State secret agents worm their way into schools Fri 14
January 2005 HARARE - Zimbabwe's government has deployed secret service
agents at schools to spy on teachers sympathetic to the main opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.
Intelligence
sources speaking on condition they were not named told ZimOnline that agents
and informers of the state's Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) have
been seconded to state-run schools mainly as teachers to prevent pro-MDC
teachers from influencing communities to support the opposition party ahead
of March's general election.
"Some are full time intelligence
officers while others are simple informers who have been incorporated into
the education ministry and will work among the teaching complement," said a
senior CIO officer, who spoke anonymously for professional reasons. He
added: "Our target area is mostly the rural areas where teachers enjoy a lot
of influence."
Teachers suspected of supporting the MDC will be
suspended or fired from government service, according to the
sources.
State Security Minister Nicholas Goche in charge of the
CIO refused to take questions from ZimOnline saying he did not discuss
intelligence operations with the Press.
Education Minister
Aeneas Chigwedere said his ministry was discouraging teachers from getting
involved in politics but denied that the government had roped in the CIO to
monitor teachers.
He said: "Any teacher caught in the political web
will pay for it. But we have not tasked the CIO to do the monitoring for
us."
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, one of two unions
that represent teachers in the country, said it was conducting an exercise
to warn teachers of the presence of spies at schools.
A union
official, MacDonald Maungazani, said: "Teachers are opinion leaders and that
is why the CIO has initiated this programme (to spy on teachers) two months
before the election. We are urging our members to be careful."
Teachers are viewed as community leaders particularly in remote rural areas
where they are also a vital source of information for illiterate villagers.
But many teachers, disgruntled by poor pay and working conditions, have
turned to the MDC, earning the wrath of the government and ruling ZANU PF
party. - ZimOnline.
ZANU PF HAGGLES OVER ELECTION LIST Fri 14 January 2005
HARARE - Zimbabwe's bickering ruling ZANU PF party is today expected to
announce its final list of potential candidates for March's general
election, party sources told ZimOnline last night.
The party's
inner politburo cabinet chaired by party and state President Robert Mugabe
met for more than eight hours yesterday but apparently could not finalise
the hotly disputed list.
The state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation last night announced that the list would be made available "in
due course" before the party holds an internal election to decide on the
candidates. The party primary elections are scheduled for
tomorrow.
ZANU PF national elections directorate chairman Elliot
Manyika would not say when exactly the party would make public the list and
instead referred ZimOnline to party spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira. His phone
went unanswered.
Insiders however said the list was going to be
released today and indicated that information minister and propaganda chief
Jonathan Moyo has been left out of the list of prospective candidates to
represent ZANU PF in the election.
Other senior party officials
such as Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who helped Moyo in a failed
attempt to block the appointment of Joyce Mujuru as ZANU PF and Zimbabwe's
second vice-president were also said to have been omitted.
Finance Minister Chris Kuruneri and ZANU PF chairman for Mashonaland West
province Philip Chiyangwa, who both have pending criminal cases, are also
said to be not on the list.
Moyo and Chinamasa were members of
Mugabe's Cabinet after he appointed them non-constituency Members of
Parliament under a constitutional clause allowing him to appoint 30 members
to the House.
But the information and justice ministers, among the
worst hardliners in the government, could lose their positions should Mugabe
stick to his promise not to appoint anyone to Cabinet who is not elected in
the March poll.
During his five-year tenure as information
minister, Moyo crafted some of harshest-ever press laws that have seen
hundreds of Zimbabwean journalists arrested and three newspapers, including
the country's biggest daily, the Daily News, banned.
Chinamasa
led the government's purge of independent judges from Zimbabwe's bench
replacing them with government supporters. - ZimOnline
Lawyers attack judiciary for failing to protect own
integrity Fri 14 January 2005 HARARE - The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights says the country's judiciary has failed to protect its own integrity
and independence by standing up to defiance by the Executive.
In a statement, the group, which brings together lawyers fighting for human
rights and democracy in Zimbabwe, said it was concerned by the high level of
defiance and disregard of court orders by the Executive especially in
high-stake political cases.
The lawyers' group cited the cases of
three parliamentarians Philip Chiyangwa of the ruling ZANU PF party, Roy
Bennet and Fletcher Dulini-Ncube both from the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) party who were at various stages held in police
custody against orders by the courts that they be released.
"More disquieting has been the inability of the court to clamp down at such
despicable conduct (defiance of court orders) and protect its own
integrity," the lawyers said.
They also bemoaned what they said
were "inordinate and inexcusable delays" in the setting down of matters and
delivery of judgments in cases involving human rights and political
issues.
The courts are still to conclude more than 30 petitions
filed by the MDC and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai against ZANU PF and
President Robert Mugabe's victories in the 2000 general election and 2002
presidential poll.
Appeals by three newspapers including the
country's biggest circulating daily paper, the Daily News, that were closed
down by the government are still pending at the courts and so is Bennet's
appeal against his imprisonment by Parliament without a court
hearing.
Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku could not be reached for
comment on the matter. But earlier this week, Chidyausiku blamed the MDC for
the delays in the hearing of its petitions, a charge rejected by the
opposition party. - ZimOnline
Suspected ZANU PF spies' bid to alter plea fails Fri 14
January 2005
HARARE - A magistrates' court yesterday refused to
allow two senior officials of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU PF party accused of
espionage to change plea.
ZANU PF external affairs director
Itai Marchi, Zimbabwean ambassador-designate to Mozambique Godfrey Dzvairo,
and bank executive Tendai Matambanadzo last month pleaded guilty to charges
of selling intelligence information to foreign spies.
The
three, who are charged together with ZANU PF provincial chairman Philip
Chiyangwa and the party's deputy security officer Kenny Karidza had applied
to the court to be allowed to alter plea to not guilty.
Chief law
officer in the Attorney General's office, Florence Ziyambi, told journalists
in Harare yesterday: "The magistrate said the court is satisfied that a plea
of guilty was not brought about as aresult of fraud, cohesion or undue
influence. The application was a mere delay of process."
The application was heard in camera with even close relatives barred from
the courts.
Chiyangwa is expected in court today while Karidza is
also due to appear at a later date.
The five men are being
charged under the Official Secrets Act and face up to 20 years in jail if
convicted of supplying information to foreign agents. - ZimOnline
Government barred from shutting down private schools Fri 14
January 2005 HARARE - A Zimbabwean court has provisionally barred the
government from closing down private schools that charge fees higher than
those stipulated by the state.
In a provisional ruling, the
High Court ordered Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere, his permanent
secretary Lisias Boora, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri from
interfering with schools that levy fees higher than levels set by the
government.
The court order issued on January 4 reads in part:
"Pending the confirmation or discharge of this order, the Respondents
(Chigwedere, Boora and Chihuri) or their agents are hereby restrained from
closing down or ordering or threatening the closure of (private)
schools."
The government last year closed several schools for
charging more than the stipulated fees and had this year threatened to close
schools and arrest administrators who increase fees without state
approval.
The Association of Trust Schools, which brings together
60 privately-run schools, appealed to the court to have the government
barred from interfering with the running of their schools. - ZimOnline
Brian Mangwende
and Constantine Chimakure issue date :2005-Jan-14
THE Minister of
State responsible for Policy Implementation in the President's Office,
Webster Shamu, has withdrawn his candidature for Chegutu constituency to
pave way for deputy Parliamentary Speaker Edna Madzongwe to represent Zanu
PF in the March general elections.
The minister's withdrawal reportedly
sparked a chorus of angry voices in Chegutu, resulting in hundreds of his
supporters thronging the Zanu PF headquarters to persuade the leadership to
convince him to reverse his decision. In a letter dated January 12 2005
addressed to Zanu PF chairman of the national elections directorate, Elliot
Manyika, Shamu said he was withdrawing from the race in observation of the
party's decision to reserve a third of the seats in the 120 constituencies
for women. The withdrawal letter was copied to Zanu PF secretary for
information and publicity Nathan Shamuyarira. Wrote Shamu: "I hereby
write to notify you of my decision to withdraw my candidature from Chegutu
constituency in Mashonaland West province in favour of Amai Edna
Madzongwe. "I have had to revert to this decision in order to assist the
province and the party at large in fulfilling the 30 percent quota for
women. This will bring to four the number of seats reserved for women in
Mashonaland West as stipulated by the party. This will go a long way in
fulfilling the resolution of the fourth national congress. "It is in the
light of this development that I have decided to make way for Amai
Madzongwe, a Zanu PF Politburo and central committee member, deputy Speaker
of Parliament and thus a senior government official. "This position is one I
took even before the ongoing selection exercise started. I subsequently put
my name forward when recommendations were made that Amai Madzongwe stands
for the race in the Manyame constituency. This fell through." He added:
"I am therefore by copy of this letter informing the Zanu PF Mashonaland
West provincial co-ordinating committee, through the acting provincial
chairman, Cde John Mafa and the party leadership in general through Cde N
(Nathan) Shamuyarira, a member of the politburo." Efforts to get hold of
Manyika proved fruitless last night as he was in marathon meetings at the
party's headquarters, while Mafa acknowledged receipt of Shamu's
withdrawal. Mafa said: "The letter was faxed to my office in Chinhoyi, but
there are now other developments. Shamu and Madzongwe are going to fight it
out in Chegutu follwong this morning's demonstrations by Shamu supporters,
saying that he must stand in the primary elections. We have already
forwarded our recommendations to the national elections directorate." On
why Madzongwe retreated from Manyame, Mafa said: "Before the delimitation
exercise, she was campaigning in Chegutu, initiating projects. She has no
suuport in Manyame." Madzongwe could not be reached for comment. Her
phone went unanswered until the time of going to print. Zanu PF
instructed its 10 political provinces to reserve a certain number of seats
for women, and in Mashonaland West four seats were set-aside for that
purpose. Highly placed ruling party sources said Shamu did not submit his
curriculum vitae (CV) when they were initially submitted to pave way for
Madzongwe, but only did so following the delimitation exercise and Madzongwe
went to stand in a newly created constituency - Manyame. However, the
sources said, Madzongwe reportedly met resistance there and went back to
Chegutu prompting Shamu to withdraw again. Then, sources said, Mash West
central committee members met at the party's headquarters in the capital
where Shamu said he would withdraw and inform the leadership. Madzongwe
reportedly took the message of Shamu's withdrawal to Chegutu where she
announced herself as the candidate, prompting the minister's supporters to
throng the party's HQ where they were later addressed by Shamu. As a result,
sources said, Shamu conceded to the demands of his supporters and is
expected to battle it out with Madzongwe on Saturday. Sources said: "It
should also be emphasised that at this stage of our revolution, we must
avoid divisions and show unity of purpose in the party. And with single
mindedness, we must seek the realisation of the principles and objectives of
our revolution. The emancipation and empowerment of women is one of
them." The source said it was against this background that Shamu decided to
withdraw his candidature and rally behind Madzongwe.
TWO members of the
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) stationed at Harare Central who allegedly
demanded a $25 million bribe to withdraw a rape charge were yesterday
dragged to the Harare Magistrates Court. Nyikadzino Madimbe (27) and Farai
Mandemwa (24) appeared before provincial magistrate Cremmah Chipere facing
extortion charges and were not asked to plead. The pair was remanded on
$1 million bail each to January 27. Prosecutor Tambudzai Gonese alleged that
some time in December last year and early this month, Madimbe and Mandemwa
demanded $25 million from an accused rapist. The duo allegedly threatened
to detain the suspect and publicise his case in the press if he declined to
pay them. The suspect succumbed to the threats and paid the $25 million bribe
before a trap was set up to arrest the two policemen.
From Our
Correspondent in Bulawayo issue date :2005-Jan-14
THE city of Bulawayo
has been hit by an acute shortage of soft drinks, forcing consumers to go
without their favourite beverages particularly this time of the year when
temperatures are high. Fanta, Pinenut, Sprite and Schweppes Oranges are said
to be in short supply. The beverages cannot be obtained easily in most retail
outlets visited by The Daily Mirror here yesterday. A Fanta favourite,
Cleopas Makusha said the shortages had forced him to take other brands,
which do not "agree with my taste". "I am being forced to take Coke as it is
the only one available. I do not drink this beverage but because of the
current weather, I have no choice," he said. Most retail shops visited
yesterday were fully stocked with Coca Cola and not the other brands. The
owner of Cambitzi, a leading supermarket in the city, Brian Mushonga said
the shortages had been experienced since Christmas. "Fanta and orange
drinks are the most scarce of them all. We haven't had those varieties
since Christmas and we have been trying to get them since. "The suppliers
have given us several reasons for the shortages but it all comes down to the
fact that they are not supplying the drinks," he said. A saleslady with
retail giant OK, said they had been experiencing shortages since November
last year. "We have been having this problem since last year. There has not
been much delivery. . . we have been receiving the brands on and off," she
said. There was no official comment from Delta Beverages as the official
authorised to speak to the press was reported to be out of the country.
THE Air Force of Zimbabwe
(AFZ) commander, Air Marshal Perrence Shiri, has promoted 15 officers to
higher ranks and implored them to remain loyal and serve the organisation
and the nation. Of the 15 officers promoted, four became wing commanders,
while 11 were elevated to the rank of squadron leaders. Shiri said the
nation expected and demanded only the best from the AFZ in fulfilling its
mandated role of defending the country's airspace and sovereignty. He
said the promoted officers were expected to work extra hard to achieve the
AFZ mandate. "The organisation has shown confidence in you by promoting you
to higher ranks but the promotion also means more responsibilities and it is
incumbent upon the promoted officers to meet the expectations of the
organisation and the nation," Shiri said. The promoted officers are
Charles Murongazvombo, Emmerson Kujinga, Sidney Katsande and Cleopas
Kapondoro who were elevated to the rank of Wing Commander. Newlife Shoko,
Clever Kungwengwe, Nyasha Zivumbwa, Callance Tinarwo, Msongelwa Ndlovu,
William Mothabi, Collen Rupiya, Kenneth Kunaka, Wilbrought Chirau, Joseph
Maseko and Benjamin Dzanya are squadron leaders.
INCUMBENT Murehwa North MP Victor
Chitongo and the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, David Parirenyatwa,
are embroiled in a bitter war of words, as they battle to represent Zanu PF
in the constituency ahead of March's parliamentary polls. Chitongo and
Parirenyatwa are expected to contest the ruling party's primary elections
tomorrow after Mashonaland East provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC)
successfully vetted them. The PCC had in turn forwarded the CVs to the
party's nation election directorate for endorsement. Sources in
Mashonaland East told The Daily Mirror that accusations and
counter-accusations between Chitongo and Parirenyatwa had been the order of
the day in recent weeks, as the two aspiring candidates wrestle for the
seat. In separate interviews with this newspaper, Chitongo and
Parirenyatwa discredited each other. Chitongo accused the Minister of
Health for letting down people of Murehwa by not using his influential
cabinet position to improve health delivery in the area. "He is the
Minister of Health, but Murehwa has only one mortuary that accommodates less
than five corpses. I am planning to build a very big mortuary," Chitongo
said. The mortuary was established in 1946. On the other hand Parirenyatwa
claimed that the people in Murehwa North no longer wanted Chitongo to
represent them in Parliament because he had failed to initiate
socio-development projects in the constituency. "This is the time the
electorate must choose the candidate of their choice. They have to choose
those who are very strong in the party. If the people of Murehwa elect me to
represent them in the March election it would be an advantage for them. As
the Minister I would do everything possible to address their concerns,"
Parirenyatwa said. Sources said the Mashonaland East provincial executive
initially wanted Chitongo to step down from the race and pave way for
Parirenyatwa because of his seniority in the party. The Health Minister
is a member of the ruling party's central committee and the politburo, the
highest decision making board outside congress. Provincial Chairman Ray
Kaukonde confirmed last week that his executive at some stage wanted to
avoid primaries as "they divide the party." "We had always wanted to avoid
primaries in our province. People will now choose the candidate of their
choice," Kaukonde said.
Zim farmers expect lowest tobacco crop January 14 2005
at 09:40AM
By Peta Thornycroft
Harare - There is
disappointment that Zimbabwe's richest crop, tobacco, which appeared set for
a small recovery this year, will be the smallest.
Until
President Robert Mugabe began seizing thousands of white-owned farms in
2000, tobacco underwrote the economy, supplying up to 40 percent of foreign
currency.
In the year that Mugabe's loyalists started rampaging
across millions of hectares of some of Africa's most successful agricultural
lands, Zimbabwe produced 238 million kilograms.
This summer
season it will produce less than a quarter of that, even less than last
year's record low of 64 million kilograms when the crop only earned
$120-million (R717-million) and prices on the auction floors were
firm.
The further slump is despite massive government support
which has bankrolled thousands of "new" farmers on land seized from white
farmers.
"It's a damn disaster," said Rusty Markham, a veteran
regional tobacco agronomist. "We will be lucky to see a crop above 50
million kilograms.
"It is unbelievable that the government is
still urging new farmers to plant in mid-January when the crop should be
ready for reaping," Markham said.
More than 80 percent of this
year's crop and almost all of the quality leaf will still be produced by
about 250 to 300 white farmers who endure daily threats of violent, illegal
evictions.
Those who have survived the ethnic purge have already
surrendered up to two thirds of their land to the government and many
provide expertise, financial help, and lend equipment to new, black
farmers.
Markham said in areas where the crop had been planted
timeously there were curing logjams as facilities previously used by one
commercial farmer were now shared by a few dozen.
"These poor
guys have borrowed money and they won't be able to pay back as their crop is
rotting before it can be cured."
.. This article was
originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on January 14,
2005
Bob's selfish distortion of horrific revolution sullies
beautiful island's history January 14, 2005
By Tony
Weaver
There are places in Africa that remain forever etched in my
mind, places of lyrical beauty, places I dream of and long for. Places like
the Simyen Mountains in Ethiopia, the plains of the Serengeti, the Mountains
of the Moon and the Bwindi Impenetrable forest in Uganda. And then there is
Zanzibar.
I remember my first trip across the waters on the
afternoon ferry from Dar es Salaam: squalls of late monsoon rain sweeping
through, closing down the world.
A swirl and a lift, and two
ocean-going jahazi dhows drifted by, another swirl and the mist began to
rise, the sun broke through a hole and the port of Zanzibar was suddenly
there. I understood why the Arab slavers, when they first saw this view,
said "zayn za'l barr" - fair is this island.
Yes, fair is this
island, but it is a fairness and a beauty that hides a terrible past. This
was the island that once held power of life and death over hundreds of
thousands of souls living on the mainland, the robber barons of Africa
sending deadly slave caravans into the interior.
They fed the
appetites of the New World sugar plantations of the West Indies, Brazil,
Cuba, the Caribbean and the Americas, concubines and eunuchs went forth as
sex slaves to the Middle East and Arabia, entire clans were sold for the
price of a bolt of cotton.
David Livingstone called the place
"Stinkibar", outraged by the stench of the slave trade. As the trade in
human flesh spread around the world, the merchants of misery stretched their
claws deep into Africa, beyond Lake Victoria into the rainforests of Zaire
and the Congo.
At any one time in the early 1800s, the slave
markets of Zanzibar were crowded with hundreds of terror-stricken slaves,
"mere skeletons of skin and bones, festering with sores and loathsome skin
diseases", as the British consul, Captain James Frederic Elton, put
it.
At the height of the trade, 50 000 slaves a year passed through
Zanzibar. Men and women, whose only life memory was that of the vast plains
and deep rainforests of east and central Africa, and of the shimmering
waters of Lake Malawi, were tossed into sordid underground pits, wet,
mouldy, insufferably hot and crawling with rats, to get them used to the
long journey ahead across the oceans, chained to the hulls of dhows and
merchantmen.
When the summer tradewinds blew from the
south-west, they carried the fragrance of drying cloves, the salt tang of
the Indian Ocean, the acrid ammonia of dried shark meat from the harbour,
and the stench of rotting flesh from the slave pits. Today, when the
monsoons howl through the palm groves of the east coast, the Zanzibaris say,
"hush, listen to the dead souls, listen to the slaves, they are
talking".
But it is not so much that history that is being
marked in Zanzibar today. The whole of this week, the people of Zanzibar are
commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1964 revolution which finally
overthrew the Sultan of Zanzibar and the Omani Dynasty.
Blood
flowed as executions and massacres rolled through the Stone Town. Arabs and
Indians were the target, as many as 5 000 died. A policy of official rape
was adopted against Arab and Persian girls, Shiva Naipaul claims in North of
South.
In the wake of the revolution, Abeid Karume imposed an
extreme, hardline form of socialist rule on the island, so hardline that
even his mainland counterpart, Julius Nyerere, found it unpalatable. He
invited in Chinese, North Korean and East German advisers and planners, and
one of the legacies of their glum and dull planning are the horrendous
blocks of flats across Creek Road at the back of the old Stone
Town.
Before the last bricks were laid, the flats were already a
slum, and the complex should be photographed and reproduced in every urban
planner's illustrated guide to the world's worst mistakes.
Today, the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba still smoulder with anger and
resentment about their stepchild relationship with the mainland. There is
grave trouble in paradise. There are tensions between the Arab, Indian and
Shirazi
Muslim descendants of the previous rulers and the
mainly black African Christians. There is a strong secessionist movement
that would like to see Zanzibar break away from Tanzania and the mainland
revert to being called Tanganyika.
It is in this context that
the island commemorates the 40th anniversary of the revolution. And it is in
this context that the man who would be Africa's revolutionary leader, Robert
Mugabe, spoke on Wednesday at the celebrations, and royally put his foot in
his mouth.
"In 1964, Zanzibar brought changes to its people by
refusing to be under colonists, the same with Zimbabwe later. You provided
your land to the majority people, as we did the same to our people, we must
not reverse back," he said.
That would have gone down well with
his hosts from mainland Tanzania, but will go down in history as one of the
most tactless speeches ever in the minds of the majority of Zanzibaris.
Bob's speechwriters need to read the history books before he opens his mouth
again.
By Staff Reporter Last updated: 01/14/2005 11:00:21 AN
unwilling South Africa was on Thursday sensationally dragged into the
Zimbabwe Spygate scandal in which several top officials face charges of
spying for foreign governments after it emerged the officials passed data on
economic and political developments in Zimbabwe to a South African
agent.
The dramatic developments came as the ruling Zanu PF's legislator
for Chinhoyi and the party's Mashonaland West provincial chairman took his
fight for bail to the High Court which held a session in open court,
providing some details about the nature of the charges Chiyangwa and three
others are facing.
State attorneys accuse Chiyangwa who is Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe's nephew of receiving up to US$10 000 monthly from a
South African agent to supply information. It is not known where that
information was sent from South Africa.
The revelations that South
Africa could be a possible destination for this information, or that it was
a conduit for data collected secretively in Zimbabwe will cause embarassment
for South African officials or even have an effect on regional politics,
observers said last night.
The South Aftrican government has insisted
that it will not interfere in Zimbabwe'sd political and economic
difficulties under what is now commonly known as that government's policy of
"quiet diplomacy".
South Africa, observers say, will now almost certainly
be forced to distance itself from the spying scandal.
Advocate Chris
Andersen contended at the High Court in Harare that passing information on
economic and political developments could not be interpreted as a
endangering national security under the country's Official Secrets Act. He
wants the High Court to reverse an earlier decision to remand Chiyangwa in
custody pending the completion of investigations.
"The failure of the
State to particularise the information is futile to the charge. Therefore,
accused should not have been placed on remand," said Adv
Andersen.
Advocate Andersen argued that the underlying inference to
South Africa as an enemy to Zimbabwe could not be reconciled with the
evident close cooperation between the two countries.
Meanwhile
Chiyangwa's co-accused, Zimbabwe's ambassador designate to Mozambique
Godfrey Dzvairo, Zanu PF external affairs secretary Itai Mahachi and former
Metropolitan Bank company secretary Tendai Matambanadzo failed in their
attempt to change their guilty pleas which they said they entered under
undue pressure.
They will now petition the High Court to be allowed to
alter their pleas. On Thursday, Harare Regional Magistrate Peter Kumbawa
said he was not satisfied there had been any undue pressure applied on the
trio. The three claim they were tortured.
Letter
1: RE: CFU, received 12 December 2004 by Mike Carter
Dear Mr
Shaw,
It seems that your appeal for donations to welcome the Vice
President has stirred up a hornets nest, and so it should.Perhaps it was your
threatening tone which got people going.I am glad that people still have the
energy to stand up for what is right.
The debate is not new.In fact
the dilemmas and questions have not changed in five years.
Should
people do what it takes to survive in Zimbabwe and damn the consequences? Or
should they be guided by morality,their consciences and the Rule of Law?
What are our actions teaching our children?
What is the legacy of ZanuPF
going to be?Is it going to be an historic and proud period which will benefit
generations to come?Will the people of Zimbabwe always look back to these
years as a time when the foundations were laid for future prosperity?Is this
the way you see it Mr Shaw? You appeal for unity without creating a vision
under which people can unite and so your appeal lacks sincerity.Are you
committed to Zimbabwe or are you looking for greener pastures?
It
seems Mr. Shaw that you have learnt different history lessons
than me.Although I accept that the African people need to empower
themselves,and that colonial injustice required correcting I do not see that
it should be at expense of other Zimbabweans nor that one injustice can be
rectified by another. I see this period of land reform as a time
of shame,disrespect,destruction,and disgrace.The violence and injustice
which have become associated with the process are characteristics from which
we should seek to distance ourselves, and our children, for fear
of contamination. In saying that I am not suggesting that people should
leave the country. More it is a question of attitude.The situation in which
we find ourselves in Zimbabwe is morally, politically,socially
and economically unacceptable and change is required.
Maybe you see
and judge things differently, and think that this is as good as it gets.Get
real, I can hear you saying; this is Africa.
Mr. Shaw if you do think you
are just being realistic in your position, I feel very sorry for your
children and I suggest you think seriously about moving to
Aussie.
Letter
2: RE: TREVOR SHAW'S RATIONALE, received 13 January 2005 by Bruce
Gemmill
"KAPOS" was a name given by the inmates of the Nazi extermination
camps to those Jews who in return for better food and a postponement of their
own extermination loaded the living and unloaded the dead from
the gas-chambers.
I do not put Mr Trevor Shaw [Chicken Shaw - see OLF
323, Editor] in the same category as the KAPOS, but the rationale is
identical.
Letter
3: RE: TREVOR SHAW, received 12 January 2005 by Johnny Rodrigues
Dear
JAG,
It goes without saying that Trevor Shaw has either lost his marbles,
or to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he's been in a coma for the
past 5 years.
Everything I wanted to say about Trevor's letter has
already been said so I'll just say that every cloud has a silver lining and
the best part of this whole fiasco is number of people who are openly
outraged at Trevor's request.
This gives me hope and it proves that
there are still a lot of courageous people out there.
Johnny
Rodrigues Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task
Force
Letter
4: ZIMBABWE SITUATION, received 13 January 2005 by Joyce Banes
Dear
JAG
I am writing from UK. I am not Zimbabwean but have very dear farmer
friends still living and working in Zimbabwe albeit under great
stress.
I have followed the events of all the white ( and now black)
farmers for over 4 years, and wept many days for them and felt so inadequate
in my support to them, e-mail is not the same as personal support.
I
am writing to object on their behalf to the letter enclosed below from Trevor
Midlane, he sounds like a very bitter man towards the ones who are fortunate
enough to still live on their farms, even though struggling to live.
I
can say with absolute confidence that no way, as devout Christians, would my
friends collaborate with the ruling (for the moment) party. They are still on
their farm because they would not leave their workers to starve while moving
to a safer country themselves when the opportunity arose.
I hope that now
the mistake has been pointed out by other letters regarding "Chicken" Shaw
and "Beef" Shaw there will be an apology coming soon from Mr Midlane to those
farmers whom he aimed his angry insults at. !
We were all angry and
bemused by the request but the only one who suffers by this angry attack is
you Mr Midlane, what have you gained by it.
?
Letter
5: DISPOSSED FARMERS, received 18 December 2004 Wynand
Breytenbach
Dear Sir,
As a follow up to the letters written by
Bruce Gemmel and Kevin Grant I wish to add the following:
I am also a
farmer that left Zimbabwe three and a half years ago. As a matter of fact,
Bruce's son and my son-in-law were two of the five farmers abducted from the
Murewa police station and severely tortured without the police lifting a
finger. This happened on the day David Stevens was murdered by the same gang
of "political activists".
Living in Australia now, and also having
extensive contacts with people in other countries, what struck me like a bolt
of lightning is that the outside world does not care a hoot about what is
really happening in Zimbabwe. Don't be fooled by the window -dressing of
half-hearted protests by some governments. Just look at their trade and
investment figures with Zimbabwe.
The only solution, I think, is to
forget trying to claim compensation from the Zimbabwe government but rather
instigate international claims for compensation against the tobacco and other
agricultural merchants who are buying produce from our stolen
farms.
Letter
6: ROADSIDE STOPS A THING OF THE PAST ......... by Derek and Margaret
Henning
Dear Jag
We would like to warn everyone against roadside
stops at "Layby's".
Just before Christmas, my wife and I were travelling
South, and at the 155km (Nuanetsi) peg on the Beitbridge Road we stopped for
a snack at a Lay-by which seemed to be completely free of "hangers on" who
normally occupy the table and chairs. After a few moments, two men appeared
from nowhere, obviously having been hidden in the bush across the
road.
In brief, we were unpleasantly robbed at knife point, of all our
cash, cell phones, and were about to be stripped of other belongings when I
managed to catch the eye of the driver in a passing car.
The kindly
couple in the car realized there was a problem and turned back and in no time
took chase after our assailants who fled into the bush.
We reported the
incident to the police at a roadblock some 10kms on, who informed us that an
African family were robbed at the same site the week before.
Since our
return we have heard of so many other incidents from roadside stops, and from
lifts given to strangers. It is very sad to think that yet another
traditional pleasure is a thing of the past.
Please would you warn all
your readers of the danger of stopping almost anywhere on the
road!
Derek and Margaret
Henning -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
Letter
7: ROY BENNETT UPDATE, received 9 January 2005 by Eddie Cross
Dear
JAG
Heather has seen Roy several times recently. Whatever Prison they put
Roy in he immediately becomes a problem as the prisoners treat him as a
hero and help him as much as possible. The petitions are coming in and we
meet shortly to decide what to do next. Keep the pressure up - contact
your local MP - even here in Zimbabwe, all politicians are susceptible
to pressure from the public. Write to your local media and use the stuff
we send out to you. Keeping Roy in the limelight may keep him
alive.
MDC may be able to retain Roy as a candidate in Chimanimani - he
would win I am sure and that would be one for the books! His team in
Chimanimani are very despondent - they need money and local support, if you
are up there - go and see them. Try to help with the transport problems if
you live in Harare. Dave Coltart went to try and see Roy but was refused
permission. Heather and the kids are fine - just struggling with the pressure
and the emotional situation.
All
letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions of the
submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice for
Agriculture
(JAG).
------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE
JAG TEAM
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