Zuma’s team jets into Harare

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
20 July 2011

South African President Jacob Zuma’s facilitation team jetted into Harare on
Wednesday to check on the progress made by party negotiators towards
crafting a roadmap for free and fair elections.
MDC-T negotiator Elton Mangoma confirmed to SW Radio Africa that Zuma’s team
arrived in the capital to look at the electoral timelines agreed to
recently. It is believed the facilitation team will also have a meeting with
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

‘We will study the document together and obviously they will have an opinion
on it. We will use the meeting to ask the facilitators on the latest news
concerning the appointment of a three member Troika team to work with us and
JOMIC,’ Mangoma said.

He added: ‘We have written to the facilitation team to ask where these
people are. Since the Sandton summit, we have not heard anything official
concerning this Troika team.’
During the last SADC summit in Sandton, Johannesburg there was a resolution
that was endorsed for the Troika to appoint their representatives as soon as
possible to participate in the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee
(JOMIC).

The SADC summit also tasked parties to the GPA to come up with timelines for
the election roadmap which was crafted by the negotiators and endorsed by
the regional leaders.
This latest round of talks comes less than three weeks before SADC convenes
another summit in Angola to check on the progress. Mangoma said he was not
hopeful the negotiators and principals would deal with all the issues before
the Luanda meeting.

‘We are still left with hard issues like the security sector reforms. I
think the mediator needs to do more to unlock the stalemate over SSR. We are
just going in circles over this issue. This is why I say I’m not hopeful we
will meet the deadline before the next summit,’ Mangoma said.

Meanwhile Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has been castigated for
suggesting MDC-N negotiators should report to him and not party leader
Welshman Ncube.

Ncube toppled Mutambara from the helm of MDC-N at the party’s congress in
January this year. GPA negotiators recently made recommendations that Ncube
should replace Mutambara as a Principal to represent the MDC-N.

The two principals from Ncube’s party are cabinet ministers Priscilla
Misihairambwi-Mushonga and Moses Mzila-Ndlovu. Mutambara hit out at the two,
saying they should be reporting to him and not Ncube.

MDC-N spokesman Nhlanhla Dube said what Mutambara is suggesting is ‘nonsense’
and something that is coming from a person whose mind has gone ‘bonkers.’

For the avoidance of doubt, our negotiators will meet the facilitation team
and after that they are going to present their report to their party leader,
who happens to be Welshman Ncube.
‘Please do not be misled by this person who has a habit of hallucinating in
public quite a lot,’ Dube said.

Zuma threatens Mugabe

http://dailynews.co.zw/

By Tonderai Kwenda, Deputy News Editor
Wednesday, 20 July 2011 13:25

HARARE - South African President Jacob Zuma has dumped his country’s
traditional “quiet diplomacy” and is instead going for full “confrontation”
with President Robert Mugabe to force free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, a
cabinet source has said.

Ebrahim Ebrahim, the South African Deputy Minister of International
Relations and Co-operation said Zuma, who was mandated by Sadc to mediate
and ensure credible polls in Zimbabwe, was taking a hard-line stance because
regional leaders could no longer stomach Harare’s status quo.

He was speaking to South African newspaper, The Sunday Independent at the
weekend. The sensational claims confirm the view that Zuma, the
Sadc-appointed facilitator to the Zimbabwe crisis wants a quick solution to
the ongoing wrangling in government.

“There has been notable difference but it is true that … even as president
of ANC, President Zuma began to take a harder line on Zimbabwe and he
continued as president of the country to do so.”

“South Africa has been given the responsibility of taking the situation in
hand. Now it is open… I will not say condemnation but confrontation.
President Zuma is prepared to have open confrontation with Mugabe,” said
Ebrahim.

Ebrahim is a senior political and economic advisor to Zuma and sits on the
powerful ANC National Executive Committee.

He has also chaired the parliamentary foreign Zuma threatens Mugabe affairs
committee. ANC’s top brass partly decides the country’s foreign policy.

His statements to the Sunday Independent this week are significant as they
highlight how South Africa and Sadc have shifted policy on Zimbabwe since
former mediator and Zuma’s predecessor Thabo Mbeki was booted out in 2008.

Mbeki was seen by many observers as ineffective because of his closeness to
and bias towards Mugabe.

The statements also show how the Sadc summit set for Angola mid-next month
could be explosive as regional leaders battle Mugabe’s intransigence. Mugabe
is likely to continue pushing for elections this year as demanded by his
party.

Welshman Ncube, leader of the breakaway MDC formation, told a public meeting
last week that Sadc leaders had threatened to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe
should Mugabe proceed with a unilateral call for elections this year.

South Africa has largely followed a policy of quiet diplomacy, which started
during Mbeki’s tenure, on dealing with the Zimbabwean crisis. However under
Zuma, the country has gradually shifted its approach with Zuma taking a
measured but firm approach to the crisis.

The shift was first noticed at the Zambia Sadc Troika Organ on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation meeting in Livingstone, Zambia end of March
this year.

Zuma presented a scathing report which rebuked Mugabe for refusing to
implement the GPA at the meeting, a position endorsed by his regional peers.

Zuma warned that Zimbabwe risked international intervention if the political
crisis in the country continued.
This stance was reinforced at the last Sadc summit in Johannesburg where,
according to media reports, Zuma and Mugabe openly clashed.

Ebrahim said Zuma believed Zimbabwe’s prolonged crisis was draining Sadc and
the only possible way of bringing it to an end was by confronting a
belligerent Mugabe to force him to play by the power sharing agreement he
signed with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008.

Sadc was also losing patience hence the tough stance, Ebrahim said.

“The difference now is that Sadc and our president are saying (to Mugabe)
this status cannot continue, you have to implement your own agreement and
accept free and fair elections under the new constitution,” said Ebrahim,
adding that although the country’s three political parties agreed to an
agreement under Mbeki, “Mugabe is saying they can have elections under the
old Lancaster House constitution.”

Mugabe has threatened to call for elections regardless of whether the
country’s new constitution has been completed.

A new constitution is a pre-condition for polls in Zimbabwe’s as agreed in
the power sharing agreement.
Zuma has openly criticised Mugabe before.

During his tenure as ANC president in 2008 before he took over the position
of the presidency of Africa’s biggest economy, he described the disputed and
violent June 2008 elections as “suspicious.”

“We cannot agree with Zanu-PF. We cannot agree with them on values. We
fought for the right of people to vote, we fought for democracy,” Zuma said
at an ANC dinner in July 2008. He rebuked Mugabe for refusing to step down
after losing the March 2008 election to Tsvangirai.

In December 2007, Zuma had also criticised Mbeki for his soft approach on
Zimbabwe.

“It is even more tragic that other world leaders who witness repression
pretend it is not happening, or is exaggerated. When history eventually
deals with the dictators, those who stood by and watched should also bear
the consequences. A shameful quality of the modern world is to turn away
from injustice and ignore the hardships of others,” said Zuma at the time.

ANC is historically a natural ally of Zanu PF but has recently been critical
of its erstwhile ally because of the pressure from its ANC Youth League,
South African Communist Party and Congress of Southern African Trade Unions
allies.

It is from these organisations that Zuma derives much of his support. Zuma
met UK Prime Minister David Cameroon met on Monday at his Union Building in
Pretoria where the two discussed the Libyan and Zimbabwean crisis.

Zuma expressed happiness with the progress in Zimbabwe while Cameroon said
he was willing to look into the issue of sanctions but would only do so if
agreed reforms were implemented.

Meanwhile, Zanu PF says the 87-year-old leader will table the sanctions
issue at the Angola Sadc summit.

The party’s spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo said 2,2 million Zimbabweans had
signed a petition to be tabled at the meeting and presented at other
international forums such as the AU and UN meetings.

It could not be established how Zanu PF hopes to do it given that the issue
of sanctions is already being dealt with by Sadc.

Zuma, PM agree Mugabe exit plan

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

South Africa President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai have rolled into motion the protocol for President Robert
Mugabe's departure from State House after the forthcoming poll that he is
widely expected to lose.
20.07.1111:21am
by Staff Reporter

Highly placed sources, who cannot be named because of the sensitivity of the
plan, said Tsvangirai tabled the request for safe passage for Mugabe when he
met Zuma at Inkandla in KwaZulu Natal for three hours ahead of the
Livingstone SADC summit. He requested that the Zanu (PF) leader be treated
with respect if he loses the election.

The visit, touted as a 'courtesy call,' followed an earlier meeting with
Zuma in Pretoria.

Zuma is said to have pledged to Tsvangirai that he would persuade Mugabe to
leave office peacefully if he lost the next ballot.

"I can tell you there is an exit strategy," said the source. "It will
certainly not be in his interest to rig the next election."

Our source said the trip was the first secret contact between the two at
state leadership level since the establishment of the transitional GNU more
than two years ago.

Zuma reportedly wanted an assurance that Mugabe would be given enough time
to vacate State House, his home for the past 31 years. Zuma's reaction was
"particularly refreshing" said the source.

Analysts say the ageing former guerrilla leader, now increasingly isolated,
cannot win a free and fair poll in March because of his repressive rule,
mismanagement of the economy and his administration's rampant corruption.

The plan follows threats by army generals that they will not allow
Tsvangirai into State House ostensibly because he doesn't have liberation
war credentials.

Tsvangirai's MDC has taken the matter to Parliament and to JOMIC. They want
the generals to be forced to make a pledge that they will respect the
Constitution if Mugabe loses.

Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba has threatened physical violence against
the MDC under the cover of a shadowy pen name he uses in the
state-controlled media.

"The MDC formations have stepped on a raw nerve and their bringing the
matter of generals to Parliament can only stoke greater rage. They are sure
to walk away empty-handed, bleeding. Mark my paragraph," he wrote in his
weekly Nathaniel Manheru column.

Mugabe has said calls for security sector reforms were totally unacceptable.

"As Commander-in-Chief of the security forces, I want to make it very clear
that no one should meddle with the command," Mugabe told a meeting of his
party's central committee last Friday.

"Parliament cannot be Commander-in-Chief of the security forces. It has no
business debating the conduct of individuals in command, let them raise that
with me in appropriate forums. We have the National Security Council where
we all sit together with commanders. No one has mustered the courage to
raise issues with them,” he said.

Despite Mugabe's remonstrations that he will preserve his rule through his
powerful generals, our source said the South African government planned to
help ease his retirement after defeat, as it did for former Zambian
president Kenneth Kaunda when Frederick Chiluba defeated him in 1990.

The South African government provided Kaunda with a retirement home in
Pretoria and later persuaded the Zambian leader to quit the political stage
altogether.

Zuma reportedly wanted assurances that Mugabe would be treated like an elder
statesman, and emphasised that he would never sit by idly and watch the
generals stage a coup when Mugabe loses the election.

Tsvangirai was said to be doubtful that Mugabe would bow out gracefully and
cautioned that he might still try to hang onto power even if he lost the
popular vote.

"Losing is one thing and accepting defeat or announcing one's own defeat is
another," our source said, adding that the only safety net left to ensure
Mugabe's departure was the growing discontent against him from within his
own party.

Zuma has insisted on full implementation of the GPA and the election
roadmap, a move that threatens Mugabe's continue rule through the state
security forces.

Mugabe doubles civil servants' salaries

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

President Robert Mugabe has doubled governmment workers salaries in an
attempt to steal thunder from Finance minister Tendai Biti and draw the
sting from impending public protests threatening to sink government business
The increase for public sector workers followed earlier statements by Biti
that there was no salary increase because there was no money in the
government coffers.
20.07.1110:35am
by Chief Reporter

It is believed the latest increase, that started reflecting in government
workers' bank accounts on Tuesday, was raised from the Zimbabwe Mining
Development Corporation. A top government source said the raise was
bankrolled by diamonds cash.

The lowest-paid government worker, previously on US$128 pay, got US$253 on
Tuesday. Biti said he had sent the regular pay schedule and did not know
anything about the increase or where the money came from.

Biti has said the government wage bill takes up 60 percent of total revenue
and that limited resources available made it difficult for the state to
award significant wage increases The latest increase means the entire
government budget will be allocated to cover the increases, which takes
effect immediately.

The increasse is being touted as culmination of a pledge made by President
Mugabe two months amid spirited remonstrations by Biti that the economy was
underperfoming.

It is not clear if Mugabe's pay rise would win over government workers, who
insist that Mugabe should go at the next elections to

unlock more cash. Now the increase has cast Biti as the bad guy who refuses
to increase salaries.

Tinashe Moyo, a teacher, said he was happy President Mugabe has fulfilled
his pledge and that their key demand was met. "Its surprising that Biti says
there is no money in the Treasury and yet the President has given us the
money. What is going on here?"

Attempts by Zanu PF to portray Biti as the bad guy has clearly won over a
significant number of government workers, who don't want to get caught up in
the politics and simply want a living wage for their families.

"Honestly, I dont care where the money is coming from, as long as I get it,"
said Memory Kurasha, a nurse. "I dont think Biti is doing the MDC any good
by withholding money from struggling workers. Of course we understand
government has no money, but surely he has to find it."

Political commentator Ronald Shumba said: "This is blatant vote buying by
Mugabe. He is a sly despot and he has clearly beat the MDC hands down on
this one. This could be a game changer for most civil servants. To most
government workers, Biti is now the bad guy."

Zimbabwe's unity government has managed to stabilise the economy, a feat
achieved by abandoning a worthless currency battered by hyperinflation which
peaked at 500 billion percent in December 2008 and adopting the use of
multiple currencies.

The country's economy grew for the first time in a decade in 2009 - by a
better than expected 4.7 percent - and tamed hyperinflation, but analysts
say the economy will only take off on the back foreign investment and
Western aid.

Western funders are holding out for more political reforms before pumping
more aid into the ailing economy.

Diamonds fund civil service pay rise

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

20/07/2011 00:00:00
    by Staff Reporter

CIVIL servants turned up at their banks on Tuesday and received a pleasant
surprise after the government kept its promise to improve their salaries by
up to US$100, including housing and transport allowances.
Teachers who got paid on Tuesday were the first to benefit from the pay rise
which has split the coalition government. Nurses get paid later Friday,
while members of the security services who had been paid before the new
schedule will receive the difference in their accounts.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti [MDC-T] had insisted as late as last week that
there would be no pay increases, despite a promise made by President Robert
Mugabe in April when he met union leaders.

Mugabe told union leaders that the government would award civil servants
increases in June, raising the salary of the lowest paid government worker
from US$128 to US$253. He was out by a month.

Mines Minister Obert Mpofu [Zanu PF] confirmed on Wednesday that they had
released an undisclosed sum of money from the Marange diamond sale proceeds
to Biti’s ministry, which would almost certainly have supported the pay
increases.

Sifiso Ndlovu, of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, said: “It’s not much
but it’s better than nothing. Our members are happy that their situation has
been improved, however slightly.
“I can tell you that a teacher just out of college took home about US$340
after deductions, which is a marked improvement.”

Ndlovu said the union would give the government “some breathing space” at
least until October when Biti begins consultations on his 2012 budget set to
be presented in November.

Only last week, Biti was still resisting pressure to announce a
supplementary budget to take care of pay increases for the 230,000 public
sector workers, arguing that the government was broke.

Biti said he expected this year’s budget deficit for shoot past US$500
million, owing to low revenue receipts and unbudgeted expenditure.

But Biti would at least appear to have won his battle to force the Mines
Ministry to remit income from diamond sales to treasury.

Minister Mpofu said: “When we started selling diamonds, we sent all the
money to the government. The minister (Biti) was claiming he didn’t get the
money, trying to play politics.

“Right now, they were saying they had no money for civil servants but we
worked hard to ensure they got money. We are banned from selling our
diamonds, but we are working very hard to get money. What we don’t want is
for people to use politics to block the country’s path to progress.”

Violence erupts during Malawi anti-government demonstrations

http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/

20th Jul 2011 20:37 GMT

By Amnesty International

At least two people have reportedly been shot dead by security forces as
widespread riots erupted across Malawi amid protests over fuel shortages and
repressive laws recently passed by parliament.

Hundreds of angry youths clashed with police in the capital and in towns
across the country. The army was reportedly deployed to quell the riots,
according to church leaders Amnesty International spoke to.

“Where people are killed or seriously injured as a result of police action
the authorities must ensure there is a prompt, independent and thorough
investigation,” said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International’s Director
for Africa.

The reported killings took place in the northern town of Mzuzu.

Eye witnesses also reported seeing eight people injured with gun shot wounds
in Mzuzu, including a young man shot through the stomach.

Rioters also reportedly set the Mzuzu offices of the ruling Democratic
Progressive Party on fire.

Police have also reportedly fired teargas at a Lilongwe hospital, forcing
the hospital to shut down.

“While police must take all necessary steps to protect the right to life,
firing tear gas into a hospital, affecting patients unable to flee from the
gas, is unacceptable,” Erwin van der Borght said.

At least three journalists have been severely beaten by police.

Journalist Rebekah Chijeka from Joy radio station was beaten by police
outside Lilongwe Town Hall. Eyewitnesses reported blood coming out of her
ear. Another journalist, George Thawe, has been injured after police beat
him using a gun butt.
Lilongwe-based journalist Kondwani Munthali was also beaten by police, after
they confiscated his camera.

“The deliberate targeting of journalists by Malawian police forces is deeply
alarming. Media workers must be allowed to exercise their right to freedom
of expression and have a key role to play in facilitating the right of
everyone to information about current events in Malawi” said Erwin van der
Borght.

“The police must allow journalists to carry out their work freely and the
Malawian authorities must immediately launch an independent inquiry into
these attacks,” he added.

The protesters include a wide swathe of civil society activists encompassing
students, human rights groups and religious organizations.

However, youths who are not formally part of the protest movement, have
looted banks and several shops and businesses in Lilongwe and set fire to
four houses belonging to police officers in the township of Mchesi outside
the capital.

On Tuesday, youths from President Bingu wa Mutharika’s Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) drove around the economic capital Blantyre in party
vehicles, wielding machetes and intimidating people intending to participate
in today’s demonstrations.

Since June, Malawi has faced a severe fuel shortage, one of a recurrent
number of crippling shortages since 2009.

Under UN policing standards, security forces must not use firearms against
persons except in defence against the imminent threat of death or serious
injury, or to prevent crimes involving grave threat to life, and only when
less extreme means are insufficient. Intentional lethal use of firearms may
only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.

NSSA threatens land grab farmers who fail to pay

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

The National Social Security Authority has given July 31 as the deadline for
“new” farmers to submit outstanding pension contributions for their workers
after it emerged the majority of the emergent farmers were not paying.
20.07.1111:08am
by John Chimunhu

The futures of possibly hundreds of thousands of workers employed by Zanu
(PF)-linked characters who grabbed commercial farms from their rightful
owners under President Robert Mugabe’s corrupt and violent “land reform”
programme are in serious jeopardy after it emerged that the farmers are not
remitting workers' contributions to pension authorities.

Most of the chefs were, however, deducting money from their employees and
pocketing it.

“NSSA has noted with concern the low compliance rate in the commercial
farming sector with many farmers failing to register their enterprises and
their workers and not remitting contributions and premiums in terms of the
law.

The continued non-compliance now threatens the social security of
agricultural workers, who are one of the most vulnerable groups among the
working class,” the pension authorities said in a statement.

NSSA said it would set its inspectors to enforce the law on the farms after
the month-end deadline expires. However, it was not clear how much success
the exercise would have. Many of the new farmers do not keep records, many
of the workers are vulnerable people from neighbouring countries while trade
union activities which used to expose violators have now been banned.

General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union (GAPWUZ) leader Gertrude
Hambira, who tried to expose abuse of workers by the new occupants and
militias, was forced to flee into exile after the CIO hounded her.

Many of the well-connected farmers have also not been paying government
taxes or repaying state loans. NSSA threatened defaulters with heavy fines
and imprisonment.

Nyazura farmers under siege by farm invaders

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
20 July 2011

Commercial farmers in Nyazura are living in fear, after a spate of farm
invasions led by a self confessed CIO agent, who is said to be working for
top ZANU PF officials.

Farmer Koos Smit, his wife Mary Anne and son Michael, were on Wednesday
virtually trapped inside their house on De Rust farm, after farm invaders
tried to evict them on Tuesday. The family refused, and on Wednesday a mob
of thugs turned violent, vandalising property and trapping them inside their
home.

A source told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that the mob has been hired by an
individual called Onisious Makwengura who has been leading invasions on
Nyazura farms since March. The De Rust farm is the fourth property that
Makwengura has invaded since then, in the name of ZANU PF officials.

In March he led the successful eviction of the Grobler family, before
turning his attention three days later to evicting farmer Tivi Landos. Last
week Makwengura then tried to evict Landos’ elderly father, who managed to
negotiate his ‘voluntary’ move off the farm. The 80 year old farmer, rather
than fight his unlawful eviction, agreed to leave his farm within 30 days.

Makwengura is said to be working for ZANU PF ‘beneficiaries’ of Robert
Mugabe’s destructive land grab campaign, and follows the same modus operandi
for every eviction. In exchange for items like tractors and other equipment,
Makwengura hires a gang of youths to help intimidate farmers, until they are
forced to leave.

SW Radio Africa’s source said the gang gives the farmers three hours to
leave, threatening violence if they do not. When the farmers try and
approach the police, Makwengura gives false statements to police officials
about the farmers, usually leading to the farmers’ arrest.

“So while the farmer is behind bars, Makwengura and his thugs move in and
take what they can from the property,” the source said.

The Smit family from De Rust farm recently won a hard fought for court
order, meant to protect them on their farm. Makwengura meanwhile insists he
is well connected with top officials in the lands ministry, CIO and police,
and farmers are said to be desperately afraid of what could happen to them.

Zanu (PF) Youths Demonstrate Against US Ambassador

http://www.radiovop.com/

Kwekwe, July 20, 2011 - United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Dr Charles Ray
failed to address a a group of youths here after Zanu (PF) hooligans
besieged the Kwekwe Theatre, the venue of the meeting carrying placards
denouncing the envoy.

The Midlands Youth Dialogue organised by a non-governmental Organisation,
Zimbabwe Organisation for the Youth in Politics (ZOYP), to launch a platform
where youths from across the political divide could engage and deliberate on
issues that affect Zimbabwean youths.

In an interview with Radio VOP, Nkosilathi Moyo of ZOYP said he had been
disgusted by the conduct of the youth and the police that later cancelled
the event that had been cleared by the police.

“This disruption has shown that Zimbabwean youths urgently need help. They
have not started thinking independently and constructively and they need to
be helped in this regard. This lack of professionalism has to stop with
immediate effect if ever Zimbabwean youths are to develop,” Moyo told Radio
VOP.

Moyo who did not want to mention that the youths belonged to Zanu (PF) only
said, “The youths belong to the party that is known of violence. They have
always been involved in violence and they still believe in violence.
Everyone knows this party and we want to tell them that violence is not the
way to address issues.”

Moyo said it was disheartening to note that they were attacking the American
Ambassador for no reason.

“They were carrying placards inscribed, Ray remove sanctions first if you
want to address Kwekwe,” said Nkosilathi.He said it was during the melee
that police arrived at the venue and dispersed people announcing they had
cancelled the event.

“What shocked us most was the conduct of the police led by one Inspector
Tuna. Instead of dealing with those that caused the mayhem, as they were
disrupting a lawful gathering, the police cancelled our meeting and
dispersed the youths.”

When Radio VOP arrived in Kwekwe, most youths had dispersed from the venue
however there were still posters at the walls. Some of the posters read, “We
love our generals ,Cde Chiwenga, Shiri, Zimondi and Sibanda.”

Another poster read, “Ray mind your maintenance case, that is your business
not what you want to get involved in.” While another read, “Youths of
Midlands Province thank our revolutionary leader for giving us land, mines
and black empowerment.”

However other youths who spoke to Radio VOP said they were ashamed of the
conduct of Zanu (PF) youths.

“How can people disrupt something that was going to benefit us the youths?.
This shows how senseless Zanu (PF) youths are,' said Peter Ncube who had
also attended the venue.

The Midlands provincial youth chairperson for Movement for Democratic Change
led by Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T), Gilbert Shangwa who had attended the
event, castigated the Zanu )PF) youths and said, "We are very disturbed by
this conduct and we need to see reforms. Zanu (PF) should let national
programmes go ahead without them disrupting."

When Radio VOP sought comment from the police in Kwekwe, they professed
ignorance and said they had not received feedback although there was heavy
police presence in Kwekwe town.

MDC MPs defy Mugabe

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

By Reagan Mashavave, Senior Writer
Wednesday, 20 July 2011 17:20

HARARE - MPs have defied President Robert Mugabe’s warning against
discussing “unconstitutional political statements” by military generals,
with legislators toughening debate by insisting on a court marshal for those
that fail to reform.

Mugabe last week poked into the business of parliament by cautioning MPs
against debating a motion brought forward by Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya
over the interference of security chiefs in political affairs.

But MDC MPs would have none of it yesterday and went on to debate the heated
matter, joined by their Zanu PF counterparts.

Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa had to intervene, after one MP described
Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba — the most outspoken of them — as an
“idiot”.

Mnangagwa, a close Mugabe strongman who has seen much action from the
liberation war to Gukurahundi and the disputed 2008 elections, demanded the
withdrawal of the word idiot.

Nyikayaramba has labelled Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai a “national
security threat” and pledged that the military would do “anything” to ensure
Mugabe stays in power even after losing elections. Nyikayaramba echoed the
87-year-old’s call for elections this year.

Other service chiefs have issued similar statements before, saying they will
never salute any democratically elected president who did not actively
participate in the 1970s liberation war.

This has been viewed as a reference to Tsvangirai, who cut his teeth as a
trade unionist.

In a case of the executive interfering with the legislature, Mugabe,
addressing his Zanu PF central committee in Harare last week, said
parliament must stay away from the debate because soldiers were under his
command only.

“As Commander-in-Chief of the security forces, I want to make it very clear
that no one should meddle with the command. Parliament cannot be
Commander-in-Chief of the security forces. It has no business debating the
conduct of individuals in command, let them raise that with me in
appropriate forums,” Mugabe said in an ill-heeded warning.

The two main political parties in parliament, Zanu PF and Tsvangirai’s MDC
formation debated the motion along political lines.

Zanu PF MPs dismissed the motion while Tsvangirai’s MPs called for an Act of
Parliament to stop the military from meddling in politics.

Magwegwe MDC MP Felix Sibanda told the House of Assembly in his submission
that top military officials who had issued political statements in the
country should be arrested by the military police and arraigned before a
military court.

He said not all members of the uniformed forces were “unprofessional” and
demanded that statements such as the one by Nyikayaramba should never be
repeated.

“Last time we signed an agreement with China where a military academy is to
be built. One of the best progressive suggestions is that all our soldiers
should be re-trained and the old ones that do not want to be trained they
should be dismissed forthwith,” Sibanda said.

“If they fail to resign, military police should be activated to arrest all
unprofessional commanders so that they are heard before a court marshal. The
other advice is individually, those who have breached the constitution of
Zimbabwe should apologise and re-affirm their loyalty to Zimbabwe through
parliament. Parliament represents the people,” he said to cheers from MDC
colleagues and boos from Zanu PF MPs.

Zaka Central MP Harrison Mudzuri said the security sector in the country
should be reformed. He warned that the statements by the security service
chiefs could result in the “elimination” or annihilation of the MDC since
Nyikayaramba had branded Tsvangirai a “security threat”.

He said uniformed forces had refused to salute Tsvangirai since he took
office two years ago although “they were supposed to”.

“It is now evident that the country cannot go to any election or referendum
without security sector reforms,” Mudzuri said, torching on another matter
Mugabe has described as taboo.

Youth Deputy Minister Tongai Matutu heckled Bright Matonga when the former
Deputy Information Minister mentioned Nyikayaramba’s name.

“He is an idiot,” Matutu shouted.

He later withdrew the word “idiot” after Mnangagwa’s intervention.

Makhosini Hlongwane, Zanu PF Mberengwa East MP, defended soldiers. He said
soldiers, like any other Zimbabwean, were allowed to debate on any issue
affecting the country.

“The idea that somebody has become a soldier does not reduce their
‘Zimbabweanness’, it does not reduce their right to contribute to national
discourse. It doesn’t remove the democratic freedom they are supposed to
enjoy,” said Hlongwane.

“I want to say that Douglas Nyikayaramba has made a comment debating an
issue that has been there for many years. He has the right to do that as an
individual,” said Hlongwane.

Indian telecoms firm targets TelOne

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

20/07/2011 00:00:00
    by Business Reporter

INDIA’S Mahanagar Telephone Nigam  (MTNL) through its Mauritius arm
Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius (MTML), is reportedly planning to buy a 51
percent stake in state-owned landline operator TelOne.

This would be MTNL's second attempt to enter Africa. In 2006, MTNL failed to
bag a mobile licence in Kenya and in 2007, it failed to buy a controlling
stake in Telkom Kenya.
TelOne provides telephone, fax, internet, data, and satellite services to
business and residential customers.

However, despite being the country’s sole fixed-line operator, TelOne has
failed to keep up with the country's mobile service providers due to
capacity constraints and undercapitalisation.

The company’s network, with about 300 000 subscribers, lags far behind the
mobile providers.

A second licence issued to TeleAccess in 2002 has since been withdrawn after
the firm allegedly failed toll out services within the stipulated time.

TeleAccess is however, challenging the withdrawal of its operating licence
in court and officials say the litigation is holding back  licencing of
another operator.

“There is no progress as far as licensing another fixed line operator is
concerned,” Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
(Potraz) chief, Charles Sibanda said recently.

“We cannot do anything at the moment as long as the TeleAccess issue is
still hanging. Their appeal is still before the courts.”

Meanwhile, TelOne has since launched a fibre-optic link to East African
Submarine System (EASSy) international undersea cable via Mozambique. The
company was also, early this year, awarded a mobile phone permit by POTRAZ.

Still, MTNL's deal with TelOne would only happen after launch of MTNL's GSM
operation in Mauritius. MTNL is looking to invest around $20 Mn for its
200,000 lines GSM launch.
Currently, MTNL runs a mix of CDMA mobile, landline, long distance
operations and internet services in Mauritius.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chief Under Fire from Mugabe's ZANU-PF

http://www.voanews.com/

19 July 2011

Critics of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairman Simpson Mutambanengwe
charged that at a recent elections symposium in Spain he accused
ZANU-PF-linked war veterans of terrorizing rural dwellers

Ntungamili Nkomo & Violet Gonda | Washington

Further election-related tensions surfaced in Zimbabwe's power-sharing
government this week as hardliners in President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF
called for the removal of the country's electoral commission chief, who they
accused of overstepping his authority and sympathizing with the former
opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Critics of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairman Simpson Mutambanengwe, a
retired judge, charged that he made a statement recently at an elections
symposium in Spain accusing war veterans with close ties to ZANU-PF of
terrorizing rural dwellers.

ZANU-PF sources said the hardliners also took exception to Mutambanengwe’s
publicly expressed position that elections cannot be held this year due to a
lack of funds for the ballot, saying he has no mandate to make statements on
election funding or timing.

Mutambanengwe has repeatedly clashed with ZANU-PF over the issue of election
timing. The former ruling party has demanded since late 2010 that elections
be held in 2011.

ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told VOA Studio 7 reporter Ntungamili Nkomo
that his party is concerned at Mutambanengwe’s conduct, confirming some in
the party are calling for him to be sacked.

But Mutambanengwe denied making any statements accusing war veterans of
terrorizing villagers, and insisted it is within his mandate as chairman of
the Electoral Commission to comment publicly about the financial situation
of his panel.

Bulawayo-based political analyst Dumisani Nkomo said Mutambanengwe is simply
paying the price for doing his job in a professional manner.

Elsewhere, MDC formation leader Welshman Ncube said Tuesday that he is
standing by his recent statement that the constitutional outreach process
did not cover all relevant aspects of the revision, so many will have to be
negotiated by the governing parties.

Ncube came under fire from ZANU-PF and the MDC formation of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai which said the outreach covered the majority of aspects of
the new basic document, and that the will of the people would be respected
in the drafting.

Ncube responded that the other parties in government are grandstanding,
contending that they know the 15 issues covered in the talking points for
the 2010 public outreach process do not provide enough detail to redraft the
entire constitution.

He said the parties will have to fill in the gaps themselves.

Ncube told VOA Studio 7 reporter Violet Gonda that the negotiations will
soon be under way even though the unity parties don’t want to publicly admit
this.

Zimbabwe rejects 175 local ownership proposals

http://www.reuters.com

Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:52am EDT

* Zimbabwe dismisses all offers from foreign miners

* Proposals included social credits, direct ownership

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, July 20 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has rejected all 175 local ownership
proposals it received from foreign mining companies and will kick out any
firms that don't meet a September deadline on majority black ownership, the
empowerment minister said on Wednesday.

Under the controversial law, foreign miners operating in Zimbabwe must sell
a majority stake to local black investors or face losing their assets.

The government estimates the mining sector will need $6 billion over five
years, but has struggled to attract investors out off by an uncertain
investment climate and unclear legislation.

"We have received 175 proposals from mining companies and we've turned down
all of them. The proposals were that 26 percent would be done through social
credits and 25 percent direct equity," Saviour Kasukuwere, the minister for
indigenisation and economic empowerment told a conference in Harare.

"By the end of September, any mining company that doesn't comply with the
law, we'll kick them out. We'll ask them to hand over their assets to
government."

Social credits relate to points awarded to firms for investing in
infrastructure and development projects such as roads, schools and
hospitals.

Kasukuwere's comments could be a sign the government is unwilling to settle
for anything less than majority direct ownership by locals.

However, one senior executive at a mining firm operating in Zimbabwe said
Kasukuwere's comments are unlikely to reflect final government policy.

"I am absolutely confident the thing will change, this is posturing by
Saviour Kasukuwere," said the executive, who declined to be identified.

Mineral-rich Zimbabwe has the world's largest-known platinum reserves after
neighbouring South Africa.

Foreign miners operating there include Zimplats Holdings , a unit of Impala
Platinum , global mining giant Rio Tinto and Anglo Platinum .

It also has gold, diamonds, ferrochrome, coal and iron ore reserves but the
mining sector is starved of capital after years of decline.

Kasukuwere had told Reuters that Zimbabwe's cash-strapped government would
not pay any money for the mining stakes, and would base any payment
negotiations on the state's ownership of the country's untapped mineral
wealth.

The local ownership rule became a law in 2008. Critics have said it will
hurt the country's prospects for economic recovery.

Zimbabwe's coalition government, formed by bitter foes President Robert
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, is divided over the law.

Tsvangirai has called the local ownership drive "looting and plunder by a
greedy elite"

Foreign mining operations in Zimbabwe

http://af.reuters.com

Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:47pm GMT

July 20 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has rejected all 175 local ownership proposals
received from foreign mining companies, the empowerment minister said on
Wednesday, threatening to "kick out" miners that do not meet a September
deadline on black ownership.

Under the controversial law, foreign miners operating in Zimbabwe must sell
a majority stake to local black investors or face losing their assets.

Following is a summary of mining companies with operations in Zimbabwe:

IMPALA PLATINUM

- Zimplats Holdings is 87 percent owned by Impala Platinum (Implats) . In
the 2010 financial year it produced 173,900 ounces of platinum, about 9
percent of group production.

This is not insignificant: the platinum world is dominated by a handful of
producers. Implats is the world's second-largest platinum producer and
responsible for about 25 percent of global output.

Implats also has a 50:50 joint venture -- Mimosa -- with Aquarius Platinum .
In the last financial year it produced 101,200 ounces of platinum in
concentrate.

ANGLO PLATINUM

- The world's largest platinum producer owns 100 percent of the Unki mine in
Zimbabwe. It is hoping to reach full production of 120,000 tonnes per month
in the third quarter of 2013.

RIO TINTO

- The global mining giant has the Murowa diamond mine in Zimbabwe, with
capacity to produce 250,000 carats per annum through its processing plant.
Output was 178,126 carats in 2010.

The company says on its website that "the operation has the potential to
expand to six or seven times its production level. The mine was set up to
operate for five years but at its current rate of production could operate
for more than 50 years."

It says a feasibility study is under way for this expansion and that talks
are under way with the government about the investment required. It is not
clear how the government's local ownership drive would affect these plans.

MWANA AFRICA

- Pan-African and London-listed miner Mwana Africa has several operations in
Zimbabwe. Among them is the Freda Rebecca gold mine, a small operation with
proven reserves of 207,000 ounces as of March 31, 2009.

It also has a 52.9 percent stake in Bindura Nickel Corporation, the only
integrated nickel mine, smelter and refinery operation in Africa.

AFRICAN CONSOLIDATED RESOURCES

- The AIM-listed group has been in Zimbabwe since 2004. All its Zimbabwean
subsidiaries, looking across the board from gold to copper and diamonds, are
in the exploration phase. It is in litigation with the government over a
diamond deposit near Marange, Zimbabwe.

Police assault delegates at youth meeting in Kwekwe

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
20 July, 2011

At least three people have been hospitalized after the police in Kwekwe
disrupted a legally sanctioned meeting for youth on Wednesday, and beat up
the delegates. The workshop was organized by Zimbabwe Youth in Politics, who
had invited at least 90 youths from civic groups and political parties in
Kwekwe district, including ZANU PF. The guest speaker was the American
Ambassador Charles Ray, who witnessed the chaos. Journalist Blessed Mhlanga
was briefly detained for taking pictures of armed police.

Settlement Chikwinya, the MDC-T legislator for Mbizvo in Kwekwe, told SW
Radio Africa that ZANU PF got wind of the event and bussed in supporters who
started a demonstration before the workshop had begun.

The MP said the group behaved aggressively, singing revolutionary songs and
holding up placards that denounced the targeted sanctions currently in place
against members of the Mugabe regime. The placards also protested a motion
brought in parliament last week by MP Chikwinya, calling on the service
chiefs to explain their anti-MDC statements in parliament.

“The police at first refused to act when we approached them but they then
changed their position and decided the meeting was illegal, because a
liberation war hero was being buried in Binga,” Chikwinya said.

He added that the violence broke out when police locked the doors and began
assaulting the invited delegates. “They were just beating people at random,”
said the MP. Three people sustained serious injuries and were taken for
medical treatment.

Chikwinya said Ambassador Ray was whisked away to a safer place. But the
location was discovered somehow and two trucks with military registration
plates showed up with more ZANU PF demonstrators. “An inspector Tinha
appeared to be in charge of the operation. And he asked us why we were
entertaining an American,” the MP said.

Journalist Blessed Mhlanga told SW Radio Africa that he was briefly detained
for taking pictures of the ZANU PF thugs and police holding AK 47 rifles.

Some junior police insisted that he delete the pictures but Mhlanga gave
them the camera and insisted they do it themselves. But the cops were able
to delete only the pictures that were on the memory card, leaving those that
were saved in the camera. Mhlanga said he was saved by a senior policeman
who recognized him as a journalist and ordered him released.

Selective application of the law by the police has continued in Zimbabwe.
The MDC-T have said the illegal arrests, assaults and harassment of their
officials and supporters is a ZANU PF strategy to destroy the unity
government in order to conduct early elections, but it won’t work.

MDC-T urged to start championing Diaspora vote

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
20 July 2011

The MDC-T has this week been warned against neglecting the rights of
Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, by ensuring they have voting rights.

Political analyst Clifford Mashiri said this week that “the Diaspora vote
could be potentially MDC-T’s most effective means of sweeping to power.” But
he told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that an apparent “helplessness” by the
MDC-T, in ensuring the Diaspora can vote in the forthcoming elections,
“could have far-reaching implications.”

Mashiri was referring to worrying reports that the Diaspora will be denied
their right to vote in the next poll, if the proposed Electoral Amendment
Bill is voted into law. The Bill was gazetted earlier this month after
reportedly being approved by Cabinet.

The Bill was drafted by the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs,
headed by Patrick Chinamasa, under the mandate of the Global Political
Agreement. Cabinet members are alleged to have passed the Bill to parliament
without discussing any of the provisions proposed.

Among the issues expected to cause heated debate is the proposal to grant
postal votes only to “those on government business” outside the country.
This would deny voting rights to millions of Zimbabweans living in other
countries, who cannot return to vote in their constituencies. Voters would
be able to cast their ballots only at their local polling station.

“It would be very reckless and suicidal for MDC-T to lend ZANU PF a hand in
disenfranchising millions of Zimbabweans who were forced to leave the
country and who are hoping for one opportunity to vote the regime out of
power,” Mashiri said.

Mashiri said the MDC-T and the MDC led by Welshman Ncube need to unite in
ensuring the Diaspora vote is restored, saying their majority in parliament
is critical to overthrow ZANU PF’s obvious reluctance on the issue. But he
warned the MDC-T in particular faces losing all credibility and even votes,
if the party does not stand its ground.

“This is an inevitability if the MDC-T succeeds in disenfranchising millions
of Zimbabweans forced to live as second-class citizens abroad,” Mashiri
said.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai Snub Ncube

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, July 20, 2011 - President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai have rejected a proposal by the small faction of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) leader Welshman Ncube to deal with the issue of
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara without forcing him to step down.

Mutambara has refused to relinquish the DPM’s post despite losing the
presidency of the smaller MDC faction to Ncube during the party’s congress
in January. The impasse has meant that MDC is not represented at the meeting
of principals that reviews the performance of the unity government.

Ncube’s party said its leader and secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi
Mushonga five weeks ago met Mugabe proposing a creation of a forum for party
leaders.

The forum “would help prevent the collapse of co-operation among the three
parties to the GPA arising out of President Mugabe and Prime Minister
Tsvangirai’s insistence of retaining Prof. Mutambara as Deputy Prime
Minister and so called principal with responsibility to make decisions over
issues emanating from political parties such as the election roadmap,” MDC
said in a statement on Tuesday.

The party said Mugabe had indicated that he had no problems with the idea
and asked Ncube and Mushonga to consult Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai reportedly said he had no problems with it as well and promised
to consult Mugabe.

“On Tuesday 12th July 2011, the president of the MDC and the secretary
general met President Mugabe and requested a feedback on what the outcome of
the discussion with the Prime Minister on this issue was,” the small MDC
faction noted in a statement.

“President Mugabe advised them that he and PM Tsvangirai had met the
previous day and had both agreed that they preferred to maintain the status
quo and that they both preferred to wait for the court processes to run
their course.”

MDC said it was not bound by the decisions Mugabe and Tsvangirai took in
their meetings with Mutambara.

The revelations were made in response to a story by the state owned Herald
newspaper claiming that Tsvangirai had tried to smuggle in Ncube as a
principal through the party leaders.

The paper claimed Tsvangirai was doing this to soften Ncube’s MDC to join a
united front against Zanu (PF) in the next polls.

MDC said it was taking the case to the Zimbabwe Media Commission because the
story was a “complete fabrication having no foundation in fact.” It said it
had also not been involved in any talks with the mainstream MDC led by
Tsvangirai (MDC-T) for an election pact.

The Herald cited unnamed sources backing its claims of the alleged electoral
pact and Tsvangirai’s attempts to smuggle Ncube into the principals’ forum.

Ncube has said he is no longer interested in becoming DPM and would rather
concentrate on mobilising support ahead of next elections.

A group of officials, who were unhappy with the outcome of the MDC congress,
challenged Ncube’s ascendancy despite the fact that Mutambara initially
accepted defeat.

Daily News expose Jonathan Moyo hypocrisy

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
20 July 2011

Political turncoat Jonathan Moyo has taken the Daily News to court in an
attempt to stop the paper from serializing his articles, mostly from 2008 to
2010, which criticized Robert Mugabe. Over the weekend the paper made the
lawsuit pointless by publishing over 30 different quotations from his
articles over the years, in which Moyo makes known his very negative views
on Mugabe, his vice presidents and ZANU PF as a party.

In several of the articles Moyo said it was important for Mugabe to step
down arguing this was “no longer a dismissible opposition slogan but a
strategic necessity that desperately needs urgent legal and constitutional
action by Mugabe himself well ahead of the presidential election scheduled
for March 2008 in order to safeguard Zimbabwe’s national interest, security
and sovereignty.”

Moyo said under Mugabe’s rule the economy had melted and that the ZANU PF
leader was “now too old, too tired.” Notwithstanding the fact that Moyo is
currently the chief strategist for ZANU PF, back then he felt “the
prevalence of unkind jokes about Mugabe “on text messages and the Internet
say it all. Mugabe now lacks the vision, stature and energy to effectively
run the country, let alone his party.”

The Tsholotsho North MP criticized Mugabe over the controversial Operation
Murambatsvina exercise, where nearly a million people were displaced and
livelihoods were destroyed. Moyo then wrote that Mugabe’s “failure to visit
stranded families left homeless and suffering from the irrational acts of
his own government speaks volumes of his cold and cruel leadership style.”

Turning to the land reform exercise Moyo said: “If the truth be told, the
2000 land reform programme was itself a hasty, brutal and chaotic response
to serious national problems that were already present.” Moyo argued this
“was not a sustainable policy action,” and that the “brutal and chaotic
response was more about Mugabe’s political survival than about redressing
historical injustice.”

Moyo said even though Mugabe was “unleashing violence against opposition
politicians in police cells, while giving the impression that he is still
like an invincible lion, the inescapable home truth visible to all and
sundry is that he is now behaving like a cornered rat whose quandary is that
every escape route it tries is a dead-end.” He savaged factional leaders in
ZANU PF as ‘living in a fool’s paradise’ because Mugabe did not want anyone
to succeed him.

The former Information Minister did not have any kind words for Vice
President Joice Mujuru either, saying she is “seemingly content with wanting
to become executive state president by crisscrossing the country in the
glare of the media hoping to win voters by waving “a pigs-and-chicken
manifesto” in an economy whose wheels have fallen off.”

Commenting on the March 2008 election Moyo wrote: “The simple truth which
ZEC has found hard to stomach and which Mugabe and his shocked cronies have
found hard to swallow is that Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential
election even if with less than the required absolute majority. In other
words, Tsvangirai got more votes than Mugabe and thus defeated him.”

These articles exposing Moyo as a political opportunist are proving a
constant thorn in the flesh for him. Only this week it was reported Moyo’s
future in ZANU PF was hanging by a thread as top officials wanted him kicked
out after accusing him of trying to destroy the party from within.

Moyo’s constant attacks on SADC and South African President Jacob Zuma are
also being viewed as a deliberate attempt to alienate ZANU PF in the region.

The re-publication of old articles showing Moyo’s views on Mugabe and the
party have not helped his cause either and this is why he is trying to block
the Daily News and other papers from serializing them.

Moyo’s views on Mugabe

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Staff Writer
Wednesday, 20 July 2011 13:49

HARARE - Serial political flip-flopper and Zanu PF propagandist Jonathan
Moyo has taken the decision to silence the Daily News from publishing his
incisive opinion pieces which he penned during the time he was jumping from
one political gathering to another.

Most of the opinion pieces, written mainly for the Zimbabwe Independent
between 2008 and 2010 and also published on NewZimbabwe.com, highlight how
Moyo views President Robert Mugabe, his vice-presidents and Zanu PF as a
party.

Moyo now says Mugabe is his hero.

While the court case between the Daily News and Moyo rages on, the Daily
News on Sunday has, due to public demand, decided to extract quotations from
Moyo’s well written opinion pieces. The quotations were all taken from
websites.

Why Mugabe should go now

Perennial wisdom from divine revelation and human experience dictates that
earthly things great or small beautiful or ugly, good or bad, sad or happy,
foolish or wise must finally come to an end. It is from this sobering
reality that the end of executive rule has finally come for Robert Mugabe
who has had his better days after a quarter of a century in power.

That Mugabe must now go is thus no longer a dismissible opposition slogan
but a strategic necessity that desperately needs urgent legal and
constitutional action by Mugabe himself well ahead of the presidential
election scheduled for March 2008 in order to safeguard Zimbabwe’s national
interest, security and sovereignty.

One does not need to be a malcontent to see that, after 25 years of
controversial rule and with the economy melting down as a direct result of
that rule, Mugabe’s continued stay in office has become such an excessive
burden to the welfare of the state and such a fatal danger to the public
interest of Zimbabweans at home and in the Diaspora that each day that goes
by with him in office leaves the nation’s survival at great risk while
seriously compromising national sovereignty.

Mugabe now too old, too tired

But the most compelling reasons for Mugabe to resign now have to do with his
own fallen standing in and outside the country.

The prevalence of unkind jokes about him on text messages and the Internet
say it all. Mugabe now lacks the vision, stature and energy to effectively
run the country, let alone his party.

He is without compassion, maybe because he is now too old, too tired and not
in the best of health.

His failure to visit stranded families left homeless and suffering from the
irrational acts of his own government speaks volumes of his cold and cruel
leadership style.

From all discernible indications, Mugabe has lost influence and is now
viewed with suspicion or cynicism or both by his peers in the Sadc, African
Union and across the developing world where he used to enjoy considerable
authority.

Of course, Mugabe is still respected as an old man and he still makes very
interesting bombastic speeches that are applauded for their entertainment
value and which are full of sound and fury but signifying precious little at
the level of policy and action.

Given the foregoing, President Mugabe has no reason whatsoever to continue
in office as that is no longer in his personal interest and is most
certainly not in the national interest. He just must now go and the
fundamental law of the land gives him a decent constitutional exit that he
must take while he is still able to do so to save the nation and preserve
his legacy.

Mugabe not telling the truth

When Mugabe says the crisis started in 2000 due to the rejection of the land
reform programme by Britain and its allies he is not telling the truth. Many
in his government and party know that the crisis started on August 16, 1997
when the compensation for veterans of the liberation war became an economic
albatross to the fiscus.
It is also a widely known fact that the demands for a new democratic
constitution started well before 2000. Indeed, the MDC itself was formed
before 2000.

If the truth be told, the 2000 land reform programme was itself a hasty,
brutal and chaotic response to serious national problems that were already
present.

It was not a sustainable policy action. That brutal and chaotic response was
more about Mugabe’s political survival than about redressing historical
injustice.

While there can be no doubt about the historic necessity of land reform in
Zimbabwe and about the social justice of that necessity, the fact is that
the brutal and chaotic response in 2000 necessarily led to serious mistakes
being made. Those mistakes need to be corrected without making a bad
situation worse or falsifying history through Mkapa’s mediation.

Mugabe’s leadership doomed to fail

On offer is the self-indulgent leadership of Mugabe who is now too old
despite his photogenic makeup, has become very tired, visionless and
beleaguered.

Mugabe remains in office not because he is in charge of the goings-on in the
wider society but largely if not only because of considerations of his
personal and family security in a world that is increasingly becoming
hostile to former heads of state with unresolved human rights and corruption
issues during their rule.

A leader in this kind of a box in which Mugabe now finds himself tends to
invariably construct his own political reality which in turn blunts his
ability to tell the difference between winning a popular victory and
securing a stolen result at the polls.

There is no way such a leader can ever enact correct policies even if they
smack him on his face.

This explains why even with the best of intentions by some within his inner
circle, Mugabe’s leadership has become inherently limited and in fact doomed
to fail.

No wonder his associates are now unable to distinguish between defending
their beleaguered boss as a person and defending his principles, human
ideals or policies.

Mugabe’s two deputies are not in a better position than him vision-wise.

Vice-President Joice Mujuru is seemingly content with wanting to become
executive state president by crisscrossing the country in the glare of the
media hoping to win voters by waving “a pigs-and-chicken manifesto” in an
economy whose wheels have fallen off.

Mugabe behaving like a cornered rat

Although President Robert Mugabe has of late been displaying bravado by
ruthlessly attacking in public some Zanu PF contenders for his 27-year
tainted rule, such as Joice Mujuru, and unleashing violence against
opposition politicians in police cells, while giving the impression that he
is still like an invincible lion, the inescapable home truth visible to all
and sundry is that he is now behaving like a cornered rat whose quandary is
that every escape route it tries is a dead-end.

This became clear after his astonishing yet revealing indication last week
that he is set to dissolve parliament in the next few months to enable him
to yet again stand for re-election under controversial circumstances that
are certain to widen and deepen Zanu PF divisions.

At best, the threatened dissolution of parliament which has angered Zanu PF
MPs is designed to give Mugabe assured campaign assistance from the ruling
party’s parliamentary hopefuls who would be forced to support his divisive
candidacy in joint presidential and parliamentary elections he wants to call
well before the expiry of his current term in March 2008. But there could be
another sinister agenda to resuscitate Mugabe’s dead 2010 plan.

In effect, Mugabe does not want to be succeeded by anybody. Zanu PF
factional leaders who imagine that they are Mugabe’s preferred successors
are living in a fools’ paradise because Mugabe does not want any successor.

Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe

If there is one sobering thing that can be unequivocally said about why the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has scandalously delayed the
announcement of the March 29 presidential election, it is simply that
President Robert Mugabe did not win the election and is now desperately
trying to steal the result through an unjustified recount because he does
not have any prospect of winning a run-off or a re-run.

Had Mugabe won the election, even with less than the absolute majority
required under the Electoral Act, Zec would have announced the result ages
ago and Zimbabweans would have been spared the constitutional uncertainty
and political anxiety that have put the nation on the brink of utter chaos
and mayhem.

The simple truth which Zec has found hard to stomach and which Mugabe and
his shocked cronies have found hard to swallow is that Morgan Tsvangirai won
the presidential election even if with less than the required absolute
majority. In other words, Tsvangirai got more votes than Mugabe and thus
defeated him.

If the Electoral Act had not been amended after the 2002 presidential
election to require a run-off where no candidate gets an absolute majority,
Tsvangirai would have been sworn in by now and Zimbabwe would be in a
totally new situation under his MDC government and we would not have the
current charade of a dissolved cabinet whose defeated ministers are now
seeking to unconstitutionally smuggle themselves back into office under
spurious but self-serving interpretations of Section 31E of the
Constitution.

Mugabe, incoherent, disoriented

The saying that when you are 40, half of you belongs to the past, and when
you are 80 virtually all of you is past material, best describes the
stubborn reality facing the 83-year old President Robert Mugabe whose dream
to remain in power for life is turning into a terrible nightmare as he finds
himself trapped between the frustration of his rejected 2010 plan and his
hopeless 2008 re-election bid which would leave him and Zanu PF sitting
ducks at polls should presidential and parliamentary elections be held
together early next year.

Anyone who listened to Mugabe’s addresses at the hurriedly organised
national assembly meetings of the Zanu PF youth and women’s leagues in
Harare on March 16 and 23 would have noticed how Mugabe came across as an
incoherent, disoriented, rambling and tired old man who wants to remain
president for life without any compelling national reason.

Throughout his addresses, he was prone to incomprehensible fits of anger and
outbursts.

While Mugabe’s irrational desire to remain in office for life by hook or by
crook is unfortunate but understandable, it is utterly shocking to see that
there are securocrats in his office who are desperate to force his
re-election bid through foul means including using at least 14 government
ministries that are now doing commissariat work for Mugabe.

The co-ordination work of these ministries is being done by military
personnel who have been deployed in all of the country’s 59 districts and
120 constituencies to do political work for Mugabe as they did in 2002 as
“the boys on leave” from the army.

Although everyone else can see that Mugabe’s time has gone with the winds,
his securocrats want to have the world to believe otherwise.

MDC-T councillor arrested

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

An MDC-T councillor in Hwange, Francisca Ncube, was arrested last week for
allegedly convening an illegal meeting.
20.07.1109:56am
by Zwanai Sithole Harare

In an interview with The Zimbabwean, Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyer (ZHRL),
Lizwe Jamela said Ncube, who is the councillor for ward 10, was arrested for
organising a residents’ meeting.

“ZHRL have just dispatched a lawyer from Victoria Falls, Thulani Nkala, to
offer legal assistance to the councillor. We do not know where he is
detained right now but the only information we have is that he was arrested
yesterday” said Jamela.

Ncube’s arrest comes barely two days after the arrest of four journalists in
the same province on Friday last week. The journalists: Pindai Dube from the
Daily News, The Standard reporter Nqobani Ndlovu and freelance journalists,
Pamenus Tuso and Oscar Nkala were released without charge.

The four journalists were arrested in Ntabazinduna while covering the
eviction of a senior police medical officer, Inspector Tedious Chisango,
from a government house. The journalists were arrested while taking photos
of police recruits loading Chisango’s clothes into a waiting police truck.

The journalists were taken to Ntabazinduna police training depot and were
handed over to the training school’s deputy commandant, Chief Superintendent
James Mbwando and his assistant, Ben Chabata.

While the Assistant commissioner Chabata was explaining to the journalists
the ‘implications’ of taking the photos of the police truck, Inspector
Chisango intervened and told the two officers that it was him who had
invited the journalists to cover his eviction.

“I am the one who actually called these journalists to cover the story. I
want the whole world to know my story. I have lost my job for being a
suspected MDC supporter and you expect me to be quiet?” Inspector Chisango
told Chabata in the presence of the journalists.

After detaining the journalists for almost seven hours, the police finally
took their personal details and released them without charge.

Zimbabwe cbank says approves $1.5 bln lines of credit

http://af.reuters.com

Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:16am GMT

HARARE, July 20 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's central bank has approved $1.5
billion this year in foreign lines of credit sourced by local banks, mostly
to fund the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, Governor Gideon Gono said
on Wednesday.

The African country's economy is growing again after a decade of collapse
marked by hyper inflation and foreign currency shortages, which forced most
companies to shut down.

"We have as of July 17 approved $1.5 billion in lines of credit mostly for
tobacco, cotton as well as to support industry and commerce," Gono told a
meeting of bankers and industry executives.

Gono said the banks, which need central bank approval to negotiate lines of
credit above $5 million, had secured the funding from foreign financial
institutions.

Zimbabwean firms say they have struggled to secure funding to boost
production and that banks charge high interest rates for loans while
demanding repayment over too short a space of time.

Foreign lenders like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank and
foreign investors have withheld their support, to press the government into
implementing more political reforms.

President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai formed a unity
government in 2009 which is credited with stabilising the economy but their
two parties are still deeply divided over reforms and economic policy.

Gono denies blame for RBZ troubles

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

20/07/2011 00:00:00
    by Gilbert Nyambabvu

RESERVE Bank chief Gideon Gono has conceded that the central bank is now
just "an empty shell" but sought to shift blame for the problems which
include a massive debt pile amounting to some US$1.1billion.

Appearing parliamentary portfolio committee on budget, finance and
investment promotion on Monday, Gono claimed that 55 percent of the US$1.1
billion debt was inherited at independence in 1980.

He accpeted that the balance was accrued during his tenure but claimed that
the obligations arose from instructions by the government to fund various
quasi-fiscal activities including the disputed 2008 general elections.

"I have broader shoulders to say that whatever we did, we erred (but) the
problem was with the laws of the country which were coined by the MPs
themselves,” Gono said.

"The (central bank) is a creature of legislation and when such instructions
were given in terms of the law, it was legally necessary for me to follow
them. There also has been a misconception to believe the $1.1bn debt is a
creation of Gono."

Regarding the inflationary mayhem of the last few years, Gono said he was
under instructions from the government to come up with measures to mitigate
sanctions imposed by the West but said it was time to stop the blame game
over past mistakes and move on.

“I have accepted responsibility and blame for everybody’s difficulties. I
will not even go to talk about the politics or the sanctions or anything.
Yes, it was the wrong advice of the central bank and we have repented and
are hoping that our advice can be listened to, today and tomorrow,” he said.

“In order to lay to rest everything or anything to do with the past I would
say blame it on the Governor. If we go onto trying to say how this was done
you will only find one black sheep and that black sheep in the Governor."

Gono said that the situation at the bank was far from “a disaster”
suggesting that the RBZ’s obligations were manageable relative to the
country’s overall debt situation.

"You cannot say this constitutes a disaster because the total debt of this
country is over $8bn and the (central bank) debt is only an eighth of that,"
he said.

The RBZ, he added, was now working on the disposal of various non-core
assets, companies and investments to settle part of its liabilities.

Assets and investments that have already been put up for sale include
investments in Astra, Tractive Power, Thuli Coal, Cairns, Carslone
Enterprises, Fidelity Printers and Refinery and the Venture Capital Company.

The RBZ virtually ran the country’s economy over the last decade, printing
money to fund almost all government activities including elections and the
acquisition of farming equipment.

Critics insist the runaway inflation levels experienced then was a result of
Gono’s penchant for keeping the printing presses hot and throwing worthless
Zimbabwe dollars at any problem.

But Gono argues that his interventions helped prevent the total collapse of
the country's economy.

The government decision to ditch the Zimbabwe dollar and replace it with
more stable foreign currencies in 2009 ended the RBZ glory days, leaving the
instituton with massive debts for which it has also faced litigation in the
courts.

Staff numbers at the institution which had bloated to more than 2000 have
since been reduced with about 75 percent being allowed to leave.

Primrose Kurasha, who chairs the bank’s human resources committee, said the
bank had allowed 1455 employees to leave but added the institution did not
have the money to pay their retrenchment packages.

ZNA crippled: Report exposes decay

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

The Zimbabwe National Army is no longer a formidable force despite the Wild
West antics of invincibility portrayed by hardline generals who have
threatened a military coup in the event President Robert Mugabe loses the
next polls.
20.07.1110:16am
by Staff Reporter

The combined effect of targeted Western sanctions and ad procurement
decisions in the past has resulted in the depletion of the ZNA’s firepower –
to the point that the entire 40 000-strong army has just 10 serviceable
armoured reconnaissance vehicles.

According to a document by South African-based think-tank Southern Africa
Report (SAR), the ZNA has not yet recovered from the erosion of its
resources during the 2007-2008 political and economic crisis, when extreme
shortages of foreign exchange and Zimbabwe’s international isolation
seriously eroded its resource base.

The diversion of the few remaining resources to non-military activities
meant to support Zanu (PF)’s campaign efforts and large-scale corruption by
senior army officials have worsened the situation.

Operational equipment is not being repaired. Zimbabwe had 90 Cascavels at
the end of the 1980s, but lack of spares forced commanders to cannibalise
parts to keep some in good fighting order.

“Of the 90 Cascavel armoured reconnaissance vehicles supplied by Engesa of
Brazil, less than 10 are serviceable,” the think-tank said.

Four of the Cascavels were captured by rebels in the Democratic Republic of
Congo during Zimbabwe’s participation in the central African country’s civil
war in the late 1990s while another 77 are grounded for reasons ranging from
lack of tyres to shortage of engine spares.

Most can now be seen rotting at a vehicle graveyard at Inkomo Barracks near
Harare. Despite having been refurbished by North Korean technicians in 1999
and 2000, most of the main battle tanks and tracked armoured reconnaissance
vehicles are out of commission.

In the mid-1990s the ZNA was forced to de-commission the Puma – the armoured
troop-carrying vehicle inherited from the Rhodesian Army – because of
difficulties in sourcing Benz spares. The Puma is built on the Mercedes Benz
engine and chassis.

All the other soft-skin Benz trucks, including the highly versatile,
all-terrain Unimog, have also been phased out for the same reasons.

“Of the 20-odd 30-tonne Benz and Scania trucks, only two are apparently
serviceable – ZNA sources claim even these are now out of commission,” SAR
said.

The mechanised infantry battalions are equipped with an assortment of
locally assembled armoured personnel carriers (APCs) based on the chassis
and engine of the German Unimog-Benz, and about 16 French Acmat APCs.

All the Unimog-based APCs were assembled for the Rhodesian Army during the
1970s liberation war.

Many were destroyed during the Mozambique campaign in the 1980s when
Zimbabwe deployed its forces to guard the key railway route to Beira port.
Others were either destroyed or captured during the DRC campaign.

Having seen action in Mozambique, Somalia, Angola and DRC, they are no
longer in good fighting condition. “The economic crisis and the
deterioration of diplomatic relations with the EU countries have made it
extremely difficult for the ZNA to source critical spares to maintain the
APCs in good fighting condition,” the report said.

The French Acmats are not configured for military operations, but for police
crowd-control operations. Its introduction into the ZNA coincided with the
advent of violent food riots in January 1998 and the deployment of troops on
the streets of Harare in a role previously reserved for the Police Support
Unit.

As with the Unimog-Benz APCs, it has not been easy to source spares for the
Acmat. The APCs are therefore in a state of disrepair.

The Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) are the Russian T-54, Korean T-55 and the
Chinese T-59 (30), T-63 (unknown) and T-69 (10). Most of the MBTs have
already been decommissioned. They were too old and spares were becoming
difficult to acquire.

The Russian T-54s were inherited from former Zipra forces at independence in
1980, while the Korean T-55s came as part of the equipment for the notorious
Fifth Brigade, which until the end of the civil war in Matabeleland and the
Midlands, was not part of the ZNA, but was a security arm of the then ruling
Zanu (PF) party.

It is not known how many T-54/55 tanks remain operational. But despite their
refurbishment by Korean technicians in 1999-2000, the majority are out of
commission due to a shortage of spares and lengthy periods of disuse due to
a biting shortage of fuel and training ammunition.

SAR also said the ZNA’s standard infantry troop carrier and first and
second-line logistics fleets (the Austrian Steyr and the French Acmat) are
largely depleted.

Attempts to replace the third- and fourth-line logistics vehicles (8-tonne,
10-tonne and 30-tonne Benz and Scania trucks) have been unsuccessful – the
fleet of 200 Chinese Dongfeng trucks was unable to adapt to local
conditions.

Just a couple of dozen remain operational, but in a poor state of
maintenance.

“The entire available ZNA transport fleet would barely be sufficient to
transport a battalion,” said the think-tank.

The army has been the bedrock of Mugabe’s power since Zimbabwe’s political
crisis started in 2000. Army generals have vowed to crush any attempts to
remove Mugabe from power, whether by the ballot or other means.

Tobacco prices up in smoke

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

When President Robert Mugabe embarked on the infamous and chaotic land
reform programme in 2000, Zanu (PF) officials and supporters immediately
benefited and many recipients of land hoped to cash in on commercial
farming.
20.07.1109:03am
by Tony Saxon

Elisha Mavhezha, a small-scale tobacco farmer based in Headlands, expected
handsome rewards from the just ended tobacco selling season, but instead
recorded huge losses.

“I ventured into tobacco farming in anticipation of better returns, but all
my hope has been transformed into nightmares. I had to sell two oxen to buy
the inputs for my tobacco preparations. I used more than US$2000 in expenses
for my two hectares, but when I went to Boka Tobacco Auction floors my crop
fetched poor prices, a feat that forced me to sell another ox to settle my
labour costs and other debts,” he said.

“These buyers are crooks. It is good as giving them our tobacco for free.
They don’t want to pay good prices to us because we, as black people, are
now in control of the farms. In the past whites made a lot of money through
farming, but now blacks own those farms and we have failed to make money. We
also want to drive new cars like what they (whites) did,” said the fuming
farmer, adding that he had remained poor despite his efforts.

Forced out of business

Other farmers in the Headlands area said the poor tobacco price would force
them out of tobacco farming if no corrective measures were taken before the
next season. They complained that the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board
(TIMB) was doing nothing to protect them.

Topira Mutasa, a retired colonel, who is a resettled farmer on Rungutai Farm
described the situation as a “big swindle”.

“These buyers are ripping farmers off. Their acts are bent to frustrate and
push farmers out of business. We are no longer able to pay transporters, our
workers and bank loans,” he said.

The farmers said some of the buyers offered between 98 cents and one dollar
per kilogram; a price they said was a mockery of their business. A more
respectable price would be US$4 per kilogram.

“Do you think the farmers are going to plant tobacco next season when things
went like that last season? This is the highest level of slave trade. Where
is TIMB? Where are those farm organisations? Who will protect us then?”
asked the ex-Colonel.

Ministers profit from farmers’ loss

The small-scale farmers also accused some top Zanu (PF) ministers of
profiteering at the expense of the small-scale farmers.

“These buyers pay good prices of up to US$5.50 per kilogram to selected and
feared Zanu (PF) cabinet ministers and officials. These ministers and senior
officials have failed to protect us because they know that they are OK. What
about us small-scale farmers who are powerless. Is this what the land reform
is all about?” asked another tobacco small-scale farmer who requested not to
be named for fear of victimization.

Popular businessman and former football personality, Lovemore Gijima Msindo,
who is also a tobacco farmer said the government should bring sanity to the
tobacco industry.

“The government should now subsidise the small-scale farmers that have
already been ripped off. If it fails to do that then many farmers are not
going to plant tobacco next season. If people quit tobacco farming it will
be a disaster for the nation,” he added.

Chinese buyers unfazed

Chinese companies buying on behalf of the Chinese market said what they had
been offering (US$3.60 per kilogram) was the best price.

"A number of farmers are not registered and this affects our planning
capabilities. We already sourced money from international markets that is in
accordance with available tobacco, that’s why we settle for these prices,"
said Ting Yang, a buyer from Chinese firm, Tian Ze.

"Maybe those low offers were on poor quality tobacco," he added. While the
number of indigenous small-scale farmers has increased, less of the top
quality “lemon tobacco”, which is used to flavour cigarettes, has been
grown. “Flavour tobacco is in short supply,” said Nathan Harawa a resettled
small scale farmer from Rusape.

US-based buyers Standard Commercial, Universal and Dimon have traditionally
bought the bulk of Zimbabwe’s crop to flavour cigarette brands, such as
Marlboro and Camel. However, Zimbabwean tobacco, once considered by buyers
to rival US varieties, has now been excluded from blends used by the biggest
cigarette makers because the quality and quantity of the crop is declining.

Some local observers interviewed said the country was at the mercy of
Chinese buyers and emphasized that there was need for policy interventions
to protect all stakeholders involved.

Glitch leaves Zimbabwe facing record wheat imports

http://www.agrimoney.com

14:38 UK, 20th July 2011

Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of Southern Africa, faces its biggest wheat
imports on record after bureaucratic hiccups fuelled a drop in sowings to
their lowest levels since the 1960s.

The country's wheat production, which reached 325,000 tonnes a decade ago,
is set to come in at 12,000 tonnes in 2011-12, US Department of Agriculture
attaches said.

The decline reflects in part a switch to corn, for which output looks like
reaching a 10-year high of 1.4m tonnes, boosted by ample supplies of seed
and a relaxation of imports curbs on fertilizer, for which the crop has
particularly high needs.

The relaxation in nutrient buy-ins spared Zimbabwe a squeeze on ammonium
nitrate supplies after the only domestic producer "failed to meet local
requirements because of constraints of power outages and constant equipment
breakdowns".

While the country's economy has, thanks to a policy of replacing the
Zimbabwe dollar with the US one, shown signs of recovering from an era of
hyperinflation, its infrastructure remains run-down, necessitating power
cuts of up to 18 hours a day.

Distribution problem

However, the fall-off in wheat prospects also reflects the failure of a $10m
programme announced by the government in March to support wheat sowings
through subsidising seed and fertilizer purchases, in a programme run by the
state's Grain Marketing Board.

"The disbursement of inputs to Grain Marketing Board depots was delayed, and
the majority of farmers did not have access to inputs during the recommended
planting period," which ended in mid-May, the USDA attaches said.

They estimated Zimbabwe's farmers harvesting 6,000 hectares of wheat this
year, half last year's levels, and the lowest since 1967-68.

With production also tumbling imports were set to rise 12% year on year to a
record 280,000 tonnes.

The country relies on South Africa for the bulk of its wheat imports, with
Germany, Lithuania and the US also major providers over the past year.

South African rebound

The attaché estimates came shortly before South Africa raised its estimate
for its own wheat production, which itself has declined over the last 20
years, sapped by the better returns offered by alternative crops such as
corn, rapeseed and soybeans.

Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the South African farm minister, pegged the 2011
crop at 1.7m tonnes, up 300,000 tonnes year on year, helped by sowings up
some 40,000 hectares to 600,000 hectares.

Nonetheless, South Africa too will remain a net importer, with production
unable to cover domestic demand of about 3m tonnes.

"Therefore, taking pipeline requirements into consideration, imports of 1.6m
tonnes of wheat are expected for the coming 2011-12 marketing season," Ms
Joemat-Pettersson said.

Sweden Commits US$60 Million to Zimbabwe to Promote Free & Fair Elections

http://www.voanews.com

19 July 2011

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council has given the government US$7
million worth of anti retro-viral drugs to expand the life-extending therapy
to more people living with HIV

Tatenda Gumbo & Sandra Nyaira | Washington

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency has pledged US$60
million to help Zimbabwe implement its 2008 Global Political Agreement for
power sharing with a particular emphasis upon reforms to enable free and
fair elections to be held.

Funds will be released over two years to projects that promote free and fair
elections, human rights and gender equality in Zimbabwe, Swedish officials
said.

The officials said their development agency assessed the need for
institutions to make it possible to hold democratic elections following the
disastrous 2008 ballot that led to the power-sharing agreement and the
early-2009 launch of a unity government.

The Swedish agency will consider proposals from government entities and from
non-governmental organizations, the officials said.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional Coordinator Dewa Mavhinga said
organizations supporting democratic reform welcome the funding, but spending
must be monitored.

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council has given the government US$7
million worth of anti retro-viral drugs to expand the life-extending therapy
to more people.

The NAC gave the Labor and Social Services Ministry US$270,000 for a basic
education assistance module program targeting aids orphans and other poor
groups.

NAC spokeswoman Madeline Dube told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that
her organization has procured the new entrepreneurial drug Tenofir,
considered to be more effective in controlling HIV in people living with the
virus that causes AIDS.

Health Minister Henry Madzorera applauded the National AIDS Council for
providing the means to purchase more ARVs, calling it a step toward a
self-sustaining AIDS fund.

Dube said the organization has focused on AIDS orphans hoping to reduce the
stigma that continues to be attached to those afflicted or affected by AIDS.

ZESN Preliminary Statement On Zimbabwe'S Electoral Amendment Bill, 2011

ZESN PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON ZIMBABWE’S ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL, 2011

 

Press statement

                                                                       

Harare - July 20 2011- The Zimbabwe Election Support Network has noted the recently gazetted amendments to the Electoral laws. These reforms come against a backdrop of previously contested electoral processes in Zimbabwe with particular reference to the 2008 run-off election whose contestation led to the formation of the current political set up.

 

ZESN has critically assessed the draft Electoral Amendment Bill which was gazetted on Monday 27th June, 2011, commented, and suggests further improvements, summarised in this statement.

 

The Electoral Amendment Bill addresses a number of issues which ZESN believes are essential for the creation of a conducive environment and the levelling of the playing field for credible free and fair elections. At the same time ZESN notes that even though some of the reforms will significantly improve the current electoral legal framework, the proposed amendments do not go far enough in addressing the creation of a peaceful electoral environment.

 

The following are some of the important comments in relation to the proposed reforms:

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission

The Bill re-enacts provisions of the ZEC Act and provides for ancillary powers. The major test however remains on the independence of the Commission so that it can execute its mandate with efficiency. ZESN reemphasises that the test is always in the implementation of the rules and structures. Of major concern are the professional personnel, financial and resource limitations of the Commission. 

 

Voters’ Roll and Polling station-based voters’ rolls

ZESN welcomes the provision for the availability of the Voters’ Roll in both printed and electronic versions in searchable, analysable and tamper-proof format. ZESN is however concerned with the continuation of the shared responsibility for the registration of voters, creation and maintenance of the voters’ roll between the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Registrar-General’s office. ZESN believes that this arrangement decreases accountability and can potentially cause inefficiency. ZESN proposes that these responsibilities must be fully given to the ZEC which has the sole mandate to run elections in the country

 

The Electoral Amendment Bill further makes provision for the creation of permanent polling stations and polling station-based voters’ rolls. On the face of it, this reform is in line with international best practice as it reduces risks of double-voting and promotes transparency and credibility of the electoral system. However, the environment within which elections have been held can scuttle the best laid technical aspirations. Without a permanent solution to electoral and politically motivated violence, the polling station based roll will leave communities more vulnerable to retribution and post-election violence since it will be easier upon counting to identify voting patterns down to specific polling-stations.

 

Voter Education

The Bill further mentions that apart from the Commission, political parties or persons authorised to assist the Commission, any other person satisfying the criteria set out in the Bill will be entitled to provide voter education in Zimbabwe. This is a welcome development as it extends the scope of providers of voter education making the Commission not the only primary provider legally but effectively the gatekeeper and monitor of voter education through its powers to vet and approve materials and content used by voter education providers. However, it is worrying to note that the Bill further requires any foreign funding for the provision of voter education to be channelled through the Commission.

It is ZESN’s expectation that the Commission would use its powers and any discretion in this regard, in a manner that is fair and reasonable otherwise it would be subject to judicial review.

 

Election Observation and Accreditation

ZESN notes with interest a new provision in the Bill regarding both internal and external observers. The Bill proposes the establishment of an Observers’ Accreditation Committee set up by the Commission. The Observers’ Accreditation Committee which will be responsible for vetting the applications and making recommendations to the Commission appears to have a heavy political influence in that four out of seven members are ministerial appointees. While this can be viewed as an improvement from the former veto powers of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice and the consequent cherry-picking of observers,   ZESN is still concerned that this new arrangement also compromises the independence of the Commission especially its ability to make decisions without the interference of political interests.

 

Political violence

Political violence has been a major dent to the electoral system in Zimbabwe with the violence that took place in 2008 drawing the ire of many observers. The Bill places responsibility on political parties and contesting candidates to ensure that politically motivated violence and intimidation are prevented. ZESN is of the view that whilst in theory the structure looks fairly robust enough to deal with a serious problem that has plagued elections in Zimbabwe over the years, the test will be in the implementation. In particular, there is need for vigilance to guard against selective application of the law.

 

Electoral returns

ZESN commends the mandatory requirements for the provision of electoral returns at all levels to the candidates and their political parties and that they must be posted outside the election centres, the availability of all these copies will enhance transparency as candidates and parties can use the opportunity to perform due diligence and ensure that the correct information is being transmitted right from the polling-station to the National Command Centre.

 

Presidential Elections and Results

The new provisions require that presidential election results be declared within 5 days of the last polling date. Setting the maximum threshold is an important step as it prevents the ‘2008 phenomenon’ when it took more than six (6) weeks to announce the Presidential election results.

 

Pre-Emption of Results

ZESN notes that the Bill prohibits the announcement of elections results by any person before they have been officially announced by the Commission. This is therefore designed to prevent pre-emption of official election results.

 

Nomination of Candidates

Regarding the Nomination of Candidates, the Bill provides a tighter requirement that seeks to ensure that a candidate is actually a true representative of a political party that he/she purports to represent in an election. ZESN welcomes this development as it will prevent situations that have happened in previous elections where a single political party was represented by more than one candidate in the same constituency. The new provision ensures that there will be specific gate-keeping procedures by political parties so that only persons that they have approved are nominated to represent them in an election. 

 

Voting by Illiterate or Physically Handicapped

Another welcome development is the recognition and upholding of the freedom of Illiterate and physically handicapped voters to be assisted by persons of their choice rather than by electoral officials or as in the past by police officers.  The Bill however makes a provision for electoral officers to assist where the voter does not have relatives or other persons of their choice to assist them.

Overall, ZESN commends this provision and hopes that it will not be abused by political parties or individuals. ZESN encourages observers and electoral officials must therefore play a more vigilant role to minimise that risk if this clause passes into law as provided for in the Bill.

 

Postal Voting

Although this voting avenue has always been available, the new provisions simplify the procedures and in particular allow the use of electronic communications in the applications for postal voting. ZESN notes that postal voting remains restricted to persons who are outside Zimbabwe on Government business, as well as their spouses if they are also out of the country.   If postal voting is available to those on government duty, it could also be available to many Zimbabweans abroad (the Diaspora) as the case with other countries in the region like Botswana, South Africa, Malawi and Namibia. However there is need for proper planning and mechanisms to be put in place to ensure openness and transparency so that this process is not manipulated at each and every stage.

 

Special Voting

ZESN also welcomes the new provision for a special voting procedure for members of the security forces (Police and Defence), electoral officials and accredited observers who will perform duties during elections. ZESN however suggests that polling stations for security forces should be placed in places that can be accessed by observers. In addition proper administrative measures should be put in place to ensure transparency and openness in the whole process. 

 

Media Coverage of Elections

The Bill re-enacts parts of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Act (ZEC ACT) which place a mandatory requirements on public broadcasters to treat all contesting political parties fairly and equitably and in particular to give all parties contesting an election free access to their broadcasting services as prescribed. ZESN notes with concern that this mandatory obligation on the public broadcaster is of particular significance in a country where there is only one public broadcaster. The Bill further provides that adherence to the legal requirements will be monitored by the Commission with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Broadcasting Services Authority. It is with great disappointment that the Bill lacks specific sanctions for breach of these rules and this must be improved.

ZESN also welcomes other provisions such as voting processes and procedures, separation of ballot boxes, information on ballot papers, inside polling station and outside polling station election agents that seeks to promote accuracy and promote transparency. Furthermore the Network welcomes the restriction on police officers from interfering with the electoral process at any polling station. The new provisions mention that police officers are no longer allowed to enter a polling station unless they are casting their votes or have been called upon to provide assistance in the exercise of their sole function which is to maintain order and prevent contraventions of the law to ensure a free and fair election.

 

ZESN commends the effort to improve the electoral processes and procedures as the country looks to holding fresh elections. However ZESN notes with serious concern that the Bill fails to satisfactorily address other fundamental issues mentioned above in particular the creation of an enabling electoral environment that ensures a peaceful and credible electoral process. Ends//

 

PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN ZIMBABWE

 

FOR COMMENTS AND FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT

 

ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT NETWORK

 

+263 (04) 791 443, 798 193, 791 803, 250 736

zesn@africaonline.co.zw /info@zesn.org.zw or visit our website www.zesn.org.zw

 

Women victims of torture

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/6898

July 20th, 2011

While Zimbabwe joined the rest of the World in Commemorating 26 June
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture not much is being done to
support the most affected victims who are women.

The historical background on violence and torture against women in Zimbabwe
is well documented since we attained independence.

It all started in the 80’s when the ZANU PF government embarked on the
unforgettable massacre of innocent women and children in the Matebeleland
region, thousands of women became victims in many forms, some were killed,
others maimed,  some lost their husbands, other lost parents, some lost
their children.

Many of them were raped, politically motivated sexual violence was
perpetrated against them, including extreme violence, gang rape and
insertion of objects into their genitalia.

As if that was not cruel enough, with the formation of the Movement for
Democratic Change in the new millennium, women again became victims, raped
because of their political activity or the political activities of their
husbands.

Ask any women the experience of 2008, the sexual assaults reported are
extremely distressing, with horrific reports of gang rape. Some of these
women were raped by numerous perpetrators until they lost consciousness.

After this cruelty has been done nothing is done by the Inclusive Government
of Zimbabwe to ensure that survivors of sexual violence are consulted in any
programme of assistance.  The survivors do not live in a vacuum and their
families should be part of the healing process.

Many reports that have been made to the police, but few arrests have
followed.

However, the police in the country have been hard on women, with some
demonstrating for their voices to be heard arrested for moving around at
night, denying women their right to movement. It is unfortunate to note that
many women who have been raped and abused have not been able to access
justice owing to an uncooperative police force.

This entry was posted by Bob Gondo on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 at 8:24 am.