Morgan Tsvangirai arrested

Mens News Daily

January 22, 2008 at 10:44 pm

MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai, was arrested at his home in Harare at 4 am
this morning.
Police and water canons have been deployed all over Harare obviously with
instructions to prevent the planned demonstration for a free and fair
election from taking place. Police had given permission for the demo to be
held today but then withdrew that permission on Monday. A court hearing is
set down for 10am today to challenge the issue.

Mugabe's propaganda mouthpieces, The Herald and ZBC, hev been saying that
the MDC had called off the demo, which was untrue. The opposition MDC had
resolved to continue with a peaceful demo.

Zimbabwe's opposition leader detained

Reuters

Wed 23 Jan 2008, 4:32 GMT

HARARE (Reuters) - Police took away Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai in the middle of the night for questioning about a demonstration
planned for later on Wednesday, his lawyer said.

"The police are saying they want to know what he is planning to do today,"
lawyer Alec Muchadehama told Reuters by telephone.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) planned the march to press
veteran President Robert Mugabe for a new constitution to guarantee
parliamentary and presidential elections due in March are free and fair.

The MDC launched a legal challenge on Tuesday to a police ban on the march.

MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti told Reuters that Tsvangirai was picked up
from his home in a suburb of the capital Harare by plain-clothes officers.

"He was picked up at around 4 a.m. (2. a.m. British time) in respect of the
intended demonstration. His mobile phone is now off and we are really
worried," he said.

The lawyer said police also detained another MDC leader, Dennis Murira.

Mugabe has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980.

Tsvangirai was last arrested in March 2007 along with dozens of opposition
officials ahead of another planned march. He says police beat him up in
custody. They deny this.

The police had initially granted permission for this Wednesday's march,
which the MDC called to protest against a crumbling economy blamed on
government mismanagement as well as to press for a new constitution.

On Tuesday, lawyer Muchadehama said the Harare magistrate's court would hear
an application on Wednesday on overturning the ban, which police say was
prompted by fears the demonstration would degenerate into violence and
looting.

Zimbabweans have tended to shy away from demonstrations in recent years,
mainly from fear of a heavy-handed response by security forces.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe, written by Richard Meares)

Zimbabwe farmer loses fight, faces eviction

New Zimbabwe

By Lebo Nkatazo
Last updated: 01/23/2008 10:17:50
ZIMBABWE’S highest court on Tuesday dismissed a constitutional appeal by a
white farmer who was last month granted an interim relief by the SADC
tribunal allowing him to remain on his farm against eviction threats by the
government.

The ruling gives Zimbabwean authorities the power to carry through with the
eviction.

Chegutu farmer William Mike Campbell and his farming company, Mike Campbell
Limited, were challenging Constitutional Amendment Number 17 which states
that all farm land in Zimbabwe now belongs to the State and anybody who
wishes to utilise it has to apply for and be granted a lease agreement.

The Constitutional Amendment, passed in 2005, also removed the right of the
courts to adjudicate in land acquisition matters.

Campbell’s application was dismissed by the full bench of the Supreme
Court – Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku and Justices Ziyambi, Malaba,
Gwaunza and Garwe.

Last month, the SADC Tribunal ruled that Campbell should remain on his
expropriated farm until the Supreme Court in Harare rules on his appeal
case, which it has dismissed.

SADC Tribunal President Dr Louis Mondlane said in his ruling: “The Tribunal
grants the application pending the determination of the main case and orders
that the Republic of Zimbabwe shall take no steps, or permit no steps to be
taken, directly or indirectly, whether by its agents or by orders, to evict
from or interfere with the peaceful residence on and beneficial use of the
farm known as Mount Carmell in the Chegutu District in Zimbabwe, by Mike
Campbell Ltd and William Michael Campbell, their employees and the families
of such employees and of William Michael Campbell."

Apart from seeking an order nullifying the Amendment 17, the farmer also
wanted the court to reach a decision to the effect that “the right from
deprivation of property and the obligation on the state through the
acquiring authority to pay fair compensation for acquiring of
property…within a reasonable time as provided under the constitution has
been violated.”

However, the court dismissed the application.

The judges also supported the government’s ouster of their authority in such
matters saying: “The court of law shall have jurisdiction in a specific
class of cases… the intention of the legislature must be respected and
enforced.

“By a fundamental law, the legislature has unquestionably said that such an
acquisition shall not be challenged in any court of law. There cannot be any
clearer language by which the jurisdiction of the courts is excluded.”

Eat donkey meat! Mugabe's new whacky plan

New Zimbabwe

By Staff Reporter
Last updated: 01/23/2008 11:25:54
DESPERATE Zimbabwe government officials are toying with the idea of
recommending donkey meat as a substitute for beef which is in short supply
nationwide, New Zimbabwe.com has learnt.

Ministers have heard from government scientists and health officials about
the viability of donkey meat as an alternative to beef which vanished from
the official market following government price controls.

A government Principal Veterinary Public Health Officer Dr Kaurai Edward
Masanganise said there was no harm in consuming donkey meat. He said the
only limitation was deeply-seated social and cultural beliefs.

Masanganise told New Zimbabwe.com on Monday that research had shown donkey
meat was a healthy delicacy at par with beef, mutton, chicken and ostrich.
The findings have been passed on to ministers.

“Scientifically there is nothing wrong in eating donkey meat except that the
country’s regulations and statutory laws only permit the eating of livestock
such as cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and ostriches. Our social and cultural
background considers donkeys as animals for labour,” said Dr Masanganise.

Findings by the Zimbabwe scientists and health officials dovetail into a
recent research by Botswana’s National Food Technology Research Centre
(NFTRC) which concluded donkey meat was as good as fish and less susceptible
to disease.

The laboratory research findings and analysis on donkey meat came to the
conclusion that the meat was actually healthier than beef.

“The fats are quite good. The meat is nutritious and compared to beef donkey
meat is not susceptible to disease, they just don’t need to be overworked,”
said one of the researchers, Tumelo Tlhong.

The NFTRC stand was one of the most popular at the Global Expo Botswana held
last month. It was the only place where visitors with broader culinary taste
got to sample sausages made of donkey meat.

Not many visitors seemed keen on eating donkey meat. At the fair, there were
basically three groups -- those who swallowed mouthfuls without blinking,
the reluctant who nippled morsels before spitting them out and those who did
not touch the meat at all.

Although the Zimbabwe government is unlikely to recommend donkey meat, the
country faces the immediate problem of dwindling beef supplies as farmers
refuse to sell their cattle at government gazetted prices.

Unexamined beef has surfaced on the thriving black market.

In butcheries which have beef, a kilogramme is selling for between Z$15 and
Z$20 million.

The consumption of donkey meat might be one of the many ways to halt the
dependence on beef, at a time the country is making efforts to restore the
national herd, said Dr Masanganise.

Aid clash - Zanu insists on distributing food aid from donors

The Zimbabwean

Date: 22 Jan 2008

HARARE - The Zanu (PF) regime has clashed with Non Governmental
Organisations (NGO)s over the distribution of humanitarian aid, as it
insists on them channeling the assistance through its structures for
campaigning purposes ahead of the combined presidential and parliamentary
elections.

Crisis Coalition, an umbrella of civic organizations has confirmed that the
regime has stalled a lot of progress in the distribution of food aid, drugs,
clothing and blankets sourced by donor organizations and talks have reached
a deadlock. The regime is demanding that all aid should be distributed
through its channels, which includes district administrators, local
government officials as well as traditional leaders, long known for their
blind support and loyalty to Zanu (PF).

"There are problems and many donor organizations are failing to reach out to
the needy because of the impasse created by the insistence on the part of
government that it should be done through its channels," Jacob Mafume of
Crisis Coalition said.

The Zimbabwean also spoke to officials from Christian Care and World Vision,
who requested anonymity but confirmed that huge quantities of aid are being
held due to the impasse, adding there have already been some violent attacks
on their officials by Zanu (PF) activists in the countryside.

"We are being asked to surrender the aid to government and traditional
structures and then we follow behind them in the distribution," an official
with World Vision said. "This has created a problem and we are unable to
carry out the distribution programmes."

The beleaguered Mugabe regime is clutching at straws and leaving no stone
unturned in ensuring it sets up strategies for its sustained rigging system,
which also thrives largely on vote-buying through food and other forms of
aid.

The World Food Programme has said about 6 million Zimbabweans are in dire
need of humanitarian assistance and the situation is set to worsen due to
the failure of the current agricultural season through excessive rains and
the attendant problems associated with Mugabe's chaotic land reform
programme.

State Sponsored Violence comes to Bulawayo

The Zimbabwean

 Tuesday, 22 January 2008 22:37

By Chief Reporter
BULAWAYO - There is a covert campaign of nighttime intimidation in poor
ghettos here following a weekend street demonstration by pressure group
Ibhetshu Likazulu, which is demanding reparations for the Gukurahundi
atrocities.
The intimidation campaign has sparked fears that the violence visited on
Zimbabwe’s southwestern province of Matabeleland in the 1980s might recur as
part of President Robert Mugabe’s quest to keep power.
Until the past few days, the poor ghettoes of Makokoba and Mzilikazi, mainly
peopled by members of the Ndebele ethnic group, had been largely untouched
by the political turmoil gripping the rest of the country.
But there are reports of a State-sanctioned crackdown involving ruling party
activists against Ibhetshu Likazuku activists, most of whom  live  in
Makokoba and Mzilikazi.
Security agencies were racing to check intelligence on the group following a
weekend demo which caught police flat-footed.
Residents tell of being woken in the middle of the night by the sound of
rapping on their doors.
“ZANU thugs from Davies Hall are trying to terrorize us and to force us to
attend their political meetings,” declares Mishkei Ncube, referring to
Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party.
Qhubekani Dube, a spokesperson for Ibhetshu Likazulu demands that there
should be a “truth and reconciliation commission” to heal the wounds of the
Gukurahundi affected and survivors.
“We will not rest despite all this intimidation,” Dube says. “The President
should be held accountable for the Gukurahundi atrocities and should be
taken to the International Court.”
Between 1983 and 1984, Mugabe, whose political force depended largely on
Shona support, sent the army’s fifth brigade into the Matabeleland to crush
supporters of his erstwhile ally in the war of independence against
white-run Rhodesia, ZAPU party leader Joshua Nkomo.
The ensuing massacres claimed the lives of at least 20,000 Ndebeles.
Now the region has become a stronghold for the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC), and once again the political tide appears to be
pointing towards a new round of ethnic and party political persecution prior
to critical general elections provisionally set for March. And Ibhetshu
Likazulu’s agenda to open “ethnic wounds” has fuelled the tension.
”We are undoubtedly going to become targets of violence before the
elections,” says Dube.
According to a police signal seen by The Zimbabwean, reference number
LM05/2008, from Officer Commanding Bulawayo District, Senior Assistant
Commissioner L.D. Muchemwa, to Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri,
Ibhetshu Likazulu is listed among organizations whose leaders have been
placed under “strict surveillance” by the Bulawayo Law and Order Section as
well as the Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI).
“Our Law and Order and PISI details have been deployed to monitor and report
on the activities of these,” says the internal memo. “Their residential
places are also subject to daily routine checks, so as to gather as much
information as possible on their plans and people who pay them.”
Unlike Mugabe's followers, veterans from the region who fought alongside
Nkomo during the war of independence from 1972 to 1979 are highly suspicious
of Mugabe, although they have been co-opted into Zanu (PF). They have raised
concerns on the cherry picking of “national heroes” and see a conspiracy to
undermine the outstanding cadres from the region and from formerly ZIPRA
combatants.
According to locals, the only violent incidents in the region - have been
carried out by groups brought in from Harare and questioned why the Officer
Commanding Bulawayo District was a “Shona”.
“The present campaign of violence bears all the marks of what happened in
the 1980s,” declares Dube.
Zenzele Ndebele, a youth activist who produced a movie, “Gukurahundi -
Moment of Madness” on the atrocities in Matabeleland says from 1983, the
fifth brigade carried out a systematic campaign aimed at crushing
Matabeleland’s native population through the use of torture, beatings,
prison camps and mass executions.
”The methods being used at the moment and those used by the fifth brigade
are strikingly similar,” says Ndebele, who has been forced to go into hiding
since the launch of his movie in South Africa. He spoke to The Zimbabwean at
a secret location.
His movie, produced last year, highlighted the frequent physical assaults by
firth brigade troops, which have been repeated in the past few days in
attacks police details and ruling party activists on Ibhetshu Likazulu
activists.
Likewise, another fifth brigade party trick has been given a fresh outing in
veteran-run camps.
Back in the Matabeleland campaign, villagers would be herded together for a
perverse festival, where “the songs were in an unfamiliar language, the
dance was forced, the slogans were anti-ZAPU and the ‘festivities’ were
accompanied by beatings and killings,” says the preamble of another report
produced by the Catholic Commission on Justice and Peace on the atrocities,
named ‘Breaking The Silence.’
”The past is catching up with us,” murmurs Sinikiwe of Mzikilikazi. “I just
wish they (Ibhetshu Likazulu) allow this Gukurahundi issue to rest. They
will be a fierce backlash if we are not

BULAWAYO - There is a covert campaign of nighttime intimidation in poor
ghettos here following a weekend street demonstration by pressure group
Ibhetshu Likazulu, which is demanding reparations for the Gukurahundi
atrocities.
The intimidation campaign has sparked fears that the violence visited on
Zimbabwe’s southwestern province of Matabeleland in the 1980s might recur as
part of President Robert Mugabe’s quest to keep power.
Until the past few days, the poor ghettoes of Makokoba and Mzilikazi, mainly
peopled by members of the Ndebele ethnic group, had been largely untouched
by the political turmoil gripping the rest of the country.
But there are reports of a State-sanctioned crackdown involving ruling party
activists against Ibhetshu Likazuku activists, most of whom  live  in
Makokoba and Mzilikazi.
Security agencies were racing to check intelligence on the group following a
weekend demo which caught police flat-footed.
Residents tell of being woken in the middle of the night by the sound of
rapping on their doors.
“ZANU thugs from Davies Hall are trying to terrorize us and to force us to
attend their political meetings,” declares Mishkei Ncube, referring to
Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party.
Qhubekani Dube, a spokesperson for Ibhetshu Likazulu demands that there
should be a “truth and reconciliation commission” to heal the wounds of the
Gukurahundi affected and survivors.
“We will not rest despite all this intimidation,” Dube says. “The President
should be held accountable for the Gukurahundi atrocities and should be
taken to the International Court.”
Between 1983 and 1984, Mugabe, whose political force depended largely on
Shona support, sent the army’s fifth brigade into the Matabeleland to crush
supporters of his erstwhile ally in the war of independence against
white-run Rhodesia, ZAPU party leader Joshua Nkomo.
The ensuing massacres claimed the lives of at least 20,000 Ndebeles.
Now the region has become a stronghold for the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC), and once again the political tide appears to be
pointing towards a new round of ethnic and party political persecution prior
to critical general elections provisionally set for March. And Ibhetshu
Likazulu’s agenda to open “ethnic wounds” has fuelled the tension.
”We are undoubtedly going to become targets of violence before the
elections,” says Dube.
According to a police signal seen by The Zimbabwean, reference number
LM05/2008, from Officer Commanding Bulawayo District, Senior Assistant
Commissioner L.D. Muchemwa, to Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri,
Ibhetshu Likazulu is listed among organizations whose leaders have been
placed under “strict surveillance” by the Bulawayo Law and Order Section as
well as the Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI).
“Our Law and Order and PISI details have been deployed to monitor and report
on the activities of these,” says the internal memo. “Their residential
places are also subject to daily routine checks, so as to gather as much
information as possible on their plans and people who pay them.”
Unlike Mugabe's followers, veterans from the region who fought alongside
Nkomo during the war of independence from 1972 to 1979 are highly suspicious
of Mugabe, although they have been co-opted into Zanu (PF). They have raised
concerns on the cherry picking of “national heroes” and see a conspiracy to
undermine the outstanding cadres from the region and from formerly ZIPRA
combatants.
According to locals, the only violent incidents in the region - have been
carried out by groups brought in from Harare and questioned why the Officer
Commanding Bulawayo District was a “Shona”.
“The present campaign of violence bears all the marks of what happened in
the 1980s,” declares Dube.
Zenzele Ndebele, a youth activist who produced a movie, “Gukurahundi -
Moment of Madness” on the atrocities in Matabeleland says from 1983, the
fifth brigade carried out a systematic campaign aimed at crushing
Matabeleland’s native population through the use of torture, beatings,
prison camps and mass executions.
”The methods being used at the moment and those used by the fifth brigade
are strikingly similar,” says Ndebele, who has been forced to go into hiding
since the launch of his movie in South Africa. He spoke to The Zimbabwean at
a secret location.
His movie, produced last year, highlighted the frequent physical assaults by
firth brigade troops, which have been repeated in the past few days in
attacks police details and ruling party activists on Ibhetshu Likazulu
activists.
Likewise, another fifth brigade party trick has been given a fresh outing in
veteran-run camps.
Back in the Matabeleland campaign, villagers would be herded together for a
perverse festival, where “the songs were in an unfamiliar language, the
dance was forced, the slogans were anti-ZAPU and the ‘festivities’ were
accompanied by beatings and killings,” says the preamble of another report
produced by the Catholic Commission on Justice and Peace on the atrocities,
named ‘Breaking The Silence.’
”The past is catching up with us,” murmurs Sinikiwe of Mzikilikazi. “I just
wish they (Ibhetshu Likazulu) allow this Gukurahundi issue to rest. They
will be a fierce backlash if we are not  [article ends here...]

Harare gives banks week to clear cash queues

Zim Online

by Nokhutula Sibanda Wednesday 23 January 2008

HARARE - Finance Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi on Tuesday ordered bank
executives to clear queues within a week or face stern action as Zimbabwe
struggles to end a three-month cash shortage that has seen thousands of
people spend long hours at banking halls queuing for cash.

The cash shortage that analysts say is chiefly the result of an acute
economic crisis blamed on President Robert Mugabe’s policies has persisted
despite the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) injecting new, higher
denomination bank notes into the market last week.

At a meeting with bankers held at the RBZ’s Harare head office, Mumbengegwi
blamed the cash crisis on the executives he accused of engaging in what he
called “non-banking activities.”

Mumbengegwi did not say what the non-banking activities were but the term is
often used to refer to illicit trading on the illegal but lucrative black
market for foreign currency.

In no nonsense mood, Mumbengegwi said: “Those queues have to disappear
soonest before government resumes business next week because I will not
defend you against (punishment).”

He said if the queues were not cleared, he would authorise the central bank
to take appropriate action, adding: “Those who are tired of banking should
get out of the sector voluntarily. If they don't, they will be pushed out.”

Mumbengegwi's remarks came a day after RBZ chief Gideon Gono accused some
banks of not collecting their cash allocations from the central bank, as
they did not have equivalent sums or sufficient collateral deposited with
the monetary authorities.

Mumbengegwi, who was elevated to the Exchequer in a mini-reshuffle last
year, said his department would not address the exchange rate unless the
speculative purposes prevailing in the economy stopped.

“Where on earth do you see an exchange rate based on speculation?
Speculative behaviour must disappear immediately,” Mumbengegwi said.

Gono, who was present at the meeting, warned he might have to order the
closure of banks failing to play by the book.

“We have no intentions of killing any bank but if pressure continues I will
find little excuse to reduce the numbers,” said Gono, who four years ago
forced several banks and other financial firms to close after they failed to
meet standards.

Zimbabwe has experienced serious cash shortages since last October. The
authorities blame the currency shortages on cash barons they say have
siphoned off huge amounts of cash from banks – with the help of unethical
bank executives - to the lucrative black market to fund fuel deals and
foreign currency trade.

But analysts have dismissed this, finding fault with the government’s
economic policies, which have created a fertile ground for corrupt and
illegal business practices by a minority while the majority suffers. -
ZimOnline

Mugabe meets Makoni

Zim Online

by Patricia Mpofu Wednesday 23 January 2008

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe on Monday held closed-door discussions with
Simba Makoni, his former finance minister who local and foreign media has
speculated could lead a rebellion against the veteran leader.

There have been several reports in recent weeks suggesting Makoni was on the
verge of leading a group of rebels from Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party to
form a new opposition party to contest elections set for March.

None of the reports – all largely based on nameless sources - have provided
tangible evidence of an impending rebellion in the ruling party.

Both Makoni and Mugabe have not commented on the newspaper articles while
leading political analysts have ruled out the possibility of Makoni or any
other ZANU PF leader breaking away from Mugabe at this point.

A senior official in Mugabe’s office told ZimOnline that Makoni met the
President for an hour at his State House presidential palace on Monday, the
same day some international reports alleged the former minister had resigned
from ZANU PF.

“He met with his Excellency on Monday afternoon,” said the usually reliable
source, who we cannot name because he did not have permission to disclose
the meeting to the media.

Our source was not privy to the discussions between Makoni and Mugabe.

Makoni is the founding secretary general of the Southern African Development
Coordinating Conference, for-runner to the Southern African Development
Community.

He is widely respected in business circles and across the political divide
but critics say he lacks grassroots support of his own. - ZimOnline

Zimbabweans Abroad Demand Election Postponement, Right To Vote For Expatriates

VOA

      By Carole Gombakomba
      Washington
      22 January 2008

Zimbabwean political activists in what is known as the diaspora say it is
unrealistic for the government to propose to hold national elections in
March as there are numerous issues which must be addressed for those
elections to be free and fair.

Zimbabweans abroad - a quarter of the country's population - are also
pushing for the right to vote in the next elections, though as in past
ballots the government says it will not make provision for Zimbabwean
emigrés to vote.

Zimbabweans in Britain marched on Saturday to press for the "diaspora vote,"
and exiles living in South Africa say they will hand over a petition at the
Zimbabwean High Commission in Pretoria asking the Harare government to make
provision for the estimated 2 million Zimbabweans in South Africa to
exercise their franchise.

Human rights activist and Web blogger Charles Mutama of Maryland told
reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that boycotting
the elections as the opposition threatens to do is the right course of
action, as the ballots are shaping up to fall short of Southern African
Development Community guidelines.

Exiled Zimbabweans can vote wherever they are

Nehanda Radio

23 January 2008

By Geoffrey Nyarota

EXILED Zimbabweans can vote in the forthcoming general elections, wherever
they may be situated in the Diaspora and they do not even need to be
registered on the voters’ roll.

Zimbabwe’s export earnings peaked at US$3, 4 billion in 1997. Last year’s
export earnings were expected to generate only about US$1, 3 billion in
foreign currency in a situation of persistent decline, despite the massive
increases in global commodity prices.

Meanwhile, remittances from exiled Zimbabweans, estimated at anything
between two and three million, now constitute roughly 50 percent of the
foreign exchange earnings available to the country’s economy. At an
estimated US$100 million a month the remittances now match the value of
export earnings. These remittances, which represent the sweat and sacrifice
of the Zimbabwean expatriate community, who in many cases eke a living in
the Diaspora to support families back at home, have therefore become an
important and reliable source of hard currency for Zimbabwe.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has become notorious for printing the trillions
of Zimbabwe dollars used to purchase foreign currency on the streets, thus
fuelling the depreciation of our currency as well as run-away inflation, now
estimated at more than 24 000 percent.

The hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans, who have access to the US$100
million remitted monthly by relatives in the Diaspora, now make regular
shopping pilgrimages to South Africa, Botswana and, of all the places,
Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Mozambique has even dispensed with the need
for visas in order to facilitate the inflow of foreign currency brought into
the country by desperate Zimbabweans.

Exiled Zimbabweans now represent a reliable source of considerable levels of
foreign currency for their arrogant and ungrateful government. Their foreign
currency remittances also cushion ordinary Zimbabweans from the suffering
that their government otherwise inflicts upon them daily.

If Zimbabwean exiles were to withhold these remittances, that action would
have an immediate and catastrophic impact on the Zimbabwean economy, apart
from condemning millions of Zimbabweans to abject poverty and the threat of
instant starvation. Petroleum supplies would be instantly crippled, for
instance. So would the already diminished supply of electricity, a large
percentage of which is imported from neighbouring countries.

While the Diaspora community now plays a crucial role in sustaining their
country’s economy and ensuring the welfare of citizens, they are not
officially recognized by their government. In fact they are ridiculed,
especially by President Robert Mugabe.

They are denied the vote. Zimbabwe faces landmark elections in March which,
for the first time, will harmonize presidential, parliamentary and local
government polls.

While the Diaspora community will not vote, they have the power to influence
the outcome of the election. They, in fact, constitute a powerful voting
block. Their hard-earned foreign currency remittances could easily become
their ballot paper if wisely used.

If the entire Diaspora population were to withhold any remittances to
Zimbabwe during the month of February, the last month before the March 2008
elections, that action would have profound ramifications on the conduct and
outcome of the elections.

The government would be denied of 50 percent of the foreign currency
available to it at a crucial period. Deprived of foreign currency ordinary
Zimbabweans, the electorate, would be confronted by the harsh reality of the
extent to which they have become dependent on the goodwill of kith and kin
in the Diaspora.

In the absence of the US$100 million safety cushion, which is inflated from
the Diaspora, the population would suddenly come face-to-face with the
ravages of the economic melt-down. Even the rural electorate would approach
the polling stations in a state of unmitigated anger. The task of the
opposition would be to ensure that all registered voters actually go to the
polls on election day.

Smith was dislodged from power in 1980 through a protracted and bloody
guerilla war waged from outside the country. Mugabe could, likewise, be
defeated, partly through such a bloodless coup orchestrated from the
Diaspora

Yes, our people may suffer as a result but that is a sacrifice they may have
to make for the future well-being of our nation. Zimbabweans made worse
sacrifices and took greater risks during the protracted war of independence.
Provision would be allowed in life-threatening situations, such as the
purchase of medical prescriptions.

Suffering and sacrifice are indispensable elements of any revolution
inspired by the quest for political change.

It is absurd that the citizens of Zimbabwe should collectively sit back
while waiting for President Thabo Mbeki to reach out across the Limpopo to
deliver them from suffering and humiliation at the hands of those they
elected to power long before Mbeki became president. Neither should
Zimbabweans expect Tsvangirai and Mutambara, each in his own way to rescue
them, while they subject them to incessant and arrogant criticism and
condemnation.

For this strategy to achieve maximum effect Zimbabwean politicians would
have to play a complementary role in the national interest. Morgan
Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara, Jonathan Moyo, and any other progressive
politicians in the ranks of the opposition would have to cast their petty,
divisive and ethnic differences aside to mount a united campaign against
Zanu-PF. If Mugabe and PF-Zapu leader, the late Dr Joshua Nkomo, could join
hands in the interests of national salvation, why should Tsvangirai and
Welshman Ncube not be able to do so?

Dr Simba Makoni, who has not denied persistent reports, especially in the
British press, that he is planning to launch a new political party, should
seriously consider joining hands with existing opposition politicians.
Otherwise he and retired general, Solomon Mujuru, said to be his ally, will
forever be condemned for splitting the opposition campaign while
strengthening the hand of a beleaguered Mugabe a few weeks before the
elections.

Sections of the seemingly omniscient British press may say they are the most
serious challenge ever to be faced by Mugabe within his party, but the
elections scheduled for much will not be Zanu-PF primaries.

Zimbabweans must of necessity assume ownership of the process of
post-independence liberation and democratization. They must look back with
pride well into the future and be able to say without hesitation, “We
liberated ourselves twice from the ravages of discrimination, oppression,
deprivation, dictatorship and humiliation.”

Despite an aura of arrogance and invincibility, Mugabe and Zanu-PF are
certainly not invincible.-The Zimbabwe Times.

Harare And Other Zimbabwean Cities Without Electricity For Fourth Day

VOA

      By Patience Rusere
      Washington
      22 January 2008

Most of Zimbabwe was without electric power Tuesday for the fourth straight
day.

Officials at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority blamed technical
problems in Zambia, saying imbalances in regional distribution grid caused a
blackout that affected Zambia and other countries in the Southern African
sub-region.

Sources reported a total blackout in Harare with power restored by midday in
parts of the city. Some districts in Bulawayo had power while Bindura
enjoyed a steady supply due to its proximity to Mozambique and a deal with
power authorities in that country.

ZESA officials said they were doing all they could to restore normal
service, though the country has been subject to rolling blackouts for many
months.

Correspondent Irwin Chifera told reporter Patience Rusere that ZESA promised
that power could be restored in most parts of the capital by midnight
Tuesday.

The widespread and persistent power cuts have dealt another blow to
manufacturing firms and businesses in general, many of which have been
forced to close their doors for lack of electricity to carry on operations.

Economist and businessman Eddie Cross, also a policy coordinator for the
opposition faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai, said that for every day that it
goes without power the country is losing one half of one percent of its
gross domestic product.

Police vow to arrest participants in banned march

Monsters and Critics

Jan 22, 2008, 20:44 GMT

Harare/Johannesburg - Police in Zimbabwe Tuesday warned that anyone taking
part in a banned march by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
would face the full wrath of the law.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said the police were sticking to the ban
of the 'freedom march' organized for Wednesday by the Morgan Tsvangirai-led
MDC.

'The position still remains that the march has been cancelled,' Bvudzijena
said in comments carried on state television.

Earlier Tuesday, the MDC said it would procede with the march despite the
police ban.

The party says it wants to test the sincerity of President Robert Mugabe's
ruling Zanu-PF party after the long-time leader signed into law an amendment
to the security regulations that in principle make it easier for people to
demonstrate.

The march was meant to call for food, jobs and a new constitution before
elections that President Robert Mugabe insists will be held in March.

© 2008 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Defiant MDC Call for Peaceful Rally Despite Police Ban

SW Radio Africa (London)

22 January 2008
Posted to the web 22 January 2008

Tererai Karimakwenda And Tichaona Sibanda

The MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai has announced that the protest march
organised for Wednesday will go ahead as scheduled, despite a police ban.
The party was informed last minute on Monday that they would not be allowed
to proceed with their "freedom march" even though they had notified the
police weeks in advance.

The MDC secretary for Home Affairs, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, described the police
action as "totally unreasonable, provocative and in bad taste." He added
that most of their supporters were not aware of the police ban because there
was no electricity in the country since Saturday, and communication was
difficult, if not impossible.

Nkomo said: "To start with, the majority of our supporters do not tune in to
all ZBC radio and TV channels because of its pro-ZANU-PF stance. I also
believe that Wayne Bvudzijena was speaking to a dark world because our
radios could not carry out his message."

This was in reference to reports that Assistant Police Commissioner
Bvudzijena broadcast a series of statements all day Tuesday portraying the
opposition party as a violent organisation. Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa
heard these broadcasts on state run radio and said Bvudzijena accused party
leader Morgan Tsvangirai of inciting chaos and violence against the
government, during his address at a weekend rally in Highfields.

But Muchemwa, who was also at the rally, said Tsvangirai stressed that the
Wednesday protests should be peaceful. The MDC leader also urged his
supporters to show restraint if confronted by hostile elements.

Sipepa Nkomo accused Bvudzijena and the police of hypocrisy because two
months ago they provided a police escort and allowed ZANU-PF supporters to
run through the centre of town during their so-called "million march." Now
the MDC was being denied the same privilege, even after following procedures
as stipulated in the new rules signed into law by Robert Mugabe a week ago.
Nkomo said they had believed that ZANU-PF was beginning to be sincere by
signing new amendments into law, that govern the right to assembly.

"It's not a case of defying police orders but we are within the laws that
allow us freedom to assemble, freedom to demonstrate without police
interference," said Nkomo.

Mugabe Blocks Gono From Naming Corrupt Officials

SW Radio Africa (London)

ANALYSIS
22 January 2008
Posted to the web 22 January 2008

Tererai Karimakwenda

There are media reports that Robert Mugabe has blocked the parliamentary
committee on Finance and Economic Development from questioning Reserve Bank
of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Gideon Gono about the country's serious cash
shortages. Gono had offered to name individuals who were hoarding money and
engaging in illegal activities on the black market, including senior
government and ruling party officials that he called "cash barons." But
according to reports Mugabe told the committee to wait until after the
elections to conduct the hearing.

It is believed the move was meant to prevent an embarrassing situation for
the ruling party, ahead of the elections scheduled for March. Zimbabweans
will be electing a president as well as members of parliament and rural
council representatives. Many of the "cash barons" on Gono's list will be
candidates for these posts and so it is clear why Mugabe has interfered.

The RBZ introduced larger denominations of bearers cheques and increased the
maximum withdrawal limits last week. This has not produced the desired
result of eliminating bank queues for individuals seeking to withdraw their
money. Some banks have already reduced their withdrawal limits from the
recent increase of Z$500 million set by the RBZ, to Z$200 million.

A Reuters report on Monday said Gono blamed the banks for the current cash
shortages. He said: "Notwithstanding the high levels of cash stocks sitting
at the Reserve Bank ready for dispatch into the market, some banking
institutions have been engaging in imprudent and unethical practices which
are creating artificial queues for cash."

Gono was implying that there are stacks of cash at the RBZ which the banks
are not picking up. But economist John Robertson said he believes Fidelity
Printers, who were hired to produce the new notes for the RBZ, did not
succeed in completing the job on time, because of the continuing power cuts
that are having a severe impact on businesses.

Robertson also blamed the Reserve Bank itself for the cash shortages. He
said there is a "statutory reserve ratio" which requires banks to deposit
50% of all money received, back to the Reserve Bank. In other countries the
ratio is only 12-15%. This leaves Zimbabwe's banks without enough cash.

Ultimately the government has no long term solutions for the country's
economic woes. Unofficial estimates say inflation is 150,000%. At that rate
it is impossible to print enough money to keep up. It is now urgent that the
broader political crisis is resolved, before the economy can even begin to
stabilise.

Children starve as Zimbabwe's grain goes to make luxury dog food

The Scotsman

By Jane Fields
In Harare
THE state-run grain company in Zimbabwe has turned to making luxury dog
food, while up to four million of the country's people starve.

Doggy's Delight is a new product from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), the
only firm to which farmers are allowed to sell their wheat and maize.

It is supposed to supply millers with grain for flour to make bread. But, in
addition to making dog food, the company has announced that it will focus on
poultry feeds this year.

Recent figures show Zimbabwe has a 360,000-tonne shortfall of maize – used
to make the staple mealie-meal – and a 255,000-tonne wheat shortfall.

That means more than a third of Zimbabweans are likely to need food aid in
the run-up to presidential and parliamentary elections in March, according
to aid agencies.

With probably less than ten weeks to go before the polls, there are fears
Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party will once again offer food for votes –
the government has started secretly importing food from Malawi.

The GMB is delighted with the success of Doggy's Delight, a pre-cooked,
high-protein instant dog meal. "Production of dog food by the GMB is now on
full throttle," said the company nutritionist, William Ndindana.

Five tonnes of Doggy's Delight are being produced every day, according to
reports. But Zimbabwe's hungry hounds won't get much of a taste of the new
product, which is primarily intended for the export market.

Such exports earn foreign currency – vital for the government, which is
grappling with the highest inflation rate in the world at nearly 8,000 per
cent.

Shortages of basics following Mr Mugabe's disastrous price blitz in July and
the soaring cost of imported goods mean struggling Zimbabweans are finding
it hard enough to feed themselves, let alone their animals. Ten kilos of
regular dog biscuits cost about 35 million Zimbabwe dollars (£583 at the
official rate of exchange) – more than a teacher's monthly salary.

The cash squeeze appears to have forced many people to turn household pets
out into the streets. Packs of starving dogs now roam residential suburbs.

At the height of meat shortages last year, reports from the east of the
country said a local man had even tried eating dog, which is taboo in
Zimbabwe.

To make matters even worse for the residents of Harare and other Zimbabwean
cities, they have been hit by the second major power cut in three days.

The power went off on Monday evening and had still not returned yesterday
afternoon.

Traffic lights were not working in most of Harare; water supplies were cut;
telephone lines down, and radio transmission was interrupted.

"This country's really bad now. It's on its knees," said George, a caretaker
at a block of flats in a Harare suburb. "No power, no phone, no water. No
mealie-meal. We're starving."

Tensions are rising in the country after the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) vowed to go ahead with a protest march through the
streets of the capital today, even though it has been banned by police. The
so-called Freedom March is meant to rival the Million Man March held in
support of Mr Mugabe last November.

The organisers say the march is to call for food, jobs and free and fair
elections. Police initially gave it the go-ahead, but late on Monday, a
spokesman told state radio it had been cancelled because police did not
believe it would take place in "a peaceful and tranquil environment".

Yesterday, the MDC vowed to ignore the ban. "The march is on", said its
spokesman Nelson Chamisa, who was badly beaten when police broke up an
opposition prayer rally last March.

Zimbabwe's state media has accused the opposition of "spoiling for a fight".

SET FOR ELECTION 'ONSLAUGHT'

ROBERT Mugabe, who is 84 next month, is due to name the election date in the
next few days, and his supporters are gearing for a fight.

In a chilling threat last week, war veterans, who spearheaded the invasion
of white-owned farms, said they were launching an "onslaught" to ensure his
ruling Zanu-PF party wins. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans'
Association said its members were "on a mission to defend our motherland".

The MDC says it will boycott the polls unless Mr Mugabe agrees to adopt a
new constitution ahead of the vote.

Changes to Zimbabwe's media, security and electoral laws were rushed through
parliament at the end of 2007. They became law on 11 January.

Sources say the media amendments will be put to the test in coming weeks as
foreign journalists seek visas and state media accreditation to visit
Zimbabwe for the elections. In the recent past, foreign journalists have
routinely been denied access.

Last Updated: 22 January 2008 10:22 PM