http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News, Politics
MDC-T Mutare
West parliamentary candidate, Shuah Mudiwa was yesterday
arrested by the
police in Marange for addressing an unsanctioned rally.
By Obey
Manayiti
Yesterday, Manicaland assistant police spokesperson, Assistant
Inspector
Luxson Chananda said he would only comment after getting
details.
But lawyers representing Mudiwa, who is also MDC-T provincial
vice-chairperson, confirmed the arrest.
Blessing Nyamaropa of the
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said
Mudiwa was likely to face
charges of holding an illegal rally.
Police have also arrested MDC
parliamentary candidate for Zengeza West
Gideon Mandaza, on allegations of
being involved in political violence.
MDC deputy spokesperson, Kurauone
Chihwayi confirmed Mandaza’s arrest,
saying he was detained at Harare
Central Police station’s Law and Order
section.
“We view this as the
on-going intimidation by the partisan police working on
the instructions of
Zanu PF. We demand his immediate release to enable him
to campaign freely,”
said Chihwayi.
Efforts to get a comment from police spokesperson, Charity
Charamba were
fruitless yesterday.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News,
Politics
An aspiring Senator for people living with disabilities has
expressed
concern at the manner in which nominations for the two
representatives in
the Upper House of Assembly are being done.
BY OUR
STAFF
Henry Chivhanga of the Disability Amalgamated Community Trust
(Dact) said,
while it had been announced that elections for the two
representatives would
be held on August 2, the process leading to the poll
was shrouded in
secrecy.
He said the selection and composition of the
Electoral College was not clear
amid fears that candidates affiliated to
political parties would prevail on
the day.
“Information about the
process leading to the elections is not being made
public. It is not clear
how the Electoral College composed of up to 30
organisations will vote for
candidates who they do not know,” said
Chivhanga. “This is why there is
suspicion that elections will be rigged.”
He said the Electoral Act
stipulated that all registered organisations for
people with disability were
eligible to participate in the Electoral
College.
But Chivhanga said
some Trusts organisations such as Dact were being denied
that opportunity in
favour of only those registered as Private Voluntary
Organisations.
“I have been tossed from one office to the other,
including the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission, the Attorney General’s office
and the Department of
Social Welfare, but all of them failed to adequately
explain what is going
on,” he said.
According to the Electoral Act,
people constituting the Electoral College
should be living with disabilities
and half of the delegates must be women.
The people must be registered
voters, while four of the nominees should be
chosen by the national
disability board.
ZEC chairperson, Rita Makarau could not be reached for
comment yesterday.
But recently she met representatives of people with
disabilities and
disclosed that elections for the two senators would be
conducted within an
electoral college, that shall be constituted in a
fashion provided for in
the Electoral Act.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News, Politics
MDC-T
treasurer, Roy Bennett (RB) has been living in exile in South Africa
since
2010, after fleeing what he called persecution by President Robert
Mugabe’s
faction in the government of national unity (GNU).
Last week, The
Standard (S) caught up with the former Chimanimani
legislator, who spoke
about this week’s elections, the future of Zimbabwe
and many other
issues.
S: We are a few days away from election day. What should be done
to ensure
that the plebiscite is fairer than the previous one?
RB:
According to the observers, it was an illegitimate election in 2008. We
are
going into an election endorsed and facilitated by Sadc. They guaranteed
free and fair elections. That agreement has already been broken in many
ways. There is duplicity, lack of transparency and the lack of a commitment
by politicians who make agreements and don’t honour those same
agreements.
S: Why does MDC-T keep on referring to Sadc, yet you know
that the regional
body has Mugabe sympathisers?
RB: Sadc guaranteed the
government of national unity. We take part in the
elections now because it’s
a Sadc brokered process with a Sadc appointed
facilitator. This means the
regional body is responsible and accountable for
the elections. It’s up to
the people to claim their space. It’s game over
for Zanu PF, it’s game over
for Sadc. The people of Zimbabwe are going to
embarrass them all hugely by
demonstrating their will democratically.
S: Why is the opposition in
Zimbabwe not unified?
RB: We are not the opposition, we are the ruling party,
and we hold the
majority of seats in parliament. There is major unification
of all forces
opposed to the Mugabe regime, there is only a minority with
Welshman Ncube
(MDC) and Dumiso Dabengwa (Zapu), who for personal reasons
have taken their
personal agendas before the national agenda. But a united
front can bring
democracy to Zimbabwe.
We have had a very serious
approach from the Zapu leadership. They will
disown Dabengwa and publicly
say that they are part and parcel of the unity
of Zimbabwe.
S: So, do
you think Tsvangirai could win the elections?
RB: It will be a landslide
victory for the MDC and the presidential
candidate Tsvangirai. Zimbabwe will
never be the same again. I believe this
[result] will be accepted and we
will move on to the next stage to the
evolvement of our country. I honestly
believe if the election should be
rigged, the people of Zimbabwe are not
just going to sit on their hands and
accept it as they have done for the
last 13 years. I see Zimbabwe moving
into an ungovernable state should the
election be stolen.
S: You live in South African exile and you are the
party treasurer, how do
you manage this?
RB: The fact that I’m the
treasurer is one of the reasons I have been
targeted [by the Mugabe regime].
Having been honoured by the people of the
MDC to be elected as treasurer
general, it’s a key role to raise the
financial resources and place the
party in a very strong position for
elections.
I can’t be in Zimbabwe.
They will arrest me again if I go back. This
persecution comes down to my
role as the treasurer of the party and to the
fact they are blocking any
funding to mobilise the people of Zimbabwe
through the Political Parties
Act. As long as I would be now in Zimbabwe,
they would arrest me, kill me,
do whatever they want. Of course it’s
terrible to be in exile, it affects
your family and life.
But it’s a sacrifice one has to make for what one’s
beliefs are. Zimbabwe is
my home and I will come back when the MDC-T is in
power. Had it not been for
the international community, there wouldn’t have
been an overthrow of
apartheid in South Africa and there would never have
been an overthrow of
the Rhodesian government in Zimbabwe.
I also want to
add my disgust about those parts of the international
community who only
participated in the fight against apartheid effectively
when it was the
black and white issue — and now when it’s a black and black
issue, sit down
and fold their hands.
‘Land reform irreversible’
Standard: What is
your view of the past land reform? Do you look forward to
ever repossessing
your farm?
Roy Bennett: However skewed the land position has been, it’s
irreversible,
it’s done.
S: So you don’t hope to repossess your own
farm?
RB: Whatever will be done specifically, there must be justice and
transparency. MDC has always said there will be a land audit by a land
commission and there will be a just and fair compensation for all
Zimbabweans — clearly: I’m not saying whites but all Zimbabweans. They will
come up with an agrarian reform to economically empower the people who
possess the land.
With the land audit, the vast majority of stolen farms
will be released
because many Zanu PF politicians and military elite are
holding more than
one farm. Once the compensation has been paid and the
title deeds are
released, serious agriculturalists will be able to get lines
of credit and
drive the economy forward.
S: Some quarters assert that
you were involved in illegal diamond mining
activities with the mining giant
De Beers in the nineties. Is it true or
just part of their election
campaign?
RB: This allegation is ridiculous. In 1996 De Beers came to my farm
and
spent three months exploring Harinyari River. We never found out what
their
findings have been. But notice: I lived in Charleswood Farm up to 2004
when
I was evicted with my workers. There was a permanent labour force of
350
people and I used to truck in 2 000 people to my farm every day. You
can’t
tell me I was mining diamonds with all those people around and they
didn’t
know about it. This is really part of Mugabe’s desperate election
campaign.
S: Do you contemplate coming back to Zimbabwe one day?
RB:
You need to understand the road we have travelled is long. I am a third
generation Zimbabwean. I have no other home apart from Zimbabwe. My first
language is Shona. So of course I will return home — the day after MDC is in
power.
Bennett proud of his stint with bsap
S: In the late 70s
you were a member of the British South Africa police,
which was not famous
for protecting human rights. Nowadays, as activist for
the MDC, you claim
for democracy and people’s freedom — how can we
understand this big
change?
RB: I am very proud of having been a member of the BSAP. I was an
investigating officer for the Pearce Commission against officers who had
carried out human rights abuses. This is on record.
In 1978 I left
the police, while the Rhodesian war was in full swing and
pursued a career
in agriculture.
After the independence, I chose to remain in Zimbabwe and
to help building
the new Zimbabwe. I believed what Robert Mugabe pleaded in
his inauguration
speech in 1980: All weapons should be turned into plough
shares; racism was
the most evil of all evil. And Mugabe said because the
struggle had been
white against black, it never should be black against
white.
But rantings of the past hold no water. The promises were not
kept.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News, Politics
With three days to
go before the harmonised elections, a new report says
there is a real chance
that President Robert Mugabe may finally be dislodged
from power by MDC-T
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, despite spanners being put
along his
way.
BY PATRICE MAKOVA
A special election edition of the Zimbabwe
Transition Barometer boldly
claims that the July 31 election was not merely
a ritual meant to prolong
the stay of Zanu PF in the saddle of power, but
offers a possibility of
power alteration between Mugabe and
Tsvangirai.
It says although democracy was not fully functioning in the
country with the
systems favouring the incumbent, the MDC-T in general is
tipped to get more
ample representation in Parliament and in councils
despite the skewed
electoral environment.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition (CiZC)-produced barometer argues politics
in the country was now
different and no longer business as usual, especially
for Zanu PF which used
to wield absolute power.
It says the wave of democratisation that has
swept through Zimbabwe in the
past four years following the formation of the
GNU has brought about some
measure of accountability and political change to
the electoral politics of
Zimbabwe.
The barometer says in the run-up
to the election, the MDC-T and Tsvangirai
have been able to mobilise
thousands of prospective voters and promote mass
participation.
“Citizens seem to feel more efficacious when they feel
strong parties
represent their views,” reads the report.
It says
outside political parties, counter-prevailing institutions of power
have
been redefined with civil society, independent media, political
parties,
Sadc and the international community serving as a check on state
power.
The barometer says pressure applied to the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission
(ZEC) has resulted in some of its members changing their way of
doing
things.
“Defending the interests of Zanu PF is no longer
necessarily the default
option,” says the report.
The barometer
focuses on four areas which it says are material to both the
outcome and
nature of the elections. These are: Amendments to the Electoral
Act and
democratisation; African Union and Sadc Engagement; Absence of
“overt”
violence and ZEC “On or Off-guard for the elections”.
It says the AU and
Sadc, being the “guarantors” of the GPA, were central to
the elections.
Their role is expected to ensure that the country holds a
credible election
able to lead towards a democratic transition from the
Global Political
Agreement (GPA) and the past political conflict epitomised
by the 2008
disputed polls.
Previously, the AU has been criticised for being seen to
be inactive in
shepherding the Zimbabwe transition process.
The
report said the involvement and interest shown by AU and Sadc will
likely
translate into them taking responsibility for the outcome of the
election by
ensuring a smooth political transition and resolution of any
arising
election related disputes.
“Given the tension that characterises the
political environment towards the
elections, the contentions and counter
accusations so far expressed in the
election related matters, and the low
public confidence in electoral
processes; a disputed election is likely,”
warns the barometer.
But it says the presence of AU and Sadc as
guarantors of the elapsing GPA
would likely lead to a timely address of
disputes; restraint on flagrant
defiance of democratic election tenets; and
raising the confidence levels of
the voters to freely express their
vote.
“Should the election outcome lead to the need for a power transfer,
the role
of the AU and Sadc will also be crucial,” the report says.
But
the barometer says the negative forces weighing down on ZEC’s
professionalism will likely escalate towards Wednesday’s
elections.
It says ZEC will likely split into two camps – the proponents
for a credible
electoral process and those eager to push through their
partisan interests
in the institution.
However, the barometer says in
terms of the implementation of the law, some
presiding officers might behave
in a discriminatory manner in some areas
that have a history of
intimidation.
“Due to the fact that some voters are not privy to the
amendment of section
57, they might, as per tradition, hold up their ballot
papers for the
presiding officer to see the mark,” says the CiZC
report.
“It is also possible that political parties might fail to field
election
agents in all the polling stations due to logistical challenges or
as a
result of intimidation by competitors. Such areas include rural areas
in
Mashonaland provinces, rural Midlands and parts of Masvingo such as
Mwenezi
and Chiredzi north.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News, Politics
MUTARE
— Human rights lawyer, Arnold Tsunga and Patrick Sagandira will be
expelled
from the MDC-T if they fail to withdraw their candidature ahead of
Wednesday’s harmonised elections, a senior party official has
warned.
BY CLAYTON MASEKESA
MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai has directed that Tsunga and
Sagandira withdraw their candidature
in Dangamvura-Chikanga and Makoni
Central constituencies respectively before
the polls.
Tsvangirai has endorsed Giles Mutsekwa in Dangamvura-Chikanga
and
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader, Simba Makoni to represent MDC-T in Makoni
Central, after he forged an electoral pact with the former finance minister
in President Robert Mugabe’s government.
MDC-T acting national
chairman, Morgan Komichi, who was in Manicaland last
week to address
factionalism in the party, said those who were defying
Tsvangirai would be
expelled from the party.
“President [Tsvangirai] has been very clear on
the candidates. Giles
Mutsekwa will stand for Dangamvura-Chikanga
constituency and Simba Makoni
for Makoni Central. Anyone who objects will be
expelled from the party,”
said Komichi.
“The MDC-T is a big
institution and no one is bigger than it. If those
candidates [Tsunga and
Sagandira] defy our President’s call then that is
called indiscipline and
the MDC-T does not tolerate indiscipline.”
He said the party’s national
council was not happy with the level of
factionalism in Manicaland province,
and warned that those divisions could
cost the MDC-T in Wednesday’s
make-or-break harmonised elections.
“I want to call all the MDC-T people
in Manicaland to bury the hatchet and
work together,” said Komichi.
“Manicaland is important to us because this is
one of our strongholds. Let’s
all be one and vote for our official
candidates.”
Mutsekwa said he
was the candidate officially chosen by the party to
represent the
Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency.
“The people of Dangamvura-Chikanga
constituency ought to know that I am
their candidate. There is no parallel
candidature, because President
Tsvangirai has made a ruling that I am the
official candidate,” he said.
“Tsunga was told of that position and he
accepted it. He was also told that
he would be deployed elsewhere in the
party, but we are surprised and
perplexed that he is defying the party’s
directive.”
But Tsunga said: “I am not defying the party’s position at
all. The party is
called Movement for Democratic Change and this is
democracy. Yes, the party
decided that I should step down, but, if I do so I
would be letting my
people in the constituency down. Let the people speak
and l will follow the
wishes of the people.”
Tsunga dispelled the
assertion that having two candidates in the
constituency would split
votes.
“No ways, I have enough votes to win and all our votes will also
work in
favour of President Tsvangirai,” Tsunga said.
Sagandira also
said he would not withdraw.
“I want the people in Makoni Central to know
that I am the MDC-T candidate
whom they should vote for,” said
Sagandira.
“The people of Makoni Central and I have done a lot of ground
work, so for
me to withdraw will be the biggest let down of the people in my
constituency.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News,
Politics
THE African Union (AU) observer mission has said it will not
hesitate to
condemn the outcome of Wednesday’s elections if they are not
held in a
credible manner.
BY PHYLLIS MBANJE
Addressing
journalists in Harare yesterday, deputy head of AU observer
mission, Aisha
Abdullahi said the continental body was impartial and would
not endorse a
discredited electoral process and results.
“We will not be associated
with a flawed election and we will not accept the
results,” she
said.
Abdullahi however said the AU was so far satisfied with the
political
climate in Zimbabwe which she described as “peaceful”.
“We
have observed that the campaigns are being conducted peacefully with a
few
incidences here and there, but overall we are satisfied,” she said.
She
said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had explained the
logistical
problems that it experienced during the flawed special voting
held on July
14 and 15.
“ZEC admitted that the process was a nightmare and that they
faced many
challenges,” she said. “However, we remain optimistic that there
will not be
a repeat of the same issue.”
In a pre-election statement,
the AU observer mission said they had noted the
concerns surrounding the
special voting and the voter registration
processes.
“The process was
clouded by uncertainties about funding, logistical and
management challenges
which the electoral body encountered. AU observers
noted that registration
was essentially slow in pace.
Thousands more Zimbabweans were unable to
register,” read the statement. “In
all the centres observed by the long term
observers, the entire special
voting process was paralysed by a failure to
deliver ballot papers timeously
by ZEC.”
The AU mission said they had
received complaints for civic organisations
that were not happy with being
excluded from the electoral process.
The mission also raised questions on
the media coverage concerning the state
broadcaster which featured Zanu PF
more than any other party.
“The mission notes that the national
broadcaster has tended to provide live
and in-depth coverage largely to a
single political party,” it said.
One of the observers who spoke on
condition of anonymity said they had
approached the ZBC over the issue after
many political parties had
complained about the unfair coverage and being
charged higher rates for
their adverts.
“We went to ZBC over the
issue and whether by coincidence or not, two days
later we noticed that the
other parties were now being accommodated,” said
the observer.
Some
observers at Electoral Commissions Forum for a Sadc seminar on Friday
expressed displeasure at the way the special voting was held by ZEC and
questioned its readiness for the national elections.
Many were keen
to know how ZEC would be able to hold an election involving
6,2 million
voters in one day when they failed in two days to serve over 69
000
people.
“Following the much disputed special voting which saw thousands
failing to
cast their votes due to logistical hiccups, what guarantee is
there that
this will not be repeated on election day?” said one
observer.
Also speaking at the meeting, MDC-T secretary general and
Finance minister,
Tendai Biti said the special voting had gross omissions
and it was highly
unlikely that ZEC would ready itself in time for the
harmonised elections.
“The shambolic special voting is evidence that ZEC
is not ready, has no
capacity to carry out a free and fair election.
“In
some parts of Masvingo, ballot papers were not delivered while in some
areas
they arrived as late as 6pm.”
Efforts to get a comment from ZEC were
fruitless yesterday.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Politics
HE came with a bang, taking
over the leadership of the pro-Senate faction of
the MDC in February 2006,
but it now appears the former University of
Zimbabwe student leader will
exit the political limelight anonymously.
BY NDAMU SANDU
Deputy
Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara’s name won’t appear on the
Presidential
ballot papers when Zimbabweans vote on Wednesday.
Neither did his name appear
on that ballot paper after he pulled out of the
race in support of Simba
Makoni in 2008.
He tried the Zengeza East parliamentary seat but lost to
MDC-T’s Alexio
Musundire.
He has cut a lone figure in these dying
days of the inclusive government
despite being one of the principals to the
power-sharing government.
Instead, it is President Robert Mugabe, Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and
MDC leader Welshman Ncube who are on the
campaign trail seeking the keys to
State House.
Mutambara, who has
promised to unite democratic forces of change when he
took over MDC in 2006,
is bruised, battered and unable to command the
respect he gained seven years
ago.
Back then, the robotics professor said he had a mission of uniting
the
democratic forces of change, would work to refocus and energise the
vision,
values and strategy of these forces and the development of a
comprehensive
macro-economic blueprint that resolves the economic
crisis.
He said then that the split of the MDC had caused distress on
Zimbabweans
and it needed someone from outside to resolve the
crisis.
“As the party goes towards two separate congresses, the infusion
of new
leadership, untainted by current disagreements, is imperative to
facilitate
the reunification process,” Mutambara said then.
The
reunification bid failed and his party was to split into two after the
party’s congress in 2011, which elected Welshman Ncube as the
leader.
At the end of that congress Mutambara promised to be a soldier in
the party
even though he did not have a position.
He said MDC was the
only party in Zimbabwe that had made a transparent
change in
leadership.
“Before the national council met [last December], I said I
was not standing
for any position because I believe in leadership renewal
and it is good for
our party democracy,” he said.
Some months later,
Mutambara was singing a different hymn saying that he was
still the leader
of the party.
He was seen to be closer to Mugabe in the inclusive
government.
When MDC said Mutambara should step down from his post in
government, Mugabe
supported him.
The fight for the party was to
spill into the courts with High Court judge
Lawrence Kamocha declaring him
an illegitimate leader of the smaller faction
of MDC.
Contacted for
comment yesterday, Mutambara said he was busy but would return
the call.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in News, Politics
MDC-T leader,
Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said Wednesday’s elections will
send President
Robert Mugabe into his long overdue retirement, vowing this
time around no
one was going to stop him from assuming power.
BY PATRICE MAKOVA AND
NUNURAI JENA
Addressing thousands of MDC-T supporters at an open space in
Chegutu,
Tsvangirai said he was already looking forward to his inauguration
as the
new President in a few days’ time, as he was confident people will
overwhelmingly vote for him.
“This time around we must tell him
[Mugabe] to go and rest. Come August 1,
Mugabe will be history,” he said.
“This is the only opportunity we have to
change the direction of the
country. To beat all the shenanigans, people
must go out and vote in their
masses and our polling agents must also be
vigilant.”
Tsvangirai said
he won the 2008 elections in the first round, but the result
was rigged, to
reflect that no candidate had garnered an outright victory.
“This time we
will not allow them to subvert the will of the people. We are
not going to
allow a daylight robbery of our victory. You have a
responsibility, not only
to vote but to peacefully defend our vote,” he told
his
supporters.
Tsvangirai said Zanu PF was already behaving like the
“proverbial”
opposition, countering whatever MDC-T was doing.
He said
while the Chegutu rally had been earmarked for Pfupajena stadium,
Zanu PF at
the 11th hour bulldozed its way to hold its own meeting at the
already
booked venue.
“Instead of telling people where the party will take the
people in the next
five years, they are busy either disrupting our rallies
or organising
counter meetings,” said the MDC-T leader.
He said on
Wednesday, Zimbabweans have a choice between the old ways of
doing things,
characterised by poverty and despair or a new beginning, full
of hope for
prosperity.
“What will Zanu PF do in the next five years, which it did
not do in the
past 33 years? This is why Mugabe’s campaign speeches are
focussing on
history. He is the one who caused all our problems,” said the
Prime
Minister.
Tsvangirai said if elected, one of his first
challenges would be to end the
culture of violence and impunity. He said an
MDC-T government would
differentiate between party and government business.
Tsvangirai said an
MDC-T government would curb corruption, create jobs and
reopen industries.
“When government implements programmes it should be
for everyone and not
only for those connected to the party. We do not want a
government whose
pre-occupation is to consolidate its grip on power by
intimidating and
scaring people,” he said. “In three days’ time you will
have the opportunity
to get out of poverty.”
At another rally in
Chinhoyi, Tsvangirai alleged that the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (ZEC)
was trying to steal the elections for Zanu PF and Mugabe.
The MDC-T
leader said he was giving ZEC up to tomorrow to provide him
information
regarding how many ballot papers were printed for the
presidential
poll.
He said up to yesterday, ZEC had not provided him with a copy of
the voters’
roll, despite concerted efforts to get one.
Tsvangirai
said there were plans to disenfranchise those who were previously
regarded
as aliens until the recent enactment of a new constitution.
“ZEC, we are
giving you up to Monday to prove your integrity and exonerate
yourselves
from these shenanigans”. You have denied people the right to
register,
mainly those in MDC-T strongholds like Harare,” he said.
“You messed up
the special vote of 70 000 in two days. How are you going to
handle more
than six million [people] in one day? Prove your integrity. The
time to
steal elections is over.”
Tsvangirai revealed that they have information
to the effect that ZEC
printed eight million ballot papers for the president
poll and another eight
million for the parliamentary one.
Efforts to
get a comment from ZEC were fruitless yesterday.
Tsvangirai said the
country was in a “sorry” state because of lack of
leadership, conflict of
policy and no clear vision of where the country is
going.
Tsvangirai
said the record of MDC-T was there for all to see as the economy
improved
with food on the shelves, children going back to classrooms and the
health
sector improving.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Community News
Harare — Christian leaders
have urged the people of Zimbabwe to pray for a
God-fearing leader ahead of
the crucial elections on Wednesday, noting that
everyone has a
responsibility in nation-building.
Report by Hazvinei Mwanaka
The
group, which is made up of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, the
Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Council of Churches, and
Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, said Zimbabweans and Christians
should put God first.
Churches have always played a vital role in
peace, mediation and conflict
resolution in different circles throughout
Zimbabwe’s turbulent political
history.
The leader of the group, Dr
Goodwill Shana said it was everyone’s
responsibility to pray for a
God-fearing leader who shunned violence.
“Everyone has a responsibility
to pray for a God-fearing leader who will not
mislead people in the face of
challenges. We have to be strong and pray for
God’s guidance. We encourage
every Zimbabwean from different political
parties to shun violence, but
rather maintain peace and tolerance before and
after elections and to accept
the results as they are,” said Shana.
Other denominations in the country
also encouraged people to pray for the
forthcoming elections to ensure a
peaceful and credible election which does
not give a disputed
outcome.
Faith Family Church International member Chipo James said the
church was the
force that should guide the country adding that there was
need for people to
tolerate and appreciate one another.
“We encourage
every Zimbabwean to pray vigorously for us to have a peaceful
election.
Everyone is to blame for the political situation in Zimbabwe,
hence everyone
should pray even harder. We do not want to return to the 2008
scenario and
everyone should make a concerted effort for us to have a
peaceful and
positive election outcome,” said James.
Zimbabwe’s previous elections
were characterised by violence, intimidation,
bloodshed and deaths. Recently
churches in Zimbabwe launched a peace
campaign dubbed Ecumenical Peace
Observation in Zimbabwe to promote peace in
the run up to, during and after
the country’s election, as part of efforts
to curb the violence that has
been known to flare up during election times.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Community News
BULAWAYO —
Genetically-modified potatoes which are being smuggled from South
Africa
continue to flood the country despite spirited efforts by local
farmers to
stop their illegal importation which is driving them out of
business.
REPORT BY MUSA DUBE
The government banned the
importation of potatoes about three years ago to
protect local
farmers.
Investigations by Standardcommunity revealed that cheap potatoes
from South
Africa continue to flood the southern parts of the country,
especially
Bulawayo.
Farmers who spoke to Standardcommunity said the
smuggling of potatoes had
become a major challenge in reviving the once
vibrant sector.
“We are concerned that potatoes continue to be smuggled
into the country at
our expense,” said Danisa Moyo, a farmer from Umguza in
Matabeleland North.
“We have enough supplies of potatoes to feed the country
and there is no
reason why we should have these genetically-modified
potatoes on the local
market. That is killing the local farming
industry.”
Moyo blamed rampant corruption at Beitbridge Border Post where
the smugglers
are allegedly paying government officers to let in the
agricultural produce.
“There is need to deal with the smugglers who are
bribing Zimbabwe Revenue
Authority [Zimra] officials, police and security
officers so that we can
stop this rot,” said Moyo.
The Potato Council
of Zimbabwe (PCZ) recently gave a stern warning to those
who continue to
smuggle potatoes in the country.
“The Potato Council of Zimbabwe promotes
the production of locally-produced
potatoes. We warn all stakeholders that
South African potatoes are being
illegally imported and sold on the Bulawayo
market,” said the council in a
statement. “Please be advised there is a risk
of confiscation when the
government authorities take measures to stamp out
this illegal trade.”
The PCZ said there were adequate supplies of
locally-produced potatoes in
the country.
PCZ vice-chairman, Ronald
Museka said smuggling of potatoes was affecting
the viability of the local
potato farming industry.
He challenged Zimra and law enforcement agents
to stop the smuggling of
potatoes into the country.
Efforts to get a
comment from Zimra were fruitless last week.
Local consumers are shunning
local potatoes arguing that they were too
expensive.
In Bulawayo, a
bag of imported potatoes costs about US$8 while
locally-produced potatoes
cost between US$12 and US$16 for a 15kg pocket
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Community News
THE
Kalanga community in Plumtree in Matabeleland South has dumped a
controversial cultural practice, whereby young women were ordered to have
sexual intercourse with their fathers-in-law first before they slept with
their husbands.
REPORT BY MUSA DUBE
The villagers who spoke to
Standardcommunity last week said they have since
stopped the practice
because it was a violation of women’s rights.
“Long back when we were
growing up, what used to happen is that before the
new bride formally got
married to her husband, she was supposed to have sex
with her husband’s
father to verify whether she was a virgin,” said
Bhekizulu Tshuma (74), one
of the villagers.
He said the new bride was not supposed to refuse as it
was part of the
Kalanga culture.
Another villager, Loghty Nleya (77),
said besides testing for virginity, the
practice was important in
strengthening the relationship between the father
and son.
“Because
of this practice, it was common that in most instances, a woman’s
first born
did not belong to her husband but to her father-in-law instead,
since he
would have been the first one to sleep with her and break her
virginity,” he
said.
Village elder, Mbimba Mhlanga said although the practice had since
stopped,
it was important to curb sex before marriage.
“We have since
stopped the cultural practice and it is no longer there,”
said Mhlanga. “We
were advised by the government and many health
non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) that the practice posed a danger in
transmitting
sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as HIV and
Aids,” said
Mhlanga.
Mhlanga said at one time in the community a whole family was
wiped out due
to HIV and Aids because of that practice.
“There was a
serious campaign by the NGOs after some families perished after
contracting
HIV,” he said.
He however added: “The problem is that nowadays our
daughters are losing
their virginity at a tender age because there is no one
to monitor them.”
Mhlanga said the cultural system was also meant to
prepare the son to take
over his father’s younger wives in case he
died.
“In our Kalanga culture, men used to marry a lot of wives and in
case the
father died, the son would take over his surviving wives,” he
said.
Mhlanga admitted that the controversial practice was incest but “we
accepted
it because it was part of our culture”.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in
Business
ZIMBABWE is set to tap into the US$38 billion aid for
development
cooperation fund set by the European Union (EU) for African
Caribbean and
Pacific (ACP) states, a result of the country’s re-engagement
with the
trading bloc.
BY OUR STAFF
Finance minister, Tendai
Biti last week said as part of the on-going
re-engagement with the EU,
government and the European Delegation to
Zimbabwe are in the process of
jointly programming for the 11th European
Development Fund (EDF) set to
benefit ACP states.
“The first phase was completed in October 2012
whereby a draft country
strategy paper and proposed areas of cooperation for
the 11th EDF were
submitted to the EU,” Biti said in his mid-term fiscal
policy review
statement.
He said individual country allocations are
yet to be finalised confident
that Zimbabwe would benefit from the
facility.
Zimbabwe missed the previous two facilities due to the
country’s sour
relations with the EU bloc.
EDF usually runs for six
years and the 11th EDF facility begins next year up
to 2020.
Other
than ACP countries, the EDF also caters for overseas countries and
territories. EDF covers economic, social and human development, and regional
cooperation and integration.
Zimbabwe built bridges with the EU
following the formation of the inclusive
government in 2009.
As a
result, EU assistance to the country increased and to date the EU and
its
member states have provided US$1 billion in development assistance to
Zimbabwe in the areas of food security and agriculture, social sectors and
the promotion of governance.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in
Business
ALBAN Chirume (AC) was appointed Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE)
chief
executive last month following the departure of Emmanuel
Munyukwi.
In this question and answer session with Ndamu Sandu (NS), the
former
Securities Commission of Zimbabwe boss opens up on his vision and the
transformation from being the regulator to the regulated.
NS: What
immediate measures should be put in place by the post-election
government to
ensure a better performance by ZSE?
AC: The important thing is stability.
Consistency in policy pronouncement
that’s critical. It reduces risk to the
companies or investors. A lot of
policies are already in place. Our problem
is trying to get that stability
in place and trying to ensure funding,
creating an enabling environment. If
we can get in new capital into the
market and that is done by the stability.
NS: What is the impact of
indigenisation on the stock exchange?
AC: Initially the market was negative
on it when it was pronounced. The way
I personally see the indigenisation is
more to look at what are the benefits
we can gain working towards some of
the indigenisation policies. How can the
stock exchange create avenues for
companies to meet the indigenisation
policy?
NS: In other countries,
there are stock exchanges where indigenisation
shares are traded. Are you
looking into that and the creation of a secondary
stock exchange for small
to medium enterprises?
AC: We are looking at the second tier market. It’s one
of our four major
projects. We are targeting that in the first quarter 2014
we should have the
market in place. We have done initial consultations with
SMEs. There is a
committee working on the listing requirements which
involves capital.
In other markets, SMEs are defining them as less than
US$3 million whereas
to us that’s a company which might be on the main
board. We need to have
rules which meet our local environment. We are not
looking at SMEs only but
at companies with a potential to grow that would
want to list. We are
meeting all stakeholders.
On indigenisation, we are
still putting our minds to it. We need to look at
the whole indigenisation
issues. Various people can see it as an opportunity
for companies to create
a market for them or to be part of the market. The
four major projects we
are doing are quite taxing and for now they are
critical in what we are
doing.
NS: What are the four major projects you are working on?
AC:
The first one is automation of the trading platform. The second one is
demutualisation or privatisation of the stock exchange. The third one is
listings requirements. The fourth one is that SME (stock exchange). Below
that we have other smaller projects. One of my passions is trying to create
a bond market increasing the instruments traded on the stock
exchange.
NS: How far have you gone with plans towards
demutualisation?
AC: We have got two advisors of this project (Imara and
Corporate
Excellence) who are working together. We expect that in early
October that
process of working out the demutualisation will be in
place.
NS: There are companies with primary listings elsewhere but have
secondary
listings on ZSE and some who are not listed elsewhere but are on
the bourse.
Are you looking at measures to reverse that?
AC: We are not
going to reverse anything. The listing of a company on the
stock exchange is
on its own volition. You choose to be listed on a stock
exchange because you
believe that it will give you a good profile and you
are able to raise money
through your listing.
If you believe the market is not good enough to
absorb your requirements,
sometimes you list elsewhere. Sometimes you list
because of the benefits of
being listed in those areas.
There could
be tax issues involved. What we need to work on is to ensure
that our market
is attractive; the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange is attractive for
companies to
list and what they want to see where there is good corporate
governance and
ensure that listing requirements are at international level
and we do manage
our listings. Now we are far quicker if we don’t see the
company being able
to meet the listing requirements or continuing
obligations such as
publications of financial statements, holding AGMs then
we will ask them to
delist. Those things make our markets attractive.
NS: What are your
projections for market cap by year end?
AC: I haven’t come up with a figure.
I will expect it to be more than where
we are or about US$5 billion. It all
depends on what happens after the
election.
NS: How are you managing
the transitions from being the regulator to the
regulated?
AC: The
transition is easy. When I was at the Commission I believed in what
we were
doing. I believed in fairness in what we were doing and that it is
international practice. By coming to the stock exchange, I am confirming my
belief in what we were doing. We are in constant conversations with our
regulator on issues.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Business
THE
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) annual turnover is expected to nearly
double
to US$1 billion after the setting up of an automated trading system
(ATS),
chief executive officer Alban Chirume has said.
BY NDAMU SANDU
The
automation system will replace the current manual system where brokers
place
orders on bids on a board during trading sessions on the floor for
allotment
to be done.
“In Kenya and Botswana, turnover increased two to three fold
[after
automation], which means we expect our annual turnover to increase
from the
US$450 million to close to US$1 billion,” Chirume told
Standardbusiness last
week.
He said the automation would cost over
US$2 million, adding the current
platform was fraught with risks. He said
automation was expected to extend
the trading hours on
ZSE.
“Basically, dealers can trade longer. We expect that brokers can
deal from
their own offices. They wouldn’t come for call over sessions,” he
said.
Chirume said automation and the coming on board of the central
securities
depository (CSD) would help in the settling of
transactions.
Chengetedzai Depository Company was in 2010 awarded a
tender to run the
country’s first securities depository
system.
Chirume said he was hopeful Chengetedzai would go electronic by
the end of
September or October.
“Both systems will be talking to
each other, reducing elements of fraud,
whereby people sell stocks which
they do not have, selling fraudulent
certificates,” Chirume said.
“It
will determine the ownership so before the deal is done, it will check
whoever is selling has the assets [share certificate] and whoever is selling
has the money.”
ZSE has remained resilient in the face of problems
facing the economy.
Market capitalisation is around US$5,7 billion for 63
active listed
counters. This market capitalisation is far below the Lusaka
Stock Exchange
at over US$9 billion where 22 companies are
listed.
Chirume said listed companies were going through difficult times
in terms of
working capital and liquidity.
“Sometimes the companies
are undervalued and if they can access the correct
capital we will then see
that the value might grow up. Liquidity crunch is
on the investors’ side,”
he said, adding that disposable incomes in Zimbabwe
were low.
He said
the domestic investor was literally looking at bread and butter
issues and
not investing on the stock market.
As a result, Chirume said over 40% of
trade was foreign and could go as much
as 49%, which means the appetite was
more on foreigners.
“It’s constrained in the sense that foreigners are
not trading much. We are
trading 49% or 40% of a small figure. We will see
these things change once
our economy starts getting to grips,” Chirume
said.
“We are in the top 10 in terms of the number of listed companies in
Africa.
That’s an indication that if we can get our market to be correctly
valued we
have a lot of potential.”
He said in Africa ZSE was in the
top five in terms of liquidity ratio,
meaning that for the total market
capital there were more trades compared to
other markets.
“In
relative terms, if things go right economically, we will move up
significantly,” he said adding that there is a correlation between total
market capitalisation and Gross Domestic Product.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Business
ZIMBABWE goes to the
polls on Wednesday to choose a candidate with the keys
to unlock the
country’s problems, amid revelations the new administration
immediately
requires at least US$4 billion to meet the growing needs.
BY NDAMU
SANDU
In his mid-term Fiscal policy review last week, Finance minister
Tendai Biti
painted a gloomy picture of the outlook, citing the expanded
bureaucracy
arising from the new Constitution which increased the number of
MPs among
others.
He said the government would inherit domestic
arrears, would have to fund
the education and health sector and source for
resources to fund the
2013-2014 agricultural season.
“At least US$4
billion for doing immediate things would be required by the
new government,”
Biti said.
He said the new commitments would put pressure on Treasury,
which has been
collecting an average monthly revenue of US$290 million in
the first half of
the year.
“We have been collecting revenue of
around US$290 million which has all
largely been going to salaries and I
suspect that come August 30, unless
there is a fundamental change in the
increase in our revenue, the issue of
paying salaries is going to be a
challenge,” Biti said.
“I reckon that the new government is going to
require a salary buffer of
US$1 billion, to avoid default on wages given the
increase in the number of
offices that have been created by the new
Constitution.”
In the outlook, Biti cut the growth forecast to 3,4% this
year from the
initial 5%, weighed down by underperformance in agriculture
and mining.
Biti said the country can get out of the challenges if it
holds a credible,
legitimate free and fair election.
“The chances of
the international economy restoring confidence in us will be
very high,” he
said.
The run-up to Wednesday’s harmonised election has seen the economy
virtually
coming to a standstill or worse off looking into the post-election
period.
The banking sector, which had withstood the heat in the absence
of a
functioning lender of last resort, has taken a knock, as big clients
are
withdrawing their money for safe havens such as Botswana or under the
pillow
saying the deposits would return after the elections, an executive
said last
week.
It is understood that banks that were working on the
recapitalisation plans
to meet the US$50 million deadline have been told by
suitors to wait until
after the elections.
“It’s really bad because
people are taking their monies, even big depositors
that would normally keep
their money are taking it out,” an executive said.
The sector is going to
take a further knock following government’s directive
to local authorities
that they write-off debts accrued by ratepayers since
2009.
This has
left banks exposed, with Biti warning that seven institutions would
fall as
a result of the directive.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI)
president, Charles Msipa told
Standardbusiness last week the sector was
praying for credible elections and
the new administration should implement
clear policies to attract capital
inflows.
“We need capital inflows
into the country that will be directed to a variety
of sectors and
infrastructure such as power generation, water supply, road
and railway
networks,” he said.
He said there was need for affordable long-term
capital to allow industries
to retool and finance operations.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Opinion
The
coming election will not be free and fair because the electoral process
is
gravely flawed.
Sunday View by Alois T Masepe
A free and fair
election is not determined by the environment prevailing on
the polling day
but on whether the electoral process, system and
administration are seen to
be fair and just to the electorate and all the
contestants.
It is
fundamental in a democracy to ensure that the electorate is fully
empowered
to freely express its leadership choice and preference and that
the
contestants are treated equally by the election administration organ and
the
state-controlled mass media during the election campaign
period.
Democratic principles demand that an electoral process should put
the voter
on centre-stage. The system must bend backwards to ensure that the
voter is
in a position to cast his ballot free from undue influence from
state organs
and to also guarantee that the cast ballot serves its intended
purpose.
The system must respond to the electoral needs of the voters as
opposed to
the electorate being force-marched and stampeded to meet the
requirements of
a lopsided process.
In this country and other
politically underdeveloped countries, the
electoral process is hinged and
centred on the political status quo and is
intended to protect the ruling
elite. Such a process and system has never
and will never produce a free and
fair election.
Should we then vote on Wednesday?
My answer is a
resounding “Yes”. We must vote in spite of the imponderables
thrust in our
path.
Previous elections do show that the urban voter plays political
truancy on
election days. The voter turnout in urban centres averages less
than 30% of
the registered electorate. The same sad story of voter apathy
goes for the
Matabeleland provinces.
Contrast this trend with the
voter turnout in the rural hinterland where an
acceptable average of 75%
threshold is achieved and the picture emerges
clearly that the urban voter
is guilty of political irresponsibility and
gross negligence and
recklessness.
The urban voter stands accused of electoral inertia and
apathy and is
ultimately responsible for the confusion and tragedy that
visited us in the
aftermath of the March 2008 election.
If we had
achieved a 50% voter turnout in urban centres and the Matabeleland
provinces, the country could have avoided the June 2008 presidential runoff
mayhem and consequently, the ill-fated Government of National
Unity.
We need to understand that the status quo is engaged in a
well-orchestrated
and co-ordinated strategy to frustrate the voter as a
self-preservation and
damage control measure.
If we boycott the
election, we will unwittingly be indulging in
self-sabotage and acting in
accordance with the undemocratic designs of
those plotting against the
people.
It is said people get the government they deserve. Accordingly,
as we march
inexorably towards Wednesday’s election, those of us who are on
the voters’
roll need to resolve that the results that will come out of the
electoral
process reflect the true will of the electorate.
We need to
rid ourselves of the syndrome and mindset that influences us to
believe that
Sadc, the African Union or South Africa will tackle our
political problems
for us.
The truth of the matter is that we are our own liberators:
friends,
neighbours and well-wishers will try to assist but we, as citizens,
are
ultimately responsible for resolving our political
challenges.
The choice is clear: the voter turnout on Wednesday will
either show
evidence of a citizenry that has finally awaken from its deep
political
slumber or a nation that is politically dazed and sleep-walking
towards the
precipice.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Opinion
The clamour
for political change in Zimbabwe is now loud and clear.
Sunday Opinion by
Christian Chitaka
However, the remaining and pressing question is whether
political power will
be peacefully transferred from one hand to the other or
from one political
party to the other. This note examines some of the
outstanding challenges
likely to stand in the way of political
change.
Among all the factors, fear in its multiple variants seems to be
the
greatest obstacle to change. Therefore, without conquering fear, the
people’s
votes on Wednesday will count for nothing.
It is therefore
important to unpack the different variations of fear that
are likely to
stall the transition of power from one hand to another or from
one political
power to another.
For some time, Zimbabwe has been under the control of
an authoritarian
regime that survived through embezzlement of state funds
and unorthodox
acquisition of resources such as minerals, land, property and
political
power.
Elites from such a regime fear the threat of
redistribution of their
resources due to democratisation. However, elites
who invested in the
physical capital rather than in land or oil fear that
their resources can be
easily damaged through an upsurge of political
revolution, like what
happened in Tunisia and Libya.
Consequently,
this group is more prepared to make concessions and
democratise than risk a
violent clash with the opposition.
In this regard, those looking forward
to removing Zanu PF from power should
make deals with those that have
invested more in physical capital than those
that have invested heavily in
diamond fields, gold, and some other
irremovable resources. The biggest
challenge is that, these people cannot
move these resources out of the
country.
The only way out for them is to rig the elections and in the
worst-case
scenario, to die fighting for their looted resources. The new
leader and his
party should be prepared to deal with such situations in a
manner that will
benefit them.
One best way is to spare the looters
at the time when they are expecting
retribution. Revenge or vengeance will
not work in Zimbabwe.
Therefore, as political parties are moving towards
the election day, their
official and unauthorised spokespersons should be
very careful of what they
say.
Uttering statements such as “we are
going to send so and so to The Hague” or
“we are going to remove so and so
from power”, or “investigate so and so”,
will not bring political
change.
This is the time for those with the gift of wisdom to speak and
not for the
clever ones.
This is important because the international
media would obviously want to
know and disseminate the information on what
the winning party is going to
do to its adversaries. In short, it is time to
exercise temperance and
self-restraint. If anything, it is time to preach
peaceful co-existence.
For those blocking transition of power because of
fear, it is better for
them and for their children that they manage change
while there is time to
negotiate and compromise. Security of resources
should be derived from law
and a consistent system of governance.
It
is crazy to see mortal human beings behave like vampires, arguing that
they
fear for their children.
The resource curse is another challenge. In most
cases, countries with
abundant natural resources more often than note fail
to democratise. This is
mainly because the powerful elites can live off
natural resources rather
than depend on popular support for tax
revenue.
Thus, most Zanu PF leaders and defenders rely much on their
ill-gotten
resources rather than on popular support. This can also explain
why Zanu PF
seems to be richer than the country.
There are
individuals who also seem to be richer than their own country. As
a result,
Zanu PF was able to commission and donate various equipment and
foodstuffs
to a people that had been wallowing in poverty for the past four
years.
Illiteracy can be another challenge to democratic transition
in Zimbabwe.
This is because a poorly educated and illiterate population may
elect
populist politicians who, sooner rather than later, abandon them. The
vaunted high literacy rate is not evenly distributed.
In areas such
as Mount Darwin, Bveke, Chitange, Gungwa, Dati and Rushinga,
there are
multitudes of voters who do not appreciate the voting processes in
this
country.
Politicians in these areas have been thriving out of the
ignorance and fear
of these people.
In these areas, only voter
education is needed because Zanu PF did nothing
since 1980. Roads in those
areas are very poor; they rely on mission
hospitals and bridges built by the
late Ian Smith.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 21, 2013 in Opinion
Zanu PF will
forever be very grateful to the Ian Smith regime. The regime
which Zanu PF
has emulated, left enduring lessons of which the most
important ones are the
use of terror and outright violence against
opponents. Zanu PF has learnt
this lesson with a passion and zeal only
equalled in religion. The
ever-increasing talk of an election has raised
political temperatures to
unheard of levels as parties gird their loins for
the votes. The fact that
there were sporadic outbreaks of violence during
the referendum is in itself
a harbinger of bad things to come. During the
March 16 referendum,
Zimbabwe’s major political players were in agreement
about the “Yes” vote.
There was little disagreement about it.
REPORT BY WILLY
SAUROMBE
Just when the coast seemed clear for the referendum, Zimbabweans
were jolted
from their usual slumber by violence across the country during
the
referendum. People in Mbare were beaten up by Zanu PF’s youths calling
themselves Chipangano. The Prime Minister’s rally in Harare was disrupted by
the police. As if that was not enough, the PM’s offices were invaded by the
police and staffers were arrested. Zanu PF’s daggers were out and battle
lines drawn.
Ironically, while all this was happening, President
Robert Mugabe was in
Rome, at St Peter’s Square listening to the new Pope
calling for a world
that respects humanity, the environment and gives men
dignity.
The violence that rocked the nation from the death of little
Christpowers
Maisiri hitherto, was intentionally brewed for two major
reasons. Firstly,
it served to test the preparedness of the terror and
violence machine ahead
of the elections. Remember violence, intimidation of
opponents and outright
murders are the only weapons remaining for the
beleaguered party which is
clearly devoid of any ideology.
Secondly,
the violence was meant to fire warning shots into the air. Nobody
should be
under any illusion about how the contest will be played out. The
game will
be really nasty.
Look at how the rural communities flocked to the polling
stations to approve
a constitution they did not even know. The referendum,
for all intents and
purposes, stood as the finest ground to test voter
preparedness.
All this points to several facts that we will have to
comprehend sooner
rather than later as we head for the next elections and
any other election
that Zanu PF will contest.
Zanu PF has become a
larger than life party like Stalin’s communist party,
controlling everything
from economics, social life, politics, to how we
think and act.
The
continued invasion of our privacy by the police, the daily battering by
the
army and intimidation by the CIO, all point to a country haunted by the
very
institutions which must protect it. This has nothing to do with a
defective
constitution. Our woes will not end with a new constitution like
the one we
have, which protects fundamental freedoms. Our woes will only end
when we
shake off our usual lethargy and be brave enough to go out and
vote.
Zimbabweans must also speak out loud against violence. This should
also
include naming and shaming perpetrators. The private media must be
applauded
in this regard as in the past it has done quite a lot to name,
shame and
speak loudly against violence.
Lastly, war credentials are
no compensation or justification for his
post-war villainous deeds.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Editorial
It is difficult
to imagine how the presidential election can be won by
anyone other than
President Robert Mugabe.
From the Editor’s Desk by Nevanji
Madanhire
The playing field is so grossly slanted in his favour that it
will take a
miracle to defeat him. Public radio and television are under his
control;
more than 90% of programmes extol his virtue while denigrating all
who stand
in his way.
Public newspapers are also doing the same,
spewing propaganda and using
abusive language to assassinate the character
of his main rival, Morgan
Tsvangirai. The uniformed forces — the police and
the army — are at his beck
and call and are involved at all levels in the
electoral processes including
the printing and distribution of
ballots.
Intimidation has once again resurfaced in the rural areas; this
is obvious
considering how hundreds of thousands of people have been
commandeered to
Mugabe’s election rallies against their
will.
Contrary to the new constitution that forbids traditional leaders
from
participating in politics, they are at it again.
But it is
simple things that might change the course of history, come
election
day.
Those who have read Greek mythology might remember the story of the
Minotaur. The Minotaur was a monster conceived when a bull coupled with
human. It was therefore a man with the head of a bull. It was shut up in a
labyrinth and young lads and maidens were sacrificed to feed it. Anyone who
dared to enter its lair and fight it never made it because of the impossible
maze that guarded it.
But it was the simplest of things that enabled
its eventual slayer to defeat
it. Theseus was given a thread by a maiden who
had fallen in love with him.
He pinned the thread at the entrance and
unrolled it as he hunted the
Minotaur. The thread enabled him to retrace his
way out of the labyrinth
after he had defeated the Minotaur in single
combat.
Mugabe can be compared to the Minotaur; there is maze of laws and
state
agencies shielding him and making it impossible to defeat him in a
fair
contest.
But again, a simple message can be the game changer:
“Your vote is your
secret.” The message has not been hammered enough into
the heads of voters
especially the less sophisticated of our brothers and
sisters living on the
farms and remote rural outposts.
It’s a simple
message which does not need any gadgets to convey. Many people
are
enthralled by the use of social media to spread political messages but
these
are useless as far as mass communication is concerned.
Much has been said
about the effectiveness of Facebook and Twitter in
spreading revolutionary
messages during the Arab Spring but discerning
analysts are beginning to
doubt whether they played the decisive role in the
revolutions that changed
the face of North Africa. Many think the word of
mouth was hugely more
effective.
The story is told how, in Egypt, revolutionists would jump
into taxis and,
in fake mobile telephone conversations describe in detail
their plans.
The taxi drivers would then convey to whoever hired them on
that day what
they had heard and, so the messages were spread.
If
each one of us told the person next to him that his or her vote is secret
and no one will ever know how they have voted, the game changes
immediately.
How does the game change?
It is the fear that someone
will know how one has voted that is at the core
of our tainted electoral
democracy. It is what makes intimidation effective.
Intimidation is
illogical; you can’t beat people up and expect them to love
you and vote for
you. It only works when it has been taken to its logical
conclusion, that
is, when the voter feels watched while in the ballot
cubicle.
Once
the message has sunk that no one will ever see how you vote, that there
are
no gadgets that are used to watch you as you vote, that there are no
cameras, cellular phones or satellite dishes that record how people vote,
then the fear will dissipate and people will freely express their
will.
But once this message remains in the grey area in which it dwells
presently,
people will continue to fear that they will be murdered or their
property
will be taken away after the elections as has happened in the past
and fear
is still all pervasive.
The partisan role of traditional
leaders will continue to influence how
people in the rural areas vote. The
mere presence of security forces in
certain areas will continue to
intimidate unsophisticated voters, forcing
them to vote in a certain
way.
Once people are convinced their vote is secret, political violence
will
cease to be a useful tool of recruiting voters. Traditional leaders’
role in
intimidating their subjects will fall away and all voters will
refuse to be
assisted to vote by these leaders and instead, in genuine cases
where
assistance is needed, the voter can demand that only his close friend
or
relative should come to their help.
Everyone knows what has gone
wrong with this country and would like to play
a role in correcting the
mistakes. Everyone knows who is responsible for the
sorry state we find
ourselves in and would like the country to have a new
beginning.
Unfortunately, fear stands in the way of a new beginning.
There is a cabal
of political sharks who have benefited from the common
people’s fear and
would like the status quo to continue. The truth of the
matter is that we
can stop them in their tracks on Wednesday if we get rid
of our fear.
Elections have failed to bring any change in the past 30
years, leading lots
of people to doubt their usefulness. This doubt has led
to apathy; millions
of people have withheld their vote and will probably
abstain from voting on
Wednesday.
They should be told clearly that a
large voter turnout makes it nearly
impossible to manipulate the ballot;
therefore it is important that anyone
who is registered to vote should do
so. Again, this message, like the one of
voter secrecy, needs to be conveyed
quickly.
Let’s all vote on Wednesday and see what happens!
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 28, 2013 in Editorial
In less than
72 hours, six million Zimbabweans who are registered to vote
will have an
opportunity to exercise their democratic right to choose their
leaders at
various centres across the country.
The Standard Editorial
It is
commendable that all political parties have urged their supporters to
shun
violence and they have heeded the call.
President Robert Mugabe, Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Professor
Welshman Ncube, who are the main
presidential candidates, have all managed
to hold their massive rallies in
peace, presenting a different picture from
the 2008 violent
election.
However, the absence of violence alone should not fool anyone,
especially
the visitors who are in the country to observe the elections,
into thinking
that they are witnessing a democratic electoral process in
motion.
There are lots of things that are wrong with this election as the
playing
field remains heavily skewed in favour of Zanu PF.
The role
of the police and army in this election is suspicious considering
the
Service Chiefs’ open allegiance to Mugabe. They have continued to play
an
intimidating role, especially in the communal lands.
The Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission’s preparedness to hold a credible poll is
also in doubt
after they bungled the special vote where only 29 000 people
voted out of 69
000, after failing to get ballot papers in time.
The State-owned media,
which remains blatantly biased in favour of Zanu PF,
has been beaming
Mugabe’s rallies live, while denying the same opportunity
to his
rivals.
In view of these and other contested matters, we therefore urge
Sadc and
African Union observers to look beyond the surface and study the
electoral
environment carefully.
They need to travel to remote areas
and see for themselves the climate of
fear that exists in Mashonaland
provinces and other areas affected by
political violence in the
past.
The state of the voters roll, the way ballots will be secured and
the
credibility of the counting process all need to be evaluated before
observers can make any statements endorsing the poll. Zimbabwe’s voters have
one thing clear in their minds; they do not want another disputed election
outcome.
