The ZIMBABWE Situation
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Regional
ministers seek donor help for Zimbabwe
http://af.reuters.com
Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:13pm
GMT
By Wendell Roelf
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Southern African
finance ministers agreed on Friday to
push for donor help to rebuild
Zimbabwe from economic collapse, and put the
initial need at $2 billion,
South Africa's foreign minister said.
Zimbabwe's new unity government of
old rivals President Robert Mugabe and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is
heavily reliant on donors to revive the
country, which is suffering
hyperinflation, food shortages and 90 percent
unemployment.
South
African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the finance
ministers
would try to normalise Zimbabwe's status in the International
Monetary Fund,
and regional bloc SADC plans a summit to consider financing
proposals
presented by Zimbabwe.
"The ministers responsible for finance and
investment undertook to pursue
measures in support of Zimbabwe's economic
recovery programme, namely,
collectively engaging bilateral and multilateral
donors through SADC and the
African Union," she said after the meeting of
ministers from SADC, the
Southern African Development
Community.
Western donors and foreign investors are cautious, however,
and want to see
concrete signs that a democratic government is created and
economic reforms
implemented before money will flow to the once relatively
prosperous
country.
"Of course we think the money will be used
properly, there is a government
there and the minister of finance seems to
be in charge of the issues,"
Dlamini-Zuma told reporters.
Zimbabwe's
new finance minister, Tendai Biti, is from Tsvangirai's Movement
for
Democratic Change but control of economic policy is a point of friction
between the two camps in the government.
The prime minister has said
Zimbabwe needs $5 billion to recover from years
of decline, but Western
countries are still waiting to see if the new
government will bring about
real change.
In Harare, Mugabe dismissed as "nonsense" Western demands
that he free up
Zimbabwe's media in order to get sanctions
lifted.
Mugabe -- who turned 85 last week and will officially celebrate
his birthday
at a huge rally on Saturday -- said his government wanted
friendly relations
with all nations and was still assessing new U.S.
President Barack Obama's
policies.
"We are open. We want to discuss.
We have never closed our doors," he said.
Zimbabwe's economy is
collapsing, and hospitals and clinics have been unable
to contain one of the
continent's worst ever cholera epidemics.
The World Health Organisation
said on Friday 3,894 people had died from
84,027 reported cases of the
disease since August last year.
WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told
reporters in Geneva an inter-agency U.N.
team that carried out an evaluation
in Zimbabwe had found the humanitarian
crisis remained "grave", with clean
water lacking, sewer systems blocked,
and refuse uncollected in many
areas.
Zimbabwe gets
promises, not cash at regional group
http://news.yahoo.com/
By CLARE NULLIS, Associated Press
Writer Clare Nullis, Associated Press
Writer - Fri Feb 27, 10:12 am
ET
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Zimbabwe has come away empty-handed from a
regional meeting at which it asked for a $2 billion economic rescue
package.
Foreign and finance ministers of the 15-member Southern African
Development
Community (SADC) ended a two day conference Friday promising to
"pursue
measures in support of Zimbabwe's economic recovery
program."
They said regional heads of state would meet to discuss the
financing
proposals submitted by Zimbabwe, but set no date and made no
funding
commitments in the meantime.
At a meeting last week with
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai,
South Africa's president
promised that the SADC ministers would finalize a
package by the end of this
week, saying that South African and the region
should set an example in
helping the stricken country.
Zimbabwe's finance minister, Tendai Biti,
who belongs to the Movement for
Democratic Change, attended the ministerial
meeting in Cape Town and asked
for $2 billion - half for emergency spending
on schools, health care and
infrastructure, and the rest on economic revival
measures.
"We are all, as SADC, determined to help Zimbabwe mobilize the
resources,"
said South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma.
"But, I can't guarantee how much will be raised ... the
economic environment
globally is difficult, so we will do our
best."
Dlamini-Zuma said the regional bloc would lobby for "the
normalization of
Zimbabwe" at the International Monetary Fund and the
lifting of political
and financial sanctions against it.
Zimbabwe's
new unity government is trying to hard to change the country's
status as an
economic pariah, gained because of its failure to repay debts
and its
inflation of 321 million percent.
But there are deep divisions within the
government, as President Robert
Mugabe remains reluctant to cede authority.
The leadership of the Movement
for Democratic Change, which was formerly in
opposition, was scheduled to
meet Friday to discuss Mugabe's defiance of the
power-sharing accord. The
United States and European Union are adopting a
wait-and-see attitude before
they lift targeted economic sanctions imposed
to pressure Mugabe into
change.
Zimbabwe was once a regional
breadbasket. Now, however, an estimated
two-thirds of the population is
dependent on food aid. There are shortages
of all basic products, schools
and hospitals are closed and a cholera
epidemic has killed nearly 3,900
people and sickened 84,000.
But South Africa and neighboring nations are
also reeling from the global
economic downturn. There is concern that Biti
will be unable to rein in the
central bank governor, Gideon Gono, who is
close to Mugabe and is widely
blamed for the hyperinflation. And there are
unanswered questions about the
fate of 300 million rands ($30 million)
donated by South Africa last year to
allow Zimbabwe to buy seeds and
fertilizer.
Dlamini-Zuma tried to play down concerns about
aid.
"We think it will be used properly for what it is intended for.
There's a
government there," she said.
A donor-dependent region seeks to bail out
Zimbabwe
Photo:
IRIN
|
South
African foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
|
JOHANNESBURG , 27 February 2009 (IRIN) - Southern
Africa's finance ministers are mulling over a US$2 billion rescue package for
Zimbabwe - 60 percent less than a 2008 estimate by the UN Development Programme
(UNDP) of the financing required to haul the country out of its economic
malaise.
A two-day meeting of the Southern African Development
Community's (SADC) 15 finance ministers in the South African coastal city of
Cape Town is being dominated by discussions about how best to avert the collapse
of the once prosperous country.
Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, Morgan
Tsvangirai, who was put under intense pressure by the SADC to embrace Zimbabwe's
unity government, has appealed for US$5 billion to rebuild the shattered country
- mirroring the amount UNDP said was required.
Trevor Manuel, South
Africa's finance minister and chair of the Cape Town SADC meeting, told local
radio: "I was present when Prime Minister Tsvangirai gave the number, but it was
just a number. There's a document ... that actually splits the immediate costs
over the next 10 months into two amounts of about a billion dollars each."
This included a US$1-billion loan to "restimulate retail and all kinds
of things ... that's one billion we are exploring", said Manuel. "The other [is]
about a billion dollars for emergencies in education, health, municipal services
and some infrastructure."
Zimbabwe's economy is a twentieth of what it
was in 1997 - the government stopped counting the inflation rate in July 2008,
when it reached 231 million percent - seven million people, or more than half
the population, are dependent on food aid, infrastructure has collapsed, and a
cholera epidemic has killed nearly 4,000 people and infected over 83,000 people
in six months.
Cheryl Hendricks, a senior research fellow at the
Institute for Security Studies, a political think-tank based in Pretoria, South
Africa, told IRIN: "SADC is in a catch-22 situation. It needs the unity
government to work, but for it to work you need a peace dividend, so you have to
put money into it."
However, Hendricks said the SADC region, which is
heavily donor dependent, was feeling the effects of the global slow-down on its
commodity-based economies and would probably not be able to provide the US$2
billion without donor assistance.
Lift sanctions
call
South Africa's foreign minister, Nkosazana Zuma, used the
Cape Town meeting as a platform to call for the lifting of European Union (EU)
sanctions targeting more than 200 of the ZANU-PF elite.
Mugabe has
blamed the country's woes on the sanctions, but the EU maintains that the
country's collapse is a consequence of gross mismanagement and anti-democratic
practices.
The EU has maintained a wait-and-see attitude towards the
unity government to determine whether or not it will succeed in re-establishing
democratic and good governance norms before it reviews sanctions.
Reports of a US$250,000 birthday bash for Mugabe's 85th birthday and an
attempt by ZANU-PF vice-President Joyce Mujuru to sell US$90 million of gold
bullion to a London brokerage are unlikely to change the EU's position, but it
is ZANU-PF's flouting of the unity agreement that causes greatest concern.
In an interview marking his birthday, Mugabe dismissed calls by
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to dismiss central bank
governor Gideon Gono and attorney-general Johannes Tomama.
The MDC said
these unilateral appointments were contrary to the terms of the unity deal,
which demands consensus from all parties.
"I don't see any reason why
those people should go, and they will not go," Mugabe told the state-run
newspaper, The Herald.
Gono's governorship of the central bank has seen
the inflation rate reach 6.5 quindecillion novemdecillion percent, while Tomama
has frustrated the release of detained MDC activists, contrary to the terms of
the unity agreement.
[ENDS] [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations] |
Farm evictions and arrests - and contact
details
MEDIA UPDATE -
CHEGUTU
SADC protected Zimbabwean
farmer Peter Etheredge jailed in Chegutu
Ben Freeth reports from Chegutu:
Yesterday evening, just before dark, Peter
Chamada, the nephew of Nathan
Shamuyarira [Zanu PF spokesperson], headed out towards our Mount Carmel
farm in the Chegutu district of Zimbabwe, Mashonaland West Province, in two
vehicles.
Martin Joubert from Chegutu followed them to see
what their intentions were. Mr Chamada's vehicles turned around and chased
after him and so he drove to the Chegutu police station to try to make a
report.
While there, eight policemen went out in Mr
Chasauka's vehicle - Mr. Chasauka is the Grain Marketing Board (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 put him in cells in Chegutu. 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 wholesale looting on
Stockdale, with all the Etheredges' household effects having been
stolen.
Mr Etheredge has a High Court Order as well as
protection from the SADC Tribunal. The Sheriff 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.
Three 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 the invaders came to steal firewood
from his house area. 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.
Ends
Zimbabwean farm test
case:
Mike
Campbell (Pvt) Ltd and Others v Republic of Zimbabwe (2/2007) [2008] SADCT 2,
November 28 2008
IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY (SADC) TRIBUNAL WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA, SADC (T) Case No.
2/2007
Richard Thomas Etheredge 19th Applicant
Wayne Redvers Seaman 23rd Applicant
MEDIA UPDATE -
CHIREDZI:
Letter to South African Embassy in Harare from Peter Henning of
Chiredzi
For Att: First Sec Imran Simmins, SA Embassy,
Harare
From: Peter Henning of Chiredzi
27th Feb 2009
Dear Mr Simmins
I am presently in Johannesburg.
I have been reliably informed this morning from
Harare and Chiredzi in Zimbabwe, reporting that a team of legal persons /
ZRPolice will visit Chiredzi from the Provincial capitol Masvingo. During the
course of today they will be issuing warrants of arrest for farmers still deemed
to be on their properties whether they are still living there or
not.
My son, Greig Henning of Chiredzi, is such a person
and is in imminent danger of being served with a warrant or even taken into
custody.
All of his farmer colleagues in his immediate vicinity have taken refuge elsewhere to avoid
incarceration. I have advised him to do the same, even though he is living in
town, especially since he is in the proximity and could be a handy target of
vindictive action therefore.
Would you please render assistance through the SAG
to ensure the safety and protection of Greig (and myself) for his and my
protection, both for our physical safety as well as that of our property.
I reiterate what I wrote to you last week. We have
a High Court Relief Order to remain on the property and continue farming without
interuption from anyone. We also have Eviction Orders from the High Court
against all the A2 beneficiaries who were issued with plots on our land. All
these Protection and Court Orders were granted in 2003 and were confirmed twice
after that date. All remain ignored by the Zimbabwe authorities.
Yours faithfully
P.B. HENNING
---------------------------
CONTACT
DETAILS
THE COMMERCIAL
FARMERS’ UNION – ZIMBABWE
Tel: +263 4 309 800
Fax: +263 4 309
849
Trevor
Gifford
President
Zim cell: +263 912 551 635
Zim cell: +263 912 521 512
E-mail: pres@cfu.co.zw
PA: Natanya Scott
Deon
Theron
Vice
President
Zim cell: +263 912 246 233
Zim cell: +263-11 606 783
E-mail: dtheron@cfu.co.zw
Hendrik
Olivier
Chief Executive
Officer
Tel: +263 4 309 800
Zim cell: +263 912 235 640
Zim cell: +263 11 407 037
E-mail: dir@cfu.co.zw
JUSTICE FOR
AGRICULTURE
John
Worsley-Worswick
Cell: +263 912
326 965
Cell: +263 11 610 073
Tel: +263 4 799 410
E-mail: jag@mango.co.zw
e-mail: justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Farmers
forced into hiding as arrests and invasions continue
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
27
February 2009
A wave of fresh farm invasions and arrests has forced many
of Zimbabwe's
remaining white farmers into hiding, to avoid the very real
threats of
arrest, harassment and violence.
In the past few weeks,
farmers have come under siege in what is being
described as a last-ditch
effort by ZANU PF loyalists to complete the Robert
Mugabe initiated land
grab, which has already seen the white farming
population cut to about 400
farmers. The offensive against the farmers came
just days before Morgan
Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister earlier
this month. Almost 80
farms have since been seized in clear violation of the
unity deal between
the MDC and ZANU PF, which calls for the return of the
rule of law and also
says that farmers should be encouraged to produce food.
Commercial
Farmers Union President Trevor Gifford, on Friday called the
fresh farms
invasions a 'final assault' against the remaining white farmers
and
described a clear "planned agenda by a third force in the government
that is
hell-bent on destroying the unity deal." Gifford explained that,
according
to minutes of secret meetings seen by the union, Zimbabwe's
Attorney General
Johannes Tomana has instructed police and magistrates to
fast track farm
evictions across the country, in a clear and coordinated
effort that is
already well under way.
"These are senior ZANU PF members using their
offices to ensure ethnic
cleansing can take place before the Prime Minister
is able to stabilise the
country," Gifford said.
Tsvangirai on
Wednesday ordered police to "bring the full weight of the law"
down on the
perpetrators of the farm invasions. But, on the same day, farmer
Mike
Campbell was ordered to leave his land, by the nephew of ZANU PF's
spokesman, Nathan Shamuyarira. Although the threatened seizure has not yet
happened, Campbell and his wife have both left the property to avoid an
attack. Campbell is still frail after a brutal beating when he was abducted
by invaders last year. At the same time, farmer Paul Etheredge is behind
bars in Chegutu after he was arrested, also on Wednesday, and invaders have
reportedly taken over his Stockdale farm. Etheredge, along with Campbell and
77 other farmers, won a landmark farm test case that was taken to the SADC
Tribunal in Windhoek last year, and the farm invasions are a blatant
transgression of the protection supposedly offered by the Tribunal's
ruling.
The CFU's president reiterated on Friday that the SADC ruling is
being
wilfully ignored, explaining that the Attorney General has instructed
magistrates to ignore previous court orders protecting farmers and their
land, and in particular to ignore the SADC ruling. More than 100 farmers
have already been caught in the coordinated effort to seize the remaining
farms, and reports of threats as well as arrests are piling up. A Chiredzi
farmer, who spoke to SW Radio Africa on condition of anonymity on Friday,
has already left his farm. He said that most farmers in his area have gone
into hiding for fear of arrest and prosecution. The farmer described the
invasions as a 'witch-hunt' and explained the charges being brought against
those farmers already arrested, carry jail terms of up to 6
months.
"Everyone is just trying to lie and low and see what happens, but
we don't
know how long we'll have to wait?" the farmer said.
Demands over media 'nonsense' -
Mugabe
From Reuters, 27 February
President Robert Mugabe has dismissed as 'nonsense' Western
demands that he
free up Zimbabwe's media in order to get sanctions lifted.
In an interview
with Zimbabwean television aired late yesterday, Mr Mugabe
also denied
foreign media reports that his family recently bought a luxury
home in Hong
Kong, and criticised Britain for plans to help some of its
nationals leave
Zimbabwe. Mr Mugabe was asked if his new government would
meet benchmarks,
such as media freedom, set by Western powers including the
EU and the US as
a condition for the removal of travel and financial
sanctions imposed on his
Zanu PF party. 'That is nonsense,' he replied. Mr
Mugabe's government has
tough media laws under which dozens of journalists
have been arrested or
deported over the last eight years, and foreign
journalists are banned from
basing their operations in the country.
President Mugabe said his Western
opponents must unconditionally lift
sanctions, which he sees as unfair,
illegal and racist economic penalties
against his party. Western governments
have taken a cautious approach to
Zimbabwe's new power-sharing government in
which Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe's
longstanding opponent, has taken the post
of prime minister. They are still
waiting to see if the new government will
bring about real change in a
country suffering from hyperinflation and
economic breakdown.
Mr
Mugabe, who turned 85 last week and will officially celebrate his
birthday
at a huge rally tomorrow, said his government wants friendly
relations with
all nations and was still assessing new US President Barack
Obama's
policies. 'We are open. We want to discuss. We have never closed our
doors,'
he said. Mr Mugabe expressed surprise at this week's announcement by
former
colonial power Britain that it would offer help to hundreds of its
elderly
nationals in Zimbabwe to return home. He said they were safe in
Zimbabwe,
where more than 300 British companies were still freely operating.
'They are
free here. They are quite comfortable. It's queer, strange
thinking by the
British. We don't understand,' he said. The British
government said on
Monday that some elderly British citizens in Zimbabwe
were facing severe
difficulties getting access to food, medicines and care,
and it would offer
them help to resettle. Commenting on Western media
reports that he bought a
$5m home in Hong Kong where his daughter is a
university student, Mr Mugabe
said: 'Of course not. There is a property in
which our girl and a friend are
staying, but we pay rent. What do I do with
a house in Hong Kong?'
Bennett
case continued in High Court on Friday
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
27 January
2009
Beatrice Mtetwa, the lawyer representing jailed MDC politician Roy
Bennett,
was in the High Court on Friday challenging the State's decision to
appeal
against the granting of his bail. On Tuesday High Court Judge Tedious
Karwi
granted the Deputy Agriculture Minister designate bail, but he remains
in a
Mutare prison after the State opposed this.
Mtetwa was back in
the courts Friday challenging the decision by the
Attorney General's office,
saying they did not follow proper procedure. The
defence team argues that
the AG's office had appealed, without seeking
permission from the High Court
judge. Apparently the State should have first
sought permission from the
judge to appeal against the granting of bail. One
of Bennett's lawyers Trust
Maanda said the State has seven days to apply for
this
permission.
Bennett was arrested two weeks ago at Charles Prince airport,
on his way to
South Africa where he had been living in exile since 2006. He
is being
charged with the illegal possession of firearms for purposes of
committing
banditry, terrorism, insurgency and sabotage. He denies these
charges and
says he is being politically persecuted.
Meanwhile,
Pishai Muchauraya the MDC spokesperson for Manicaland Province
and MP for
Makoni South, who has been visiting Bennett regularly in prison,
said the
official is still in good spirits despite the appalling and
overcrowded
conditions at the prison in Mutare. He said Bennett is being
held in the
D-Class section of the jail that houses dangerous criminals.
Muchauraya said
senior prison officers from as far as Masvingo have been
deployed to Mutare
because Bennett is being viewed as a 'hardcore criminal.'
The MP said the
prison conditions for all inmates are disturbing. The remand
prison has a
capacity of about 160 inmates but is said to be currently
holding at least
300. Muchauraya said food is very scarce and six inmates
have this week died
in just two days because of starvation.
NCA
spokesperson arrested
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
27 February 2009
Madock
Chivasa, the spokesperson of the National Constitutional Assembly
(NCA) and
the board chairperson for the Youth Forum, was arrested in
Masvingo Thursday
evening, together with 5 other youth activists.
George Makoni,
Information Officer for the Youth Forum, said Chivasa is
being accused of
inciting violence, while the other activists were arrested
after a scuffle
broke out between the police and the members of the Youth
Forum, who were
trying to block Chivasa's arrest. Several others were beaten
up.
Makoni said Chivasa had just finished addressing the gathering of
about 300
youth members on the role of youths in the transitional period,
when police
stormed the venue. Passers-by were caught in the scuffles and
advocacy
materials belonging to the group were confiscated.
The
public meeting was dubbed: "The role of youths in the transitional
period
vis-à-vis national healing, peace building and conflict
transformation."
The Information Officer said they were being denied
access to Chivasa and
the others. He said Masvingo police were not giving
them any information
about where the activists are being detained and they
feared the detainees
will only appear in court after the weekend.
In
other news, Frank Muchirahondo, the USAID employee who was arrested last
month on allegations of attempting to assassinate the Commander of the Air
Force, Air Marshall Perence Shiri, was freed this week after a Bindura
magistrate refused to place him on further remand. It's reported
Muchirahondo was beaten and tortured while in detention.
At the time
of his arrest the US embassy said they had clear evidence that
their
employee was not anywhere near the scene of the alleged shooting. The
USAID
employee was arrested on January 22nd at the Mutare border. US
officials
said he had been on a humanitarian mission, monitoring food
aid.
Meanwhile the five WOZA activists arrested this week in Harare are
still in
police custody. They were beaten and arrested during a peaceful
demonstration on Wednesday as they tried to present a petition to new
Education Minister David Coltart.
Consumers
up in arms over huge foreign currency charges
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
25
February 2009
Consumers are up in arms over what they term is daylight
robbery by the
country's energy and telecommunications suppliers, following
the
dollarisation of invoices which has led to astronomical tariff
hikes.
The Combined Harare Residents Association is also deeply concerned by
reports that the Harare city council has asked residents in high density
areas to pay up to US$35 for rates per month.
Oswald Nyakunika of Knight
Frank, expressed his disappointment over
development, saying there was no
justification for the sudden increase in
the tariffs, after his company
received a shocking bill of US$4,600 from
TelOne.
'We got a huge bill
last month and we were wondering whether it was
realistic or not. Where in
the world can anyone pay a US$4 600 telephone
bill,' asked Mr
Nyakunika.
'Zimbabweans should start appreciating the real value of foreign
currency.
We don't produce US dollars in Zimbabwe and thus they are scarce.
We can't
pay such high bills.'
Many are wondering why there are no
officials in charge of monitoring the
price of services provided, lamenting
the fact that basic services in the
country are extremely expensive, while
prices have gone down in neighbouring
countries.
Zimbabwe National
Chamber of Commerce past vice-president, Charles Chiponda,
expressed concern
over the high bills charged. He said companies should
charge rates that
would allow businesses to remain afloat. Our Harare
correspondent Simon
Muchemwa said the price of making phone calls has
continued to change
everyday and providers are also selling or charging for
services at a wide
variety prices.
Economist Luke Zunga explained that there was no formula used
to come up
with the huge price increases in foreign currency.
'It happens
in any transition, but it also exposes what lack of competition
can do to a
country that doesn't open up to other players. The companies
that are doing
this enjoy monopolies and therefore there is no other
alternative but to go
along with what they demand,' Zunga said.
Other consumers have called for a
price regulatory body to control the
market, before the problem gets
completely out of hand. A businessman lashed
out at ZESA after receiving a
US$1 200 bill for January. He said his company
was not operating at 100
percent capacity and he couldn't understand
receiving such a high
bill.
Earlier in the week ZESA Western Regional General Manager, Lovemore
Chinaka,
denied their bills were high but following many complaints, the new
high
tariffs charged were halted, after the intervention of energy minister
Elias
Mudzuri.
Mudzuri said domestic consumers will now pay a minimum of
US$10 a month and
industry and commerce pay one third of the amount on their
bills.
New Information and Communications Technology Minister, Nelson
Chamisa, said
he had asked the phone operators to review the tariffs,
following the huge
public outcry. On Tuesday he met with the heads of the
Posts and
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the state-owned fixed
line network
TelOne as well as bosses of Net*One.
'I advised them to
revisit the billing tariffs to address concerns being
raised by the majority
of consumers,' Chamisa said.
The operators were in December granted
permission by the government to
charge tariffs in foreign currency, which has
seen subscribers across the
three networks - Telecel, Econet Wireless and
NetOne - paying US$0,29 cents
per minute on a mobile and US$0,30 cents per 3
minute on a landline.
MDC
concerned about delay in implementation of GPA
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
27
February 2009
The MDC has called upon the government to speed up the
implementation of the
Global Political Agreement and resolve all outstanding
issues.
Nelson Chamisa said the party has taken note of progress made on
the issue
of provincial governors, in terms of the adoption of an allocation
formula.
The MDC-T will forward names of five governors, ZANU PF four and
MDC-M one.
'The MDC calls for timeous and immediate swearing in of these
provincial
governors to complete the formation of governors. While the party
appreciates the progress made within two weeks, we note with concern the
delay and gaps in the realization of the GPA,' Chamisa said in a
statement.
He issued the statement soon after the MDC national executive
met in Harare
to deliberate upon the report from party leader Morgan
Tsvangirai on the
progress, challenges and obstacles in the inclusive
government.
The MDC urged the authorities to immediately address the
release of all
political prisoners, in line with the agreement by the three
principals of
the political parties.
'The party also urges the
inclusive government to put in place a framework
that would allow for a
people driven constitution to be in place. The
government should ensure that
the process of coming up with a new
constitution takes on board all citizens
and key stakeholders to make sure
that it is beyond reproach and
contestation,'
Members of the national executive noted with concern the
fresh farm
invasions which are affecting production and stability on the
farms. The
MDC called on the government to immediately intervene to stop
these
disruptions.
Meanwhile Tsvangirai, who was due to attend
Robert Mugabe's birthday
celebrations in Chinhoyi on Saturday, is no longer
going. Tsvangirai's
spokesman James Maridadi had said earlier this week
that the Prime Minister
had been invited and he was going to attend as an
act of courtesy and in the
spirit of national unity.
Last year Tsvangirai
railed against Mugabe's birthday celebration as 'a
gathering of the
satisfied few' in a nation crippled by food shortages.
PM visits delapidated hospital
By Raymond Maingire
HARARE - Business was brought to a standstill at Harare Central hospital when
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai visited the institution Friday.
Hospital staff and some curious members of the
public who were visiting sick relatives literally clogged the hospital corridors
and mobbed the Prime Minister as he traversed the hospital’s dilapidated wards
to meet both the sick and the staff as well as to assess the general conditions
prevailing at Zimbabwe largest referral hospital.
Dr George Vera, the hospital’s Clinical Director was forthright. He told the
Prime Minister the government hospital’s infrastructure was no longer
serviceable.
“The infrastructure is completely non-functional,” he said. ”This is an old
hospital built in 1958. We are still using the same lifts, the same boilers,
the same trolleys and the instruments that were bought in 1958 and a few years
after that.
“You cannot even trust going up in the lifts, unless you have an absolute
emergency. We have grown used to climbing up and down the steps while carrying
critically ill patients.”
Tsvangirai promised government would move swiftly to redress the situation at
the hospital.
The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by his deputy Thokozani Khupe and
Health Minister Henry Madzorera, said the hospital needs at least US$1, 5
million to be rehabilitated.
“It’s so ridiculous that the figure that is required to spruce up this place
is only US$1, 5 million,” Tsvangirai said.
By way of comparison to the figure quoted by Tsvangirai a total of US5, 7
million was allegedly lavished recently on an upmarket property in Hong Kong by
President Robert Mugabe. The President denied the allegation in a television
interview this week. He said the three-storey condominium had only been rented
to accommodate his 20-year old daughter, Bona, arelative who is also a student
and her bodyguards. Bona is studying at the University of Hong Kong.
When Tsvangirai toured the hospital mortuary he was greeted by the pungent
smell of rotting corpses that wafted from ancient refrigerators.
He also toured the kitchen, the intensive care unit, the maternity ward as
well as the children’s ward which has ceased functioning because of a shortage
of both staff and equipment.
“There is an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) facility there which has been lying
idle for the past six years. For 10 years, the new mortuary has not been
completed,” said Tsvangirai.
‘”We have to prioritise our level of national investment. We need to
appreciate that a healthy nation is a productive nation. This inclusive
government has to put health delivery as one of its key priorities.
“As we grew up, Harare Hospital was the flagship of the health delivery
system in Zimbabwe. We want to have an incremental improvement both in the
conditions of workers and the facilities.”
Madzorera, the Health Minister, said 95 percent of all health personnel were
now at work.
He reassured health staff that donor funds had already been delivered and
would soon reflect in the foreign currency accounts of the recipients.
“The money has actually come,” he said, “It’s just a matter of logistics.
Those who have foreign currency accounts will probably see their monies
reflecting by Wednesday next week.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tsvangirai met President Robert Mugabe on Thursday
to discuss contentious issues to do with the appointment of the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono, the Attorney General Johannes Tomana, and
permanent secretaries.
The MDC was caught by surprise on Tuesday when the Chief Secretary to the
President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, announced the appointment of
permanent secretaries in complete violation of the inter-party political
agreement between Zanu-PF and the MDC.
President Mugabe stocked fires this week when he said he was not going to
reverse his unilateral appointment of Gono and Tomana.
But Tsvangirai, who said he met Mugabe for two hours on Thursday, as they
haggled over the issue, said the problem had been ironed out.
“We had our meeting yesterday (Thursday),” said Tsvangirai.
“We met for two hours and we ironed out all the outstanding issues and I am
sure that we should move with progress to address all those issues that we
need.
“We discussed a range of issues. I think we reached an understanding. I would
not be here if we had disagreements.”
Tsvangirai refused to go into detail.
“We will deal with it in the manner in which we have agreed to deal with it,”
he quipped, when he was pressed by journalists to reveal the details of their
meeting.
Daily cholera update and alerts, 27 Feb 2009
* Please note that
daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff
constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the
numbers. Any change will then be explained.
** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths
occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may
occasionally result
A. Highlights of the day:
- 791 cases and 39 deaths added today (in comparison 396 cases and 16 deaths
yesterday)
- 61..02% of the districts affected have reported today (36 out of 59
affected districts)
- 90.3 % of districts reported to be affected (56 districts/62)
- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate 1.83%
- Daily Institutional Case Fatality Rate 0.397%
Statement by Professor Arthur Mutambara
STATEMENT ISSUED BY DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER PROFESSOR ARTHUR MUTAMBARA IN RESPONSE TO STATEMENTS MADE BY
PRESIDENT MUGABE IN A INTERVIEW TELEVISED BY ZTV ON THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY
2009-02-27
1. Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara does
not regret any statements that he made around the monetary policy statement and
the national budget.
2. Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara wants to put it on
record that when President Mugabe referred to the Deputy Prime Minister’s
statements, he President Mugabe was simply expressing his personal views and the
Deputy Prime Minister totally disagrees with those personal views of President
Mugabe.
3. The Deputy Prime Minister says President Mugabe‘s public
statements do not constitute policy because they are simply personal views and
that Zimbabweans must make that clear distinction.
27 February
2009
Harare
List of Ministerial
appointments and abductees
http://www.zwnews.com
Ministerial appointments
Ministers
[41]
Zanu PF [16]
Kembo Mohadi [MP Mat South] Home Affairs;
Emmerson Mnangagwa [MP Midlands]
Defence; Patrick Chinamasa [Appointed
Senator] Justice and Legal Affairs;
Herbert Murerwa [Elected Senator Mash
East] Lands and Rural Resettlement;
Simbarashe Mumbengegwi [Elected Senator
Midlands] Foreign Affairs; Nicholas
Goche [MP Mash Central] Transport and
Infrastructural Development; Ignatius
Chombo [MP Mash West] Local
Government, Urban and Rural Development; Obert
Mpofu [MP Mat North] Mines
and Mining Development; Joseph Made [Appointed
Senator] Agriculture,
Mechanisation and Irrigation Development; Francis
Nhema [MP Midlands]
Environment and Natural Resources Management; Stan
Mudenge [MP Masvingo]
Higher and Tertiary Education; Sithembiso Nyoni [F]
[MP Mat North] Small and
Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development;
Webster Shamu [MP Mash
West] Media, Information and Publicity; Olivia
Muchena [MP Mash East]
Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development;
Saviour Kasukuwere [Mash
Central] Youth Development, Indigenisation and
Empowerment; Walter Mzembi
[MP Masvingo prov] Tourism and Hospitality
Industry
Ministers of
State in the President's Office [5]
Didymus Mutasa [MP Manicaland]
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs;
Sydney Sekeramayi [Elected
Senator Mash East] Minister of State for National
Security in the
President's Office; John Nkomo [Appointed Senator] Minister
of State in
President's Office; Flora Bhuka [MP Midlands] Minister of State
in
Vice-President Msika's office; Sylvester Nguni [MP Mash West] Minister of
State in Vice-President Mujuru's office.
MDC-T
[14]
Giles Mutsekwa [MP Manicaland] Home Affairs; Tendai Biti [MP
Harare]
Finance; Paurina Gwanyanya [MP Harare] Labour; Nelson Chamisa [MP
Harare]
Information Communication Technology; Fidelis Mhashu [MP Harare]
Housing and
Social Amenities; Joel Gabuza [MP Mat North] State Enterprises
and
Parastatals; Elton Mangoma [MP Manicaland] Economic Planning and
Investment
Promotion; Elias Mudzuri [MP Harare] Energy and Power
Development; Eric
Matinenga [MP Manicaland] Constitutional and Parliamentary
Affairs; Eliphas
Mukonoweshuro [MP Masvingo Prov] Public Service; Henry
Madzorera [Elected
Senator Midlands] Health and Child Welfare; Theresa
Makone [MP Harare]
Public Works; Heneri Dzinotyiwei [MP Harare] Science and
Technology; Samuel
Sipepa Nkomo [MP Bulawayo] Water Resources and
Development;
Ministers of State in the Prime Minister's Office
[2]
Gordon Moyo [no parliamentary seat] Minister of State in the
Prime Ministers
Office; Sekai Holland [Elected Senator Harare]Minister of
State in Prime
Minister's Office.
MDC-M
[3]
Welshman Ncube [no parliamentary seat] Industry and Commerce;
Priscilla
Misihairabwi-Mushonga
[no parliamentary seat] Regional
Integration and International Co-operation;
David Coltart
[Elected
Senator Bulawayo] Education, Sport, Art and Culture.
Minister of
State in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office [1]
Gibson Sibanda [no
parliamentary seat] Minister of State in Deputy Prime
Minister Mutambara's
Office
Deputy Ministers [19]
Zanu PF
[10]
Douglas Mombeshora [MP Mash West] Health and Child Welfare;
Tracy Mutinhiri
[MP Mash East] Labour and Social Welfare; Lazarus Dokora [MP
Mash Central]
Education, Sports, Art and Culture; Samuel Udenge [MP
Manicaland] Economic
Planning and Development; Hubert Nyanhongo [MP Harare]
Energy and Power
Development; Reuben Marumahoko [Elected Senator Mash
Central] Regional
Integration and International Co-operation; Andrew Langa
[MP Mat South]
Public Service; Aguy Georgias [no seat in parliament] Public
Works; Walter
Chidhakwa [MP Mash West] State Enterprises and Parastatals;
Mike Bimha [MP
Mash East] Industry and Commerce.
MDC-T
[8]
Moses Mzila Ndlovu [MP Mat South] Foreign Affairs; Evelyn Masaiti
[MP
Harare] Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development; Murisi
Zwizwai
[MP Harare] Mines and Mining Development; Jameson Timba [MP Harare]
Media,
Information and Publicity; Jessie Majome [MP Harare] Justice and
Legal
Affairs; Thamsanqa Mahlangu [MP Bulawayo] Youth Development,
Indigenisation
and Empowerment; Dr Tichaona Mudzingwa [no seat in
Parliament] Transport and
Infrastructural Development; Cecil Zvidzai [no
seat in Parliament] Local
Government, Urban and Rural
Development.
MDC-M [1]
Lutho Addington Tapela [Elected
Senator Mat South] Higher and Tertiary
Education.
Roy Bennett of
MDC-T [no parliamentary seat], Deputy Minister designate of
Agriculture,
Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, was not sworn
in.
Abductees
Fidelis Charamba [29 Oct 08]
detained/hospitalised; Larry Gaka [29 Oct 08]
missing; Gwenzi Kahiya [29 Oct
08] missing; Agrippa Kakonda [29 Oct 08]
detained; Pieta Kaseke [29 Oct 08}
detained; Violet Mupfuranhehwe [29 Oct
08] detained; Terry Musona [29 Oct
08] protective custody; Collen Mutemagau
[29 Oct 08] detained; Lloyd
Tarumbwa [29 Oct 08] protective custody; Fanwell
Tembo [29 Oct 08]
protective custody; Emmanuel Chinanzvavana [3 Nov 08]
detained; Concillia
Chinanzvavana [3 Nov 08] detained; Chris Dhlamini [26
Nov 08], Chinoto Zulu
[27 Nov 08] detained/hospitalised; Mapfumo Garutsa [30
Nov 08] detained;
Regis Mujeyi [30 Nov 08] detained; Jestina Mukoko [3 Dec
08]
detained/hospitalised; Zacharia Nkomo [5 Dec 08] detained/hospitalised;
Gandhi Mudzingwa [8 Dec 08] detained/hospitalised; Broderick Takawira [8 Dec
08] detained; Ephraim Mabeka [10 Dec 08] missing; Lovemore Machokoto [10 Dec
08] missing; Charles Muza [10 Dec 08] missing; Edmore Vangirayi [10 Dec 08]
missing; Andrisson (Shadreck) Manyere [13 Dec 08] detained; Peter Munyanyi
[13 Dec 08] missing; Graham Matehwa [17 Dec 08] missing; Daniel Mlenga [22
Jan 09] detained; Frank Muchirahondo [22 Jan 09] detained; Roy Bennett [13
Feb 09] detained; Ernest Mudimu [unknown] detained; Audrey Zimbudzana
[unknown] detained.
MDC:
Zim's cabinet too big
http://www.thetimes.co.za
Moses Mudzwiti Published:Feb 27,
2009
Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party on Friday declared that
Zimbabwe's
new cabinet was too big.
So far 41 ministers and 19 deputies have
been appointed since the unity
government was established two weeks
ago.
Commenting on Friday after a national executive meeting in
Harare, the party
said: "The MDC national executive views the new cabinet as
too big and heavy
for the country."
"In this regard, the MDC
national executive restated the party's commitment
to a small but efficient
cabinet to enhance accountability and fiscal
prudence."
The
original power-sharing agreement signed in September last year by all
parties - including Mugabe - only had 31 ministers.
However, the
MDC did not say what it would do about the inflated cabinet.
Zimbabwe
has huge outstanding debts and is in dire need of financial
assistance.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai estimates that the initial economic
recovery plan
needs a cash injection of about US5bn.
The party's national executive
also reviewed the unity government's
performance and made public the growing
rift between the prime minister and
President Robert Mugabe.
The
MDC remained concerned about the continued detention of political
prisoners,
fresh farm disruptions and Mugabe's unilateral appointment of top
civil
servants.
"The party urges the inclusive government to immediately
and efficaciously
address the release of all political prisoners in line
with the agreement by
the three principals of the political parties in the
inclusive government,"
said the MDC in a statement issued by its spokesman
Nelson Chamisa.
Roy Bennett the MDC treasurer and deputy agriculture
minister designate
remains locked up in a Mutare prison four days after he
was granted bail.
The attorney general opposed bail after it had been
granted causing the
judge to reconsider.
Next week Bennett is
expected to appear before a magistrate's court to
answer to charges of
illegal possession of arms for purposes of committing
banditry, terrorism
and insurgency.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Tsvangirai revealed
that Mugabe had agreed
to let all political prisoners free - either on bail
or without conditions.
Mugabe has denied that he agreed to free
political prisoners saying instead
that accused persons must go through the
court process to determine their
fate.
The national executive
also concurred with Tsvangirai's assertion that: "The
appointment of
permanent secretaries did not comply with the provisions of
the
constitution".
Again, Mugabe has dismissed the complaint as an
"emotional outburst"
prompted by the urge to "hear one's own
voice".
The MDC called on the inclusive government to "immediately
intervene" to
stop farm disruptions in order to enhance
productivity.
On the disputed allocation of provincial governors, the
party said there was
progress and it expected new appointments
soon.
The MDC demanded the "immediate swearing in of these
provincial
governors to complete the formation of
governors."
Another sore point was Mugabe unilateral appointment of
the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General
Johannes Tomana.
The MDC national executive demanded "immediate"
resolutions to all
outstanding matters, which Sadc promised would be dealt
with once the unity
government was up and running.
Mugabe has
made it clear he was not prepared to sack Gono and Tomano. "Why
must they
go?" asked the Octogenarian who turned 85 on Saturday.
Ends
Govt slashes water tariffs
http://www.herald.co.zw/
Friday,
February 27, 2009
Municipal
Reporter
Government has reviewed all new water tariffs downwards to make
the levels
affordable and instructed councils to stop charging unapproved
rates and
levies.
Local authorities have also been barred from
cutting off water supplies and
locking out residents to force them to pay
outstanding water bills and
rentals.
With immediate effect, charges
for raw water for local authorities and
mining sectors (urban, industrial
and mining water) would be one US cent per
cubic metre or five drums, while
the levy would be half a US cent per cubic
metre or per five
drums.
Treated water from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority would
cost 40 US
cents per cubic metre or per five drums for the first 12 cubic
metres while
beyond the 12 cubic metres, punitive tariffs would apply in
order to curb
potential abuse of water.
The agricultural sector would
now be paying US$5 per megalitre or 5 000
drums inclusive of levy for water
from Zinwa.
This includes supply from dams, boreholes and river pumping
by Zinwa.
On separate occasions yesterday, Local Government, Urban and
Rural
Development Minister Ignatius Chombo and the his Water Resources
Development
and Management counterpart Samuel Sipepa Nkomo declared that no
disconnection would be allowed for now.
Minister Chombo held a
meeting with local authorities yesterday afternoon
where it emerged that all
urban councils had failed to beat the February 24,
2009 deadline to submit
their budgets for the Government's approval.
A number of local
authorities, including Harare City Council, have started
charging for
services in foreign currency well before they have presented
their foreign
currency-denominated budgets to the full council and
to Government for
approval.
In separate presentations during a meeting with Minister
Chombo, urban
councils indicated the various stages at which their budgets
were.
The councils presented problems faced in the reclamation of water
and sewer
management from Zinwa, which range from lack of transparency on
equipment,
workers, broken-down plants and a critical shortage of water
treatment
chemicals.
Minister Chombo said, as an interim measure,
councils should charge half of
their proposed rates and levies pending
approval of their budgets.
He also advised them that their tariffs should
be affordable to residents
and ratepayers while their salary budgets should
be kept between 28 and 32
percent of their total budgets.
"In the
meantime, we will authorise you to charge 50 percent of what you are
requesting to charge," said Minister Chombo.
He was addressing town
clerks, mayors, councillors and senior council
officials from across the
country who had come to Harare for a follow-up
meeting on the transfer of
water management from Zinwa to councils.
Minister Chombo said residents
of high-density suburbs should continue to
pay their bills in local currency
but did not specify what would happen to a
town like Chitungwiza, which is
predominantly high-density but also needs
foreign currency to meet its
obligations.
Minister Chombo said council budgets should clearly show the
cost price of
providing a service and the profit council intended to
make.
On the issue of water transfer from Zinwa, he said local
authorities should
sign agreements with Zinwa showing that the takeover
process was over.
In the absence of the signed paperwork, Zinwa would
continue to manage water
for that particular authority.
A number of
local authorities that presented progress reports on the status
of their
budgets indicated that they were lagging behind and would only be
able to
submit them to Government next week.
Minister Chombo advised councillors
against passing resolutions requiring
funding when there were no
resources.
Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the announcement of the
Harare City Council
2009 budget amid city fathers' decision to give the nod
to council to charge
in foreign currency in the absence of a
budget.
Earlier indications were that the budget would be finally
presented
yesterday, but new developments showed that the budget could be
announced
next Wednesday.
Council already charges in foreign currency
for all its services and has
started paying workers in United States dollars
well before approval of the
2009 budget.
Home-owners in high-density
suburbs are paying up to US$35 for supplementary
charges that include refuse
collection and other service charges.
Illegally parked vehicles are
charged US$35 with the penalties increasing if
the vehicle is towed
away.
A booklet of parking discs with 10 pages, equivalent to 10 parking
hours,
costs US$10. Simply put, a city worker who decides to park on the
street
during working hours has to fork out US$8 for eight working
hours.
The city's workers in lower grades have been paid amounts of up to
US$290,
which included wages and allowances.
Local Government, Urban
and Rural Development Deputy Minister Sessel Zvidzai
and Permanent Secretary
Mr Killian Mupingo attended the meeting.
Addressing journalists in Harare
yesterday afternoon, Minister Nkomo said
the new charges were interim as the
Government was in the process of
conducting an in-depth water sector
analysis.
"There is need for a proper stakeholder consultative process to
take place.
This shall be done in due course," said Minister
Nkomo.
He said the downward review of water tariffs would make water
affordable for
every Zimbabwean and stimulate activity in both the
industrial and
agricultural sectors of the economy.
"Since water is
so central to life and to national economic development, its
pricing ought
to reflect this fact.
"While it must not be priced beyond the reach of
the users, the price must,
however, be such that part of the production
costs can be met," he said.
Minister Nkomo urged all the local
authorities to ensure that all water
supplied to the consumers was clean and
safe to help combat the cholera
outbreak.
Supporters raise 250,000 dlrs for Mugabe fete
AFP
1 hour
ago
HARARE (AFP) - Supporters of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe have
raised
more than 250,000 US dollars (200,000 euros) for a lavish birthday
celebration for the long-time ruler on Saturday, a state-run newspaper
said.
Fundraising for the party comes as Mugabe's long-time rival, Prime
Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, tries to raise five billion dollars in aid and
investment
to rebuild schools, hospitals and sewers after a decade of
economic
collapse.
The Herald newspaper reported Friday that the
fundraising committee had
topped its 250,000 dollar target for the
celebration to be held in Chinhoyi,
a town north of the capital
Harare.
"Now all is set for the event and we expect thousands of people
to throng
the venue and celebrate with us," committee treasurer Themba
Mliswa was
quoted as saying.
Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since
independence in 1980, turned 85 on
February 21.
The weekend
celebration comes after he and Tsvangirai formed a unity
government this
month in hopes of ending nearly a year of political turmoil
that followed
controversial elections.
Tsvangirai plans to attend the celebration,
which he derided last year as "a
gathering of the satisfied few" in a nation
crippled by food shortages.
Illegally evicted residents must be reinstated-CHRA
The Combined Harare Residents Association
(CHRA) has learnt that dozens of families who were illegally displaced by
ZANU-PF supporters from Council owned and other houses they rented during the
pre-June 27 (2008) presidential run-off period, are still homeless as the courts
have either failed to timeously hear their cases or are demanding exorbitant
fees amounting to as much as US$30-00 before they can issue eviction orders to
the current illegal occupants. The displaced were allegedly accused of
coordinating CHRA activities, an organisation they (ZANU-PF supporters) accused
of sympathizing with the MDC.
The heightened political intolerance which
was witnessed across Zimbabwe
left such victims as the Government of the day, those who sympathized with it,
law enforcers and the judiciary colluded in committing massive human rights
violations. The Association reckons that the former residents of Matererina
Flats, Matapi Flats, in different parts of Mbare and indeed in all other
residential and market places of the city must be reinstated as a matter of
urgency as Harare/Zimbabwe cannot continue to live in the past under the current
political dispensation and into the future all and sundry are hoping to
see.
CHRA calls on the concerned authorities to
immediately restore the residents’ rights, meanwhile the Association will
facilitate that the illegally displaced residents get the long overdue redress.
CHRA will continue to advocate for non-partisan, professional and effective
service delivery in a democratic and socio-politically and economically just
environment at local and national levels.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Combined Harare Residents Association
145 Robert Mugabe
Way
Exploration House, Third Floor
Harare
www.chra.co.zw
Landline: 00263- 4-
705114
Contacts: Mobile: 0912 653 074, 0913 042 981, 011862012 or email
ceo@chra.co.zw
info@chra.co.zw,
admin@chra.co.zw
EMERGENCY
Dear Lena, thank you so much for all your help - God
bless you! And I hope
you are well!
Since your visit over Christmas
and New Year life in Zimbabwe has become far
more bizarre - remember the
prices for foodstuffs in these so called
"Foliwars-shops" and somehow
everything being 3 to 4 times the price of
things of our surrounding
neighbouring countries and like you commented, far
above even for Germany as
one of the so called richest 1.st world countries.
But, this was/is quite
bearable, compared to what happened last Thursday
late
evening.
It was already getting dark, when Sithembile, the wife
of our worker
Pindani, came screaming, with her even more screaming
baby-girl Silibaziso
in her arms, racing towards our house. She came all the
way from
Northlea-Road, where she is staying with her mother: she was in
utter panic.
Her baby-girl was badly burned, face throat and
upper torso, horrificly
scalded, blisters and parts of skin burned off,
writhing in pain. I did a
fast dressing with the first aid kit for burns you
brought me and gave her
some of the paediatric liquid Panado, which I always
keep in my fridge.
D. meanwhile got the car ready, because from
the amount of skin-surface
burned it was more than obvious, that the baby
needed very urgent
professional emergency treatment. We rushed/raced/flew to
the only
functioning 24 hour group practise based in town (you know, how far
we are
living out of..). It was simply our only choice, especially since I
had very
recent experiences with other clinics and hospitals here in
Bulawayo: very
depressing, about these experiences I will write to you at a
later point in
time.
The 24 hour practise, was "Godthanks"
not full and overcrowded (compared to
what one usually experiences here), I
paid an admission-fee of 400 SA Rand,
while Pindani gave his details and
they attended to the Baby quite quick.
I really can not remember
the time they needed for the whole procedure, the
baby was screaming
throughout in agony, I do not know, what happened in the
emergency room, the
female Doctor on duty did send Sithembile out of the
room. Which I thought
was very wrong, to separate such a small Baby from her
mother in times of
such immense distress.
Finally they brought the Baby out, dressed
and bandaged and I went to the
Reception to enquire about the cost. They
gave me a horrible long number in
Rand, which I definitely did not have on
me: it was in the thousands of SA
Rand! My only thought was with the
priority of getting the medication for
and throughout the night and
following morning, comprising of a 100 ml
Amoxycillin BP Suspension
Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic and 100 ml Pyralen
Syrup, a Paracetamol-based
painkiller.
Since there were "only" a further 420 SA Rand left in
my purse, I tried to
explain to the receptionist, that, because it was so
late in the evening now
to source the medications from a pharmacy and the
baby-girl in distress, I
would like to pay for the needed medications,
leaving 20 SA Rand as
down-payment..
Yes, you read very right: the
cost of these two items got charged with 400
SA Rand!!!
After
a substantial time of discussions about this arrangement - they asked
me to
leave my cell-phone or something similar as a security, which I
refused -
the outstanding money still amounted to a whopping 1 200 SA Rand.
Meanwhile
the female Dr. on duty, after kind of ignoring me all the time
before (I can
not really for sure remember, if I approached her directly -
yes, I think, I
had to do so - or, if she finally condescended to converse
to me?
-)
In any case: she lectured me on the immense difficulties in obtaining
medications and material, that she/or the 24 hour practise has to source it
from SA through, what she called "runners", because of the absolute
unavailability here in Bulawayo. That, this was the "fact on the ground" and
the reason for the high expenses for treatments.
D. asked her
- just for curiosities sake - what would have happened, when we
as whites
(Makiwas) would NOT have been with to bring the Baby in for
treatment? She
answered quite frankly, that, without us being there, which
she said she
perceived as a kind of collateral, they would have asked the
parents of the
baby to find the money first...
She finally took my word, that I
would pay the outstanding sum of 1 200 SA
Rand the next
morning.
At that time, I was happy to be able to give the baby
her first dose of
essential Antibiotics and the painkiller for her to be
able to get the so
much needed restful healing sleep.
D. and
I went to sleep very late that night, discussing and reflecting on
this what
just happened for a long, long time, me, checking a 100 times
through my
bedroom-window, from where I could see the lights in Pindanis
room and
Sithembile for hours carrying the baby to sleep.
The baby is in
need of many follow-up-dressings and check-ups. When I paid
my debt of 1 200
SA Rand the next morning, I inquired about the cost of this
Follow-up-dressings:
Betadine cream x 15 mls: 300
Rand
Vaseline Gauze x 3: 60 Rand
Gauze x
2: 40 Rand
Dressing pro x
1: 20 Rand
Surgical gloves x 1 pair: 60
Rand
Total: 480
Rand
I also asked for a written "bill listing" of the medications
and materials
used of at the previous night of emergency
treatment:
SSD (Silver Sulphadiazine 1%) Cream x 15
mls: 900 Rand
Vaseline Gauze x 3
60 Rand
100
mm Crepe Bandage x 2
100 Rand
Gauze Swabs x 2
60
Rand
Dressing Procedure x 1
20 Rand
Surgical Gloves x 1 Pair
60 Rand
Total
1200 Rand
Even so, they do
not use this "magic potion" SSD cream (of which 15 mls are
costing 900 SA
Rand) in the follow-up-dressings, instead it will be
Betadine-cream 15 mls
for 300 SA Rand, the follow-up-dressings for 7 days
would cost 3 360 SA
Rand!?
Lena, when you work out: 1 container SSD Cream of 500 g.
500 g divided
through 15 g (=mls per treatment) makes 33,333(period
treatments) multiplied
by 900 SA Rand (cost of 15 mls at 24 hour group
practise), amounts to 29
999,999 (period) SA Rand !
Please,
feel free, to work out the cost for 500 g Betadine: It´s "enourmous"!
...
Impossible to afford for D. and me: We are already
bankrupt, caused by
paying the first bill.
I went to my GP to
ask for help. His diagnosis of Silibazisos injuries is:
9% superficial burns
on Face and Anterior Chest Wall, he told me, that the
only item to purchase
was the "magic potion", the SSD Cream, for him to
carry on with the
follow-up treatments. With his prescription I went to a
pharmacy and 5
minutes later they handed me the exact 500 g green container,
I saw them
using in the Clinic/Hospital: the 500 g "magic-potion" did cost
there 200 SA
Rand.
Incredibly miraculous indeed: The female Doctor on duty on
the night,
before, had told me a long story about the absolute
unavailability of
obtaining this exact Sulphadiazine 1% cream!
She
had explained, that through their efforts of obtaining medications and
medical material from South-Africa, through "runners", that this was the
reason, that in her Clinic/Hospital it is still possible, Quote:".that the
show still runs." (- compared to Bulawayos other health-care-facilities -
suppose, that was what she meant?)
Baby Silibaziso is now in
the care of my GP and his gentle nurse. She
doesn´t have to "wrestle" baby
Silibaziso down, in sharp contrast to what
the female Doctor on duty told me
on Thursday night: that she had to drive
all the way to the clinic/hospital
using her very own petrol to wrestle the
baby down with 3 people in order to
attend to her injuries.
I am fairly sure, that when she would have
allowed Silibazisos mother´s
presence in the emergency room, it would NEVER
have become a
"wrestling-match" and that Silibaziso would NOT have had to
scream her
little soul out in such horrific distress.
With
the daily follow-up-dressings, were the mother is actively assisting
with
the dressing-procedures, Silibaziso seems to find her "trust in the
world"
back, and is healing very well.
Silibaziso calls my GP´s nurse Gogo and
talks to her in the words she knows
to speak with her 20 months of age. She
is still a little bit frightened -
of course, the daily dressing-procedures
are still painful.
Lena, this happening left me quite shaky. This
is so very wrong, because,
like I wrote to you, with the collapsed
education-system, this is now
medical treatment ONLY for the very rich
people. Is medical care now a
"Privilege to survive" only for the people who
can afford these absurd
amounts of money?
I made a list of
all these items listed above and will investigate in our
Bulawayo pharmacies
about the de facto availability and actual costs and
will report my findings
back to you soon!
I´ve gotten to old to believe in fairy-tales of this
kind anymore..
Dear Lena, here are the prices of Bulawayo
pharmacies for same items as
above:
SSD
cream 200 Rand (200 g) makes about 13 Rand
for
15 g
Vaseline Gauze 7 Rand (each)
100 mm
Crepe Bandage 30 Rand (each)
Gauze
Swabs 5 Rand (each)
Surgical
gloves 10 Rand (a pair)
Betadine
cream 50 Rand (25 g)
Amoxyllin BP
Suspension 110 Rand (100
ml)
Pyralen-Syrup 40 Rand (100
ml)
.. Everything readily available, also, the pharmacists told
me, that all
these listed items are far cheaper in South-Africa: and that
they have to
use "runners", too.
I am sending you attachments
of the bills and Silibaziso, taken today, 26.
February, 7 days after the
visit to this 24 hour group practise, which does
care so much more about
money than lives.
Thanks to the help of my GP, his very gentle
and bighearted Gogo-nurse and
the cooperation of Bulawayo pharmacists,
Silibaziso was finished with her
follow-up-dressings today and will not have
to bear lifelong scars.
The amount charged at the 24 hour group
practise for this
emergency-treatment, was sheer extortion and altogether
with the
treatment-procedure inhuman.
Dear Lena, I can very
well imagine, that, this which I am writing is very
difficult to grasp for
you. Human-lives in Zimbabwe are very cheap... Or,
immensely, expensive to
safe-keep...so very much depending on ones
perception ..
Lots
of Love
G.
Mugabe fights to the grave
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Friday, 27 February 2009
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe last night mocked the British, saying "even my
ghost" would never allow Zimbabwe to be colonised aga
"British imperialism was fought and defeated. They should stay very
far away
from us," said Mugabe, who turned 85 on Saturday.
"If they want the
aged, the old people, we can assist to carry them,"
he said. Mugabe was
referring to plans by the UK government to repatriate
its aged and infirm
citizens from Zimbabwe on humanitarian grounds.
"They want their
nationals dead or alive, who are we to refuse?"
In what was billed as a
no-holds-barred interview on state television,
Mugabe said: "This soil will
never be colonised again."
"Even my ghost will not stand for it," he
added, poking the lawn with
his finger.
The interview setting was
the pristine gardens of the State House in
Harare. In the now familiar
disjointed manner, Mugabe spoke fondly of his
son, Chatunga, and angrily
about Cecil John Rhodes and his pioneering
column.
The ageing
leader spoke at length about sanctions and called on Prime
Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai to take a "vigorous stance" in calling for their
lifting.
On reports that he had a mansion in Hong Kong, Mugabe said
it was
rented accommodation for his daughter, Bona. She is studying there at
a
university, Mugabe said.
"We had this company, which offered that
house. We pay rentals. The
girls stay there and we have a room for my
security people."
He said the Chinese government was doing something to
stop the press
from snooping around the property.
Mugabe dismissed
claims that he had once considered fleeing to
Malaysia.
He said
allegations that he abused human rights and stifled press
freedom were a
ruse by enemies. "They needed a reason to impose sanctions."
The
octogenarian did not mention any possibility of him retiring any
time soon
in the uninterrupted pre-recorded interview, which lasted more
than an
hour.
Meanwhile a belated birthday bash is planned for Saturday in
Chinhoyi
and organisers said they were ready to put on a big show.
Supporters will be
bused in from all parts of the country. They have been
asked to adorn
clothes bearing Mugabe's portrait.
The Times
(SA)
At
least 200 dead as army moves into illegal mines
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk
Ian Evans in
Mutare
27.02.09
A BRUTAL government crackdown on diamond hunters in
Zimbabwe involving
soldiers and police has led to more than 200 deaths in
recent weeks.
About 30,000 would-be miners descended on the lucrative
Chiadzwa fields, 65
miles south of the eastern city of Mutare, two years ago
after the
government cancelled the owner's mining contract. While some used
heavy
machinery, others dug with shovels to expose the rough diamonds - all
desperate to overcome the suffering caused by the country's economic
collapse.
Then, in November, president Robert Mugabe's government
sent in the army and
police to halt the free-for-all in operation "Operation
Hakudzokwi", meaning
"you won't come back". Some of the prospectors were
fired on from military
helicopters.
Anyone with foreign currency was
arrested on suspicion of dealing and cars,
phones and other expensive
possessions were confiscated unless the person
could explain their
wealth.
Main roads to and from the area are now guarded by military
roadblocks with
foreigners or those without adequate identification barred
from entry.
Anyone caught near the diamond fields without permission risks a
beating or
even death.
Inside the zone, only senior soldiers with the
rank of captain or above are
allowed to give orders. People in the area
claim some in the military have
set up underground syndicates with the
backing of senior politicians from Mr
Mugabe's Zanu-PF party to sell
diamonds on the black market.
Many of the rough diamonds are smuggled
across the nearby, porous border to
Mozambique, where dealers from Lebanon,
Belgium, Iraq, Mauritania and the
Balkans are waiting to buy.
Human
rights campaigners say that up to 200 people have been killed since
the
crackdown. They include Maxwell Mabota, 33, who was badly beaten in
Nyanyadzi. He died of multiple organ failure in a South African
hospital.
His widow Hanna was too upset to talk about the death of her
husband.
However, a family friend, who was prepared to talk on condition of
anonymity, said: "He was very badly beaten by the soldiers and we know the
name of the commanding officer, Brigadier Sigauke.
"They beat him
with iron bars, fists, boots until he collapsed. He was taken
by a police
officer to Mutare central police station and they called his
wife to get
him. He was unconscious. He'd been badly beaten and his kidney
had dropped
outside his body. He had a bleeding nose, his buttocks were
injured and his
arms and legs badly bruised
"They took him to Mutare hospital but there
are few drugs there and the
doctors said they could not do anything so his
brother flew him to a private
hospital in Johannesburg. He had serious
internal bleeding and died of organ
failure without his wife there." The
Chiadzwa fields, stretching for 15
miles, used to be managed by the diamond
firm De Beers. After Zimbabwe's
independence in 1980, De Beers sold the
fields to a British company, African
Consolidated Resources, but the
government confiscated the asset in 2006,
handing it to the state-owned
Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
That company failed to exploit
the fields, prompting the invasion by the
thousands of prospectors and the
rise of diamond dealers such as Mr Mabota.
As well as his life, the
soldiers took US$11,000, his car and two mobile
phones which the family
wants back. Mr Mabota and his wife had seven
children in their care. The
family first claimed Mr Mabota had been in the
area to buy cattle to
slaughter but now accept the transport operator, like
many others, was in
Mutare to cash in on the unofficial diamond trade, which
could be worth up
to US$1.2billion a month.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Kimberley
Process, a 2003 agreement by
diamond-producing countries to prevent stones
mined in "conflict" areas from
entering the mainstream market. The pact -
highlighted in the Leonardo
diCaprio film Blood Diamond - aims to restrict
illegal trade from countries
such as the Democratic Republic of Congo or
Sierra Leone.
EU foreign ministers in Brussels have agreed a draft
document urging the
Kimberley Process "to take action with a view to ensure
Zimbabwe's
compliance", a reference to the ongoing violence around Chiadzwa.
That move
was welcomed by pressure group Fatal Transactions, which campaigns
for the
better governance of raw materials in conflict areas. "People are
being
tortured and killed in Zimbabwe and there are widespread human rights
abuses
so we think it should be kicked out of the KP," said Anneke Galama,
international co-ordinator.
"It is difficult because the government
of a sovereign nation is the one
perpetuating the violence so they'd have to
acknowledge doing wrong. We're
engaged in dialogue on this, but we realise
it will be hard to do,
especially because Namibia is the next chair when it
meets in June."
The KP offices would not comment on Zimbabwe's diamond
industry.
Shout with Short Wave - Zimbabwe's crisis
You've read about the crisis in Zimbabwe - now send
your message to the country. We here at Radio Netherlands Worldwide pride
ourselves on providing independent information and supporting press freedom
around the world.
And this week we will bring you a series of special programmes on Zimbabwe
and you can have your say too. Send us your messages by SMS or via the reaction
form at the bottom of this page, include a phone number and you may get to
be in the live Newsline Shout with Short Wave special on 6 March. Your messages
will also appear online. To send us an SMS first type the word 'news' then
leave a space, type your message and send to +31 638 988286.
Radio Netherlands
Worldwide broadcasts to Zimbabwe |
1800-1900 UTC 6020 kHz 49 metre band
1900-2100 UTC 7120 kHz 41 metre band
Alternative
reception: 1800-2000 UTC 12045 kHz 25 metre band
|
Gagged
Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe dismisses as
'nonsense' demands to allow a free press in his beleaguered country.
He prefers instead to wallow in lavish celebrations marking his recent 85th
birthday whilst those who dare to speak out are thrown in jail or kicked out
altogether.
Of course he has no gag on media from outside and by using short wave, from
transmitters in Madagascar, we get daily independent news and current affairs
in.
And this week working together with the independent radio station Voice
of the People*, a local station brave enough to speak out, we will
bring you the human stories behind the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Collapsed
A country once rich enough to be the bread
basket for the region it is now a basket case, the economy has collapsed,
there's hyper-inflation, millions are reliant on food aid and a cholera epidemic
has claimed thousands of lives. The education and health systems are also all in
a state of collapse.
At the same time something has happened in Zimbabwean politics that that few
believed was possible. Almost a year after an apparent election victory, which
most observers believe, was stolen from him, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
has at last been sworn in as Prime Minister.
Poverty is widespread in
Zimbabwe |
In theory at least, he will
now share power with President Robert Mugabe who has had a stranglehold on power
in the country since 1980. Our question to you is do you think this is possible,
can Mugabe be a part of the solution when he is blamed by so many as being the
principle architect of the country's collapse?
Undercover
Radio Netherlands Worldwide journalist Eric
Beauchemin has been undercover in the country, where he was finding out how
ordinary Zimbabweans are trying to survive amidst in the chaos. He speaks to
amongst others a bricklayer, a politician, housewives and a priest.
We will also bring you expert analysis of the bigger picture, looking into
the politics of the situation and the role of surrounding countries and the
international community.
The State We're
In and Bridges
with Africa will devote their programmes to the country and every day on
Newsline you can hear Eric's reports.
And on Friday 6 March we will have our live Shout with Short Wave
special edition of Newsline. We will use your messages in the show and if you
leave your phone number we may call you and take your comments live in the
broadcast. We will also have a live link up with our partners Voice of the
People.
Will the new unity government improve life for Zimbabweans? Has South Africa
failed its neighbour? Should donor countries give the new government a chance by
lifting sanctions on Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and flood the country with aid?
What is your view? Fill in the form below and have your say.
* Voice of the People
is an independent radio station in Zimbabwe, which broadcasts via Radio
Netherlands Worldwide in Madagascar.
A letter from the diaspora
http://www.swradioafrica.com
OUTSIDE
LOOKING IN -
Dear Friends.
What
is this national healing' everyone is talking about? It is a cosy
little,
feel-good term which implies that all is now well in Zimbabwe. We
are, the
politicians would have us believe, a united people all going along
the road
together to rebuild our country. Augustine Chihuri used the term
last week
to justify his directive that all charges against those accused of
violence
'before, during and after' the one-man election in June should be
dropped
'in the interests of national healing'. As Chihuri sees it,'national
healing' is simply a cover for doing nothing to right the wrongs inflicted
on the Zimbabwean people.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai used exactly
the same term at the MDC rally
in Gweru last weekend. " This country needs
national healing. It is time for
everyone to forgive those who trespassed
against us. If there is no national
healing there is no progress. I appeal
to all Zimbabweans from the bottom of
my heart, we should heal the
nation."
Robert Mugabe used much the same language when he came to power
in 1980 but
after twenty-nine years of independence, what evidence do we
have that the
nation is healed? Past divisions and enmities are as deep as
they ever were,
thanks in no small part to a vindictive and arrogant ruling
party, I am no
theologian but surely for true reconciliation and forgiveness
to take place,
there must be genuine repentance and remorse from the
perpetrators of
violence. Talk of 'national healing' and forgiveness is
nothing more than a
populist catchphrase if it is not accompanied by the
positive, practical
measures to ensure that it happens. The perpetrators of
the tsunami of
violence that has engulfed our country must be brought before
the courts,
tried and punished if they are found guilty. Justice requires no
less. Yet
both sides in this so-called Inclusive Government shy away from
confronting
the issue - for their own political reasons. Morgan Tsvangirai
is powerless
to bring about true justice in a country where the rule of law
has
collapsed. He cannot even secure the release of Jestina Mukoko and the
other
activists and his own Deputy Minister still languishes in gaol.
Threats from
his party that they will pull out of the Inclusive Government
unless this or
that happens are worse than useless for they demonstrate the
MDC's impotence
in the face of Zanu PF's continuing vice-like grip on the
police and the
military and their control over the judges and
courts.
Repentance and remorse are so far from happening, that the
perpetrators of
violence and theft committed during the violent jambanja
feel themselves
entirely at liberty to continue in their criminal
activities. Residents from
as far apart as Mbare and Mutoko who have
attempted to get their homes back
from the Zanu PF thieves who stole them at
the height of the politically
inspired violence were this week arrested by
the police for house breaking
and theft! "This is nothing more than revenge"
claimed self-righteous Zanu
PF sources but can people be blamed for wanting
to get back what is
rightfully theirs? If we had a functioning
law-enforcement agency, that is
exactly what would happen: a trial, a
verdict and stolen property recovered
and returned to its rightful owner. On
the commercial farms, too, we see
little sign of a change of behaviour on
the part of the greedy
land-grabbers. One farmer was told this week by the
gang invading his farm
that they didn't care about the law or the police,
they would simply take
what they wanted. The treatment of the Woza women who
were beaten and
arrested this week in Harare for simply trying to hand in a
petition to one
of Morgan Tsvangirai's own ministers is further testimony to
the myth of
'national healing'
If the term means sweeping
everything under the carpet and pretending it
never happened, then the
politicians on both sides need to understand that
ordinary people do not see
it that way. They want justice and if the
Inclusive Government cannot
deliver it then there is real danger that the
people will take the law into
their own hands. The justice that will result
may be very rough
indeed.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH. aka Pauline Henson author
of
Countdown, a political detective story set in Zimbabwe and available on
lulu.com