Reuters
Wed
Feb 22, 2006 7:51 PM ET
HARARE (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake
measuring an estimated 7.5 shook
large areas of Zimbabwe and northern
Mozambique early on Thursday, shaking
buildings from Harare to
Maputo.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Web site said the quake, which
struck just
after midnight (2200 GMT on Wednesday), measured an estimated
7.5 and was
centred in northern Mozambique, an area not known for severe
earthquakes.
In Zimbabwe, the quake jolted people out of their beds in
Harare, where
panic-stricken apartment dwellers ran into the street, and was
felt as far
away as Bulawayo, about 450 km southwest of the
capital.
Zimbabwe state radio, which had issued instructions urging
people to remain
calm, later described it as a "minor earth tremor". A
spokesman for Harare's
fire and ambulance services said they had received no
emergency calls.
In Mozambique's capital Maputo, people also gathered in
the street, although
there were no immediate reports of damage. Police and
emergency services
officials could not be reached for
comment.
Mozambique state radio issued a brief report about the quake,
saying it was
centered near Estungabera in northern Manica province -- a
largely rural
area near the Zimbabwe border.
"An earthquake of this
size shakes the ground for quite a distance away from
its epicenter so we're
expecting that there is damage from this earthquake,"
said William Leith, a
USGS earthquake specialist.
"It's a significant and unexpected earthquake
in this region," he said by
telephone from the USGS headquarters in Reston,
Virginia. "We'll expect
aftershocks from an earthquake this
large."
(Additional reporting by Mateus Chale in Maputo)
Email: jag@mango.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Please
send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
jag@mango.zw with "For Open Letter Forum" in the
subject
line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
JAG
OPEN LETTER FORUM
Email: jag@mango.zw;
justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Please
send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
jag@mango.zw with "For Open Letter Forum" in the
subject
line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
1
I would like to thank Eddie Cross for his letter (5). This man
makes
sense and sounds civilized. I always find his letters interesting
and
hope once this madness that drags on is over, he will be recognized
for
his effort and contributions. We will need him when Zimbabwe becomes
the
peoples country again and not Zanu-PF pvt enterprise to rape and
pillage
as they are doing now they still do not realize. The clock is ticking
and
they are growing old, how time can be cruel, yet a blessing when it
gets
rid of the rotten few who have committed this unforgivable sin which
is
the destruction of an Eden
like Zimbabwe. We wait!
Stuart (zimbo
in mud island
UK)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
2
WANTED - LIFT TO DURBAN OR JO'BG -
Fr David Gornall
SJ
Lift wanted for 3 adults + luggage + small dog, preferably to Durban,
but
Jo'bg (then on by train) would do; share expenses & driving. From
10th
-14th March 2006.
Contact: Duncan 011 231 897
or
Fr David (04)
727386
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
3
Dear Jag
HELP
I wish to contact Sid Frodsham, formerly of
38 Fairway, Northwood. Can
anyone give me a contact number for Sid, or a
relative/friend that knew
Sid, or where I can find Sid?
Contact G
Hensman on 067 22737 or 011 61 55 63, or email
ghensman@zol.co.zw
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
4
Dear Sirs etc
Please advise Mr Chimhete of the Standard that it
is not the last 600
white farmers employing children, it would not be allowed
by GAPWUZ, they
would be round so fast it would be frightening. Also please
do a little
more research before rushing into print. The lowest paid farm
workers
are earning $1 300 000 per month, plus benefits of housing etc
which
total
$300
000.
Valour
------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
5
Dear Jag
It is probably a fact that it is what people say that
can make us feel
down, more than just about anything else. Every day we all
bear witness
to those that insist on talking negatively. We know what the
consequence
will be; insecurity, hurt, disappointment, sense of loss,
hopelessness
and even despair as well as many other negative emotions. Even
the
strongest of us walk away despondent.
We have a choice to make
about what we say and how we say it. Think
first of the consequences before
choosing to say what we are thinking.
Rather consider how we make people
stronger, happier, and more secure.
It is the state of mind that will
determine if we are to get through this
rocky path of transition to democracy
and prosperity. That state of mind
must be defiant and resolute and built out
of positive and proactive
conditioning.
It's achoice!!!
Simon
Spooner
"Rather light a candle than curse the
darkness"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
6
Hi Jag
If they are counting all the crops, which are planted to
the golden leaf,
then they are in deep trouble. The crop which is at the
late Alan Dunn's
farm at Beatrice are nice Christmas trees, I saw them
reaping their leaf
to put into the Peugeot 504 the other day. I wonder if
they borrowed
money to put that crop in. Nearby the tractor going great guns
under
operation Ta gutA, planting maize and sorghum - THIS WEEK.
Borrowed
money. And so on.
Cheers
Ann
Hein
------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
7
DEAR JAG
APPEAL LETTER FOR STEPHANIE SCHOULTZ:
This is an
appeal letter regarding Stephanie Schoultz
Stephanie is a 14-year-old
girl who was the only white in Harare
Children's home. She was placed there
by Social Welfare as her mother
had been unable to fend for her or her
brother for the last few years.
Nicola Bath (Swanepoel) found out about her
through Jill Day and then
spoke to us (the Swanepoel family and Gary and Jo
Hensman). Gary and Jo
went to see Jill Day, followed by a visit to the
Director of the
Children's home and then had a meeting with Social Welfare. A
few days
later, Steve and Gary had another meeting with S.W and Mrs
Sharon
Schoultz and then proceeded to the Home and then onto Admiral Tait
school
where they finally met Stephanie. It was decided that we HAD to take
her
out of her immediate environment and that Gary was going to take her
into
their home and that she would be sent to Lomagundi College as a
boarder.
Stephanie was fairly overwhelmed by the idea of a new start on life
and
it was quite an emotional moment for her and her mom. In the
meantime,
Gary had already approached Howard Matthews at the College to
secure a
place for her and to discuss her previous schooling, which is
basically 2
years behind normal. Howard readily offered her a place in Form 1
and
said that Stephanie would need extra lessons and attention etc in
order
to catch up with the rest of her classmates.
Gary then drove
back into Harare the next day, Thursday 26/2, only to
have Social Welfare
throw some beauracratic tape into the plans. Due to
this, and a very trying
day for him, Gary and Jo had to drive back into
town again on Friday to
collect Stephanie after signing Foster forms to
allow them to have Stephanie
stay with them. After a week-end settling in
at Gyppslander, getting uniforms
and other essentials sorted out,
Stephanie started school at Lomagundi
College on Monday 30/1/2006.
At the same time, Steve got hold of Nicola
and a few other people to try
to find a job for Stephanie's brother, Stephen,
who is 17 years old with
a very limited education and has not been welcome in
Mrs Schoultz's
boyfriend's house. Fortunately, the workshop manager for
Nissan
Runiville, Ivan, was looking for someone to start as an apprentice and
so
an interview was set up and Stephen has been given the job and
started
work last Friday.
Now we come to the part that hopefully
involves all of you! As you know,
there are going to be many expenses along
the way, not only with regards
to schooling, but also her clothing and all
the other things that she
would need along the way. We have already set up a
trust account at
Premier Asset Management under the watchful eye of Sandi-Lyn
Nield. We
are now appealing to you to help us put Stephanie through
school.
Donations should be made out either to Lomagundi College
(Stephanie
Schoultz acct) or to Premier Banking Corporation. These chqs can
be
handed to Steve Swanepoel or to Jo Hensman at Performa and will
be
acknowledged and placed into the account. The account can be viewed
at
any time by donators at 11 Hiller road, Gunhill, and all expenditure
etc
will be kept there on file. Sandi will be responsible for investing
the
money to best advantage in a squeaky clean portfolio in Harare. We
have
already started collecting money in Harare and many individuals
and
companies have placed pledges whereby they are donating sums of
money
every month, whereas others have just put in large sums in one go
and
have promised that they will revisit the account in a few months
time.
In a philosophical frame of mind, Gary showed Steve his key ring,
which
has the following on it:
"A hundred years from now it will not
matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of
car I drove. But the world
may be different because I was important in the
life of a child."
CAN YOU HELP US TO HELP STEPHANIE?!
With
regards
Steve Swanepoel and Gary Hensman
Steve: 011-808262, Kate:
091-356981, Steve + Kate (H):067-23112;Gary:
011-615563, (H)
067-22737
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All
letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions
of the
submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice
for
Agriculture.
jang.com.pk
HARARE: Zimbabwe are expected to name Terry Duffin as their new
captain for
the five One-day Internationals against Kenya, which get
underway at Queens
Sports Club in Bulawayo this Saturday.
The
Zimbabwean team is in Harare where they are training under Kevin Curran,
and
the selectors are expected to name the final squad of between 15 and 16
players this (Thursday) morning.
Curran confirmed Duffin's
appointment, adding that "it does not matter that
he has not played One-day
International cricket."
Duffin, a 23-year-old solid opening batsman with
an ability to build an
innings, made his Test debut against India at
Bulawayo in September last
year and became the sixth Zimbabwean batsman to
score a half-century on
debut.
However, he has never played an ODI
and his only meaningful experience of
the limited-overs game came when he
captained Zimbabwe A against Bangladesh
A in five matches in March last
year.
The move to appoint Duffin as captain is said to have angered some
black
players who feel that Zimbabwe Cricket used them, claiming that they
had
been promised the post following the resignation of Tatenda Taibu. One
of
these players who is understood to be unhappy is medium-pace bowler
Blessing
Mahwire, who has 10 Test and seven one-day appearances to his
name.
All-rounder Andy Blignaut, who was touted to take over the
captaincy from
Tatemda Taibu, is reportedly still in South Africa where he
is playing
franchise cricket for Highveld Lions on a deal was that was
brokered by
Zimbabwe Cricket. But, despite comments to the contrary by the
board, he has
made it clear that he is not willing to play until he is paid
match fees for
the New Zealand, India and Kenya tours in
2005.
Duffin's vice-captain will be Charles Coventry, a veteran of five
ODIs which
makes him one of the most experienced players in the likely
squad. Kenya
will be led by Steve Tikolo.
February 23, 2006, 53 minutes and 47
seconds ago.
By ANDnetwork .com
A MULTI-MILLION dollar
private bus terminus built illegally in central
Harare equipped with
television and waiting rooms faces demolition after it
was spotted by Harare
Metropolitan Resident Minister Cde David Karimanzira.
This comes
in the wake of renewed efforts by the Harare City Council
to clean up the
city and repair its deteriorating infrastucure such as roads
and traffic
lights.
Cde Karimanzira, who was curious to know why there was a
private
terminus on council land along Fifth Street failed to get a
satisfactory
reply from city officials who accompanied him to Roadport,
ordered Harare
City Council to investigate how Mr Rochford Munjoma was
allowed to build a
pre-fabricated bus terminus opposite Roadport bus
terminus.
The terminus has a ticket office, TV room, a check-in
point and a
boarding outlet.
During a tour of the Roadport bus
terminus along Fifth Street on
Tuesday, Cde Karimanzira noticed the private
terminus on stand 3012A, corner
Jason Moyo and Fifth Street.
He
labelled the structure illegal, since it was on council land slated
for
future development, and directed the city authorities to establish why
the
terminus was still standing several months after all illegal buildings
and
structures were brought down under Operation Murambatsvina last
year.
"If this building (terminus) is not on the city's plans it
should be
demolished. We should learn to uphold the law.
"We
want buildings that conform to the city's planning," he said.
But
Mr Munjoma yesterday said he was prepared to move only if council
officially
communicates with him.
"I am not objecting to be evicted. Council
should officially write to
me and not treat me as a squatter. I want to be
removed with respect," he
said.
Mr Munjoma accused council of
double standards saying the local
authority connected water and sewer to the
stand but now say the building is
illegal.
"I receive water and
electricity bills but they are not charging me
rates. I am prepared to pay
the rates for the period I have been here," he
said.
City
council officials present expressed surprise at seeing the
building while
others tried to give explanations as to why the terminus had
been allowed to
stay.
But Cde Karimanzira would have none of the explanations
saying the
city authorities should be thorough in their work to avoid such
situations
where businesses operate without permits.
Chairperson of the commission running the affairs of the City of
Harare Ms
Sekesayi Makwavarara and town clerk Mr Nomutsa Chideya were
present when Cde
Karimanzira gave the directive. The two promised to look
into the
matter.
The terminus was built in 1999 and is used by Desert Hawk
bus company
owned by Mr Munjoma.
Mr Munjoma built the terminus
after he had been kicked out of a rank
along Angwa Street.
The
decision to allocate him space seemed to have emanated from the
rezoning of
the Fourth Street bus terminus and parking lot for a future
multi-storey
parkade, terminus and shopping centre.
Mr Munjoma submitted his
plan for developing the area at a cost of $40
million then. The cost has now
shot to several billions of dollars.
Mr Munjoma took council to
court in 2001 after the city authorities
had served him with a notice to
demolish the structure because it was
illegal.
He was granted a
provisional order barring council from interfering
with his business. Mr
Munjoma continued to operate the terminus after
council failed to challenge
the provisional order within the stipulated
time.
The
businessman said he was prepared to build a bigger terminus if
council gave
him land.
-The Herald-
February 23, 2006, 1 hour, 5 minutes
and 57 seconds ago.
By ANDnetwork .com
Police in
Rusape yesterday invoked the notorious security law to ban a
rally by the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change ahead of its congress
set for
March.
The police decision followed an attack late on Saturday by
ruling
party militants in the remote town of Rusape, about 170km west of
Harare, on
people organising the rally for the Movement for Democratic
Change a
provincial spokesman told Zimdaily from the town.
The
militants of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu (PF) chased away
organisers the
spokesperson said. A security law enacted recently gives
police sweeping
powers to break up political meetings. So far, many MDC
rallies had either
been cancelled by police or disrupted by ruling party
militants since the
law took effect. "Clearly, the police are being used to
cancel our rallies,"
the spokesperson said. The European Commission
recommended recently the
extension of sanctions by in protest against
Harare's continuing human
rights abuses. The ban was said to have been made
by Inspector Musarurwa.
Police were not available for comment.
-ZimDaily-
Zim Daily
Thursday, February 23 2006 @ 01:03 AM GMT
Contributed by:
correspondent
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has, for the second
time inside a
week, hiked the policy indicative accommodation rate, from 650
percent to
700 percent, following the release of weak inflation data by the
Central
Statistical Office last week.
Central bank
governor Gideon Gono warned last month that the
Bank would continue using
overnight rates as a 'pre-emptive tool' in its bid
to rein in rampant
inflation. However, the efficacy of this policy, meant to
tighten credit
conditions, has been undermined by the central bank's own
quasi-fiscal
activities, through which it has doled out trillions of dollars
to support
agriculture, parastatals and municipalities.
It remains to be
seen how far the Bank will conform to
International Monetary Fund advice to
discontinue these operations, which
saw it pour no less than $10 trillion
into the market last year. Gono has
himself admitted that the effectiveness
of his liquidity management policy
had been undermined by these
operations.
"The increase in the overnight rate is ordinarily
intended to
tighten credit conditions so as to fight inflation. In our
situation,
however, the existence of concessional facilities significantly
weakens the
effectiveness of the overnight adjustment. "Consequently, the
overnight rate
has not been effective in influencing other interest rates,"
Gono said.
Indeed, retail lenders have long stopped adjusting
their lending
rates in line with the overnight rate, while other investment
rates tend to
trend the benchmark 91-day Treasury Bill rate, whose average
yield remains
at 340 percent. The overnight rate rose from 95 percent in
February 2005 to
540 percent by December 2005, before the latest
adjustment.
Zim Daily
Thursday,
February 23 2006 @ 01:02 AM GMT
Contributed by:
correspondent
September could see a fresh round of turmoil in
Zimbabwe's
financial sector, which is currently enjoying relative stability,
as new
United States dollar indexed capital requirements come into force.
The
Reserve Bank, which revised the minimum capital requirements for banks
in
July 2005 to $100 billion in the case of commercial banks by 30 September
2006, has effectively revised the figure to $1 trillion (US$10 million) in
U.S. dollar terms. The local unit currently trades at almost $100 000 to the
greenback.
Analysts and bankers foresee a period of great
difficulty for
the sector, which got its biggest shock in 2004 when several
financial
institutions twisted in mid air after a savage liquidity crunch
set in. "It
means we have to go back to the drawing board," a Harare banker
said
yesterday. "We have a much more stable sector, but those capital
requirements are massive."
He refused to rule out another
round of shotgun marriages and
consolidations in the sector. Analysts at
local brokerage firm Kingdom
Stockbrokers have warned that the new capital
thresholds "may not be an easy
task for some banks." They, however, said the
virtual pegging of the
exchange rate by the central bank last month gave
banks a measure of relief.
"Given that the Governor will
adjust the capital amount any time
if the exchange rate moves, the current
fixed exchange rate due to
volume-based adjustments, although it will hurt
exporters and the economy,
works in favor of banks as the capital amount in
Zimbabwe dollar terms will
also remain stable like U.S. dollar equivalent,"
KSB said. When the central
bank indexed the capital requirements to the
United States dollar, the
exchange rate was around $10 000 to the
USD.
The Zimbabwean
'African leaders are more
passionate about colonial borders than the
colonial masters
were'
BY CHENJERAI HOVE
African countries can loot across
each other's colonial borders, they can
plunder wealth and lives across
borders, but when it comes to proper
official trade, they prefer the spoils
of worthless wars. Zimbabwe and
Uganda looted the DRC, and the African Union
never protested, all in the
name of the illusory 'African
brotherhood.'
Whenever I travel in Europe, the image of Africa in the
European imagination
does not seem to change. You can visit the same
communities over and over
again, talk to the ordinary people for years, and
the images are still the
same: corruption in the midst of abject poverty,
disease, hunger, military
coups, dictatorships of one type or another,
unending civil wars and their
consequent brutality, and of course,
uncontrollable political and economic
chaos. As if that was not enough,
enter natural disasters to blemish the
already sad saga of a continent many
are giving up on.
But is the rest of the world wrong in the way they look
at the African
continent? Africa's response has always been: we are
misrepresented by
western media outlets. Africans find it easier to blame
the west for
everything, from civil wars and corruption to drought and
hunger.
The reality is that if African leaders refuse to be corrupted -
there will
be no corruption on the continent. If African business and
political leaders
stop thirsting for the trinkets of the west and become
sober about their
economic and social reality, maybe the continent can move
forward.
But isn't it time for Africans themselves to rethink certain
issues? Take
Africa's perennial problem, border wars. The way African
borders were
determined at the Berlin conference was bizarre and baffling.
In an attempt
to bring some form of order to the Scramble For Africa, the
colonial powers
simply brought their own map of Africa to the conference and
sliced up the
continent.
As a result, African nationalities found
themselves split among different
colonial powers. The east of Zimbabwe, for
example, comprises the Manyika
people. Five million of them found themselves
belonging to Portugal
(Mozambique),about 1,5million ended up belonging to
the British (Rhodesia).
The border itself has nothing to show that it is
indeed a border. Just a few
hills or trees or little streams. Some people
have never been sure which
country they belong to. Some villages are shared
by both countries. Children
go to the school nearest to their village, at
the risk of having their
relatives learning everything in Portuguese while
they learn everything in
English.
This pattern of borders is
replicated over and over again in many parts of
the continent. The border
was between Ethiopia and Eritrea cost over 70 000
dead and thousands others
displaced. And the tragedy is that it is not over
yet. The two countries,
poverty-stricken, do not hesitate to spend the
little money they have on
heavy military hardware.
Sudan is devastated by border wars that never
seem to end. Senegal is
fighting its silent border war in Cassamance, a war
that never gets as much
as a mention in the press. Zimbabwe almost went to
war with Botswana over
elephants that roam across the non-existent common
border. Both countries
claimed the elephants belonged to
them.
Nigeria has an invisible border with its own Muslim north, which
has
introduced Sharia
law in defiance of the rest of the country. All
these countries are border
and civil wars waiting to happen. But why is it
like that? Do Africans never
seem to realise that they cannot continue to
die in honour of borders
imposed on them by their colonial
masters?
This is where the tragedy is: African leaders themselves are
more passionate
about colonial borders than the colonial masters
were.
Although the ordinary people don't care a damn about those borders,
the
leaders are prepared to sacrifice the countries' meagre financial
resources
and young lives, fighting for worthless borders. Armies are on
full alert to
guard borders which other continents are busy
removing.
Talk of Africa as an economic bloc. That seems to be a
far-fetched dream, if
not a nightmare. Southern Africa has the Southern
African Development
Community with a secretariat and all, plus the pomp of
an occasional leaders'
summit where the leaders meet for a few days to
describe and display their
latest acquisitions in eloquent English. People
still need visas to visit
their relatives across the little stream. South
Africa has recently even
imposed transit visas for Zimbabweans passing
through the airports of that
country. No substantial talk of reducing trade
barriers has ever happened.
As for any rumours of a common currency, forget.
In the end, there is no
Community to talk about.
Africa is the only
continent where the leaders are still obsessed with the
small sovereignty of
their little corner of the continent. They are not
about to sacrifice it for
the continental good, or indeed, for the general
good which would arise from
a strong, united, principled and disciplined
continent.
The Zimbabwean
BY EDGAR
CHIMANIKIRE
HARARE - Has age finally caught up with Zimbabwean president
Robert Mugabe,
who has often described himself as the "the youngest old man
in Zimbabwe?"
Speculation about his physical and mental health has always
been rife, but
it increased and diplomatic tongues wagged when Mugabe failed
to return from
his official annual leave at the end of January. Several
newspapermen were
told by government sources that Mugabe was
"unwell".
One government minister said vice-president Joyce Mujuru had no
meaningful
power in her role as acting President, as she was unable to chair
cabinet
meetings or make policy decisions without consulting the president.
However,
the minister was unable to give a convincing explanation for why
Mugabe
extended his leave until mid-February.
In a country where top
officials routinely engage in obfuscation, it is
nevertheless an open secret
that Mugabe's mental state has been a source of
worry to his closest
lieutenants for some time. He has reportedly become
forgetful, and strongly
asserts that the increasingly difficult situation in
the country is
fine.
As Mugabe enters his 83rd year, the question being asked among
those close
to him is whether his apparent forgetfulness represents the
onset of senile
dementia. One example of memory loss was when he recalled
the ambassador to
Australia, Florence Chitauro, to stand for his ruling
party in last November's
election to the new upper house of
parliament.
After he had instructed senior officials to ensure that
Chitauro returned,
Mugabe reportedly expressed surprise to see her back in
the country.
Official sources told IWPR that Mugabe told Chitauro he could
not recall
issuing any directive for her return, and that she should go back
to
Canberra immediately. The same sources said Zanu (PF) politburo members
told
Chitauro to delay her return to Australia "just in case the president
remembers". The ambassador was able to delay her return until after she was
elected a senator.
A decline in Mugabe's health would explain some of
the contradictory
statements and U-turns emerging from State House. One
cabinet minister said
he and his colleagues had been awaiting a reshuffle
since December, when
Mugabe told the party congress that he would sack poor
performers. No action
followed. "Maybe he has forgotten," the minister said
only half-jokingly.
Others point to Mugabe's insistence that there is no
hunger in the country,
despite international assessments that half the
population is in dire need
of food aid, as an indication of erratic
judgement. When he finally returned
to work, he assured ministers that
Zimbabwe would have a bumper harvest this
year, leading to an economic
turnaround. This assessment conflicted with
reports of minimal planting
because of lack of funds to buy seeds and
fertiliser, the dearth of farm
machinery, and widespread crop damage caused
by heavy rains and
flooding.
Asked why officials had failed to keep Mugabe properly informed
about the
true situation, one said, "No one can contradict his statements -
and you
want us to get fired. No way. He is the one who appointed us, and he
is the
only one who can fire us, so why risk it when you know it will make
him
angry?" - IWPR
No ZESA, no breakfast
BY GIDEON
CHAWAWA
HARARE - These days, the Makoni family can only afford bacon on
Saturdays,
soon after payday. It has become a symbolic reminder of years
past, when
Zimbabwe used to run smoothly and they used to breakfast
regularly on the
typically English bacon, eggs and baked beans.
The
Makonis are a middle-class family of five living in a middle-class
suburb of
Harare. The family miss the short car trip they used to make to
the
supermarket to buy breakfast goodies. Because of the ongoing fuel
crisis,
they now send their eldest son Tatenda down to the shops to pick up
the
bacon and baked beans and thus save what little petrol they have for
more
pressing purposes.
When Mrs Makoni opens the packet of bacon she realises
it smells bad. Mr
Makoni takes the bacon back to the supermarket, only to
find a long queue of
disgruntled shoppers bringing back rotten merchandise.
Some have sachets of
milk gone sour while others have steaks that have
turned green. "It's the
power cuts," explained the demoralised shop
manager. "We have been having
intermittent power cuts for 36
hours."
Welcome to Zimbabwe in 2006, where such blackouts are daily
occurrences and
power cuts can last more than two days. It is now quite
usual to see smoke
rising from suburban gardens and chimneys as people cook
food and boil water
on open fires. When the power does come back, there is
no guarantee it will
stay on, and so there is frantic rush to cook the next
meal, do the ironing,
work on the computer and charge cellphones and
batteries.
In factories, machines stop operating and pumps go quiet.
Assuming you can
find them, a packet of six locally-made candles now sell
for more than a
Z$250,000, about US$2.50.
Officials at the government
power utility Zimbabwe Electricity Supply
Authority, ZESA, blame the power
cuts on Gideon Gono, the powerful governor
of the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe.
ZESA executive chairman Sydney Gata told the government-owned
daily The
Herald that the government's 2003 decision to reverse tariff
increases it
had already sanctioned was at the heart of the power
crisis.
"A government-approved tariff adjustment was implemented in
January,
February and March 2003 but then reversed by the minister of energy
at the
request of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which sought to meet its own
inflation targets," said Gata.
This, Gata said, led to ZESA suffering
a 45 per cent loss in revenues. ZESA
currently produces a kilowatt-hour
(kwh) of electricity at a cost of Z$1,386
but because of the low tariffs,
sells it for just Z$218. As a result of the
discrepancy, last year it
suffered operational losses of Z$8 trillion.
"Gono would like the world
to believe the loss was due to mismanagement, yet
the truth is the buck
stops at his doorstep," said the senior ZESA official.
"Because of the loss,
ZESA no longer has the money to import power from
neighbouring
countries."
ZESA generates about 60 per cent of the country's energy
needs when all
power stations are working at full throttle. At the moment,
though, several
units at the flagship Hwange plant near Victoria Falls are
closed because of
a shortage of coal and spare parts.
Hwange normally
supplies 15 per cent of Zimbabwe's electricity. Small
coal-fired power
stations in the country's two main cities, Harare and
Bulawayo, have been
shut down altogether. When transformer stations break
down, they cannot be
repaired because there are no spares.
The country imports about 40 per
cent of its normal total consumption from
South Africa, Mozambique and the
Democratic Republic of Congo at a monthly
cost of almost US$12 million. In
recent weeks, all three suppliers have cut
off the power intermittently
because of ZESA's failure to pay bills. - IWPR
The Zimbabwean
BEIRA - About
half a million Zimbabweans are now based in Mozambique and
most of them are
finding it extremely difficult to adjust to life in that
country.
Newly appointed secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Action
Support Group in
Beira, Joseph Matongo said many had crossed over into
Mozambique for
economic reasons, while others were victims of political
persecution in
Zimbabwe.
"People here speak Portuguese and the
language barrier has caused a huge
problem for most of us," said
Matongo.
Authorities have also found it easy to fish out illegal
immigrants in
Mozambique because they can easily identify those who cannot
speak the
language.
The ZASG chapter in Beira was launched last week
and has already started
mobilising activists for meetings to chart the way
forward. Matongo said all
of them are keen to take part in a process that
would help usher in proper
democracy in Zimbabwe. - SW Radio
Africa
The Zimbabwean
HARARE - The minister for
defence Sydney Sekeremayi has avoided going to
parliament on question days
to avoid answering awkward questions from
opposition legislator Giles
Mutsekwa.
The question, which has been on the order paper since October
last year,
pertains to a report in The Zimbabwean of August 12 2005
revealing that a
detachment of the Presidential Guard is providing personal
security to
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Joseph
Kabila.
The 50-strong detachment is under the command of Lieutenant
Colonel Richard
Sauta. MDC insiders allege the government has been dragging
its feet about
setting the record straight and trying to sweep the matter
under the carpet.
Mutsekwa also wants to know how payment of such
services is being affected
and the terms of the agreement and how long the
soldiers have been
performing these duties. Mutsekwa said failure by the
minister to respond to
the question could mean there was truth in the
matter. "If these allegations
were false, he (minister) should have
dismissed them immediately," said the
MP.
Supermarket prices, Harare northern suburb
|
|
05/02/06 |
12/02/06 |
19/02/06 |
upfu |
10kg, refined |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
tomatoes |
1kg |
$132000 |
$132000 |
$132000 |
matches |
box |
$2300 |
n/a |
$6350 |
candles |
6, (400g pack) |
$173500 |
n/a |
n/a |
soap |
Hand, 125g |
$72000 |
$72000 |
$49000 |
soap |
Bath, 125g |
$74000 |
$72000 |
$72000 |
soap |
blue, 500g |
$91500 |
$123000 |
$123000 |
flour |
plain, 2kg |
$160000 |
$160000 |
$181000 |
tea |
cheapest,250g |
$49500 |
$69500 |
$61000 |
bread |
700g |
$44000 |
$44000 |
$44000 |
salt |
1kg |
$42000 |
$42000 |
$44000 |
|
Or coarse |
$35500 |
$35500 |
$35500 |
kapenta |
150g pack |
n/a |
$134000 |
$134000 |
Soya mince |
500g |
n/a |
$76000 |
$100000 |
beans |
500g |
$62000 |
$50000 |
$50000 |
cooking oil |
750ml |
$206000 |
$206000 |
$230000 |
mufushwa |
100g |
$37500 |
$37500 |
$37500 |
sugar |
white, 2kg |
$90000 |
n/a |
n/a |
lacto |
500ml |
$32500 |
$39000 |
$48000 |
milk |
500ml |
$36000 |
$43000 |
$43000 |
dovi |
375ml |
n/a |
n/a |
$205000 |
The price of kapenta has doubled since it last disappeared from the shelves.
The price of peanut butter has trebled.
The cheapest tea this week is a new and probably inferior brand.
There is still dark brown sugar or caster sugar at much higher prices than ordinary white or brown when they last appeared.
There is a brown laundry soap, costing about 70% of the price of blue: no customer assessment of its quality available.
Note that a lot of packages have been reduced in size over the past few months.
The Zimbabwean
BY ZAKEUS
CHIBAYA
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe's judiciary is under severe threat from
continued
interference by the Zanu (PF) regime said renowned human rights
and
anti-apartheid lawyer, George Bizos in an interview with The
Zimbabwean.
"The judges are under tremendous pressure from the government
to make
political judgements. Most of them have left the bench after being
victimised and the few remaining can not raise their heads to defend their
independence," said Bizos, adding that he was worried about South Africa's
continuing silence on the Zimbabwe crisis.
Bizos, who represented
former President Nelson Mandela and MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai at their
respective treason trials, said Mugabe was trying to
cling to power using
all tactics and judges had been cowed to make
judgements in his
favour.
"They can't do anything because he has all apparatus to deal with
them," he
said.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE - There
has been a skin disease outbreak at Harare's Central and
Remand Prisons and
it is understood the government has been silent on the
matter while frantic
efforts to curb the spread of the ailment have failed.
Most of the
patients affected by this so-far unnamed disease are allegedly
being kept at
the prison hospital but some are being treated in their prison
cells due to
a shortage of beds at the hospital.
SW Radio Africa's correspondent,
Simon Muchemwa, spoke with a prison officer
from Harare Remand who said the
prisoners were complaining of hardened and
itchy skin that spreads all over
the body through scratching. Within two or
three days the itching spots
crack and bleeding starts.
Muchemwa said another officer's explanation
was that "This type of disease
is not common among inmates. Things are worse
this year due to the hiring of
prisoners to work at ministers' farms. They
bring lorries to ferry them to
their farms and pay about ZW$3 000 per
prisoner. They expose these people to
extreme conditions out there and when
they come back sick, the ailment
spreads throughout the whole
prison."
The number of those affected has not been disclosed so far, and
information
is hard to come by as senior prison officials are refusing to
take the sick
to hospital, fearing publicity. - SW Radio Africa
The Zimbabwean
BULAWAYO -
War veterans here are demanding more money, saying they can't
come out on
their pensions of Z$3 million a month, and the return of land
taken from
Zapu in the early 1980s.
The last time they exacted huge payouts from the
government, in 1997, marked
the beginning of the collapse of the Zimbabwe
dollar and indeed the economy.
At an explosive meeting at the Zanu (PF)
offices here at the weekend war
veterans, who spearheaded the chaotic farm
invasions during the late 1990s,
told former cabinet minister, Dumiso
Dabengwa, they needed increased
payouts.
"Comrades, I did my best to
have the payouts reviewed this year. Reviewing
does not necessarily mean an
increase. In January who would have realized
that the payouts where
increased to $3.1 million and that is only a
temporary measure," said
Dabengwa.
Defence minister Sydney Sekeremai and finance minister, Herbert
Murerwa, had
told him that the $3.1m "is what Government can offer but they
assured me
that is only temporary" said Dabengwa.
In a bid to calm
down the more than 100 veterans, Dabengwa told them that
after serving as a
government minister for 10 years, he currently received a
pension of only
$5.2 million a month.
$50 000, the sum of each veteran's gratuity payment
by the Mugabe regime in
the mid-1990s today cannot buy a standard loaf of
bread.
The war veterans, many of whom were from the late Joshua Nkomo's
Zipra
forces said they wanted the properties that were seized during the
Gukurahundi era
by Mugabe's government to be given back to them.
These include Ascot Farm,
Castle Arms, Wood Clain Farm and Hampton Farm in
Lower Gweru. - CAJ News
The Zimbabwean
BY THABO
MOYO
BULAWAYO - Thousands of students at boarding schools in Bulawayo and
Matebeleland North provinces face starvation owing to critical shortage of
food, mainly mealie meal.
Headmasters from the two regions have
written letters to the Education
ministry appealing for urgent assistance to
save students from starving.
"Please be advised that boarding schools in the
two provinces are struggling
to secure mealie meal from the Grain Marketing
Board (GMB). The situation
has become unbearable in the past two weeks,
despite introducing food
rationing. If the situation deteriorates further
in the next weeks we would
be left with no choice but close schools early,"
reads part of the letter.
Officials at Mhlahlandlela Government
Complex in Bulawayo, where ministry
offices are housed, said the letter had
been forwarded to Minister Aenias
Chigwedere, but no concrete action has yet
been taken.
Contacted for comment, GMB Public relations Manager,
Muriel Zemura, said
they were giving schools first preference in purchasing
maize at depots.
"We have given schools the first preference in
buying maize and it is up to
schools to contact the depots close to them,"
she said.
However, she refused to say whether there were stocks
of maize at the
depots.
The ministry's permanent secretary,
Stephen Mahere acknowledged receiving
reports from schools that they are
running low in maize stocks.
"That has come to our attention and
we are looking into it seriously. But
that the schools would close early is
out of the question for now. All
efforts would be done to save the children
from starving," Mahere said.
Schools are scheduled to close on April
6.
At the height of food shortages last year most boarding
schools instructed
students to bring cooking oil and other basic stuffs to
augment the school
stocks.
Meanwhile, vast tracks of arable
land are current lying idle as the
so-called new farmers struggle to get
inputs needed for intensive farming
and lack the expertise for such a huge
venture. - CAJ News.
The Zimbabwean
BY MARTINE
STEMERICK
LONDON - Singing and dancing, swapping stories from the old
days in Zim and
the difficulties of life in the UK, WOZA women rallied in
front of the
Zimbabwean Embassy on Saturday in solidarity with their sisters
in Zimbabwe.
The significance of WOZA's 'Bread and Roses' protest was
highlighted by the
food riots which broke out in Bulawayo on Friday when
people who had been
queuing for three days mobbed a National Foods truck
delivering mealie-meal
at a local shop.
Ten people were injured and
windows were shattered as riot police with
batons and tear gas broke up the
fracas. Having disbursed the desperately
hungry people, police jumped the
queue to buy the grain, which is often
resold at highly inflated prices.
There has been no mealie meal in the shops
for months in Bulawayo. WOZA
women complain that government officials take
the food for themselves while
ordinary citizens starve.
Archbishop Pius Ncube was not surprised. "This
is a government of
murderers," said the outspoken cleric on Friday. "2005
was the worst year
for hunger in Zimbabwe."
"The government passed
new laws to block the distribution of food. Hundreds
of thousands of cattle
died in Matabeleland. I know that some people have
died, especially little
children. We know it from our church hospitals."
"Sometimes when they
are brought to hospital, it's too late. They've
developed oedema and
pellagra. The doctor cannot save them any more. It's
too late! A lot of
children died of malnutrition. A conservative estimate
would be something
like 8000."
The Catholic Archbishop was not surprised by the Bulawayo
food riots.
"Sometimes a little bit of mealie meal trickles in, and then
it's sold at 5
or 6 times the normal prices. People are absolutely
desperate. They just
don't know what to do."
"Is the world going to
wait until we're all dead before they act?" asked
Sennie, a grandmother at
the WOZA demonstration in London. "Our children
and grandchildren are
starving! What is it going to take? Seeing bloated
bellies on the nightly
news?"
"Never underestimate the power of the 'gogos,' confided another
grandmother
proudly. "Sometimes they make fun of us, calling us the 'broad
bottom
brigade'." But we have nothing to lose. They've taken our homes and
everything we own. We will not let them take our children."
This
feisty spirit of solidarity and resistance is the hallmark of WOZA
women and
their extraordinary leaders whose mandate is to speak out and end
the silent
suffering of the poor in Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean
LONDON - The Home Office appeal hearing
on the rulings made by the Asylum
and Immigration Tribunal in October that
led to a stop on forced removals of
Zimbabwean asylum seekers has now been
set for 6 March 2006 at the Court of
Appeal. It is not yet known which
judges will be on the panel. The Home
Office is appealing against the
rulings reached in the cases of AA and LK.
Time has also been set aside in
the Court of Appeal for Friday though it is
believed to be unlikely that
there will be a decision reached so swiftly.
The Refugee Council
has suggested that holding a vigil outside the Court
during the hearing may
be of benefit.
As many people have found through their own
experience, Zimbabwean cases are
being dealt with rather slowly while the
courts wait for the outcome of this
appeal. In the meantime, everyone
should continue to follow up their cases
as usual, launching fresh claims
based on the AA and LK rulings if
appropriate.
Zimbabweans
who arrived with Malawian and South African travel documents and
then
claimed asylum in the UK are still facing serious problems. Several
people
have been threatened with removal in the past weeks and we continue
to work
with various agencies to resolve this situation. The situation in
detention
centres remains much the same. A small number are still in
detention and the
length of time some have spent detained is causing much
anxiety. Spending up
to a year detained, with the threat of removal hanging
over you and a
seemingly endless process of requests for clarification,
causes enormous
levels of stress and a sense of hopelessness. Appeals have
been made to the
relevant MP and we shall continue to press for the release
of
detainees.
While cases can take years to be resolved even if not
in detention, the time
spent waiting and unable to work is an additional
burden for those involved.
Not only are there the worries of home, but being
unable to support yourself
and family while relying on friends and strangers
for shelter, can be very
demoralizing. Many people have shown great
strength in dealing with this
situation. There are those who have been a
tremendous help to others,
offering support and comfort and sharing their
own experiences. Some have
managed to volunteer their time with different
groups. This is a help and
can also introduce you to more people and
campaigning networks that may be
able to support you during your
case.
At the end of a long process, it is encouraging to know of
many who have
gained their refugee status and who are now working and
gaining new skills,
often studying for further qualifications and degrees.
We wish them well in
reaching their goals.
The Zimbabwean
JOHANNESBURG - The Zimbabwe Diaspora CSOs Forum will
host the first global
Zimbabwean Diaspora International Conference in April
2007.
The forum is a national network of some18 different civic society
organizations that are based in South Africa.
"The Diaspora
conference will seek to create a global platform that will
discuss both the
short and long term role of the millions of Zimbabweans now
living outside
the country," said Daniel Molokele, spokesperson for the
Forum.
The
conference will seek to set up a global forum to provide leadership for
all
Zimbabwean institutions and organizations are based in the diaspora and
adopt a visionary policy document to define the role of the diaspora in the
political and socio-economic development of Zimbabwe from both a long term
and short term perspective.
Prior to the global conference, the Forum
plans to host two preparatory
conferences. The first one will be held in
April 2006 and will be attended
by delegates mainly from the Zimbabwean
institutions and organizations based
in South Africa.
The second will
include delegates from South African institutions and
organizations that
have shown a vested interest in helping to resolve the
crisis situation
affecting Zimbabwe. - Own correspondent
DA election posters
removed
PRETORIA - Ahead of the summit held last week by South
African President,
Thabo Mbeki, with leaders of the "progressive"
left-centre nations such as
Britian's Tony Blair, Sweden's Goeran Persson
and New Zealand's Helen Clark,
at the Didimala nature reserve in
Hammanskraal/Nokeng north of here,
election posters of the Democratic
Alliance were systematically removed from
the area, reports the
DA.
South Africa is set to have local government elections on 1 March
2006.
In the period ahead of the weekend conference DA posters of Clr Dr
Clive
Napier were similarly removed from the environs of the diplomatic
airbase at
Waterkloof in Centurion where staffers for the visit passed
through.
Local councilor and candidate for Ward 1, Stanley Rens,
witnessed posters in
Nokeng Tsa Taemane being removed by persons wearing
T-shirts belonging to
Thabo Mebki's African National Congress. Two vehicles
were also noted
alongside the road with another person holding a DA poster.
As a local
organizer he knew it could not an authorized agent of the DA
involved.
Further along his drive he noticed all the DA posters had been
removed.
Local member of the Gauteng Provincial legislature, Rika Kruger,
further
noted that there were no ANC posters along the same road at the
time.
The Democratic Alliance in the National Capital called on the ANC
to explain
these events to the satisfaction of itself, the Independent
Electoral
Commission and the visiting heads of state and their entourages
and show how
such actions are compatible with the conduct of free and fair
elections in a
democratic country.
The DA has asked those who
unlawfully removed the posters to step forward
and identify themselves and
members of the public who may have witnessed
these events have been asked
make a report to the South African Police
Services or their local DA branch
office. - Own Correspondent
COSATU concerned about
Zim
JOHANNESBURG - The Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (COSATU)
says it is
deeply concerned about worsening attacks and police raids on
fellow labour
union members in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU).
"Recent events in Zimbabwe have confirmed COSATU's analysis of
the
situation. The economic and social collapse, which we predicted is now a
reality. Unemployment, hunger, mass emigration and now the electricity
crisis all point to a catastrophe," said General-Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi,
last week.
"The trade unions are facing new, more serious attacks
from the government.
Numerous police raids, bogus allegations of corruption
and currency
offences, and the infiltration of stooges into the unions are
all being used
to try to destroy the labour movement."
He said there
was grave danger that police would plant incriminating
material on unionists
in order to frame them.
"The COSATU Central Executive Committee (CEC)
agreed that COSATU must play
an active part in the Zimbabwe Solidarity
Campaign," Vavi added.
He did not specify the course of action his union
would take against the
Zimbabwean government but reiterated that very soon
COSATU would face Harare
for its actions.
COSATU's reaction comes in
the wake of disturbing activities in Zimbabwe
following the arrest of 182
women, children and university students from
NUST were arrested by police. -
CAJ News
The Zimbabwean
'The failure of one crop
does not deter the planting of seeds'
'Liberators have become our
oppressors'
I have been listening to the new CD "Singing for a New
Constitution" and it
really means a lot to me. I want to achieve personal
and professional
growth. But I have always wanted to be more pragmatic and
less theoretical -
I mean I want to graduate from being an armchair observer
who has resigned
oneself to political cynicism and participate more fully in
the political
events of my country.
"No matter how long the night,
the day is sure to come." (Congo Proverb).
Even the Bible says, "Tears may
flow in the night but joy comes in the
morning." (Psalms 30:5).
Ngugi
wa Thiong'o, in his book entitled 'Matigari' lucidly explains that
'victory
of the oppressed comes from the sharpened spear.'
This requires that we
become united in order to realise our deepest hopes
and desires. And it
means that we even have to be prepared to die for our
country. One can die
only once and it is better to die in pursuit of what is
right. I for one
won't mind if I die for my country. There is also an
imperative and urgent
need for us as Zimbabweans to "cross the river in a
crowd so that the
crocodile won't eat us" (Madagascar Proverb). Success is
born of trying and
trying again.
We must all bear in mind that the 'failure of one crop does
not deter the
planting of seeds'. We just have to be resilient in our search
for a New
Constitution. Awareness creation among the masses is what is
required so as
to achieve complete annihilation of the cultures of silence
and of
normalising the abnormal, as it were.
Ngugi's book has had an
invaluable influence in my life because it seems
what he was writing about
is what is happening in our contemporary Zimbabwe.
Liberators have become
our oppressors.
There seems to be a consensus that we as Zimbabweans are
responsible for our
destiny and that there is a need on our part to unite
and confront without
fear the institutions of oppression.
This is
based on the premise that there is nothing that a people united
cannot do -
united, our strength becomes faith that moves mountains.
It needs also to
be clearly understood that fear has brought us into this
mess. This
statement by Dr Martin Luther King Jnr also motivates me: "Our
lives begin
to end the day we become silent about things that matter". This
is the kind
of inspiration that is required in modern-day Zimbabwe.
It is not enough
to talk about our rights - we must also take them.
I have been reading up
on the work done by civil society in South Africa
during the apartheid era,
and I believe we also need a strong civil society
that can mobilise the
majority of us who are being oppressed. Democratic
resistance is the
solution but this has to be a multi-sectoral project that
requires popular
ownership and participation.
You have transformed my life through your
work and I hope that all
Zimbabweans will act very soon. - With
acknowledgements to Kubatana.net
active participation
The Zimbabwean
BY NELSON
CHAMISA
HARARE - Zimbabweans are unfortunate in that the
dwindling sources of
information have turned the country into a nation
exposed to half-truths,
distortions, untested conspiracies and rumours. All
the three State-aligned
daily newspapers have failed to fill the growing
information vacuum.
These newspapers claim to be purveyors and
suppliers of information yet what
they give out is simply drivel and
advocacy propaganda on behalf of Zanu
(PF). The grand plan is to turn
Zimbabweans into a mediocre people, unable
to debate and question pertinent
issues in their own society.
Recently, these newspapers reported
that MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai
became the first Zimbabwean politician
to be deported from Zambia. This
display of ignorance is
unacceptable.
Chinamasa, and others, ended up mistaking
Tsvangirai's deportation for
Zambian solidarity with the tyranny of the Zanu
(PF). A look into the events
of liberation history will confirm the
often-impulsive disposition of
Zambian authorities towards bullies and
tyrants surrounding their country.
Zambia is a cautious nation, keen to
avoid confrontation.
Some events that took place as Zambia hosted
liberation movements cannot be
understood outside their proper context.
Zambia's position towards
supporting Zimbabwe and Namibia's independence
struggles was unequivocal.
Yet Zambia suffered from impulsive behaviour,
much of which was informed by
its military vulnerability and its penchant
desire to escape aggression from
its belligerent
neighbours.
In 1972 after the formation of Frolizi, Zanu and
Zapu, the liberation
movements of that period, appreciated the need for a
concerted rather than
divided approach in their confrontation with the Smith
regime. This desire
to form a united armed front resulted in the formation
of a Joint Military
Command, (JMC) which brought together the commanders of
the two-armed wings
of Zanu and Zapu.
At that time part of
the military commanders of both Zanla and Zipra were
based in Tanzania,
which housed most of the guerilla training camps. The JMC
held its first
meeting in Tanzania and decided to hold its second meeting in
Zambia in the
same year.
The OAU liberation committee assisted the military
commanders based in
Tanzania with air tickets to enable them to attend the
JMC meeting in
Lusaka, Zambia. Part of the team of commanders then based in
Tanzania
included Webster Gwauya (Nenji) of Zanla, and Nikita Mangena of
Zipra.
On arrival at Lusaka international airport, these
commanders were refused
entry by the Zambian authorities. Efforts were made
to seek the release of
these commanders so that they could join their
comrades at the JMC meeting
to no avail. They were later deported back to
Dar-e-Salaam.
In another related incident, which left the
liberation forces even more
confused is the deportation of veteran
politician Walter Mtimukulu as the
Zambians tried to grapple with possible
consequences of the formation, by
Nathan Shamuyarira and others, of Front
for Liberation of Zimbabwe
(Frolizi). Mtimukulu and about 120 other trained
combatants were deported to
Smith's Rhodesia to meet their
fate.
Tsvangirai's deportation is therefore not an isolated
incident of political
intrigue as portrayed by Zanu (PF), but it typifies
the attitude of
successive Zambian governments towards those fighting for
freedom in
Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE - Eighty members
of the MDC National Youth Council from the party's
12 provinces met recently
and rejected the recent fee structure introduced
by the Mugabe regime at
tertiary colleges. The council resolved to mobilise
millions of students and
youths to resist the move and deplored the constant
harassment and arrests
of innocent students for claiming their rights to
demonstrate and express
revulsion at the deteriorating quality of academic
life at colleges and
tertiary institutions.
Thamsanqa Mahlangu, deputy chairperson of the party's
National Youth
Assembly
called for the urgent release of arrested
student leaders and a total revamp
of the conditions at their colleges,
pursuant to the universal and generic
right to academic freedom.
He
said the council was also concerned at the high level of unemployment,
the
run-away HIV/Aids pandemic and food insecurity in the country.
"We note
the regime's attack on the sanctity of the family as a cohesive
unit and the
consequent contagion to the community and the nation," he said.
The
youths also resolved to call on the forthcoming MDC (anti-Senate)
Congress
to adopt a solid road map to Zimbabwe's legitimacy through a
people-driven
constitution and an all-inclusive political process leading to
a new
Zimbabwe. - Own correspondent
The Zimbabwean
BULAWAYO - The MDC (pro-Senate) has
advised that it will hold its second
Congress in the city of kings from
25-26 February 2006.
"It has been brought to our attention that
our detractors are going about
misinforming the public that the congress has
been postponed. This is false.
The Congress is on and our preparations are
at an advanced stage," said
information secretary Paul Themba Nyathi in a
statement.
"We intend to use the Congress as a platform for
organizational renewal and
to establish a robust consensus amongst our
members on the way forward for
the next five years. At the Congress
delegates will elect the leaders they
believe are best equipped to take the
party forward and advance our project
of democratization in Zimbabwe," says
the statement. - Own correspondent
The Zimbabwean
HARARE - President
Robert Mugabe has vowed to keep printing more money
saying this was
necessary because accepted economic principles and monetary
rules do not
apply to Zimbabwe's economic crisis.
In an interview with state
television this week, Mugabe said his government
had no option but to keep
the printing machines running in order to be able
to feed hungry
Zimbabweans.
"The view of the finance ministry is that we be bookish, but
this does not
apply in our situation because of sanctions and drought. Those
who say
printing money causes inflation want us to fold our hands while
people
starve. I print money so people can survive and workers can
earn
a living," said the aged ruler.