JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE - URGENT STOP PRESS COMMUNIQUE
dated 26
February 2009
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1.
Arrest of Peter
Etheridge
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop
Press:
This evening, just before dark, Peter Chamada headed out towards
Mount
Carmel in 2 vehicles.
Martin Joubert, from Chegutu, followed
them to see what their intentions
were. Peter Chamada's vehicles turned
around and chased after him and so
he drove to the Chegutu police station to
try to make a report.
Whilst there, 8 policemen went out in Mr.
Chasauka's vehicle. Mr.
Chasauka is the GMB manager for Chegutu. He has
recently invaded the
Downs farm belonging to Wayne Seaman. The house has been
broken into and
Mr. Seaman has been prevented from milking his cows or living
on his
property. Mr. Seaman also has a final order with protection from
the
SADC Tribunal.
The policemen went to Stockdale farm where they
arrested Peter Etheredge
and have put him in cells. Peter has had invaders
on Stockdale farm for
several weeks. Edna Madzongwe, Chairperson of the
Senate and beneficiary
of a number of other farms, has been trying to take
over the farm for
some time. In June 2008, there was whole scale looting on
Stockdale with
all the Etheredges household effects having been
looted.
Mr. Etheredge has a High Court Order as well as protection from
the SADC
Tribunal. The Sherriff of the court evicted the invaders but they
simply
returned immediately afterwards in direct contempt of the High
Court
order. For some weeks the Chegutu police have been promising to
arrest
the invaders but they have always complained of lack of man
power.
3 days ago, Mr. Etheredge was given a bit of paper signed by Mr.
Kunonga
telling him to cease all farming operations. The invaders have tried
to
enforce this. Today, in a move to provoke a clash, the invaders came
to
loot fire wood from his homestead. The situation became volatile
and
Mr. Etheredge fired some warning shots into the air. He is now in
the
Chegutu police cells while the invaders remain free to do what they
like
on his property.
Message Ends.
http://www.businessday.co.za
27
February 2009
Foreign
Staff
Sapa-AFP
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe vowed to
retain a pair of discredited
officials, against the wishes of his coalition
partners, while Zimbabwe
yesterday asked its neighbours for a $2b n loan to
help its collapsed
economy.
In an interview with the state-owned
Herald newspaper to mark his 85th
birthday, Mugabe refused to cede to
demands by the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) to dismiss central bank
governor Gideon Gono and
attorney-general Johannes Tomana.
"I don't
see any reason why those people should go and they will not go," he
said .
Gono is widely blamed for Zimbabwe's economic meltdown and
hyperinflation of
231-million percent, and Tomana stands accused of blocking
the release of
political prisoners.
But there are doubts about how much
control Finance Minister Tendai Biti and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
will have over the nation's finances, given
the power of Gono, who was
reappointed last year by Mugabe for a second
five-year term in
office.
Uncertainty has been heightened by an upsurge in reported
"invasions" of
white-owned farms. Mike Campbell, one of 78 white farmers who
petitioned a
regional court to overturn farm eviction laws, left his farm
for security
reasons on Wednesday after he was threatened by a group led by
Peter
Chamada, the nephew of Mugabe loyalist Nathan Shamuyarira, as well as
others
claiming to be from the lands ministry.
The militants gave
Campbell 10 minutes to pack and leave his house, said his
son-in-law Ben
Freeth.
"They said they did not care about the law or the
police."
Justice for Agriculture, a farmers' support group, has reported
at least 40
of the country's remaining white farmers have been forced off
their land
since last month.
Tsvangirai on Wednesday cited the
campaign against farms as evidence of
continuing lawlessness. He faces
increasing pressure from his supporters,
who say it was a mistake to agree
to govern alongside Mugabe.
Tsvangirai and Mugabe were expected to meet
yesterday to discuss the
detention of senior MDC member Roy Bennett and
other political prisoners. On
Wednesday, Tsvangirai said Mugabe had agreed
to free political prisoners,
but the attorney-general was "willfully
obstructing" releases.
Tsvangirai is also angry at Mugabe's unilateral
nomination of his cronies
for senior civil service posts. Under the unity
government deal, senior
government appointments are to be made by the
president and the prime
minister together.
The US state department
said in its annual human rights report released on
Wednesday that Mugabe's
government was responsible for killing more than 193
people in a violent
crackdown on opponents as it fought to beat back a
determined MDC challenge
ahead of elections last year.
Leaders and supporters of
opposition parties were killed, beaten, tortured,
abducted and arrested last
year, the report said.
At the end of last year, 32 people remained
either in police custody without
charge or were listed as missing, it
said.
There was no immediate reaction to the US report from Mugabe's
office .
The report said Zimbabwe's security forces, paramilitary
forces such as Zanu
(PF) youths and war veterans, and other supporters had
engaged in
politically motivated killings, and that there had not been any
prosecutions
or convictions in any of the nearly 200 cases known to have
occurred. With
ZimOnline
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by
Cuthbert Nzou Friday 27 February 2009
HARARE - The United
States (US) government has accused Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe's
government of killing more than 193 people in a violent
crackdown on
opponents as it fought to beat back a determined opposition
challenge ahead
of elections last year.
The US State Department said in its annual human
rights report released
Wednesday that leaders and supporters of political
opposition parties were
killed, beaten, tortured, abducted and arrested in
2008.
At the end of 2008, 32 people remained either in police custody
without
charge or listed as missing, it added.
There was no immediate
reaction to the US report from Mugabe's office or his
ZANU PF party which
has since formed a power-sharing government with its
former opponents after
losing last March's parliamentary elections to then
opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai's MDC party.
The report said Zimbabwe's security forces,
paramilitary forces such as ZANU
PF youths and war veterans, and other
supporters had engaged in politically
motivated killings, and that there
have not been any prosecutions or
convictions in any of the nearly 200 cases
known to have occurred.
Hundreds of opposition and civil society members
were also reportedly
abducted and tortured. The report said the majority of
the victims were held
for one or two days and then abandoned.
The
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, first released in 1977, are
submitted annually to the US Congress in compliance with the federal Foreign
Assistance Act.
According to the report, Mugabe and ZANU PF engaged
in "the pervasive and
systematic abuse of human rights" during a year in
which it was challenged
by the MDC in parliamentary and presidential
elections.
"The ruling party's dominant control and manipulation of the
political
process through violence, intimidation, and corruption effectively
negated
the right of citizens to change their government," the report
concluded.
"Unlawful killings and politically motivated abductions
increased.
State-sanctioned use of excessive force increased, and security
forces
tortured members of the opposition, student leaders, and civil
society
activists with impunity," the report added.
The country's law
and order forces, the report said, declined to document
cases of political
violence committed by ZANU PF loyalists against the
opposition.
The
State Department said the independence of Zimbabwe's judiciary was
compromised by reports of government bribes and intimidation of
judges.
Along with violence, corruption, harassment of minorities and
intimidation
of political opponents, the report said state security forces
also arrested
and detained labour leaders, journalists, demonstrators and
religious
leaders during 2008.
Washington also alleged Mugabe's
government had ordered the killing of
diamond panners in the eastern
Manicaland province. - ZimOnline
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by
Simplicious Chirinda Friday 27 February 2009
HARARE - A group
of people allegedly acting on behalf of a senior ZANU PF
party official
invaded a farm belonging to one of the white farmers who took
their case
against President Robert Mugabe's land reform programme to a
regional court
for arbitration, a close relative of the farmer said
yesterday.
The
group arrived at Mike Campbell's Mount Carmel farm in Chegutu and
ordered
that the owner leaves the property within 10 minutes, the farm
manager and
Campell's son-in-law Ben Freeth told ZimOnline.
"They were led by Peter
Chamada, Nathan Shamuyarira's (ZANU PF spokesman)
nephew, as well as others
claiming to be from the lands office and from
Shamuyarira's office," said
Freeth.
"They gave my father-in-law, Mike Campbell, 10 minutes to pack
all his
belongings and get out of his house. They said they did not care
about the
law or the police saying they were taking over now."
No
comment could be obtained from the police at the time of
publication.
Campbell's farm is one of the farms belonging to the group
of 78 white
farmers who went to the SADC Tribunal and got full protection
after the
regional court ruled that white Zimbabweans could keep their farms
because
Mugabe's haphazard land reform programme discriminated against
them.
Farm invasions are continuing around Zimbabwe despite the formation
of an
all-inclusive government earlier this month with the latest series of
occupations targeting a number of white farmers.
The Commercial
Farmers Union (CFU) last week said at least 40 farms owned by
the few
remaining white farmers in Zimbabwe have been invaded by top
government and
party officials since the opposition MDC agreed to enter into
an inclusive
government with Mugabe's ZANU PF party.
According to the CFU the latest
wave of invasions involved members of the
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP),
officials from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe,
Members of Parliament (MPs),
Senators and District Administrators.
Early this month police arrested
three white farmers - Chris Jarret, Godfrey
Goosen and Saul Rogers - in what
appeared a campaign targeting farmers who
successfully challenged the
government's controversial land reforms at the
SADC Tribunal.
The
invasions, together with arrests and continued detention of political
prisoners and rights activists, cast serious doubts on ZANU PF's sincerity
in the recently formed unity government.
Analysts say the unity
government headed by Mugabe with MDC party leader
Morgan Tsvangirai serving
as Prime Minister offers Zimbabwe its best chance
in a decade to end its
crisis and begin afresh on the road to sustainable
economic and social
recovery.
But many say major differences between Mugabe and Tsvangirai
over
fundamental issues such as the highly contentious issue of land reform
could
yet derail the unity government.
Both men agree on the need for
land reform but differ on the way this should
be carried
out.
Mugabe's chaotic land reforms that he says were necessary to correct
a
colonial land ownership system that reserved the best land for whites and
banished blacks to poor soils, are blamed for plunging Zimbabwe into food
shortages after Harare failed to support black villagers resettled on former
white farms with inputs to maintain production.
Tsvangirai has called
for an audit to establish who owns which land in
Zimbabwe before an orderly
land reform programme can be implemented but
Mugabe has in the past accused
the MDC leader of wishing to return land to
former white
owners.
Critics say Mugabe's cronies - and not ordinary peasants -
benefited the
most from farm seizures with some of them ending up with as
many as six
farms each against the government's stated one-man-one-farm
policy.
Poor performance in the mainstay agricultural sector has also had
far
reaching consequences as hundreds of thousands of workers have lost jobs
while the manufacturing sector, starved of inputs from the sector, is
operating below 20 percent of capacity. - ZimOnline
FROM THE ZIMBABWE VIGIL
To Zimbabwe media outlets and Zimbabwean organizations
The Zimbabwe Vigil has been approached by Guardian Films part the Guardian newspaper group. They have asked us to publicise this film (details below).
Mugabe splashes out on birthday bash as cholera spirals out of control
Guardian film exposes horrors of man-made epidemic claiming thousands of lives
Chris McGreal, Africa correspondent, and James Gilchrist in Zimbabwe
The Guardian, Thursday 26 February 2009
Please could you circulate or post this link on your websites: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/26/zimbabwe-cholera-mugabe.
Thanks
Vigil co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=12502
February 26, 2009
By Our
Correspondent
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe has shot down recent
suggestions by Deputy
Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara who said last week
that the just delivered
monetary policy statement and the national budget
would be revised.
Mutambara advised business to disregard the fiscal and
monetary policies
recently announced by the then Acting Finance Minister,
Patrick Chinamasa
and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon
Gono.
Mutambara contended the controversial blueprints were produced
without the
necessary consultations among stakeholders and were thus
fundamentally
flawed.
The statement by the Deputy Prime Minister
elicited an angry response from
Gono who declared he was still in charge of
the central bank and as such,
his policies stood.
But in a
development that has further exposed the huge differences among
government
leaders, President Mugabe made a scathing dismissal of the Deputy
Prime
Minister's comments.
"That's just an utterance," he said in his first
public comments on recent
developments since the formation of the unity
government.
In a televised interview this week, that was made to coincide
with his 85th
birthday, Mugabe said Mutambara's comments did not at all
constitute the
correct government policy.
"Those were emotional
utterances. I am sure Mutambara regrets where he said
the monetary policy
must be nullified.
"How do you nullify a budget that has gone through
Parliament? It's the one
that (Finance Minister Tendai) Biti is using,
including the monetary policy.
So you don't nullify it."
Mugabe said
Mutambara was still new and was thus still prone to making
mistakes.
"You must also grant that we have new people and they would
be making a few
mistakes," he said. "Well if mistakes are outrageous,
naturally they put
people off but we try to correct each other.
"I
have not been making any statements myself. In fact I have avoided making
statements.
"We should as much as possible keep quiet and talk to
ourselves in the
chambers that we have provided ourselves with and we have
those chambers. We
meet and I don't see why but of course there is always
the instinct of 'let
the people hear me and let my voice be heard', but it
may be a croaking
voice, you know. Not harmonious and it's not everybody who
can sing. Very
few people have nice voices, some will make you
deaf."
Mugabe also defended his controversial appointments of Gono and
Attorney
General, Johannes Tomana, saying he would never reverse their
appointments.
He dismissed agitation by the Movement for Democratic
Change's (MDC) for the
two to be relieved of their duties in line with the
inter-party political
agreement.
"These are political views they are
expressing," Mugabe said defiantly.
"They have their own preferences but
appointments which were done are
appointments that are done statutorily and
the statutes, the law governing
those appointments has got to be adhered
to.
"Where I have made the appointments, if the appointment has been made
out of
consideration that the holder, the incumbent is in fact the most
suitable
candidate and there are always the other bodies you know that do
the
preliminary work of vetting and make the recommendation
finally.
"Now if the appointment has been made in accordance with that
procedure
which is provided by the law, I don't see any reason why those
people should
go and they will not go."
The MDC is up in arms over
Mugabe's continued violation of the unity
agreement which stipulates that
both the presidium and the premiership shall
meet to agree on the
appointment of the RBZ governor and the Attorney
General.
Both Gono
and Tomana are known to be ardent supporters of Mugabe.
Mugabe said
Zimbabwe would not adopt the South African rand as its official
currency.
He said the introduction of multi currencies to be used in
tandem with the
Zimbabwe dollar early this month, was meant to allow the
heavily devalued
local currency space to restore its value.
"I don't
see us adopting the rand as our currency here," Mugabe said. South
African
President has offered Zimbabwe free use of the South African
currency and
new Finance Minister quickly coined the word "randization" to
describe the
process of adopting the rand for local use.
"What we should do is to
revalue our Zimbabwe dollar in a manner which fixes
that relationship for a
while, relationship between it and the rand,
relationship between it and the
United States dollar and protect it that
way.
"We have to protect it
for a while as we increase our production in the
various sectors but protect
it. We protect it and avoid exposing it to the
fluctuations of the
market."
Mugabe also said he was strongly opposed to the payment of civil
servants in
foreign currency which he said was scarce.
Said Mugabe,
"When this matter was first mooted of paying people in US
dollars, I was
against it and I am still against it because we don't have
enough of it. And
this is the issue that confronts us even now."
In his first speech as
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told supporters who
turned out in large
numbers to congratulate him at Glamis Stadium in Harare
that civil servants
would be paid in foreign currency starting this month.
Mugabe touched on
another controversial issue and pronounced once more that
only the courts
should set free dozens of MDC and human rights activists who
are currently
languishing in prison on alleged attempts to overthrow the
Zanu-PF
government.
Mugabe has infuriated his partners within the two week old
unity government
through his apparent intransigence in responding to calls
to release the
political detainees, who include human rights activist,
Jestina Mukoko, and
MDC treasurer Roy Bennett.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
Zimbabweans in no mood to celebrate as
country's economy plunges
GEOFFREY YORK JOHANNESBURG AND SHAKEMAN MUGARI
HARARE
Globe and Mail Update
a.. E-mail
February 26, 2009 at
6:26 PM EST
For years, it was the biggest bash of the Zimbabwe calendar:
a
cow-slaughtering, goat-roasting, champagne-guzzling feast to celebrate the
birthday of the big man himself, President Robert Mugabe.
But this
year, even on his 85th birthday, the annual extravaganza will be a
lot less
lavish than usual. The donors are mutinying, the organizers are
pleading for
help, the economy has collapsed, and Mr. Mugabe has seen his
power slipping
away to a new government. The autocrat's feast is in trouble.
"I will not
be giving them a cent," says Bernard Saurombe, a 43-year-old
teacher, one of
the thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans who were compelled to
donate money to
the birthday party in previous years.
"The government used to force us to
donate our money for the birthday, but
now things have changed. Why should I
celebrate the birthday of a man who
has caused us this misery? We are
suffering because of this man and there is
no way I can spend a single cent
on celebrating his birthday. Besides, my
new salary of $100 (U.S.) does not
allow such useless spending."
Tafadzwa Chipunze, a 23-year-old market
trader from one of Harare's poorest
suburbs, says he was weary of giving
money every year to gangs of youths
from the ruling political party who
would threaten to take away his market
license if he refused to donate to
the birthday bash.
"Now I feel that I cannot be bullied into donating
money," he said. "I've
come to realize that we're now under a new
government. There's no need to
pretend that I like Mugabe. They tried to
force us again this year, but
people flatly refused. They said they've got
nothing to spare because
they're already impoverished by Mugabe's
policies."
Mr. Mugabe is still the most powerful man in Zimbabwe, the
country he has
dominated since 1980, but he has been obliged to share power
with a new
government that includes a prime minister and cabinet ministers
from the
opposition.
His supporters were aiming to raise $300,000
(U.S.) to celebrate his
birthday at a huge party in his hometown of Chinhoyi
tomorrow, a week after
he officially turned 85. But donors have been so
reluctant that the
festivities have been scaled back.
Organizers are
still planning to bring thousands of children to the party in
buses, and
dozens of cows will still be slaughtered to feed the birthday
crowd - an
almost obscene contrast to the widespread hunger in Zimbabwe,
where seven
million people are dependent on food aid from the United Nations
and other
foreign agencies.
But the coerced donors of the past - the civil
servants, teachers and state
employees who needed to donate money to the
birthday bash to show their
loyalty and save their jobs - have less reason
to give. Many of them work
for ministries that are now headed by the
opposition. Others simply have no
money to donate because of the collapsed
economy.
"The fundraising committee is still running around looking for
donors who
can bankroll the event," said a report in The Standard, a
Zimbabwe
newspaper.
It said there is a "huge shortfall" because the
traditional donors have
"little enthusiasm" for the birthday party. "We are
operating on a
shoestring budget," said a senior member of Mr. Mugabe's
political party,
Absalom Sikhosana, in an interview with The
Standard.
Many government departments are still buying huge
advertisements in the
state newspaper, The Herald, to show loyalty to Mr.
Mugabe. "Like a mighty
crocodile, you have remained resilient, focused and
resolute against all the
odds," said a fawning advertisement paid for by the
Defence Ministry.
But this year the Herald only had four pages of
birthday congratulations for
Mr. Mugabe, compared to 16 pages last year and
24 pages in 2007.
Norbert Bakachesa, a war veteran who got farmland from
Mr. Mugabe's land
reform program, said he agreed to donate a cow to the
birthday organizers
last year because he was afraid he would lose his farm
if he refused. "It
was as if I was paying homage to a king through tribute,"
he said.
"This year I told them that I had nothing. I told them that I
was tired of
being swindled. They tried to threaten me, but I told them that
they were
not going to get anything from me. I told them that I had many
relatives and
workers who were starving and needed food. They grumbled but
they went
away."
While the lavish feast is prepared for tomorrow's
party, millions of
Zimbabweans remain at risk of hunger or death from
poverty and disease.
A cholera epidemic has sickened more than 83,000
people and killed 3,877 in
Zimbabwe so far, according to the latest figures
from the United Nations.
The mortality rate is three times higher than in
typical epidemics, a UN
official said at a press conference in Johannesburg
yesterday.
Unless there is urgent assistance, Zimbabwe could continue to
need food aid
for up to seven million of its 13 million people next year,
the UN warned.
"It's obvious that the humanitarian needs in the country
remain grave," said
Catherine Bragg, a Canadian aid expert who headed a UN
mission to Zimbabwe
this week.
"A growing number of households are
reducing their meals. Their coping
mechanisms are being stretched."
http://www.news24.com
26/02/2009 22:03 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe's new
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will attend a
lavish birthday celebration
for President Robert Mugabe this weekend, his
spokesperson said on
Thursday.
"He was invited and he is attending. It's courteous on (the
part of) his
party and it's in the spirit of national unity," Tsvangirai's
spokesperson
James Maridadi said.
Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe
since independence in 1980, turned 85 on
February 21, and his supporters are
throwing him a gala public party on
Saturday in the town of Chinhoyi, north
of the capital.
Last year Tsvangirai railed against Mugabe's birthday
celebration as "a
gathering of the satisfied few" in a nation crippled by
food shortages.
The annual event is organised by the February 21st
Movement, a youth
movement in Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, and attracts hundreds
of people.
However, this year they appear to be struggling to collect on
promised
donations to fund the party, in a nation battling against
world-record
hyperinflation and one of the worst cholera epidemics on
record.
Organisers resorted to running an advertisement in the state-run
Herald on
Thursday, urging benefactors to pay up on their pledges.
-
AFP
http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com
26th
Feb 2009 22:06 GMT
By a Correspondent
Relating to the
Implementation of the Interparty Political Agreement
We, representatives
of civil society organizations, meeting in Harare on the
25th February
2009:
Acknowledging the signing of the Interparty Political Agreement
(IPA) on the
15th September 2008 and the effective commencement of its
implementation by
the participating political parties on the 30th January
2009,
Noting the continued humanitarian, social, and economic crises
which the
country continues to face and needs to address
urgently,
Deeply concerned at the continued assault on the fundamental
rights and
freedoms of the people of Zimbabwe , in particular human rights
defenders
and legitimate political activists,
In solidarity with our
colleagues and others who remain unjustly
incarcerated at various prisons,
remand facilities and hospitals around
Zimbabwe ,
Guided by our
earlier commitment and collective views as espoused in the
Peoples' Charter
developed through national consultative processes,
Mindful of the need
for any legitimate government to pursue its mandate
through inclusive,
transparent, people-driven and participatory processes in
order to ensure a
swift return to democracy, good governance and the Rule of
Law,
Further mindful of civil society's critical role and
responsibility in
scrutinizing politicians and political processes, and
holding them to
account, in order to maintain its watchdog role and moral
authority,
Noting that in the event of the political deadlock
necessitating dissolution
of the agreement, fresh elections should be
conducted under an
internationally and regionally acceptable framework and
supervisory
missions,
Observing that the ordinary voices and views of
the people of Zimbabwe have
not been heard or acknowledged in the IPA and
that ownership, monitoring and
enforcement of the IPA is currently the
exclusive reserve of political
parties, state authorities and regional and
international political organs
who are not accountable to the people of
Zimbabwe,
Now hereby resolve to:
1. Immediately establish an
independent Civil Society Monitoring Mechanism
which will, through shared
and agreed benchmarks, focus on monitoring and
assessing the adherence to
and implementation of the Interparty Political
Agreement (IPA) by those
bound to its provisions through the work of five
(5) main Thematic Clusters,
namely:
a. Economy and Development (incorporating Economic Recovery,
Land,
Humanitarian and Food Assistance)
b. Constitutional Reform
Process
c. Political Transition and Justice (incorporating Equality,
National
Healing, Cohesion and Unity, Traditional Leaders, and National
Youth
Programme)
d. Institutional Transformation (incorporating Rule
of Law, State
Institutions, Legislative Agenda, the Media and National
Institutions)
e. Respect for Human Rights and Operating Environment
(incorporating Rule of
Law, Freedom of Expression and Communication, Free
Political Activity,
Freedom of Assembly and Association, and Security of
Persons and Prevention
of Violence)
2. Ensure that progress on
critical issues which have been overlooked or
remain unaddressed within the
ambit of the IPA is also monitored; more
particularly in relation
to:-
a. Reform and accountability of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in
terms of its
mandate under the law
b. Economic Crimes and
Impunity
c. Reform of the Education Sector
d. Reform of the Health
Sector
e. Security Sector Reform
f. Judicial Reform
g.
Electoral Reform
h. Local Government Reform
3. Produce Monthly
Monitoring Reports which will be published, publicized,
widely disseminated,
simplified and translated, in order to allow the people
of Zimbabwe to
understand and discuss political processes, actions and
decisions taken on
their behalf and which have an impact on their lives, in
order that they can
demand accountability in an informed manner where they
are of the opinion
that their political representatives are failing to
comply with the
provisions they agreed to under the IPA.
4. Engage the Joint Monitoring
and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) and all
or any other responsible
authorities and guarantors of the IPA on the basis
of the findings and
recommendations of the Monthly Monitoring Reports.
5. So contribute
to a new culture of transparency, scrutiny and
accountability of all public
processes taken on behalf of the people of
Zimbabwe by the political parties
who purport to govern on their behalf.
Representatives of the civil
society further clarify that this process, far
from being an attempt to
undermine political processes and agreements, is
one which it has a
responsibility to undertake as part of its independent
watchdog role, and
one which it will not hesitate to carry out to the best
of its ability in
line with the affirmations set out herein.
Thus done at Harare , Zimbabwe
, this 25th day of February 2009.
PARTICIPATING
ORGANIZATIONS
Bulawayo Agenda (BA)
Christian Alliance
(CA)
Counseling Services Unit (CSU)
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
(CZC)
General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union (
GAPWUZ)
Legal Resources Foundation (LRF)
Media Institute of
Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe)
Media Monitoring
Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
National Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (NANGO)
Progressive Teachers Association of Zimbabwe
(PTUZ)
Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU)
Save Zimbabwe Campaign
(SZC)
Veritas
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
(VMCZ)
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights
(ZADHR)
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development
(Zimcodd)
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
Zimbabwe Human
Rights Association (ZimRights)
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
(ZHRF)
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
Zimbabwe National
Students Union (Zinasu)
Zimbabwe Young Women's Network for Peace Building
(ZYWNP)
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by
Hendricks Chizhanje Friday 27 February 2009
HARARE - Civic
society groups have set up a committee to monitor
implementation of the
power-sharing agreement between President Robert
Mugabe's ZANU PF party and
the two MDC formations of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai ZANU PF leader
and his deputy Arthur Mutambara.
The groups said the Civil Society
Monitoring Mechanism would focus on how
the political parties implement the
agreement in five areas of the economy
and development, constitutional
reforms, political transition and justice,
institutional transformation and
upholding human rights.
Some of the groups that formed the monitoring
committee include Bulawayo
Agenda, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC),
ZimRights, Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights (ZLHR), the National
Association of Non Governmental
Organisations (NANGO), MISA Zimbabwe and the
Progressive Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe (PTUZ).
The groups said they
would also monitor reforms at the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe (RBZ) that
critics have blamed for fuelling inflation through the
printing of money to
fund Mugabe's populist projects.
A spokesman for the groups Okay Machisa
said: "This process, far from being
an attempt to undermine political
processes and agreements, is one which
(civil society) has a responsibility
to undertake as part of its independent
watchdog role, and one which it will
not hesitate to carry out to the best
of its ability."
Mugabe,
Tsvangirai and Mutambara last September agreed to form a unity
government to
tackle Zimbabwe's deepening economic and humanitarian crisis.
Fresh
elections will be called after about two years during which the unity
government is supposed to have stabilised the economy and produced a new and
democratic constitution for Zimbabwe. - ZimOnline
Source: Government of South Africa Date: 26 Feb 2009 Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the fourth estate. This morning we had
our discussions with the Secretary General of the UN. We are honoured that he
chose our country as his first on his trip to Africa. We compared notes on a
range of important issues regarding the flash points on the continent of Africa.
We compared notes with regard to the humanitarian and peace efforts in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Zimbabwean political developments, the
Sudan, Burundi; and of course closer home we also spoke about the role that
South Africa plays globally with regards to important matters such as climate
change, the impending G20 Summit that will be held in April in England. We also had discussions about our responsibility of hosting the 2010 Fifa
World Cup finals and that the UN has an opportunity to make a contribution
particularly with regards to transport issues relating to the emissions efforts.
So these are some of the important matters that we discussed and compared notes
on. With these brief remarks I would like to invite the Secretary General to
make his remarks. Over to you sir. Mr Ban Ki-Moon Thank you very much, Mr President. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the media, Sawubona. It is a great pleasure for me to be here on my first official visit to South
Africa as Secretary-General of the United Nations. And I thank President
Motlanthe and the Government of South Africa for the warm welcome and the kind
hospitality provided to me and to my delegation. South Africa holds a particular place in the United Nations family because of
our own long engagement against apartheid, in support of the struggle of the
South African people. That particular place has sustained the test of time as
South Africa is today an important partner for the United Nations, because of
the major role South Africa plays in international and regional peacemaking,
peace keeping and peace building efforts. It is facilitating the peace process in Burundi and mediating in Zimbabwe. It
is contributing more than two thousand troops to United Nations operations from
the Congo and Sudan to Nepal and it has paid a heavy price for that commitment.
These are some of the subjects I discussed a few minutes ago with President
Motlanthe and other cabinets ministers, including the Foreign Minister, the
Environment Minister and the Finance Minister. We have just held a very fruitful
and constructive meeting. On Zimbabwe, I welcomed the inauguration of the new Government of national
unity. The partnership between the Zimbabwean parties will need to be nurtured.
Although the UN has no direct mandate to help implement the Agreement between
the parties, we are ready to ensure that the enormous challenges confronting the
Zimbabwean people are effectively addressed. That said, I remain concerned about reports of arrests and detention of
opposition activists and human rights defenders. I hope that these people will
be freed as soon as possible. Also, in the face of the rapid deterioration of
the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, especially the current cholera epidemic,
the UN will do all possible efforts to increase its support to Zimbabwe,
including for nationally owned stabilisation and recovery programmes. My
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Catherine Bragg, is
currently in Zimbabwe. She will recommend how the international community can
step-up its humanitarian efforts in the country. On the DRC: I commended the role of South African peacekeepers in saving,
daily, the lives of Congolese civilians under extremely difficult circumstances.
As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I hope we can count on South
Africa's continued and significant support to reform the Congolese security
sector. We also discussed with the President South Africa's key role as an economic
powerhouse with by far the largest, strongest and most diversified economy on
the continent. We discussed the forthcoming G-20 meeting in April, where South
Africa's President will be once again the only African leader in attendance and
an effective voice for the millions of voiceless and most vulnerable. I am here in South Africa to concretely reach out to countries that have a
potential leadership role in confronting global challenges. One such challenge
is climate change. While South Africa has been an effective advocate on behalf
of the G-77, to date, much of Africa has not benefited from the current
international climate change regime. It is time to change that. Africa must help
shape the Copenhagen deal in a way that benefits the interests of the continent
and its citizens. South Africa has shown commendable leadership and can do more. As to issues
specific to this country, I stressed to President Motlanthe my appreciation of
the fact that South Africa has made remarkable strides in consolidating
democracy since the end of apartheid. It has built solid and reliable democratic
institutions. The forthcoming elections present a historic opportunity to
showcase South Africa to the region and the world as a country that is capable
of effecting peaceful democratic change. But, perhaps more importantly, I wish the best of luck to the Bafana Bafana
when they set out next year to become hopefully the first African football
champion of the world, as they have done so in rugby. And while our United
Nations teams might be able to compete on other fields, we cannot claim to have
Benny McCarthy or Steven Pienaar on our side. We will contribute instead in our own way to the success of the next World
Cup through a joint project of the Global Environment Facility, supported by the
United Nations development programme and environment agencies. We will spend 11
million dollars to upgrade the South African public transport system ahead of
the 2010 World Cup. The project's environment objective is to reduce greenhouse
gases from urban transportation in South African cities for the World Cup and
beyond. Thank you very much and Siyabonga. Questions and answers Question: You have expressed concern about the plight those in
Zimbabwe who are still detained. I just wonder how both of you feel this might
be undermining the Global Political Agreement? Answer: (Mr Ban Ki-Moon) I discussed this matter with President Mugabe
when I met him in Addis Ababa during the African Union (AU) Summit meeting. I
urged him and also appealed to him while I would support and welcome the
launching of the unity government it would be appropriate and it would be a
welcomed gesture for the leader from Zimbabwe to embrace all different opinions
and leaders in the country by releasing all the detained people. I hope that he
will listen to the expectations of the international community by releasing them
all as soon as possible. President Motlanthe: I was assured by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai when I
met him last week that this matter is high on their agenda and they are
attending to it. He assured me that in his discussions with President Mugabe
they had agreed that all the detainees should be granted bail on their own
cognisance. Question: Was the discussion also of the many Zimbabwean refugees
pouring over the border into South Africa; perhaps easing immigration
restrictions so that they may stay longer and how will South Africa respond?
Answer: (President Motlanthe) As the South African government we are
taking a benign attitude towards the movement of people between the two
countries as a way of alleviating the very dire conditions in Zimbabwe. That is
why we have invested our efforts in ensuring that we support this inclusive
government because its primary task is to stabilise the situation and create
conditions for all of these Zimbabwean refugees and Zimbabweans in the Diaspora
to return home. Mr Ban Ki-Moon: I really appreciate the government of South Africa for
accommodating those refugees coming from Zimbabwe. I know that it would be a
huge challenge economically, politically and socially to accommodate so many
refugees at this time. In that regard I really appreciate President Motlanthe's
generosity for providing human rights and humanitarian assistance. I have dispatched the senior advisor on humanitarian affairs Catherine Bragg.
She is currently in Zimbabwe. She met President Mugabe and Prime Minister
Tsvangirai and other leaders of Zimbabwe to discuss how the United Nations can
better co-ordinate and better mobilise humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwean
people. I have discussed this matter also with President Mugabe in Addis Ababa
last month. He was open-minded to the UN and the international community's
assistance on humanitarian grounds. I think that is the right thing to do for him as well as for the
international community. I will receive a report from Catherine Bragg on her
recommendation on how we can mobilise more humanitarian assistance including
this refugee issues. At the same time I want to count on the continuing support
and assistance by the South African government and people for them. Question: Sir I think there is some concern about the situation in
Zimbabwe in the context that given the global meltdown the focus wouldn't be on
Africa now especially with other western powers. There is a concern that the
situation as it is; there could be a situation where the whole unity government
fails. What do you think should happen because for example there is a need for
economic assistance? What do you think the world should do? What should happen?
Answer: (Mr Ban Ki-Moon) I think two tracks should proceed in
parallel. On the part of the Zimbabwean government leadership, particularly
President Mugabe, they should carry out and implement this September 15
power-sharing agreement sincerely and fully. That is the way to meet the
expectation of the international community, to meet and uphold the aspiration of
Zimbabwean people. The economic situation is very dire and the humanitarian situation is very
worrisome and there is the cholera epidemic which has cost thousands of lives.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, there are more than 83
000 people who are sick and more than 3 000 people have been killed. Those are very serious issues. President Mugabe should promote national
reconciliation and at the same time he should promote economic co-operation.
The international community, led by the UN stands ready to provide the
necessary assistance, humanitarian assistance and promotion of human rights and
providing all necessary medical and sanitation support to Zimbabwean people.
But all these efforts would be better mobilised, we would get stronger and
more support from the international community if we can see the progress in
political and national reconciliation. The release of political prisoners will
be important and desirable not only on the humanitarian and human rights ground
but also on the national reconciliation process. (President Motlanthe): In fact the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) Ministers of Finance are meeting in Cape Town to develop a response to
the request from the Zimbabwean inclusive government for the immediate
assistance that would serve as a basis for also approaching the international
community for more assistance with regards to particularly the efforts in the
agricultural sector of Zimbabwe. Question: Sir we had some informal brief discussion with the Secretary
General this morning on the kind of history of animosity between the two
governments of the DRC and Rwanda. Specifically what is your country going to do
to try and improve those relations? Answer: (President Motlanthe) Besides the role that we play in MONUC
in the DRC we as SADC as you know we char SADC at the moment facilitated
interaction between Presidents Kagame and Kabila and we compared notes with the
Secretary General about the intractable issues that underpin this conflict. We
are in agreement that in the short term the efforts are aimed at ensuring that
there is cessation of hostilities and that the presence of the genocidors, the
Interahamwe in the North Kivu area should be addressed, as well as the
finalisation of the status of the Congolese citizens of Tutsi origin. That is
one of the issues that need to be addressed in order to lay down the foundation
for ever-lasting peace between the two countries. Hopefully it will result in
the creation of a free trade zone to enable both countries to share in the
natural resources. Question: Have you reached an agreed upon approach towards the
Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir story with the International Criminal Court?
Answer: (President Motlanthe) The AU position with regards to that
matter is very clear that former President Thabo Mbeki has been appointed to
lead a process of finding comprehensive solution to the conflict in the Darfur
and also to address the issue of impunity at a judicial level and he is already
in touch with the ICC prosecutor because the AU has called for a deferment of
the prosecution in order to allow time for these efforts to produce the desired
results. That is the position that we have adopted. Mr Ban Ki-Moon: If I may answer from my perspective as the Secretary General
of the UN, as everybody knows, the pre-trial chamber of the ICC has announced
that they would render the decision on 4 March, so we are awaiting that
decision. As the Secretary General of the UN, I hope that whatever the decision may be,
the President of Sudan Mr Al-Bashir should react responsibly to the decision of
the ICC and also address the issue of peace and security in the region. When I met him in Addis Ababa I urged him that he should ensure safety and
security of UN personnel and civil population. He should also keep his
commitment on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. That is
what he needs to do. I am aware of the position of the AU for the deferment of the ICC decision
but that is something which the UNSC should decide. For that to be possible the
Sudanese government and President Al-Bashir should also take necessary judiciary
measures which can satisfy the article 16's requirement of (inaudible). Question: From the agreement between the DRC and Rwanda governments, 5
000 soldiers have crossed the border to DRC to take the Interahamwe from the
bush and take them back to Rwanda. Without the identification of the population
there it is creating confusion as to who is Interahamwe and who is not. How are
you entertaining that situation? Answer: (Mr Ban Ki-Moon) That is a question which the Congolese
government and the people should discuss, that particular issue. As the
Secretary General of the UN, we are mandated – MONUC – is mandated to assist and
co-operate with (inaudible) in keeping peace and stability. I am going to meet with President Kabila of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda
later this week. We will discuss how to bring this process of (inaudible)
between the two governments with the support of the international community. I
would welcome this (inaudible). It is a very encouraging development of the
situation but it has also many difficulties and uncertainties. Therefore this
process of (inaudible) should be nurtured by the international community so that
we can bring stability and peace. The people, particularly the civilian population has suffered too much. May
civilian population were killed and there were many cases reported of sexual
violence and crimes. These are all things we must eradicate and as the Secretary
General I am very much committed to see the end of this prevalence of sexual
crimes perpetuated against many women and girls. We are very much committed also
to protecting the lives of the civilian population there. Therefore we need a
concerted effort. In that regard, as President Motlanthe has just mentioned, we really
appreciate this facilitation role and leadership role of the South African
government and count on such continued support, including the support of
peacekeeping soldiers in the DRC. Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
President
Motlanthe
25 February 2009
http://www.mg.co.za/
MAYA FISHER-FRENCH | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA -
Feb 27 2009 06:00
Although South Africa can technically afford to give
Zimbabwe the R6-billion
that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has reportedly
asked for, it would
have to be part of a broader financial bail-out package
if South Africa does
not want to throw good money after bad.
Yet
assistance from other countries has not been forthcoming as potential
lenders are not convinced that Zimbabwe is on a real road of change while
Robert Mugabe still holds power.
Stanlib economist Kevin Lings says
the national budget does make provision
for a contingency reserve, which
this year is budgeted at, coincidentally,
R6-billion. This money is put
aside each year in case of a natural disaster
such as floods where
government needs to provide urgent assistance to its
citizens.
Lings
says government did indicate last year that this reserve could be used
for
other types of disasters when it considered using the reserve as an
emergency bail-out for Eskom. Zimbabwe's case could be argued as a disaster,
which has a significant impact on South Africa's financial and political
stability, but this would leave South Africa short, should natural disasters
hit our shores.
Lings says a figure of R6-billion is not significant,
accounting for only
0.25% of GDP and pushing our budgeted deficit from 3.9%
to 4.15% of GDP.
However, it could impact on South Africa's cost of funding.
This year the
South African government will be going to market to raise
R185-billion.
Given the scarcity of capital globally, any additional
borrowing could
increase the total costs of South Africa's funding needs.
"South Africa can
afford this loan; the question is whether this will be a
continual drain,"
says Lings.
Efficient Group economist Dawie Roodt
says that for Zimbabwe to recover, the
country would need a significant
injection of cash and that South Africa
could not go this route alone.
"Others will have to chip in as well, such as
the United States, the United
Kingdom and even the International Monetary
Fund [IMF]," says Roodt, who
adds that this will only happen if the
political solution is
accepted.
The US and Europe have already stated that they would want
further evidence
that the rule of law and democracy are in place. With the
Zimbabwean
government using a constitutional loophole to keep MDC politician
and deputy
agricultural minister designate Roy Bennett in jail after being
granted
bail, it is yet to demonstrate a respect for the
law.
Although details of what Zimbabwe has requested from South Africa
are not
official, reports have suggested that the R6-billion request would
be used
to cover the Zimbabwean government's obligations to civil servants
and other
essential items for the next six months. If R6-billion would only
stave off
the bills for six months, the magnitude of financial assistance
will be far
greater. Tsvangirai said before his meeting last Friday with
Finance
Minister Trevor Manuel that Zimbabwe would need in the region of
$5-billion
to help fund the economy's recovery. Donor organisations estimate
that
figure to be closer to$10-billion.
Roodt says that follow-up
loans will be needed and it is these loans that
would start to impact on
South Africa's credit rating and financial
stability.
Lings says that
a normal channel for a small country requiring financial
assistance would be
the IMF, but Zimbabwe probably sees its African
neighbour as a friendlier
creditor. "There would be financial and political
conditions attached to an
IMF loan," says Lings, who adds these would
include regular report-backs and
visits by IMF teams to ensure compliance.
"At this stage these conditions
may be too onerous for Zimbabwe." South
Africa as a soft touch will not go
down well with South African citizens,
who would rather see the money spent
at home to deal with our own
unemployment and poverty crisis.
It is
clear that a more detailed and fully comprehensive package, which
includes
other lenders, would have to be in place before it would be
financially
sensible for South Africa to sign off on any financial
assistance, yet there
may be political pressure for the South African
government to show its
support and legitimise the Zimbabwean unity
government by putting our money
where its mouth is.
During his budget address earlier this month Manuel
said South Africa stood
ready to coordinate financial support for Zimbabwe
once Tsvangirai was sworn
in as prime minister. Manuel made it clear that
South Africa would use its
influence to co-opt other countries into a rescue
package.
According to Reuters, Manuel said: "There are a number of
countries that
stand ready to assist; we have to lean on them to help the
Zimbabweans deal
with the worst ravages." He also added that he had raised
the issue with
some of the G7 countries and hoped to put together a larger
financial
package. This week the treasury declined to comment on a financial
package,
stating that it would require firm proposals to be put to the
national
treasury.
Apart from political pressure, South Africa has a
vested economic interest
in the recovery of Zimbabwe. Most of the products
and service would be
sourced from South Africa, such as fertiliser and plant
equipment. South
African firms would be involved in the re-building of
infrastructure.
But South Africa will have to tread this path very
carefully. Already
questions have been raised about the misuse of the
R300-million agricultural
aid package South Africa gave to Zimbabwe last
year. Zimbabwe should not
make the mistake of thinking that South Africa
will hand over money unless
there are guarantees that these funds will be
used in a proper manner and
not to buy Mercedes-Benzes for ministers, as has
already happened this week.
Going into an election year, government will
have to convince South Africans
that taxpayers' money is better spent in
Zimbabwe than on our own poverty
alleviation needs. The rise in xenophobic
violence would suggest that many
South Africans will have little sympathy
for Zimbabwe's woes, although the
hope that millions of Zimbabweans would
return to their country, if it
stabilised, could provide the government with
an angle to sell the deal.
More ministers than offices
Last week
Zimbabwe swore in its biggest government ever. When fully
constituted, the
new government will have 71 members.
This week, new ministers received
new Mercedes-Benz luxury sedans and Nissan
SUVs. Government officials refuse
to reveal how much will be spent on the
ministers. Further spending is also
planned on vehicles for 300 members of
Parliament.
The ministers know
first-hand how deep in the red Zimbabwe is -- they
arrived at government
complexes to take up their posts to find there was not
enough office space
for all of them. Those who did get offices had no
furniture, stationery or
staff.
A senior Western diplomat in Harare said aid to Zimbabwe's new
unity
government is on condition that reserve bank Governor Gideon Gono is
sacked
and more substantial political reforms are made.
Sweden's
ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sten Rylander, on Tuesday said donors
wanted Gono
replaced first as they could not trust him with aid. Rylander
claims Gono
"diverted" $400 000 his country had given to Save the Children
for
humanitarian work in northern Zimbabwe. He also accuses Gono of having
misappropriated funding from the Global Fund for HIV/Aids.
"We cannot
just release funds; we are waiting for sound policy changes, the
rule of law
and sound macroeconomic policies," he said.
"We are waiting for policy
change; we cannot rush in with aid. The
government has to deal with the
leadership in the central bank and that has
to be done
urgently."
Under Zimbabwean law, only President Robert Mugabe can fire a
central bank
chief.
Other diplomats who spoke to the Mail &
Guardian are also concerned about
the bloated size of the new government,
which at 71 is the biggest Zimbabwe
has ever had. Donors also want to see an
independent anti-corruption
commission set up to check graft before any
substantial financial aid is
granted.
Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai appeared at the weekend to be addressing
these concerns, saying
on Sunday: "I wish to announce it today and now that
our government will not
tolerate any form of corruption. Corrupt and
unscrupulous business people
will be sought out and will be prosecuted in
their numbers."
On
Western scepticism of the new government, Tsvangirai said they should
"accept that Zimbabweans have a right to choose and they have decided that
the inclusive government is the only way out".
Tsvangirai has
estimated the long-term cost of rebuilding Zimbabwe at up to
$5-billion. A
coalition of Western donors, set up two years ago to prepare
for a
transition, estimates that Zimbabwe needs up to $10-billion to
stabilise its
economy. This includes funding for reinvestment in
infrastructure, restoring
farm production and supporting its currency.
There is no concrete
information from the Zimbabwe government itself on what
aid has been pledged
in total and how much of it has already been received.
Gono says the country
has secured $500-million in credit lines from
international financiers, who
he has declined to name.
Gono has said, however, that the financiers are
worried by apparent
conflicting signals on policy from leaders of the
coalition government. He
said the credit lines had been extended after
Zimbabwe instituted the
currency and economic reforms announced in
January.
Patrick Chinamasa, who as acting finance minister last month
presented a
$1.9-billion national budget for 2009, said Zimbabwe had
received
$200-million in budgetary support from "international cooperating
partners",
whom he also did not identify.
Since January, Zimbabwe has
allowed the use of foreign currencies across the
economy, authorising US
dollar trade on the stock market and in the informal
economy. Controls on
the repatriation of earnings by foreign investors have
been lifted as have
restrictions on the sale of farm produce and gold.
Although there has
been some support for these reforms from donors, there
has not been enough
to encourage real aid to start flowing.
Donors are, however, more open to
direct support to humanitarian sectors
such as health and education. David
Coltart, the education minister, told
the M&G that he needs urgent
support of $438-million for the next six
months. But he concedes that "in
the current economic climate and in the
context of world recession, that is
a completely unattainable figure". He
was confident, however, of raising
$80-million to pay teachers.
There is little support from either Zanu-PF
or the MDC for adoption of the
rand. Leaders are wary of having to cede
economic policy and political
independence to South Africa. A senior Mugabe
aide said adopting the rand
would turn Zimbabwe into "a giant supermarket of
South Africa, the way many
countries in the rand zone are
currently".
Tsvangirai himself has said he supports the existing policy
allowing the
circulation of multiple currencies over adoption of the rand.
-- Jason Moyo
http://www.ft.com/
By Richard Lapper in Johannesburg and Tony Hawkins
in,Harare
Published: February 27 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 27
2009 02:00
Southern Africa's struggling economies are in no position to
finance a
rescue package for Zimbabwe on their own, Trevor Manuel, South
Africa's
finance minister said yesterday.
Mr Manuel said South Africa
would support Zimbabwe's efforts to raise $2bn
(£1.4bn) needed immediately
for economic reconstruction.
That would at least "help open channels" for
Zimbabwe's new coalition, he
said, as it tries to repair relations with
multilateral donors and other
lenders. But South Africa has limited capacity
to provide funding from its
own resources, he added.
Mr Manuel was
speaking to the Financial Times after a regional meeting where
Zimbabwe
tried to raise an initial $1bn to repair its education, health and
some
basic infrastructure over the next 10 months.
SADC, the 15-nation
regional body, had orchestrated a power-sharing deal
between Robert Mugabe,
Zimbabwe's president, and Morgan Tsvangirai, its
prime minister.
The
South African finance minister said: "A year ago SADC states were all in
fiscal surplus but we are now facing really tough times."
Figures
released this week showed that South Africa's economy shrank nearly
2 per
cent in the fourth quarter of last year and the country is running a
current
account deficit of about 8 cent of gross domestic product.
Zimbabwe is
also seeking $1bn in credit lines to allow businesses to start
working again
in the wake of a decade in which the economy has been in
freefall.
Mr
Manuel said the amounts being sought were "not unusually large but a lot
of
work remains to be done".
He said arrears owed to multilateral lenders,
such as the African
Development Bank, and other creditors - estimated at
about $3bn by
economists in Harare - could prove an obstacle. Mr Manuel said
unless ways
were found to "clear the arrears, there was no way the plan
could work".
Zimbabwe hopes to discuss its plans with the ADB and other
lenders at a
meeting in Tunis in the next few days. Mr Manuel praised the
"singleness of
purpose" displayed by Zimbabean ministers from Mr Mugabe's
Zanu-PF and the
two wings of the Movement for Democratic Change at the SADC
meetings, in
spite of evidence of tensions within the two-week-old
administration.
February 26, 2009
The Mugabe condominium in Hong Kong.
By Raymond Maingire
HARARE – President Robert Mugabe has denied recent press reports that he has acquired a US$5, 7 million mansion in Hong Kong.
The Sunday Times of London reported two weeks ago the Zimbabwean leader had purchased a luxurious three-storey property in a walled and gated complex in an exclusive area of Hong Kong.
The house was reported in the very detailed article to have been purchased on behalf of the Mugabes by a middleman.
But in special and broad interview he granted to state controlled ZBC TV early this week, Mugabe says the property was, in fact, rented for his 20-year-old daughter, Bona, who is currently studying at the University of Hong Kong.
“There is a property in which our girl and a relative, the two students studying in Hong Kong, are staying,” said Mugabe.
“We pay rent. After they have finished, we will have nothing to do with that home at all.”
Mugabe, who turned 85 on February 21, said he had assigned a private company to secure the house on his daughter’s behalf.
“Because we could not get any other property which we could put them in, we had this company which offered that house not on sale but (for) rental and we pay rental because the girl staying there has got to have room for our security people also,” Mugabe said.
“What do I do with a house in Hong Kong really?”
Mugabe said his detractors had even alleged he had also been offered a house in Malaysia by former Prime Minister Mahatiar Mohammed, a friend to Mugabe, which he was to move into after seeking political asylum in Malaysia.
He said he would continue to live in Zimbabwe, the country he has ruled with an iron fist for almost three decades.
“Here l was born and here l fought and I will die,” he quipped.
Mugabe has come under fire for continuously recycling his aged and, of his own admission, ineffective ministers. He once described them as the worst cabinet he has ever had.
“I never said that,” he said this week.
“I said the cabinet I had was the worst cabinet I had had since independence but I didn’t say all ministers were as bad as the cabinet was. No.
“And you will notice that so many who were in the cabinet were dropped. Some were dropped by the constituencies and in some cases I said, ‘Thank you,’ to the constituencies.”
He said he was relieved of the invidious task of choosing a cabinet by the failure on the part of some of his lieutenants to secure parliamentary seats in last Mach’s elections.
He pleaded with his old rivals in the MDC to vigorously campaign against the continued existence of western imposed sanctions declared on members of the Zanu-PF government.
“I think it is proper that there is a vigorous drive by the two MDCs for sanctions to be removed,” Mugabe said.
“They would be better listened to. We are the enemies of the West and our voices will fall on deaf ears.”
Mugabe has in the past dismissed the mainstream MDC of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as puppets of the West. He said he hoped the AU would come out with a resolution demanding the lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Mugabe said he hoped other countries in the European Union that have a relationship with his government would start breaching the sanctions as opposed to waiting for an official declaration from the European Union.
“There are other ways also we can pursue diplomatic relations with other countries,” he said, “some of the countries in the European Union which will want to have relations with us.
“And if they can start breaching those sanctions and cooperating with us in our economic field that would lead to the sanctions being undermined and eventually getting lifted.”
He described as “absolutely nonsensical” Britain’s remarks that they will recognize the new government only after it starts respecting the freedom of the press.
He was adamant issues to do with the violation of human rights and lack of press freedom, among other reasons cited, were not the real reasons that have invited the wrath of the British government on his administration. He said the real issue was the land issue.
Mugabe said he was still monitoring the stance of the new Barack Obama administration in Washington towards his government.
He said he hoped the popular American leader would not pursue punitive policies as were pursued by his predecessor, George Bush.
As leader, Bush sanctioned the enactment of the Zimbabwe Democracy Act, which seeks to bar American companies from doing business with Zimbabwean companies.
Mugabe scoffed at recent reports that the British government intended to evacuate its aged nationals from the insecurity of Zimbabwe.
He said his government would be quite happy to assist the British to evacuate them.
“I don’t see any reason why anyone would want old people?” Mugabe said.
“I understand they also want the young ones, the children. What about the parents of those children. What happens to the rest? Why can’t the British say we want all our British people out of Zimbabwe? We will assist them in getting them out. But we haven’t said so.
“If they want them and even the graves of their dead, we can dig them up and send them to them. Who are we to refuse with their nationals, dead or alive?
Mugabe defended his decisions to enter into a unity government with the MDC in spite of fierce resistance from some hardliners within his party.
“Not everyone in my party supported the idea. Not everyone supported the idea in the MDC. I was accused of selling out,” he said, laughing.
“That was the product of the elections. Those who sold out are those who failed to vote for me, those who failed to organize for votes in their constituencies.”
Mugabe also launched a scathing attack on former Home Affairs Minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, for attempting to resurrect the now defunct PF-Zapu which merged with Zanu-PF in 1987.
Said Mugabe, “I don’t know whether Dumiso and others have the right to withdraw from what has been a merger since December 1987 (when) that unity accord was signed.
“He wants leadership which he could not get within Zapu and he thinks its now the opportunity. But why has he taken so long to claim it? Why did he not claim it when (Vice President Joseph) Msika was regarded as the successor to (late PF-Zapu leader) Joshua Nkomo? I don’t know.
He said Dabengwa’s actions only served to confuse issues.
Mugabe accused Dabengwa of breaking away from Zanu-PF in February 2008 to support Dr Simba Makoni’s Mavambo movement which he says Dabengwa led to its downfall.
“Now he is forming his own,” he said. “He thinks he will have support. You cannot in this country succeed on the basis of trying to push the leadership of one tribe. People are refusing.
“You can’t talk of tribe these days. It’s a real shame. It does not matter what guise he is using but we can see through it; that it is the Ndebele tribe (that he wants) to have the dominance.”
To read the report, click here
Dear friends,
Please find attached a letter to Minister Cannon (Foreign
Affairs) submitted by my colleagues and I regarding the detention of human
rights and political activists in Zimbabwe.
As always, any comments you
may have are welcome and I encourage you to pass the letter along to anyone else
who might find it of interest.
Best wishes,
Dr. Keith Martin
MP
- Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca
To read the letter, click here click here
http://www.afrol.com/articles/32539
afrol News, 26 February -
While Zimbabwe's opposition members of the unity
government are running
around seeking hand-outs to rescue the country out of
the economic stress,
on the other hand, the former ruling party members of
the unity deal and
their leader, Robert Mugabe are shamelessly busy making
last minute land
grabs and huskying about how much money should be spent on
the President's
birthday party booze and braai.
The situation in Zimbabwe is surely
calling for more international
attention, but in some instances, for
unnecessary reasons. The world is
actually now wondering if there is really
a unity government in Zimbabwe, or
something that could be equaled to unity
in diversity from all sorts of
meanings for the word 'negative
diversity'.
While many would have wanted to blast the West for the
delayed and watch and
wait strategy on bailing out Zimbabwe, things seems to
suggest that there is
no other better strategy and no one, including SADC
and the AU should be
fooled into falling in to the Mugabe trap.
For
instance, the expectation would have been to see and hear more about
fights
in the implementation policies on helping out fellow Zimbabweans out
of the
jaws of poverty by the new Harare administration, but instead, when
one
sector is seeking to address the humanitarian pains faced by the
citizens,
another is thinking of the next election victory and probably
shifting
attention from the real issues confronting the country.
If Zimbabwe was
to go for an election in two or so years, who will want to
fund such a cost
when along the streets people are being torn apart by
hunger and disease,
when the children's future is hanging helplessly in the
collapsed national
scale and zeroes accumulate in their unpronounceable
digits in the people's
buying power? There surely needs to be someone, some
body, some club, or
some authority, somewhere, that should knock some sense
back into the once
great Zimbabwe.
The SADC finance ministers were today discussing the
Zimbabwe bail-out issue
in South Africa and the question would stay on the
wall unchallenged for
years to come, as to how many delegations' member
states would actually go
back home to seek broader mandates before a
Zimbabwe stash is approved, or
would it be just another brotherly help that
would perpetuate insensitive
carrying on with self interests above the needs
of the poor citizens?
Zimbabwe surely needs the regional muscle and the
world at large, to pull
out of the current deep, but surely not when there
is clearly no unity in
government as was the resolution of the regional body
together with other
international bodies.
A United Nations
inter-agency mission to Zimbabwe today stressed that the
country's
humanitarian crisis remains grave, and urged both the government
and the
international community to support the strengthening of aid efforts.
The
mission however has also stressed that the welfare of the people was
largely
the responsibility of the government of Zimbabwe. "We trust that the
all-inclusive government will quickly take the necessary steps to address
the fundamentals of governance that would allow stability and economic
recovery," it stated.
The team, led by UN Deputy Emergency Relief
Coordinator Catherine Bragg,
visited the southern African nation from 21 to
25 February to assess
responses to, among other things, a food emergency in
which up to seven
million people need food aid and a cholera epidemic, which
has infected some
83,000 people and already claimed more than 3,800
lives.
"Despite tremendous efforts by both the Government and the
humanitarian
community in Zimbabwe to contain the cholera epidemic, major
challenges
remain," Ms Bragg said in a news release issued at the end of the
visit.
While noting the international community's generosity to the
people of
Zimbabwe so far, the team highlighted the need for further
resources in the
coming months. This includes resources to effectively
contain the country's
worst-ever cholera outbreak, including through public
health outreach and
repairing water and sewage systems.
Additional
resources will also be crucial for food aid and to help improve
food
security. "We have to ensure farmers have all the agriculture inputs
they
need for the next planting season, which begins in September. If we do
not
act now, we could end up next year with a situation similar to what we
have
today," Ms Bragg said.
By Lawrence Keketso
http://www.herald.co.zw
Friday,
February 27, 2009
Herald
Reporter
FRANK Muchirahondo, a driver with the United States Agency for
International
Development who was being accused of shooting Air Force of
Zimbabwe
Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, has been freed after a
Bindura
magistrates' court refused to place him on further
remand.
This followed an application by his lawyer Mr Chris Mhike of
Atherstone and
Cook for refusal of further remand.
The application
was granted on Tues- day.
The State will now have to proceed by way of
summons if it wishes to pursue
the case.
In its application, the
defence argued that the State had not considered the
best interests of the
accused in prosecuting the case.
Mr Mhike successfully argued that the
State failed to strike a balance
between the need to achieve justice, on one
hand, and to respect the basic
freedoms and rights of the accused person, on
the other.
The defence noted that over the past month "not much progress
as should have
been made had been achieved by the State, significantly
prejudicing the
accused".
"The State may still proceed by way of
summons once it has completed its
investigations," Mr Mhike submitted.
PEACE
WATCH
[26th
February
2009]
Are
Political Detainees Hostages to Demands for a General
Amnesty?
There has been talk
over the past two weeks that political detainees and civil rights activists will
only be released as part of a general amnesty being demanded by ZANU-PF and the
security force commanders. This would certainly explain the delays that that
have dogged efforts to get them freed. The political detainees whose release is
the subject of purported amnesty negotiations were picked up while a national
unity government was being negotiated. So far the police have not produced
enough evidence to bring them to trial. This raises the question whether they
were picked up deliberately to be used as hostages in a subsequent amnesty
deal. This would entail a lopsided trade of a few seemingly innocent people
picked up specially for the purpose against all those involved in perhaps up to
30 years of State organised or condoned violence.
There needs to be
public debate on the subject of a general amnesty and civil society could take
the lead in facilitating this process and in making sure it
includes victims of State
violence and their families. It is hoped that politicians will listen to these
voices before making any deals. A general amnesty
would not only affect the present detainees, but all people and the families who
have been subjected to political violence – murders, torture, beatings, rape,
property destroyed, forced evictions, etc. In addition to those who are
recorded, there are estimated to be many hundreds over the last thirty years who
have never been accounted for and there, are the dead who have never been
identified and buried.
For some years now the
MDC have been talking of establishing a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation
Commission. It was on the MDC Election Manifesto that they would bring in such
a Commission – not on political party lines but on national lines as an
essential step to restore community
trust and national healing.
A general amnesty
might ease frictions in the corridors of power of an inclusive government in the
short run, but this needs to be weighed against the long term dangers of
condoning a culture of impunity. And even in the short term it may cause
problems. Victims of violence or their families may take to “settling scores”
outside the legal framework which a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission
would set up. There are already indications that this is happening in some
areas.
Media
Reports that an Amnesty Deal is being
Considered
Please
note these reports are taken from various media agencies. We have included the
web links for those interested in reading the complete articles. They quote
unnamed sources so it is impossible to check on their sources. We are citing
extracts because even if they are not 100% accurate they call attention to what
should be a matter of public debate.
·
“You want
Bennett, give us immunity security chiefs demand” 7 February 2009
www.nehandaradio.com “Zimbabwe's security
chiefs fearing prosecution for crimes against humanity are trying to use the
arrest and detention of Deputy Agriculture Minister designate Roy Bennett,
former television anchor Jestina Mukoko and 30 other political prisoners as
bargaining chips to secure their own immunity from prosecution.
·
Commissioner-General of
Police wants charges dropped www.thezimbabwetimes.com In
a circular [claimed to have been seen
by the Zimbabwe Times] dated 10th February, and addressed to all provincial
commanders, Police Commissioner Chihuri ordered the dropping of all murder
cases committed during the run-up to the controversial 27th June election. The
report said that the beneficiaries of this 'amnesty wish', if granted, will be
ZANU PF supporters, among them youths, top war veterans and government
officials.
·
The Mugabe
regime has moved swiftly to stop all investigations into murders committed by
Zanu (PF) agents, including the police, army and militia, before
during and after the March and June 2008 elections. 18 February
2009 www.thezimbabwean.co.uk This article quotes Chihuri’s circular as
saying "Please be advised that all murder cases committed during the run up to
the presidential election run-off and have not been finalised be dropped
immediately. The decision has been made in the spirit of promoting national
healing in view of the inclusive government.”
One
Report mentions a Possible Amnesty dating back to
1980
Mugabe party said to be
seeking amnesty Feb. 19,
www.marketwa
Legal
Procedures for a General Amnesty
1. By the passing of
appropriate legislation through Parliament.
2. By the granting of
pardons by the President
The President’s power
to grant pardons is found in section 31I of the Constitution. It is not one of
his personal prerogatives, to be exercised at his sole discretion. It must be
exercised on the advice of the Cabinet. This has always been the position
[Constitution, section 31H(5)]
and it is reiterated in the IPA [Article
20.1.3(g), now incorporated in Schedule 8 to the Constitution – “The President
… (g) grants pardons … on the advice of the Cabinet”]. “On the
advice of the Cabinet” means he can only act in accordance with a Cabinet
decision.
So if there is a
General Amnesty, both MDCs must agree to it.
Note: It is sometimes
suggested that a pardon can only be granted to someone who has already been
convicted of a crime. That is not so. The Constitution clearly states that
pardons may be granted “to any person concerned in or convicted of a
criminal offence”. Such a pardon protects a person from being subsequently
picked up and charged for the same offence [Criminal Precedence and Evidence Act].
Presidential
Powers to Pardon Individuals
The President can also
grant pardons for specific individuals by name [as apposed to categories of
persons under a General Amnesty]. He could invoke these powers to pardon people
like Roy Bennett, Jestina and other named detainees]. This would ensure their
release without a criminal record.
Reactions
to Talk of a General Amnesty
Roy
Bennett has reportedly said he would rather face trial than be part of any deal
that would see individuals who committed crimes against humanity walk scot-free
and that he would want to see individuals that perpetrated crimes against
humanity made to account for their actions. Bennett's lawyer, Trust Maanda,
confirmed his client's position.
Okay
Machisa, National Director of
ZimRights, said it was a travesty of justice to let perpetrators of political
violence off the hook. He said that those suspected of abuses should stand
trial. "ZimRights believes that anyone who violates and abuses human rights
should be brought to court and only the courts can provide judgement. … The new
inclusive government … should ensure that transitional justice is
delivered.”
Reverend
Useni Sibanda, National
Director of Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, a network of church and civic bodies,
said a blanket amnesty was "no medicine for healing the
nation"."
Amnesty
International’s stance is
that to break the culture of
impunity there is need to establish facts about violations of human rights that
have occurred, investigate those violations, bring suspected perpetrators to
justice, and provide victims and their families with reparation, in the form of
restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of
non-repetition.
Pius
Wakatama, Church Elder, warned
that an amnesty could spark a backlash, leading to further violence. "Sweeping
issues under the carpet will create a simmering volcano that will erupt soon.
Most of the victims, if they discover that the courts will not deliver justice
to them there, will resort to their own means of gaining justice".
There
is a consensus among all countries that have suffered under State organised
violence whether in Latin America, Asia, Europe,
Other
Routes to National Healing
These
suggestion come from Church representatives and victims of State organised
violence.
·
“The
transitional government needs to first allow a national
debate on how the people of
·
“The
victims need to be involved from the onset" The people that
[Chihuri] has [reportedly] ordered to be forgiven should ask for that
forgiveness from the victims. It is not just an issue of murder - pre-and
post-election violence involved in most cases rape [and] destruction of property
and this was done by people in the same neighbourhood."
·
“The
process of healing a nation involves truth telling, confession,
forgiveness, justice and then reconciliation…the country need(s) to know who
committed these offences, under what circumstances and who ordered that these
offences be committed.”
·
“there
can never be a shortcut to national healing”
·
“The
healing process has to be fair, just, democratic and inspired by the need to
create a sustainable foundation for a democratic
·
“The
healing process must satisfy the ‘weak’ in voice, in the most remote part of
the country, and should be people driven rather than be an elite
pact.”
·
“There is
therefore an urgent need to set up a truth, justice and healing
commission that will be given
the mandate and framework to deal with election violence and also [to] include
violence that has occurred since 2000."
Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/
February
27, 2009
Smaller companies
Peter
Stiff
Under the leadership of Tiny Rowland, Lonrho, the African conglomerate,
was
never far from the headlines and yesterday its investors had a small
reminder of the controversy of its heyday.
Lonrho's shares fell by
1.19p to 3.7p after it emerged that LonZim, a
Zimbabwe-focused investment
group that it floated in 2007, had been buying
shares in Lonrho, its largest
shareholder, without telling anyone.
LonZim spent almost £3 million
buying nearly 60 million shares in Lonrho,
with which it shares most of its
directors, over a three-month period,
including participating in a private
placing in November, but failed to
disclose the purchases as a related-party
transaction. The company also
failed to inform Collins Stewart, its
nominated adviser, which is understood
to have now moved to sever all ties
with both LonZim and Lonrho, after what
is believed to have been a rocky
relationship.
David Lenigas, who chairs both companies, last night denied
any wrongdoing
by the AIM-listed groups and said that he was already in
discussions with a
number of parties interested in becoming LonZim's new
adviser, with a view
to relisting as soon as possible. LonZim suspended its
shares at 31p while
it reviews the transaction.
Ramco soared 16¾p to
58¾p after Mesopotamia Petroleum, in which it has a
32.66 per cent stake,
signed a joint-venture agreement with the state-owned
Iraq Drilling Company
to drill a large number of new oil wells in the
country in the first deal of
its type signed with a foreign group since the
fall of Saddam
Hussein.
Cadogan Petroleum fell by 2.7p to 5.8p after its successful
appeal related
to a challenge to its Pirkovskoe licence in Ukraine was
overturned.
http://www.pretorianews.co.za/
President's conduct at centre
February
27, 2009 Edition 1
The Constitutional Court yesterday heard argument
over whether it should
rule on the constitutionality of the President's
conduct.
The case revolves around farmer Crawford von Abo's failure to
get diplomatic
protection from South Africa when property he owned in
Zimbabwe was seized.
As Von Abo's farms and equipment were taken away
from him under the guise of
that country's controversial land-restitution
programme, he said he tried
unsuccessfully to get the South African
government to intervene on a
diplomatic level.
He received a Pretoria
High Court order last year that the conduct of the
"respondents" was
unconstitutional and invalid when they failed to protect
him when his rights
were being violated by the Zimbabwean government.
The respondents were
then president, Thabo Mbeki, the ministers of foreign
affairs, justice, and
trade and industry.
In terms of sections 167 and 172 of the Constitution,
the Supreme Court of
Appeal and a High Court can make an order of
constitutional invalidity
against an act of Parliament, a provincial act or
conduct of the President.
The order is not valid unless confirmed by the
Constitutional Court.
Justice Kate O'Regan set the tone by expressing a
concern that by confirming
the Pretoria High Court order, they could open
the way for action against
the president whenever there was
unhappiness.
The court began debating which conduct should be included
when deciding to
issue such an order, and whether the president could be
held responsible for
the actions of Cabinet members, whom he appointed and
had supervisory powers
over.
They also wanted to know from how
far down in the chain of command,
responsibility can bounce back to the
president.
Asked why it was so important to confirm the order against the
president,
given that the respondents said they would comply with the other
points in
the order, Von Abo's counsel, Peter Hodes, said it would indicate
what was
required of the president when faced with such a
situation.
The court also ordered that the state remedy Von Abo's
situation, and
provide a report on how it was doing this. Hodes argued that
they could file
a late application to challenge these
orders.
"Ultimately, it will be important to the governance of this
country. It will
stop buck-passing ... even only if it is by the symbolism
flowing from this
court."
The state, however, argued that the cabinet
exercises collective
responsibility and that the President did not do
anything unconstitutional.
Counsel Piet de Jager argued that the
president's functions were set out in
Section 84 of the constitution.
According to their heads of argument, these
include assenting to, signing
and referring bills back to the National
Assembly for reconsideration of
their constitutional status, or to the
Constitutional Court, making
appointments as head of the national executive,
calling a referendum,
pardoning offenders, conferring honours and appointing
commissions of
inquiry.
The matter before the court was not included.
They argued
that the relief sought by Von Abo was against the government and
that the
issue was conduct of the government, not the President.
Judgement was
reserved and the judges will announce their finding in due
course.