ZEC adds 672 polling stations for elections

SADC under pressure to intervene in ‘illegal’ poll

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
11 July 2013

The regional SADC bloc has come under fresh pressure to rein in Robert
Mugabe’s ZANU PF party and prevent an ‘illegal’ election from taking place
in three weeks time.

The MDC-T has written to SADC ahead of the July 31st poll, urging it to meet
and review the situation in Zimbabwe and whether it will result in a
credible poll.

MDC-T Secretary General Tendai Biti said during a press conference on
Wednesday that his party has had no choice but to return to SADC, because of
ZANU PF’s ongoing refusal to implement the key changes that would ensure the
July 31st poll is credible.

He went on to detail how ZANU PF has “blatantly disregarded” SADC which, as
the guarantor of the unity government, directed that Zimbabwe implement key
reforms. These include media, security sector and legislative reforms that
ZANU PF has steadfastly resisted. Biti also explained other major problems,
warning that “violations and violence are on the increase in our country.”

“Zimbabwe is actually being forced to go into an illegal election…This rogue
state has completely ignored the rulings of international law, the rulings
of SADC, and we think it important for SADC to meet and review the situation
in Zimbabwe and make a pronouncement on whether or not it is still possible
to have a legal, legitimate, credible, sustainable election,” Biti said.

But there has been doubt expressed by some observers about SADC’s ability to
influence ZANU PF in anyway, saying that SADC has repeatedly failed in its
efforts to force ZANU PF to undertake the necessary reform. SADC has had
repeated meetings about Zimbabwe in the past four years and has always
fallen short of openly criticising ZANU PF for its failures. Questions are
now being asked about what SADC can do, especially after it recently said it
would abide by whatever Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court stated, in terms of
the election date.

Political analyst Charles Mangongera said there was some reason to be
hopeful, mainly because SADC cannot afford another disputed election to
happen in Zimbabwe.

“SADC is tired of the Zimbabwean situation. It is a constant drawback on the
region’s quest to ensure regional integration, a common market. But
Zimbabwe, because of the problems, it has been difficult for SADC to move.
It wants to solve this problem once and for all and the last thing they need
is a disputed election outcome,” Mangongera.

He said this could be why Mugabe recently threatened to withdraw from the
regional body, who he accused of meddling in Zimbabwe’s affairs.

“I think it is a preemptive effort to delegitimise SADC because he knows
SADC will be playing an important role post election. He (Mugabe) knows
conditions on the ground are such that the outcome will be another disputed
one. So in order to preempt SADC and make sure they adhere to his demands,
he is trying to give them this lack of legitimacy and question their
mediation,” Mangongera said.

He agreed that SADC has failed to “put its foot down in terms of ensuring
that Mugabe adheres to the rules,” and that Zimbabweans are concerned about
whether SADC “can come to rescue of the people.”

He added however, that this time around, there is a sense of urgency for
change among Zimbabweans that could make a real difference come election
time.

“I think Zimbabweans themselves, because of the mood of change, they must
determine if they are going to sit back and watch this moment go away or
whether they are going to make a demand to say ‘we have voted for change and
we want to see that change happening’,” Mangongera said

Battle of Provinces 2013, Mugabe versus Tsvangirai

Vote rigging fears rise amid calls for extension of registration exercise

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
11 July 2013

There are increasing fears that plans are afoot to rig the upcoming July
31st poll in Robert Mugabe’s favour, with more evidence of serious
irregularities in the formation of the voters roll.

Already there have been concerns raised that the voters roll is being
manipulated, in an effort to allegedly swell the ZANU PF vote in three weeks
time. The most serious allegations have come from the Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai who has said that a Harare based company, Nikuv, was giving
technical support to ZANU PF to manipulate the voters’ roll.

More concerns were then raised by the party’s Secretary General Tendai Biti
during a press conference on Wednesday, where he detailed the irregularities
of the voter registration exercise.

Biti said Wednesday that he believes the voters roll has “become the major
theatre of shenanigans in terms of the election.

“In 2008 it was violence , coercion and intimidation. In 2013 ZANU PF has
pushed gear and gone to the desktop and keyboard in manipulating the people’s
will,” Biti said.

He went on to explain major issues, like the widespread misinformation of
the location of voter registration centres and the slow pace of officials in
registering people. He said that in Harare alone over 300,000 people failed
to register.
Biti also raised concern that there are ‘multiple’ voters rolls in
circulation, showing different and often incorrect information for voters.
He suggested that the registration process should be extended, at least
until next Friday, to try and ensure that the rights of Zimbabweans are
protected.

More irregularities have been seen in a new online elections ‘map’ put
together by the Daily News newspaper, which shows a visual representation of
registered voters per province using official figures from Registrar General
Tobaiwa Mudede. The map also shows party ‘strongholds’, with the MDC-T
allegedly having a wider support base.

The map also shows more irregularities, which the Daily News does not
comment on, in terms of the discrepancies between the number of registered
voters in some provinces and the adult population figures. For example,
according to the map, in Mashonaland East there are just over 695,000
adults, but somehow over 700,000 people have registered to vote. This is
also the case in Matabeleland South and the Midlands, where the number of
registered voters is higher that the adult population.

This corroborates a report recently released by the Research and Advocacy
Unit (RAU), which last week revealed ‘disturbing’ discrepancies between the
latest voters’ roll and the population census. The report showed there are
63 constituencies out of 210 with more ‘registered’ voters than the number
of inhabitants indicated by the recent population census.

Mugabe says 'whole country' will vote for his Zanu-PF party

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

Sapa-AFP | 11 July, 2013 19:30

President Robert Mugabe kick-started his election campaign Thursday exuding
confidence that Zimbabweans will vote to extend his 33-year rule when they
go to the ballot box in three weeks' time.

"On the 31st of this month the whole country will vote ZANU-PF back into
government," 89-year-old Mugabe said in an hour-long speech to about 6,000
supporters in Chiweshe, 120 km (75 miles) north of the capital Harare.

Unleashing his trademark populist bravado, Mugabe doubled down on
nationalist rhetoric and hit out at his opponents in the Movement for
Democratic Change, with whom he has been forced to share power for the last
four years.

The elections will end that forced and often abusive marriage, but there are
mounting fears Mugabe's supporters will not allow the vote to be free and
fair or that the voter roll will be rigged.

Previous elections have been marred by bloodshed, to the extent that
Mugabe's opponent in 2008 was forced to withdraw despite winning the first
round of voting.

"We are a party that has meaning to the people, a party that is naturally a
people's party, that addresses the needs that are felt by the people," he
said, in a performance seemingly aimed at brushing aside suggestions the
octogenarian is no longer fit for the rigours of the campaign trail.

Thousands of supporters clad in green and yellow t-shirts with Mugabe's
potrait on them sang and danced as the veteran leader arrived to address
them.

Mugabe who launched his election campaign last week calling for
indigenisation and black empowerment said he believes the country must own
its vast natural resources.

"As Zimbabweans we are owners of our natural resources and therefore our
land belongs to us," he said to cheers from his supporters.

"We believe in Africa for Africans, Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans."

The veteran leader asked his supporters to come out in numbers to win the
constituency in the area which was held by the member of parliament from his
arch-rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC).

"We slept too much in 2008, we must win back this constituency this time
around," he said.

"Let us sing the song of victory, we must sing that we will win. Backwards
never, forward with with winning elections, down with the MDC."

Mugabe is expected to address 10 rallies before the polls, in contrast to
the dozen rallies he held during the 2008 elections.

Mugabe Attacks Tsvangirai, Labels Unity Govt 3-Legged Snake

http://www.voazimbabwe.com/

Blessing  Zulu
11.07.2013

WASHINGTON DC — President Robert Mugabe launched his star rallies at Nzvimbo
Growth Point in Madziva, Mashonaland Central Province, on Thursday taking a
dig at main rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for allegedly failing to
attract huge crowds at his campaign stops in the Zanu PF stronghold Monday.

Mr. Mugabe urged his party supporters to go out and vote in huge numbers to
avoid another coalition government. He vowed to never again be forced into
such an arrangement, describing the unity government as a three-headed
snake.

He took a swipe at Finance Minister Tendai Biti for alleging that the
government was broke and had no money for this year’s election.

Mr. Mugabe said it is a lie that the government is cash strapped. He called
for peace and bemoaned political violence that has been reportedly
resurfacing in some areas, in particular Mashonaland Central Province where
Movement for Democratic Change activists claim they are being targeted by
Zanu PF supporters.

Mr. Mugabe was accompanied by his deputy, Joyce Mujuru and wife, Grace
Mugabe, who distributed food stuffs such as mealie-meal, cooking oil, beans
and salt to villagers.

Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said victory was certain for his Zanu PF
party. He dismissed Mr. Tsvangirai’s dig at President Mugabe’s advanced age
at his rallies Monday.

Mr. Tsvangirai, meanwhile, took his campaign trail to Mhondoro, Mashonaland
West Province, where he told supporters that those who lost in his party’s
primary elections should support party candidates whose names were accepted
by the nomination court to avoid splitting the vote in favor of Zanu PF.

Addressing his supporters at Neuso Business Center in Chegutu East
constituency, Mr. Tsvangirai urged his party faithful to work together
despite divisions caused by primaries elections held recently.

Following the primaries, some MDC-T activists who lost in the primaries
submitted their names to the nomination court to stand as independent
candidates arguing internal party processes were not democratic.

But Mr. Tsvangirai said it is now time to bury the hatchet and concentrate
on the broader objective which he said was removing President Mugabe and his
Zanu PF party from office.

The party’s parliamentary candidate for Chegutu East, Tawanda Bvumo, pledged
to work for the development of the constituency.

He accused his rival, former legislator Webster Shamu, who is also the media
and information minister, of failing to implement meaningful developmental
programs in the area.

Mr. Tsvangirai said his administration will work to ensure that modern
houses were built in rural communities.

The MDC founding leader takes his campaign Friday to Chinhoyi Stadium before
moving eastwards to Manicaland province at the weekend.

Biti says 300 000 failed to register in Harare alone

http://www.insiderzim.com/

Thursday, 11 July 2013 15:07

Finance Minister Tendai Biti today said 300 000 people in Harare failed to
register as voters yet registrar general Tobaiwa Mudede was allocated an
extra US$1 million for the exercise last week.
Some 766 478 people were registered as voters in Harare in 2008 but only 313
995 voted in the presidential elections.

This year’s voter registration ended on Tuesday but the Movement for
Democratic Change where Biti is the secretary-general wanted the exercise to
be extended.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chair Rita Makarau urged people to register
before the close of the month-long exercise saying it would not be extended.

Biti who insists that the country has no money to hold the elections due in
20 days said strangely in areas which are “falsely perceived to be ZANU-PF
strongholds” high numbers of were registered.

“In Harare only 27 000 voters were registered while 57 000 were registered
in Mashonaland West and 60 000 in Mashonaland East. Harare province had only
five teams to conduct voter registration while Mashonaland East had 18.”he
said.

“One striking and mysterious scenario has been that some constituencies in
Harare have actually recorded decreases in the number of persons on the
voters’ roll. Dzivarasekwa is an example. In 2008 there were 38 000 voters
and that number has decreased to 22 000.”

Biti also said the number of people who had registered for special voting
was staggering. Some 69 000 police officers applied for special voting when
the country only has about 40 000 police officers.

“As Treasury, I can tell you we are not paying 69 000 police officers, it is
almost double those on the country’s payroll which is something
questionable….

“There are 120 000 people registered for postal voting and these are
Zimbabweans stationed outside the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
does not have a staggering 120 000 diplomats stationed at its foreign
missions. In the 2008 elections there were only 5 000 applications for
postal voting.”

Below is Biti’s full statement:

MDC Secretary General, Tendai Biti on Zimbabwe's elections preparedness

Harvest House, Harare

Thursday, 11 July 2013

31 July Elections

In light of the SADC Maputo resolutions, which directed that Zimbabwe
implements key reforms especially on media, security sector and legislative
before elections, Zanu PF has blatantly disregarded the SADC call.

One of the key reforms as resolved by the regional body was media reforms
particularly emphasising on the need to re-establish the Zimbabwe Mass Media
Trust (ZMMT) and the appointment of a new Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings
(ZBH) board. It is public knowledge now that this has not been implemented
in clear defiance of SADC.

On security sector reforms, SADC directed that security chiefs to issue out
a statement stating that they will not make political statements and take an
obligation to sign a code of conduct in terms of Section 208 of the new
Constitution.  That statement has not been made and there has not been any
political indication that this will happen before the elections.

It must be noted that 50 percent of the candidates in the Zanu PF primary
elections were serving members of the country’s security establishment with
a third of them now set to represent the party during the coming elections.

SADC resolved that we should have during the last Parliament realigned some
of our laws in the new Constitution with parliamentary laws.

Among these is the new Provincial Government Act, which is not covered in
both the Urban and Rural Council Acts.  There was need to repeal other laws
such as the Public Order and Security Act (Posa), Access to Information and
Public Protection Act (AIPPA), the draconian Section 121 of the Criminal
Procedure and Evidence Act.

Further, Mugabe used a decree to enact the Electoral Act when we still had
enough time to get it through Parliament and SADC urged us to do the same
and before the expiry of the last Parliament when we still had two weeks
within which to have done this and once again our friends in Zanu PF
disregarded this.

Therefore, it is clear that without reviewing these laws, Zimbabwe is
actually being forced to go into an illegal election.

SADC directed that the government should file an application at the
Constitutional Court seeking an extension of the election but no such
application was made by the Minister of Justice, Patrick Chinamasa as his
application was defective.

It is clear therefore that Zanu PF has brought the chaos within its ranks
into the government system and now seeks to railroad Zimbabweans into
another sham election. They have ignored international laws and dictates
hence it is now incumbent upon SADC to review whether Zimbabwe can hold
credible, free and fair elections.

Voters’ roll

The intensive mobile voter registration exercise has become a major theatre
of shenanigans.  In 2008, Zanu PF used violence and it has gone a step
further and has now resorted to the use of keyboards and computers to rig
the coming elections.

Thousands of Zimbabweans were disenfranchised during the voter registration
exercise as they were not informed of where the centres were while officials
at the centres were on a go slow and countless of prospective voters failed
to register.

In Harare alone over 300 000 people failed to register.  In areas, which are
falsely perceived to be Zanu PF strongholds, high numbers of people
registering were recorded.  In Harare only 27 000 voters were registered
while 57 000 were registered in Mashonaland West and 60 000 in Mashonaland
East. Harare province had only five teams to conduct voter registration
while Mashonaland East had 18.

One striking and mysterious scenario has been that some constituencies in
Harare have actually recorded decreases in the number of persons on the
voters’ roll. Dzivarasekwa is an example. In 2008 there were 38 000 voters
and that number has decreased to 22 000.

Last week, in a meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the Registrar
General of Voters, Tobaiwa Mudede asked for a further US$1 million to redo
Harare, funds which were disbursed by the Treasury but nothing was done.  It
is therefore a logical thing to extend voter registration to next week
Friday and I hope wisdom will prevail.

The numbers of people who have never registered to vote and are finding
themselves on the voters’ roll are increasing.  Others in a particular ward
have been transferred without their permission to another ward.

At the epicentre of this is a notorious Israeli company called Nikuv, which
operates a drip irrigation company, called Third Stock and we are taking
steps to establish its legal status and how they came to be working with the
RGV. I can safely say there were not awarded a tender by the State
Procurement Board and the RGV is only a department under the Ministry of
Home Affairs that cannot award tenders.

Special voting

ZEC is going through the process of special voting.  However, figures show
that 69 000 police officers applied for special voting when the country only
has about 40 000 police officers.

As Treasury, I can tell you we are not paying 69 000 police officers, it is
almost double those on the country’s payroll which is something
questionable.  The special voting vetting exercise is taking place at the
Harare International Conference Centre and the place is heavily militarised
with the police and the army doing the processing.

It is unacceptable and it is something that we have brought to the attention
of ZEC.

Postal voting

There are 120 000 people registered for postal voting and these are
Zimbabweans stationed outside the country.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
does not have a staggering 120 000 diplomats stationed at its foreign
missions.

In the 2008 elections there were only 5 000 applications for postal voting.

Violations

Violations and violence are on the increase in our country since the MDC’s
loud red that was seen in Marondera on Sunday.  The chaos faction in Zanu PF
is trying to reignite and remobilise the arsenal of violence and we can see
a deliberate attempt to decimate the MDC leadership.

They want to freeze Solomon Madzore and lock him up for the umpteenth time
as they try to cripple the MDC Youth Assembly because of their ability to
organise. The incidences are endless.

However, not withstanding all these shenanigans, the MDC has hit the road
running.  Our MPs and councillors are campaigning while President Tsvangirai
is holding provincial rallies daily.

We have no doubt in our minds that the people of Zimbabwe are ready for real
change and on 31 July there will be that change.

ZEC unable to verify authenticity of ZRP special ballot application numbers-Makarau

http://www.thezimbabwean.co/

11.07.13

by Farai Mabeza

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission does not have the capacity to verify the
authenticity of the number of police officers who have applied for the
special ballot.

ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau shared these sentiments in Harare today
during a meeting between the commission and civil society organisations.

Makarau revealed that ZEC had received over 69,000 applications for special
votes from the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Special voting is going to be held
on July 14 and 15 ahead of the general vote on July 31.

These figures have alerted political parties and civil society organisations
to the possibility of rigging since the police force’s members are less than
the given figures.

Special voting is done at least 16 days before the election day in order to
give an opportunity to people who will be on duty during the polls to vote.

It caters for members of the uniformed forces and election officials. It is
done concurrently with postal voting which caters for people outside the
country on Government business.

“We are taking it in good faith. They have told us that they will be
enlisting police reserves and police constabularies to beef up their
operations. Maybe that is where the figures are coming from,” Makarau said.

She called on all accredited observers and members of the public to alert
the commission if they see people who are not part of the uniformed forces
casting votes on the special voting days.

“If you think that this is an inflated number please give us the evidence so
that we can act.

“I don’t know why legislators opted to call it special voting. There is
nothing special about the special voting. It’s just early voting,” she said.

Makarau said polling stations for July 14 and 15 will not be in police
stations or army barracks but in places that are accessible to members of
the public.

According to ZEC there were 140 applications from the Zimbabwe National
Army, 15,000 from ZEC and 2,000 from the Zimbabwe Prison Service.

MDC-T deputy minister’s campaign team attacked

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Nomalanga Moyo
SW Radio Africa
11 July 2013

Deputy Mines Minister Gift Chimanikire was on Wednesday attacked by ZANU FP
thugs while canvassing for his MDC-T party in Harare’s Mbare Constituency.

The outgoing MDC-T MP for Southerton and 13 members of his election team,
who included 12 women, were on a door-to-door campaign when the youths
waylaid them in a cul-de-sac.

According to the deputy minister, the ZANU PF youths took exception to his
team’s presence in ‘their’ territory, leading to the attack.

Seven members of Chimanikire’s team were injured, including his driver and
secretary who required stitches on the arm and head respectively, after the
thugs smashed the team’s vehicle.

Chimanikire said: “We had just entered a close when they appeared from the
very direction that we had come from. Their argument was that why were we
organising and talking to people in their area, despite the fact that I have
been MP for this place for more than eight years.”

He said efforts to reason with youths fell on deaf ears, as the thugs went
on to physically attack the women, grabbing T-Shirts and other party
regalia.

“After the women had fled, the youths then turned on me. I managed to escape
into the nearest open gate, which was then locked,” Chimanikire added.

The deputy minister deplored the assault on his team which he said was
symptomatic of the lack of leadership and discipline within ZANU PF.

“We identified some of the attackers as ZANU PF Youth District Chairpersons.
They think that by disturbing our campaigns they will win votes for
themselves. But judging by what happened in the last election where ZANU PF
only got 1,441 votes, they are heading towards certain defeat,” said
Chimanikire.

Two of the youths were arrested Wednesday, after the MDC-T campaign team
identified them to the police.

However, Chimanikire said he will be taking up the issue of the violent
attack with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and asking for the
disqualification of the ZANU PF candidate.

“ZEC guidelines are clear that any candidate whose supporters engage in
violence or in any act of misconduct will be disqualified,” he said.

Meanwhile Abel Chikomo, head of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, was
shocked when he was summoned to appear in court on August 1st, on charges of
running an “unregistered organisation.

Chikomo’s legal representatives, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights,
described the development as “another official harassment of civic
organisations and human rights defenders”.

In a statement, the group said the charges arose after the  human rights
forum conducted a survey on transitional justice in Harare’s Highfield
suburb.

“The State claims that he unlawfully instructed two employees to commence or
carry out a survey in Harare’s Highfield suburb with the intention to obtain
people’s recommendations on the preferred transitional justice mechanism for
Zimbabwe, without his organisation registering under the Private Voluntary
Organisation Act,” the lawyers’ group said Thursday.

The charges against Chikomo first arose in February 2011 but were shelved
after the State indicated that it was not ready to proceed with the matter.

Chikomo told SW Radio Africa that it is clear that the police were reviving
the case to coincide with the crucial election period, in order to distract
him from his work.

Campaigning hots up as elections approach

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
SW Radio Africa
11 July 2013

There’s just 20 days to go before Zimbabwe holds its hotly anticipated
presidential and legislative elections, with the penultimate leg for State
House hotting up as bitter rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe hit
the campaign trail.

On Thursday Mugabe launched his campaign for re-election after 33 years in
power, with a rally at Nzwimbo growth point in Chiweshe, while Tsvangirai
has not let up since he began his quest for the highest office on Tuesday.

He was in Mashonaland West Thursday, visiting Mhondoro, Zvimba and Chinhoyi.
The political environment could not be more polarized. Billboards and
durawalls are now adorned with party colours of the main contenders and
street corners, kombis, food stalls, places of work and worship have all
become platforms for debate.

Amid all this mayhem there is very little evidence to suggest regional and
international observers are monitoring this count-down to the July 31st
elections. Harare based journalist Itai Dzamara told SW Radio Africa most
observers are expected to start trickling in this weekend.

‘This is against the SADC rules on free and fair elections…they stipulate
that observers have to be on the ground three months before the election
date,’ Dzamara said.

Both candidates have revamped their presidential campaigns, with ZANU PF
fine tuning theirs during Wednesday’s politburo meeting. Following a late
start by Mugabe he now has his helicopter ready to cover the country’s
provincial capitals for his star rallies.

Tsvangirai meanwhile is criss-crossing the country by road, at times
covering up to 500km a day. By the time he’s done, which will be two days
before the poll, the Premier would have addressed 60 rallies compared to
Mugabe’s 10.

Mugabe cuts down rallies

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

GIFT PHIRI, NEWS EDITOR  •  11 JULY 2013 9:03AM

HARARE - Zimbabwe's main presidential rivals have kicked off the final weeks
of an election campaign, with President Robert Mugabe dramatically scaling
down major rallies in all the key battlegrounds.

Mugabe, whose Zanu PF party lost the 2008 elections after addressing dozens
of star rallies countrywide, is expected to address only 10 star rallies
while his rival Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) and Mugabe’s strongest challenger in 33 years of power, is
addressing over 10 rallies in just one province.

On Tuesday, Tsvangirai addressed a rally in Rushinga, made an appearance in
Mt Darwin, Madziwa, Bindura, Mushumbi, Mvurwi, Glendale, Neuso,  Zimplats,
Chegutu East and Murombedzi.

Zanu PF announced that they will hold 10 star rallies for Mugabe scheduled
only for provincial capitals where the Zanu PF leader plans a populist
pre-election spending push.

Villagers in the provinces will be waiting for the usual bombastic speeches
by Mugabe, appealing for re-election.

The socialist leader, who recently returned from medical check up in
Singapore, is facing uncomfortable questions whether he will be strong
enough to traverse the country.

Mugabe has been in campaign mode for most of his 33-year rule, and his
signature style of personally meeting the beneficiaries of his welfare and
empowerment programmes has in the past helped him win re-election and extend
his power in the south African nation.

Now the once-inexhaustible Mugabe, 89, is being forced to slow down just as
he goes into what could be his toughest election yet.

While Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo was still tied up in the Politburo
meeting at the time of going to press yesterday, he had earlier confirmed
that the party was going to have only 10 star rallies.

“They would be held at provincial capitals,” he said.

Mugabe’s spin-doctors have denied rumours that he is plagued with illness
associated with old age.

Nobody, though, is writing off a man who has overcome so much in the past —
Western opposition, targeted sanctions, massive protests, and an attempted
Zanu PF 2004 coup meant to topple him from power.

With savvy and monopolistic use of State media and drawing on his unique
emotional connection with the poor, Mugabe, still can make a surprise and
pull it off.

That might mean running a “low-key” campaign largely and making the most of
any personal appearances he is able to make in slums and rural areas.

Ibbo Mandaza, a Southern Africa Political and Economic Series (Sapes) Trust
executive director, publisher and intellectual, said Mugabe will not be in
the proper physical shape to visit every corner of the country and said 10
star rallies could be devastating to the political veteran’s health.

“He is not well, he is old,” Mandaza told the Daily News. “10 is too much in
weeks before the election. There is a problem, they are pushing the old man
too far, and I dare say there is a big price to pay.”

The health saga appears to have tightened the bond with Mugabe’s most
militant backers. One pollster gave Mugabe a popularity bump among hard-core
supporters, while another put him in a statistical dead-heat with his main
rival Tsvangirai.

Formal surveys and interviews on the street show no clear trend yet,
although in past elections they have tended to back Tsvangirai.

Pedzisai Ruhanya, director for Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, said the
scaling down of Mugabe’s star rallies was a dramatic change.

“It is a change that is realistic that is acknowledging the frail nature of
their presidential candidate, they are afraid of parading a physically weak
candidate,” Ruhanya told the Daily News.

“They are limiting Mugabe’s interaction with voters, limiting the damage
associated with his physical appearance.

“The president is now an old man. How many times has he gone to the Far
East? He is old and tired and needs rest. Mugabe’s physical appearance is
not good for voters, he is no longer electable. His physical appearance is
no longer appealing to voters, especially for presidential purpose.”

Zim blogger dishes out dirt

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/
Sapa-AP|
11 July 2013 00:30

Baba Jukwa's name is whispered in buses, bars and on street corners by
Zimbabweans eager for the inside scoop on President Robert Mugabe's ruling
party. One avid follower even climbs a tree in a rural village for a signal
to call a friend for the latest tidbits from the mysterious yet stupendously
popular blogger.

Baba Jukwa, or Jukwa's father in the local Shona language, is a ZANU-PF
party insider, or "mole," who says on his popular Facebook page that he is
disheartened by the "corrupt and evil machinations" of President Robert
Mugabe's fractious party.

From its launch in March the Baba Jukwa page now has a larger following than
both the president and prime minister with at least 200,000 followers.

The shadowy blog points to what it claims are exposes by well-connected
insiders of Mugabe's health secrets, murder, assassination and corruption
plots, and intended intimidation and vote-rigging ahead of upcoming
elections scheduled for the end of July.

Zimbabweans who follow Baba Jukwa now say they have unfettered access to
what they have always wanted to know but never dared ask for fear of being
arrested. Under the nation's sweeping security laws, it is an offense to
undermine the authority of the president and national security operatives.

There is even a Baba Jukwa claim on the page that there is a bounty on his
head, although it is believed there are several authors because the writing
style of the posts changes from day to day.

After state-run media, loyal to 89-year-old Mugabe, said the president made
a trip to Singapore for an eye check-up, the Baba Jukwa page stated: "When
we welcomed him at the airport yesterday early in the morning our old man,
ladies and gentlemen, looked weaned and very weak. It was clear that the
chemotherapy process he went through in Far East Asia was still having
effect on him."

It said Mugabe was suffering from a severe recurrence of prostate cancer.

With the catchphrase "tapanduka zvamuchose," a Shona term that he has "gone
rogue," Baba Jukwa gives details of secret venues and times of undercover
meetings.

ZANU-PF insiders have reported they are afraid to leave important meetings
to go to the bathroom in case they are suspected of firing off smart phone
texts to Baba Jukwa. The site has reported getting tip-offs from the midst
of meetings of Mugabe's politburo, its highest policy making body, and other
confidential gatherings.

Zimbabwe has an estimated 12 million mobile subscribers with 60 percent
estimated to have direct access to the Internet through their cell phones,
according to commercial company reports from the three main mobile networks.

McDonald Lewanika, director of Crisis Coalition, an alliance of democracy
and human rights groups said the Facebook site has provided ordinary
Zimbabweans with a platform to access information on secretive state
security operations. Lewanika said Baba Jukwa remains anonymous because of
the dangers associated with what he is doing.

"It is a bad sign for the country that there's no free flow of information,"
Lewanika told The Associated Press.

The faceless Baba Jukwa vows to end Mugabe's rule by exposing the alleged
involvement of his top officials, secret agents, police and military in the
violence that led to disputed elections in 2008 and corruption and internal
plotting ever since.

Baba Jukwa says Mugabe won't be able to withstand a grueling election
campaign.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF party spokesman Rugare Gumbo said that his party does not
know the identity of Baba Jukwa and other possible contributors.

The posts are factually incorrect, he said. However, some have proven to be
correct as events unfold. The distribution of private and secret telephone
numbers of security agents and forecasts of political developments have been
corroborated in later public statements by Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

"Whoever he is, he fabricates lies and is not doing any good to the morality
of our society," Gumbo said.

Baba Jukwa's posts claim Mugabe's ZANU-PF is incensed by the site and is
making desperate efforts to establish his identity and has put a $300,000
bounty on him or them being unmasked. That claim could not be verified.

"They are wasting their time as I am extremely careful and working from
within the country and will never go anywhere as long as these evil old
people exist I will continue fighting. My blood will water freedom and
democracy for Zimbabweans if I die for this cause" he said, in a recent
Facebook posting.

"Asijiki," a word in the local language for "we do not retreat" is the
signoff Baba Jukwa uses at the end of all the posts.

Baba Jukwa has been dubbed by his followers "Zimbabwe's own Julian Assange",
but he describes himself in the local Shona language as "mupupuri
wezvokwadi" which means "the harbinger of truth."

A former minister from Mugabe's party was killed in a car wreck June 19
after a post had warned several times of an assassination plot against him.
The page claimed Edward Chindori-Chininga was suspected of being a Baba
Jukwa contributor who leaked inside information on infighting in Mugabe's
party.

"I told you there will be body bags coming this year ... The war has begun,"
Baba Jukwa posted on his wall.

The posts have detailed the correct private phone numbers of police,
intelligence chiefs and under-cover intelligence officers and urged readers
to call them.

Saviour Kasukuwere, the nation's black empowerment minister, publicly
admitted to receiving least 50 insulting calls a day, and some even went to
his children and aging mother.

He said the calls were taking a toll on his family but added "it's a price
we have to pay for our country," he said.

Baba Jukwa has promised to revealed his identity in time.

"I assure you will know me in a new Zimbabwe where our government will be
transparent," he said.

Zanu PF expels Kereke

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

STAFF WRITER  •  11 JULY 2013 9:27AM

HARARE - Faction riddled Zanu PF has expelled controversial Harare
businessman Munyaradzi Kereke from the party for insubordination after he
insisted in running for Parliament despite being barred by the former ruling
party.

Kereke was eying the Bikita West constituency but Zanu PF refused to allow
him to contest in the primary elections saying he was still to clear several
outstanding issues.

In the process, Zanu PF allowed Kereke's former workmate at the RBZ, Elias
Musakwa to represent the party on elections scheduled for July 31.

After being barred, Kereke somehow went on to contest in the primaries
without the knowledge of the party while his rival Musakwa said at the time
that he was surprised to hear that Kereke had "competed" against himself.

The Zanu PF politburo meeting in Harare on Wednesday said all those who
helped Kereke would face disciplinary action.

Police Chief: We Are Not Forcing Officers to Vote for Mugabe

http://www.voazimbabwe.com/

Irwin  Chifera
11.07.2013

HARARE — Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri has refuted
allegations that officers are being forced to vote for President Robert
Mugabe’s Zanu PF party in the special voting that takes place July 14 and 15
saying their vote will for the first time this year be in secret and outside
police stations.

Responding to questions from journalists attending an election reporting
workshop organised by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
in Harare on Thursday, Phiri said even if it was true that officers were
being forced to choose one party over others, he did not see how that could
influence the ballot since officers will this year vote outside their
stations and in secret like everyone else.

Phiri declined to answer questions about how many police officers were
eligible to cast ballots under special voting saying the Public Service
Commission, as the employer, was better placed to respond.

He, however, said that regular police officers are augmented by the police
reserves during such national exercises like the elections, adding it is
surprising that people like Co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone are
questioning the number of officers in the country when she knows how the
force operates.

Deputy Police Commissioner responsible for operations, Innocent Matibiri,
however, told parliament’s Home Affairs Committee a few months ago that
police required at least 50,000 officers for the July 31 polls.

With a compliment of about 40,000 officers, Matibiri said they would augment
the force with 10,000 police reserves, popularly known as special
constabularies.

But the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission says more than 69,000 police officers
have applied for early voting prompting political parties to charge the
figure is far too high. They fear the special vote could be used to rig the
poll.

In a related development, the MDC-T deputy youth chairman Costa Machingauta
and two other activists who were arrested Wednesday in Budiriro were
Thursday formally charged with assault and are expected to appear in court
Friday.

Their lawyer, Marufu Mandevere, said the charges are funny and his clients
deny them.

He said Machingauta’s arrest is meant to stop him from campaigning ahead of
the elections. Machingauta is the MDC-T parliamentary candidate for the
Budiriro constituency.

No immediate return of Zim dollar - Gono

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

GIFT PHIRI, NEWS EDITOR  •  11 JULY 2013 5:32PM

HARARE - Zimbabwe's Central Bank governor on Thursday said the
re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar will not be done immediately but in
the medium to long term.

Gideon Gono, a close ally of President Robert Mugabe, spoke after the
veteran leader told thousands of his Zanu PF supporters during the party’s
election manifesto launch in Harare last Friday that he has been working
confidentially with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) boss to introduce a
gold-backed Zimbabwe dollar currency once he wins re-election in the July 31
poll.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Gono said discussions around this have
been made with Mugabe, but said the re-introduction of a local currency
would be done much later.

The country has allowed the use of multiple foreign currencies since January
2009 to stem hyperinflation which had rocketed to over 230 million percent
and left the Zimbabwe dollar almost worthless.

“As monetary authorities, we advise that as per the announcement by His
Excellency President R.G. Mugabe, the re-introduction of a local currency is
rather a medium to long term aspiration than an immediate, near-term agenda
item on our radar as the Central Bank,” Gono said.

“Essentially, it is every country’s desire to have its own currency in order
to avail potent policy options to policy makers, and Zimbabwe is no
exception in this case.”

Gono outlined five key conditions, including attainment of sustained
macroeconomic stability and re-orienting the economy on a firm recovery
trajectory, before the local currency bounces back.

Before the local currency is reinstated, Gono said there must be:

*The accumulation of adequate foreign exchange reserve buffers to the Sadc
regional target of at least 3 months of import cover but said Mugabe wanted
that threshold doubled.

*The rehabilitation of infrastructure notably roads, water and sanitation,
telecommunications and energy.

*The restoration of confidence generally and banking sector stability in
particular.

*The alignment of various pieces of legislation so that they complement each
other.

*Rehabilitation and modernisation of necessary infrastructures, laws and
administrative systems needed to successfully carry out the re-introduction
assignment, together with appropriate pre-education and consultations with
all those who need to be consulted internally and externally.

Gono said the above pre-conditions can be feasibly attained in the medium to
long term.

“Additionally, the local currency according to the wishes of His Excellency,
would be required to circulate alongside the basket of currencies which are
currently legal tender in Zimbabwe and the public will be free to pick and
use a currency of their choice for transactions purposes,” he said.

“Importantly too, is the fact that the sustained stability of the
re-introduced local currency will also be contingent upon the accumulation
of adequate assets from the country’s resources, notably gold, to enable the
currency to be fully gold-backed.

“This means that government would need to purchase from gold miners,
adequate stocks of gold in order to build its bullion reserves.”

Scores of sex workers languish in remand prison

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
SW Radio Africa
11 July 2013

Scores of sex workers arrested in Harare last Friday are still languishing
in prison, because they cannot raise the $200 bail each of them requires,
which rights lawyers say is exorbitant.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights say 53 women were arrested and beaten
up after the police embarked on an exercise code –named “Operation
 Zvanyanya” aimed at flushing out sex workers from the Avenues area and
lodges in the city centre.

They were charged on Monday for soliciting even though their lawyers say
many of them were taken from private lodges.

One of their lawyers, Kennedy Masiye from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights, told SW Radio Africa: “They were assaulted while in custody and were
denied sanitary wear for more than 48 hours.”

Zimbabwean laws criminalise solicitation in public places but Masiye said
the majority of his clients were taken from their lodges. “They were
privately booked in their rooms and this was an outright invasion of their
privacy.”

The lawyer also said the police action is targeting women and is purely
discriminatory as their male clients were not arrested.

Thirty-seven of the arrested women who pleaded guilty to the charges have
not been able to raise the fines and the remaining sixteen pleaded not
guilty and were granted $200 bail. Rights activists say many of them are
forced into this trade because of economic hardships.

They are expected to appear in court on Friday.

Zim launches fresh onlsaught against NGO’s

HRDs Alert
11 July 2013

ZIMBABWE AUTHORITIES LAUNCH FRESH ONSLAUGHT AGAINST CHIKOMO

Zimbabwean authorities have launched a fresh onslaught against Abel Chikomo,
the executive director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum by summonsing
him to stand trial on charges of running an “unregistered” organisation in
yet another official harassment of civic organisations and human rights
defenders.
Chikomo was recently served with summons by two police officers only
identified as Detective Gandidzanwa and Chipwanya to stand trial on 01
August 2013 at Harare (Rottenrow) Magistrates Court.
According to the summons, Chikomo contravened Section 6 (3) of the Private
Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Act Chapter 17:15 after he allegedly conducted
some activities without being registered under the PVO Act.
The charge, which he denies, came after the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum,
a non-governmental umbrella organization conducted a survey on transitional
justice in Harare’s Highfield suburb.
The State says this was illegal since the organisation is not registered as
a Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO). The State claims that he unlawfully
instructed two of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum’s employees to
commence or carry out a survey in Harare’s Highfield suburb with the
intention to obtain people’s recommendations on the preferred transitional
justice mechanism for Zimbabwe, without his organization registering with
the Social Welfare Department under the PVO Act.
Last year, Chikomo’s trial on the same charges, which first arose in
February 2011, was shelved after State prosecutor Innocent Chingarande
withdrew summons issued against him as the State was not ready to proceed
with the matter. At that time Chikomo was represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights board member Selby Hwacha and Jeremiah Bamu.
Over the past two years Chikomo has been interrogated and asked to report to
the police station on several occasions on the activities carried out by the
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

A Promise in Peril: Widespread Human Rights Violations Threaten Elections in Zimbabwe

http://www.sokwanele.com

 

AUTHOR:

SOKWANELE

DATE:

JUL 11, 2013

Via the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center)website: With just weeks to go before a watershed election, a political atmosphere of intimidation and violence has taken hold in Zimbabwe. Rather than promoting an environment in which civic participation and political tolerance are encouraged, the government of Zimbabwe has engaged in a systematic crackdown on civil society and the human rights community, including arbitrary detention of activists and opposition supporters, and widespread violations against freedom of expression and access to information.

These are the findings of a report released by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center) entitled, “A Promise in Peril: How Widespread Rights Violations Undermine Zimbabwe’s Elections.” The report comes one month before Zimbabwe’s July 31 election, and presents findings that were collected during an international delegation organized by the RFK Center in March 2013.

[...]

In the report, the RFK Center urges the government of Zimbabwe—which is largely dominated by President Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front—to immediately cease the continued harassment, intimidation, and violence perpetrated against civic actors. The report also encourages the government to respect international legal conventions to which Zimbabwe is a party or state signatory, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, and the Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa. Download the report here.

Report Summary

Zimbabwe is in the midst of an uncertain transition. Since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in February 2009, key reforms contained in the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which was in part meant to lay the groundwork for peaceful democratic elections, remain unimplemented. During this time period there has also been an increasingly limited democratic space, evidenced by the systematic intimidation, threats, violence, and arbitrary detention of human rights activists and civil society leaders, and the continued violations of freedom of expression and access to information. The prevailing electoral environment in Zimbabwe, which is characterized by clear breaches of international law, has seriously imperiled the rights of all citizens to vote and to participate freely in public affairs.

The principal GNU partners were expected to cooperate in good faith to promote an electoral environment consistent with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, specifically Article 4, which stipulates that “human rights, democracy, and the rule of law are principles guiding the acts of its members.” The failure to meet this standard rests largely with the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) – led by 89-year-old president Robert Mugabe – which has stifled democratic progress and continues to selectively repress the legitimate activities of civil society, media professionals, and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). While President Mugabe signed into law a longawaited new constitution on 22 May 2013 that curbs executive powers and clears the way for new elections, worries about continued democratic backsliding persist to this day.

President Mugabe, the military, police, and security sector have abridged the human rights of the Zimbabwean people with impunity. Those who challenge President Mugabe’s directives are routinely branded “enemies of the state” and “agents of regime change.” These arbitrary labels have allowed authorities to arrest individuals and initiate often baseless criminal actions to stifle peaceful assembly, association, and freedom of expression. The criminalization of human rights defenders and democracy activists throughout the country has coincided with disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and murder to deter legitimate or otherwise legal democratic activities.

Despite the existent power sharing agreement, ZANU-PF maintains control over important ministerial portfolios pertaining to defense, home affairs, the security sector, and mines and mining development, further enabling the overall oppressive environment. What is more, ZANU-PF has recently succeeded in placing party stalwarts to manage and oversee important state institutions, including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC).

This report takes stock of these and other pertinent developments to highlight the severely compromised electoral environment that exists in Zimbabwe today. This overall assessment is bolstered by several recurring themes that arose during a March 2013 international delegation to Zimbabwe that was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center). The main concerns of domestic actors in Zimbabwe included:

1. A lack of progress on reforms outlined in the Global Political Agreement;
2. Increased intimidation, threats, and violence against civil society; and
3. Violations of the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

MDC-T comment on special vote

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

Special vote poses no threat to members of the disciplined forces
Postal voting is where voters cast their ballots by post in advance on the
day of elections. Early voting is whereby voters [such as election officials
or security personnel] who are unable to attend their designated polling
stations on the day of elections are allowed to cast their ballots early.
It is however important for members of the security forces to note that
Voting is every citizen’s right and as such they should be aware that the
secrecy of their vote shall be withheld and protected by Law.
Please note that section 81 of the electoral act provides that;
Every officer, candidate and election or polling agent in attendance at a
polling station shall;
•    maintain, and aid in maintaining, the secrecy of voting at that station
and shall not communicate to any person any information likely to defeat the
secrecy of the voting, except for some purpose authorised by law.

No person, except provided by the Act, shall:
•    Interfere or attempt to interfere with a voter when making his vote or
otherwise attempt to obtain in the polling station information as to the
candidate for whom the voter is about to vote for or has voted for.
•    Communicate at any time any information obtained in a polling station
as to the candidate the voter is about to vote or has voted for, or as to
the number on the ballot, Papers given to the voter at such station.
No person shall directly or indirectly induce a voter to display his ballot
paper after he has marked the same.
No person shall attempt directly or indirectly to ascertain or aid in
ascertaining for which candidate a voter has given his vote (subject to s.59
and ss(1) (iii) of s.65).
Any person who contravenes any provision of this section shall be guilty of
an offence and liable to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding on year.
We urge members of the Security sector to ensure that their rights are not
violated and to raise an alert should they suspect any action to be in
contravention to what is stipulated by law.
Yes, together we can complete the change!!!

It’s the same sad story in Zimbabwe, despite progress in governance elsewhere in Africa

http://www.irishtimes.com/

‘We don’t have the money for these elections, and everyone knows it.’

Bill Corcoran

Thu, Jul 11, 2013, 01:00

Barack Obama’s praise of Africa’s democratic progress during his recent
three-nation tour visit reflects the fact that governance has improved in
many states across the continent during the past few years.

Southern Africa has for the most part been the continent’s standard-bearer
for democracy, with free and fair elections recently held in Botswana and
Zambia building on the advances already achieved by South Africa and
Mauritius.

These success stories have helped to strengthen the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), which is mandated to improve the region
socio-economically and politically as well as in terms of its security.

However, the continuing political crises in Zimbabwe and Madagascar are
threatening to undermine the progress already made. Indeed the current
situation in Zimbabwe, which is holding a general election on July 31st, is
a good example of how hazardous the road to good governance can sometimes
be.

Civil society and opposition parties have warned that the coming contest
between President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and its main rival, prime
minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is in the
process of being rigged by the former group.

The election is being held to end a shaky powersharing arrangement between
the political parties that was masterminded by SADC in 2009.

That deal followed Zimbabwe’s disputed 2008 elections, which were marred by
state-sponsored violence that left at least 200 MDC supporters dead and tens
of thousands of ordinary people displaced.

The warnings coming out of Zimbabwe over the past six months are nothing
new, as Mugabe and Zanu-PF have been accused of rigging every election they
have participated in since 2000.

But this time the situation was meant to be very different, primarily
because the road to a free and fair poll was to be policed by SADC, which
even appointed South African president Jacob Zuma as its intermediary in the
crisis.

Under the terms of the powersharing deal SADC mediated, the transitional
government was to introduce a new constitution and a raft of electoral,
security and media reforms designed to ensure that future elections would be
legitimate.

But apart from a new constitution, accepted by the electorate during a
referendum in March this year, few of the much needed reforms have
materialised. This is primarily because Mugabe loyalists in key government
positions have refused to implement them.

The two sides were deadlocked for months over the reforms issue, with
Zanu-PF calling for early polls and the MDC looking for an October date so
government would have time to implement the changes, both legally and
practically.

The MDC then looked to SADC to try to break the impasse by pressuring
Zanu-PF to meet its obligations, and it appeared that regional leaders were
finally going to do so at a summit scheduled for mid-June.

However, in early June former journalist Jealousy Mawarie, who now runs an
election monitoring group, won a case against Mugabe in the Zimbabwean
constitutional court that forced him to hold national elections before July
31st.

Does past sacrifice bestow an entitlement to power?

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/

Vince Musewe
11 July 2013

Vince Musewe says this belief is one reason Africa suffers from poor and
incompetent leadership

Should sacrifice entitle people to power?

We still elect leaders based in their popularity or conspicuous consumption
and not on their values.

"I suffered for Zimbabwe and therefore I am entitled to political power";
this has been the mantra that we have been hearing since the armed struggle
and look at where it has led us. There is the belief that, because we have
personally sacrificed for something, we are therefore entitled to positions
of authority and political power regardless of our competency. For me, that
is the reason why today, Africa is suffering from poor and incompetent
political leadership.

Our case in Zimbabwe clearly demonstrates this, and we are even at a stage
where individuals are refusing to let go, simply because they feel that they
were appointed by God to cause the suffering that we have gone through. That
is not acceptable.

In my opinion, as long as we think that sacrifice entitles us to leadership
positions, we will continue to get people who may have the courage the
confront situations and challenge the status quo, but are hardly competent
leaders.

I have heard some really silly stories of why people think they are entitled
to be elected. "I did this and that project so you must elect me" so said
one lady I know. Others think that by giving out gifts and food at rallies,
they are therefore qualified to lead.

This has shown me how politically backward we still are. For goodness sake,
how can we give someone the responsibility to create our future simply
because they started a chicken project or gave out air time vouchers at a
rally? An example being the recent stampede recently at a rally in
Highfield, where people where literally fighting for food hand outs, how
shameful.

People like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi among
others will always remind me of true leadership. They are people who
sacrificed for principles and to the benefit of all without necessarily
expecting to benefit personally, or to be worshipped for the role they may
have played in causing change.

Of course, we have our own leaders here in Zimbabwe who deserve respect.
These are the thousand of ordinary Zimbabweans who sacrificed during the
liberation struggle but today are hardly heard of. We have war veterans who
are mostly unrecognized today, who suffered tremendously during the war, but
they were fighting for a free Zimbabwe and not for a position, how
honorable. Unfortunately their sacrifices have been derailed.

As we move into a new political dispensation, we need to be circumspect on
issues of leading our country into the next generation. We must be clear in
our minds what personal values are required to lead a new Zimbabwe.

I worry a lot that our expectations will hardly be met, as long as we elect
leaders based in their popularity or conspicuous consumption and not on
their values. The kind of people who say "elect me because I did this and
that for you" are most likely to quickly forget why they are power as soon
as they attain this objective. This means that corruption, greed and non
accountability will continue.

Zimbabwe does not need them.

Vince Musewe is an economist based in Harare; you may contact him on
vtmusewe@gmail.com

Why has the West's Stance on Zimbabwe Softened?

http://thinkafricapress.com/

Five years ago, the West reviled Mugabe. Today, it has lifted some
sanctions, toned down criticism and engaged in conciliatory language. There
are many possible reasons why.
ARTICLE | 11 JULY 2013 - 2:38PM | BY SIMUKAI TINHU

In the past few months, there have been increasing indications that the US,
UK and EU are flirting with reconciliation – or at least a less stridently
antagonist relationship – with the once internationally reviled President
Robert Mugabe.

In March, for example, Western sanctions against some members of Mugabe’s
inner circle were lifted after Zimbabwe’s constitutional referendum was
deemed “peaceful, successful and credible” by the EU. Some of these aides
were even invited by the British government to London for a re-engagement
meeting. Then, last month when Mugabe announced – unilaterally and somewhat
provocatively – that Zimbabwe’s general elections would be held on the 31
July, the European Union and US were notably silent. A similarly muted
response would have been hard to imagine just 5 years ago when Mugabe’s
international standing was at rock bottom.

There are a number of possible reasons behind the apparent thawing of the
West’s icy stance towards Mugabe. The first is that the president and his
ruling ZANU-PF party have genuinely managed to reassure the West of their
democratic credentials and that elections this time round will be free and
fair. However, this seems to fly in the face of the fact that there have
been virtually no political reforms since 2008 and that ZANU-PF has already
made public its intentions to change the new constitution were it to regain
power.

For the real reasons into the possible shift in the West’s position on
Mugabe, we may have to look to other factors.

Zimbabwe’s new face
Over the past few years, the Zimbabwean government has made some attempts to
reach out to the international community. In these endeavours, there is no
doubt that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his party, the Movement for
Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T), have helped give Harare a friendly
face. Tsvangirai’s international tours and other diplomatic efforts have
helped sanitise the Zimbabwean government, and his role as prime minister
has allowed foreign powers greater flexibility to deal with Zimbabwe without
being seen to be dealing with Mugabe.

However, Zimbabwe’s improved relations have in turn reflected well on the
government as a whole. For his part, Mugabe may have also been hoping for
painful relations with the West to heal over. His rhetoric against the
British government, for example, appears to become more subdued compared to
in the run-up to the 2008 elections.

Mugabe’s staying power
The US and UK’s softened stance could be derived from an acceptance that
ZANU–PF and Mugabe are here to stay. As surveys undertaken by Afrobarometer
and Freedom House suggest, ZANU–PF not only enjoys a great deal of popular
support in country, but this support has been increasing while the MDC’s has
been declining. Furthermore, as analyst Phillan Zamchiya has explained, even
if the MDC were able to generate more willing voters than ZANU–PF in the
next few weeks, it is likely that ZANU-PF would still be able to manipulate
the result to ensure victory.

Given how deeply entrenched Mugabe and his party are in Zimbabwean politics,
Washington and London may have calculated that unrelenting criticism would
be futile and simply Zimbabwe into the arms of other interested parties such
as China.

Access to Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth
Following on from the last point, the West’s change of tack could be seen as
a demonstration of realpolitik entrepreneurship. Western sanctions and the
increasing involvement of other economic actors in Zimbabwe such as China –
in part thanks to Mugabe’s ‘Look East’ policy in the face of those
sanctions – has also left many Western countries on the back foot when it
comes to Zimbabwe’s considerable mineral wealth. Recognising that their
sanctions did not work as intended, Western nations may now be trying to
ease the way for Western companies to regain a stronger foothold in
Zimbabwean economic affairs.

The opposition’s fraying image
Since the two MDC factions – the MDC-T led by Tsvangirai, and the MDC-M led
initially by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and now by Welshman
Ncube – joined the coalition government, Western support for them has faded.
This is partly due to the corruption and undemocratic practices some MDC
members have been accused of since taking office. Western governments may
have realised that criticising Mugabe and ZANU-PF without extending similar
disapproval to MDC members allegedly involved in similarly corrupt
activities would be hypocritical. Unwilling to denounce the MDC, Western
powers may be consciously holding their tongues more when it comes to Mugabe
too.

London’s new leadership
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush were the main
architects of the policies which saw Mugabe’s government portrayed as a
pariah state. Tony Blair relentlessly lobbied the EU to impose sanctions
against President Mugabe. And his successor, Gordon Brown, intensified the
assault on Mugabe’s regime.

Under the Conservative-led coalition government which took over in 2010,
Prime Minister David Cameron has taken more of a back seat on Zimbabwe,
possibly due to the UK’s numerous domestic problems and a shift in foreign
policy focus towards Somalia. Some senior Conservative officials have even
used a conciliatory tone towards Zimbabwe. Without lobbying from London, the
EU has also become more circumspect in its criticism of Mugabe.

Faith in Zuma
During the political crisis that engulfed Zimbabwe between 2001 and 2008,
Thabo Mbeki, the president of South Africa at the time, tried to resolve the
situation through an approach which was dubbed ‘quiet diplomacy’. This soft
approach was heavily criticised by the EU and US, and Mbeki was seen as
reluctant to put pressure on his fellow ‘revolutionary cadre’ to institute
political reforms. Unsure of Mbeki, the UK and US may have felt it necessary
to engage more directly in Zimbabwean affairs.

Today’s South African president, Jacob Zuma, is seen as more assertive
towards Zimbabwe. Indeed, on his recent trip to the South Africa, US
President Barack Obama praised Zuma’s administration for reining in ZANU–PF
and for confronting them on issues such as violence and intimidation as well
as the lack of progress on electoral reform. It is possible that the UK and
US trust Zuma to take an effective lead role on Zimbabwe and so feel more
comfortable taking a hands-off approach themselves.

Avoiding an imperialist image
Another reason the West might have toned down its stance on Mugabe and
avoided openly expressing support for opposition parties is the realisation
that such rhetoric could actually bolster ZANU-PF’s campaign and undermine
the MDC’s. In the past, Mugabe has been able to generate much popular
support by denouncing Western interference as imperialist and painting the
MDC as puppets of the former colonial regime.

How long will it last?
Throughout the last decade, EU and US officials have told Mugabe’s
government that it must bring an end to human rights abuses, corruption and
political violence if it is to be rehabilitated internationally. Yet despite
the lack of political reform, the West has recently lifted sanctions, toned
down criticism and engaged in some conciliatory language. The EU and US
appear to be attempting to deal with Mugabe and ZANU-PF quite differently
than from 5 years ago.

How long this will last, however, remains to be seen. Zimbabwean politics
are in a precarious poised position and it is highly uncertain how the
election will unfold. Rather than marking a whole new era of
Zimbabwean-Western relations, the West’s softened stance is probably more
part of a wait-and-see approach.