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Cautious optimism meets Zim deal

http://www.mg.co.za

Jan 31 2009 09:03

South Africa on Friday welcomed the Zimbabwean opposition's decision to join
a unity government, saying it paved the way for challenges to be tackled and
for free and fair elections.

"The formation of the inclusive government in Zimbabwe will help lay the
foundation for the people of Zimbabwe to begin to address current challenges
facing their country," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

A unity government will also allow Zimbabwe to prepare "the ground for the
creation of conditions for the holding of free and fair elections in the
future".

The statement followed a decision earlier on Friday by the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change to agree to join a unity government next
month.

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki brokered the power-sharing deal
signed by Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai in September, which stalled almost as soon as it was signed and
led to months of mediation.

Mbeki meanwhile "described this development as a major step forward," his
spokesperson said in a statement.

"The facilitator looks forward to the implementation of all SADC decisions
and has been assured of the parties' commitment in this regard," the
statement added.

South Africa currently chairs the 15-member Southern African Development
Community (SADC) which on Tuesday gave the feuding parties until
mid-February to set up a new government.

"We are unequivocal, we will go into this government," said Tsvangirai
almost one year after disputed polls that plunged the country into crisis.

"The SADC has decided and we are bound by that decision," he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the decision, while also pressing
for crucial development in Zimbabwe.

Ban urged the new government "to take all necessary measures to address the
humanitarian and economic crises in the country and respect democratic
freedoms", his office said in a statement.

The Zimbabwean government welcomed the decision, saying the opposition was
moving away from outside influence.

"We welcome it, we expected them to do that," said Information Minister Paul
Mangwana..

"We are happy that for the first time they have now recognised themselves as
Zimbabweans and we are happy that they are shifting from external influence
and have started to reason like Zimbabweans," Mangwana said.

Mugabe has long accused the MDC of being a tool of Britain and the United
States, whose governments are opposed to his regime.

Both countries offered up restrained hope in response to the announcement on
Friday.

"I've seen the reports about this agreement, but as you can understand, we
are a bit skeptical. These types of things have been announced before," US
State Department acting spokesperson Robert Wood
said.

"The key is always implementation," he added.

An equally tempered reaction emerged from London, where British Foreign
Secretary David Miliband said he looked forward to seeing details of a deal
that would hold Zimbabwean lawmakers accountable.

"The new government will be judged on its actions, above all by the people
of Zimbabwe," he said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner welcomed the MDC decision and
called for the release of imprisoned opposition militants and human rights
supporters.

Zimbabwe has been in meltdown since Tsvangirai pushed Mugabe into second
place in first-round elections, before pulling out of the run-off citing
violence against his supporters.

Mugabe in June declared a one-sided victory to govern a country where more
than half the population is in need of food aid and inflation was last
officially announced at 231-million percent.

The country has been further crippled by a cholera outbreak that has claimed
more than 3 000 lives. - AFP


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Tsvangirai sets out his terms


From The Star (SA), 31 January

Abductees must be released before the February 11 swearing-in

Addressing the largest spontaneous demonstration seen in Harare in years,
Zimbabwe's prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday told a
surging crowd that his Movement for Democratic Change was at last entering
into a unity government with President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF. The
crowd, growing each minute until several streets were blocked, roared their
approval. A vehicle carrying helmeted and armed riot police made its way
through the demonstration. But instead of taking out their truncheons to
beat people up, a dozen of them grinned broadly at the MDC crowd, who
shouted cheerful greetings to the men who had made their lives a misery on
the streets for the past nine years. "We are unequivocal, we will go into
this government," Tsvangirai told reporters at a packed press conference at
the MDC's central Harare headquarters, where the party's national executive
council had just endorsed the controversial decision to go into the unity
government, which Tsvangirai made at the Southern African Development
Community summit in Pretoria this week. "SADC has decided and we are bound
by that decision," he told the jubilant crowd. "SADC is our institution, it
is not a private club. This is a work in progress . a process," said
Tsvangirai, looking relaxed, confident and businesslike. "February 11 is the
swearing-in of the prime minister and the deputy prime ministers," he said.
"What the national council has endorsed is what SADC has endorsed," he
added.

The jubilation of the crowd at their leader going into an uncertain
coalition government with the hated Mugabe was an expression of just how
desperate the Zimbabwean people are for any possible rescue from their
wretched lot. However, Tsvangirai said some outstanding issues, which the
SADC summit agreed must be addressed, would have to be resolved before he
was sworn in as prime minister in February. These include the MDC's demand
for some of the 12 provincial governorships, which Zanu PF has so far
monopolised, and for the release of more than 30 opposition supporters and
officials; a photojournalist; and Jestina Mukoko, a prominent human rights
campaigner, who have been arrested over the past month. "All abductees must
be released unconditionally before February 11," Tsvangirai said. MDC
supporters gave a rousing welcome to MDC treasurer Roy Bennett, who had
returned that morning from exile in South Africa of nearly three years. In
the new spirit of co-operation apparently emerging in Zimbabwe, the MDC had
secured a guarantee from Zanu PF that he would not be arrested on his
return, despite the state saying it has a case pending against him for
leaving the country illegally when he feared he was about to be arrested in
an arms-related case. "We are entering this government to save the country
from its problems. Let's be committed and move together, let's unite as the
people to save this country," Tsvangirai said.

Many MDC hardliners opposed the decision to go into government with Mugabe
but Tsvangirai justified it on the grounds that the MDC had "been
established to bring about change through the ballot box" and that by
winning the March 29 elections last year, it had demonstrated its majority
support to SADC and forced Zanu PF to the negotiating table, "which became
the new frontline in our quest for a democratic Zimbabwe". Tsvangirai said
it was for this reason that he signed the SADC-mediated political agreement
with Mugabe in September. The US government has also opposed the unity deal,
fearing that Tsvangirai will be unable to effect any change while Mugabe
remains president. On Thursday, Tsvangirai went to see James McGee, the US
ambassador to Zimbabwe, to tell him the MDC was moving into a unity
government and to ask him for US help in reconstruction. Later McGee said:
"The United States government will continue to work with the Zimbabwe
government, and any unity government will be treated just like any other
government in Zimbabwe. We will take a wait-and-see attitude. We want to see
action not words."


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Annan urges international support for Zimbabwe

http://af.reuters.com

Sat Jan 31, 2009 3:08pm GMT

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged
world leaders on Saturday to help rebuild Zimbabwe's economy after the
opposition agreed to join a government with Robert Mugabe.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC), announced the decision on Friday, ending deadlock that deepened a
political and economic crisis.

"This is an important step towards ending the political impasse in
Zimbabwe," Annan, a member of a group of prominent figures known as the
Elders, said in a statement.

"But it is not a guarantee that Zimbabwe's distress is over. Rebuilding the
economy and ending the people's terrible suffering will take much more work
on the part of all Zimbabweans, regional leaders and the international
community."

The once-prosperous southern African country's economy is in ruins, with
half the population needing food aid. The continent's deadliest cholera
epidemic in 15 years has killed 3,100 people and infected another 60,000.

Official inflation -- last recorded in mid-2008 -- had soared to 231 million
percent and food and fuel are in short supply. The United Nations says
unemployment is 94 percent.

Fellow Elders member and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said while the
agreement was not perfect it should be supported.

"The international community should now do what it can to give this
agreement the best chance of success," he said.

Under the agreement, Tsvangirai will become prime minister, with Mugabe
remaining as president. But it is unclear whether the old foes will be able
to work together effectively to persuade Western states to provide
investment and aid.

The United States has voiced scepticism over the deal, saying implementation
is key and that aid would come only when a representative government was in
place.

African Union and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete hailed Tsvangirai's
decision to join the government.

"The situation looks promising ... That is a step forward," he told Reuters
as he arrived in Ethiopia for an AU summit that begins on Sunday. "That is
progress in the right direction."

Many Zimbabweans have been longing for a new leadership. The few who have
jobs queue for hours outside banks to withdraw enough cash to buy a loaf of
bread. Millions have fled to Zimbabwe's neighbours, straining regional
economies.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal in September to end a
crisis after elections that were condemned around the world, but
implementation had been held up by disagreements over who would get top
cabinet positions.

Under pressure from regional leaders, Tsvangirai agreed at a summit this
week to share control of the Home Affairs ministry, responsible for the
police, with Mugabe's ZANU-PF party for six months. The new government is
set to be formed by Feb. 11.


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Tutu, Carter welcome Zimbabwe unity govt deal

http://www.iht.com

The Associated PressPublished: January 31, 2009

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: Former President Jimmy Carter, former U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other world leaders have welcomed
Zimbabwe's unity government deal.

Zimbabwe's opposition said Friday it will form a coalition with President
Robert Mugabe next month. A political impasse has deepened Zimbabwe's
economic crisis while cholera has killed over 3,000 people.

In a statement Saturday, the members of The Elders founded by former
President Nelson Mandela said they hoped the deal would ease the country's
humanitarian crisis.

Carter urged the international community to "give this agreement the best
chances of success."

Annan, Carter and Graca Machel, human rights activist and Mandela's wife,
were denied entry into Zimbabwe last year.


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Odinga suggests golden handshake

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=10740

January 31, 2009

Davos (AFP) - The outspoken Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga suggested on
Thursday that "dinosaur" Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe should be
offered a "golden handshake" to leave office.

He also criticised fellow African leaders without the courage to tell Mugabe
to leave and said the world should tell him "the time to go is now, we are
ready to give you a golden handshake if you will quit".

Mugabe, in power for nearly 30 years, has seen his reputation plummet from
an African liberation hero to a despot who has ruined his once prosperous
country.

Some commentators have suggested his reluctance to relinquish power, even
after losing the first round of abandoned elections last year, stems from
concern that he could face war crimes charges.

Odinga did not specify what the golden handshake, a term from the corporate
world meaning a generous severance package, should entail.

"We are now in the face of transition (in Africa)," Odinga told delegates
during a debate at the Davos forum.

"There are the remnants of the past era, the dinosaurs, and Mugabe belongs
to that group."

Odinga levelled some sharp criticism at fellow members of the 15-nation
Southern African Development Community (SADC) and castigated a "kid gloves"
approach in dealing with Mugabe.

"The others (in SADC) do not have the courage to come up and tell Mr Mugabe
that the time to leave has come," he said.

Odinga became prime minister last February after signing a power-sharing
deal with President Mwai Kibaki, whom he had accused of stealing his way to
victory in December polls, triggering weeks of deadly violence.


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Europe, US pressured to lift sanctions, support Zimbabwe

http://news.yahoo.com

by Fanuel Jongwe Fanuel Jongwe - 1 hr 12 mins ago

HARARE (AFP) - South Africa called Saturday for the United States and Europe
to lift sanctions against the government of Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe as he prepares to share power with his rival.

Pretoria said Western nations should take these steps to help its stricken
neighbour rebuild almost a year after disputed elections which left Zimbabwe
in tatters.

Months of deadlock over the details of a power-sharing deal ended Friday
when opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to be sworn in as prime
minister, and parties took the first steps to forming an inclusive
government.

"Now that (Morgan Tsvangirai) has decided to be part of the inclusive
government... it requires them to call for the end of sanctions," said Frank
Chikane, director general in the South African president's office.

"So we expect Europe and the US and other countries to stop the sanctions,"
he told South African public radio station SAfm.

He said regional countries should also "mobilise resources to assist" in the
reconstruction of the crisis-wracked nation.

The United States and Britain have been staunchly opposed to the Mugabe
regime and were loathe to appear too optimistic over Friday's advance. They
joined local critics who feel the implementation of the power-sharing deal
would show its success or failure.

However, high-profile statesmen including former UN chief Kofi Annan and US
ex-president Jimmy Carter called for international donors to support
Zimbabwe and give the power-sharing pact a chance to work.

"This political agreement is far from perfect -- but political life involves
taking risks. Talking it down will not improve the situation for
Zimbabweans -- it will only prolong their agony," said Carter.

"This is an important step towards ending the political impasse in
Zimbabwe," said Annan, "but it is not a guarantee that Zimbabwe's distress
is over."

He added that "rebuilding the economy and ending the people's terrible
suffering will take much more work on the part of all Zimbabweans, regional
leaders and the international community."

South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu said the people of Zimbabwe could "no
longer be held hostage by politics. Their urgent needs must be met."

Tsvangirai acceded to a decision by the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) regional bloc that Zimbabwe's unity government be formed
according to a strict timeline which would see him sworn in as prime
minister on February 11.

"We are unequivocal, we will go into this government," said Tsvangirai.

His reticence over the formation of a unity government saw the deal -- 
signed in September -- stalled as rivals battled over the allocation of key
ministries and other details of the pact.

Since disputed elections in March 2008, the country has slid into a crisis
characterised by the world's highest inflation rate of 231 million percent
and a cholera epidemic that has claimed some 3,000 lives. The education
system has also collapsed.

"It brings hope on the surface that there may be better things to come and
at the same time we remain skeptical," said Takavafira Zhou, a political
scientist from the Masvingo State University.

"We have ideologically divergent groups forming a coalition," rather than a
unity government, he said.

"The parties may remain rigid and pursue partisan rather than national
interests. While there is hope we remain skeptical until the new government
starts to deliver."

Reaction from both Britain and the United States was restrained about the
future government.

"I've seen the reports about this agreement, but as you can understand, we
are a bit skeptical. These types of things have been announced before," US
State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said.

"The key is always implementation," he added.

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he looked forward
to seeing details of a deal that would hold Zimbabwean lawmakers
accountable.

"The new government will be judged on its actions, above all by the people
of Zimbabwe," he said.


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World should embrace Zimbabwe deal - Mutambara

http://thestar.com.my

Saturday January 31, 2009

By Emma Thomasson
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The world must unite behind a new unity
government in Zimbabwe and help rebuild the shattered country, Arthur
Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the opposition MDC, said on
Saturday.

"We are asking for the international community to support this agreement,
support this government without equivocation and help us try to salvage our
country," Mutambara told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic
Forum's annual meeting.

"It's not for Britain or America to judge our agreement, your job as America
or Britain is to support what we try to do," he said. "All the sceptics must
now shut up and support what Zimbabweans want. Listen to us as Zimbabweans."

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC), announced the decision on Friday to join a government with President
Robert Mugabe, ending deadlock that deepened a political and economic
crisis.

Under the agreement, Tsvangirai will become prime minister, with Mugabe
remaining as president. Mutambara, who was arrested last year for
criticizing Mugabe's handling of the March 2008 elections, said he will
become deputy prime minister.

The United States has voiced scepticism over the deal, saying implementation
is key and that aid would come only when a representative government was in
place.

"This agreement is a flawed arrangement. It is imperfect. But it is the best
short-term answer to provide a platform to extricate our country from its
worst crisis," Mutambara said.

Mutambara, a former student leader who is recognised as one of Africa's most
prominent scientists, said the world had a tendency to simplify the Zimbabwe
crisis and see Mugabe as a "devil", to Tsvangirai's "angel".

"There is no devil and there is no angel. There are two political parties.
There are two political leaders," he said.

"Let's forget our political differences and think about Zimbabwe's national
interests, let's try to work together to salvage our economy, to salvage our
business," he said.

The once-prosperous southern African country's economy is in ruins, with
half the population needing food aid and inflation at 231 million percent
last July, the latest official figure.

The continent's deadliest cholera epidemic in 15 years has killed 3,100
people and infected another 60,000.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also attending the Davos meeting
in Switzerland, urged world leaders on Saturday to help rebuild Zimbabwe. As
he passed Mutambara in the corridor, he told him: "Congratulations on the
decision."

Mutambara called for aid to rebuild the country, but said investment was
even more important, saying he had been approached by businessmen meeting in
the Swiss Alpine resort.

"There is a lot of appetite to be involved in Zimbabwe in Davos," he said.
"People want to be involved in Zimbabwe, not for charity, but for
economics."

"Our foundation is very strong. Our fundamentals are very robust," he said,
noting that Zimbabwe was rich in natural resources, like platinum, gold and
uranium, while its people were also very well educated by African standards.

Copyright © 2008 Reuters


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Relief and trepidation in Harare

BBC
 
Saturday, 31 January 2009
 

As Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) agrees to join a unity government with President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF, Brian Hungwe in Harare describes a sense of relief tinged with trepidation.

Curious human faces were peeping out of busy Harare skyscrapers, as crowds swelled around the MDC headquarters in central Harare.

Morgan Tsvangirai (centre) addresses crowd outside party offices (photo 30 January)
Mr Tsvangirai said it was time to end the violence
It was a moment of truth.

Anxious to know the outcome of a crucial meeting taking place six floors up, those gathered outside moved forward, then blocked traffic along Nelson Mandela Avenue, and camped there.

A rally, unsanctioned by police, was unavoidable but the police did not intrude. Perhaps they were as curious as everyone else to know the decision of the MDC national council.

The big question was whether or not to participate in an all-inclusive government, led by President Mugabe.

In this tense, murky political situation, there are plenty of questions and few answers. The hard reality is MDC and Zanu-PF are miles apart.

'Sore hearts'

After Mr Mugabe lost to Mr Tsvangirai in the first round of the presidential election last March, a campaign of terror began.

Justice one day has to be meted to whoever organised this and executed this horrendous project
Emmanuel Chiroto
MDC official

Over 200 people died. Some were abducted, tortured and killed in cold blood, and villages were torched.

The run-up to the June run-off election was bloody and remains etched on people's minds.

State machinery was mobilised to assist local Zanu-PF party organs in attacking MDC structures.

"We won't forget this. I have problems forgiving. Justice one day has to be meted to whoever organised this and executed this horrendous project," says Emmanuel Chiroto, an MDC official in Harare.

Early one morning in mid-June, hit squads came in two unmarked pick-ups, abducted Mr Chiroto's 21-year old wife Abigail, and torched their house with petrol bombs.

"Nothing will ever bring my wife back, but the perpetrators of this are still there roaming around," he said.

However, perceived state-sanctioned violence is always difficult to probe.

"Inside an all-inclusive government, there has to be way to securing justice. Our hearts are sore," he said.

Against this hideous background, Mr Tsvangirai had a hard time convincing his party that it was time to climb down and allow for the formation of an all-inclusive government in which he will play an inferior role to Mr Mugabe.

Mr Tsvangirai's supporters believe Mr Mugabe lost the first round of elections and resorted to inappropriate means to retain power.

Tense debate

During the animated two-hour meeting at the party headquarters, insiders say the MDC leader's body language said it all.

Relatives cover grave of cholera victim - photo 29 January
Cholera has claimed more than 3,000 people in recent months
He intended to force through the SADC mandate of taking part in a new government, getting sworn in, and addressing all outstanding issues from within, regardless of the distrust everyone had of Zanu-PF.

Insiders say there was a long, often tense, debate with the party leadership "expressing its worries that some of the main issues had not been addressed", and that "Mugabe was sinking and would take advantage of the MDC's goodwill to revive his party".

There was also a feeling that in spite of the biting economic crisis, and deepening humanitarian situation, Mr Mugabe was prepared to bring Zimbabwe down with him.

That he was going nowhere was the stark reality the MDC had to face, insiders said.

Besides, Mr Mugabe had begun a campaign of terror, which involved abductions of party activists, who are now facing accusations of banditry.

This was not going to stop, and more, perhaps, was coming, if the MDC failed to play ball.

The political agreement, signed 10 months ago between the political parties, guarantees new elections in 18 months, and a constitutional reform programme through parliament that will involve civic groups and citizens.

'Limited options'

Fighting from within to achieve its political objectives became the only MDC option.

It is debatable whether the MDC leader capitulated because of growing internal terror, SADC pressure, or the need to address the domestic political and economic crisis.

Robert Mugabe at Pretoria talks - photo 26 January
Mr Mugabe wants the MDC to tackle the financial and humanitarian crises

"He had very limited options," says Simon Badza, political analyst with the University of Zimbabwe.

"He was increasingly perceived as having no respect for African solutions to African problems.

"He couldn't continue defying SADC, a regional institution. Joining in was simply a strategic move to plan for elections ahead from within, rather than operating outside the political framework."

Outside the party headquarters, supporters were growing anxious.

Mr Tsvangirai, took the lift down around 1500 (1300 GMT), and walked into a waiting pick-up stuck in the middle of Nelson Mandela Avenue, then began addressing the swelling crowds that had blocked the traffic.

The street was virtually brought to a standstill.

Standing at the back of a white pick-up with a loudhailer, Mr Tsvangirai said it was time to end violence and work together in a new government.

There was excitement, as drivers blew their horns.

This was a nation pleased to be able to breathe again, after choking on shortages of basic food, power and water, a weak currency, sky-high inflation, a deepening humanitarian crisis and a 90% unemployment rate.

Under Mr Mugabe's new power-sharing arrangement, Mr Tsvangirai's MDC will control the Health, Education and Finance ministry portfolios among others.

Wait-and-see

Once inside the new government, Mr Tsvangirai will have to deal with the cholera that has infected over 60,000 people, killing more than 3,000.

He will find a dysfunctional education system, where teachers have stopped work, demanding hard currency salaries averaging $2,000 per month instead of the current $2.

Mr Mugabe wants Mr Tsvangirai to bring down inflation, stabilise the currency and win international support to finance key government programmes.

Mr Tsvangirai may be banking on international support, but the West will adopt a wait-and-see attitude and may not even bless the new arrangement.

If he fails to deliver, he risks becoming irrelevant and alienating himself from his support base. He has taken a risk, and stuck his head on the block.


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Doubt reigns over Zimbabwe's unity government

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/

8 hours 12 mins ago

by Fanuel Jongwe AFP

The viability of Zimbabwe's unity government was questioned Saturday after
opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to share power with rival Robert
Mugabe almost a year after disputed polls. Skip related content

After months of deadlock over the details of a power-sharing deal,
Tsvangirai agreed Friday to be sworn in as prime minister, and parties took
the first steps to forming an inclusive government.
Both the United States and Britain were loathe to appear too optimistic over
the advance, joining local critics who feel the implementation of the deal
would show its success or failure.

"It brings hope on the surface that there may be better things to come and
at the same time we remain skeptical," said Takavafira Zhou, a political
scientist from the Masvingo State University.

"We have ideologically divergent groups forming a coalition," rather than a
unity government, he said.

"The parties may remain rigid and pursue partisan rather than national
interests. While there is hope we remain skeptical until the new government
starts to deliver."

After almost a year since disputed polls which plunged Zimbabwe into a
crisis, Southern African leaders gave leaders a strict timeline to form a
new government which will see Tsvangirai sworn in on February 11.

"We are unequivocal, we will go into this government," said Tsvangirai. "The
SADC (Southern African Development Community) has decided and we are bound
by that decision," he said after his party's national council agreed it
would go ahead with the unity government.

The crisis summit of a 15-nation bloc came as Zimbabwe battles an economic
crisis which has seen inflation soar to over 231 million percent and a
cholera epidemic that has left over 3,000 dead.

Both Britain and the United States, vehemently opposed to the regime of
84-year-old Mugabe, were restrained aver the future government.

"I've seen the reports about this agreement, but as you can understand, we
are a bit skeptical. These types of things have been announced before," US
State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said.

"The key is always implementation," he added.

Mugabe's party has already said it accepts the SADC timeframe, and had
previously threatened to set up a unity government with or without
Tsvangirai.

An equally tempered reaction emerged from London, where British Foreign
Secretary David Miliband said he looked forward to seeing details of a deal
that would hold Zimbabwean lawmakers accountable.

"The new government will be judged on its actions, above all by the people
of Zimbabwe," he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the new government "to take all
necessary measures to address the humanitarian and economic crises in the
country and respect democratic freedoms," his press office said in a
statement.

The Southern African Development Community maintains that the power-sharing
accord signed last September remains the best chance of pulling Zimbabwe out
of its woeful state, but it has been held up by disputes over key posts.

"ZANU-PF has failed to deliver. The economic crisis is deeper, health and
social support systems have collapsed and there is hope that the coming in
of the MDC means better things may come. Donors may inject capital to revive
the economy," said analyst Zhou.

Friday's commitment to end the political stalemate was welcomed by South
Africa, which came under intense global pressure to act on the crisis as
chair of SADC and broker of the unity deal.


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'Now the Terror Has Returned'


http://www.washingtonpost.com

Sunday, February 1, 2009; Page B02

How much lower can Zimbabwe sink? Chronic food shortages, hyperinflation, a
cholera epidemic, people abducted for speaking out against President Robert
Mugabe's regime -- all this is the stuff of daily life for ordinary
Zimbabweans, as related here by a journalist in Harare, the capital. She
reports for PBS's Frontline/World, with support from the Pulitzer Center on
Crisis Reporting. Her name is withheld for her safety.

How much lower can Zimbabwe sink? Chronic food shortages, hyperinflation, a
cholera epidemic, people abducted for speaking out against President Robert
Mugabe's regime -- all this is the stuff of daily life for ordinary
Zimbabweans, as related here by a journalist in Harare, the capital. She
reports for PBS's Frontline/World, with support from the Pulitzer Center on
Crisis Reporting. Her name is withheld for her safety.

Dec. 5, 2008 -- Disappeared
The shrill ring of my phone awakens me. Sleep does not come easily these
days. I'd like to turn off my mobile at night, but what if my son should
call? I miss him but cannot risk living near him. My profession makes me a
target.

I pick up the phone. It's a colleague, and she has bad news. Jestina Mukoko,
a human rights activist, is missing. She was abducted from her home not far
from Harare two days ago, my colleague tells me. Her teenage son watched as
the armed intruders shoved her, barefoot and still in her pajamas, into a
car.

Mukoko, one of the few women to have made it in the Zimbabwean media, was a
role model for me during my college days. She worked for the country's only
television station, run by the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp.
When Mugabe tightened his grip, she quit her job as a newscaster, ultimately
joining a human rights organization called the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP).
Mukoko and the ZPP, with their countrywide network of secret volunteers who
provide information about politically motivated violence, are invaluable to
what is left of our independent press.

Abductions such as Mukoko's were common leading up to the run-off election
last June. Facing certain defeat in a fair fight, Mugabe turned to violence.
At least 86 supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
opposition party were killed and 10,000 were injured, according to party
leader Morgan Tsvangirai. I suspect that those numbers are actually much
higher. The attacks abated in September, when Mugabe and the MDC reached a
tentative settlement. But he quickly went back on his word. Now the terror
has returned.

Dec. 20 -- The Billion-Dollar Bread Line

The government recently introduced a 10-billion-dollar bill, but with
inflation at 89.7 sextillion percent, it soon will barely buy a loaf of
bread. So at 4 a.m. I set off for the bank, where my $100 billion monthly
salary has just been deposited. I even feel a little bit happy. I will be
the first person to arrive, I think to myself. After withdrawing my money, I
will rush to the supermarket to buy whatever I can find before the cash
loses its value.

When I reach the bank, people are already waiting. The security guard gives
me a number: I'm 105th in line. It's not long before the sun comes up, and
the temperature rises. There are whispers that the bank doesn't have enough
cash to go around. Everything is in short supply these days -- milk, bread,
meat, salt, sugar, gas, even toilet paper.

At 5:45 p.m., after 13 hours in line, it's my turn. But the bank is giving
only $10 billion to each customer. I dash to the supermarket. The $10
billion buys one loaf of bread. I could have bought two that morning.

Afraid that one of the thousands of starving people will beg for my loaf or
that a neighbor will see it, I wrap it in old newspaper. I can't believe my
own tightfistedness. But my husband and I have gone without bread for a
week.

Dec. 24 -- Mukoko Surfaces

A source phones me. The government has produced Mukoko. I rush to the
courtroom, but the hearing is already in progress, so I wait outside. When
the doors open, Mukoko is escorted out. She walks with a limp but holds up
her head. Beneath a wig, her face is swollen. Her usual blazing expression
is gone, replaced by blankness and fear. I suspect that she has been
tortured. I pull my cap over my eyes and cry.

The judge orders that Mukoko be seen by a doctor before any further court
proceedings. But she is whisked away -- not to a hospital but to the
notorious Chikurubi maximum security prison. The same government that for
three weeks had denied any knowledge of her abduction now hauls her into
court and charges her with plotting to overthrow Mugabe.
Dec. 31 -- Disease and Denial

On a bleak New Year's Eve, I think about my father's brother, who succumbed
last month to cholera. Not long after his death, I attended a government
news conference on the disease that the World Health Organization estimates
has killed more than 1,500 and sickened nearly 30,000 since August. Mugabe's
Information Minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu called the epidemic "a calculated,
racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former [British] colonial
power, which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so
that they can invade the country." Part of me wanted to burst out laughing.
But I, too, worry about contracting the disease. I've had no water at my
house for more than three months. Like many of my neighbors, I have dug a
shallow well in my backyard. None of us can afford to purify the water.

Jan. 20, 2009 -- A Day for Hope

Only 20 days into the new year, and what a hard one it has been so far. Last
week the Reserve Bank issued yet another bill, worth $100 trillion, to cope
with inflation. The number of cholera victims is approaching 3,000. Mukoko
is still in prison. Nonetheless, today is a day for hope. For many
Zimbabweans, the inauguration of Barack Obama, whom they consider a fellow
African, promises a brighter future.

As I prepare to watch the ceremony on my little television, I cringe at the
sound of an unexpected knock. But it's just my neighbor Mai Kudzi. "My
sister, I have come so that we may witness this together," she says.

Ten minutes before the inauguration is to begin, we're in darkness. We
wonder whether Mugabe has cut off the electricity because he fears that
Obama will call on him to relinquish power.

Mai Kudzi and I sit with our heads tilted toward my crackling
battery-operated radio, the dial set to an independent station that operates
illegally, and strain to hear Obama take the oath of office. As soon as he
finishes his speech, we rejoice and dance in the dark. We have not had
anything to be happy about in a long time. Help is coming, Mai Kudzi says.

Later, alone, I eat my supper of dry bread. My husband is on a trip to
neighboring Mozambique. We have run out of rice. At least we can still
afford to buy more.

Jan. 27 -- More Bad News

For the first time in six months, I enjoy a hot shower with running water --
something my son may never experience. I am in South Africa for another
summit on Zimbabwe. This time, the Southern African Development Community is
trying to hammer out a power-sharing agreement between Mugabe and the
opposition. Last night my phone kept ringing until I finally turned it off.
Everyone at home wants to know the outcome of the talks.

The news is not good. In the wee hours of the morning, negotiators emerge
with conflicting statements: Some say that an agreement has been reached,
others claim the opposite. The confusion means that Mugabe is still in
charge. I wonder how much longer we can hold on.

Jan. 30 -- Still Waiting for Help

It's late afternoon. I just got the news: The opposition has agreed to join
Mugabe's government, with Tsvangirai to become prime minister within weeks.
From South Africa I watch on television as people gather outside the MDC's
headquarters in Harare, cheering at the announcement. The police are too
stunned to make any arrests. For the crowd, today is another day for hope.

But like many Zimbabweans, I find it hard to celebrate. Mugabe remains
powerful under the new government, still controlling the state coffers, the
military, the police and the media. I sigh as I think of the problems ahead.
The United Nations estimates that 7 million Zimbabweans -- as much as 80
percent of the population -- need food aid. The cholera death count creeps
ever higher. Yesterday the government announced that citizens may do
business in the U.S. dollar, the British pound, the South African rand and
even the Botswanan pula, effectively abandoning the worthless Zimbabwean
currency and making life even more confusing. As I wait at the airport for
my flight home, the light at the end of the tunnel seems so far away.

Watch the associated  video at
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/blog/2009/01/iwitness_zimbab.html


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Motlanthe to table Zimbabwe deal report at AU summit

http://www.sabcnews.com

      January 31 2009,
11:35:00

      Crystal Orderson, Addis Ababa

      All eyes will be on President Kgalema Motlanthe when he arrives in the
Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa this morning where he's expected to present a
report on Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement at the African Union summit.
This follows a decision yesterday by the MDC executive to back party leader
Morgan Tsvangirai's decision to join President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF in
the long-stalled power-sharing deal.

      Motlanthe will present the report on the implementation of the SADC
resolution to the AU. Meanwhile civil society activists under the Save
Zimbabwean Coalition delivered a letter to the 53 African foreign ministers
where they are calling for the establishment of a permanent AU presence in
Zimbabwe to monitor the power sharing agreement and a return to democracy
and the rule of law.

      The coalition further calls on the AU special representative on Human
Rights to visit the country urgently to investigate some of the human rights
abuses taking place in the country.


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Religious leaders hopeful about Zimbabwe

http://www.sabcnews.com

      January 31 2009, 6:30:00

      Religious leaders are optimistic that the unity government, to be
formed in Zimbabwe next month, will help resolve the economic and
humanitarian crisis in that country. The MDC yesterday agreed to join the
unity government.

      Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Churches, Bishop Rubin
Phillip, says South Africa and the international community must step up the
provision of humanitarian assistance to suffering Zimbabweans.

      Last week, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) undertook
a resolution that the two parties form a government of unity. Under the
SADC-brokered agreement, Mugabe will remain president, Tsvangirai will
become Prime Minister while Arthur Mutambara, leader of smaller MDC faction,
will be deputy prime minister.


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Zimbabwean civil society urges AU to pay a field visit to country

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Zimbabwean and South African civil society
organizations have requested the African Union (AU) Commission to carry out
urgent field visit to Zimbabwe to assess the human rights situation in that
country.

The CSOs-Save Zimbabwe and South African CSOs said in a joint statement on
Friday, that the human rights situation of that country didn't get the
required attention by the ongoing mediation efforts, which resulted in
Friday's agreement for a power sharing deal.

"We therefore request that this summit calls for depoliticizing humanitarian
assistance, the removal of a bureaucratic hurdle in relief distribution, an
immediate cessation of hostilities and restoration of the rule of law and
guarantee of security to all Zimbabwean citizens," the joint communiqué
said.

At least 4 million Zimbabweans need food aid as of February 2009, the
statement went on to say.

"Over 3,000 confirmed deaths and over 50,000 people affected by cholera, a
collapsing public service system characterized by closure of medical
facilities and institutions of learning from primary to tertiary," they
added.

The Zimbabwe political issue is among the agenda of the AU summit in its
political deliberation, which will begin on 1 February at the heads of
states level in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa where president Mugabe is expected to
attend.

  DT/tjm/APA 2009-01-31


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African leaders challenged by Zimbabwean activists

http://www.iht.com/

The Associated PressPublished: January 31, 2009

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: Zimbabwean activists have gathered in the Ethiopian
capital to lobby African heads of state to help end what the activists say
is a "passive genocide" - Zimbabwe's deteriorating humanitarian situation.

An African Union summit is scheduled to begin Sunday in Addis Ababa.

Zimbabwean preacher Rev. Nicholas Mkaronda fled for South Africa in 2002
after another car tried several times to crash into his. His aims, he said,
are to resuscitate Zimbabwe's agricultural industry and restore freedoms to
ordinary people.

The Zimbabweans gathered in Addis Ababa have support from Kumi Naidoo, a
South African who is 11 days into a 21-day hunger strike he hopes will force
the South African government to take a stronger line against Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe.

Opposing parties in Zimbabwe have agreed to form a unity government, but
activists say Mugabe maintains his grip on the country.

Naidoo plans to present a petition urging the heads of state to pressure
Zimbabwe to free political prisoners and restore basic freedoms. More than
1,200 people have signed the petition online, he said.
"What is so striking about the reality in Zimbabwe now is that wherever you
go hunger is the pervasive reality," Naidoo told The Associated Press in the
Ethiopian capital Saturday.

Naidoo, a former anti-apartheid activist, said his water-only hunger strike
aims to embarrass the South African government into being harder on Zimbabwe
and also to show solidarity with an estimated five million Zimbabweans who
are starving.

Mkaronda, the Anglican preacher might have big goals for Zimbabwe. But his
personal goal is more modest.

"I'm asking for the space to do my job as a priest," he said. "I want to be
able to preach. I can't preach. As soon as I preach, they descend on me. As
soon as I pray, they come down on me. That's all I ask for - nothing more,
nothing less."


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WFP cuts cereal rations for hungry Zimbabweans

http://af.reuters.com

Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:14am GMT

By Muchena Zigomo

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The U.N's World Food Programme will halve cereal
rations for Zimbabweans next month because of an increase in the number of
people in need of food aid, a spokesman said.

Zimbabwe is facing chronic food shortages and seven million people, or half
the population, will need handouts in February and March, according to the
WFP. The agency opted to cut the monthly cereal ration to 5 kg (11 lb) per
person to feed more people.

"The main reason is that we are increasing the number of beneficiaries to
5.1 million in February, and this is substantially more than we had
originally planned for," Richard Lee, WFP's spokesman for southern Africa,
told Reuters.

"We simply don't have the resources to provide a full ration to all 5.1
million people."

He added that the amount of beans and vegetable oil in the food packages
would remain the same.

Zimbabwe's opposition decided on Friday to join a government with President
Robert Mugabe next month, ending a paralysing political deadlock that has
worsened the desperate economic and humanitarian crisis.


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WOZA's 8th Valentines Day

Valentine’s
Day 2009

Actions speak louder than words.
It is better to light a single candle than to complain
about the darkness.

Isenzo zizwakala ngcono kulenkulumo.
Layitha ikhandlela libe linye kulokusola ubunyama.
Zvito zvinopfura mazvi.
Baka Kenduro rimwe panekusvora rima.

For too long Zimbabwe's politicians have been talking while the
people suffer hunger, disease and violence. Now we have a socalled
Unity Government it is time to see action on the bread and
butter issues that count for ordinary Zimbabweans.
Stand in Solidarity with WOZA on their 8th
Valentine’s Day demonstration for
Social Justice

OUTSIDE THE ZIMBABWE EMBASSY
429 The Strand
12noon to 2pm SAT 14th February 2009


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Zimbabwe Seal Series Over Kenya With Four-Wicket Win

http://www.cricketworld.com

31 January 2009

Zimbabwe 236-6 (Utseya 68no, Ongondo 2-42) beat
Kenya 234 (Obuya 55, Cremer 4-39, Mpofu 2-31) by four wickets

3rd One Day International, Nairobi

The series moved on to Nairobi but it was more of the same as Zimbabwe moved
into an unassailable 3-0 series lead with a four-wicket win in the third One
Day International against Kenya.

An unbeaten half-century from captain Prosper Utseya ensured that Zimbabwe
survived an early wobble with innings of substance coming from Elton
Chigumbura (43) and Forster Mutizwa (38 not out).

Graeme Cremer picked up four wickets to bowl Kenya out for 234 in the final
over after the home side won the toss and decided to bat first.

Collins Obuya hit 55 in 63 balls and Alex Obanda 49 in 70 after opener Seren
Waters was dismissed with the first ball of the innings to at least set
Zimbabwe a challenging total.

And when Peter Ongondo removed Zimbabwean openers Hamilton Masakadza and
Vusi Sibanda cheaply, with Stuart Matsikenyeri and Max Waller both failing
to reach double figures, Kenya sensed an upset, but it wasn't to be as the
experience of Utseya, the form of Chigumbura and the big hitting of Mutizwa,
who faced just 27 balls, saw Zimbabwe home with ten balls to spare.


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Zimbabwe to remain out of test cricket

http://www.iht.com

The Associated PressPublished: January 31, 2009

PERTH, Australia: Zimbabwe's return to test cricket could be at least six
months to two years away, the International Cricket Council said Saturday.

A team headed by Julian Hunte, president of the West Indies Cricket Board,
presented an interim report to the ICC's board following a visit to Zimbabwe
by Hunte and ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat in November.

"Pending submission of that final report, the board was told that none of
the stakeholders spoken to during the visit were of the view that Zimbabwe
was ready to return to test cricket, with time frames proposed ranging from
six months to two years or more," the ICC said in a statement.

Zimbabwe has not played test cricket since 2006. In August, Zimbabwe
withdrew from this year's World Twenty20 tournament in England.

Zimbabwe was replaced by Scotland for the tournament in June.

The African country pulled out because the British government would not
grant visas in protest of Robert Mugabe claiming victory in a widely
discredited presidential election last year. The England and Wales Cricket
Board has also cut ties with Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Cricket Union chairman Peter Chingoka was replaced at the Perth
meetings by Wilfred Mukondiwa, who was listed in an ICC release on the
meetings as an alternate for Chingoka.

Chingoka, a supporter of Mugabe, was banned from visiting Australia by the
federal government as part of sanctions against the Mugabe regime.

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