"Sit-tight" rulers risk African Spring -Soyinka

http://af.reuters.com/

Wed Feb 1, 2012 6:14pm GMT

* Nigerian Nobel Laureate cites presidents Mugabe, Wade

* Says rulers who cling to power risk violent rebellion

* Soyinka: Boko Haram "unleashed" by northern politicians

By Pascal Fletcher

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Ageing African presidents who try to cling
to power by manipulating constitutions and judiciaries risk the same popular
rebellions that toppled rulers in last year's Arab Spring, Nigerian Nobel
Laureate Wole Soyinka said on Wednesday.

Citing as examples Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Senegalese
President Abdoulaye Wade, who are both well in their eighties, Soyinka
criticised "sit-tight rulers" who sought to hang on in office despite being
"obviously beyond their prime".

"What is wrong with them? Why do they think that the world will not continue
to turn after they've left office, I don't understand," the prolific
playright and author, who in 1986 became the first sub-Saharan African to
win the Nobel Prize for Literature, told Reuters in an interview in
Pretoria.

Soyinka, 77, who sports a distinctive white Afro hairstyle, and is one of
Africa's leading intellectuals, has been an outspoken critic of
dictatorships and autocratic rulers in his native Nigeria and elsewhere on
the continent and in the world.

While he saw differences between the Arab world and Africa, he predicted
African rulers who abused their powers to stay on for years could face their
own "African Spring".

"In the end, those who refuse to bow to popular will, who continue to treat,
describe and regard their own peoples as inferior to themselves or their
petty clans, I'm afraid will confront the same nature of violence as we
witnessed in the Arab world," he added.

Soyinka said presidents in Africa who manipulated hand-picked constitutional
courts and pliant judiciaries to extend their periods of rule often
displayed the same arrogant, condescending paternalism as former colonial
powers.

Mugabe, 87, has governed Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980
and has defied critics at home and abroad who accuse him of using violence
against rivals to stay in power.

Senegal's Wade, 85, faces violent protests after the West African country's
Constitutional Council confirmed that he could stand for re-election for a
third term, despite complaints that this breached rules setting a two-term
limit.

"What is Abdoulaye Wade in Senegal wanting to do continuing with another
term in office? By now he should be an elder statesman whom we could come
and visit in retirement to discuss the future of Africa," said Soyinka.

BOKO HARAM: "MONSTER UNLEASHED"

Turning to Nigeria, where he was imprisoned in 1967 for attempting to broker
peace in the civil war over secessionist Biafra, Soyinka said both religious
and political forces were driving the insurgency by the Islamist sect Boko
Haram that has killed hundreds of people in Africa's top oil producer.

He accused power-hungry politicians from Nigeria's Muslim north of using
indoctrinated young militants, drawn from the ranks of the poor unemployed
and educated in Islamic schools, as "foot soldiers" in a battle over who
should control the country.

"Those who unleashed Boko Haram on the nation are politicians ... These are
the ones behind Boko Haram ... unfortunately one has to point to what
section they come from, and that is the north," Soyinka said.

"This minority is very focused, very powerful, very rich, they used to be in
government, they've accumulated billions ... they are the ones who unleashed
this monster on the nation."

"They have articulated their conviction that it is their turn to rule
Nigeria," he added, speaking to Reuters after delivering a lecture at the
University of South Africa (UNISA).

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian southerner, won elections
last year after initially taking over the presidency in 2010 when he was
vice president following the death of his northern predecessor Umaru
Yar'Adua. Some northern critics see his presidency following Yar'Adua's
death as going against an informal pact within the ruling PDP party that
rule should rotate between the north and the south.

Jonathan has challenged Boko Haram to identify themselves and state their
demands as a basis for talks. (For a Special Report on Boko Haram, click on:
link.reuters.com/gut36s)

Soyinka proposed the holding of a national conference, bringing together all
sectors of Nigerian society and all national institutions, to discuss
regional grievances and problems and thrash out a national consensus for the
future.

"We've all got to sit down, the various sections of the country, to decide
in what manner we want to rule. We've got to sit down with the constitution
and decide if this is the best constitution for the nation," he said.

"Eventually we'll arrive at an even platform where we can begin to discuss
the future or non-future of the nation," Soyinka added.

Why Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe ended his annual January vacation early

http://www.globalpost.com/

Zimbabwe ended his 'medical vacation' in the Far East to lobby for support
at the African Union summit.
GlobalPost Zimbabwe CorrespondentFebruary 1, 2012 06:31

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Now you see him, now you don’t.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe spends most of January hiding from his
people, only emerging from seclusion to attend to the needs of fellow
dictators.

For much of January, Mugabe has been vacationing in the Far East, although
most observers would say his itinerary could better be described as medical
tourism. His spokesmen claim his nine or more visits to Singapore and
Malaysia last year were for check-ups following the removal of cataracts.

Mugabe’s daughter, Bona, recently graduated from the University of Hong Kong
where her mother, Grace, made frequent visits. On one such visit Zimbabwe's
first lady clashed with British tabloid stalkers who were assaulted by her
bodyguards. Such incidents, which have also occurred in Brussels and Rome,
are partly the result of the secrecy that surrounds the Mugabes when they
travel abroad.

Grace Mugabe, a dedicated follower of fashion, has difficulty concealing her
extravagant tastes when visiting the few capitals still open to Zimbabwe’s
first family. The Mugabes are permitted to enter any country which hosts
United Nations offices, and they are not shy about taking advantage of the
convention. They are also free, of course, to visit capitals in the Far
East.

But the climate there is not as friendly as it used to be. During the
Mahathir Mohamad-era, Mugabe was a favored friend. While on his visits to
Malaysia in the 1990s, he invariably appeared on the front page of the
government-owned Herald newspaper, ensconced with Mahathir on a sofa
“sharing a joke." The current incumbent in Kuala Lumpur, Najib Razak, is
keen to project a more reformist image, which means less coziness on the
sofa.

Mugabe rarely breaks with tradition, but this year he suddenly turned up in
Harare unannounced, halfway through his customary month-long vacation.

This time he was pictured “sharing a joke” with Equatorial Guinea dictator
Teodoro Nguema Obiang. Speculation was rife as to what had led the president
to hurry home, but it soon became clear. Obiang, who is outgoing chairman of
the African Union (AU), wanted support for Jean Ping of Gabon who was
seeking another term as AU commission chair, a post as powerful as the AU
chair itself.

However, Ping was unpopular in Harare for backing NATO intervention in
Libya. He had also supported the removal of Laurent Gbagbo in the Ivory
Coast, while Zimbabwe opposed the move.

And there was another complication.

Most southern African states, members of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC), had pledged support for the bid for the AU commission job
of former South African foreign minister and ex-wife of President Jacob
Zuma, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Zimbabwe had not declared its hand on that
one, and the five hours of talks we are told Mugabe held with Obiang would
indicate that the matter was not easy to resolve.

Indeed, Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba disclosed that Zimbabwe had a
beef with South Africa that was not widely known in Harare. Firstly, Zuma’s
handling of the Zimbabwean inter-party talks, at which Zuma admitted for
discussion a lengthy MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) dossier on Zanu-PF’s
human rights abuses, still rankled. And South Africa’s refusal to back
Zimbabwe’s 2009 bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council
was another cause for complaint.

Clearly Mugabe did not want to rush to support either Ping or Dlamini-Zuma.
But Charamba’s remarks suggest Zimbabwe’s 87-year-old leader was leaning
towards a vote against South Africa. In the end, neither candidate won the
required two thirds of the vote in the gleaming new Chinese-built AU
headquarters this week. The AU has extended Ping’s mandate until its next
summit scheduled for Malawi in June or July while Dlamini-Zuma will get
another shot at the job.

South Africa has said Dlamini-Zuma will be its candidate again. Officials in
Pretoria have been spinning the vote as a victory for South Africa. A senior
official told the South African press the outcome was a defeat for the
French.

“Even though we didn’t receive an outright win,” he said, “South Africa has
emerged victorious as we have defeated the agenda of the French and foreign
intervention in African affairs,” he said.

Everybody else has portrayed it as an unmitigated defeat for President Zuma.

The battle will now resume. This means more horse trading as leaders
mobilize their supporters for the Malawi summit. Both France and the United
States have been engaged in not so subtle lobbying behind the scenes.

In his maneuvering, Mugabe, we can safely assume, asked Obiang what he could
offer in the way of reciprocity in return for his support for Ping. He would
in all certainty have asked for a guarantee that Zimbabwe would not be
placed on the summit agenda at any point. Mugabe did not want the AU to
debate his rule of Zimbabwe, particularly his plans to hold early elections
in 2012.

At least we know now why Mugabe hurried back from the Far East; he had an
important card to play in the diplomacy of the region and apparently he
played it with finesse. Zimbabwe was duly kept off the agenda and South
Africa punished for daring to challenge the authority of the region’s elder
statesman.

But Ping’s defeat was in a sense also a setback for Mugabe as Dlamini-Zuma
will run again in July and Obiang’s successor, President Boni Yayi of Benin,
may not have the same favors to offer. What goes around comes around.

Mugabe’s AU rant ‘a sign of panic’

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
01 February 2012

Robert Mugabe’s reported rant against the African Union (AU) and its
handling of the crisis in Libya last year, is a sign that the ageing leader
is ‘panicked’.

This is according to a leading political analyst who told SW Radio Africa on
Wednesday that Mugabe is showing his true colours by criticising the AU in
this instance.

Mugabe reportedly lambasted the AU as a “toothless bulldog” for failing to
stop NATO from bombing Libya and helping with the ultimate downfall of the
late Muammar Gaddafi last year. Speaking during an AU session on peace and
security on Monday, Mugabe asked: “Well, well that was Libya. Who will be
next?”

Mugabe then left the summit in Ethiopia on Tuesday and at the airport, he
accused unnamed African countries of being “fronts” for Western powers whose
“criminal” NATO bombardment of Libya helped lead to the killing of Gaddafi.

He also said it was “unprocedural” for the AU’s Peace and Security Council
to make the decision to recognize Libya’s former rebels, the National
Transitional Council (NTC), instead of the whole summit of leaders.
Zimbabwe has not yet officially recognised the NTC.

Political analyst Professor John Makumbe said on Wednesday that Mugabe is
clearly showing the world his preference for governance in Africa.

“Mugabe is displaying his colours as a dictator. Its really embarrassing
that a Head of State of a so called ‘democratic’ country would chide the AU
for helping the freedom of another country,” Makumbe said.

The AU ironically has previously been labelled a ‘toothless bulldog’ and
roundly criticised by Mugabe opponents for not taking action in Zimbabwe.
Makumbe said it is now “laughable” that Mugabe is taking this route of
criticism for the same reasons, but in a different context.

“Ultimately this is a preemptive move by him. Basically he is saying: ‘If
there is a people’s movement in Zimbabwe, I expect the AU to stay out of
 it,” Makumbe explained.

He added: “He is trying to intimidate the AU so stay clear of the situation
in Zimbabwe… I believe that African leaders will be strong and tough with
him though.”

Harare to ration water in wealthy suburbs as typhoid cases rise

http://www.swradioafrica.com

 

Posted by Tererai Karimakwenda on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Zimbabwe typhoid victim

By Tererai Karimakwenda
01 February, 2012

The City of Harare announced drastic measures on Tuesday in an effort to contain the typhoid outbreak threatening the capital, including water rationing for the wealthy suburbs and the closure of all water holes dug up by desperate residents in the poor areas.

At a press conference Tuesday, town clerk Tendai Mahachi said the poor townships would receive uninterrupted water supplies to help eliminate typhoid. He said wealthy areas would be provided water about twice per week. Mahachi is quoted as saying: “the wealthy can afford to buy water” and cope with outages.

Health Minister Dr. Henry Madzorera told the reporters that an average of 30 to 50 cases of typhoid were being reported daily and more than 1,500 had been treated by the end of December last year. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported so far.

“Most boreholes have been noted to be contaminated and reticulated water has also failed the quality test in some instances. So I urge you if you are going to drinkHararewater, boil it,” Dr. Madzorera said.

The minister confirmed also confirmed a long known fact that the poor water and sanitation infrastructure in the city is to blame for the water borne diseases that keep cropping up. Food being sold by street vendors has also been found to be contaminated.

Typhoid symptoms include a sustained fever, headache, malaise, anorexia, constipation or diarrhoea in adults or a non productive cough in the early stages of the illness. Another waterborne disease, cholera, killed an estimated 4000 people when it swept through the capital in 2008. At least 100,000 people were affected.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti last week announced that $40 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be used to repair the water and sewage infrastructure. It is not clear how soon those funds will be available.

The Mugabe regime has clearly neglected the infrastructure since independence and the problem has now reached crisis proportions. Dr. Madzorera said: “The same poor water and sanitation conditions inHarareprevail in most of our urban areas and other parts of the country.”

A tent erected at Kuwadzana Polyclinic to cater for Typhoid patients

And instead of offering solutions, some ZANU PF officials were reportedly quoted in the state media blaming the British government for the typhoid outbreak.

No specific reasons were reportedly given for the claims, but Madzorera immediately dismissed the comments, saying “there is need to remedy the situation”.

 

 

Dr Madzorera dismisses Zanu PF claims on typhoid

Wednesday, 01 February 2012

The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. Henry Madzorera has dismissed
claims by some Zanu PF officials and the State media that the current
outbreak of cholera was as a result of biological warfare by the British.

Some Zanu PF officials have been quoted in the State media falsely claiming
that the outbreak was as a result of the British government.  No further
evidence was made by the officials or the State media to support their
claims.

“There is no link between the current typhoid outbreak and the British.  We
owe it ourselves and there is need to remedy the situation,” said Dr.
Madzorera who is the MDC Secretary for Health and Senator for Kwekwe.

“As a country we should not be suffering from medieval diseases.  The
problem is that we are receivers of a failed economy,” he said referring to
the rundown of the economy by the then Zanu PF government for nearly 30
years.

Typhoid is a systemic bacterial disease that is characterised by insidious
onset of sustained fever, headache, malaise, anorexia, and rose spots on the
trunk, a non productive cough in the early stages of the illness and
constipation or diarrhoea in adults.

Many mild atypical infections occur and the majority of persons in a typhoid
endemic or epidemic area may assume a carrier status.

The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, City of Harare and several local
and international organisations are working hard in order to curb the
outbreak.

This is not the first time that Zanu PF has made ridiculous claims against
foreign countries. A few years ago, the struggling party alleged that the
foreign countries were responsible for the abnormal rainfall in the country.

The people’s struggle for real change – Lets finish it!!!

–
MDC Information & Publicity Department

Zanu PF officials launch intimidation campaign

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Thelma Chikwanha, Community Affairs Editor
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 15:24

HARARE - Senior Zanu PF officials keen on winning back the crucial rural
vote which the party lost to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC during
the last election have launched a campaign to intimidate villagers in
Mashonaland East province.

A senior party member (name supplied) is said to have visited Mudzi early
this month and forced residents to attend a Zanu PF rally where they were
made to sign up as party members ahead of the next election.

Terrified residents who still have physical and emotional wounds from the
violence that erupted soon after the 2008 harmonised elections told the
Daily News that they were now on high alert after the party official
informed them elections would be held in March this year.

The election date is yet to be announced but President Robert Mugabe and his
Zanu PF party are keen to hold elections this year.

Other coalition government partners say elections are impossible this year
given the slow pace of democratic reforms.

In March last year, Sadc urged government to create an enabling environment
for political participation but violence and intimidation are still being
experienced in some parts of the country particularly in rural areas where
Zanu PF is battling to retain popular support.

Villagers who spoke to the Daily News said: “He ( party official whose name
is being withheld) came here and held a meeting in Dendera village on the
7th of January (2012). He told us that there are going to be elections in
March and that the party wanted to register all its members.”

Paul (not real name) who was a victim of the 2008 violence said Zanu PF was
using terror, violence and intimidation as an election strategy.

“We are now living in fear, at the last meeting Zanu PF youths composed a
song; Chenjera Chenjera pusa tichaona kana tapedza kuvhota, zvemubhadha
takapedza tirikuuya nepfuti. (Beware  if you do not take heed and vote
wisely, we are coming after you with rifles and not sticks this time
around),” Paul narrated to the Daily News.

He narrated harrowing details of the brutality he suffered at the hands of
known Zanu PF members.

The resident said he was abducted by a group of Zanu PF youths who took him
to a base in Madzivanhanga where he was tortured.

“They took me to a river behind Madzivanhanga dam where they dug a hole and
buried my head in it,” Paul said.

“They started beating me up with hands, sticks and booted feet my buttocks
were swollen. When I stopped making any movements because of the pain, they
thought I was dead and left.”

The Daily News also established that Zanu PF held three meetings in the
province between the 7th and 12th of January 2012.

Villagers were threatened with unspecified action if they failed to attend
the meeting.

Villagers told the Daily News that a known war veteran in the area said:
Mukaita zvamakaita 2008 unotiona.

Taikuudzai kuti kumashure kwemaelections kune zviriko taka nyepa here?
Hamuna kuzoona mibhadha ichiuya here?

(If you repeat what you did in 2008 you will bear the consequences. We told
you that after elections there will be repercussions. Did you not experience
them? Did you not see the logs coming?)”

Ncube denies conniving with Mbeki to split MDC

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Lance Guma
01 February 2012

Professor Welshman Ncube

Professor Welshman Ncube has once again denied claims contained in a book by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that he and former South African President
Thabo Mbeki connived to split the MDC into two factions in 2005.

In the book ‘At the Deep End’ Tsvangirai claims that Mbeki was a central
player in hatching a plot that would have seen an MDC faction led by Ncube
forming an alliance with the ZANU PF faction led by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Ncube is said to have held several secret meetings with members of Mnangagwa’s
faction.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa’s Question Time programme on Wednesday, Ncube
said it was ‘preposterous’ and ‘ridiculous’ to suggest that they were
willing to work with Mnangagwa.

“You really need to be an idiot to believe that one of the architects of the
murders committed by the CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation) in the
early eighties could be the person we would enter into a pact with to secure
Ndebele interests,” Ncube said.

Explaining his relationship with Mbeki, Ncube said: “As a person I have
known President Mbeki since he was External Secretary of the ANC (African
National Congress) during the days they were fighting against apartheid. I
have known him since he was coming to the law faculty to coordinate the
South African ANC students that were training in the law school.”

Ncube said there was nothing ‘unhealthy’ about this relationship and when
part of the then MDC leadership had a fall out with Tsvangirai, over whether
to participate in senate elections in 2005, they travelled to South Africa
hoping Mbeki would mediate. The decision to approach Mbeki was at the
suggestion of party supporters, he claimed.

In his book Tsvangirai also claimed that his colleagues, like Ncube “were
simply riding on my popularity, in the forlorn hope that part of it would
rub off on to them. They were uncomfortable with me as a person and a leader
and I sensed that they wanted to build their political careers using
Tsvangirai as a seat warmer who could ultimately be dislodged as soon as the
right opportunity presented itself. Little did they know how easily I saw
through that.”

Given how Ncube’s party had performed in the 2008 elections after the split,
Ncube was asked if Tsvangirai’s assessment had been vindicated seeing most
of them had lost their parliamentary seats. Ncube said Tsvangirai as a
‘brand’ benefited from being party leader and that it was them as the rank
and file of the party leadership who had helped to build him up.

Ncube-Mutambara Fight For Control Of MDC Resumes

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, February 01, 2012 – The on-going legal battle for the control of the
smaller MDC faction resumes at the High Court this Thursday where Justice
Bharat Patel will preside over an application by ousted leader Professor
Arthur Mutambara’s loyalists to return the party to his hands.

The hearing continues into the next day, being a Friday.

Joubert Mudzumwe, national chairman and interim leader of the
Mutambara led group, together with 13 others, are seeking an order to
declare the January 08, 2011 MDC-M elective congress null and void.

They accuse Industry Minister Welshman Ncube, then party secretary general,
of violating the party’s constitution in calling for a
congress that saw him ousting Mutambara, who is the country's Deputy Prime
Minister, from the helm of the embattled party.

MDC-N national organising secretary, Qhubani Moyo told RadioVop the party
was taking the matter seriously.

“We are taking the case seriously. We have hired star advocate Adrian De
Bourbon to represent our party. I would not want to comment further on the
case now save to say that everyone knew 'who' was at the congress in January
last year," he said in apparent reference to Mutambara, who voluntarily
handed over the reigns to Ncube.

In the past few months, Mutambara’s faction have seen its delegates being
blocked from participating in events intended for the country’s three
co-governing parties.

In June last year, Mutambara’s loyalists, Mudzumwe and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s
attempts to gatecrash into a SADC summit as co-negotiators of Zimbabwe’s
unity arrangement fell flat after they were barred from entering the
Sandton, South Africa summit.

Both are national executive members of the Mutambara led group.

Mudzumwe and his flock were also humilitated by being barred from entering
the Harare International Conference Centre last November where the central
committee and national executives of three GNU partners were taking part in
an anti-violence indaba.

Mutambara has also suffered personal set backs after the Bulawayo High Court
granted an application by Ncube that sought to stop him from “masquerading”
as president of the smaller MDC.

Ncube's also wants Mutambara dethroned as Deputy Premier.

The prestigious post is, according to the 2008 unity agreement, supposed to
be occupied by leaders of the three GNU partners.

Tensions set to rise over Chihuri’s future in police force

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
1 February 2012

The ageing ZANU PF leader Robert Mugabe has a legal requirement to consult
his coalition partners over the appointments of the country’s service
chiefs, a senior MDC-T official said on Wednesday.

Giles Mutsekwa, an MDC-T cabinet minister and the party’ secretary for
Defence and Security said despite claims to the contrary by some elements in
ZANU PF, Mugabe is required by the Global Political Agreement (GPA) to
consult Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai over such senior appointments.

“It is there in black and white in the GPA that Mugabe must consult his
partners but unfortunately everyone knows the behaviour of this man. He has
in the majority of cases allowed himself to act unilaterally at the expense
of his own legacy,” Mutsekwa said.

The Dangamvura-Chikanga MP told SW Radio Africa that if Mugabe unilaterally
re-appoints Augustine Chihuri as police commissioner –general, he will
create further tension in the shaky inclusive government.

Chihuri’s term of office expired on Tuesday and he is staying in the post
illegitimately, although Mugabe is largely expected to grant him another
year-long contract to continue as the police chief.

“We might not be expecting wonders from Mugabe but that is the legal
position that he must make any such appointments in consultation with his
coalition partners,” he said.

The minister reiterated that for free and fair elections to be held in
Zimbabwe, there is need to free the security forces from the shackles bonded
around them by a ZANU PF government.

“The only way to do that is through security sector realignment. Many
members of the security forces do not like this particular bondage. They
yearn for a day they would be allowed to act professionally,” Mutsekwa said.

He added: “They are just waiting for the day they would be allowed to act in
support of the constitution of Zimbabwe and not in support of any particular
political party.”

'Chihuri out of job'

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 12:33

HARARE - Police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri’s term of office
expired yesterday, with coalition government partners immediately saying the
Zanu PF-alligned police boss is staying onto the post illegitimately with
effect from today.

To compound matters, the Police Service Commission (PSC) that handles his
contract is also out of work after its term ended last December.

Coalition government partners are yet to agree on a new PSC board.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, which is against Chihuri’s continued
stay in office, says this means Zimbabwe effectively has no police
commissioner-general as from midnight yesterday.

Chihuri, the party says, should stay at home forthwith.

Another coalition partner Welshman Ncube says Chihuri is holding onto the
office illegally.

Ncube quickly warned that President Robert Mugabe was unlikely to dump
Chihuri as demanded by other coalition partners.

Chihuri together with army commanders, are the real force behind Mugabe’s
power, making them untouchable, Ncube said.

Mugabe is required to make any such appointments in consultation with his
coalition partners as agreed under the power sharing Global Political
Agreement (GPA), according to Ncube and Tsvangirai.

But Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba has in the past said Tsvangirai and
Ncube will not be allowed to have a say in the election of security chiefs
such as Chihuri, a move likely to set off a bitter war within the fragile
coalition.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka said: “As far as we are concerned
this country does not have a police commissioner as from midnight today
(yesterday) because Chihuri’s term of office is expiring.”

“As far as the prime minister is concerned, Chihuri is no longer the police
commissioner because his term expires tonight (yesterday). This simply means
that we will wait for Mugabe to consult the PM for a replacement,” said
Tamborinyoka.

Tamborinyoka said there were “so many people” within the force who could
lead the country’s police force with distinction.

“We have so many people with experience and good reputation to replace
Chihuri,” said Tamborinyoka.

Ncube expressed doubt over Mugabe’s willingness to respect the GPA. He said
Mugabe might opt to unilaterally reappoint Chihuri, adding his MDC party
would take the fight to Mugabe’s doorstep in defence of the power sharing
GPA guaranteed by Sadc and African Union.

Ncube was already preparing for the worst when contacted by the Daily News
yesterday, saying it was highly unlikely for Mugabe to consult other
principals in the coalition government as Chihuri and other security sector
commanders were set to come in handy during forthcoming elections.

“It is unexpected for Mugabe to consult. He has not consulted us for the
past three years, he has been appointing permanent secretaries and
ambassadors without the input of other principals,” said Ncube.

“The best way for this country is not to pin hopes on any one but bravely go
for an election and vote this party out of power so that we have democratic
people leading such institutions,” Ncube said.

According to Section 6 of the Police Act, the Commissioner-General’s term of
office expires at the end of four years. Thereafter, the
Commissioner-General may be re-appointed by extending his period of service
for 12 months at the end of which in the absence of the letter of
appointment extending his services, he ceases to be Commissioner-General of
police.”

Chihuri’s term of office expires as the PSC’s term office came to an end
last December.

This, according to Ncube, means that it will be difficult for Mugabe to
reappoint or make a fresh appointment without constituting the commission.

“There has to be a commission first and then an appointment of the
commissioner, this simply means that there is no employer for the police,”
Ncube said.

“Legally, the way Zanu PF treats these issues is unconstitutional and
against the spirit of GPA,” Ncube said.

Chihuri became the country’s top cop in 1991. Since then he has been at
loggerheads with civil society players and MDC officials who accuse him of
discharging his duties in a partisan manner.

Tsvangirai has in the past accused security sector commanders of plotting a
silent coup after they consistently blocked his political rallies and vowed
never to salute him even if he was elected president of the country.

Police spokesperson Oliver Mandipaka refused to comment.

But Charamba told the Daily News recently that the call by the two MDC
formations to have Chihuri out of office was a ploy for security sector
reform.

Charamba said Mugabe would go even outside his mandate to protect Chihuri so
that any attempts at security sector reform were thwarted.

“The defence forces are not subject to inter-party negotiations,” said
Charamba.

“There is nowhere in the GPA or any clause of the constitution where it says
the re-appointment of security commanders is going to be the outcome of the
inter-party negotiations. This is the prerogative of the
 commander-in-chief,” said Charamba.

Five Zimbabwe banks risk closure

(AFP) – 3 hours ago

HARARE — Zimbabwe's central bank said on Wednesday it has given five
undercapitalised banks two weeks to raise cash or face closure, after
several banks were forced to shut because of the economic crisis.

At the end of last year five of the country's 25 banks did not have the
minimum capital required by law, central bank governor Gideon Gono said.

"Accordingly, all non-compliant institutions... have up to 14 February 2012
to finalise their recapitalisation initiatives or consummate their mergers
and acquisitions," he said.

Central bank regulations require commercial banks to have a minimum capital
of $12 million (nine million euros), while merchant banks must have at least
$10 million and asset management companies $500,000.

Three commercial and two merchant banks currently lack the required capital,
and one of the merchant banks is under curatorship, or administration.

"By no later than 29 February 2012, the Reserve Bank shall engage those
institutions that would have failed to identify credible partners and
conclude the recapitalisation transactions," Gono said.

The bank will act by March 31 against the institutions which fail to raise
the capital.

Zimbabwe's economy is showing signs of recovery from a nearly decade-long
downturn following a power-sharing deal after disputed 2008 polls.

Long-time political rivals President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai currently navigate the shaky unity government.

The economic crisis forced several banks to close while others merged or
were placed under curatorship.

Confusion As Local Tourists Barred from Victoria Falls

http://www.radiovop.com

Victoria Falls, February 01, 2012 - There is an outcry in the resort town of
Victoria Falls, as most local tourists are being barred from viewing the
falls also known as Mosi -oa -Tunya by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife
Management Authority after failing to produce national identification cards.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority are not allowing entry
to any local tourists with other forms of identification like driver’s
licenses, passports and others, as they only demand national identification
cards.

Radio VOP crew witnessed several Zimbabweans who had failed to produce
national identification cards being turned away despite coming from faraway
places like Mutare, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Harare with their families to
view the magnificent falls.

“I have travelled all the way from Mutare with my family to come and view
the Victoria Falls, but I am being barred from viewing the falls because I
failed to produce national identification cards. They should have another
way of assisting us, we should not be treated like this in our own country,”
said Given Muchetu who had travelled all the way from Mutare to view the
falls.

Muchaneta Hove a local tourist from Harare who was also barred from viewing
the falls because she did not have national identification card blasted
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority staff saying
“there were being selfish by barring locals from viewing the falls because
of national identification card”.

When contacted for comment Caroline Washaya- Moyo spokesperson for Zimbabwe
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said there were still in a
process of upgrading their system at Victoria Falls entrance saying it will
be efficiency very soon.

“The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is in the process of
automating the pricing system at the Victoria Falls Rainforest entrance
gate. The only system is meant to result in efficient movement of visitors
into the Rainforest,” said Washaya-Moyo.

Victoria Falls is one of the largest falls in the world and thousands of
local and foreign tourists flock to view it every year.

RBZ limits instant cash withdrawals

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

01/02/2012 00:00:00
    by Gilbert Nyambabvu

THE central bank has slapped a US$10,000 limit on instant cash withdrawals
and introduced notice periods for larger transactions as the country battles
to contain a worsening liquidity crisis.

Presenting his monetary policy statement Tuesday, RBZ chief Gideon Gono
said: “In order to facilitate country-wide smooth payment transactions as
well as curbing illegal externalization of cash, all financial institutions
are being called upon to moderate instant cash withdrawals to a maximum of
US$10,000.”

In addition notice periods would now be required for higher value
transactions “in order to allow banks sufficient time to prepare”.

Gono said transactions of up to $20,000 would require a one-day notice while
those between $30,000 and $40,000 would require a notice period of three
working days. Customers withdrawing more than US$50,000 must give banks a
notice period of five working days.

“To compliment these measures, the banking public is strongly encouraged to
use the Real Time Gross Settlement system (RTGS), Credit Cards and other
approved electronic money transfer systems in settling their day-to-day
financial transactions,” Gono said.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti last month admitted that the country was facing
serious liquidity challenges.

The government ditched the Zimbabwe dollar in preference for more stable
foreign currencies in 2009 but the lack of external support at a time the
country’s export sectors are struggling to recover has resulted in acute
cash shortages.

The cash crunch was also seen to have forced Biti – who has previously
opposed taking on more debt -- to draw-down an additional US$110 million
from an emergency facility with the IMF.

Gono said, going forward, the country should consider securitising its real
estate and mineral assets to help address the “recurrent liquidity
challenges”.

“In view of persistent liquidity challenges that have conspired with limited
access to offshore credit lines to hamstring the attainment of fast paced
growth, serious considerations must be accorded to asset securitization as a
viable option to address recurrent liquidity challenges in Zimbabwe,” he
said.
“Zimbabwe is (also) endowed with vast mineral wealth which remains largely
untapped.

“In order to unlock value from the country’s mineral wealth, mining claims
can be used as a form of payment to cooperating partners that clear Zimbabwe’s
debt. In this regard mineral claims in the gold, platinum and ferro-alloys
sub sectors can be securitised.

“This involves external new borrowing by the country to retire the totality
or part of external debt, using identified public assets as collateral.
Valuation of these assets, in foreign currency, gives an indication of how
much the country can borrow under this option.”

Conservancies in battle against poachers, settlers

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Wildlife and vegetation are under threat in the Chiredzi district due to the
influx of poachers and migration of illegal settlers, says a wildlife and
environment expert.
01.02.1211:58am
by Tonderayi Matonho

“The depletion of wildlife and vegetation has been greatly affected by
poachers who have been killing elephants and rhino for their ivory and
horns,” said Dr Willie Nduku, director of Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe,
an organization that assists the government and independent agencies in
tackling poaching.

He said lions, zebras, leopards and cheetahs had not been spared as their
skins are highly sought after.

Elephant tasks are being removed, allegedly without a parks official
present, signifying an illegal kill. Eager buyers are found in the informal
market.

“Should this continue unchecked, it will hinder Zimbabwe’s participation in
the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park, thus robbing the country of a
much-needed boost in tourism,” said Nduku.

WEZ is striving to establish who is really benefiting from the illegal
trade.

Another threat has emerged in recent years from the surrounding community.
People have begun invading the conservation area, killing elephants and
antelopes for sustenance and meat to sell.

“Most interestingly, some of them have even resorted to capturing animals
such as crocodiles and lions and domesticating them,” said Nduku. People
have also started growing crops such as maize and cotton, irrespective of
the fact that the land has been identified for wildlife purposes and is
unsuitable for agriculture.

To pave way for their farming activities, occupants are burning vegetation
that serves as food for wildlife. This has led to an increase in veldfires.

Nduku said the Gonarezhou, Save and Chiredzi River conservancies waged an
on-going battle to keep surrounding occupants out of the nationally
protected areas.

“We have appealed to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Management and the Environmental Management Agency for assistance,” he said.

Human trafficking: Chipinge’s unsolved challenge

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Thomas Madhuku
1 February, 2012

Nomatter Machona (17) a student at Vheneka Secondary School in Chipinge met
a group of men recruiting workers for “an Indian-owned supermarket in South
Africa”. “The Indian tycoon also runs a chain of fast foods outlets and each
worker is paid R5000 (US$450) per month plus accommodation and overtime
allowances,” she was told.

She was also promised she could take up courses that her prospective
employer would pay for if she so wished. Machona could not wait for her poor
and struggling parents’ approval, this was ‘manna from heaven’ and she
grabbed it with both hands.

Together with 16 other girls of her age they left for Johannesburg, South
Africa. On arrival, the recruiters handed them over to a brothel owner
falsely introduced as the wife of the Indian tycoon before they disappeared.
For six months the girls were abused, raped and assaulted by countless male
patrons of the brothel. She was saved by one of the men who smuggled her out
of the brothel to his house and gave her money to come back home.

Nomatter’s story is typical of numerous such cases in Chipinge.  Because of
its proximity to South Africa and Mozambique, the district has fallen prey
to human trafficking as notorious syndicates rake in thousands of dollars
from uninformed and poverty stricken villagers keen to follow up on promises
of employment, education and marriage.

“It is all because of our limited knowledge and lack information on such
dangerous activities,” lamented headman Chisumbanje.

He said the problem has resulted in the loss of manpower as boys and girls
are blindly flocking to South Africa leaving parents without anyone to help
in the fields.

The conmen are unperturbed as they continue to employ new and creative
tactics to convince poor and desperate Zimbabweans that they can make a
fortune in South Africa and other neighboring countries.

Rosemary Sidhuna (22), also a victim of human trafficking, said she was
promised a R4 000 (US$350) per month job in Cape Town only to find herself
stuck on a farm in Musina. For six months she worked without being paid. “I
only escaped with the help of a farm security guard,” Sidhuna said. She has
since returned home and has ventured into cotton farming in Chipinge.

Many people interviewed claimed to know people who left for South Africa,
Botswana and Mozambique in the company of strangers.

Sarudzai Mhlanga, a Chisumbanje villager said some of the victims had since
established themselves as full time commercial sex workers in South Africa
after undergoing what she termed a ‘mentoring’ process.

Another village head, Karakadzai Machona of Madhuku village said, he was
aware of the activities of human traffickers whom he said always employed
new tricks making it difficult to address the problem.

“I always stress on the need to deal with trusted people when going to South
Africa but frequently we come across different experiences,” Machona said.

Many men and women currently working in South Africa said they underwent
nerve wracking experiences on their way to South Africa. Tafadzwa Sarimana
who came home for the Christmas holidays said he managed to escape after the
human trafficking syndicate that recruited him was ambushed by South African
police at Musina in South Africa.

“They took all my money leaving me stranded without food and bus fare to
complete my journey, I gave myself up to the South African Police so I could
get back home,” he said. Sarimana later applied for a passport before
returning to South Africa, where he is now working as a security guard.

Other girls said traffickers assisting people to cross the Limpopo River
into South Africa often rape and rob their victims before handing them over
to South African employers who often abuse them.

A Vheneka Secondary School teacher, Idea Sithole said schools were losing a
considerable number of students who are heading to South Africa as a result
of dubious job promises.

Sithole added that their fathers and forefathers went to South Africa where
they worked mainly in mines and the trend continues. Sithole appealed for
combined efforts in fighting human trafficking.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Media and Public Information
Assistant, Folen Murapa noted that Zimbabwe’s geographical position lends
itself to be used as a transit point for both human trafficking and human
smuggling for persons trafficked from Asia, Europe and from other African
countries.

“In Zimbabwe, young women, men and children are being lured to South Africa,
Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Egypt, Europe and Asia with false
promises of employment, education or marriage,” said Murapa.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said the absence of specific provisions on
human trafficking in Zimbabwean law made it difficult for them to address
the issue. “We only deal with breaches of the Children’s Act, the Sexual
Offences Act and the Criminal Law Codification (Reform) Act when confronted
with trafficking cases in Zimbabwe,” says a statement released from ZRP.

Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) a human rights non-governmental
organization views the absence of such provisions on human trafficking as a
legal deficit that makes it difficult to prosecute those involved.

“Despite the fact that the Zimbabwean Criminal Code criminalizes sexual
exploitation, the absence of specific provision on human trafficking creates
a huge deficit in the legal framework,” a RAU report says.

The United States Trafficking in Person report for 2011 notes that Zimbabwe
is a source, transit and destination country for women and children
trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation in South
Africa, Botswana, Asia, Europe and many other countries.

No specific data has been availed on the number of people trafficked because
of the clandestine nature of the business.

Since the inception of Counter Trafficking programme in September 2006, IOM
has assisted 43 victims (25 female and 18 male) who had been duped into
leaving Zimbabwe on promises which proved to be false.

IOM’s Murapa said the organization is conducting mass public awareness
campaigns, disseminating Information Education and Communication (IEC)
material, training and holding workshops to raise awareness about human
trafficking.

Brian James suspension Exposes Ugent Need for Local Government Reform!

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Ignatius Chombo, Minister of local government rural and urban development
has suspended Brian James, Mutare’s elected Mayor who got into office on an
MDC-T ticket. Brian James has become yet another victim of Chombo’s reign of
terror on MDC Councilors. A total of 15 councilors have been suspended to
date with some receiving a favorable high court ruling ordering their
reinstatement.
01.02.1202:57pm
by CHRA

Brian James has been suspended in the same style that saw most elected
mayors right across Zimbabwe being suspended by the same minister. Brian
James is being accused of general misconduct. In a letter to Councillor
James, Minister Chombo said: "Having cautioned you in a letter of Remedial
Intervention dated March 03 2011, reports of misconduct continue to come to
my office implying that you are unrepentant. This leaves me with no option
other than to invoke section 114 of the Urban Councils Act (chapter 29:15)
to suspend you from being a councillor (ward 12) Mutare City, with immediate
effect."

During the period of suspension, Mayor James shall not conduct any council
business and will not receive any form of remuneration. Minister Chombo said
the suspension of Mayor James "was in the interest of ensuring sound local
governance for effective and efficient service delivery in Mutare City".

The minister then appointed Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Felix
Chikovo as chairman of a probe team expected to ascertain allegations
levelled against the mayor.

Others members of the investigation team are Mr G Madzimure (deputy director
traditional leaders support services), Mr J Chauke (Accountant Financial
Advisory section), Fortune Mutete (banker) and Mr A Magumise (Rural Local
Authorities).

CHRA would like to condemn these continuous suspensions in the uttermost
contempt as they only serve to appease certain political loses that were
encountered by one political party during the local government elections in
March 2008. These revelations do act as manifestations of our advocacy on
the overall review of the urban council’s act, which seek to revise the role
played by the minister of local government rural and urban development.

The act gives the minister a leeway to abuse this piece of legislation hence
obstructing the systems of good governance placed at the bottom. Chombo is
on record of having argued that if it means that he will have to dismiss all
elected councillors, he will do it which now leaves us with question of
whether it is going to be Brian James only. In December, the Herald reported
that Chombo wrote to the elected Mayor of Harare, Muchadei Masunda, warning
him of underperforming which puts him (Masunda) at risk of being suspended.
It is also against these written warnings that Brian James got the chop.

Chombo has so far suspended a total of four MDC councilors in Harare for
corruption; five in Rusape; one in Nyaminyami Rural District Council; two in
Zvimba Rural District Council; and two in Harare Municipality – Councilors
Warship Dumba and Casper Takura who had opened a council probe on the
minister on how he had acquired so many properties in Harare, Brian James
becomes the latest victim.

The four councilors who were suspended for alleged corruption charges got a
favorable high court reinstatement order to which the judge ruled that their
dismissal was "so grossly irrational in their defiance of logic that no
reasonable person applying his mind to the matter could possibly have
arrived at those decisions”. The suspension followed the recommendation of a
board of inquiry headed by senior magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi. However,
Chombo has since filed a Supreme Court order arguing that the hearings were
done

without their side of the story being head which then over rules the high
court order.

What worries residents and organizations like CHRA is that the overall set
up of the local government system is an open-open system with which
corruption thrives upon without any checks. The Minister has got the power
to appoint a probe team at his own discretion. Most of the people come
either from urban or rural local authorities, provincial local government or
the ministry itself. Most of these individuals are senior people who have
either been seconded for their positions by the local government board which
itself is appointed by the Minister. A careful analysis will indicate that
there is no partiality in the whole probing process as indicated by previous
probes which all resulted in the dismissal of elected mayors and councilors.
WHAT IS CHRA DOING?

A motion has been moved in parliament which is targeting a possible review
of the urban councils act. CHRA will be doing nationwide consultations on
the review of the Urban Councils act chapter 29:15. Critical areas that we
intend to lobby Parliament to review include but are not limited to:

(Listed in order of criticality and cruciality)

ü Sec 80: The Minister is empowered to suspend a Council and appoint a
Commission

ü Sec 114: Suspension and dismissal of elected Councilors

ü Sec 311: Inquiries by the Minister and appointment of investigators

ü Sec 314 :Minister may reverse, suspend, rescind resolutions, decisions,
etc. of councils

ü Sec 229: Approval of by laws by the Minister

ü Sec 223: Minister’s power to make by-laws on behalf of Council

ü Sec 288: Estimates (budget formulation)

ü Sec 304: Appointment of auditors

ü Sec 116: Composition of the local government board and its function as set
in sec 123

ü Sec 206: Minister’s power to act on behalf of council regarding estate
development

Findings from these consultations will be taken to parliament for review and
it is our hope that our own parallel findings shall be able to act as the
centre of the Urban Councils act discourse enquiry in parliament.

CHRA remains committed to good local governance practiced on a non partisan
basis.

MDC councillor arrested for assault

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Pindai Dube
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 14:52

BULAWAYO - A mainstream MDC councillor was on Monday arrested in Lupane,
Matabeleland North province on charges of assaulting a policeman.

Cain Mpofu, MDC councillor for Ward 18 in Lupane East, was arrested at
Lupane Business Centre for beating up a police officer who had been sent to
arrest him on a different charge.

MDC Matabeleland North province Sengezo Tshabangu confirmed the arrest of
Mpofu saying the charges were trumped up to fix him, since he was the
campaign manager for former Lupane East legislator Njabuliso Mguni who is
seeking re-election.

Mguni was fired by the Welshman Ncube- led MDC from Parliament in 2008 and
he is eyeing the Lupane East constituency seat on main MDC  ticket in
elections expected next year.

“Mpofu was arrested and he is currently detained at Lupane police station on
allegations of assaulting a policeman but these are just trumped up charges
to nail him since he is the campaign manager for Mguni and he is also our
Lupane East district secretary,” said Tshabangu.

He added: “They can arrest us and jail us on any charges, but that won’t
stop us from bringing change in this country”.

The arrest of Mpofu in Lupane came just two days after the arrest of two
employees of the civic group Bulawayo Agenda, Busani Ncube and Zansi
Mabunda.

The two were arrested by Lupane police on allegations of holding a public
meeting without police clearance at Lupane Business Centre, although they
had a court order that gave them a green light.

According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Matabeleland North
province is now the most hostile province in the country as police have
arrested or harassed more than 40 politicians and human rights activists
since January last year.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in October last year said Matabeleland
North province police were now politicised and were applying the law
selectively by harassing and arresting political activists regularly.

Glen View bail appeal postponed

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
01 February 2012

The bail appeal by seven MDC-T members, who have been in custody since last
May over the death of a policeman in Glen View, was postponed on Wednesday
until later this month.

The seven are among a group of 29 party members who have been charged in
connection with the death of policeman Petros Mutedza, which is believed to
have been the result of a bar fight. The MDC-T insists the charges against
its members are “false” and “spurious” and a deliberate attempt to bring the
party into disrepute.

The seven whose appeal was postponed on Wednesday are part of the original
group that was arrested after the death in May. The majority of the group
was released on bail, but repeated attempts to have the other seven released
have failed.

Since then, two more MDC-T members have been arrested in connection with the
death, including Paul Rukanda, the MDC Organising Secretary for Glen View
South in Harare, who was arrested a week ago. The MDC-T Youth Assembly
Chairman Solomon Madzore was also arrested last October and remains locked
up.

Last week, a Harare magistrate ordered the State to investigate complaints
by those in remand prison, including assault by prison guards and the denial
of medical attention. The State is also being urged to investigate why two
of the women in custody are being held in solitary confinement in the male
section of Chikurubi Prison.

The nine people now in custody are Paul Rukanda, Solomon Madzore, Glen View
Ward 32 Councillor Tungamirai Madzokere, Rebecca Mafikeni, Phenias
Nhatarikwa, Lazarus Maengahama, Stanford Maengahama, Yvonne Musarurwa and
Stanford Mangwiro.

Meanwhile nine of the ten MDC-T activists who were arrested at Harvest House
three weeks ago have been released after being granted a US$50 bail each at
the High Court. The 10 are facing charges of public violence and were
originally denied bail at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts after the State
claimed that they were facing serious charges and were a ‘flight risk’.
Those granted bail are; Barnabas Mwanaka, Taurai Nherera, Simbarashe Makaha,
Leonard Dendera, Muchineripi Muzengeza, Patson Murimoga, Samson Nerwande ,
Murambiwa Dzwenge and Kudakwashe Usai.

Mwanaka is still admitted at a Harare hospital after he sustained serious
injuries following an attack by the police during his arrest.

The tenth activist who was arrested, Jefias Moyo, was however denied bail
because his is one of the 29 who has been charged in connection with the
Glen View death.

Mwanga Lodge Baby Elephant Dies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
(ZNSPCA)
156 Enterprise Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 4 4497574
znspca.org.zw

31 January 2012
Harare, Zimbabwe, 31st January 2012

It is with much sadness that we report the death of the orphaned male
elephant calf rescued on the 8th January 2012.

The young calf was found abandoned and wondering along the Makuti /
Karoi Road. Through the collective efforts of various wildlife
organisations,
the young elephant calf was transported to Harare and placed under the
care of Gordon and Debbie Putterill at Mwanga Lodge.

The arrival of the young calf had raised much public attention with
several appeals being generated for his upkeep.

In collaboration with Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Services,
the ZNSPCA despatched a senior regional inspector and veterinarian to
conduct
an initial assessment of the calf. The initial reports stated that the
elephant was in a fair condition and concerns were noted with regards
to his
immediate dietary requirements. The ZNSPCA team were duly advised that
the elephant was receiving private veterinary treatment and that
several caregivers would remain with the young calf on a 24hr basis.
The owners of Mwanga Lodge had further stated that they had
considerable
experience in the raising of young elephant. Given such assurances it
was decided that visitations from the ZNSPCA would be conducted on a
weekly basis.

On Monday 30th January the ZNSPCA received several communications
concerning  the continued deterioration of the young calfs health.
The ZNSPCA contacted several international elephant rehabilitation
organisations with whom they are affiliated. A decision was reached
that
blood samples and a detailed veterinary report was required so as to
ascertain the exact status of the young calfs health.

Today upon arrival, the ZNSPCA team were advised that the young calf
had just died. We have also been advised that a post mortem will be
conducted by The Veterinary Services Wildlife Department.

Young elephants generally have a high mortality rate and subsequently
require specialised dietary requirements and a protracted period of
rehabilitation.

Since the establishment of the ZNSPCA Inspectorate, the work of the
Inspectors has been commended locally and internationally, including
an
award from the NSPCA (South Africa) the Service to Animals Special
Award “in appreciation and admiration of outstanding work under
extremely
difficult conditions” and the Humane Society International Award for
Extraordinary Commitment and Achievement.

E-governance for effective service delivery

By Zibusiso Dube
1 February, 2012

Access to information has a very important role to play in ensuring the
health of a democracy. Firstly, it ensures that citizens make responsible
informed choices rather than acting out of ignorance or misinformation.
Secondly, information serves a ‘checking function’ by ensuring that elected
representatives uphold their oaths of office and carry out the wishes of
those who elected them. By extension therefore, access to information and
the media can play a role in the improvement of service delivery, in the
respect of human rights, and in the recognition of the needs of the people
in policy formulation and governance. Access to information and the media is
thus an important part of development.
In Zimbabwe however, citizens do not have access to adequate information to
base decisions on and are therefore not empowered to take charge of their
destinies by participating in the critical discourses shaping policy
formulation, service delivery principles and governance priorities.
Expansion in the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)
has however provided an opportunity for the government to increase the
amount of information Zimbabweans have access to and to generate discourse
between the public and those who govern them.
One of the greatest challenges that Zimbabwe faces in governance is the lack
of engagement and communication between holders of public office and their
constituents. This is fundamentally a problem for two reasons. Firstly there
is lack of transparency and accountability in the operations of public
officials meaning that they have the leeway to prioritize their own
interests at the expense of those of the citizens. Secondly, lack of
engagement leads to the formulation of policies, and the implementation of
projects that may not augur well with citizens and are thus rejected leading
to wastage of taxpayers’ money and stunted developmental growth.
Unfortunately, the culture in Zimbabwe has never been one for affording
citizens access to information or promotion of engagement, accountability
and transparency. Instead, operations of holders of public office are a
mystery to the public, with regular allegations of corruption emerging. The
media are also viewed with suspicion, with officials wary of them and
reluctant to give interviews. Worse still, the country’s laws, such as the
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), certain
sections the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, the contempt of
court law, defamation law, the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and the
Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) make operating in the country difficult for
media practitioners. In addition to these laws, journalists normally face
harassment by state security agents and get arrested for merely doing their
jobs. Due to this journalists engage in self – censorship, in the process
denying people relevant information to base decisions on. On the other hand,
Zimbabwe’s unstable economy has resulted in a huge digital divide with large
sections of the population unable to purchase newspapers or access other
forms of information. Zimbabweans therefore lack adequate information on
critical issues, thus citizen agency and developmental democracy remain
elusive.
The rise in the use of the internet and other New Information Communication
Technologies (NICTs) in the country in the past year has provided an
opportunity for increasing conversation between governors and the governed.
Mobile penetration in Zimbabwe now stands at approximately 65 percent, while
use of the internet has also increased considerably following rapid
expansion in the sector since 2009, coupled with the introduction of third
generation internet technology. In urban areas, it is estimated that every
household has at least four mobile phones. In addition, use of smart phones,
whose functions include internet, multi-media services and cameras has
increased, especially among the youth. This is providing new avenues for
communication between holders of public office and the public.

The global community recognises the importance of ICTs in the maintenance of
democracy and in sustainable development. In September 2003, representatives
of countries from all across the globe met in Geneva for the World Summit on
the Information Society (WSIS) where the WSIS declaration of principles was
passed. The summit declared a “desire and commitment to build a
people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society,
where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and
knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their
full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving
their quality of life, premised on the purposes and principles of the
Charter of the United Nations and respecting fully and upholding the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” A commitment was also made to use
ICTs to contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Developmental Goals
(MDGs), namely the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of
universal primary education; promotion of gender equality and empowerment of
women; reduction of child mortality; improvement of maternal health; to
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental
sustainability; and development of global partnerships for development for
the attainment of a more peaceful, just and prosperous world.
The World Bank defines e-governance as the “government owned or operated
systems of information and communication technologies that transform
relations with citizens, the private sector and/or other government agencies
so as to promote citizens empowerment, improve service delivery, strengthen
accountability, increase transparency, or improve government efficiency.”
E-governance is also defined as “public sector’s use of the most innovative
information and communications technologies, like the internet, to deliver
to all citizens improved services, reliable information and greater
knowledge in order to facilitate access to the governing process and
encourage deeper citizen participation. E – governance therefore notes that
ICTs can be used to increase communication and dialogue between public
officials and residents, and therefore increase citizen agency.
The onus is on the government and local authorities to use e-governance
concepts as a means to increase communication between themselves and the
public in order to increase accountability and transparency in their
operations. Admittedly, e-governance is a broad concept, and requires
investments in capacity building not only for holders of public office, but
for citizens as well. Using websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter for
example, government departments, ministries, councillors and departments in
local authorities could increase the amount of information the public has on
government projects, activities and policies. The interactive nature of
these communication tools would also provide the public with platforms to
inform public officials of their needs and priorities. While e-governance is
a broad concept including the computerisation of government transactions and
communications among government departments, it is the e-democracy part –
that concerned with improving engagement, transparency and accountability in
governance – that has an immediate appeal. This is not to say other concepts
of e-governance should be left out. The government should come up with a
holistic e-governance programme in order for Zimbabweans to be able to enjoy
the full benefits of the information society. By doing so, the government
would be making a commitment to developmental democracy – increasing
citizens participation in governance, engagement and citizen agency leading
to better service delivery and accountability and transparency in
governance.
Zibusiso Dube is the Information Manager at Bulawayo Progressive Residents
Association (BPRA). He writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted
on dubezibusiso@gmail.com

Zimbabwe’s media landscape