Friday, 29 January 2010
Morgan Tsvangirai admitted working with Mr Mugabe was
frustrating |
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has urged the
easing of targeted sanctions, saying there ought to be a reward for Zimbabwe's
progress.
His party joined a unity government with President Robert Mugabe's nearly a
year ago with the intention of easing the country's economic crisis.
He told the BBC at the World Economic Forum that he had come to Davos to
clarify misconceptions about Zimbabwe.
He said the country was now on an "irreversible path to change".
"It's not as if I'm here as a salesman of Zimbabwe, I'm here to clarify
certain misconceptions because I think there's been so much negative perception
about Zimbabwe," he told the BBC's Today programme.
He appealed to investors to come and see for themselves how much progress had
been made.
|
It is a very positive signal, very positive signal to those who
doubt that they have anything to benefit from this inclusive government
|
He admitted there were still "incidents" and it was frustrating that
agreements reached in principle with President Mugabe on the unity government
were still not being carried out.
But he said he believed the level of political risk was far reduced from what
it had been a year ago.
He admitted certain benchmarks still had to be reached and it was up to
Western capitals to decide, but said there was a case for easing the West's
targeted sanctions against his former opponents - to make them see that
supporting Zimbabwe's unity government was worthwhile.
"It is a very positive signal, very positive signal to those who doubt that
they have anything to benefit from this inclusive government," he said.
Mr Tsvangirai also said that he expected a referendum on a new constitution
would lead to new elections next year and Zimbabwe's people could then elect a
government of their choice.
However, public consultations on a new constitution were suspended last week.
The unity government has halted the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy by
allowing the use of foreign currency but some former opposition activists say
they are still being intimidated by Mr Mugabe's hardline supporters.
|
Only
Zuma can save Zim GNU: MDC
http://www.citypress.co.za/
2010-01-29 15:15
By Tangai
Chipangura
Zimbabwe's coalition government is in danger of collapse and
only President Jacob Zuma's quick intervention can save this shaky
three-legged administration.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said on Friday that internal
negotiations to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which gave birth to the
inclusive government, were as good as dead.
"It is clear for everyone
to see that the negotiations between us and President Mugabe's party have
died. The only chance that remains is President Zuma and Sadc's immediate
intervention. The inclusive government is now in grave danger of collapse,"
Nelson Chamisa, the MDC spokesperson, told City Press.
President
Robert Mugabe on Wednesday blocked any further negotiations with the MDC
demanding that Tsvangirai causes the immediate removal of all Western
sanctions, imposed on him and his party, before Zanu PF could consider
implementing any of the GPA agreements.
He labelled Tsvangirai and his
party "a treacherous tool of the British and western imperialism" whose
"role in the evil saga of the imposition of illegal sanctions now stands
exposed for all to see".
The inclusive government, formed after an
unlikely unity between Mugabe and Tsvangirai's parties last February, has
been hanging by a thread ever since its inception because of endless
power-sharing squabbles.
Sadc has convened numerous summits in a bid to
settle the wrangles and its last directive to the Zimbabwean leaders was to
deal with a list of outstanding issues brought forward by Mugabe and
Tsvangirai that the regional body deemed legitimate.
Zanu PF's main
concerns were the removal of sanctions and the closure of foreign based
radio stations beaming into Zimbabwe.
The MDC's list of outstanding
issues include the controversial appointments of Reserve Bank Governor
Gideon Gono, Attorney General Johannes Tomana, the country's ten provincial
governors and the refusal by Mugabe to swear Tsvangirai's close aide Roy
Bennett as junior agriculture minister.
On Wednesday, Mugabe's party
flatly refused to even consider the issues of Gono, Tomana and provincial
governors saying those were not negotiable.
Zanu PF went further to
"instruct" its negotiators to immediately stop making any concessions in the
negotiations until Tsvangirai ''removed'' the sanctions inhibiting Mugabe
and his Zanu PF fat cats from travelling to Western countries.
The
latest Zanu PF intransigence comes in the wake of recent statements by
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to the effect that Britain would
only remove the sanction at the behest of Tsvangirai's party.
"Zanu
PF should stop making funny excuses," said Chamisa. "We are not seeking any
concessions from them.
"Everything outstanding in the GPA has already
been agreed to. All we want from them is to implement those agreements.
Miliband is a flimsy excuse which they cannot hide behind.
"They
simply want the inclusive government dead and we have been aware of that
intention for a long time."
Minister of State in Prime Minister
Tsvangirai's office, Gorden Moyo said Miliband's statement simply reflected
the confidence that Britain had in Tsvangirai and his integrity in the
inclusive government.
He denied Miliband implied Tsvangirai would be
listened to by Britain because he was the one who had called for the
sanctions. "We cannot be blamed for being credible. It is not our problem
that the world seems to see the prime minister and his party as the voice of
conscience.
"Those that think so are missing the point completely. It
is the credibility of the PM in the inclusive government that has caused the
British to make those statements and not because the PM had invited those
sanctions because he never did," minister Moyo said.
MDC
notifies SADC of deadlock in GPA talks
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda 29 January
2010
The MDC-T on Friday accused ZANU PF of 'logjamming the Global
Political Agreement talks,' and called for renewed SADC mediation between
the two political parties.
"ZANU PF is the main cause for the
deadlock in talks. They want negotiations devoid of principles, that is to
say endless talks," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said in an interview with
SW Radio Africa.
He said a message has been sent to SADC informing them
that talks between the two parties were 'as good as dead' after ZANU PF
indicated they would not concede to any further demands from the
MDC.
"All we are waiting for now is for the negotiators to formally agree
there is a deadlock. As a party we will not move on the issues of Gono and
Tomana. We want these issues resolved or there is nothing. ZANU PF is
responsible for tearing apart the GPA and throwing it out of the window,"
Chamisa added.
Chamisa concurred with his party leader Morgan Tsvangirai
who told journalists in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday that he expected a
referendum on a new constitution before the end of this year, leading to
fresh elections in 2011.
Tsvangirai's spokesman James Maridadi
confirmed that the Prime Minister saw this as the only route to solving the
country's political crisis. The slow paced GPA talks have dashed hopes and
aspirations for democracy in a country that is slowly recovering from a
decade of economic down turn.
On Wednesday ZANU PF backtracked on issues
that had been agreed upon by all parties, including the appointment of
provincial governors, saying that further concessions will only be made once
targeted sanctions imposed on Robert Mugabe and his inner circle are
removed.
Chamisa said ZANU PF were forgetting that they lost the
elections in March 2008, and must be reminded that they were 'loaned the
legitimacy by the MDC in the interest of going forward and saving people
from disaster.'
MP’s
to rake in US$300 per day for constitution outreach
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma 29
January 2010
Over 300 MP’s and Senators will rake in between US$65 and
US$300 per day in allowances for participating in a 65 day outreach
programme that is meant to collect people’s views on a new constitution.
Last week we reported how the process had been suspended because of
squabbles over funding and the composition of a team of rapporteurs who will
gather public opinion.
It now turns out donors were ready to pull the
plug on funding the process after the political parties insisted on
increasing the number of MP’s from about 50 to include almost all 300
legislators in the lower and upper houses of Parliament. This meant the bill
for the process ballooned overnight, much to the annoyance of the donors.
The donors had pledged around US$16 million while the government last year
said had set aside US$43 million.
In an interview with the Zimbabwe
Independent newspaper Douglas Mwonzora a co-chair of the Constitutional
Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) tried to justify the hike in costs.
“Originally not all House of Assembly members and Senators were part of the
outreach programme but the management committee decided to include all
legislators in order to enhance accessibility in all areas, and all this has
the effect of increasing the allocated budget,” Mwonzora said.
The
donors who include the United Nations Development Fund also expressed
concern at the way money availed for the process has been used so far.
During a workshop for members of civil society and political parties hosted
in Harare nearly 1000 delegates pitched up instead of 600. ZANU PF youths
and war veterans took advantage of the chaos to cash in on allowances.
Donors furious at this refused to pay the hotel bill and said they would not
cough up the US$40 daily allowances claimed by delegates.
Another
revelation was that Parliament wanted to hire the same cars it bought for
the MP’s under the Vehicle Loan Scheme and pay a rate of US$1 per kilometer
when private car rental firms charged 60 cents per kilometer. An MDC cabinet
minister who spoke to Newsreel on Friday denied the stories about MP’s
milking the process. The source said ZANU PF was manipulating the media to
discourage people from participating in the drafting of a new
constitution.
“All COPAC members from the MDC-T or MDC-M are not
being given a voice in the state media. They are only given space when the
stories are negative. Only Paul Mangwana the other co-chair from ZANU PF is
used for ZBC interviews and the like. ZANU PF has hijacked this process and
are using their media monopoly to get the discredited Kariba draft -
somehow. The media is not investigating these issues but is instead focusing
on trivial issues around funding and the like,” the Minister
said.
Despite some of these reservations Mwonzora told journalists that
the constitution making process was back on track. He said agreement had
been reached on the issue of rapporteurs. “We have agreed to have
professionals as our rapporteurs to make sure there are limited chances of
irregularities,” he said. Mwonzora also said the funding challenges had
since been addressed with the UNDP committing itself to the
project.
Zimbabwe’s
blind voters win constitutional case
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda 29 January
2010
The Supreme Court made a landmark ruling on Thursday nullifying a
section of the Electoral Act, which prescribed that visually impaired people
would vote in the presence of a police officer, a presiding officer and
other election officers.
The Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa
opposed the application arguing that Zimbabwe Election Commission lacked the
financial capacity to implement any alternative form of voting, especially
for blind voters.
But in a land mark application submitted to the Supreme
Court by Masimba Kuchera and five others, the court declared Section 60
(1) (a) and (b) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), unlawful and a
contravention of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
Kuchera told SW Radio
Africa on Friday, Chinamasa’s argument was ‘the most pathetic’ as it does
not require any money for visually impaired people to choose their own
assistants when voting.
One of their lawyers Jeremiah Mutongi Bamu said
the applicants were seeking an order striking down the Section, on the basis
that it infringed on their right to vote in secret, restricted their freedom
of expression and was duly discriminatory against them on the basis of
physical disability.
Another applicant, Abraham Mateta said: “This act
referred to the blind people as ‘physically incapacitated voters’. This was
a terrible situation in which the blind citizens of our country were
required to vote in the presence of a small rally of strangers whose
political inclinations they had no knowledge of. What this now means is that
from now, as a country, we need to start thinking about upgrading our
electoral system and introduce things such as the Braille ballot
system.”
He said this case should herald a dramatic change in the way
that disabilities are viewed in general. They should not be viewed as
‘charity issues’ but as human rights issues.
Mugabe's
Security Man Critically Injured In Motorcade Acccident
http://news.radiovop.com
29/01/2010
06:33:00
HARARE - One of President Robert Mugabe's security men was
critically injured when his motor bike collided with a truck near Sam Levy's
Village in Borrowdale on Thursday evening.
The motorist is likely to
be charged with negligent driving as he did not give way to the Presidential
motorcade. President Mugabe was on his way to his Borrowdale mansion when
the accident occurred.
The rider is part of the Presidential
Guard.
The motorist was driving from Sam Levy Village near Domboshawa
Road and the robot indicated that he had the right way but did not give way
to the Presidential motorcade. A Radio VOP correspondent witnessed the
accident as the out-rider who led the motorcade rammed into the truck before
swerving into a nearby ditch.
The Presidential Motorcade which has an
ambulance in the convoy of about six cars did not stop to assist the
Zimbabwe Republic Police rider who lay sprawled on the ground. He was later
attended to a few minutes and is reportedly in a critical
conditon.
The out-rider with a siren leads the way clearing the road
giving ZIM 1 (President Robert Mugabe's stretch limousine) a distance of
about 200 metres. The Presidential Motorcade later follows in a diamond
formation covering the tarmac with Mugabe's limousine in between.
On
hearing the siren the motorists on the road park their cars by the roadside
to give way to the speeding Presidential motorcade. However on Thursday
evening a motorist did not give the right way to the motorcade. It could not
be established when the motorist would appear in court.
Several motorists
have in the past been assaulted by Mugabe's security men for not giving way
to the Presidential motorcade. Some of the riders who led the motorcade have
also been killed after some motorists fail to observe the unwritten law of
giving way to the Presidential motorcade.
President Mugabe now spends
most of his time at his mansion in Borrowdale mansion were he lives with his
family. In the past the First Family lived at State House which now normally
used for State occasions before he retires to his Borrowdale mansion.
President Mugabe's motorcade has over the years been criticised as a waste
of state resources.
African
Consolidated battles for title to Zimbabwe diamond field
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk
29
January 2010 @ 04:14 pm BST
African Consolidated Resources has
responded to press coverage of orders handed down by the Zimbabwe Supreme
court on 25 january 2010 in relation to the claim of its subsidiaries to
title of the Marange diamond field.
ACR reiterates that the Company's
title to the diamond field was confirmed in a judgement on 25 September
2009, although this is subject to an appeal.
The Company says that the
state owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation ('ZMDC') has failed to
vacate the Marange Claims in contravention of the 25 September Judgement and
under a joint venture arrangement with a third party is continuing its
efforts to exploit the diamond resources present at the Marange
Claims.
ACR has been advised that one of the effects of the Supreme Court
Orders is that any diamonds being currently mined by third parties in joint
venture with ZMDC must be handed over to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for
safe keeping.
The Company maintains that it will continue to take all
steps it can to protect its rights and to regain possession of the Marange
Claims.
It adds that it continues to endeavour to engage all offices of
Government to reach a joint venture arrangement that will best serve the
interests of Zimbabwe and its diamond sector.
Story provided by
Business Financial Newswire
Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe Defaults on Bond Repayment to Caledonia Mining
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/
January 29, 2010 11:43 AM
ET
Caledonia Mining Corporation ("Caledonia") reports that its
wholly owned subsidiary, Blanket Mine ("Blanket") will not receive payment
in respect of the Special Tradable Gold-backed Foreign Exchange Bonds ("the
Bonds") issued by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe ("RBZ") and which fall due
for redemption on 1 February 2010 at a value of US$3,181,019 including
interest accrued thereon of US$235,631.
The Bonds were issued to
Blanket in 2008 by the RBZ as consideration for gold delivered by Blanket to
a subsidiary of the RBZ in terms of the prevailing legislation. The RBZ's
inability to pay in cash for gold deliveries eventually forced Blanket to
suspend production in October 2008 due to the shortage of foreign currency
to purchase consumables. In January 2009, outstanding amounts due to Blanket
(and other gold producers) were converted into the Bonds which matured on 1
February 2010 and accrued interest at 8% per annum.
The RBZ, in a
Monetary Policy Statement released on 29 January 2010, has advised that all
Bonds will be rolled over for a further 6 months pending the outcome of
"constructive engagements" between the RBZ and the Zimbabwean Ministry of
Finance in respect of the Zimbabwean Government's RBZ-held debt. The RBZ
also states that "various other initiatives are being pursued to meet all
outstanding obligations".
Blanket is currently completing the No.4 Shaft
Expansion Project (the "Project") which will increase production to 40,000
oz per annum. The Project is funded by a $1.25m debt facility and internal
cashflows. Blanket's cashflows continue to suffer from the combined effects
of the late repayments of substantial amounts due from the Zimbabwe Revenue
Authority for outstanding VAT refunds, and the continuing unscheduled power
outages, the frequency and duration of which has increased in recent
weeks.
Completion of the Project has been delayed by several years due to
the failure of the Zimbabwean Government to pay for historic gold
deliveries. This delay has resulted in the progressive depletion of the
available ore reserves above 14 Level during the delay period such that
Blanket can only produce approximately 1,500 oz per month until the crushing
and loading Stations below 22 Level have been completed, which is scheduled
for July 2010. Production at a rate of 1,500 oz per month until completion
of the 22 Level crushing and loading stations will mean that Blanket's cash
generation will be lower than previously anticipated.
As the Bond has
not been repaid and in the interests of progressing the Project, further
expenditure on the planned extension of 22 Level Haulage has been suspended
until internal cashflows allow this activity to resume. Development of the
22 Level Haulage is intended to facilitate an extension of Blanket's
operating life at a production rate of 40,000 oz per annum. Depending on
exploration results, the 22 Level development may also allow for a further
increase in production beyond 40,000 oz per annum. A temporary suspension of
lateral development on the 22 Level Haulage will not affect Blanket's
ability to produce at the increased level of 40,000 oz per annum once the
No.4 Shaft Expansion Project has been completed, but may ultimately delay
further potential increase in production above 40,000oz pa. Blanket's
reduced cashflows also dictate that the Project completion timetable be
extended. Blanket is now scheduled to achieve annualized gold production of
40,000 oz in Quarter 4 of 2010. Appropriate provision will be made against
the RBZ bonds in the financial accounts for 2009, which will be released by
March 31 2010.
Further information regarding Caledonia's exploration
activities and operations along with its latest financials may be found at
www.caledoniamining.com.
Support
grows for suspended head of Zim refugee mission
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell 29 January
2010
Support has continued to grow for the suspended head of the South
African refugee mission in Johannesburg, as controversy continues to fly
over the reasons behind his suspension.
Reverend Paul Verryn, the
former Bishop of the Central Methodist Church was suspended last week
pending a hearing before a disciplinary committee of the Methodist Church of
Southern Africa, which has accused him of 'transgressing the laws and
discipline of the church.' The charges are in connection with a court
application Verryn made last year to get a curator appointed to look after
the many unaccompanied minors at the Central Methodist Mission in
Johannesburg. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa has said that Verryn
acted 'unilaterally,' and without its support, also accusing the cleric of
speaking to the media without its consent.
Verryn has been lauded as
a 'friend of Zimbabwe' for opening up the church to refugees who had nowhere
else to go, particularly during 2007's outbreak of xenophobic violence that
saw hundreds of foreigners flee local South African communities. But the
renowned former anti-apartheid cleric has also been a controversial figure.
He has received international acclaim for aiding homeless foreigners and for
pressuring the South African government to reform its policies regarding
refugees. He has however also faced severe criticism for the humanitarian
crisis that has developed at the church over the past few
years.
Rights groups have called the situation there 'untenable,' and a
potential health risk, with hundreds of people sleeping on the streets
around the church. Local businesses have threatened Verryn with legal
action, accusing the refugees living at the church of being responsible for
crimes in the area. They've also said the unsanitary conditions have
affected their businesses. Last year there were also allegations of sexual
abuse of children living at the church, which many media groups in South
Africa have said Verryn is possibly linked to.
But support for Verryn
has been gathering since the very public announcement of his suspension last
week, with groups and individuals praising him not only for his work with
refugees, but the country's poor in general. Top trade union movements, such
as the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the South
African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) have both pledged their support for
the embattled cleric this week. NUMSA said in a statement that Verryn is a
"hero and champion of social justice, peace, solidarity and
equality." "NUMSA will continue working with Bishop Verryn as part of making
sure our brothers and sisters who have been displaced through xenophobic
attacks and forced migration to South Africa enjoy equal rights with their
South African counterparts," the union said.
SAMWU's International
Officer Stephen Faulkner told SW Radio Africa on Friday that Verryn's
suspension has shocked thousands of people, who have since spoken out to
defend him and his work. Faulkner said there is 'no doubt' that Verryn will
be cleared of all charges, arguing his work with refugees and the homeless
is tireless and 'critical'. The SAMWU official also slammed local media
reports for their 'slanderous' portrayal of Verryn.
"Anyone who has spent
even a short time in the company of Paul will know that he is an
intelligent, passionate and yet profoundly humble human being," Faulkner
explained. "Throughout all of his working life he has tried to make life
bearable for those who have been without hope." Verryn is fighting back
against the suspension, seeking on Monday to have his disciplinary hearing
postponed. He told South African media this weekend that his suspension
boils down to a dispute he has with the current Bishop of the Methodist
Church of Southern Africa, Bishop Ivan Abrahams.
The Church has denied
this.
Five
lions killed after terror
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za
Eyewitness News | 5 Hours Ago
National Parks
rangers have shot five lions that killed four people in the remote
north-eastern district of Kanyemba, Zimbabwe.
The lions were thought to
have strayed from nearby hunting areas.
Sadly two cubs had to be shot
too, apparently they were being trained to hunt.
One of the lionesses
was toothless and almost blind and had found humans to be easy
targets.
Four people were killed by the lions over a two-week period,
prompting hundreds to flee their homes.
The International
Organisation for Migration helped with tents at a temporary refuge in a
nearby school.
The villagers will now be able to go home and the aid
agencies that had been helping them, can wind down their humanitarian
operation.
U.S. looks beyond crisis intervention in Zim's
health sector
Harare, January 29, 2010: The United States is
providing assistance to the Government of Zimbabwe in its efforts to rebuild
infrastructure and restore basic services in the health sector, top U.S. Embassy
officials said on Wednesday.
“The U.S. looks forward to working
with the Government of Zimbabwe and our local and international partners to help
improve Zimbabwe’s health care system and the health and well being of all the
people of Zimbabwe,” said the U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray.
Ambassador Ray handed over 50,000
personal protective clothing kits for influenza preparedness donated by the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) to the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and Ministry of Health in Harare. The event, attended by the Minister of
Health and Child Welfare Dr. Henry Madzorera and WHO Inter Country Support
Coordinator Dr. Oladapo Walker, was witnessed by nearly 50 representatives of
government and non-governmental partners in the health sector.
“We believe our joint effort with
WHO to protect Zimbabweans and others in the region against H1N1 influenza is a
vital part of a broader effort to bolster our response capabilities in every
part of the globe because a virus has no respect for borders and can arise in
any corner of any continent,” said Ambassador Ray.
In May 2009, President Barack Obama
announced the Global Health Initiative as part of a 63 billion USD effort to
support partner countries in improving and expanding access to health services.
Ray explained that the initiative
is an ambitious one aimed at building health care systems to address some of the
greatest challenges for countries around the world including child and maternal
health, family planning, neglected tropical diseases, and HIV and AIDS.
Announcing the content of the
donation, USAID Country Director Karen Freeman said the United States was ready
to scale up support in various programs implemented jointly with the Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare.
“Our plans are moving beyond the
crisis management required in the past few years to providing assistance to the
Government of Zimbabwe in its efforts to rebuild infrastructure and restore
basic services,” said Freeman.
She added that USAID programming in
the next five years will continue to prioritize HIV and AIDS prevention,
treatment, and care including the scale up of male circumcision programs,
expansion of programs for behavioral change counseling, prevention of mother to
child transmission, and care of orphans and vulnerable children.
“Zimbabwe has the foundations of a
world class public health system and the U.S. is ready to assist in rebuilding
from bottom up whether by providing equipment to protect against infectious
influenza, by training health care workers, or by working with our counterparts
in health care to improve access to services in rural Zimbabwe,” said the USAID
Director.
Accepting the donation, Minister of
Health Dr. Henry Madzorera noted that Zimbabwe had confirmed 41 cases of the
pandemic influenza H1N1 from a total of 50 specimens that were sent to the South
African National Institute of Communicable Diseases recently. He said 253
probable cases were treated in health institutions in Manicaland, Harare,
Mashonaland East, and Midlands.
“The support has given my Ministry
a great deal of mileage in terms of the preparedness and response readiness to
the pandemic influenza,” said Madzorera.
The donation by USAID follows an
earlier delivery of protective clothing, worth US$27,121, that arrived in
Zimbabwe in 2007. The equipment donated on January 27, valued at US$465,000,
will be used by health care workers in Zimbabwe and throughout Southern Africa
in the event of an outbreak of H1N1 virus. WHO will store the stock in its
warehouse until the materials are needed.
“This equipment will be critical to
the people of Zimbabwe in the event of an outbreak of H1N1 virus,” commented
Freeman. “We are committed to helping Zimbabweans combat the H1N1 flu and other
diseases at the community level.”
WHO Inter Country Support
Coordinator, Dr. Oladapo Walker, hailed the collaboration between WHO and the
governments of Zimbabwe and the U.S.
He said his organization’s global
monitoring system had recorded 14,142 deaths in 209 countries and more than
340,000 cases. He said 15,000 cases of H1N1 had been recorded in Africa. Of
those, 107 deaths were in Eastern and Southern Africa but advised that
flexibility was necessary to avert other epidemics.
USAID, in collaboration with WHO,
is in the process of pre-positioning 200,000 personal protective equipment kits
in African countries in order to provide adequate and appropriate protection for
preparedness, training, surveillance, and outbreak response activities.
The kits are part of a larger
Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (H2P) now in place across 25
countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East that are considered the
most vulnerable to the effects of a pandemic. The initiative builds on critical
capacities USAID developed to fight H5N1 avian influenza and to support pandemic
readiness. Since 2005, the USAID Avian and Pandemic Influenza Response Unit has
overseen the programming of US$658 million in support of pandemic preparedness
and response programs in 54 countries.
In Picture: - Ambassador
Charles Ray (third from left) with Minister of Health Dr Madzorera, Karen
Freeman, USAID Director, and Dr Oladapo Walker, WHO Inter Country Support
Coordinator
# # #
This report was produced and circulated by the U.S. Embassy Public
Affairs Section. Queries and comments should be directed to Tim Gerhardson,
Public Affairs Officer on +263 4 75800-1, Fax: +263 4 758802,
Website: http://harare.usembassy.gov
A
letter from the diaspora
http://www.cathybuckle.com
29th January 2010
Dear Friends. Back
in 2000 when I was still living in Murehwa I wrote a simple little detective
story called Case Closed. The purpose of that book and of all the subsequent
Dube books was to show that without an independent judiciary and an
impartial police force to carry out court orders and implement the law
fairly, the democratic process becomes meaningless. Ten years later, my
view has not changed. Despite the existence of a Government of National
Unity, there are few signs that either the police or the judiciary have
become de-politicised. Both bodies continue in their blind, unswerving
allegiance to one man and one party to the detriment of the citizenry as a
whole. It is painful to acknowledge that Mugabe's partner in the GNU has
remained virtually silent on this vital subject. The MDC may now be in power
but what is very obvious is that they remain without real power to implement
change. That does not explain why the MDC cannot lift their combined voices
to condemn unequivocally the failure by the police and the courts to protect
Zimbabwean citizens from violence by lawless gangs and individuals who are
often actively supported by the police and military. How is it, that in an
allegedly democratic and law-abiding country a man can stand up and claim at
a public meeting, as a certain Mutstangwa did this week, that only he had
the right to kill in the name of Zanu PF? Such a statement should have been
followed by immediate police action and the arrest of the man as a threat to
public safety but, this is Zimbabwe and no action is taken against
Mutsvangwa. Similarly, in another part of the country, one Goodson Nguni
threatens outright war if the land audit goes ahead. Once again, the police
do nothing. In my own part of the country a certain high-ranking airforce
officer tells the villagers that if they don't opt for the Kariba draft they
will suffer terrible consequences. The senior airforce officer wants the
villagers gathered at Corner Store, half-way between Murehwa and Mutoko -
and the scene of horrific violence in earlier elections - to make sure they
opt for the Kariba draft - or else! He wants the Kariba draft to be
implemented in full because that will ensure another two five year terms for
Robert Mugabe. In Harare gangs of Zanu PF youths take over complete control
of the main bus terminus and an MDC controlled Council says perhaps the only
thing to do is negotiate with these young thugs! As for the rule of law, the
police say they can do nothing because they have had no complaints from the
public! On former white-owned farms the nightmare of lawlessness and
violence continues; the beleagured farmers are taken to court and told they
have 24 hrs to vacate 'state land' or they will go to prison for two years.
The farmers are further fined $800 each and refused the right to appeal by
the magistrate who is so incensed when he receives a High Court Order
allowing the men to remain on their farms that he ignores the Order and the
police immediately arrest two of the men who are now serving their two year
sentences.
But it is the continuing farce of Roy Bennett's trial that
best illustrates the way in which the judiciary and the Attorney General
himself have become utterly compromised by their political allegiance. The
AG's decision to have Peter Hitchman declared a hostile witness was,
unsurprisingly, granted - after a long delay - by the court and that allowed
Tomana to cross examine the arms dealer as hostile witness. It isn't going
too well for the AG though. Nothing Hitchman has said has implicated Roy
Bennett and now we have another delay, three days this time, while the judge
decides whether evidence taken from a laptop by CIO operatives without
independent corroboration can be admitted in evidence. Why it should take
the learned judge three days to decide this matter is open to question.
Perhaps he needs three days to consult his political masters? In another
court, another Judge rejects the SADC Tribunal's ruling that Zimbabwe's land
seizures are illegal claiming that the SADC ruling is contrary to the laws
of Zimbabwe and that to reverse the land reform programme would not serve
'the greater public good' though which 'public' he is talking about is not
clear since the majority of the invaded farms are in the hands of judges,
top military men, senior policemen and politicians - not excluding the 'top'
family. The Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa had already condemned the
SADC ruling saying Zimbabwe would not obey it. Was it just coincidence that
another learned judge was following the party line as enunciated by Zanu PF
functionaries?
In the midst of all this, Morgan Tsvangirai is in
Switzerland for the 2010 World Economic Summit. The BBC this morning
reported that Tsvangirai had told a group of reporters that he thought there
was some room for a partial lifting of sanctions. Any sensible person must
accept that all wars end with the parties sitting down together to hammer
out a solution but surely this is going too far? Why in heavens name does
the MDC not respond to Zanu PF's demands for the lifting of sanctions with
an equally strong demand of their own: Restore the rule of law, stop the
violent farm invasions and immediately cease the persecution of Zimbabwean
citizens whose only crime is the colour of their skin. With every white
farmer kicked off his land thousands of black farm workers also lose their
jobs and homes; if the MDC cannot at least speak out strongly on behalf of
the poorest and most dispossessed in the land, then one has to wonder whose
side they are really on. Yours in the (continuing) struggle
PH.
The
International Role in Promoting Democratic Governance and Economic Recovery
in Zimbabwe
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6505&l=1
Donald Steinberg
Testimony for House of Commons
International Development Committee by Donald Steinberg, Deputy President,
International Crisis Group, 26 January 2010
Mr. Chairman:
Thank
you for the opportunity to address the International Development Committee
on the challenges facing the international community in supporting
democratic transformation and economic recovery in Zimbabwe. As an
international non-governmental organization committed to preventing and
ending deadly conflict, Crisis Group welcomes the committee's travel next
week to Zimbabwe to highlight the challenges ahead for the British
government in this effort. We believe that Zimbabwe now has its best chance
in a decade to put behind it the divisions, abuses, and self-implosion that
has plagued the country. The combination of an inclusive government; a
re-emerging civil society; an educated population and work force;
manufacturing, agricultural and mining sectors primed for recovery; and the
good will of countries in its region and beyond can help Zimbabwe open the
door to post-conflict recovery. This would benefit both its long-suffering
people and the broader southern African region.
Nonetheless, major
threats could still derail the process, including the resistance of
intransigent senior security officials; fractious political in-fighting,
especially within the with Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU-PF); a
growing gap between the political class and civil society; a battered
economy unable to address a 90 percent unemployment rate and meet the
immediate expectations for a peace dividend; and the capricious and
ever-dangerous whims of President Robert Mugabe.
MDC's Entry into
Government
When Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) party formed a unity government with ZANU-PF a year ago under the
Global Political Accord, skeptics gave the new formation little chance of
success and predicted that Tsvangirai and the MDC would fall prey to
Mugabe's "divide, rule, co-opt and destroy" strategy. While even some
within the MDC shared this views, others believed there was no option.
Mugabe and his hard-line allies and security forces held a monopoly on
force, was prepared to repress and abuse its political opponents, and had
the obsequious support of most regional leaders, charged by the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) to negotiate a solution to the
long-standing electoral and political crisis. The MDC calculated that its
capacity to affect change would be greater within government than outside
it.
The new government started out reasonably well. Schools and
hospitals re-opened. Civil servants were paid a small stipend and returned
to work. As the Zimbabwe dollar was shelved, goods returned to empty store
shelves. A cholera epidemic was brought under control; and a bipartisan
parliamentary committee was formed to reform the constitution. Human rights
activists reported a significant drop in government abuses. An ambitious
yet pragmatic reconstruction program - the Short-Term Economic Recovery
Programme - called for about $8.5 billion in resources, including foreign
assistance and investment, and was generally well-received by foreign donors
and the Bretton Woods institutions. Prime Minister Tsvangirai, Finance
Minister Tendai Biti and the MDC received much of the credit for these
developments - even from the rank-and-file army - and new hope returned to
Zimbabwe.
But from early on, there were ample signs of concern. Farm
seizures continued virtually unabated. While human rights abuses declined,
hardline security forces continued to arrest and detain activists and MDC
parliamentarians. ZANU-PF partisans Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and
the Attorney General Johannes Tomana were unduly reappointed, top generals
boycotted the new national security establishments and showed public disdain
for Tsvangirai, and ZANU-PF delayed or ignored key commitments under the
GPA. The constitutional reform process stalled as ZANU-PF insisted that the
so-called Kariba draft serve as the basis for a new constitution. Some old
regime elements, especially hard-line generals and other Mugabe loyalists,
actively thwarted the new government, and undermined it by refusing to
implement its decisions.
The Formal Challenges Ahead
Looking
ahead, Zimbabwe faces several challenges, including completing the GPA,
fashioning a new constitution, and moving toward new elections. On the GPA,
there has been some positive movement since the temporary suspension of the
MDC's participation in the unity government last fall and the subsequent
SADC re-engagement at and since the Maputo Summit.. Among these steps are
the formation of national councils to address issues of the media, human
rights, and forthcoming elections. The land audit may soon commence, which
would not just be a surveying exercise but an attempt to lay the groundwork
for addressing the most sensitive issue of land reform and ownership.
Regrettably, the agriculture minister has reportedly said that it is "too
soon" to proceed with this vital exercise, which is intended to flush out
multiple land owners, find and allocate idle land, and determine the need
for assistance to new farmers -- There has been a decline in arbitrary and
politically motivated detentions and arrests, but such actions must cease
entirely and the onerous public order act (POSA) must be amended soon. The
appointment of governors, the installation of Roy Bennett as Deputy
Agriculture Minister, and the regular functioning of the National Security
Council in place of the infamous Joint Operations Command must take place as
well.
The constitutional reform process must be given greater impetus
as well. There is a growing recognition that this process cannot be the
exclusive reserve of the executive and legislative committees, but must be a
national exercise with full participation of civil society. This is
essential especially to the MDC, since some worry that the party is losing
contact with its popular base as civil society activists and unions have
complained that this process is being driven by political elites for their
own purposes. Equally positive, it is increasingly accepted that the Kariba
draft cannot serve as a reference for the new constitution, as it
incorporates a number of anti-democratic principles and further entrenches
executive powers. The constitutional reform process seems destined to
produce an acceptable draft by the end of 2010.
Finally, there must
be preparations for new elections. Many in Zimbabwe are discussing a delay
of such elections for several years, perhaps until 2013, in order to take
politics out of the equation as the country faces massive economic and
social requirements. Politically, many in the MDC believe that the party
still has not built up enough of a record in government, and are also
concerned over the military reaction to a potential MDC victory. By
contrast, many ZANU-PF stalwarts worry that their party would be swept aside
in new elections, with popular support now judged very low in recent polls.
While it is still possible that Mugabe will dissolve the government in an
attempt to catch the opposition off-guard and proceed to another
undemocratic election accompanied by repression and fraud that secures his
"victory," such an approach seems increasingly less likely, given increased
international scrutiny, resolve and engagement.
Political, Security
and Economic Challenges
Even if Zimbabwe can complete GPA, adopt a new
democratic constitution and address electoral processes, however, the
transition will face broader challenges.
First, there must be a
maturation of the political system to ensure that the ZANU-PF and the MDC
engage as both competitors in the political arena and partners in the unity
government. This will be difficult to achieve, especially under the
divisive Mugabe, but other ZANU-PF leaders, including a faction led by Vice
President Joice Mujuru, know that their party is reeling, has lost much of
its popular support, and needs a generational shift to rejuvenate its
leadership. Meanwhile, the MDC knows that it must still demonstrate to the
country that it is a viable custodian of the state, showing itself to be
competent, clean, and capable of preserving social change since
independence. It is responding seriously - as it must - to recent
allegations of untoward practices by some regional councils and recent
entrants into government. It must also keep faith with its broad following
by ensuring that civil society - including trade unions, human rights
groups, and women's organizations - are fully engaged in the process of
governance.
Equally challenging are security issues. Many observers fear
that a dozen or so so-called "securocrats" hold de facto veto power over
transition. This topic was so sensitive that it was not even addressed in
the GPA negotiations. These generals and other senior security officials
are motivated by differing factors: fear of a loss of power and its
financial benefits; possible prosecution for their crimes, including
Matabeleland killings in the 1980s; hatred of Tsvangirai and the MDC; and a
belief that they are the guardians of the country's liberation. Many
Zimbabweans believe it is necessary to achieve their retirement, even at the
cost of a "soft landing" allowing them to keep their assets and gain
domestic impunity from possible prosecution. Similarly, the living
conditions and salaries of the rank and file military must be improved, and
security sector reform must ensure an apolitical military and police force
respectful of human rights.
The devastated economy is an equally daunting
challenge. While Finance Minister Biti has won good marks for helping
restore confidence and stability to the economy, the prospects for rapid
recovery are weak, given years of agricultural decline, infrastructure
neglect, anti-business policies, and a weak international economy that rules
out large new aid or investment packages. There is a broad consensus among
labour and business leaders to reverse the negative impact of an
"indigenisation" policy, formally adopt a stable foreign currency to
permanently replaced the Zimbabwe dollar, ensure foreign donors that the
Multi-Donor Trust Fund will be a clean and transparent mechanism for aiding
the country, and secure the departure of reserve bank governor Gideon Gono,
whose record of biased and tainted practices have discouraged new donors and
investors. Not only were so-called "quasi-fiscal" measures used to divert
government resources into pet projects benefitting the politically connected
in the past, but as recently as this year, the IMF has reported that up to
$16 million was transferred from statutory reserves into such areas as
funding presidential scholarships, Air Zimbabwe, and diplomatic
missions.
The Risks of International Disengagement
During his
visit to London, other European capitals and Washington last summer,
Tsvangirai was met with luke-warm encouragement, much skepticism, and little
cash. In addition to donors' reluctance to support a government including
Mugabe, Zimbabwe's timing is awful. It is seeking massive foreign aid and
private investment at a time when donors are cutting aid budgets and foreign
investors are seeking safe havens in the stormy global economy. Tellingly,
no one called for a "Marshall Plan" for Zimbabwe.
In fact, this stance
risks thwarting the very changes the international community is seeking,
both by weakening the hand of the MDC and moderates in ZANU-PF, and by
undercutting popular support for the reform process. The humanitarian
situation remains dire, with reluctant donors hard-pressed to address the
demands to ward off disease and hunger. The UN and non-governmental
organizations have warned of a potential new cholera outbreak ahead of the
rainy season. Moreover, doctors and teachers have gone on strike off-and-on
to demand real pay.
While the primary tasks ahead rest with Zimbabweans
themselves, the international community has a vital role to play. SADC must
take its role as guarantor of the GPA seriously, as it did during its
meeting in Maputo in early November. In particular, the advent of South
African President Jacob Zuma and his pledge to stay on top of the brief must
convey the message that the region will abide no alternative to the current
process. President Zuma's appointment of three of his most respected and
trusted advisers to monitor the Zimbabwe account was a welcome indication
that he will press a tougher stance vis-ą-vis Mugabe on outstanding GPA
obligations, respect for rule of law, and cessation of repressive actions by
the security forces under his control.
The broader international
community, especially the UK, U.S., the EU and China, should support and
complement SADC's efforts by a careful calibration of trade, aid, and
investment to encourage progress, and maintenance of sanctions on the
intransigent parties. The outside world should provide new recovery and
development assistance only through "clean" and official mechanisms, and new
engagement from the IMF, World Bank and African Development
Bank.
Targeted Sanctions; Targeted Assistance
The international
community should stand firmly against those thwarting democratic
transformation in Zimbabwe. Tough targeted sanctions against such
individuals and the companies they control should remain in place to secure
the commitment of the recalcitrant parties to their commitments under the
GPA. At the same time, the international community must recognize and
encourage changes now occurring. One tangible step would be to consider
lifting sanctions of certain entities, such as the Agricultural Bank of
Zimbabwe, that help revitalize key sectors of the economy without overly
benefitting the intransigent parties. The U.K. and EU should make clear to
Zimbabwe the specific steps it needs to see in order to lift these and other
sanctions.
Further, targeted reconstruction and development
assistance - channeled through fully transparent, credible and accountable
mechanisms and institutions - is essential now. Such mechanisms exist, such
as the Multi-Donor Trust Fund. The International Monetary Fund has ensured
responsible use of the one-time expansion of special drawing rights to
Zimbabwe equivalent to a $500 million loan for the purpose of building and
repairing schools, hospitals, roads, railways and communication
networks.
International donors should assist revival of education,
agriculture, water, health and sanitation, including support for the
Government Works Program. Particular attention should be given to assisting
women, including reproductive health care and girls' education. Donors
should also help empower a functioning civil service and legislature, and
help reform politicized government institutions, including the judiciary.
Civil society must be strengthened, given that groups of women, academics,
journalists, lawyers, farmers, and others were fractured and polarized in
recent years by Mugabe's tactics. Finally, innovative programs should
encourage new trade and foreign investment in Zimbabwe to address the
country's massive unemployment rate and promote the return of millions
Zimbabwean migrants who are increasingly the target of xenophobic attacks in
South Africa and elsewhere in the region.
British Interests in
Zimbabwe's Recovery
At a time when more urgent and higher-profile crises
fill the in-boxes of British policy-makers, it would be easy to move the
slow-simmering crisis in Zimbabwe to the back-burner. Neither the MDC nor
ZANU-PF consorts with global terrorists, and collapse of the unity
government will not lead to jihadi training camps in rural areas. Zimbabwe
neither supplies nor traffics in illegal drugs, arms or persons. Its
refugees are not flooding into the UK. Zimbabwe has no oil, and many of its
minerals face weak global demand. No exotic diseases threaten pandemic:
Zimbabwe suffers from "just" cholera, malaria and HIV/AIDS. The country
straddles no sea lanes and has no pirates.
But there are strong
motivations for broad British engagement. Just because the global effects of
Zimbabwe's implosion have so far been modest, this could change rapidly.
Transnational threats incubate in unexpected ways in the hothouse of
instability and weak governance. What if the H1N1 virus had emerged in
Harare and swept through a country where the health infrastructure had been
ravaged?
Zimbabwe's recovery is of major regional importance. If
Zimbabwe is a smallish country of 12 million people, the southern African
region - with a market of 200 million, growing oil production, peacekeepers
throughout Africa, and a location along key shipping lanes - is by contrast
of great strategic, commercial and political importance to the UK. A
prosperous Zimbabwe could be an engine of growth for the region, providing
key links to regional communications, transport and electricity grids.
Zimbabwe has long been considered a potential breadbasket for the region,
based on what used to be efficient agriculture, albeit needing serious and
responsible land reform and new capital inputs.
By contrast,
instability in Zimbabwe is profoundly destabilizing to its neighbors.
Zimbabweans fleeing economic hardship and political abuses have flooded
across borders, overwhelming the social services and the good will of South
Africa, Botswana, and other neighbors. Notwithstanding its stellar record
for stability and human rights, Botswana has built an electrified fence and
resorted to detention and expulsions to keep desperate Zimbabweans
out.
Some worry that a strategy of engagement would prematurely
reward Mugabe and his hard-line supporters, or somehow reduce the pressure
on them to cooperate with the reform process. In truth, political
engagement and targeted assistance through credible and transparent channels
would strengthen the hands of moderates and make it more difficult for the
extremists to again seize power.
Put simply: to sideline those who
are thwarting the democratic transformation in Zimbabwe, the world should
embrace the unity government now.
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