http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
8
February 2011
Saviour Kasukuwere, the ZANU PF Minister of Youth,
Indigenisation and
Empowerment, was on Tuesday fingered as the man behind
the mob that engulfed
the city in chaos and nearly brought the capital to a
standstill.
SW Radio Africa has received reports from multiple sources
showing that the
almost month long stint of violence in Harare is
state-sponsored.
Several MDC Ministers, including party secretary-general
Tendai Biti, have
raised questions about the failure of the government to
respond promptly and
effectively to the escalation of violence. All security
related ministries
are under ZANU PF ministers, except Home Affairs which is
co-shared between
the MDC and ZANU PF.
The inept and slow response to
the scenes of destruction and violent attacks
on MDC activists have also
raised disturbing questions about the police
approach in dealing with the
violence.
A Harare based source told us that a meeting was hosted at
Kasukuwere’s
residence where the plan was hatched to send party youths, to
demand total
empowerment. Instead of sticking to their plans, the mob got
greedy and,
with the help of a police escort, went on the rampage, looting
and pillaging
downtown Harare.
Another source told us there also
appeared to be a clear design behind all
the ‘senseless’ violence, going by
the targets they had chosen - shops,
houses and flea markets - all owned by
known MDC supporters.
Kasukuwere, whose business interests range from oil
to transport and
banking, is reportedly in charge of the group that is
leading this mayhem in
Harare. SW Radio Africa can reveal that this group
includes Moses Tawanda
from block 4 Matapi flats and Susan Mapurisa and
Violet Mandenda from block
7 Matapi flats.
Others named are Martin
Matinyanya, Eddie Manjovu, Riot Gift, and someone
called Hurudza, who refers
to himself as Osama bin Laden. The member in
charge of Mbare Matapi police
station, identified as Mabwe, is also
allegedly part of this
group.
ZANU PF critics said elite members in the party are determined to
do
whatever it takes to keep the former ruling party in power.
MDC’s
deputy Minister of Justice, Obert Gutu, said he was appalled by the
horrible
acts of violence directed against members and leaders of his party
in
Zimbabwe.
‘We are under siege from state-sponsored and state-orchestrated
violence.
The dictatorship realises this is the end game and it has now
openly
declared war against innocent, unarmed and law-abiding citizens. Evil
will
never succeed over good,’ Gutu said.
Leading pro-democracy
activist and lawyer, Dewa Mavhinga, said the violence
instigated by ZANU PF
vindicated the position of civil society
organisations, that without reforms
there can never be a free and fair
election in Zimbabwe.
‘A
government which cannot provide safety to its people is incapable of
holding
free and fair elections. It was obvious with this violent machinery
that has
not been dismantled, and a partisan police force that does not
impartially
apply the law, it was only a matter of time before state
sanctioned violence
visited us again,’ Mavhinga said.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
regional director said in terms of the
necessary reforms (legislative,
institutional and constitutional) Zimbabwe
has not arrived at a situation to
have elections.
‘We still don’t have institutions and mechanisms to
prevent state sponsored
violence to ensure that perpetrators are brought to
account. This remains
the key challenge to Zimbabwe.
‘If Robert
Mugabe and his junta fail to deal with the violence, it will be
time to
knock on the doors of the AU and SADC and tell them they cannot
support any
process to an election without reforms that guarantees the
safety and
freedom of the electorate,’ Mavhinga added.
HRD’s
Alert
8
February 2011
POLICE
RAID AND BRIEFLY DETAIN INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN
HARARE
Police
on Monday 07 February 2011 raided church premises in Glen Norah suburb, in
Harare where at least 100 supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
party were seeking refuge after fleeing from their homes in Mbare suburb due to
the wave of political violence that erupted in that area and other high density
suburbs in Harare since mid January 2011.
As
a result of this violence residential homes and other properties were destroyed
and some victims were also stripped of their means of
livelihood.
The
police surrounded the church premises at around 18:00hrs and indiscriminately
without any just cause started to mercilessly assault some of the internally
displaced persons (IDP)'s, who were present at the church.
At
least 51 people were then taken to Glen Norah Police Station and they were not
at any time advised of their circumstances-of being placed in police custody,
charges being faced or whether they were under arrest. Of those taken to the
police station, 27 were males while 24 were females. These included 11 minor
children aged between seven months and 15 years of age.
The
51 Internally Displaced Persons were released without any charges being leveled
against them at around mid-night on 07 February 2011, after Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights (ZLHR) intervened. Their names, identification (ID) numbers and
previous residential addresses were recorded and they were sternly warned not to
perpetrate violence in Glen Norah. The police also asked general questions
relating to who was sponsoring food, blankets and other amenities for
them.
When
lawyers queried the reason for detaining the people, police indicated that they
merely wanted to inquire into the circumstances leading to the internally
displaced persons being at the church premises in question.
ENDS
Kumbirai Mafunda
Senior Projects Officer
Communications&Information
6th
100 Nelson Mandela Av
Tel
Email
“We Need
Generational Change”
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
08 February
2011
Hundreds of MDC members were on Tuesday seeking refuge at the
party’s
Harvest House headquarters, after fleeing ZANU PF attacks in Mbare
and
Epworth.
SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa reported
that the MDC members,
including scores of women and young children, had been
seeking refuge at a
church in Glen Norah. But police officials rounded the
group up on Monday
evening, only releasing the women and children. The MDC
was still trying to
find out the whereabouts of the arrested men on Tuesday,
although police
officials have denied making any arrests.
The MDC
members had fled to the church in Glen Norah after a mob of ZANU PF
youths
ran riot in Mbare and other areas last week, looting homes and
intimidating
MDC supporters. Mbare has been the target of ZANU PF violence
in recent
weeks, with youth militia groups launching unprovoked attacks on
MDC
supporters. The police meanwhile have continued their partisan display
of
force, only arresting MDC members and ignoring the ZANU PF perpetrators
of
the violence.
SW Radio Africa’s Muchemwa also reported that a group of
ZANU PF youths, who
were arrested following looting in Harare on Monday,
have now been branded
as MDC members. The ZANU PF youths ran riot through
the city yesterday,
looting business mainly belonging to foreigners, and
attacking newspaper
vendors. Police were seen standing by, allowing the
chaos to engulf the
city, before finally arresting some of the
youths.
Muchemwa reported that ZANU PF has now distanced itself from the
youths,
reporting to the state broadcaster that they are MDC members, who
had
“sabotaged” a ZANU PF demonstration.
“Witnesses to what happened
know these are ZANU PF guys. But the ZBC is now
awash with stories about how
this was caused by the MDC,” Muchemwa said.
The Harare based Centre for
Community Development on Tuesday said the
violence in the city “is a
well-orchestrated attempt by the ZANU PF regime
to cow people into
submission ahead of the planned elections.” The group’s
director, Phillip
Pasirayi, told SW Radio Africa that the situation is a
serious indictment of
the unity government, and a clear indication that the
country is not ready
for elections.
“There is a lot of impunity. War vets and youth militia
are rampaging,
causing violence, but they are not being arrested. Victims of
violence are
being arrested instead. You have to question the credibility of
the
government,” Pasirayi said.
Meanwhile, the three bed room house
of Amos Tsvekese, the MDC Bindura North
chairperson, was razed to the ground
on Monday by known ZANU PF youths at
Selwood Farm. Tsvekese reported the
incident at the Bindura Central police
station, but later that afternoon he
was arrested and has been detained
without charge.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
by Irene Madongo
08
February 2011
Police stood-by as ZANUP PF youths in Bulawayo temporarily
took over an
apartment block, chanting indigenisation slogans, to prevent
the Indian
owner from evicting tenants over unpaid rent.
Last
Thursday the group of up to 40 ZANU PF supporters gathered outside
Elons
Court at the corner of Third Avenue and Main Street, chanting party
slogans
and waving placards written ‘51% Indigenisation.’
It’s understood the
Indian owner wanted to evict tenants who had not been
paying their rent and
also wanted to renovate the building, however, one of
the tenants allegedly
notified ZANU PF and they set upon the building in the
name of
indigenisation. ZANU PF has championed the controversial
Indigenisation Act,
which will force foreign-owned businesses to surrender
at least 51% of their
shares to locals.
The demonstration caused a disruption to traffic in the
city as the building
is close to a busy taxi rank. Despite this, the police
did nothing to stop
the disorder.
SW Radio Africa Bulawayo
correspondent Lionel Saungweme, who witnessed the
drama unfold, said there
were five policemen in uniform who were present and
a plain clothes police
officer, who stood by idly.
“They simply stood by and watched. There was
no restraint. Normally what
would happen is that the police would round-up
those people for causing a
nuisance and [for] arbitrary entry into someones
premises,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s police force, headed by ZANU PF’s
Augustine Chihuri, is
well-known for its partisan stance. Instead of taking
action against violent
ZANU PF militia and war vets, it openly supports them
or arrests their
victims instead.
Acting ZANU PF secretary for
security Joseph Tshuma, who reportedly led the
group, has denied taking over
the property but confirmed blocking the owner
from evicting
tenants.
The Bulawayo flat incident fits into the overall ZANU PF
strategy of
violently taking over privately-owned property in the name of
indigenisation. More recently in January, a mob of up to 150 people invaded
property at the Lake Chivero resort, outside Harare. The invaders dressed in
ZANU PF regalia, started taking an “inventory” of the assets at the
recreational park, saying that under the Indigenisation Act, more than 50%
of the assets ‘belonged’ to them.
On Monday police in Harare were
photographed accompanying ZANU PF youths as
they looted and damaged shops
belonging to foreign nationals. The youths
also demanded a claim in the
shops, under the government’s indigenisation
programme.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Edward Jones Tuesday 08 February
2011
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara
has rejected a
directive from his party to resign and pave way for Welshman
Ncube, the
leader of the breakaway Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
faction,
further deepening a leadership struggle in the
party.
Mutambara was deposed as party president by Ncube at a congress
last month
and a subsequent top level meeting of the MDC faction recalled
the deputy
prime minister and redeployed him to a lesser ministerial
post.
But yesterday Mutambara fired a broadside at Ncube, questioning the
legitimacy of his leadership and vowed not to step aside for the minister of
industry and commerce.
"I have no intention whatsoever to leave the
position of deputy prime
minister. I will not abdicate from my national
responsibilities in order to
satisfy narrow political aspirations,”
Mutambara told reporters. “In our
national constitution there is no facility
for a political party to recall a
sitting DPM."
Ncube could not be
reached for comment last night.
The fight within the splinter MDC is not
expected to alter the balance of
power between the two main players in the
unity government but it could
raise tension in the cabinet.
Ncube’s
MDC is caught in a dilemma, whether to expel Mutambara from the
party
without any guarantee that Mugabe will fire him or quit the unity
government
altogether but analysts say the coalition could still limp along
without the
smaller faction.
Mutambara, who entered a power-sharing agreement with
President Robert
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai two years ago,
said he does not
recognise last month’s party congress that toppled
him.
Ncube’s leadership of the smaller MDC group is being challenged by
some
disgruntled members who have approached the High Court for relief and
Mutambara said there was not constitutional or legal basis for his
redeployment.
“Until the High Court makes a ruling on this matter, I
…..will not recognise
Professor Welshman Ncube as the president of the party
I belong to, the
MDC,” said Mutambara.
Ncube has said he will meet
Mugabe today to officially inform him of his
party’s decision to redeploy
Mutambara.
Mugabe has previously said he could not swear-in Ncube as
deputy prime
minister unless Mutambara resigns.
Officials in the
breakaway MDC accuse Mutambara of not being in sink with
the party’s ideals
and charge that the robotics professor is working with
Mugabe’s ZANU-PF
party.
The leadership struggle is likely to further weaken a party that
only
managed 10 seats in the 2008 parliamentary elections.
Mugabe is
pushing for an election this year despite strong opposition from
his rivals,
who say the political climate is not yet right for a free and
fair
vote.
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and the splinter MDC group were forced into a
coalition
government two years ago after a disputed 2008 poll which was
marred by
violence and accelerated an economic crisis in the southern
African nation
of 13 million. -- ZimOnline
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
08 February
2011
It’s being dubbed the ‘Battle of the Professors,’ as Arthur
Mutambara and
Welshman Ncube square up over who should be Deputy Prime
Minister. The
political drama intensified on Monday after Mutambara issued a
statement
saying he would not be resigning his post of deputy PM, to make
way for
Ncube the new party leader.
On Tuesday Ncube met Mugabe for
two and a half hours after the normal
cabinet meeting. According to MDC-N
national spokesman, Nhlanhla Dube,
Mugabe defended Mutambara during the
meeting. The ZANU PF leader said
Mutambara had told him that Ncube had hired
delegates to the congress that
elected him as President. We were also told
Ncube spent time disputing these
accusations.
At the end of the
meeting Mugabe told Ncube that he would consult Prime
Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai on the matter and get back to him within seven
days. Last month
Mugabe had also appeared to side with Mutambara, saying
removing him creates
legal complications and “it’s up to him if he wants to
resign, but if he
refuses, well, we are stuck.” Other reports suggested ZANU
PF is courting
Mutambara to join the party.
SW Radio Africa understands the MDC-N are
already laying the groundwork to
expel Mutambara from the party, during a
National Council meeting that will
be held in Harare on Thursday. They
reportedly plan on charging him with
openly defying a party directive to
step down as deputy Prime Minister to
make way for Ncube. They hope the
expulsion will force Mugabe’s hand to
swear-in Ncube.
But with a
group of rebels still challenging the validity of the congress
that elected
Ncube, the legal minefield is growing. Mutambara on Monday said
he did not
recognize Ncube as party leader and would wait for the High Court
to make a
ruling on the matter. Those sponsoring the court challenge say
Mutambara is
still their legitimate leader, showing that there are two
factions, of the
faction.
Nhlanhla Dube accused Mutambara of being ‘ill-advised’ by forces
bent on
seeing the destruction of the party. He said the u-turn by Mutambara
to hang
on to the deputy premiership tempts them “to believe that notion
which
claimed Mutambara was an MDC leader playing the chief striker’s
position for
ZANU PF and President Mugabe.”
MDC-N Deputy Secretary
for Information Kurauone Chihwayi issued a statement
saying;
“Mutambara
attended the National council meeting of the 7th of January 2011
and also
the congress on 8th and 9th January 2011 and formally stood down as
party
President at that congress. We also wish to state that it is the party
that
which nominated and seconded Mutambara to the position of Deputy Prime
Minister and hence find it strange in the extreme that he now thinks that he
can occupy the same position without the blessing of the
party."
Mutambara however said he attended the controversial congress to
use the
platform to stress the need for healing in the party and to have all
the
grievances addressed.
“I was silent until today, because I was
hoping that those claiming party
leadership would be creative and
magnanimous, and follow through and heal
the Party as I had suggested. The
opposite has happened. Those who are
claiming leadership started victimizing
the aggrieved leaders and party
cadres (seizing party assets from them,
removing them from national programs
such as COPAC, etc).”
There is
intense speculation over Mugabe’s motive in defending Mutambara to
remain as
deputy Prime Minister. The Financial Gazette reported last month
that ZANU
PF was courting Mutambara to join the party and ZANU PF spokesman
Rugare
Gumbo even said the robotics professor was welcome to ‘rejoin’ the
party.
Another motive could be to play on the perceived acrimony
between Ncube and
Tsvangirai, with Mugabe reportedly saying he wants to
consult the PM on the
matter.
http://www.apanews.net/
APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) The Voluntary Media Council of
Zimbabwe (VMCZ) has
condemned the harassment of newspaper vendors and
subsequent destruction of
copies of an independent daily (NewsDay) by
supporters of President Robert
Mugabe’s ZANU PF party in the capital on
Monday, APA learns in a statement
issued Tuesday.
The VMCZ said in a
statement on Tuesday that it was disturbed by reports
that ZANU PF youths
destroyed several copies of NewsDay and harassed
newspaper vendors from the
stable in and around the city of Harare.
Marauding ZANU PF youths beat up
NewsDay vendors and tore up a large number
of copies of the newspaper during
skirmishes in the capital’s central
business district in which they also
destroyed shops owned by foreigners and
suspected supporters of the Movement
for Democratic Change led by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
“The
VMCZ notes with serious concern that this unwarranted intimidation of
NewsDay vendors is undemocratic and inimical to freedom of expression,” the
council said.
It said any individuals or organisations with
grievances against particular
publications should seek recourse through the
Council’s media complaints
committee.
NewsDay is the most successful
private daily and is reportedly seen as a
threat to the state propaganda
machinery led by The Herald newspaper.
Other private dailies which were
licensed last year are yet to commence
operations.
Thousands of ZANU
PF youths have embarked on a violence campaign in the
capital ahead of
elections and a referendum scheduled for later this
year.
JN/ad/APA
2011-02-08
http://www.sabcnews.com
February 08 2011 ,
12:02:00
Thulasizwe Simelane, Harare
Zimbabwe's MDC party has
warned that the latest upsurge in political
violence risks plunging the
country into lawlessness and chaos. The past
three weeks have seen intense
clashes between supporters of president Robert
Mugabe and those of prime
minister Morgan Tsvangirai across the country.
Townships around the
capital Harare have been the epicentre of the latest
scourge, with hundreds
of people now displaced from their homes. The MDC
accuses president Mugabe's
ZANU-PF of adopting a strategy to exterminate
Tsvangirai's party from the
political scene.
A return to the dark old days. In the Harare township of
Mbare, families
fled their homes amid violent. The MDC blames Zanu-PF for
the latest spate
of political violence, especially its militant youth and
war veterans.
Zanu-PF points the finger right back at the MDC. But there is
no disputing
who the real victims of these senseless acts are, and many of
them carry no
political party card.
One victims says the Zanu-PF
youths came in front of his house chanting: “We
want Chibanda's head, and
those of his wife and his child. I saw a large
group charging towards me
waving knobkerries rushing towards me to assault
me. I had to run for my
life," said the victim. Police reportedly rounded up
the refugees, shortly
after we took pictures of the scene.
The political blame game is well and
truly on. MDC secretary general, Tendai
Biti, says this violence is being
done to pursue an agenda that Zimbabwe can
be run irrespective and oblivious
to the people's will, “oblivious to
elections, you can stuff your elections
we can reproduce lawlessness in this
country”.
Zanu-PF spokesperson,
Rugare Gumbo, says they know it's a strategy that they
(MDC) are using in
order to attract international public opinion, but that
is not going to work
because in the first instance they are they are the
provocateurs. Zanu-PF
youths took to the streets yesterday, leading to the
closure of shops at
this city centre market. There are growing fears that
the violent
confrontations may escalate once the president declares a date
for the
elections.
http://www.voanews.com
Peta Thornycroft |
Johannesburg February 08, 2011
Protests this week in Zimbabwe's capital
saw small Nigerian-owned shops
looted by President Robert Mugabe’s
loyalists, who say their demonstrations
were in support of so-called
indigenization laws. Politicians and economists
say the uncertainty about
the laws is harming Zimbabwe's slow economic
recovery.
A year ago,
new laws were published that said all companies valued at more
than $500,000
must surrender a 51-percent share to black Zimbabweans.
This sent shock
waves through the business community at a time when many
were trying to
revive the economy shattered by the former ZANU-PF
government.
The
laws have since been revised, but President Robert Mugabe and other
ZANU-PF
leaders regularly tell supporters they can help themselves to
majority
shareholdings in white and foreign-owned companies.
Industry Minister
Welshman Ncube of the smaller Movement for Democratic
Change, has been
trying to manage the fallout from the indigenization law,
which he says, has
several shortcomings.
"There is a law providing for a framework for
indigenization, that law
leaves a lot to be desired in many areas,
particularly in terms of clarity
and fairness, [but] unless and until it is
changed, it is the law," Ncube
said.
He says the wording within the
legislation allows for some flexibility and
discretion within the
indigenization law.
"Remember it is not a directory law, it is an
aspirational law,” he added.
“It says we shall aspire to have such and such
percentage of ownership in
companies in Zimbabwe. It does not say we shall
have, it says 'we shall
aspire,' which the government shall endeavour to
achieve XYZ."
Earlier this month, a Mauritius company, Essar Africa, took
over 55 percent
of Zimbabwe’s only iron and steel company, ZISCO, which was
previously
state-owned and went bankrupt under the former ZANU-PF
government.
Ncube said flexibility in the indigenization law allowed a
foreign company a
majority shareholding of ZISCO.
"For us, what is
important is to bring ZISCO back into line and for it to
contribute to the
economy of the country, and not to quibble about
six-percent difference in
equity," said Ncube.
Ncube says the uncertainty of the indigenization
laws has frightened off
many foreign-owned companies from recapitalizing
aging factories, such as
the only vehicle tire manufacturer, Dunlop, based
in Bulawayo.
"There are many, many companies whose foreign shareholders
were about to put
more money in them, say a company such as Dunlop, and
they immediately put
on hold some of those plans," he said.
ZANU-PF
Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere told party members last month they
had a
right to take over South African-owned sugar companies in southeastern
Zimbabwe.
Ncube said Kasukuwere and others who encourage people to
take over companies
were inciting them to break the law.
"When
Kasukuwere has said that, we have responded, instantly as part of the
government, that it is not government policy, that it does not have any
foundation in law, and therefore is unlawful," said
Ncube.
Kasukuwere did not answer his mobile phone Tuesday when VOA sought
a
response.
Ncube says the uncertainty of the indigenization laws and
threats to take
over foreign companies are seriously affecting economic
recovery.
While Zimbabwe previously manufactured much of what it
consumed, most retail
goods are now imported from South Africa.
Most
foreign companies in Zimbabwe are South African-owned.
http://www.radiovop.com/
08/02/2011 14:55:00
Harare,
February 08,2011 - Zanu (PF's) President Robert Mugabe is expected
to
officially launch the anti-Zimbabwe sanctions soon which is aiming at
collecting two million signatures from Zimbabweans.
The campaign has
sparked violence in several parts of the country with Zanu
(PF) youth
forcing Zimbabweans to sign the petition.
Speaking at a training workshop
of the Zanu (PF) politburo on Monday, the
party's chairperson Simon Khaya
Moyo said Mugabe will officially launch the
'signature collection' drive to
to push the United States, Britain and their
allies to remove sanctions on
Mugabe and senior Zanu (PF) officials.
"Let us not start collecting
signatures without knowing what to do with
them. We will wait for President
Robert Mugabe to launch the programme,"
Moyo said addressing the politburo
on the Zimbabwe broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC) main news
bulletin.
Meanwhile, the European Union will later this month review
sanctions on
Mugabe and his top allies.
http://www.radiovop.com/
08/02/2011
16:20:00
Bulawayo, February 08 2011 - Former Movement of Democratic
Change (MDC)
legislators who were expelled from the party in 2008 for
challenging the
party’s leadership say they had earlier warned Professor
Aurthur Mutambara
of the presidential ambitions of Professor Welshman
Ncube.
Former president Arthur Mutambara is refusing to reisgn from his
post of
deputy minister to take up an nferior post of Minister of Regional
Integration and Regional cooperation as demanded by his party.
Former
Nkayi South legislator Adednico Bhebhe described Ncube, who took over
as
president of the smaller faction of the MDC party recently, of being
power
hungry and abusing hardworking party cadres to achieve his own selfish
and
personal agendas.
“When I was still an MP (member of parliament) and a
national council member
of the party, I personal warned Mutambara that he
must be very careful when
dealing with Ncube. Mutambara thought I was joking
but look where is now.
Ncube and company do not want progressive and elected
people around
them.Mutambara has achieved what Ncube wanted him to achieve
and he is being
flushed out just like a used toilet paper,” said
Bhebhe.
Bhebhe urged Mutambara not to resign from the deputy prime
minister’s post
insisting that doing so will be giving Ncube
victory.
Bhebhe’s sentiments were also echoed by the former Lupane East,
Njabuliso
Mguni who was also sacked from the party after questioning the
party’s
parceling of posts in the inclusive government to unelected
leaders.
“Welshman is testing is own medicine. In the first place why did
he beg
Mutambara to lead party following the split if he is capable of
leading the
party? Remember it was him again who master minded our dismissal
from the
party. Some of us saw this happening. Its only that Mutambara did
not want
to listen to our advice,” said Mguni.
Following Mutambara’s
refusal to quit’s Deputy Prime Minister Post; Mguni
said the party was
likely to fire him.
Mutambara said he will not step down from his post as
deputy prime minister
because Ncube was improperly elected
president.
Ncube said his party will meet Wednesday to discuss the
matter.
http://www.radiovop.com/
BR>08/02/2011
13:05:00
Mwenezi February 8, 2011 – Villagers here openly told two
Zanu (PF’s)
politburo members, Dzikamai Mavhaire and Kudakwashe Bhasikiti
that they did
not support the illegal invasions of conservancies in the
area.
“This not indigenisation, don’t fool us and instruct the people
to destroy
their heritage in the name of indigenisation. There are a lot of
things that
we can do rather than killing animals in our
conservancies
for meat.
“We think someone is insane here. As the people of Mwenezi, we
shall never
follow your commands on this one,” a villager who attended the
meeting told
the two."
Mavhaire and Bhasikiti said the meeting was to
consult with the villagers.
“We are not forcing anyone to invade any
conservancy. If you remember very
well, it’s (Titus) Maluleke (Masvingo
governor) and Minister of Higher
Education Stan Mudenge, who are after
conservancies- not us. We just wanted
to see how people take it and now we
have our answer – the
people are hesitant,” said Mavhaire.
Mudenge
told the people who gathered at Masvingo Civic Center hall about
three weeks
ago that they must immediately go and invade all conservancies
and kill
animals for meat purposes.
However, no conservancy was invaded despite
Mudenge’s call.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals (SPCA)
provincial officer
John Chikomo has sent a stern warning saying they will
arrest anyone who
will follow Mudenge’s call to invade and
kill
animals.
“We are highly alert – assessing whether they have been
people who have
since followed the minister’s call. We shall not hesitate to
arrest and
prosecute anyone who shall be seen following these ‘mischievous’
calls to
invade conservancies due to insatiable interest for game meat,”
said
Chikomo.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Chengetai Zvauya and Gugulethu
Nyazema
Tuesday, 08 February 2011 17:56
HARARE - The government
lost a staggering US$5 million in a dodgy fuel deal
after the country was
hit by shortages of the commodity last month.
The shoddy deal was
confirmed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of
Energy and Power
Development Justin Mupamhanga during a parliamentary
portfolio committee
public hearing on the ministry on Monday.
Presenting evidence on the fuel
crisis that rocked the country, Mupamhanga
said after government realised
that the country was going to faced with fuel
shortages, due to docking
problems at Beira in Mozambique,it was decided to
import 4,5m litres through
Noah, a South Africa based company, as a stop gap
measure.
“We were
very desperate and we approached a company, Noah, to deliver the
commodity.
They promised to do so in 48 hours but they never supplied the
fuel,
worsening the problem," said Mupamhanga.
He said action was now being
taken to recover the fuel and the money.
Zimbabwe was gripped by fuel
shortages last month, sending fuel prices
skyrocketing and raising fears of
protracted shortages as happened over the
past decade.
The country
uses a cash-based system to procure fuel, supplied by 61
independent
petroleum firms.
Large quantities are brought through the Beira-Feruka
pipeline and the
railway line.
http://www.radiovop.com
08/02/2011
16:19:00
Harare -The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) is
seeking for the
scrapping of the controversial presidential scholarship so
that the
government can concentrate on uplifting local educational
standards.
“We call upon the national treasury to halt funding of the
notorious
Presidential Scholarship,” said ZINASU President Tinashe Mugwadi
while
speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday.
The students said the
scholarship programme was partisan and largely
benefited students of people
with Zanu (PF) links.
“President Mugabe want the scheme to be given US$54
million from treasury
against the local funding of US$ 20 million,” said
Mugwadi.
He added that his organisation got an assurance from Finance
Minister Tendai
Biti that he will
not release any further funds towards
the scholarship programme until
concerns of the student
union have been
addressed.
The students held a meeting with both Biti and Higher
Education minister
Stan Mudenge to express their disappointment with the
scholarship programme
among other things.
At the meeting, Mudenge is
said to have hinted that if Biti blocks funds to
the scholarship programme,
Mugabe would continue running it using his own
funds like he did with the
Presidential
Grain Scheme which has been distributing farm inputs exclusively
to Zanu
(PF) supporters.
The presidential scholarship programme was
launched by Mugabe to enable
children from disadvantaged backgrounds to get
higher education. At its
inception Zimbabwean children from disadvantaged
backgrounds were going to
Fort Hare University in South Africa where Mugabe
was educated. It has since
been extended to other universities in South
Africa and the Far East.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Alex Bell
08 February
2011
A new food assessment report says that close to two million
Zimbabweans will
still need food aid in the coming months, despite “better
economic
conditions.”
The US-funded Famine Early Warning System
Network (FEWSNET) reported this
month that about 1.7 million Zimbabweans
will be in need of food aid during
the next two months. Both FEWSNET and the
Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment
Committee (ZimVAC) last year estimated
that about 1.3 million rural
households will be food insecure between
January and March.
“The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World
Food Programme (WFP) Crop
and Food Supply Assessment Mission estimated that
an additional 400 000
people in the urban areas will not be able to meet
their food needs in the
2010/11 consumption year,” FEWSNET said, bringing
the estimated number of
food insecure people in Zimbabwe to about 1.7
million.
The main areas of concern include Beitbridge, Gwanda, Matobo,
Mangwe,
Bulilima, Hwange, Kariba, Binga, Chiredzi, Chivi, Zaka, Gutu,
Bikita,
Buhera, Chimanimani, Nyanga, Rushinga, Mudzi, and
Mberengwa.
“These areas also have projected low acute malnutrition levels
over the
outlook period,” warned FEWSNET, adding that food assistance
programme plans
for the January-March period would be sufficient to cover
the assessed
needs. The assistance programmes aim to meet the needs of about
1.6 million
people by March.
http://www.voanews.com/
Cross Border Traders
Association President Killer Zivhu said hundreds of
informal traders in
Harare and Bulawayo have opened accounts at a bank
offering such a
facility
Gibbs Dube | Washington 07 February 2011
Zimbabwean
cross-border traders accustomed to carrying large sums of cash on
trips to
South Africa and Botswana - and running the risk of armed robbery -
are
shifting to the use of electronic cards that allow them to tap South
African
rand while abroad.
Cross Border Traders Association President Killer
Zivhu said hundreds of
informal traders have opened accounts at a bank
offering such a facility.
Zivhu declined to name the bank, but other sources
identified it as the
Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe.
Zivhu said that
there are many benefits for account holders. “Cardholders
are eligible to
get some kind of insurance cover in case of injuries or
death in accidents
while travelling to and from many countries,” the traders
association
president said.
But informal trader Jima Ririmba voiced skepticism about
using electronic
bank cards.
“At one time we used to have bank
accounts linked to foreign banks and when
we accessed cash in South Africa
and Botswana, we used to be charged some
unexplained interests. This
resulted in most of us to stop using those
accounts and as such we feel that
the same is bound to happen [if we join]
this new scheme,” Ririmba
said.
Economic commentator Masimba Kuchera however commended the traders
association for innovation on behalf of its members.
BILL WATCH
3/2011
[7th February 2011]
The Senate will resume sitting on Tuesday the 8th
February
The House of Assembly remains adjourned until the 15th
February
Senate Agenda for This Week
Bills The Senate has five Bills on its Order Paper:
Public Order and Security Amendment Bill This Private Member’s Bill, introduced into the House of Assembly by
MDC-T Chief Whip Innocent Gonese, will not come up this week. There is a
procedural issue to be resolved over whether Mr Gonese, a non-Senator, is
entitled to pilot it through the Senate. It is hoped that the Bill will not be
long delayed, as it was first introduced into the House of Assembly on 2nd
February 2010.
Zimbabwe National Security Council Amendment Bill This is minor amendment, making provision for the Minister of
Justice, in his capacity as Minister responsible for prisons, to be an ex
officio member of the Council.
Attorney-General’s Office Bill This will establish the AG’s Office as an entity outside the public
service, under the control of new Board which will make staff appointments. The
Attorney-General and the Deputy Attorneys-General will continue to be appointed
by the President under the Constitution. The Bill does not affect the powers or
duties of the Attorney-General. [Bill Watch 41/2010 of 7th October 2010 has a
full discussion.]
Energy Regulatory Authority Bill This sets up an Authority with a governing board to regulate
electricity and petroleum supplies and other energy resources.
Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Power, Communication and Water
Infrastructure) Bill This provides for a tougher response by law enforcement agents and
the courts to vandalism and theft of power, communication and water
infrastructure material, including mandatory minimum sentences. [Note these
amendments relate to the Electricity Act, the Water Act and various Acts
covering communications. It is not an amendment of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act.]
All these Bills [electronic versions available –address requests to veritas@yoafrica.com] have already been passed by the House of Assembly and transmitted to
the Senate, where they will go straight into the Second Reading stage, i.e. when
the Minister responsible for the Bill will explain and Senators can debate its
principles. [When a Bill has been transmitted from the House to the Senate it
does not have a first reading in the Senate. This happens only when a Bill’s
first introduction to Parliament is in the Senate – a Bill can be first
introduced into either House.]
Other Business Also on the Order Paper are two motions; one by Senator Georgias
[ZANU-PF] deploring sanctions, the other the traditional motion of thanks for
the President’s speech opening the Parliamentary session.
Update on
Inclusive Government
MDC-M
Leadership Changes The
changes in the MDC-M leadership made by the party’s congress and standing
committee last month have not been translated into changes at inclusive
government level. The President has said he cannot replace Mr Mutambara as
Deputy Prime Minister unless Mr Mutambara resigns the post, which Mr Mutambara
has said he will not do. Both the President and Mr Mutambara have also referred
to the High Court case brought by a small group of party members to have the
congress decisions nullified on the ground that the congress was not lawfully
constituted.
Meetings
of Party Principals The
President and Mr Tsvangirai met on Wednesday 2nd February, following violent
clashes between their party members in Harare in recent days; Mr Mutambara was
not present, being out of the country. The party principals did not meet at all
during January. The only December meeting was on the 21st – a somewhat delayed
fulfilment of an undertaking to resume meetings given to President Zuma during
his late November visit to Harare.
Another
Visit by SA facilitators The
South African facilitation team was in Harare from 17th to 20th January and met
Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee [COPAC] representatives, the GPA
party negotiators and other stakeholders in an effort to speed up the
preparation of the “road map to free and fair elections” called for by the SADC
Summit on 17th August 2010.
Next SADC
Organ Troika Meeting A Troika
meeting is expected this month – the date still to be fixed.
Next
Cabinet meeting The
first Cabinet meeting of 2011 is scheduled for Tuesday 8th February. Cabinet
last met on 14th December.
President
Zuma receives new Zimbabwe Ambassador On 3rd
February President Zuma accepted the credentials of Zimbabwe’s new ambassador to
South Africa, Phelekezela Mphoko [ZANU PF]. This has raised tensions both between
the parties, as MDC-T had hoped to have its nominee in this post, and between
the Facilitator and MDC-T, who have accused him of not being impartial. Mr Zuma
has known since last October of MDC-T’s position that this and other recent
ambassadorial appointments by President Mugabe are unconstitutional because made
without consulting the Prime Minister and others as required by the GPA.
Referendum Preparations
On 20th January the Zimbabwe Election Support Network [ZESN] released
a comprehensive report detailing the defects in the present voters roll; it
recommended the drawing-up of a new roll. [The Report can be downloaded from www.zesn.org.zw - it is a 1.7Mb
pdf document.] On 27th January COPAC confirmed its intention to complete its work in
time for the referendum on the new constitution to be held before the end of
September. On 31st January Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [ZEC] chairperson
Judge Mtambanengwe said on State television: “In line with its mandate of
conducting and supervising all elections and referendums in the country, ZEC has
started working with the Registrar-General’s office to ensure that the voters
roll is in order in time for the referendum expected later this year.” The
judge retired from the Namibian Supreme court in December and is now back in
Zimbabwe to concentrate on his ZEC duties full-time.
Update on Bills
Bills in Senate
See above under Senate Agenda.
Bills in House of Assembly
Awaiting Second Reading
Deposit Protection Corporation Bill
Awaiting Report by Parliamentary Legal Committee
Small Enterprises Development Corporation Amendment
Bill
Bills Gazetted and Awaiting Introduction
General Laws Amendment Bill [gazetted 22nd October 2010]
[Electronic version available –address requests to veritas@yoafrica.com]
National Incomes and Pricing Commission Amendment Bill [gazetted 5th November
2010]
Bills being printed for presentation in Parliament
None.
Statutory Instruments
Fees for registration of journalists and media houses under
AIPPA New registration fees under AIPPA, some greatly increased, were
purportedly fixed by regulations published in SI 186/2010, gazetted on 31st
December. The regulations were self-evidently invalid; the fatal legal defect
was the statement that the regulations had been made by the Minister of Media,
Information and Publicity, who has no power to make such regulations.
Regulations under AIPPA can only be made by the Zimbabwe Media Commission,
albeit with the Minister’s approval. SI 10/2011, gazetted on 4th February,
attempts to “correct” this defect by substituting a statement that the
regulations were in fact made by the Commission with the Minister’s approval.
[Electronic version of SI 186/2010 as corrected by SI 10/2011
available – email request to veritas@yoafrica.com]
Environmental Management Regulations
Plastic packaging – there have been claims that “Government regulations” are the
reason for supermarkets starting to charge for plastic carrier bags, previously
usually supplied free. These charges are not required by law, although
they may well be in accordance with official policy to reduce plastic waste.
The relevant regulations under the Environmental Management Act [SI 98/2010]
date back to last May and merely prohibit the manufacture, distribution and
importation of plastic packaging with a wall thickness of less than 30
micrometres; the only exceptions are packaging that is biodegradable and bread
packaging or cling film with a thickness of at least 25
micrometres.
Ozone Depleting Substances and Ozone Depleting Substances Dependent
Equipment – SI 7/2011 contains a new set of regulations, effective 1st March
2011, controlling the import and export of ozone-depleting substances and
appliances or equipment that rely on those substances to function. There is an
outright ban for “prohibited substances” and related appliances, and a strict
licensing system, to be managed by the Ozone Office, for “controlled substances”
and related appliances.
High Court – New Fees Tariff for Legal Practitioners SI 12/2011, gazetted on 4th February and effective immediately,
enacts a new tariff of fees for legal practitioners in High Court civil cases.
[Note this tariff does not control the fees legal practitioners actually
charge clients; it is a guide for the calculation of legal expenses a successful
litigant may seek to have reimbursed by a defeated opponent.]
Magistrates Courts – New Fees Tariff for Legal Practitioners and Messengers of Court SI 2/2011, gazetted on 14th January and effective immediately,
enacts a new tariff of fees for legal practitioners in magistrates court civil
cases. [As with the new High Court tariff noted above, does not control the
fees legal practitioners actually charge clients; it is a guide for the
calculation of legal expenses a successful litigant may seek to have reimbursed
by a defeated opponent..] There is also a new tariff of fees for the
services of messengers of court.
Mining Regulations – new official fees SIs 13 and 14/2011 fix new fees payable under the Mines and
Minerals Act and regulations.
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot
take legal responsibility for information supplied