Gen Mujuru died before fire: Allies

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 29 January 2012 12:33

BY PATRICE MAKOVA AND CAIPHAS CHIMHETE

Allies of retired General Solomon Mujuru wants a prominent South African
private forensic pathologist, Dr Reggie Perumal to get to the bottom of what
happened to the former army commander as information filtering suggests he
may have died before a fire broke out at his Beatrice farmhouse on August 16
last year.
Mujuru’s family lawyer, Thakor Kewada last week requested that Perumal be
allowed to quiz local pathologists and forensic experts at the ongoing
inquest into the general’s death which enters day 10 tomorrow.

Regional magistrate Walter Chikwanha who is presiding over the case will
make a ruling tomorrow on the application.

The late general’s allies who spoke to The Standard on condition of
anonymity yesterday said there was no evidence to prove that Mujuru died
from inhaling carbon monoxide as stated in a pathologist report presented to
the ongoing inquest into the general’s death.

“When one succumbs to asphyxiation due to smoke, the lungs are supposed to
be grey, but his (Mujuru’s lungs) were pink, which may mean that he did not
die from carbon monoxide,” said a medical doctor who is a friend to the
family.

“There is therefore, need to get a second opinion from another pathologist
and Perumal is one of the best in the industry. This may mean the exhumation
of Mujuru to do a thorough forensic examination.”

He made startling claims that one of Mujuru’s legs was broken, which was not
possible unless there was use of physical force.
“A fire cannot break a bone into two unless in the event of a severe trauma
including torture,” said the medical doctor.

Another expert, an emergency and trauma physician, confirmed that if a
person dies from asphyxiation, especially involving carbon monoxide, the
lungs turn dusky grey in colour.

“It’s pathological diagnosis. Normal lungs look pink and they change colour
to dusky grey,” said the physician who requested anonymity.
He said carbon monoxide is toxic to the body as it injures the brain tissue
and suppresses the central nervous system, causing someone to become
unconscious and the body to shut down.

“It also causes acute heart cardiac injury,” he said.

The physician said it was highly impossible for the human bone to break into
pieces because of fire.
“You cannot have a clear-cut fracture,” said the doctor. “You can have the
erosion and disintegration of tissue, but it (bone) will remain as ashes
rather than anything else.”

The doctor was however, quick to add: “As the General tried to escape, he
could have fallen over and could have developed a proper fracture from
there.”

Investigating officer, Chief Superintendent Crispen Makedenge of CID Law and
Order section, however, ruled out foul play saying pathologist reports have
shown that he died from carbonisation, meaning there was inhalation of
carbon monoxide.

He also said the charred remains belonged to Mujuru, according to DNA tests
which matched the blood samples from Mujuru’s daughter, Kumbirai.
However, a close relative yesterday questioned why police doctor, Edward
Fusire, took the samples and handed them to investigating officers, instead
of taking them straight to the laboratory. Kumbirai testified in court that
she was never told of the results.

Many questions remain unanswered in the inquest which has seen at least 28
witnesses testifying. The mystery surrounding the blue flame which engulfed
Mujuru’s burning body has still not been unravelled.

Constable Cletwell Garisai of Beatrice Police Station and the
officer-in-charge, Inspector Simon Dube, told the inquest that they poured
at least 10 buckets of water to douse the blue flame which was intense and
became ferocious when water was poured on it.

Harare fire brigade station officer, Clever Mafoti, said the fire could have
been a result of arson, with indications that it could have emanated from
two sources.

Zesa also ruled out an electrical fault as the cause of the fire. Douglas
Chiradza Nyakungu, who drank with Mujuru at Beatrice Motel on the eve of his
death, told the inquest that the general was not drunk and had told him he
intended to leave for Beitbridge en route to Polokwane at 2am.

He said the general received a call on his mobile phone when he was about to
leave the motel at 8pm and spoke for about four minutes.
However, Makedenge produced a printout which showed that the general last
spoke on his mobile phone at 6pm.

It remains to be known, who the mystery caller was and what the subject of
discussion was.

Could Mujuru perish into ashes in 2 hours?

The late General’s close associate also questioned why Mujuru’s body burnt
into ashes in a matter of two hours yet it takes over 11 hours to do an
ordinary cremation in a confined environment.

“The family believes that there is a conspiracy to conceal what really
happened to Mujuru and that is why we are requesting for Perumal to come
 in,” he said.

On Thursday, Mujuru’s elder brother told the inquest that the family doubted
whether the remains buried at the national heroes’ acre were those of the
late general, as police had not positively identified them before he was
laid to rest.

Kumbirai also said the human remains believed to be his father’s were buried
without ascertaining their identity, as the police only took her blood
samples on to match those of the remains through a DNA test later.

Forensic pathologist perumal yet to be reached

YESTERDAY, Dr Perumal (pictured) told The Standard he knew that his services
were required in the Mujuru case.
“I am aware they want me to come there, but they haven’t requested me to do
so.“

Asked if he was prepared to be involved in the case, the highly regarded
forensic pathologist said he could not say much since he had not seen any
papers to that effect.

“If I had been approached formally, I could answer the question, right now I
haven’t seen the papers concerning the case, so I can’t say anything, ” he
said from his South African base late yesterday.

Perumal has solved prominent cases, including the mystery surrounding the
death of South African cricketer Tertius Bosch who was initially thought to
have died from Guillain-Barre syndrome, a debilitating wasting disease, but
had succumbed to poisoning.

He is a forensic pathologist in private practice for the past 14 years.

He works with lawyers and advocates and serves as an expert witness in court
matters

Census scuttles Zanu PF early election hopes

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 19:01

BY NQABA MATSHAZI
WHILE Zanu PF insists on holding elections this year, it has emerged that a
population census expected this year may torpedo the party’s plans.
The country is due to hold the fourth census by August and experts warn that
it will not be possible to conduct the survey while having elections in the
same year.
A population census expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity for
professional reasons, ruled out the possibility of holding elections before
August.
“Both the census and elections employ the use of civil servants, that means
that both cannot be done at the same time,” he said.

“The population census, for statistical reasons has to be held this year, so
it cannot be postponed for any reason, which means the elections may have to
take a back seat.”

While not discounting that politicians could force the holding of elections,
from a feasibility point of view, he said it was impossible to have them.
Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) boss Mutasa Dzinotizei could not be
drawn to comment on the potential conflict on elections and the census.
“I can only comment on technical and professional issues — not on political
issues,” he said.

But leader of a faction of the MDC, Welshman Ncube said it was virtually
impossible to hold elections this year, and the census worked against any
idea to have polls. He said while Zanu PF insisted on having polls this
year, it was being disingenuous and it was part of its strategy to stay in
power.

“There is still too much to be done before elections are held. What Zanu PF
is doing is to keep the nation in suspense knowing only too well that
elections cannot be held this year,” he said.

Ncube said it was impossible to hold elections, a referendum and a census
within the same year.

“Forget it, it is not going to happen. It is impossible to have all those
things done within 11 months,” he said.

Political analyst Charles Mangongera concurred that the census and other
logistical issues made it virtually impossible to hold elections this year.

“The census is important in mapping the demographic profile of the country
and the census will be important for the country ahead of the delimitation
exercise,” he said.

The delimitation exercise divides the country into constituencies and the
census could be useful in determining the size of constituencies, Mangongera
said.

MDC-T appeals to Jomic over arrests

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 22 January 2012 12:07

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has launched a complaint with the
Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) against police
brutality and unlawful interference in its political activities.

This follows the arrest of 50 MDC-T youths ahead of the launch of the “Free
Solomon Madzore Campaign” in Bulawayo a fortnight ago. Madzore, who is the
chairperson of MDC-T youth assembly, has been languishing at Chikurubi
Maximum Prison together with seven other party members after they were
arrested in October last year on allegations of killing a police officer,
Petros Mutedza, in Glen View.

Police last week sealed all roads leading into Bulawayo’s central business
district (CBD) from high- density suburbs, searching all vehicles before
arresting hordes of MDC-T supporters who were getting into town for the
peaceful protest.

The party has called on Jomic to act on what they referred to as police’s
“unbecoming behaviour”. “We do trust that your organ will treat this matter
with the seriousness and urgency it deserves and ultimately bring this long
running madness to an end,” said MDC-T youth assembly chairman for Bulawayo,
Bekithemba Nyathi, in the letter of complaint.

“We condemn in the strongest terms, criminal activity by members of the
uniformed police and demand that such criminal elements be brought to book.
“Further, we condemn police disrespect for the courts, for there is in
existence a court order issued by the Bulawayo High Court in 2011, barring
the police from interfering with our lawful political activities in our
Bulawayo offices.”

Efforts to get a comment from Jomic spokesperson Joram Nyathi were fruitless
yesterday. Jomic, established under the Global Political Agreement (GPA),
receives reports and complaints in respect of any issue related to the
implementation, enforcement and execution of the agreement.

It also serves as a catalyst in creating and promoting an atmosphere of
mutual trust and understanding between the parties. The committee is
co-chaired by representatives from Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC.

Water scarcity fears in Mat, Midlands

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 19:01

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

BULAWAYO – Cities and towns in Matabeleland and Midlands regions are facing
serious water shortages owing to dwindling water levels in dams and
collapsing water treatment infrastructure.

A snap survey by The Standard last week established that Bulawayo, Gweru,
Gwanda and Zvishavane are among the hardest hit.
Gweru has, for the past fortnight, been without enough running water
following the breakdown of four of its six water pumps at Gwenoro water
purification site, sparking fears of water-borne diseases like cholera and
dysentery.

As a result of the breakdown, Gweru has been dependent on two pumps which
only supplies 25% of the city’s water daily requirements.
Gweru mayor Tedius Tshuma last week said the city required nearly US$1,6
million to rehabilitate the 57-year-old collapsing infrastructure at the
Gwenoro water purification site.

“The only solution is for us to get nearly US$1,6 million to refurbish and
replace the old water treatment infrastructure which was installed in 1955,”
said Tshuma.

“Regular repairs will not solve anything as the pumps which are now old will
keep breaking down.”

In Gwanda, the provincial capital of Matabeleland South, water shortages
have been attributed to squabbles between the local authority and the
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) over water management and control
of pumps.

The council has accused Zinwa of refusing to let go of water treatment pumps
despite a government directive to do so.

Gwanda mayor, Lionel De Necker, said Zinwa has “for the past weeks been
deliberately supplying the city with half of the water” they required on a
daily basis.

De Necker said Zinwa was only pumping water for nine hours instead of the
agreed 18 hours per day saying that it did not have sufficient funds to pay
its workers for double shifts.

“Zinwa says it has financial challenges and does not have money to pay its
workers to do overtime shifts,” said De Necker.
“But what we are saying as council is that whatever problems Zinwa might
have they should not be transferred to the community. The community should
not suffer because Zinwa is also facing problems.”

He said the only practical solution was for Zinwa to hand over water
management systems to the council. Attempts to get a comment from Zinwa
officials in Matabeleland South were fruitless last week.

Byo to decomission dams

Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (Ucaz) president Femias Chakabuda,
who is also the mayor for Masvingo, said urban councils were unhappy with
the provision of water by central government through Zinwa.

Bulawayo City council (BCC), which is also facing water problems, plans to
decommission Umzingwane dam in February due to low water levels. The dam is
one of the five that supply water to the city.

There are also plans to decommission two more dams, Upper Ncema and
Inyankuni.

9 in a 1 000 at risk of contracting cancer in Harare

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 29 January 2012 12:31

BY OUR STAFF
NINE people in every 1 000 in Harare are at risk of developing colon or
liver cancer from eating contaminated fish harvested from Lake Chivero and
other water bodies around Harare, local scientific studies have indicated.
A researcher with the University of Zimbabwe’s department of biological
sciences, Maxwell Barson said the city faces a major cancer outbreak if its
residents are not prevented from  eating heavily contaminated fish from
water bodies surrounding the city.

He said Lake Chivero, Manyame and other water bodies around the city were
heavily contaminated with industrial pollutants, including chemical and
heavy metals that cause cancer. Findings of an earlier study produced in
African Journal of Aquatic Science recently, indicated that levels of metal
contamination were too high.

It said levels of zinc, iron, copper, nickel and lead in fish from Manyame,
Mukuvisi and Gwebi rivers were unusually high, with zinc and iron
concentrations being the highest in sharptooth catfish.

“The results of this study may have significant negative implications for
aquatic organisms and human health through the consumption of fish and
therefore risk assessment investigations are imperative,” noted the study
carried out last year.

Harare City Council was recently fined US$15 000 by the Environmental
Management Agency (EMA) for discharging raw sewage into the environment.
Experts said the fine was too little to deter the local authority from doing
it again.

Another study by the Department of Biological Science at the University of
Zimbabwe, with chilling accuracy, accurately predicted the 2008 cholera
epidemic and the latest typhoid outbreak and has painted a bleak future for
the city, with the blame squarely on pollution at water sources.

The areas most affected by the typhoid outbreak, Whitecliff, Dzivaresekwa
and Kuwadzana, are again most at risk of future disease outbreaks and the
predicted cancer.

City of Harare has so far blamed the typhoid outbreak on the sale of fish.
The council said it was embarking on a drive to alert vendors and fish
mongers on the need for hygiene.

Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda’s phone went unanswered, when sought for
comment yesterday.

Barson said Harare water was not 100% safe to drink as it contains
substances that should not be there. He said at times, algae and brown
sediments, are found in tap water.

“Harare water is not 100% safe to drink that is why people are encouraged to
boil it or use water tablets,” he said. “At times you see algae and
sediments and if it is like that it is not safe.”

The University of Zimbabwe researcher said all major rivers feeding into
Lake Chivero were contaminated and the City of Harare had no capacity to
purify water for drinking purposes. “At times the water has sediments and
heavy metals because the treatment is not up to scratch,” said Barson. “The
sewage treatment capacity is way below the population carrying capacity so
there is urgent need to increase the treatment capacity.”

Another recent research by the University of Zimbabwe and supported by WHO
and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare concluded that water quality
from all water sources and major rivers was poor as there was the presence
of at least one microbial and parasitic micro-organisms.

It says groundwater sources, springs and wells, which are mostly used for
domestic purposes, posed greater health risk as most of the microbial
pathogens and parasites were identified in them.

Govt urged to act swiftly

Barson urged government to take immediate measures to stop the continued
pollution of Harare’s water bodies adding that failure to do so would cause
an environmental disaster.

“Health authorities should confiscate all fresh fish being sold in the open
and ensure all those fisheries at the lake to invest in proper preservation
equipment such as freezers and sanitary facilities, including boats, fishing
gear and safety clothing for personnel,” Barson advised.

Barson’s warning comes at a time some suburbs in Harare’s such as Kuwadzana,
Whitecliff, Warren Park, Kuwadzana and Dzivaresekwa are experiencing an
outbreak of typhoid blamed on the consumption of fish and drinking water
from shallow boreholes and wells.

He said polluters continued to contaminate the environment in the country
because the penalties were not prohibitive enough.
Some companies, said the researcher, set aside a budget for fines once they
are caught polluting the environment.

Municipalities to blame for pollution: researchers

Researchers on the fish and the city’s water quality said Harare and
Chitungwiza municipalities were to blame for the high level of pollution of
the water sources, saying if left unchecked this could have an adverse
effect on the health of thousands.

Among the bacteria found was e.coli, which is normally found in human waste
meaning the water was not suitable for human consumption.
“The bacterium attracts flies to the fish, which are then sold to people
thereby causing an outbreak in typhoid,” Barson said.

Group demands Gukurahundi report

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:56

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
A Bulawayo-based pressure group will soon launch a High Court bid to force
President Robert Mugabe to release two reports containing findings of
official inquiries into the Matabeleland disturbances in the 1980s.

Ibhetshu LikaZulu has already engaged human rights lawyers, Abammeli
BamaLungelo Abantu Network, to force Mugabe to release the Dumbutshena
Commission and Chihambakwe Committee reports, which have never been made
public although they were presented to him.

The group said publicising the documents was necessary to achieve national
healing and reconciliation.

Mnatshobana Ncube, a lawyer with Abammeli, last week confirmed being
contracted by the pressure group to handle the case.

The Dumbutshena report contains the findings of a commission of inquiry into
the disturbances at Entumbane and other demobilisation camps following
clashes between Zipra and Zanla cadres in 1981.

The Chihambakwe report contains findings of the committee that investigated
the Gukurahundi massacres, in which an estimated
20 000 people were massacred by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in
the early 1980s.

Both the Dumbutshena Commission and Chihambakwe Committee reported to Mugabe
at the end of their deliberations but the reports were never made public.

The government argued that the publication of the report could spark
violence over past wrongs.

Two human rights organisations, the Legal Resources Foundation and the
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) Zimbabwe however, produced
a report entitled Breaking the Silence, Building True Peace in 1997,
detailing human rights abuses during the Gukurahundi era.
The report estimates that 20 000 people from Matabeleland and Midlands
regions were killed during the time.

Percy Mcijo, the spokesperson of the Zimbabwe Victims of Organised Violence
Trust (ZIVOVT) welcomed attempts to force government to release the two
reports.

“There can never be any healing unless these issues are discussed and those
that perpetrated the violence are exposed and brought to book. This is
another way of putting an end to the culture of violence,” Mcijo noted.

This is not the first time that attempts have been made to have the two
reports publicised.

In 2003, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Legal Resources
Foundation challenged Mugabe to make public the findings of the two
inquiries.

But in refusing to publish the findings, government cited state security as
the reason for keeping them under lock and key. It also claimed that the
Dumbutshena report could not be found.

‘Reports can’t be suppressed forever’

Ibhetshu LikaZulu coordinator Mbuso Fuzwayo said the reports could not be
suppressed forever adding that pushing for their publication was in line
with the group’s 2012 theme entitled “Towards Restorative Justice”.

“Victims want justice and to achieve it perpetrators should be identified
and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission initiated since the Organ of
National Healing has failed to achieve anything,” he said.

“Our theme for 2012 is entitled Towards Restorative Justice and top most on
our agenda this year is to force Mugabe and his Zanu PF party to release the
Dumbutshena and Chihambakwe reports.”

Activists push govt to end torture

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:55

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO — Human rights lawyers have urged the Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission (ZHRC) and legislators to push government to ratify the United
Nations Convention Against Torture, which bans torture as an instrument of
extracting information from accused persons.

The UN convention also calls for perpetrators of torture to be brought to
account for their actions.
Lawyers, who attended a Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum workshop on Torture
in Victoria Falls last week, said of human rights abuses that have taken
place in the country, torture was one of the “most heinous” acts.

Human rights lawyer Archfold Rutanhira said by ratifying the convention,
victims would be afforded an opportunity to seek redress through the arrest
and prosecution of perpetrators of torture.

“Enacting a law against torture or ratifying the UN Convention can achieve
redress for torture victims,” said Rutanhira.
“It is an important step towards achieving restorative justice and
eliminating all forms of torture.”

Abel Chikomo, the Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum said it
was necessary for the government to ratify the convention to ensure respect
for human rights.

He alleged that government had not ratified the convention because it was
determined to stifle dissent.

“We continue to call on the Zimbabwe government to stop security forces or
security officials, agents, the police, intelligence from using torture as a
way of extracting information or confessions from accused persons,” said
Chikomo.

The police, army and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents have in
the past been accused of torturing human rights activists and those opposed
to President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF, especially during elections.

The workshop, attended by human rights lawyers and MPs, was held under the
theme “Working towards the prohibition of torture in Zimbabwe: For the
protection of the inherent dignity of the human person.”

Chipangano blocks US$1m project

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:53

BY OUR STAFF
A Zanu PF-aligned group, Chipangano, is blocking the construction of a
service station and a food court near Matapi Police Station in Mbare, The
Standard has heard.

Although the fuel company, Mashwede Diesel Services, has already spent up to
US$300 000 buying equipment needed for the project, the development now
hangs in the balance as the militia group has told workers to stop work,
beating all those who resist.

The youths are allegedly being sponsored by Zanu PF officials who are
determined to control the suburb ahead of elections this year or next year.
Zanu PF Harare province youth chairman, Jim Kunaka, last week vowed that he
would mobilise youths in the coming weeks to halt the construction project
as the local residents were not consulted.

Zanu PF shadow MP for Mbare and politburo member Tendai Savanhu, who denied
sponsoring the youths, said that residents were against the project because
the city council flouted procedures.

“The residents of Mbare intended to use that space of land to set up flea
market stalls, so they felt short-changed about the whole process,” said
Savanhu.
“The city council flouted procedure by failing to advertise the proposed
activity where residents would be given at least 14 days to respond.
Furthermore, residents were not notified about the proposed structure.”

However, violence continued last week with members of Chipangano disturbing
construction progress at the site. The youths have reportedly been attacking
the construction workers regularly, forcing them to flee and only resume
work when the coast is clear.

Across the road, the group has been parcelling out stalls to Zanu PF
supporters.

Efforts to get a comment from Harare City Council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi
were fruitless last week.

This is not the first time that youths in Mbare have blocked development in
the suburb. Last year, the Chipangano disrupted a US$5 million housing
scheme under the auspices of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that
would have resulted in houses being built for the poor in Mbare.

The youth group reportedly demanded a 51% share of the houses, ostensibly
under the contentious indigenisation policy.

Consequently, the project was moved to Dzivarasekwa, another high density
suburb, as council said it risked losing out if it gave in to the group’s
demands.

Kunaka last week vowed to stop the project.

“Our concerns as residents of Mbare centres on what benefits this project
will bring to us. He (Mashwede) wants to take our land, exploit our
resources then leave,” he said.

Kunaka said the stance that the residents have taken had nothing to do with
politics but just a bold method of expressing their disgruntlement with the
project.

‘Project offered hope for employment creation in Mbare’

The company’s managing director Alex Mashamhanda said the project had
potential to create employment opportunities for young people in Mbare while
providing fuel supply and food services in the vicinity.

“The whole project requires up to US$1,2 million to complete and the company
is prepared to venture into additional capital expenditure should the need
to set up more structures arise,” said Mashamhanda.

He said the project should be completed in a few months’ time if
disturbances were halted.
“As business, our objective is to provide services that are needed in Mbare,
which will ultimately benefit the community in a mutually beneficial
 manner,” he said.

Matibenga versus workers

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:40

BY PATRICE MAKOVA
PUBLIC Service minister, Lucia Matibenga (pitctured right), is a veteran
trade unionist and has been fighting for workers’ rights for decades.
However, she received a rude awakening when civil servants went on strike
last week, demanding better salaries — five months after being appointed
into government
Matibenga’s handling of the strike has come under scrutiny with civil
servants who fall under her portfolio openly criticising the manner she
dealt with their demands.

Some of her critics are now questioning her capability to lead the ministry,
but her party, MDC-T, is standing behind her, blaming political opponents
for allegedly hijacking the industrial action by civil servants.

Apex Council chairperson Tendai Chikowore said representatives of civil
servants were not happy with themanner they were being treated by Matibenga,
particularly when  she  failed to turn up for a meeting meant to give them
feedback recently.

“We have told her (Matibenga) that our criticism of government’s failure to
address our concerns is not a direct attack on her,” she said.
“Our relationship with her has however not improved but our position is that
civil servants speak to government through her. A failure on her part means
the whole government would have failed.”

‘No more pampering for Minister’ — Majongwe

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond
Majongwe said civil servants were not going to “pamper” Matibenga with
unnecessary accolades as she has to prove that she was a capable leader.

“We view any person in government as a stumbling block,” he said.

“Why does Matibenga and MDC-T want immunity from criticism yet they are in
government?

We have been mercilessly attacking President Mugabe and Zanu PF for all
these years and MDC-T will not be an exception.”
Recently, Matibenga reportedly called Majongwe a “chicken” that lacks the
guts to confront her over workers’ grievances.

Minister should apologise — MDC

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:35

Kurauone Chihwayi who is the deputy spokesperson for the MDC led by
Professor Welshman Ncube said Matibenga has not proved herself in the past
five months she has been in office.
“The minister should apologise to government workers and start performing
now instead of spitting venom on them,” he said.
“Civil servants have genuine concerns that require urgent attention by
everybody in government. Their grievances have been on the table for quite
some time and therefore deserve respect and recognition.”

But political analysts, Ernest Mudzengi said it was too early to judge
Matibenga considering that she has only been on the job for a few months.
“This case has ceased to be a labour issue but has now been politicised by
people taking advantage of the situation to score points,” he said.

Mudzengi said the strike by civil servants should be blamed on the economic
meltdown which started well before Matibenga’s appointment.
Matibenga has also defended herself, arguing that her role as a Cabinet
minister was to make policy and not to negotiate with workers whose employer
is the Public Service Commission.

“It is the height of dishonesty to portray the Public Service minister as
the face of the problem when the real issue is about civil servants salaries
including the opaque nature of the diamond revenue and the implementation of
the public service audit which found, among other irregularities, 75 000
irregularly employed workers,” she said in a statement.

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said Matibenga was a capable minister
who proved herself as a trade union leader.

Mwonzora said the attacks on Matibenga were not warranted and accused Zanu
PF of encouraging the strike by civil servants to gain political mileage.
Matibenga was a trade unionist for decades where she served as
secretary-general of the Commercial Workers Union (CWU) as well as being one
of the three Vice President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

She is said to hold a book-keeping qualification, according to her
curriculum vitae  filed with the Parliament.  Matibenga replaced Professor
Eliphas Mukonoweshuro who died in August last year.

Businessman bids for Presidency

A local businessman Dr Raymond Chamba has announced his bid to contest the
Presidential elections as an independent candidate in the coming polls
slated for later this year or in 2013.

He however conceded that his chances of winning are slim considering that
the country has two dominant political parties, Zanu PF and the MDC-T.
The 41 year-old Chamba said recently that he will soon launch a “tsunami” of
a multi-media election campaign

— BY OUR STAFF

Family lucky to survive typhoid scourge

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 19:04

BY LESLEY WURAYAYI

FOR Tatenda Kaseke (34), the thought of drinking water is a nightmare as she
remembers the days she and her 6-year-old infant were in hospital, weak and
disoriented with diarrhoea.

Little did she know that she was afflicted with typhoid and casually blamed
the water she drank for her ailments.
Her child’s high fever forced her to seek medical treatment and fortunately
for both of them, it was not too late.

With sunken eyes, bony cheeks and a sickly body, Kaseke says she is lucky
that she lived to tell her story.

“I have regular stomach cramps, but that Tuesday it wasn’t the usual, it
came with force and was gone in a flash. After that, I rushed to the toilet
several times, vomiting and passing stools, it was very bad,” she said.

“My child was the most affected, I was not prepared for what I saw.”

Kaseke is one of several patients that have visited the Kuwadzana
polyclinic, which is the epicentre of the dreaded disease.

Tents have been put up outside the clinic and residents are literally
teeming at the clinic grounds.

Kaseke says she expected the council to have learnt from past mistakes, but
residents of Kuwadzana still go for days without water.
“We get medicine from Unicef who have been helpful after we were discharged
from hospital. It is costly to spend a night in hospital, worse still if you
don’t get any assistance,” she said.

Typhoid not restricted to Kuwadzana

Suburbs such as Whitecliff, Dzivarasekwa, Kambuzuma and Warren Park have
also been hit by the outbreak.

For many, this is a reminder of the deadly cholera epidemic that struck not
so long ago. While no fatalities have been recorded, the similarities with
the cholera outbreak of 2008 are too glaring to ignore.

Both diseases are caused by poor hygiene and the lack of clean water.

Health authorities warn of devastation, city council struggles

Zimbabwean health authorities have reported that Harare is under siege from
the biggest typhoid outbreak in recent history, which might sweep across the
country with devastating effect, if it goes unchecked.

City health director, Prosper Chonzi said more than 800 patients had been
treated for the disease, though he expected more to have sought treatment
over the weekend. “We are not on top of the situation but we are facing a
number of challenges such as garbage removal from the areas. as for water,
we have maintained constant supply in the affected areas,” he said.

“We are still addressing the issue, especially the illegal vendors who
promote the spread of diseases. They are to be dealt with, action will be
taken to remove them from the streets.” But while authorities haggle over
the situation, the outbreak serves as a reminder of the poor water
infrastructure.
Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda urged residents to practise good hygiene to
prevent diseases and to desist from buying from illegal stalls sprouting in
most suburbs in the city.

MP leads Zaka march for Madzore

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:43

OVER 300 Zaka Villagers recently held a 20 kilometre march in solidarity
with Solomon Madzore, who has remained in prison since October, accused of
taking part in the murder of a Glen View policeman.
Zaka West MP Festus Dumbu led the procession that included party youths and
the elderly who braved the distance from Chivamba Business Centre to Mabvute
Dam and back.

Dumbu said the march in the sweltering heat was aimed at expressing the
desire by the people of Zaka to see justice prevailing on the case.
“The people of Zaka West join the MDC Youth Assembly in demanding the
immediate release of the Party’s Youth Commander, Solomon Madzore,” he said.
Hundreds of party supporters have been holding demonstrations as part of a
"free Madzore" campaign.
— BY OUR STAFF

RBZ in limbo, operating without deputy governors

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:05

BY NDAMU SANDU
DESPITE Finance minister Tendai Biti being vocal on the need for reforms at
the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the bank is operating without
substantive deputy governors as the contracts of the incumbents expired in
2009.
Such a development is a fresh setback to the reforms at the central bank
meant to align it with international standards.

The first step of the reforms was the amendment to the RBZ Act to allow the
bank to concentrate on its core business.

The amendments entail that the bank should have two deputy governors
appointed by the Minister of Finance in consultation with the President.

One of the deputy governors would act when the governor is away. The deputy
governor or both deputy governors, as the case may be, sit on the RBZ board,
according to the Act.

Under the current set up, the burden of running the bank falls on RBZ
governor Gideon Gono as the appointed CEO, but without arms.

Gono told a parliamentary portfolio committee last year the absence of
substantive deputy governors had resulted in him carrying an extra burden to
run the institution.

The minister of Finance can draw up a list of possible candidates and
forward them to President Robert Mugabe for approval.

Standardbusiness heard last week that it is not only the issue of deputy
governors that Biti has to deal with, as he is still to constitute a crucial
committee necessary to run RBZ.

According to the Act, there should be a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC),
that is independent of the board consisting of the governor as chairperson,
the deputy governor or deputy governors, as the case may be; the deputy
chairperson of the board, and not less than five or more than seven other
persons appointed by the President after consultation with the minister.

Members of the MPC must have knowledge, experience or expertise in matters
relating to finance, banking and fiscal or monetary policy.

Its functions are to determine the monetary policy of Zimbabwe, to ensure
price stability as defined by the Government’s inflation target and to
determine interest rates for the economy in line with the Government’s
economic policies and targets for growth and employment, among other things.
The Act says the committee shall submit its findings to the Board for
information purposes only.

If the committee was in place it would have assisted Gono in writing the
monetary policy statement which has to be announced by Tuesday.
Biti was said to be attending a meeting when Standardbusiness called on
Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Geo-rge Charamba told Standardbusiness on Friday
he was not sure whether President Robert Mugabe had received the names of
possible candidates for deputy governor and the Monetary Policy committee as
the President is on leave.

Charamba said it was the minister of Finance who was supposed to initiate
the process and referred further questions to Biti.

Existing deputy governors’ contracts expired

Currently, there are three deputy governors — Charity Dhliwayo, Edward
Mashiringwani and Nicholas Ncube — whose term of office expired in April
2009.

Standardbusiness heard last week that despite the expiry of their contracts,
the Ministry of Finance has not either renewed their contracts or appointed
new deputy governors. This means that the trio is working on gratuitous
conditions and do not have formal powers and their decisions cannot be
effective. They also  cannot attend board meetings.

Zinara revenue falls short

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:02

BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA
THE Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) only collects US$80
million annually, although it requires at least US$2 billion per year to
maintain the country’s road network, a senior official with the organisation
said.

Zinara finance manager Thomas Mutizhe told journalists last week that the
amount of money collected per year fell far short of what they needed.
“We are collecting only US$80 million per year, but a figure of US$2 billion
is required per year for road maintenance in the country,” Mutizhe said.
“With the current revenue streams in place, we cannot meet the required US$2
billion.”

Zinara’s revenue streams emanate from toll fees, fuel levy, vehicle
licences, transit fees, abnormal load fees and overload fees. The country’s
road network is in critical need of repair.

Mutizhe said tollgate fees are raking in between US$17 million to US$18
million annually while figures between US$1,4 million to US$1,5 million are
collected on a monthly basis.

Vehicle licence fees levied on  vehicles ordinarily  resident in  Zimbabwe
rake in US$24 million annually while transit fees levied on foreign vehicles
travelling on the country’s roads bring in US$1,5 million monthly.

The administration’s tolling manager, Ostern Chimedza, said Zinara would be
taking over the collection of revenue from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
(Zimra) to enable it to fulfill its mandate. “We are engaging with the
ministry (of Transport, Infrastructure Development and Communications) and
Zimra to take over toll collection,” said Chimedza.

“After the takeover, we shall see changes at the (tolling) sites, there will
be proper polling facilities, all that you see there is temporary.”
An engineer with Zinara, Gift Kufa bemoaned the lack of funds to buy new and
modern equipment.

“We currently have ageing equipment which has high maintenance costs and we
have insufficient funds to buy new equipment altogether,” he said.

“Even if we look at the incoming road materials from the country’s borders,
there are no tight quality control measures that determine what comes into
the country. For instance, our laboratories have ageing and obsolete
equipment that cannot test the quality of bitumen that we import.”

The country’s 87 554 kilometres of road network are badly damaged and have
received little or no attention in terms of maintenance since the
pre-independence era. The roads are littered with pot-holes making them
difficult and dangerous to use.

Shearwater resumes Vic Falls bungee jumping

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 17:56

VICTORIA FALLS-based Shearwater Adventures, which was forced to suspend
bungee jumping after an Australian tourist’s bungee cord snapped on New Year’s
Eve, says it has since resumed operations after investigations into the
incident were completed.
Australian tourist Erin Langworthy miraculously survived the jump after a
bungee cord broke resulting in her falling into the Zambezi River from a
height of 20 metres. She was then rescued by the bridge crew and a local
medical response team after swimming to the Zimbabwean side of the river.

Standardbusiness reporter Kudzai Chimhangwa (KC) conducted an interview with
Shearwater Adventures spokesperson, Clement Mukwasi (CM) about the incident.

KC: What were the investigation’s findings concerning the snapping of the
cord in the bungee jumping incident that involved Australian tourist Erin
Langworthy?

CM: The forensic investigation indicated that the batch of rubber used to
make the cord which broke was weak when compared to new rubber.
The assumption is that the rubber became weaker due to age and use, but
also, as a result of environmental issues like moisture and ultra violet
degradation.

Regrettably, our inspection process, though in line with international
standards and having worked successfully for us for 17 years, did not pick
up this weakness.

New inspection and testing measures have now been implemented, which address
this and we are very confident that this incident will not be repeated.

KC: South African-based Face Adrenalin, which also runs bungee jumping
services, blamed Shearwater for the incident saying the company was
negligent, in a South African media publication. They also said  they were
forced to shut down the operation after the Victoria Falls incident. What is
your response to these allegations?

CM: This is inaccurate and incorrect. As far as we are aware, they have not
had to close their operations, but are operating as normal. We are surprised
by these comments, particularly in light of the fact that the company is the
one that supplied us with the bungee rubber used in the manufacture of the
malfunctioning bungee cord.

It is the only time we have ever sourced rubber from Face Adrenalin and it
is the only time we have had such an accident. At the end of the day, what
happened here was an equipment failure caused by weak rubber.

Face Adrenalin have no involvement with our operation. Although, I am sure
we all operate in line with the same international standards, I don’t think
they are in a position to make wild claims like this.

They have not been to our operation, neither have they seen nor inspected
the broken bungee cord.
It is therefore hard to understand where they are coming from, issuing
statements like these. The comments by Face Adrenalin are therefore, highly
irresponsible and mischievous.

KC: Has Shearwater resumed bungee jumping since the event?

CM: Now that the forensic findings are known to us, we are confident that
the new measures implemented by ourselves will prevent an incident like this
happening again in the future.

In light of this, it is our intention to recommence bungee jumping on Friday
January 27 2012.
The steps we have taken include the daily load-testing of the bungee cords
to confirm their strength and thorough inspections of the bungee cords after
every 75 jumps. These new tests and inspections are industry-leading.

Shearwater complies with industrial standards’

KC: Erin Langworthy told the US talk show, Good Morning America that the
jump operator gave her no warning that anything dangerous could happen. Does
Shearwater have standard operating procedures and what steps are taken to
ensure client safety in its services on offer?

CM: Yes, Victoria Falls Bungee has very well-set-down operating procedures
and we comply with the Australian and New Zealand Industry Standards on the
operation of bungee jumping.

All clients sign a detailed indemnity form and are given a full and thorough
safety briefing prior to their jumps.

It is my opinion that Erin’s comments have probably been taken out of
context. In terms of client safety, we do not only constantly monitor, check
and inspect our safety system, but we also subject ourselves to bi-annual
independent safety audits carried out by an internationally certified South
African organisation.

Call for Zanu PF, MDC youth to unite

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:17

BY  JEFFREY MOYO
Time has come for the young people of Zimbabwe to combine their energies and
break free from  politicians and form their own solid front to extricate
themselves from the jaws of political naivety and become their own
liberators.
Jails and unknown torture chambers are crowded with young people who are
political activists, suffering the penalty of sins they committed on behalf
of their ageing worthless leaders. Worthless because they have not put the
needs of the youths before them for their own expediency.

Across the country, perpetrators of political violence are the youths drawn
from various political parties, drawing swords against each other.
Meanwhile, their superiors pose as referees and spectators from behind the
scenes, pretending to be calling for peace and an end to violence. What a
farce!

President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara
and Welshman Ncube enjoy the opulence of their luxurious offices and
mansions, clearly unperturbed by the chaos brewing as a result of their
marauding party youths whom they set at each other’s throats in pursuit of
their own selfish ambitions. Many of these youths wallow in abject poverty
and unemployment, finding solace in political hooliganism.

Why are the youths so naive and  ignorant to the fact that they are being
abused by the people whose future may be nearing its natural end?

The violence that rocked the city last year involved mainly the youths and
the police. It is rare to hear that MDC and Zanu PF top officials have
clashed violently.

It would be breaking news to read a story about “Mugabe, Tsvangirai clash”
or about political leaders throwing stones at each other. It is aways the
youths in the frontline fighting wars on behalf to some politicians.

And what do they gain at the end of the day; misery, imprisonment and
perpetual unemployment as they are deserted by the leaders after using them
to rise to higher  political office.

One thing that the youths of Zimbabwe should do is look each other in the
eye and say: “Here we are; we are not enemies — we all need a new Zimbabwe,
which we can only achieve united as one, for united we stand, divided we
fall”.

Let the youths bury their political affiliations, meet in their numbers and
reach a solid consensus on peace. It is now high time they device their own
means to emancipate themselves from their old emancipators, who have turned
into neo-oppressors.

Mind you, the youths in this country comprise over 70% of the population,
enough to effect regime change and take the country forward.

If elections were to be, by any chance,  held in a free and fair environment
without violence, with the youths united under a determined, vibrant and
non-confrontational front, and with the nation of Zimbabwe at heart, this
country would be set free from the current quagmire resulting from the
perennial political squabbles we continue to witness in our midst.

Poor young people are the ones that are being recruited by the current
political parties to carry out violence and cause instability for reasons
best known to the leaders at the top.

The same politicians who use the youths to attack, maim and kill each other
have their children making progress somewhere in life; studying abroad, busy
making money and accumulating amazing riches for themselves and their
families.

It is high time that the marauding youths get to know they are being abused
by being coerced to commit crimes for the benefit of others  and in the end,
they may never escape the consequences of their actions.  The Chokuda case
in which Farai Machaya, the son of Zanu PF Midlands chairperson, Jason
Machaya and four others were convicted of murdering an MDC-T activist is a
glaring example of fate that awaits perpetrators of violence.

And what do the youths get for commiting heinous political crimes on behalf
of their masters? — opaque beer and cheap quality T-shirts.

Youths out there should allow common sense to prevail and must start to
question themselves on why politicians habitually remember them at election
time and promise them heaven on earth, and then forget them soon after being
re-elected
Neither Bona Mugabe nor Edwin Tsvangirai were ever caught up in the
political violence in support of their parents, but the poor unfortunate
ordinary youths are there to do the dirty work.

Sunday View: Sopa’s threat to Internet democracy

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 28 January 2012 18:13

BY BETHEL GOKA & NOBUKHOSI NDLOVU

January 18 passed just like any ordinary day for many Zimbabweans, the
pertinent worry probably being the infamous “January disease”.

However, an ocean or two away, the online businesses in the United States
were in protest against what would have been the demise of the internet.

Wikipedia: a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopaedia
project which has over 16 million articles — went on a “black-out”, to
garner support against the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa).

Wikipedia provided none of its 16 million articles on January 18 save a
campaign bearing the words: “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge”, a
delegacy of its protest against Sopa.

The Sopa bill was proposed by American companies primarily involved in the
movie industry as well as US Congress. Sopa intended to crackdown on
copyright infringement by restricting access to sites that host pirated
content (money.cnn.com).

The intent appeared to be noble but the ramifications of the proposed bill
would have perniciously changed the internet as we know it. Below are some
of the contents of Sopa and its sister bill Pipa (Protection IP Act)
according to section 102 and section 3, respectively:

    Order ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to alter their DNS Servers from
resolving the domain names of websites in foreign countries that host
illegal copies of videos, songs and photos. In other words: These websites
will be blocked by these Internet Service Providers.

    Order popular search engines like Google, Bing to modify search results
to exclude foreign websites that host illegally copied material. In other
words the implicated websites would no longer be searchable through popular
search engines like Google — “you can’t google them anymore.”

    Order payment providers like Paypal to shut down payment accounts of
foreign websites that host illegally copied material. Therefore the
“culprits” would not be able to generate money through online payment
systems.

    Order advert services like Google’s Adsense to refuse any adverts or
payment from foreign sites that host illegally copied content. In other
words, these websites would not be able to generate revenue through google
adverts and neither would they be able to advertise themselves through the
same channel.

Facebook had this to say about the bill:

“At Facebook, we take online piracy and copyright infringement very
seriously. Rogue foreign sites that pirate American intellectual property or
sell counterfeit goods pose significant problems for our economy. However,
we believe the PROTECT IP Act (or Pipa) and the Stop Online Piracy Act
(Sopa), which are currently being considered by Congress, are not the right
solution to this problem, because of the collateral damage these
overreaching bills would cause to the Internet.”

In a nutshell, the bill would have an impact on technology companies, and
small and large websites across the US, by effectively regulating them out
of business through the rigid rules against the free sharing of content —
which is what social networks like Facebook, Twitter and websites like
Wikipedia thrive on. Apart from threatening the existence of Google,
Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia, this bill would have set precedence in
internet authoritarianism especially for Africa.

This would have sent a green-light to potential despots to impose
regulations on the use of the internet or the lack of it. The United States
which prides itself as the main proponent of democracy by passing rigid
internet regulations would have put a blow to one of the few mediums of free
speech and sentiment sharing.

Indeed the demise of Sopa, however temporary is a victory not only for all
advocates of free content-sharing and democracy!

Standard Comment: Sata, sham elections are not democracy

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Michael Sata, elected last year as Zambian President, has in many circles
been lauded as a democrat and reformist committed to uplifting the lives of
ordinary people in his country.
The Zambian leader’s views published last week regarding the holding of
elections in Zimbabwe however, put to doubt his real commitment to
democratic values and Sadc’s quest to find a lasting political solution in
Zimbabwe.

Besides describing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as a stooge, President
Sata said reforms in Zimbabwe were unnecessary before the holding of an
election.

“You people, the Western countries, you taught us that democracy is
elections. Now somebody wants elections and you say no,” he said.
His views do not only fly in the face of the Sadc’s mediation process in
Zimbabwe, which is aimed at levelling the political playing field before the
holding of an election, but are a dangerous affront to fundamental tenets of
good governance.

Zimbabweans are committed to holding elections under a new people-driven
constitution and in an environment that ensures that the result of the poll
is not contested. They are not clamouring for the holding of elections on
President Mugabe’s terms. They saw the dangers of that in 2008 and do not
want to see a repetition of that bloody episode.

President Sata’s sentiments about the holding of polls in Zimbabwe reek of
dangerous demagoguery which presupposes that the holding of elections
whenever they are due is synonymous with democratic governance. This is the
belief held by the continent’s club of despots who have religiously held
sham elections in their countries in the hope that this would see them shed
their coats of tyranny..

No, President Sata, we beg to differ with you. Going through the exercise of
holding elections does not mean the will of the people is being reflected or
that countries are establishing democratic processes. There is no way
President Mugabe will derive popular legitimacy on blind support from
President Sata’s populist utterances.

Popular legitimacy will come from an electorate which is satisfied with the
electoral process in which there is freedom of assembly to hold political
rallies and to campaign. Zimbabwean voters want the freedom to register as
voters and voting in an environment free of violence and intimidation. They
also yearn for equitable treatment of electors, candidates and parties by
election officials, the government, the police, the military and the
judiciary. All this requires reform!

If President Sata wants to be helpful, he should reconsider his views on the
holding of elections in an environment like ours lest his commitment to good
governance is cast in doubt.