Zimbabwean diamond rights researcher denied bail by High Court

SW Radio Africa news stories for Monday 21 June 2010

By Violet Gonda
21 June 2010

A High Court Judge, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu, threw out the bail application by diamond rights activist Farai Maguwu, who has been in detention since June 4th. Maguwu is currently in hospital under police guard, after he had his tonsils out on Friday following a serious throat infection.

Justice Bhunu ruled in favour of an earlier ruling by a magistrates court, saying he could not give the director of the Centre for Research and Development bail, because he is facing serious charges and because the police are still investigating. The activist now has to wait for the decision of the magistrate who will review the bail ruling at the next remand hearing on Wednesday.

Maguwu is accused of ‘communicating falsehoods’ about the volatile and violent diamond fields in Chiadzwa, Marange.

He was forced into hiding but later turned himself in, shortly after holding a meeting with Abbey Chikane, the South African monitor appointed by the Kimberley Process to assess Zimbabwe’s compliance with international diamond trade standards. Chikane does not deny passing on ‘confidential’ information the two had discussed about the violations taking place in Chiadzwa, to the authorities.

Defence lawyer Tinoziva Bere told SW Radio Africa on Monday: “In respect of Farai’s health, he is still unwell and in need of medical care. Today he looked swollen and they (doctors) are saying it is because of the operation that was done on his throat.”

“The bad news is that the prison authorities have now prevailed upon the doctor who had admitted him there, to release him to the prison hospital where they claim they’d take care of him. But it was under prison care that his condition worsened because he did not receive any medical treatment or attention from a doctor.”

Efforts to remove the activist from hospital to Harare Remand Prison Hospital were underway at the time of broadcast. Bere said he did not understand how a patient who had just had surgery and who is still in a poorly state can be moved to an inadequately equipped prison hospital.

He added: “I think the stakes are getting higher and higher. I think Farai offended the authorities at the highest level and I don’t think we have seen an end to this case. When you see the statements that have been issued by members of cabinet about Farai, you understand how angry they are. They don’t want to be criticized and I think this is why this is happening.” Bere said the headlines in the State media, including comments attributed to ZANU PF Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, expose the ‘hatred’ the authorities have towards the activist.

Maguwu has been exposing human right violations that continue to take place at the diamond fields. He was also supposed to attend a crucial meeting of the Kimberely Process that started in Israel on Monday. The meeting will consider recommendations by Chikane to put in place certification for Zimbabwe’s diamonds from the Chiadzwa field.

Although the international diamonds trade watchdog is also holding bilateral meetings with various participants from different member countries, sources told SW Radio Africa the issue of Zimbabwe’s controversial diamonds and the continued incarceration of Maguwu loom large and have been taking centre stage at the meeting.

The KP monitor to Zimbabwe is said to have delivered his report to the delegates and given the green light to the Chiadzwa diamond exports. But sources say so far this recommendation has not been endorsed.

Meanwhile, the KP Civil Society Coalition, including Human Rights Watch, Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, have publically rejected Chikane’s endorsement and they also do not want him to continue as the KP monitor to Zimbabwe, saying he is now compromised.

Zimbabweans still top global asylum seeker list despite GNU

SW Radio Africa news stories for Monday 21 June 2010

By Alex Bell
21 June 2010

In the clearest indication yet that the formation of the unity government has done little to change the situation in Zimbabwe, a new report has shown that Zimbabweans still top the world list of asylum seekers.

The report by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) was released last week and is based on findings during 2009, the first year of life under a coalition government in Zimbabwe. The report: 2009 Global Trends - Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, shows that more than 158 000 Zimbabweans had applied for asylum last year alone. The report cites “political and economic turmoil” and “uncertainties” over the fragile coalition government as key reasons behind the numbers fleeing the country, a figure which is three times higher than the next list-topping country, Burma. Zimbabwe’s figures were also alarmingly higher than those of war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Somalia.

The UNHCR report also detailed that nine out of every 10 Zimbabwean asylum claims were lodged in South Africa alone, which has topped the global list as the main destination for asylum seekers.

“South Africa remains the main destination for new asylum claims worldwide with more than 222 000 asylum claims registered in 2009 — almost as many as were lodged in the 27 member states of the European Union,” the report said. “Zimbabweans accounted for two thirds of all claims submitted in 2009 (149 500 applications).”

There are already an estimated three million Zimbabweans in South Africa, with many not following the legal route of applying for asylum. According to the UNHCR report, Zimbabweans are not guaranteed that their applications would be successful as South Africa also has the highest number of people still waiting for a decision on their asylum requests

The situation has left unknown numbers of Zimbabweans in a vulnerable state in South Africa, where xenophobic tensions are said to be on the rise once again. In 2008, many Zimbabweans came under attack by locals in a violent flare up of xenophobia across the country. The attacks left at least 60 people dead and thousands of foreigners displaced. Since then, tensions have been simmering and sporadic xenophobic related attacks have been reported across South Africa. But concern is now higher than ever amid new threats that the end of the football World Cup will herald fresh violence against foreigners.

Groups like Amnesty International, The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum and the Consortium of Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) have all raised their concerns, with foreigners reporting increased intimidation and open threats of violence. One Zimbabwean refugee wrote recently that foreigners were being issued with written notices to leave South Africa by the time the World Cup draws to an end next month, or face retribution. The South African government, in response, has set up a Ministerial taskforce to closely monitor ‘xenophobic hotspots’.

CoRMSA has since submitted a list of recommendations to the Ministerial taskforce to effectively combat xenophobic violence. The list includes publicly condemning all threats or outbreaks of violence, strengthening access to justice for victims of xenophobic violence, and improving accountability of government employees who make any xenophobic threats.

No sewage system at Harare Central police station

SW Radio Africa news stories for Monday 21 June 2010

By Lance Guma
21 June 2010

Five students arrested last week at the University of Zimbabwe were released on bail Monday at the Harare Magistrates court. Their stay inside the holding cells proved a horrifying one, with Grant Tabvurei, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), describing conditions as not fit for human habitation.

Apparently the sewage system at the holding cells has packed up and detainees are surrounded by raw sewage in their cells. ZINASU says it will appeal to the Ministry of Home Affairs to do something about conditions at Harare Central Police Station as a lot of innocent people, still to be tried, are being subjected to the shocking conditions.

Last week Wednesday the students were arrested after trying to monitor commemorations to mark the Day of the African Child. Those arrested were ZINASU President Obert Masaraure, Vice President Tafadzwa Kutya, Tryvern Musokera, Archieford Mudzengi and Gamuchirai Mukura. They were each granted US$20 bail and ordered to stay at their residential addresses. They will next appear in court on the 22nd July.

Last week Friday lawyer Jeremiah Bamu told us the students were being accused of ‘participating in an unlawful gathering with an intention to cause public violence.’ He however said the students ‘had not addressed anyone and they were not about to address anyone at the time of the arrest.’
The students were taken to 5 different police stations. Masaraure was detained at Matapi, Kutya at Harare Central, Musokera at Mbare, Mukura at Braeside while Mudzengi was detained at Stodart Police Station. They complained that they were denied food and blankets during their detention. Kutya and Mukura also complained that UZ security personnel had assaulted them during the arrest.

Despite the law requiring detainees to be held for no longer than 48 hours before being brought to court it was not until 5 days that the students went to court and were eventually granted bail.

Outreach program begins as soldiers set up bases in rural areas

SW Radio Africa news stories for Monday 21 June 2010

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 June 2010

The Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) was on Monday overseeing the deployment of seventy outreach teams of 10 members each to the country’s 10 provinces.

COPAC, which spearheads the programme to gather the public’s views on the proposed new constitution, has said a total of 5 803 meetings will be convened in the 1 937 wards throughout the 10 provinces of the country.

But while COPAC was busy deploying teams countrywide, the army has already set up bases for its soldiers at some of the rural district offices.

SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that soldiers camped at Masasa business centre in Buhera central and Mutiusinazita in Buhera south have been force-marching villagers to ZANU PF meetings for indoctrination.

A top official in the MDC told us the armed soldiers were deployed to the areas a week ago, with specific orders to instruct villagers what to do and say during the outreach programme.

‘The soldiers have had a head start. They’re patrolling the areas, force marching people to ZANU PF meetings. While the villagers are getting instructions of what they will say, they are privately informing us they will not go along with ZANU PF ideology over the drafting of a new constitution,’ the MDC-T official said.

The deployment of soldiers comes amid reports that COPAC was forced to remove from its outreach teams an army officer accused of being part of the group that spearheaded the violence that rocked the country ahead of the June 2008 presidential runoff election.

Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba, who was also instrumental in the failed prosecution of several MDC-T MPs on charges that they abused Operation Maguta inputs, had been seconded to COPAC by ZANU PF.

Following massive protestations from other parties that a serving soldier could not represent a political party in the constitutional process, Nyikayaramba was removed from the outreach teams.

While participation at the meetings is purely voluntary ZANU PF has reportedly been busy intimidating people and threatening them with dire consequences if they attended the meetings.

Elton Mangoma, the MDC-T deputy treasurer-general, addressed several rallies in Mashonaland central province where he castigated those involved in the intimidation. A statement from the MDC on Monday said Mangoma told party activists people were doing this out of sheer ignorance.

‘They are not aware that they are eating into their own future. They are forgetting that the future is theirs and they are sabotaging their opportunity to make this nation work again. Our young people need to be made aware that the process they intend to block is the same process that will liberate them forever,’ Mangoma said.

Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said cases of intimidation were on a wide scale in both urban and rural areas. He said ZANU PF war veterans and youth militia were targeting people who benefited from party led projects.

‘In urban areas they are targeting market stall holders and beneficiaries of houses from operation Garikai. Those with houses are being told they will be evicted if they don’t toe the party line. These include people resettled at Hopley farm, south of Harare and those near the Snake Park just outside the capital on the Harare-Bulawayo road,’ Muchemwa said.

He said the first week of the programme will see teams visiting all major urban centres in the country like Bulawayo, Harare, Gwanda, Mutare, Gweru, Chinhoyi, Marondera, Bindura, and Hwange.

We were able to ascertain that most of the outreach deployed on Monday spent most of the afternoon sorting out their lodgings. On Tuesday they are expected to start with accreditation before undergoing a formal induction course at selected provincial centres.

Teams are expected to move into communities by Wednesday. COPAC has managed to source 265 vehicles, 210 megaphones, 210 audio recorders and 70 video recorders for use during the information gathering process which is expected to run for 65 working days.

It is hoped the country will produce a new constitution by April 2011, leading to fresh elections.

Senator Obert Gutu on Rules for our Rulers & Callback SW Radio

SW Radio Africa news stories for Monday 21 June 2010

Letter from America
In today’s Letter from America Dr. Stan Mukasa reviews two initiatives in the US Congress on the way forward for Zimbabwe.

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Callback
Nyoni says the GNU has only brought misery and confusion to people; and, we hear from Ezra Sibanda who is currently visiting South Africa. Zimbabweans and other foreigners fear a xenophobic backlash if the South African team doesn’t do well.

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Senator Obert Gutu on Rules for our Rulers
With public hearings for a new constitution set to begin this week Lance speaks to Chisipite Senator Obert Gutu from MDC-T. Like many other legislators he is taking part in the outreach teams. He talks about the preparations for the exercise and comments on reports that ZANU PF plans to campaign for the scrapping of the Prime Minister’s post. Will this be a people driven constitution or are the political parties simply campaigning for their own different positions?
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Zanu PF blocks MDC’s Voice of Real Change

Monday 21 June 2010

The MDC notes with concern attempts by Zanu PF to derail the party’s efforts to provide the people of Zimbabwe with a new information platform launched last week.  The audio service, dubbed the Voice of Real Change, is meant to give the people of Zimbabwe a new and exciting platform to know what is happening in the country and in their party.
However, the service has since been terminated and suspended after Zanu PF, through the regulatory authority put pressure on Econet to block some of the lines used for the service.

Within three days of operation, Zanu PF threatened cellular phone service providers, Econet Wireless, Net-One and Telecel with closure following the MDC’s use of cellular lines for the audio service. It is heartening to note that the other lines, Net-one and Telecel lines used in the audio service have not been blocked and continue to operate without any hindrances.  The Telecel and Net-one numbers such as 0734142600 and 0713 102 917 have not been blocked.

It is telling to note that our service was disrupted hard on the heels of a threat to one of the cellular phone service providers by one Nathaniel Manheru, who is widely believed to be a senior but misguided civil servant in the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity.

These political threats on our audio service are a threat to plurality and the basic freedoms of speech and association and we will not take them lightly. As a party, we value the need for Zimbabweans to have many platforms to converse and interact. Our audio service is not a violation of any laws of the country, but provides a new, unique and exciting platform for Zimbabweans to exercise their basic freedom of speech within the law. We believe in plurality and a multiplicity of voices across the spectrum. We believe in the sacrosanct right of Zimbabweans to exercise this right without any fear of self-appointed demi-gods who have a penchant to stifle democracy and reform. 

Under the MDC new information platform, Zimbabweans will call a set of cellular phone numbers which include Econet, Net-One and Telecel lines. The numbers will immediately cut off and our call-back facility will ensure that people are called back to receive various options in all languages. The options will include, news round-up, President Morgan Tsvangirai’s weekly message, the MDC’s position on the Constitution making process, party events and a feedback platform where Zimbabweans can leave their messages to the party.

The MDC will continue to fight tenaciously for the people’s right to enjoy this exciting service. The opposition to diversity and pluralism should not be allowed to stifle this unique experience for the people of Zimbabwe.


--
MDC Information & Publicity Department
Harvest House
44 Nelson Mandela Ave
Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel: 00263 4 793 250

Constitution Watch 10/2010 - 20th June [Masvingo & MidlandsOutreach Venues 23rd -30th June]

CONSTITUTION WATCH 10/2010

[20th June 2010]

MIDLANDS PROVINCE   (23 - 30 June 2010)

Gweru District

Gweru RDC

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Constitution Watch 9/2010 - 20th June [Harare Met (Chitungwiza) &Manicaland Outreach Venues 23rd -30th June]

CONSTITUTION WATCH 8/2010

[20th June 2010]

District/Area

Mutare District

Mutare North

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Constitution Watch 8/2010 - 20th June [Byo,Mat S and Mat N Outreach Venues 23rd -30th June]

CONSTITUTION WATCH 8/2010

[20th June 2010]

Gwanda District

Gwanda Urban

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Constitution Watch 7/2010 - 19th June [Mashonaland Outreach Venues23rd -30th June]

CONSTITUTION WATCH 7/2010

[19th June 2010]

MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE   (23 - 30 June 2010)

Bindura Urban

MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE   (23 - 30 June 2010)

Marondera District

Marondera RDC

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