster to parade people that have revised
their political preference, publicly reciting reasons cloned from a
prototype for their change of heart, “to join the only revolutionary party
that has the people at heart,” Zimbabweans have concluded, without much
persuasion that elections are round the corner.

Greater wisdom dictates that an angler needs fresh bait to catch bigger
fish. Zimbabwe boasts of one of  the highest literacy rates in Africa,
second only to Tunisia  where the poverty-stricken and jobless citizens
recently hounded enduring leader, Ben Ali, into exile.

The high literacy rate means the majority of Zimbabweans can easily notice
counterfeit reports on events in the state media.

They see and read reports that do not bear any relation to facts, not even
the relationship which is implied in an ordinary lie.

They also see the state media publishing untruths and eager “political
analysts” building emotional super  structures over events not likely to
happen, although these intellectuals would want them to happen the way they
portray them.

As polls loom on the horizon, the only propaganda line open to Zanu PF is to
present itself as a victim of Western imperialism which has become a perfect
scapegoat for its legendary failures. The party sees the electorate as
biddable and unable to withstand “tushuga netumasweets from the British” to
make rational political choices of their own.

Post-independent Zimbabwe has witnessed defections from the late Ndabaningi
Sithole led Zanu Ndonga;  from Edgar Tekere’s Zimbabwe Unity Movement, (Zum)
from the late Joshua Nkomo’s PF Zapu and from Margaret Dongo’s Zimbabwe
Union for Democrats (Zud).

Currently, there are defections from the Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) although we have yet to witness abandonments from Simba Makoni’s
Mavambo/Dawn/ Kusile (MDK) fringe party.

Zimbabwe is yet to witness Zanu PF’s cherished pipedream of a one party
state despite all these defections, libraries of songs clamouring for its
establishment along with the ineffectual million men and women marches.

One cannot help but snigger when a party cleaves to the old-hat claims that
it is the only revolutionary party that built school, clinics, hospitals so
on and so forth.

One cannot fail to notice politicians struggling to remind a seemingly
ungrateful electorate of their benevolence and agonise over its reluctance
to appreciate all that has been done for their benefit.

The signal for polls becomes more ticklish when the Head of State and
Government and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed forces offers a whooping
US$33 million in the form of agricultural inputs to rural peasants.

President Mugabe Causes Alarm By Outsourcing Election Campaign to Feared Military

http://www.voanews.com/

Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has brought on board a number of recently retired
and serving military officers as well to take charge of its crumbling
structures, setting the stage for what sources say seems likely to be an
extremely violent campaign

Blessing Zulu  09 February 2011

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's campaign for re-election in a ballot that
has yet to be called has been outsourced to the country's military, sources
say.

Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has brought on board a number of recently retired
and serving military officers as well to take charge of its crumbling
structures, setting the stage for what sources said seems likely to be an
extremely violent campaign.

The Joint Operations Command (JOC) is said to be playing a significant role
in this process. The JOC, comprising all the senior securocrats, was
supposed to have been disbanded to pave the way for an all inclusive
National Security Council at the inception of the government unity, is
apparently still meeting clandestinely.

The JOC has deployed Air Vice Marshal Henry Muchena to take over the
position of ZANU-PF director of the commissariat.

Muchena, who retired Friday is deputised by another JOC appointee former
Central Intelligence Organisation Director-Internal, Sydney Nyanhongo, at
the party’s Harare headquarters.

Other senior officers who retired with Muchena Friday and would join the
party ranks include Major Generals Sibangamuzi Khumalo, Etherton Shungu,
Colonel Resten Magumise and Group Captain Sithabile Sibanda.

Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa who officiated at the farewell party
openly called upon other army officials to venture into politics.

"By the way there are some ill-informed citizens of out the country who
think that ex-military service persons should not be in politics," said
Mnangagwa.

"To the contrary, one has retired from active service, one can freely
participate in politics at whatever level."

Party insiders and military initelligence sources told Studio 7 that about
300 serving army officials have been deployed through out the country.

They will work with some war veterans and youths who are allegedly being
trained at Inkomo army barracks and those who have passed through the
controversial national training service.

Sources said some senior army officials have also been deployed in all the
country’s provinces with Brigadier General David Sigauke taking charge of
Mashonaland West Province. Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba will be in
charge in Manicaland Province, Retired Brigadier General Victor Rungani in
Mashonaland East while Air Vice Marshal Abu Basutu will oversee ZANU-PF
matters in Matabeleland South Province.

Sources said Major General Engelbert Rugeje, who was seconded to run
Masvingo province but is now going to work with the Southern African
Development Community, will temporarily be replaced by war veterans leader
Jabulani Sibanda.

Brigadier General Sibusio Bussie Moyo, Retired Brigadiers Khumalo, and
Shungu will oversee matters in the provinces of Midlands, Matebeleland North
and Mashonaland Central respectively.

Colonel Chris Sibanda and Air Commodore Mike Tichafa Karakadzai will be in
charge of Bulawayo and Harare.

ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said Muchena has joined their ranks
officially. But political analyst Charles Mangongera said "the move by
ZANU-PF is chilling".

Meanwhile, ZANU-PF has also launched a Party Ideological College at its
Harare Headquaters aimed at "raising political and ideological consciousness
while fostering unity within its structures and membership".

ZANU-PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo is qouted in the state controlled and
ZANU-PF leaning Herald newspaper as saying the college will provide lectures
such as "Characteristics of a Revolutinary Leader" among other annual
courses.

"We won’t go for elections untill all reforms are met" – MDC-T

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

10 February, 2011 08:45:00    MOSES MATENGA | HARARE

HARARE - The MDC-T says it will not go for elections under the current
Lancaster House Constitution and before agreed electoral reforms are
implemented.

Secretary-general Tendai Biti wrote to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
(Zec) chairman, Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe, listing 18 demands his party
want met before they could participate in any election.

President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party have said they want elections
this year with or without a new constitution.

The President said he was unlikely to extend the life of the inclusive
government which he said was unworkable and unsustainable.

The Global Political Agreement which brought about
the inclusive government does not give a specific lifespan to the GNU but
says at the expiry of the two-year period, which is on Friday, the three
principals have to meet to chart the way forward.

Zanu PF has already rolled out its election campaign machinery one of whose
targets is to collect over 2 million signatures supporting its
anti-sanctions petition.

In the letter to Zec, the MDC-T said they wanted the voters’ roll cleaned up
and have state security agents allegedly seconded to Zec removed.

“I write to express dissatisfaction with the current state of the voters’
roll.

“As you may be aware, the current voters’ roll contains names of people who
are dead, some who have ceased to be citizens of Zimbabwe and some born in
2008 and therefore do not qualify to be on the voters’ roll because of their
age.

“Given this scenario it is our humble request that a new voters’ roll be
compiled and that the same must be a biometric voters’ roll,” said Biti.

MDC-T demands include the need to put in place a legal framework to allow
for timeous announcement of election results and the policing of the
electoral environment by Sadc six months before, during and six months after
the elections.

The party also demanded political parties be given the freedom to campaign,
hold peaceful meetings and rallies and demonstrations.

They were also demanding that security agents and members of the uniformed
forces be kept away from political parties’ campaigning programmes.

“There is also the need to ensure full realisation of
media freedom and to prevent Zanu PF from abusing state resources, in
particular diamonds in Chiadzwa,” said Biti.

Mutambanengwe was not available for comment and his office said he would be
in next week.

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa on Thursday said his party was in constant
interaction with Zec “to try and deal with a plethora of the people’s
concerns around election management”. - NewsDay

Zimbabwe could revert to old constitution for elections

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za

Eyewitness News | 4 Hours Ago

Zimbabwe’s Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa on Friday said the country
could be forced to revert to the old constitution to hold elections due
later this year.

Such a move would infuriate the opposition as it would mean ignoring an
amendment that brought about the power-sharing government two years ago

It is exactly two years since President Robert Mugabe swore in Morgan
Tsvangirai as Prime Minister.

The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) appears
anxious to hold fresh elections as soon as possible.

Chinamasa hinted that ZANU-PF intended to ignore changes to the constitution
brought about by the signing of the coalition deal.

He said the ideal position would be to hold the elections under the old
constitution if drawing up a new one takes too much time.

In comments in Friday’s Herald, Chinamasa said people might not like a
proposed new constitution.

Alert

Friday, 11 February 2011

There are reports of Zanu PF organised violence in Mudzi  allegedly being led by Mudzi North MP Newton Kachepa, Mudzi West MP Acquilinah and Mudzi South MP, Eric Navaya all from Zanu PF. The three are said to be recruiting all youth, aged between 15 and 35 in their constituencies for a series of meetings to be held at Nyamuyaruka, Dendera, Vombozi, Chingamukayi, Nekondo, Nyamanyoro and Chimukoko business centers in the Mashonaland East province.

The three allegedly held a meeting today at Kotwa with Zanu PF youth and told them to mobilise all the school children aged between 15 and 18 for tomorrow’s meetings. There has been threats of violence in Mudzi and villagers fear this could be a beginning of the unpopular Zanu PF campaign against the people.

--
MDC Information & Publicity Department

Zanu-PF's new coercion tactic

http://mg.co.za/

JASON MOYO - Feb 11 2011 11:54

The large, tattered poster of Robert Mugabe flying above one of the
country's largest markets in Mbare, Harare's oldest suburb and an opposition
stronghold, was a sign of yet another victory for Mugabe's local militia in
their violent bid to take control of the city's pro-opposition townships.

In Harare's crowded townships Zanu-PF is using a combination of violence and
extortion, barring suspected opposition supporters from trading in the
markets and launching attacks on their homes and businesses. The attacks,
which worsened at the weekend, have left dozens injured and have driven many
from their homes.

Early this week a mob rampaged through downtown Harare, targeting businesses
owned by West African and Chinese nationals, who dominate much of the
downtown retail businesses.

Looters hit a crowded downtown mall known as the Gulf, where hundreds of
traders sell wares such as cheap clothing and electronics imported from
China and Dubai. Newspaper vendors selling the independent NewsDay daily in
the area were also attacked and had their newspapers seized.

A Zanu-PF group called Upfumi Kuvadiki (wealth to the youth), also launched
demonstrations against foreign businesses and the Movement for Democratic
Change-run council for awarding a contract to a South African company,
EasiPark, to manage the city's parking.

The group, which said it was marching to support the country's empowerment
laws, denies it caused the violence. With the bulk of Zimbabwe's urban
population living off informal trade, Zanu-PF is looking to control the
city's produce and flea markets. To secure a stall at some markets, a trader
needs a Zanu-PF membership card. For protection, some traders display a
poster of Mugabe or a Zanu-PF flag.

Amid the poverty in Mbare, Zanu-PF has bred a violent militia aimed at
controlling the township constituencies it has always lost at elections.

'The covenant'
The MDC may have won in Mbare in the past election, but the streets are
owned by the local Zanu-PF youth militia, a violent group known as
Chipangano (loosely translated as "the covenant"). Chipangano is much
feared, with vendors at market stalls forced to pay tolls to the group's
leaders so that they can trade in peace.

When Zanu-PF needs a crowd for a demonstration, a state funeral or a rally,
Chipangano is called in, shutting down markets and forcing traders to
attend.

The violence has not been all one-sided. On Monday the market stalls run by
an Mbare Zanu-PF activist were petrol-bombed.

The three parties in the coalition have issued a joint statement condemning
the violence. "We agreed that what is happening in Harare is not good for
our country and is completely against the spirit of the global political
agreement signed by our leaders. We believe it is within our power to stop
the violence, which poses a threat to the lives of our people," they said.

But in sharp contrast to the image of unity projected by the statement,
opposition supporters have gone into hiding.

After touring the homes of attacked supporters in Mbare, the MDC's Theresa
Makone, one of the two home affairs ministers, appeared frustrated by her
powerlessness to get the police, which her ministry controls, to intervene.

Questioned
"Today I witnessed something I thought I would never see in Zimbabwe. It's
just not possible to be that evil," Makone said.

Hours after her visit, police rounded up supporters who had sought refuge at
a church in another township. They were released at midnight after being
questioned on who had provided them with blankets and food, the Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights said.

At the MDC's headquarters in central Harare, dozens of families seeking
refuge were sleeping on office floors this week.

The MDC says the attacks are a provocation to give Zanu-PF the chance to
launch a crackdown ahead of elections that Mugabe wants later this year.

For its part, Zanu-PF blames the MDC, presenting as evidence recent remarks
by Morgan Tsvangirai that Egyptian-style protests were possible in Zimbabwe.

Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, a powerful senior Mugabe ally, warned
in a speech to army chiefs last Friday that "those who may want to emulate
what happened in Egypt and Tunisia will regret it".

Zanu-PF chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo argued that the clashes were a
carefully crafted ploy by the MDC to influence the European Union, ahead of
a decision next week on whether to keep sanctions in place on Zimbabwe.

China stands behind resource-rich Zimbabwe -Yang

http://af.reuters.com

Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:53pm GMT

* China seeks strong ties with Zimbabwe

* Yang calls for end to sanctions

* Yang arrives as political tension rise

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe is an important ally to China and
Beijing will seek to further strengthen ties, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang
Jiechi said of a country isolated by the West under President Robert
Mugabe's rule.

Mugabe has been shunned by Western countries for decades over suspected
human rights abuses and vote fraud. He has looked to China to shore up a
shattered economy by showcasing rich mineral resources and the world's
second biggest platinum reserves, which China covets to fuel its booming
economy.

"Let me be frank. We believe there should be a lifting of sanctions," Yang
said after meeting Mugabe.

The United States and European Union have been at loggerheads with China
over its support for Mugabe, which Western states see as helping prop up a
leader who has mismanaged the economy and abused his people.

Yang said China wanted to enhance ties in sectors including infrastructure,
mining and agriculture, with Mugabe telling reporters he wanted "cooperation
to intensify."

"The relationship is in very good shape," Yang said.

A government minister told Reuters last month the state-run China
Development Bank could fund up to $10 billion in Chinese investment in
Zimbabwe's mining and agriculture sector. [ID:nLDE70U1JG]

Such an investment would dwarf Zimbabwe's gross domestic product, which is
expected to be about $6 billion this year. [ID:nLDE70I24L]

But analysts say the announcement could be aimed at trying to prod wary
Western investors into sinking more money into Zimbabwe out of fear they
will lose ground to China.

A private weekly reported last week that Beijing had offered Zimbabwe $3
billion for vast platinum reserves but said the deal was likely to be
rejected by the government over its terms.

Yang will also meet Mugabe's governing partner and rival Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai in a visit that concludes on Friday. Yang then departs for
other African states.

He arrives at a time when political tension is rising in the troubled
country after a spate of violence led to mutual accusations of blame between
Mugabe's ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change.
[ID:nLDE717053]

Mugabe and his inner circle have been subject to Western sanctions since his
ZANU-PF party won re-election in 2000 after a violent campaign and began
seizures of white-owned farms.

China, which has ties with ZANU-PF from the 1970s, has been increasing its
investments, which however lag behind what Beijing invests in neighbouring
Mozambique, Zambia and Angola.

China's exports to Zimbabwe amounted to $159 million in 2010 while the
southern African country exported $57 million worth of goods, according to
official figures.

China urges West to lift Zimbabwe sanctions

http://news.yahoo.com

AFP

– 2 hrs 10 mins ago

HARARE (AFP) – Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Friday urged Western
countries to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe as he paid a visit to buttress ties
with the southern African nation.

"Let me be frank, we believe there should be lifting of sanctions by some
countries," Yang told journalists after meeting President Robert Mugabe and
senior government officials in Harare.

"China believes that Africa belongs to African countries and African people.
African people are their own masters and all the others are just guests.

"We believe all nations should respect each other's sovereignty and
territorial integrity."

The European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Mugabe and his
inner circle after presidential elections in 2002 that Western observers
charged were rigged to hand Mugabe victory.

Yang also called for strengthened relations with Zimbabwe, which he called a
"good brother".

"China and Zimbabwe have traditional friendship from the days of Zimbabwe's
liberation struggle. Since then our relationship has moved forward," he
said.

Mugabe commended China's support for Zimbabwe in the face of isolation by
its former trading partners in the West over charges of human rights
violations.

"Our relations have a long historical background of cooperation which saw us
before our independence being assisted by the Communist Party of China
invariously to build the capacity that we used to demolish colonialism
here," Mugabe said.

"We continue to interact in terms of development in other sectors. We still
want that co-operation to intensify."

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai also welcomed increased links with China,
saying both countries would benefit from sustaining their burgeoning
economic ties.

"On the economic side, China has various cooperation agreements with
Zimbabwe," Tsvangirai said after meeting Yang.

"China's record in Africa is one where Africa benefits. I am here to confirm
that there is definite benefit for Zimbabwe and China."

Yang and Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi signed an
agreement for a 50-million-yuan ($7.6-million, 5.6-million-euro) grant for
Zimbabwe, a government official who attended the closed-door meeting told
reporters.

Terms of the grant were not released.

Yang's visit comes weeks after Zimbabwe's investment promotion minister,
Tapiwa Mashakada, announced plans by the China Development Bank to fund
investments worth $10 billion in Zimbabwe's mining, agriculture and
infrastructure sectors.

Zimbabwe and China have political ties dating back to before Zimbabwe's
independence, when Beijing provided arms and training to guerrillas fighting
British colonial rule.

China has also been pivotal in protecting Zimbabwe at the United Nations. In
2008 China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution seeking sanctions against
Harare.

Amnesty calls for security and media reforms to end abuses

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
11 February, 2011

The global human rights group, Amnesty International, on Friday urged the
unity government in Zimbabwe to take immediate action to end the ongoing
human rights abuses and to urgently reform the security and media
institutions in the country.

Amnesty condemned the ZANU PF sponsored violence and the police refusal to
arrest perpetrators. The group also criticized SADC and the AU for ‘missing
every opportunity to end human rights violations in Zimbabwe’.

In a statement released on the second anniversary of the government of
national unity, Amnesty said they were concerned about the lack of progress
in implementing key reforms that would address the country’s “legacy of
human rights abuses”.

The recommendations were made by a team of Amnesty researchers who travelled
to Zimbabwe and witnessed incidents of violence. Simeon Mawanza who headed
the team, said he was particularly disturbed by a ZANU PF protest that took
place at Harare’s Town Hall.

“It was sanctioned by the police and riot police were there monitoring, yet
ZANU PF supporters attacked workers and innocent passersby. A high school
student was assaulted for taking a photo and a woman wearing an MDC t-shirt
was beaten and stripped. It was not peaceful. It turned violent, but no
arrests were made,” said Mawanza.

The researcher explained that this impunity makes the perpetrators believe
that they are above the law and it contributes to the escalating violence
countrywide.

Addressing the repeated occurrence of such incidents, the Amnesty statement
said: “It is an open secret that ZANU-PF supporters who use violence against
members of the public, or their perceived political opponents, are beyond
the reach of the law. Police have continued to selectively apply the law –
turning a blind eye to violations by ZANU-PF supporters while restricting
the work of human rights organisations and the activities of other political
parties.”

Mawanza criticized the unity government for the lack of progress in
reforming the media environment, saying promises were made to guarantee
freedom of expression. But he said: “No independent broadcaster has been
issued a license yet and newspaper vendors are still being attacked.”

Mawanza urged the African Union and SADC “to stop entertaining the bickering
between political parties” and focus on key issues that were agreed upon in
the GPA.

The full Amnesty statement can be found on our website at
www.swradioafrica.com

Police Quiz MDC Supporters Fleeing Violence

http://www.radiovop.com/

11/02/2011 08:51:00

Harare, February 11, 2011 - Police on Thursday quizzed another 61 Movement
for Democratic Change supporters, mainly women, who fled political violence
from the volatile Mbare suburb and are camped at the Roman Catholic owned
Silveira House, in Chishawasha, some few kilometers outside Harare.

In an alert issued on Thursday, rights group, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights (ZLHR) said two policemen who claimed to be stationed at Mabvuku
Police Station visited Silveira House and quizzed three pastors namely
Reverend Useni Sibanda, Reverend Wilson Mugabe and Reverend Josephat Umali.

The police sought explanations on why the fear stricken supporters had
sought shelter at Silveira House and whether they had come from Epworth, one
of the volatile areas, which has been engulfed by political violence as
well.

The police recorded the names of all the people, their identity particulars
and residential addresses.

The 61 people are part of the more than 100 who were raided by police and
briefly detained on Monday at a church premise in Harare's Glen Norah
suburb.

ZLHR also said in Mabvuku, four Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
agents and three policemen on Thursday quizzed Tsuro Makona of the Zimbabwe
National Network of People Living With HIV/Aids (ZNNP+) for organising a
Community Aids Forum, which the human rights organisation jointly convened
together with the African Regional Youth Initiative in the high density
suburb of Mabvuku. The meeting was disbanded as the CIO agents and the
police demanded to see a copy of the police clearance letter.

MDC Supporters Languishing In Prison

http://www.radiovop.com/

11/02/2011 12:56:00

Mutare, Februay 11, 2011 - Three MDC-T members from Tsvingwe area in
Penhalonga are languishing at Mutare Remand Prison from Monday after
prosecutor Fletcher Karombe invoked section 121 of the criminal law
codification and reform act to deny them bail.

Patrick Chikoti, Faith Mudiwa and Phillip Dowera are MDC-T members from
Tsvingwe area were arrested on allegations of acting in a disorderly order
which is likely to cause breach of peace. The three were singing anti Mugabe
songs during the burial of Anna Mateya, the Ward 21 vice chair-person.

Mutare magistrate Eniya Ndiraya had granted the three a US$100 bail but
Karombe appealed against the granting the three activists bail citing that
he was doing so to protect the MDC-T activists.

The three are said to have insulted President Robert Mugabe by singing
“Muoffice mune mboko ngatishande nesimba tiise President Tsvangirai”, a song
which suggested that Mugabe must be removed and replaced by Tsvangirai, the
current Main MDC faction leader and Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

The three who were represented by Peggy Tavagadza of the Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights will appear in court again on Monday when the magistrate
will review their bail application.

Looting And Grabbing Of Farms/Businesses- 'Dangerous and Satanic' - Chamisa

http://www.radiovop.com

11/02/2011 12:55:00

Harare, February 11, 2011 - Minister of Information, Communications and
Technology (ICTs) Nelson Chamisa has criticised the grabbing and looting of
farms and businesses by Zanu (PF) describing it as “dangerous and satanic”.

“Zanu (PF) behaves like somebody who sees a pregnant woman and wants to
court her and then leaves for another one," said Chamisa at a public debate
on the need for politicians holding office to declare their wealth organised
by Transparence International Zimbabwe (TIZ) on Thursday evening. "This
culture is unhealthy and as the MDC, we strongly condemn such kind of
behavior as it stalls development. People must not be addicted to ripping
where they did not sow,” he said.
He revealed that 44 Members of Parliament from his Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) party had already declared their assets to parliament. He also
said there was need for the country to come out with a people driven
constitution that provides for the compulsory declaration of assets by
public officials.

“As a people’s party of excellence, we want to advocate for the creation of
a genuine Anti-Corruption Commission that monitors public officials. In the
MDC everyone who is caught in the wrong side of the law faces the gallows
regardless of political stature,” he said.

The MP for Glen View, Willas Madzimure, who was also part of the meeting
urged members of the public not to fear their leaders whom they elect into
office.

“This tendency of fearing your own leaders has to stop since you are the
ones who elected them into office. People must have the power to ask those
in high offices how they accumulated their wealth in a short period of time.
I’m not afraid of being investigated since I’m clean,” he said in reference
to Minister of Local Government and National
Housing, Ignatius Chombo’s vast wealth that came to light following a bitter
divorce wrangle at the courts.

Goodson Nguni who was representing Zanu (PF) stunned members at the meeting
when he openly defended the Chombo’s wealth claiming that he was not
corrupt.

“Minister Chombo did not own most of the assets that her wife demanded at
the courts, actually some of the cars belong to the state,” he said much to
the amazement of the members of the public.

Some filthy rich Zanu (PF) legislators have been alleged to be lobbying
their colleagues in the party to desist from declaring their assets to
parliament fearing that poverty-stricken Zimbabweans would question how they
acquired their vast wealth.

The only senior and notable Zanu PF official who has declared his assets
since the beginning of the campaign late last year is Mwenezi East MP
Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, who is in the party’s politburo.

TIZ is a Non Governmental Organization that seeks to promote democracy and
openness in society and it has been operational in Zimbabwe since 1996.

Nguni also stunned the audience at the public debate meeting when he
suggested that there be an investigation of who owned safe houses used by
political violence victims belonging to MDC.

“We want to know who is paying the rates at the safe houses. As Zanu(PF) we
say that political parties should not be financed by the west. The safe
houses were bought by the Americans and the British and are in certain
individuals’ names,” he said.

Hundreds of MDC-T supporters have fled their homes in Mbare, Budiriro and
Epworth suburbs among other areas after political violence broke out.

On Monday night police raided church premises in Harare's Glen Norah suburb
where more than 100 MDC supporters aligned to Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai had sought refuge while on Wednesday police questioned
authorities at Silveira House in Chiwasha situated on the outskirts of
Harare for housing political violence victims that had also fled their
homes.

Mugabe refuses to fire deputy PM

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Tobias Manyuchi     Friday 11 February 2011

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe has refused to fire Deputy Prime Minister
Arthur Mutambara to pave way for Welshman Ncube, the new leader of the
breakaway MDC faction to take up the post.

Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga, secretary general of the splinter group
that pulled out of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s main MDC in 2005, told
reporters in Harare that Mugabe categorically refused to appoint Ncube as
deputy premier in place of Mutambara.

“We understand the position of President Mugabe to mean that it is not going
to happen that our (party) president (Ncube) is not going to be the Deputy
Prime Minister,” Misihairambwi-Mushonga said.

“President Mugabe has once again violated the GPA and he will continue to
violate the GPA. We understand that therefore there is not to be the
swearing in of president Ncube as Deputy Prime Minister."

The leaders of the three parties that form Zimbabwe’s unity are its top
leaders who often meet to discuss and resolve the most sensitive of its many
disputes and with Ncube excluded this could complicate matters in the
troubled coalition.

Mutambara was deposed as party president by Ncube at a congress last month
and a subsequent top-level meeting of the MDC faction recalled the deputy
prime minister and redeployed him to a lesser ministerial post.

But Mutambara – headhunted by Ncube to lead the MDC faction -- on Monday
vowed not to relinquish his position in government, arguing that there was
no law providing for a principal in the unity government to be recalled by
his party.

Mutambara’s position appears to have been bolstered by a splinter group in
the MDC faction that is challenging in court Ncube’s election as party
leader.

The fight between Ncube and Mutambara is not expected to alter the balance
of power between Mugabe’s ZANU PF and Tsvangirai’s MDC-T but is likely to
further weaken the smaller MDC faction ahead of elections that could take
place later this year or in early 2011.

The MDC splinter group managed 10 seats in the 2008 parliamentary
elections. -- ZimOnline

MDC-N says they have ‘donated’ Mutambara to ZANU PF

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
11 February 2011

The smaller faction of the MDC has given up on its attempts to have new
party leader Welshman Ncube sworn in as the Deputy Prime Minister, to
replace Arthur Mutambara who lost his position as party leader at their
congress last month.

After appearing to have stepped down gracefully Mutambara made a u-turn on
Monday, issuing a statement saying he did not recognize Ncube’s leadership
of the party. He vowed to remain as Deputy Prime Minister until the High
Court rules on an application challenging the validity of the congress that
elected Ncube.

On Wednesday Mutambara claimed to have fired Ncube from the party, using the
letter head of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to write his
statement. Ncube’s camp retaliated by holding an emergency meeting of their
National Council on Thursday, later holding a press conference to announce
they had fired Mutambara from the party.

MDC-N Secretary General, Priscilla Misihairabwi, said Ncube met Mugabe for a
second time this week, on Wednesday, and the ZANU PF leader made it clear
Mutambara was going nowhere. She revealed that Mugabe told Ncube
sarcastically; “You can tell your national council that mina (me) as Robert
Mugabe angifuni (I don’t want).” She also conceded that what Mugabe says,
carries the day.
“We are now saying, given Mugabe’s stance they (ZANU PF) can have that
position that was allocated to us, so that Mutambara becomes their Deputy
Prime Minister. We have effectively donated the DPM post and Mutambara to
Zanu PF,” she said.

"We want to give Arthur the position that he so desperately wants and
hopefully we will have less public fights than we are having, because we
know it’s driven by him wanting to be Deputy Prime Minister. He said it to
me personally," Mishairabwi said.

She added that the refusal to swear in Ncube as DPM was a violation of the
GPA and that Mugabe had done this before. “He promised that if Roy Bennett
was acquitted he would be sworn in as the Deputy Minister. We know that has
not happened,” she said. The MDC-N now wants the GPA to be amended to
reflect the new developments.

Developments this week mean there are now four factions of the MDC. The
MDC-T led by Tsvangirai, MDC-N (Ncube), MDC-M (Mutambara) and the MDC 99 led
by Job Sikhala. Some observers have noted that the common denominator in all
the splits is Welshman Ncube, who was Secretary General in the run up to
each split.

 

Keep Politics Out Of Schools - Coltart

http://www.radiovop.com

11/02/2011 08:52:00

Harare, February 11, 2011 - Education, Art, Sports and culture Minister
David Coltart has condemned Zanu (PF)’s violent activities which have spread
to the education sector where rowdy youths are demanding President Robert
Mugabe’s birth day gifts from teachers and school children.

“I have said consistently that schools should not be political battle
grounds, in any form or fashion that is why I put bans on any political
party using schools for political rallies," Coltart told Radio VOP on
Thursday.

He said it was wrong to coerce teachers, headmasters and worse still school
children to provide money for any political party activities. "I have always
said this contradicts our fundamental educational policy," he said.

“In a nutshell what I can say is that all political parties please stay away
from schools, please stop intimidating teachers, and stop disturbing
innocent school children, because you are spoiling their future," he said.

Zanu (PF) youths have been going to schools in Harare asking innocent school
children to donate US$1 each for President Robert Mugabe's 87th birthday
bash.

Minister Coltart admitted that the recent Harare political violence had
affected the education sector.

“Yes I have received reports of sporadic disturbances caused by violence,
incidences of teachers being forced to donate some cash, and it’s
unacceptable."

Coltart said continued disturbances in the country’s education sector would
reverse the gains the country had achieved over the past three decades.

Zimbabwe has one of the best literacy rate records in Africa but analysts
are worried that this impressive record could soon be thrown out of the
window if the youths are allowed to continue terrorising teachers and
headmasters.

SA court says detention of Zim asylum seekers unlawful

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
11 February 2011

A South African court has strongly criticised the Home Affairs Department’s
practice of arresting and detaining asylum seekers, without verifying their
status or allowing them access to the refugee system.

The North Gauteng High court handed down its judgement on Friday in a case
brought forward by the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF), ruling that Home Affairs’
treatment of asylum seekers was unconstitutional. The court said that “it is
simply untenable in a constitutional democracy that someone should have to
give up their liberty on account of administrative difficulties or
inefficiencies on the part of an organ of State.”

The case dates back to 2008, when a group of ZEF members was arrested
outside the Chinese embassy in South Africa, during a protest against a
shipment of arms through South African territory to Zimbabwe. The majority
of the 208 Zim nationals that were arrested at the protest had applied for
asylum in South Africa. But all those without documents proving their
asylum-seeking status were subsequently detained at the notorious Lindela
repatriation and detention facility for several months, before a court
ordered their release.

The situation shone a spotlight on the chaos in South Africa’s refugee and
asylum systems, where administrative problems and a massive backlog of
applications have left the systems in disarray. South African Home Affairs
officials have said they do not have the capacity to deal with the numbers
of people approaching them for asylum, leaving thousands of Zim nationals
and other foreigners at risk of prolonged detention and deportation.

As a result, the ZEF has continued its fight in court against the Home
Affairs Department’s unlawful policies and practices in detaining asylum
seekers. The court ruling on Friday confirmed this view and said that the
Department’s practices were not only unconstitutional, but also unlawful and
inconsistent with national and international refugee laws.

This includes the arrest and detention of asylum seekers who are still
waiting for permits, and the prolonged detention of asylum seekers in
immigration detention pending the outcome of permit applications. The court
also ruled that the practice of keeping such asylum seekers in immigration
detention, pending the appeal of unsuccessful permit applications, was also
unlawful and inconsistent with the Constitution. The practice of
re-arresting detainees upon their release after the mandatory 30 detention
period was also deemed unlawful.

“This judgment is consistent with the repeated findings of our courts that
the excessive use of immigration detention by Home Affairs in unlawful,
unconstitutional and a violation of our international obligations,” said
Jacob van Garderen, the National Director of Lawyers for Human Rights.

Van Garderen told SW Radio Africa that the judgement must be carefully and
seriously considered by the Department of Home Affairs, adding that it
should immediately release all asylum seekers who are presently being
detained. He said that Department also needs to revisit its policies on
immigration detention.

“We call on the Minister to carefully peruse the judgment and consider the
practices of immigration officials in terms of South Africa’s international
obligations and the Constitution,” van Garderen said.

The ruling comes as thousands of Zimbabwean nationals wait to hear if their
applications for legal South African permits are successful, with thousands
more set to face deportation in August. The authorities have extended their
moratorium on deportations until August, to allow more time for the Home
Affairs Department to adjudicate on the estimated 270 000 permit
applications it received last year. It is estimated that more than three
million Zim nationals live in South Africa, meaning a large portion of
Zimbabweans in South Africa could be deemed illegal in the coming months.

Migration experts meanwhile have asked the Department of Home Affairs to
clarify what will happen to Zimbabwe asylum seekers when the deportation
moratorium is lifted. Many asylum seekers gave up their asylum applications
to apply for permits instead. But the department has not yet confirmed if
unsuccessful applications can then reapply for asylum. The African Centre
for Migration and Society has warned that “if the applications are rejected,
they will be left undocumented and subject to refoulement, in violation of
international and domestic law.”

“Home Affairs has not stated whether those individuals who were forced to
give up their asylum seeker status to apply for these permits will be
permitted to re-enter the asylum system, or will be subject to deportation
in violation of the non-refoulement principle in international law,” the
group’s Roni Amit said.

The group last month released a report about the Zimbabwe Documentation
Process, and identified several shortcomings affecting the overall
administrative fairness of the process. They report said that “the
deficiencies could affect the fate tens of thousands and they set a poor
precedent for future permitting processes.”

Statement By The Civil Society Organisations

Zimbabwean Union Leader Wellington Chibebe Elected ITUC Deputy General Secretary

http://www.ituc-csi.org

11 February 2011: The ITUC General Council meeting in Brussels last week
unanimously elected Zimbabwean trade union leader Wellington Chibebe to the
position of Deputy General Secretary of the global trade union body.
Chibebe, 47, will complete his current term as General Secretary of the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and will join ITUC General
Secretary Sharan Burrow and Deputy General Secretary Jaap Wienen as a
full-time elected official after the ZCTU Congress later this year.

“Wellington Chibebe has an outstanding record as a leader in Zimbabwe,
defending workers rights and campaigning for democracy, and is a
highly-respected trade unionist both in Africa and around the world. We look
forward to his talent, energy and commitment being deployed as a key part of
our international team,” said Burrow.

The General Council also admitted five new organisations into ITUC
membership: the Confédération des Syndicats Autonomes of Cameroon (CSAC);
Confédération Nationale des Travailleurs of the Central African Republic
(CNTC); the Unión Nacional de Trabajadores of Chile (UNT); the Confédération
Nationale des Travailleurs of Mauritania (CNTM) and the Trade Union Congress
of Tanzania (TUCTA).

Other major items on the Council agenda included a decision to launch a
global campaign to press telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom to fully
respect fundamental workers’ rights in all its operations around the globe,
and special resolutions on climate change, sustainable economic recovery
migration and precarious and informal work . Resolutions on Egypt, where the
ITUC announced a global trade union day of action on 8 February and Tunisia,
were also passed, along with a “Workers’ Pact for Peace and Justice in
Palestine and Israel” which sets out steps for achieving a two-state
solution and for building the Palestinian economy in line with the
Resolution on Democracy, Peace, Security and the Role of the United Nations
adopted at the ITUC Vancouver Congress last June.

Detailed work-plans to implement the decisions of the Vancouver Congress
were also adopted, along with new guidelines for trade union development
cooperation work, campaign action to support employment and trade union
rights for young workers, and an international organising programme for
young women.

Zapu is here to stay, get used to it

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

11/02/2011 00:00:00
    by Methuseli Moyo

THERE is a growing trend that whenever Zapu holds a successful meeting or
makes a move, the media suddenly publishes attacks on our party under the
guise of critiques.

Zapu held a very successful meeting at Nkulumane Hall on Sunday last week.
Hell broke loose, literally, the moment we did a news release about our
meeting.

NewsDay suddenly carried a very curious letter to the editor by someone who
questioned both the timing of the revival of Zapu, and Dr Dumiso Dabengwa’s
suitability to lead Zapu.

Last week’s issue of the Zimbabwe Independent carried an analysis by my
colleague Dumisani Nkomo, the CEO of Habakkuk Trust, who raised what he
thought were factors militating against Zapu in the contemporary political
scheme.

Nkomo’s article was to some extent balanced, though it lacked slant. As for
the NewsDay letter, it sounded as if it was written by a frustrated MDC-T
fan who fears that Zapu’s revival means trouble for his/her party and Zanu
PF, who want to limit political competition between themselves. Maybe the
two analysts’ views, anxieties, fears and advice is justified and needs
answers.

Why Zapu? Why now? Why Dabengwa? These questions seem to still linger in the
minds of some among us and need to be answered. The pleasing fact though is
that very few still ask these questions anymore.

For starters, Zapu is the founder and authentic liberation movement of
Zimbabwe, and therefore has a legitimate right to be a political player in
this country, just like Zanu, the MDCs, Mavambo, and many other parties that
exist. The reason why we have revived Zapu now is simply because the
environment is ripe and full of all possibilities.

In the first place why did Zapu join Zanu-PF? We all know that Zapu was
force-marched by Zanu PF through Gukurahundi to surrender itself to a
splinter movement, literally at gunpoint. Such a scenario was bound to
collapse the moment it is not possible to repeat Gukurahundi. And we believe
it is not possible to repeat Gukurahundi now.

Secondly, Zanu PF is at its weakest since 1980. In fact the pullout of Zapu
has further weakened Zanu PF. Instead of begrudging Zapu, one thinks the
analysts would recognise this and congratulate us for having done major
structural damage to Zanu PF.

Thirdly, Zapu and Zanu’s ideologies have always been different. Even within
present day Zanu PF itself, it is clear for instance that the mentality of
John Nkomo, Simon Khaya, and Kembo Mohadi for example, is different from
that of the original Zanu characters such as Robert Mugabe, Webster Shamu
and crew. As a result, the majority of Zapu supporters or people who would
normally be expected to be Zapu supporters never supported the unity accord.
It was part of the Zapu leadership that joined Zanu PF. So why continue with
something that our supporters do not like?

Fourthly, Zapu believes this is the right time to come out and stand alone
because the country is at crossroads and at the verge of a major political
development to take us to a post-Mugabe era. Mugabe turns 87 this month. He
has clearly lost energy. Even by his own admission, his absence from office
is now ritually associated with his death or ill health. Those with eyes and
ears see and hear what is happening and are mobilising themselves for any
eventuality.

Anyone intelligent enough can see and hear that one way or the other, Mugabe
is going to go sooner or later  through any of the following – electoral
defeat, incapacity or death, whichever occurs first. We at Zapu don’t want
to be found wanting when the inevitable happens. We have learnt from our 21
years of the accord with Zanu PF that trusting somebody else with your
destiny may be dangerous. We do not want to repeat the same mistake again
with anyone, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T included.

Fifth, and most importantly, when everything else (ZUM, Forum, Zapu 2000,
Zapu FP, MDC, MDC-T and Mavambo) has failed, it is perhaps wise to go back
to the original thing – Zapu. After all, Zapu has got all the necessary
institutional memory, capacity, experience and real connection with the
masses to be able to confront the monster called Zanu PF. We have ex-freedom
fighters, ex-army officers, ex-cabinet ministers, and ex-Zanu-PF politburo
and central committee members who know exactly what Zanu PF is and how it
operates and are able to counter act.

Zapu’s Zipra shared trenches with the ANC’s Umkhonto Wesizwe, and Dabengwa
knows and is known by all the veterans in the ANC government, including
Msholozi himself, and indeed has friends all over Africa. Dabengwa is Zapu’s
key to SADC, AU and indeed the rest of the world. Parence Shiri, Phillip
Valerio Sibanda, Constantine Chiwenga, Happyton Boyongwe, Paradzai Zimondi,
just to mention a few, have saluted Dabengwa before and cannot turn around
and say they will never salute him. Put simply, Dabengwa is the right man
for the job at hand.

Dabengwa was one of the first Zimbabweans to undergo military training and
hold a gun for fight for independence. He is the only “Black Russian” in the
world. He was one of the pillars around which Zipra – that mighty outfit –
was built. He is a man who has always spoken – at times quietly – against
injustice everywhere. This is the man who refused to be made a Major General
in the army at integration because Solomon Mujuru and Lookout Masuku, who
were made Lieutenant Generals to General Peter Walls, were his juniors whom
he trained.

Zapu supporters believe God has spared Dabengwa’s life up to this point for
a purpose. For 17 years he was the most wanted person by the Rhodesian
regime, was imprisoned by Mugabe on false charges for almost five years, and
survived all this. The man has been literally through the needle’s eye
several times. He is a gift to Zapu and a phenomenon to those who follow
struggles around the world.

The argument that Dabengwa was in Zanu PF and was Home Affairs Minister up
to year 2000 is pretentious and inconsistent. How come people who set up and
managed the Fifth Brigade which killed more than 20,000 people were called
heroes until recently? How about those who were active and known Zanu PF
youth wing members during Gukurahundi like Tsvangirai?

Someone once told me that Tsvangirai was part of Zanu youths who stoned Zapu
president Joshua Nkomo’s motorcade during the 1985 election campaign in
Bindura. My informer swore that he was very serious because they were
together with Tsvangirai in Zanu PF at that time. I am bringing this up to
remind us that when you are pointing a finger at someone (in this case
Dabengwa), the other four fingers are pointing at you.

If it was good for Tsvangirai to be a member of Zanu PF during Guklurahundi,
it was also good for Dabengwa to be a member of Zanu PF in 2000. We need to
be consistent. There is a sickening tendency in Zimbabwe to blame
individuals, usually from Matabeleland, for collective actions of
government. Gukurahundi was blamed on Enos Nkala when we know that he was
just an individual who did not do as much as Mugabe, Shiri, Emmerson
Mnangagwa and other Zanu leaders from the other side did.

Jonathan Moyo is the only one to blame for AIPPA. Dabengwa is the one to
blame for Patrick Nabanyama’s disappearance.

Obert Mpofu is to blame for all the corruption in Zimbabwe. Joshua Malinga
is to blame for all the tribalism in Zimbabwe.

Who is to blame now for the violence that is rocking Harare and Chitungwiza?
Suddenly it is not the co-ministers of Home Affairs because there is Theresa
Makone. There have been several ministers of information after Moyo but at
times one gets the impression that people deliberately ignore all these
facts when they talk about AIPPA.

If Makone is not to blame for the murders, kidnappings and torture being
perpetrated currently, Dabengwa would not be the one to blame for things
that happened in the run-up to the 2000 elections. We salute Dabengwa’s
decision to leave government in 2000. Otherwise he would still be blamed for
everything else that happened afterwards.

Then there is the silly theory that Dabengwa and Makoni “prevented”
Tsvangirai and his MDC-T from winning the 2008 harmonised elections. The sad
reality is that Tsvangirai’s Mugabe-like winner-take-all mentality, and not
Dabengwa, cost him. Tsvangirai, like Mugabe, wanted to use his big brother
mentality to bulldoze the other MDC and indeed Mavambo to unite with him at
his own terms and this was refused.

It is not Dabengwa’s problem that Tsvangirai was not intelligent enough to
realise that he needed the so-called smaller parties more than they needed
him. Even then, Tsvangirai had the opportunity to contest Mugabe alone in
the run-off and he developed jelly knees and fled to Botswana. We need an
indoda sibili to deal with Mugabe. There was no Dabengwa or Makoni in the
run-off and Tsvangirai was cowed by Zanu-PF’s violence.

The situation is even more complex for Tsvangirai now. He needs all of us if
he and his party are to live after the next polls. I always fear Tsvangirai
would have continued from where Mugabe left if he had managed to be
president and Zapu supporters would have continued to see fire under the new
Mugabe. Zimbabwe does not need another one-party government. When Mugabe
goes, we all must go in as equals.

Then there is the nonsense that Zapu will “disturb” MDC-T. To me, it is like
someone saying he wants to kill a buffalo alone because he has a dozen
knobkerries, and does not want someone with a machine gun to shoot the
buffalo, simply because he has been chasing after the buffalo the whole day
and it is now tired. Everyone, whether armed with a knobkerrie or gun, must
be allowed to kill the buffalo. There will be plenty meat for all of us when
the buffalo has been killed. We need every hand to deal with Zanu PF, from
all fronts.

If for instance MDC retains its 100 or so seats, and Zapu eats into Zanu PF’s
share of seats and takes away 30, would that not be the end of Zanu PF? MDC
in my view must view Zapu as an ally and not a foe.

For those saying Zapu must “wait”, our answer is that we are tired of
waiting. Zapu prosecuted the struggle only to wait for 30 years to get into
power, and is now expected to wait for another 30 years for another party to
rule, to make it six decades of waiting. No ways. This time around
tirikupinda tese/singena kanye kanye (we are entering into power together).
In any case, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that the time
for an all-powerful “national” party  has ended. It is now each one for
himself.

I could not help laughing reading Nkomo’s article when he implied Mugabe and
Tsvangirai were “charismatic”, and Zapu did not have a charismatic leader,
in apparent reference to Dr Dabengwa. Tsvangirai and Mugabe are nowhere near
being charismatic. Mugabe is forceful, manipulative and Machiavellian. As
for Tsvangirai, I will not say much except to say that short, chubby and not
so lookable people can never be charismatic, worse if they do no sound
intelligent. That is precisely the reason why the chap is not and will not
be president of this country. His personal shortcomings are the reason why a
once popular outfit like the MDC has for a decade failed to dislodge a
dejected, tired, compromised and discredited party from power.

Admittedly, Dabengwa is not charismatic. Soldiers are not supposed to be
charismatic. Our Black Russian is polite, humble, brave, patient, tactful,
thoughtful, experienced, talks when necessary, respectable, respects, and
dignified. It is these qualities that make us believe he is the right man to
lead Zapu in the current circumstances. With his guidance, the next
generation of Zapu leadership will certainly be able to takeover at our next
congress.

As for Tsvangirai, he owes his progress thus far to our hatred for Mugabe
and Zanu PF, and the massive international support he received from powerful
nations. Give 10 percent of the resources that have been availed to MDC to
Zapu and Mugabe will be history. The MDC-T’s main barrier to power has not
only been Zanu PF’s tactics, but also the MDC’s own lack of tactics and
solid leadership. Even if Zapu and other forces were to close shop and let
MDC-T face Zanu PF alone, that would not help because Zanu will simply
refuse to go like they did in March 2008. And there is nothing in the MDC to
scare Zanu PF.

However, if Zanu PF found itself without a majority in the legislature and
Zapu was part of the parties which constitute the majority, that would pose
problems for the former ruling party. We are tired of giving the MDC
victories that do not translate to power.

Some of the issues raised by Nkomo’s article referred to above, such as his
allegation that there is perception that Zapu is a Zanu PF project, have
been proven by the short time since the revival of Zapu that our party is a
thorn in the wrong place for Zanu-PF, and both MDCs of-course. No one in
Zanu PF, including the trigger-happy Mugabe himself, has the guts to treat
Zapu with the same contempt they do the MDCs. And that is not our problem.
We have earned the respect of our opponents because of our history, conduct
and profile. That is why it is unimaginable that a police officer would take
his baton stick and whip Dabengwa until his face gets deformed the way they
did to Tsvangirai in 2007. Let someone try that, and we see what happens
next.

There are some people who think that the fact Zanu PF has for now not acted
in any major violent way towards Zapu means that Zapu and Zanu are friends.
We are not. It is a case of both sides being cautious and reserving their
energies for harder times. You don’t start a war unnecessarily with a
formidable enemy when you can avoid it. Zanu PF has been clever in that
regard. That is why they have ordered the government-owned media they
control never to write about Zapu. We have not complained because that gives
us the chance to do our things away from unnecessary media interference.
That is why people get surprised when they hear that Nkulumane Hall was full
to the brim with Zapu members attending an inter-branch meeting.

Then there is the funny theory that Zapu is a regional or tribal party. If
Zapu is a Ndebele party because it is led by a Ndebele person, then MDC-T is
a Karanga party and Zanu PF is a Zezuru party. So we are all tribal parties.
So where is the problem? If half-a-loaf is better than nothing, then an inch
of a country is better than everything. Zapu has nothing in terms of
territory for now. Capture of any part of Zimbabwe, whether a district,
province or region would be a huge bonus. We will not lose any sleep over
remarks that ours is a regional or tribal party.

Dumisani Nkomo also said his perception was that Zapu criticised MDCs more
than we did with Zanu PF. Yes. While we believe Zanu PF is beyond redemption
and we do not expect them to ever change, we are worried that the MDCs,
especially the one with Tsvangirai’s surname, has since 2005 become a new
Zanu PF in outlook and character. Also, the MDCs occupy what was
traditionally Zapu’s territory. We have to get that territory from the party
that is occupying it, the MDCs, and not Zanu PF.

Again, the MDCs are trying hard to counter Zapu in those areas, while Zanu
PF has given up. It is also important to remember that the MDC is now in
government and therefore a ruling party that must be criticised just like
Zanu PF. The problem with the MDCs is that they put themselves in a
situation where they are not able to define if they are ruling or opposition
parties under the high-sounding but very loose GPA.

It clear to all and sundry that Zapu, even at this point, is an effective
political party which Zimbabwe badly needs to counter Zanu PF’s bully-boy
tendencies. Members of the white community in some areas have come forward
to work with the party because they realise that Zapu may be a small but
vicious dog. We have been able in many instances, especially in the
Matabeleland region, to stop people from elsewhere being bussed by Zanu PF
to invade the few remaining commercial farms.

Despite all the support the white people gave to MDC, the party could do
nothing when Zanu PF disposed them of the land, and now wants to dispossess
them of their firms in the cities. Zapu is clearly a strong and effective
opposition party, even at its infancy.

Finally, we need Zapu to recover all the properties that our party and our
Zipra veterans bought but were forcibly taken by Zanu PF and given to
government or Zanu PF activists. We have realised that none but ourselves
can push our agenda. No one from the two MDCs has ever opened their mouth to
say Zipra and Zapu must be given back their properties

Contrast that to the matter of Mutumwa Mawere, an individual who lost his
assets to Zanu PF, and the MDC-T has gone out of its way to support his
fight to repossess the companies. We have revived Zapu because we need
Magnet House in Bulawayo, and Snake Park in Harare, with all our snakes,
back to Zapu. We are as aggrieved as Mawere.

Zapu invested in its future and has assets and a culture that perpetuates
itself, and will therefore never die. Dumisani Nkomo is therefore obviously
wrong to ask if Zapu is not a party for the past. We are a party for the
past, present and future. Zapu will outlive most of the parties, because
most of them were never founded on any tangible ideological background.

Let me take this opportunity to remind all Zimbabweans that Zapu was formed
on December 17, 1961, and this year is our Golden Jubilee. Fifty years is no
joke. Expect to hear more about this as we move towards December 17, 2011.
How we wish the elections could be held during the year of our Golden
Jubilee.

Methuseli Moyo is Zapu's director of marketing and communications

Welshman Ncube: sins of the fathers

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

11/02/2011 00:00:00
    by Dinizulu Mbikokayise Macaphulana

“No matter how well the hen dances,” says a Ugandan proverb, “the fox will
never admire her” because for fox, the hen is just a meal whose talents must
never go beyond filling his tummy.

This proverbial predicament of the talented hen whose gifts are ignored
while her value as the fox’s delicious meal is upheld compares interestingly
to the political and historical predicament that confronts Welshman Ncube in
Zimbabwe today.

He is being told in all manner of words and signs that in spite of being
mandated to assume the leadership of his party and the position of political
principal and that of deputy prime minister, he cannot do so. All sorts of
legal and political confabulations are being erected to block his
ascendancy, for no other good reason except that he is Welshman, surnamed
Ncube.

A loose translation of Lovemore Majaivanna’s classic song “Isono Sami”
bespeaks as much as the above Ugandan Ocholi proverb. “No matter how well I
dance, even if I go across oceans, whatever it is that I do well,” sings
Majaivana, “they won’t publish my story because my one and only sin is being
Zwangendaba.”

It is this historical, cultural and political sin of being “Zwangendaba”
that pursues Ncube like the Biblical curse of the sin of the fathers that is
punished upon their grandchildren. It is very easy to look at this as Ncube’s
problem or even to see him as the author of his own demise, but a close
Socratic scrutiny of the matter shows that the sin of being “Zwangendaba”
dogs all personalities of Ndebele bearing in Zanu PF, MDC-T, and even
outside the perimeters of politics -- in schools, universities, companies
and sporting organisations.

It is not a joke. It is a serious historical, cultural, spiritual and
political question that begs an urgent answer. It is a problem that will not
commit suicide but must be confronted and killed once and for all. It is an
invitation to deep thought and emergency corrective action that cannot be
postponed. It must not be called by any other name, nickname or euphemism
but its correct and honest description of anti-Ndebele tribalism that
punctuates the politics of Zanu PF and MDC-T in Zimbabwe.

I will, at this juncture, digress a little for illustrative purposes, after
all, the curse of the sin of the fathers is not unique to the Ndebele
people, but it is uniform to all feared, hated, and marginalised minorities
in the world.

Sometime ago in imperial America which did not only enslave but cemented the
bricks of her civilisation with the blood of black people rose Marcus Mosiah
Gurvey. He built a giant ship called the black star liner in preparation to
“ship out” the blacks back to Africa, since America was refusing to “shape
up” to the needs of the African Americans. In fear, anger and hatred, the
system infiltrated Gurvey’s group, manufactured fraud charges against him,
damned, jailed and finished him.

Later on, there rose Martin Luther King Junior, a hair-raising Christian
orator who shook the world with his “dream” of togetherness between blacks
and whites in America. His teachings amounted to Christian “turn the other
cheek” strategy. Angered by his compelling truths, growing popularity and
spectacular talents, the system did not only record his various bedroom
operations (remember Pius Ncube) but his life ended with a bullet to the
head.

Then came Malcolm X, a fiery Islamic speaker of the militant category. X
preached “an eye for an eye” and argued that it was impossible to confront
the “extreme” violence of American racism with “moderation”. He urged blacks
to shoot back to the Ku Klux Klan. Malcolm X also died under a hail of
bullets.

Earlier on, as a student of agile intellect, X had disclosed to his teacher
that he wished to be a lawyer by profession. The white teacher was taken
aback. He advised X to try bricklaying or other professions that were equal
to his station of race and class, not law, a preserve of the white and
privileged.

There you have it, patient reader. The blacks were the Zwangendabas of the
American system. They were not supposed to aspire above what was cut out for
them. They were to be labourers and not leaders. They were what legendary
British investigative journalist John Pilger calls “the unpeople” who always
must be underlings and ladders upon which the masters of destiny must climb
and that is it, they are residents of the peripheries of mainstream
political and historical happenings whose talents can be enjoyed without
their benefit.

Let us return, dear reader, to the Zimbabwean political and historical
theatre of the macabre, where the “Zwangendabas” and “unpeople” of Ndebele
label are playing out their own encounters with the self appointed first
borns of historical and political destiny who occupy the high echelons of
Zanu PF and MDC-T leadership.

The late Joshua Nkomo, perhaps the greatest paragon of the Zimbabwean
struggle against colonialism, died a broken and finished man. Nkomo was told
that he is “father Zimbabwe” which title I still insist was a cruel nickname
given to him by his enemies who wanted him to cling to nationalism while
they resorted to opportunistic tribalism.

For rightfully aspiring to lead Zimbabwe, Nkomo invited hell for himself and
all the Ndebele people. “Father Zimbabwe” left the country through a rabbit
exit as Mugabe’s Gukurahundi hounds came for his life and many lives of his
disarmed followers. The “chibwe chitedza” and “father of the nation” had to
scamper for dear life as “the father of the dissidents” that Mugabe called
him in parliament.

And who were the dissidents? This writer attended a school in Bubi, where
the “dissidents” came wearing deliberately torn and dirty clothes and raped
our teachers. These “dissidents” spoke English with a now familiar accent.
The following day, the same dissidents came, wearing new army fatigues, in
hot pursuit of yesterday’s dissidents. We were toddlers at primary school,
but we were not fooled. The dissidents were soldiers and soldiers were
dissidents, with a sole mission to stop the “Zwangendabas” and the
 “unpeople” from ascending to the leadership of Zimbabwe.

There is also good Gorden Moyo. He worked so hard for the victory of the
MDC-T in Bulawayo, to the extent of creating an entire Progressive Residents’
Association to campaign for Tsvangirai and unseat MDC. Gorden Moyo even
uttered vows that certain politicians were not to see parliament as long as
he lived. He even attended the all important “Botswana meeting” where some
MDC parliamentarians were “persuaded” to rebel and to break the MDC for all
time.

Recently, when Gorden announced his wishes to be elected into some top
office within MDC-T, he was reminded that he is not MDC-T enough to go that
far. They enjoyed his efforts in manufacturing their victory and rewarded
him with a ministerial post and now they cannot endure his wish to rise to
influential ranks. He is a “Zwangendaba” and also very “unpeople” in the
eyes of the system that is now using the same people that Gorden campaigned
for to remind him to keep his political station.

Thokozani Khupe is the vice-president to Morgan Tsvangirai in the MDC-T and
she is the deputy prime minister. In the party and in government, she
deputises Tsvangirai but she has to live with the interesting reality that
Tendai Biti is called MDC-T “number two”. If Biti is Tsvangirai “second in
command”, what is Thokozani Khupe?  She is a shadow -- a ceremonial and
symbolic place holder like a decimal in arithmetic. She too is “unpeople”
and a “Zwangendaba”.

These realities show the difference between Zanu PF and MDC-T to be similar
to that of Castle Lager from Castle Lite -- different levels of fermentation
and alcoholic concentration, but the same ingredients and flavor.

Professor Jonathan Moyo, the man from Tsholotsho, cannot escape mention in
this article. Mugabe is happy to have him back in Zanu PF because of his
many “talents”. His “talents” are well understood to mean his industry at
political strategy and his ability to command words as if he created them.

Moyo does hammer and chisel words into such a shape that delivers old ideas
as if they were novel discoveries of today. Words obey him, and he is a
champion of politispeak. Any political party will be happy to have him.

For all his talents and service to Zanu PF, Moyo did not create Zanu PF, nor
has he been in there for very long, yet all the sins of Zanu PF have been
heaped upon him. He is said to have single handedly sat down in his closet,
drafted and enacted AIPPA and POSA. There are senior Zanu PF politicians who
have commanded genocidal brigades and overseen the slaughter of many
innocents, but these are tolerated.

For being a spokesperson of the regime for that period, all the sins of Zanu
PF rest on Moyo’s political shoulders. Yet there are many who have served
Zanu PF bigger, bolder and longer than Moyo including the now political
“angels” like Pachedu Roy Bennett who fundraised and rallied for the
genocidal Zanu PF government for years but are now delivering lectures in
Paris on the evils of the same party.

I have been confronted by angry Tsvangirai supporters who charge that I
unnecessarily bundle Tsvangirai together with Mugabe and criticise him
without observing that he is far better than Mugabe. I refuse that
suggestion. Ronald Roberts Suresh in No Cold Kitchen, an unauthorised
biography of anti-apartheid Nobel Prize winning novelist Nadine Gordimer,
accuses her of being “weirdly positioned as one wanting to undo racial
distance while remaining a beneficiary of that distance.”

It is the same with Tsvangirai, while he is happy to win awards presenting
himself as Mugabe’s formidable opponent; he is not showing himself willing
to abandon the benefits of the genocidal system that Mugabe and Zanu PF have
established in Zimbabwe. He carries himself more like a Zanu PF reformist or
faction leader than one who wishes to overthrow the system. Angry Tsvangirai
and Mugabe’s supporters should also know that I do not write to make friends
but to expose what I see as truths.

The political spectacle that is ensuing around Welshman Ncube is not an
accident but an incident deliberately and conspiratorially occasioned by the
anti-Ndebele system of tribalism in Zimbabwean politics. Notice how two
weeks ago, Mugabe’s parrot and poet Nathaniel Manheru was accusing Ncube of
having been “a negotiator without a principal” and for the first time
praising Mutambara as “his own man”.

Tsvangirai was also lionised by Manheru as a political “big boy” which was
also a first. This was a deliberate effort by the system to fertilise the
political landscape in Zimbabwe for resistance to Ncube’s ascendancy. Just
notice Mugabe’s response “only if Mutambara resigns” otherwise “we cannot
remove him.” It is now clearer than before that Priscilla Misihairabwi’s
argument that there is an enduring fear of Ndebele leadership in Zimbabwe is
a valid conclusion.

Joubert Mudzumwe and others were sponsored and encouraged to mount that
legal challenge to give the system an excuse to block Ncube’s rise. No doubt
Ncube is a formidable politician of robust intellectual stamina and agile
emotional intelligence who is equal to this challenge.

The political lesson that can be gleaned from this unfortunate attempt by
tribalists in Zimbabwe to block the political ascendancy of a deserving and
capable politician is that the separatists and divisionists in Zimbabwe are
not as commonly alleged in Matabeleland but they are in Harare and in
government. What Mthwakazi Lliberation Front and others are doing is to
react to the separatism and divisionism.

There is no doubt any more that what is happening around Welshman Ncube in
Zimbabwe is a bold attempt to fulfill the dictates of the infamous 14 paged
1979 nine tribal manifesto that clearly spells out how the Ndebele people
must be undermined in all spheres of Zimbabwean life.

Dinizulu Mbikokayise Macaphulana is a Zimbabwean journalist who is studying
in Lesotho, he is contactable on e-mail: dinizulumacaphulana@yahoo.com

Why Owen and not Yvonne?

A letter from the diaspora

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by The Zimbabwean
Friday, 11 February 2011 15:24

Thanks to Cathy Buckle’s Family and Friends letter last week I now know how
the ZTV is covering – or rather, not covering – events in Egypt. In this age
of mass communications it is despicable that a public broadcaster can
abandon all objectivity and actually conceal real news from the public
because it is not in the interests of the ruling party to hear about popular
unrest on the African continent. The Herald, too, in its craven support of
Mugabe and his Zanu PF resorts to downright lies in their efforts to
besmirch Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC claiming that the opposition is about
to unleash a Cairo style mass demonstration against the government. This
week Harare was rocked by looting of foreign-owned businesses by known Zanu
PF supporters escorted by the police who once again demonstrated their
abject failure to uphold law and order. We are told that the looted
businesses were owned by people from Nigeria, Ghana and the DRC. Interesting
that Chinese-owned businesses were not included in the looting spree; no
doubt the revelation that the Chinese government is about to inject $US 10
billion into the Zimbabwean economy in exchange for a platinum deal had
something to do with that! Speaking in Marondera, Saviour Kasukuwere added
his familiar racist spin, saying, “The indigenization programme should
benefit people with black skin only.”
All over the country, violence against the opposition has been  stepped up
in an attempt to prove that the MDC is about to mount a mass protest against
the 86 year old dictator in Harare. VOA reported a senior ZRP officer
telling the ZBC, “The situation in Egypt will never be tolerated anywhere in
Zimbabwe. We want to assure the nation that we are fully prepared for such
violent activities and our officers are already on the ground to ensure
peace and tranquillity prevails in the country.” Civic society too has been
under attack this week. On Wednesday the Executive Director of the Human
Rights Forum, Abel Chikomo, was detained along with two other officials and
held for six hours of interrogation about the objectives of the Human Rights
Forum. The purpose behind these daily assaults on civil liberties in
Zimbabwe is very clear: to engender paralysing fear in every sector of
society; newspaper vendors  beaten up for selling independent papers and
ordinary MDC members detained for no reason other than to deter them from
legitimate civic action. It is a pattern Zimbabweans are very familiar with
in the run-up to elections. Through it all, Robert Mugabe remains silent and
his silence surely denotes consent while his thugs on the ground attempt to
silence all dissent.
Yet it does not take very much intelligence to see that what is happening in
Cairo is precisely the result of such oppression. Like Zimbabwe, Egypt has
suffered for three decades under a ruler who has become increasingly
autocratic. Like Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak was once the people’s hero but, as
his speech last night showed he has completely lost touch with the grass
roots. Even for a non-Arabic speaker, what was very clear from his address
was the patronising tone he adopted toward the thousands gathered in Tahrir
Square and in towns and cities all over Egypt. As their protest entered its
seventeenth day his only words were, in essence, that he knew what was best
for Egypt and he would not leave until he was ready to go. I was struck by
the comment of one observer that the median age of the demonstrators was 24
and the roar of anger that went up from the crowd showed how they reacted to
the ‘father’ or should it be ‘grandfather’ of the nation, an 82 year old
man, telling them that he knew what was best for them and that they should
all just go home as if they were naughty children. With that speech, I
believe, Mubarak has brought about his own demise. As with all
dictatorships, the role of the army is crucial but by today, Friday
lunchtime, there are as yet no signs that the military are prepared to fire
on the protesters. What makes the protest in Egypt so remarkable is that it
has been entirely peaceful. Armed with nothing more than their voices and
placards the thousands of demonstrators from all walks of life have proved,
in the words of the old anti-apartheid slogan, that ‘A people united can
never be divided’
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH. author of Sami’s Story, an account of
Murambatsvina as seen through the eyes of a young boy, available on
Lulu.com.