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SA government ordered to release hidden Zim election report

By Alex Bell

07 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

The South African government has been ordered to release a hidden report on the 2002 elections in Zimbabwe, after a successful court bid by a local newspaper.

Since 2008 the Mail & Guardian has been trying to have the report released, amid widespread speculation that it contained evidence showing that Zimbabwe’s 2002 disputed election was not free or fair. Judge Sisi Khampepe and Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke were at the time commissioned by then president Thabo Mbeki to visit Zimbabwe and report back on the state of the election. The report was handed over to Mbeki but never made public, although the former President insisted the electoral process in Zimbabwe was completely democratic.

The newspaper’s efforts to access the details of the report were repeatedly denied, leaving it little choice but to seek the intervention of the High Court. The government, now under President Jacob Zuma’s leadership, has seven days to release the report to the Mail & Guardian, after the High Court ruled in the newspaper’s favour last Friday. The government can appeal in that time, but their plan of action is not yet known.

Mail & Guardian Editor Nic Dawes told SW Radio Africa on Monday that he is “extremely pleased” with the outcome of the court challenge, calling it a victory for “freedom of information in South Africa.” He explained that there is a “sense” that the report “will say something very different to what Mbeki was saying about the elections in Zimbabwe.”

The government has argued that the report was ‘confidential’ and a “record of the cabinet and its committee.” They said it contained information “supplied in confidence by or on behalf of another state, for the purpose of assessing or formulating a policy,” and that the content of the report was not in the public interest. The government has also argued that the report would lead to a deterioration of relations between the two countries, as South Africa is the facilitator in Zimbabwe’s ongoing political crisis.

The newspaper has in turn argued that the report is of enormous public interest, as the 2002 elections were marred by vote-rigging, intimidation, violence and fraud by Robert Mugabe’s government, despite South Africa’s contention that the election was free and fair. Dawes also explained that the report was never handed to cabinet despite being described as a “document of cabinet,” and instead remained within the office of the President, rousing more suspicions of its content.

Dawes described the court’s decision as an important one for South Africans who he said were left “injured” by the government’s abysmal handling of the Zimbabwe crisis. Former President Thabo Mbeki faced international criticism for his policy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ towards Zimbabwe; a policy that many say has crippled South Africa’s own reputation. Dawes said that it was a “painful and difficult period” for South Africa, because “it seemed to jar with our own democratic values.”

“The truth of the report might be a way to address some of the hurt and frustration by reasserting our democratic values,” Dawes said, expressing hope that the Zuma administration won’t fight the court’s ruling “too hard.”

“The Zuma administration has taken a more robust and assertive approach than Mbeki, and appealing this ruling and hiding this report will be very damaging,” Dawes said.

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Constitutional outreach to clash with World Cup

By Lance Guma

07 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

Several community leaders in Hwange have expressed concern that the constitutional outreach exercise, scheduled to begin on the 15th June, will clash with the football World Cup being hosted in South Africa. Pressure group Bulawayo Agenda this week raised the concern, arguing ‘the process might not be undertaken with thoroughness as some people will choose to watch soccer matches and might shift their attention from Zimbabwe to South Africa.’

Newsreel spoke to Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga who insisted the issue could be resolved by those administering the outreach. ‘People want to enjoy watching their soccer. But I think let’s put this thing in its proper context. I don’t have the timetable for the soccer matches but I do not believe there is going to be a soccer match everyday from the 11th June to the 11th of July.’ He said most matches were played ‘fairly late in the day or early evening’ and they could sort themselves out ‘administratively’ to avoid any clashes.

The Minister meanwhile told us the launch of the outreach exercise has been moved by a day, from 15th to the 16th of June. He said when they initially selected the 15th of June they had not realized it was a Tuesday and this meant it was the day Cabinet meets. Matinenga said they expected all three leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai, Robert Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara, to be present for the launch on Wednesday next week.

The constitutional exercise has been plagued by endless delays caused by squabbling over donor funding, allowances for participants, talking points for the outreach and the composition of rapporteurs to assist in the collection of data, among many other things. The first all-stakeholders conference in Harare last year was disrupted by ZANU PF youths and war vets who invaded the venue, chanting slogans and threatening a repeat of the bloody violence that marred the June 2008 election. Human rights groups are worried that ZANU PF sponsored violence in the rural areas will also discourage participation by people.

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Analysts say sticky issues unlikely to be resolved soon

By Tichaona Sibanda

7 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

The political logjam between Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party and Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, over the remaining issues in the GPA, is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, according to analysts.

Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara have failed to resolve the sticky issues. A document compiled by their negotiators, detailing the state of the GPA talks and providing suggestions on how to resolve the issues, was handed over to the party principals in April. But there have been endless excuses and delays as to why all three principals have been unable to meet for the past two months to discuss it.

On Monday Tsvangirai’ spokesman James Maridadi confirmed that the Prime Minister had a meeting with Mugabe, but would not be drawn into saying what they had discussed.

When we contacted deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to enquire if he attended the meeting he told us he had no time to discuss the matter.

‘I have no time to talk about that, phone me tomorrow (Tuesday),’ then he switched off his phone.

Analyst Clifford Mashiri said Mugabe and his ZANU PF party were the spoilers in the inclusive government and were against the full implementation of the GPA. He added that Mugabe has dragged his feet on virtually every aspect of the agreement, even where his negotiators have agreed.

‘I don’t think there will ever be a solution to this crisis because the so-called remaining issues are so fundamental to ZANU PF’s survival that if Mugabe was to give in, that would signal the fall of his party,’ Mashiri said.

Political commentator Munjonzi Mutandiri told us there will be no movement on issues that are likely to have a significant impact on the transfer of power.

‘People in the MDC know very well that Mugabe will not fully implement the GPA. It is clear this is a marriage that is very unstable and will remain rocky until outstanding issues are resolved,’ Mutandiri said.

The latest edition of the Financial Gazette reported that the South African mediation team has hinted at a special SADC meeting as being the only way forward. This is also something that Tsvangirai has requested – with little result.

The weekly paper said the team assembled by South African President Jacob Zuma has been sitting on the fence in the hope that Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara would soon discuss the points of departure among their parties, and reach an understanding to avoid the regional instability the crisis is creating.

‘The facilitation team has made its own proposals on how Zimbabwe can manoeuvre out of its political quagmire, but said it would keep a tight lid on them until all else has failed,’ the paper said.

As the negotiations go on endlessly, Zimbabweans and the international community are disappointed at the lack of progress in implementing what was agreed to in the power-sharing document, more than a year ago.

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Diamond watchdog charged, plus two MDC MPs in custody

By Violet Gonda

7 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

Farai Maguwu, the Marange diamonds watchdog who was arrested last Thursday was formally charged by police in Harare on Monday. One of his lawyers, Trust Maanda, said the activist is yet to appear in court. He is being charged under the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act for allegedly communicating information, via email, that is prejudicial to the State.

A source said it’s believed the police are accusing the activist of sending information via email to exiled human rights lawyer Gabriel Shumba and an Anton Dekker, from the Netherlands. This would mean that his emails have been monitored and intercepted.

Maguwu is the Director of the Centre for Research and Development and has been monitoring rights abuses at the Chiadzwa diamond fields in Manicaland. He was forced into hiding after his house was raided by the police and his relatives arrested and assaulted.

His lawyer said the police have not made reference to the recent meeting Maguwu had with the Kimberley Process monitor, Abbey Chikane. In an interview with SW Radio Africa last week Maguwu said he suspected he was set up by the KP monitor, shortly after their confidential meeting.

Lawyers had hoped their client would have been granted bail by now since he handed himself to the police voluntarily. But the activist was moved from Mutare to Harare on Sunday and is being held at Rhodesville Police Station, where MDC-T MP Ian Kay is also being held.

Kay, who is the MDC-T MP for Marondera, was arrested last week for allegedly ‘distributing expired and unregistered medicines to three clinics in his constituency’. He was picked up at his house in Harare during a raid by the police who said they were looking for drugs and unlicensed firearms.

MDC-T legislator, Eliah Jembere from the Epworth constituency, was also arrested on Saturday for allegedly ‘insulting the Office of the President’. Jembere was arrested at an MDC rally in Shamva, together with Gilbert Kagodora, the party’s provincial treasurer for Mashonaland Central.

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said his party is ‘witnessing a very disturbing and destabilising trend of MDC members and leaders being victimised using very flimsy and unwarranted excuses by colleagues in ZANU PF’.

Chamisa also confirmed that the police ransacked Kay’s home, claiming they were looking for ‘pornographic materials and expired drugs, and that the other two were arrested shortly after Jembere addressed a rally on the constitution making process in Shamva.

He said that recently several MDC MPs, including Makoni South MP Pishai Muchauraya and Glen View MP Paul Madzore, have been summoned to court on similar charges of insulting Robert Mugabe. Senator Morgan Komichi has been taken to the courts for allegedly singing a song at a rally in January that insulted Mugabe.

Chamisa said: “It’s not just MPs but also ordinary MDC members who are being threatened. There is new wave of violence that is almost at par with what happened in June of 2008.”

The spokesperson said there is an increase in violence and cases of harassment because of the forthcoming constitution outreach programme, which starts across the country this month.

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Historical Perspective on Zimbabwe’s Economic Performance - A Tale of Five Lost Decades

Daniel Makina

University of South Africa. [email: makind@unisa.ac.zam]

The paper presents a chronological unravelling of the political economy of Zimbabwe. It commences by giving an analysis of economic performance within a framework of four periods, namely, (i) the pre-independence period, (ii) the post-independence period of controls, (iii) the economic liberalization period and (iv) the economic crisis period. It proceeds to discuss the deterioration in economic performance emanating from inappropriate macroeconomic policies followed post-independence. The role of the monetary policy regime in exacerbating macroeconomic instability is also highlighted. Furthermore, the system of governance is noted to be another significant contributory factor to economic decline. One important insight from the analysis is that the economy had been operating sub-optimally throughout the post-independence period, a factor which is often ignored in research on Zimbabwe. Furthermore, if we take into account the lacklustre performance during the pre-independence period when it was under international sanctions, Zimbabwe could be said to have had ‘five lost decades’ –the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the decade commencing in the year 2000.

Full paper can be viewed here http://jds.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/26/1/99

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PEACE WATCH 6/2010

Veritas apologises for late distribution of this bulletin, owing to ISP technical problems

[31st May 2010]

Media – An Instrument for Peace or Violence?

With the principals of both major political parties talking about the possibility of elections being held next year, the use of hate speech and falsehoods by a partisan public media becomes a burning issue.  In the lead up to the March and June 2008 elections the public media used hate speech extensively.  [See Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe [MMPZ] publication “The Propaganda War on Electoral Democracy”: “(there was) a resurgence in the use of ‘hate speech’ in the government controlled media aimed at publicly discrediting ZANU-PF’s legitimate political opposition in a concerted campaign to portray these groups as ‘traitors’, ‘sell-outs’ and ‘puppets’ intent on undermining the country's sovereignty”.]. 

After the Presidential run-off election in June the Pan-African Parliament Observer Mission reported that “the State-controlled media was used as a vehicle to discredit the opposition candidate in all forms” and summed up the effect of hate speech during the campaign: “Hate speech, incitement of violence and war rhetoric instilled fear and trepidation amongst voters.”  The SADC Observer Mission noted the “one sided coverage in content and extent of one candidate on the part of the state media, print and electronic.”  [Both missions found the run-off election had not been free and fair.  It was not only unfair media coverage that did not permit fair elections, but also that the period before the elections was marked by violence – political murders, rapes, assault, destruction of dwellings, etc.]  The role of the media in whipping up violence before the 2008 elections has also been documented by MMPZ in “The Language of Hate” [available on their website www.mmpz.org.zw]. 

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [ZEC], obliged by law to monitor the media during the election period to ensure “fair, balanced and equal or equitable coverage of contestants”, reported that it had not been able to establish a “well thought-out mechanism to effectively manage this function, let alone to develop a good working relationship with media houses”, but cautiously admitted that “the media found it challenging to comply with the regulations and, in the main, their editorial policies influenced the content of their publications on electoral issues”.  ZEC said all newspapers had failed to maintain fairness, and the period before the Presidential run-off election had seen all of them “engaging in name-calling and the use of unrestrained language”.  

What is Hate Speech?

In MMPZ’s “The Language Of Hate” hate speech is defined thus : “Hate speech is bigoted language that attacks or disparages a social group or member of such a group.  The intention is to systematically undermine and subjugate the identified victim using insulting and offensive language in order to destroy the public reputation of the individual or group.”  MMPZ adds: “By its very nature hate language is specifically intended to excite hostility and public contempt for those individuals or groups who are its targets to an extent that the general perception is that they no longer deserve to have their basic human rights protected.”

Hate Speech Can Be Deadly

The Rwanda Experience: The use of hate language as “code words” to convey unspoken but unmistakable meanings was demonstrated during the Rwanda genocide of 1994 during which Human Rights Watch estimates 800 000 Tutsis were massacred and about two million were displaced.  With enough political will, Zimbabwe could draw some lessons from the Rwanda experience.  It is generally accepted that during this tragedy the media, particularly Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines [RTLM] and the state owned newspaper Kangura, played a crucial role in fanning hostilities through the use of hate language against Tutsis.  It was noted that anti-Tutsi hate speech “became so systematic as to seem the norm”.  For example, RTLM began to routinely use the term Inyezi [cockroach] to refer to Tutsis.  Once people are de-humanized it becomes easier to brutally kill them.

Hate Speech in Zimbabwe: The same resort  to  hate speech to dehumanize targeted groups of people by referring to them as things has also been seen in Zimbabwe.  At the height of the Gukurahundi massacres, veteran nationalist leader Joshua Nkomo was referred to as a “snake” whose head needed to be chopped off.  The Shona word Gukurahundi itself means “sweeping or washing away chaff” and in this case the chaff represented people in Matabeleland, from Nkomo’s ethnic group.  In 2005, another form of purging or cleansing “rubbish” was undertaken in the form of Operation Murambatsvina, the government clean-up exercise which rendered about a million people homeless and robbed a further two million of livelihoods.

The gender-based angle to the Rwanda media campaign, featuring cartoons depicting Tutsi women as sex objects, has been replicated in Zimbabwe.  Slogans such as “Let us see what a Tutsi woman tastes like” used by Hutu extremists to justify rape and other sexual crimes have been echoed in this country.  Women victims of  rape and other forms of violence whose ordeals are recounted in Cries  from Goromonzi, published by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, have described being  referred to as “Tsvangirai’s prostitutes”.

The MDC and its leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai are routinely referred to in the official media as “Western puppets” responsible for the imposition of targeted sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle.  Non-governmental organizations, trade unions, the Law Society of Zimbabwe, human rights  groups and many other organizations are routinely labelled “regime-change agents” and accused of being in the employ of foreign governments.  The peddlers of propaganda, falsehoods and hate speech behave as though repeating allegations often enough makes them true and valid. 

The assassination of character through the publication of false allegations about groups or individuals is catastrophic for the victims.  It often results in assaults, abductions, torture, rape and arbitrary arrests when the aspersions cast are seized upon by youth militias and other similarly politically aligned entities as cues to pounce on those maligned in this manner.

GPA Recognised the Dangers of Hate Speech 

Preamble: In the preamble to the Global Political Agreement [GPA] the parties proclaimed their determination to “build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation hatred, patronage, corruption and founded on justice, fairness, openness, transparency, dignity and equality” and to act in a manner that “demonstrates respect for the democratic values of justice, fairness, openness, tolerance, equality, respect of all persons and human rights”. 

Article 19.1(e) of the GPA states that all three parties agree: “…that the public and private media shall refrain from using abusive language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred or that unfairly undermines political parties and other organizations.  To this end, the inclusive government shall ensure that appropriate measures are taken to achieve this objective.”

GPA Prohibition of Hate Speech Not Implemented

More than a year after the formation of the Inclusive Government, commentators point out there has been no let-up in party political propaganda in the state controlled media – The Herald, The Chronicle, The Sunday Mail and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation [radio and television].  The People’s Voice, ZANU PF’s recently revived official organ, complements the tone of state newspapers.  The public media still adopts a hostile and defamatory tone of reporting towards other political parties and organizations or groups deemed to be opposed to President Mugabe’s policies.  Reports released recently by organizations such as the Civil Society Monitoring Mechanism [CISOMM] and the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe [MMPZ] lament the fact that the public media continues to function as a ZANU- PF mouthpiece [reports available at www.cisomm.org and www.mmpz.org.zw].  Based on past experience, Zimbabweans have reason to be apprehensive about a biased public media and its seeming impunity to prosecution for inaccuracies, in the build-up to an election and its aftermath. 

JOMIC [the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee set up under the GPA] is supposed to monitor measures taken by the government to restrain media use of abusive language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred.  At an early meeting soon after the formation of the inclusive government JOMIC received complaints from MDC-T about abusive language in the public media – and from ZANU-PF about external radio stations – and formed a Media Committee.  JOMIC’s response, if any, to these complaints has had no obvious effect on public media products.  [Veritas has tried without success to obtain JOMIC reports which should be publicly available.]

Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation: The media can play such a critical role in the incitement to violence that the Organ should also be looking into this.  The Organ has had a meeting with the Minister of Media Information and Publicity and his Permanent Secretary and editors of State-controlled newspapers.  [Again Veritas has tried without success to get feedback from the Organ.]

Parliamentary Investigation: The House of Assembly Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technology is due to finalise its report on the state of the public media this week.  Organisations and individuals giving evidence at well-attended public hearings held by the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the public media’s lopsided and partial approach.  The committee’s report will not be available to the public until it is presented to the House after it resumes on 30th June.  [Veritas will circulate the report as soon as it becomes available.]

ZMC a Ray of Hope?

Could there be a light at the end of the tunnel?  After a long delay in setting up the Zimbabwe Media Commission [ZMC], Zimbabweans have welcomed the registration by ZMC of five privately-owned newspapers, including the Daily News. The nation now waits to see whether, when these publications hit the streets, they help to counteract the propaganda in the State media.  But the ZBC’s continued monopoly of the airwaves, with no sign of new broadcasters being permitted, is cause for continued concern. 

Encouraged by ZMC’s relatively prompt registration of the new newspapers and remembering that the Constitution requires ZMC to “promote and enforce good practice and ethics in the press, print and electronic media, and broadcasting”, the nation also waits to see what impact the ZMC will have on the behaviour of the public media. 

Refusal of Renewal of Newspaper’s Registration for Abuse of Freedom of Expression

Significantly, AIPPA authorises the ZMC to refuse renewal of registration to a newspaper that has been convicted of abuse of freedom of expression under AIPPA, section 64 [see below] or that has published untruthful information and failed to publish a correction when required to do so. 

Abuse of freedom of expression

Freedom of expression does not come without responsibilities.  There are stiff penalties for a newspaper or broadcaster convicted of the offence of “abuse of freedom of expression”: a fine of up to $5000 or up to three years’ imprisonment and the possibility that when the time comes its registration will not be renewed by ZMC [AIPPA, sections 64 and 66A].  Abuse of freedom of expression includes:

·         the publication of information that has been intentionally or recklessly falsified by the newspaper or broadcaster so as to injure the reputation, rights and freedoms of other persons

·         the publication of information that the newspaper or broadcaster has maliciously or fraudulently fabricated

·         the publication of statements that injure the reputation, rights and freedoms of other persons when the newspaper knows the statements to be false or does not have reasonable grounds for believing them to be true and nevertheless recklessly, or with malicious or fraudulent intent, represents the statements as true.

There is a similarly-worded offence entitled “abuse of journalistic privilege” which is applicable to individual journalists; the penalties on conviction are a fine of up to $400 or up to two years’ imprisonment [AIPPA, section 80].

 

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.

 

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BILL WATCH SPECIAL House of Assembly Portfolio Committees and Senate Thematic Committees: Open Meetings 7th to 11th June

 

BILL WATCH SPECIAL

[6th June 2010]

House of Assembly Portfolio Committees and Senate Thematic Committees: Open Meetings 7th to 11th June

The meetings listed below are open to members of the public, as observers only, not as participants.  [See note at the end of this bulletin on public attendance and participation at different types of committee meetings.]  Note: This bulletin is based on the latest information provided by Parliament late on 4th June.  Last-minute changes are, however, possible.  So, if you wish to attend any of the following meetings, Veritas recommends that you avoid possible disappointment by first checking with the relevant committee clerk that the meeting is still on and open to the public.  Parliament’s telephone numbers are Harare 700181 or 252936-55.

Meetings of Special Interest

Monday morning: Public Service Commission acting chairperson giving evidence on ghost workers in the civil service

Monday afternoon: Reserve Bank Governor giving evidence on Reserve Bank debts

Monday 7th June at 10 am

Public Accounts Committee

Oral evidence from Acting Chairperson of Public Service Commission on ghost workers in the civil service

Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson: Hon Mashakada                Clerk: Mrs Nyawo

Portfolio Committee: Mines and Energy

Oral evidence from management of Shabanie and Mashaba Mines on their operational challenges

Senate Chamber

Chairperson: Hon Chindori-Chininga      Clerk: Mr Manhivi

Monday 7th June at 2 pm

Portfolio Committee: Budget, Finance, Economic Planning and Investment Promotion

Oral evidence from Reserve Bank Governor on Reserve Bank debts

Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson: Hon Zhanda                      Clerk: Mr Ratsakatika

Portfolio Committee: Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs

Oral evidence from University of Zimbabwe Vice-Chancellor on quality of law students UZ is currently producing

Committee Room No.  413

Chairperson: Hon T. Matutu                   Miss Zenda

Tuesday 8th June at 10 am

Portfolio Committee:  Health and Child Welfare

1. Report back on measles outbreak outreach

2. Oral evidence from Dr Vera on road accident emergency front

Committee Room No.  1

Chairperson: Hon Parirenyatwa              Clerk: Mr Ndlovu

Portfolio Committee: Agriculture, Water, Lands and Resettlement

Oral evidence from the Attorney-General on negotiations re unpaid balance from 1998 maize deal between Zimbabwe and Zambia

Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson: Hon Jiri                              Clerk: Miss Mudavanhu

Portfolio Committee: Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade

Oral evidence from ZIMRA on operational improvements at Chirundu and Beitbridge Border Posts

Committee Room No. 3

Chairperson: Hon Mukanduri                  Clerk: Ms Macheza

No Meetings on Wednesday 9th June

Thursday 10th June at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Women, Youth, Gender and Community Development

Oral evidence from Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment on the Indigenisation Regulations

Committee Room No. 3

Chairperson: Hon Matienga                    Clerk: Mrs Khumalo

Thursday 10th June at 11 am

Thematic Committee: Indigenisation and Empowerment

Oral evidence from National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board on its programmes and activities

Government Caucus Room

Chairperson: Hon Mutsvangwa        Clerk: Mr Ratsakatika

Public Attendance at and Participation in Committee Meetings

·        Not open to the public: Portfolio and thematic committee meetings in which the committees are doing private business – e.g. setting workplans, deliberating on reports and findings, or drafting reports for Parliament, or when the committees make field visits.  [Veritas does not list these in these bulletins.]  

·        Open to the public to attend as observers only: Portfolio and thematic committee meetings where oral evidence is being heard.  [As listed above.]  If attending, please use the Kwame Nkrumah Ave entrance to Parliament.  IDs must be produced. 

·        Stakeholders by invitation: At some committee meetings stakeholders [and those who notify Parliament that they consider themselves stakeholders and are accepted as such] are invited to make oral or written representations and ask questions.  [These meetings will be highlighted in these bulletins.] 

·        Public Hearings: When committees call for public hearings, members of the public are free to submit oral or written representations, ask questions and generally participate.  [Veritas sends out separate notices of these public hearings.]

Note:  Zimbabweans in the Diaspora can send in written submissions to stakeholders’ meetings if they consider themselves stakeholders, and to public hearings, by emailing their submissions to clerk@parlzim.gov.zw

 

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.

 

 

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State drops reference to KP monitor in diamond researcher’s charge

By Violet Gonda

8 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

Farai Maguwu finally appeared in court on Tuesday, six days after his initial arrest in Mutare, which was in violation of his constitutional rights. The Director of the Centre for Research Development (CRD) , an organisation that has been investigating rights abuses at the Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange, is being accused of violating the Criminal Codification Act by allegedly publishing false information.

The State claims he did this ‘knowing that there would be a risk to Zimbabwe’s economic interest’ and that he allegedly ‘earned his living by damaging the government of Zimbabwe’.

Maguwu’s lawyers said they were surprised to see that while their client was initially arrested for recent communications about the controversial Chiadzwa diamonds to the Kimberly Process Monitor Abbey Chikane, these details were not placed before the court.

Lawyer Tinoziva Bere said: “He was definitely arrested on the grounds that he had said something or testified to Chikane and only the police can now answer why they are running away from the Chikane business. I don’t know the politics behind the charge but when he was arrested, his arrest record referred to Chikane.”

It is not yet clear how the State came upon the information with which they are charging the activist.

The Marange diamonds researcher had said that problems started for him when he held a confidential meeting with the South African KP monitor almost a fortnight ago in Mutare. Shortly after the meeting the police ransacked his home and office and confiscated documents and other properties, including his car. CRD staff members were forced to go into hiding and some of Maguwu’s family members were beaten up and arrested.

His lawyers said police have yet to return the confiscated assets and documents. Maguwu was supposed to travel to Israel this month as part of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, to present his organisation’s findings on the crisis in Chiadzwa, especially matters of human rights abuses.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa before his arrest Maguwu accused the KP monitor of setting him up and he is concerned that Chikane revealed some of the confidential issues they discussed to Zimbabwean authorities. Maguwu said: “And this setting up and all these nefarious allegations being levelled against me are simply meant to start a long legal battle that will keep me in the country and that will also paralyse the operations of our organisation. I think that was the intention of Chikane.”

Meanwhile the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said: “Maguwu’s arrest is unwarranted interference with his liberty and with the work of CRD, calculated to cow civil society activists into ignoring abuses by government, particularly the military in the Marange diamond fields.”

The Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition - including Global Witness, Human Rights Watch and Partnership Africa Canada - have said the KP approach on Zimbabwe is ‘very faulty’ and are calling for the suspension of the ‘monitoring arrangement in Zimbabwe, pending further investigations’.

However, in his official report on his findings at the Chiadzwa diamond fields, Abbey Chikane has reportedly said that Zimbabwe ‘complies with its minimum requirements and should be allowed to export its diamonds’.

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MDC MPs released on bail

By Violet Gonda

08 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

Ian Kay, the MDC-T MP for Marondera, was released on $500 bail on Monday. The police had ransacked his home last Friday, claiming they were looking for illegal firearms, pornographic materials and expired medical drugs. Kay is expected back in court towards the end of the month.

His wife Kerry Kay, who is also an MDC official, told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that her husband committed no offence and the medicines he allegedly distributed in his constituency were part of a consignment that was donated by the Church of Latter-day Saints. The MDC official said the church has over the years been donating non-prescription drugs, such as vitamin tablets, whose life often exceeds the expiry date.

Also released on bail were Eliah Jembere, the MDC-T MP for Epworth, plus a senior MDC Mashonaland Central official, Gilbert Kagodora. They were arrested at the weekend for allegedly undermining the president, shortly after attending and addressing an MDC rally in Shamva. Their remand hearing is on 24thJune.

The MDC said in a statement that another Mash Central official, Isaac Mupinyuri, who was arrested in Guruve on similar charges after addressing another rally in Guruve South, was also released on free bail on Tuesday and is expected to appear in court on 22nd June.

In Manicaland province Teddy Chipere, the MDC-T Makoni Central chairperson, is expected to appear in court at the Mutare magistrates’ courts on Wednesday. He is facing similar charges of insulting Robert Mugabe. The MDC official is currently in police custody in Mutare and police failed to bring him to court on Tuesday claiming they were still investigating.

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Government trio finally meet, but no details available

By Alex Bell

08 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

The three principals in Zimbabwe’s fragile unity government finally met on Tuesday for what is hoped was the long awaited discussion on the critical negotiators report, aimed at resolving the political deadlock.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and Robert Mugabe, met after the Cabinet meeting ended on Tuesday afternoon. By Tuesday evening there were still no details about what was discussed, although it was believed that the report would be on the agenda. The three have not met since the report was compiled by party negotiators in April. Conflicting ‘travel schedules’ had been blamed for the delay that has effectively left Zimbabwe in limbo.

Mediation by the South African facilitation team under President Jacob Zuma’s leadership is dependent on the principals discussing their negotiators’ report. Zuma is then expected to present the report to President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, the chairperson of the security arm of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Troika. All of this is part of regional plans to solve Zimbabwe’s political crisis, but there has been no urgency in dealing with the matter.

Previous scheduled meetings were all postponed, and Tuesday’s meeting is the first where all three leaders were available. Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara was not in the country to join Tsvangirai and Mugabe for talks, while the week before that, Tsvangirai called off a meeting saying he was ‘tired’ from his recent travels.

The usual issues that have stalled any progress by the already fragile unity government have been added to by Mugabe’s recent, unilateral appointment of new judges, that the MDC says was done behind its back. One of those appointed by Mugabe was the controversial former Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairman, George Chiweshe, who is now Judge President of the High Court. Tsvangirai, who only read about the appointments in the state controlled Herald newspaper, has been expected to challenge Mugabe over the appointments, but that has not yet happened.

Meanwhile, there is a general sense of fatigue and growing cynicism over the handling of the political stalemate, with many analysts arguing that the outstanding issues will not be resolved any time soon. Other observers have commented that Zimbabweans are more concerned about the constitutional reform process and preparing for possible elections, rather than the ‘talks’. At the same time there is a growing concern from many by what they see as the MDC becoming complacent within the unity government

Veteran journalists and author Geoff Hill told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that there is a sense among Zimbabweans that the MDC is becoming “comfortable” in government. He said this was a “dangerous” perception for the party, with rumours swirling that elections will be called soon. Hill said it was likely nothing significant will happen until the football World Cup in South Africa comes to an end in a month’s time, because President Zuma has called for calm from all African states while the spotlight shines on the continent. But Hill warned that after the tournaments ends, Mugabe could call an election.

“Mugabe and ZANU PF will have no gain, no advantage, by having these outstanding issues resolved,” Hill said. “It is more likely that they will prepare for elections and snatch-back power, and relegate the MDC back to being just an opposition party.”

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New daily paper up and running

By Lance Guma

08 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

The country’s first independent daily newspaper in seven years was this week being sold on the streets. Last Friday NewsDay, owned by Alpha Media Holdings, distributed free promotional copies of the paper. But on Monday morning it was time for the real business to begin as they began selling an estimated 20 000 copies of the paper to excited but slightly nervous readers.

Seven years ago the popular Daily News, owned by Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), was shut down using a combination of repressive registration laws and a vicious campaign of intimidation and harassment that included bombing its printing press. Even as NewsDay was launched last Friday four members in its marketing staff were arrested and later fined for allegedly ‘obstructing traffic’. This was after information starved Zimbabweans jostled for the free copies of the paper.

The paper costs 50 US cents, but because of the problems with small change in the scarce foreign currency, people who pay US$1 are being given a plastic token that entitles them to buy the next issue of the paper. The newspaper was sold in most cities like Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare but more remote areas like Kariba didn’t get the paper on the day of the launch.

NewsDay is one of four newspapers recently granted licences by the Zimbabwe Media Commission. The others include the Daily News, Daily Gazette and The Mail owned by Footlink Ventures, a ZANU PF youth organization. The Worker, a monthly publication from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, received a licence to publish weekly. Despite the granting of these licences and this small opening up of the media space, Mugabe refuses to loosen his tight grip on broadcasting.

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Minister Shamu blocks building of clinic in Chegutu East

By Lance Guma

08 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

A former Zimbabwe student leader, turned successful businessman in Namibia, is being blocked from building a much needed clinic in his home area of Chegutu East by Information Minister Webster Shamu. Building plans for a clinic at the Chanakira Business Centre have been rotting in government offices for over 29 years, with a lack of resources blamed for the failure of the project to get off the ground.

Villagers are walking more than 15 km to the nearest clinic, despite government having earmarked the building of a clinic as a priority.

That was until former Harare Polytechnic student leader Charlton Hwende offered to fund the construction of the clinic. But he didn’t anticipate the fierce resistance from Shamu, the local ZANU PF MP for Chegutu East. The Minister ordered the District Administrator (DA) not to release the building plan paperwork, which was required before any work could begin. Innocent Nhira, a Ward Secretary in the area, told Newsreel he had travelled to the DA’s offices to get the building plans but was told the ZANU PF MP had made it clear all development efforts had to come through his office.
Shamu remains determined to politicize the issue because Hwende is a member of the MDC. Hwende told us, ‘I was born in this area. My own grandmother lives here and also has to walk 15 km to the nearest clinic. I was approached by residents including my grandmother to help.’ He said there was no law that development projects had to go through the local MP and instead it was the local councilors he is dealing with that had a mandate to oversee development.

Another example of the tight grip the ZANU PF MP is exerting in the area came when Hwende bought chemicals for dipping cattle at the local dip tank. ‘Cattle in the area had not been dipped for nearly one and half years. I bought cement to fix parts of the dipping enclosure and also bought chemicals for the dip itself. But Shamu sent his people to tell me that if I wanted to help I had to write a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture asking for permission,’ Hwende said. A community leader in the area told us Shamu’s behaviour was typical of how ZANU PF controls rural areas and monopolises all areas of people’s lives. ‘It’s a carefully layered patronage system where development is always promised in return for political support. In the case of Chegutu East, Shamu’s people are already mobilizing youths to spread the word that the MP has raised money to build the clinic, even though he was quiet about it all along.’

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Church leaders urge SADC to ensure there is a Zim election in 2011

By Tichaona Sibanda

8 June 2010

SW Radio Africa

A coalition of churches in Zimbabwe has urged SADC to use their summit in August to put pressure on the political leadership to pave the way for free and fair elections next year.

A communiqué issued by the churches said free elections were the only route out of the country’s misery, which is being deepened by continued squabbling amongst the three coalition government partners.

The Legal Monitor, a weekly newsletter published by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, quotes the churches saying unfair elections have been the source of conflict in the country.

‘The GPA is a transitional mechanism for the democratization of Zimbabwe which we will not allow to be permanent. We therefore demand that the SADC summit in August 2010 ensure that the elections are held in 2011,’ the communiqué said.

The churches’ communiqué was signed by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance. Civil society partners - the Zimbabwe Peace Project, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and the Lutheran development Services - were all party to the communiqué.

Exiled Anglican Reverend Lameck Mutete told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that it was the churches’ fundamental right to speak the truth in a non-partisan way.

Rev Mutete noted that the unity government has stabilised the country’s economy to improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.

‘But you cannot say the same about political reforms and the never ending human rights abuses. The church has become the voice of the voiceless. They’ve realised the unity government is not working and their main challenge is to make sure that the next elections are conducted in a peaceful and free atmosphere,’ the Reverend said.

Dewa Mavhinga, the newly appointed regional coordinator for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition in South Africa, said the key to holding free and fair election is to have wholesale electoral reforms.

He said reforms would create a culture of transparency, fairness and openness to ensure that the outcome of the election was legitimate and acceptable to Zimbabweans and the rest of the world.

‘The current situation in the country does not provide a conducive environment for the holding of credible elections. We in the civil society will push for the political leadership to have substantive and meaningful reforms. We want an election whose outcome is uncontestable, legitimate and acceptable,’ Mavhinga said.

Already there is clear evidence that there is a surge in intimidation, harassment and violence waged by ZANU PF supporters against the MDC in rural areas.

Analysts say it is vital that the appropriate conditions be created now to ensure that by the time the country gets to an election, it would be peaceful and conducive enough to allow people to choose a party and a leader of their choice.

But reports from the countryside suggest ZANU PF has unleashed its violence machinery ahead of the constitutional making programme that begins next week Tuesday.

The MDC-T said in a statement on Tuesday that ZANU PF has set the stage for another wave of violence and intimidation to cow the people of Zimbabwe from participating in the outreach programme.

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ZCTF Report - June 2010

        ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE         

 

8th June 2010

 

TRAGEDY AT CHIPANGALI

 

On the 1st of June 2010, Robyn Lotz, a 26 year old volunteer at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage near Bulawayo, was attacked and killed by a fully grown male lion. 

 

The lion had been moved into a security cage while Robyn and several other workers were loading bales of fresh grass into the main cage. Tragically, one of the workers had neglected to close the gate of the security cage properly and the lion attacked and pulled Robyn to the ground, seizing the back of her head in his mouth. Kevin Wilson, the proprietor of Chipangali shot the lion in an effort to save Robyn's life but sadly, she died upon arrival at the hospital.

 

We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Robyn's family and to all those at Chipangali who were involved in this horrific incident.

 

THE DEATH OF THE MUSANGO BULL ELEPHANT

 

The Musango Bull Elephant was a magnificent animal, considered by some to be part of Zimbabwe's national heritage. He lived on the shores of Lake Kariba near the Bumi Hills area. On the 23rd of May 2010, he was shot in the Omay North area by a professional hunting organization despite the fact that he was wearing a clearly visible satellite tracking collar. For more details, see the pamphlet attached. If anybody would like to sign the petition, please email me.

 

SHARON PINCOTT - ELEPHANT AMBASSADOR

 

In the midst of this latest elephant-related controversy, I looked back at a recent Getaway magazine (April 2010) to a short article about the capture of wild elephants in Zimbabwe, that raised hope in many. Sharon Pincott has worked with the Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe for the past decade, and last year was appointed Getaway’s ‘Elephant Ambassador in Africa’ – an ideal platform for her to encourage tourists back to Zimbabwe. For those of you who haven’t seen this edition of the magazine, you can read the article as well as other 'Elephant Ambassador' articles on Sharon's website - www.sharonpincott.com.  It is tragic that the ‘celebration’ referred to didn’t last for long. I can only reiterate Sharon’s words: “never turn a deaf ear when mankind gives [the elephants] reason to cry”.

 

ANIMALS DYING ON STARVATION ISLAND

 

Starvation Island which previously had an area of 5 square kilometres has now shrunk to a third of its size due to rising water in Lake Kariba. Approximately 200 animals are in immediate danger of starving to death and some have already died or drowned in a desperate attempt to swim to the mainland, 3 kilometres away.

 

Elephants have managed to escape by swimming to the mainland but the smaller species such as kudu, buck, warthogs and monkeys are too weak to survive the marathon swim. Rescuers have managed to save some of the buck by holding their heads out of the water by their horns for the last stretch of their escape.

 

The animals are too weak to be darted and moved to the mainland so conservationists are trying to raise funds to feed the animals with hay bales and food blocks.

 

SILENT AUCTION

 

In an effort to raise funds, we would like to auction this painting by Cheryl Rodrigues.

 

LONE RANGER

 

MEDIUM: Oil on canvas

DIMENSIONS: 80cm x 60cm

RESERVE PRICE: USD2 000

CLOSING DATE: 30th June 2010

 

Shipping costs will be for the account of the buyer.

Musango Bull Elephant Info.pdf 

Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Landline:        263 4 336710
Landline/Fax: 263 4 339065
Mobile:           263 11 603 213
Email:             galorand@mweb.co.zw
Website:        www.zctf.mweb.co.zw
Website:        www.zimbabwe-art.com
Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15148470211

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HOT SEAT: Arrested Zimbabwean diamond researcher 'set up' by Kimberley Process Monitor

 

                                            LINK: http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/hotseat070610.htm

 

SW Radio Africa Transcript

HOT SEAT : Arrested Zimbabwean diamond researcher ‘set up’ by KP Monitor

On Hot Seat Violet Gonda has an exclusive interview with Farai Maguwu, the Director of the Centre for Research and Development ( CRD), who has been investigating human rights abuses at the Chiadzwa diamond fields. Maguwu was forced into hiding after police raided his office, his house and arrested and assaulted some of his relatives last week. On Thursday he handed himself in to Mutare police and was immediately arrested. The CRD has been forced to shut down and all staff are in hiding. Speaking the night before his arrest Maguwu accuses the Kimberley Process (KP) monitor to Zimbabwe, Abbey Chikane, of setting him up, as a result of a confidential meeting the two had about the ongoing militarisation of the diamond fields. Maguwu says his troubles started when Chikane (from South Africa) betrayed his confidence and shopped him to the police.

BROADCAST: 04 JUNE 2010


VIOLET GONDA: My guest on the Hot Seat programme this week is Farai Maguwu, the director of the Centre for Research and Development, who was arrested on Thursday morning after he handed himself over to the police in Mutare. The CRD has been exposing rights abuses in Chiadzwa, Marange and the activist spoke to us on Wednesday evening, when he was still in hiding.  I started by asking him to explain the chain of events that resulted in him having to go into hiding.

FARAI MAGUWU: It all started on Tuesday last week, in fact prior to Tuesday, I received an email from Abbey Chikane requesting to meet me on his second visit to Zimbabwe and I duly agreed to meet him on Tuesday 25 th of May at 6pm and that particular day, 26 th of May, he called me early in the morning and it was around ten minutes to eight in the morning and he said he was no longer able to meet me in the evening, I should come in the morning.

I told him it was a public holiday and I was not prepared to go to work early so I need some time to prepare and he kept on phoning, telling me that I have to come now because he wanted to proceed to Chiadzwa. Then I went to meet him at Holiday Inn and to my surprise, there were a lot of suspicious people sitting in the lobby and others were standing outside, so I discussed with him what we were observing in Marange especially with the issues of human rights abuses which are continuing, the issues of illegal panning activities and the smuggling of diamonds without the KP certification. Then the following day, that’s when we saw on television, the government alleging that Chikane’s emails had been intercepted and his itinerary had been ‘drafted by the Americans’. Then I immediately felt insecure and the following morning I did not go to work early suspecting that something was going to happen and then at around half past nine in the morning, a truckload full of men in suits pitched up at my home and they were armed to the teeth and when they were advancing to my door, I slipped through the window and then they went on to start beating my relatives at home and they took one of them into custody and they kept him in the police cells, beating him for the four days. He was arrested on Thursday and he was only released on Monday. So when I saw these events unfolding, I felt very insecure and I felt like they wanted to do a Ken Saro-Wiwa on me so I went into hiding.

GONDA: Right and is there any understanding as to why exactly they were after you or they are after you?

MAGUWU: They are charging me that I gave Chikane a State Security document which was drafted by the army and they are saying that was prejudicial to the State and that’s why they are looking for me.

GONDA: And did you do this?


MAGUWU: I did not give Chikane anything but in the conversation, Chikane himself, he mentioned this document and asked me about the contents in that document and I told him that I had not seen the document, it is hard for me to comment on something which I have not seen. So little did I know that that meeting was a way to set me up so that Chikane can create a story out of that meeting and resulting in all these problems that we are facing now, emanating from a meeting that I had with one person and in close confidentiality.

GONDA: So are you accusing the Kimberley Process monitor of setting you up and if so, why would he do this?

MAGUWU: The reasons are to me, he is now part of the gravy train, there must be something that is going on behind the scenes between Abbey Chikane and ZANU PF officials who are plundering the Marange diamonds. And he obviously, him now being an interested party, if this case goes to court he is going to be a witness against me and him now being an interested party, it means he’s now working to advance the interests of one party against the other, that is the interests of the government against me.

And the Centre for Research and Development is a member of the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, and this month we were due to travel to Israel to present our findings of the goings on in Chiadzwa especially matters of human rights abuses which are continuing, panning and smuggling and this setting up and all these nefarious allegations being levelled against me are simply meant to start a long legal battle that will keep me in the country and that will also paralyse the operations of our organisation. I think that was the intentions of Chikane.

GONDA: So has he made any statements or said anything about your harassment and I understand that not only was your brother in Mutare arrested but that your elder brother who’s at the University of Zimbabwe was also quizzed by the police?


MAGUWU: Yes, first I confirmed that one of my brothers was arrested and beaten severely and the other one who is doing “A” level in Mutare, he was detained at home for two days and he was being tortured at home by the CIOs who were now sleeping in my house and cooking my food and doing everything as if they pay rent there. And my brother also at the University of Zimbabwe was taken temporarily today and they were quizzing him and some concerned human rights organisations have phoned Chikane and written emails to him enquiring why all these things are happening when I met with him in confidentiality and at his own request and to the surprise of everyone, he is very arrogant. He is saying I possessed a State Security document and he is saying I knew that it was a crime to possess that document so I’m 100 per cent responsible the consequences.

GONDA: And were you given assurances by Chikane that whatever you discussed with him during that meeting would remain confidential?

MAGUWU: In the beginning, before we started talking, I told Chikane we are living in a very difficult situation where human rights are not respected, where there is a rule by law and not rule of law and my life is not secure discussing these issues with you and I need your promise of confidentiality in everything that I’m going to discuss with you and he promised me and he gave me assurance that nothing that we were going to discuss was going to be revealed to anyone except only for his own mission to help him on his tour of Marange.

GONDA: So what implications do you think what you are saying and what you are accusing the KP monitor of doing, what implications does this have on the KP itself and also with its relationship with civic groups in Zimbabwe?

MAGUWU: I think it’s really going to affect the smooth running of the KP, especially given that Zimbabwe is taking centre stage in KP issues since 2008 and now that this monitor, he had been appointed to try to resolve these issues and also to work with all the stakeholders in trying to help Zimbabwe to get this certification. Now the civil society coalition in the KP obviously is very angered by this unfortunate and unprofessional behaviour by Chikane. He may be forced to withdraw, to halt his monitoring activities, possibly another monitor may have to be found who is agreeable to both the Zimbabwe and the KP membership but this behaviour is putting a dent on the KP operations and its credibility as an institution because Chikane was coming here holding the portfolio of the KP and representing the values of the KP and given this corrupt nature of his behaviour, he’s really a very terrible agent of such a very respectable organisation.

GONDA: I understand from well placed sources that Chikane has defended his decision, he claims that you gave him the document, this document by the security forces, and he was saying that he handed it over to the security agencies to find out if it was ‘authentic’ because he didn’t want to be in possession of an ‘illegal document’. What do you think this is about then because it doesn’t add up?

MAGUWU: Yah it’s true, I agree with you that it does not add up. I’ll give you an example, some few years ago, after Operation Murambatsvina the United Nations sent a special envoy to Zimbabwe and she met a lot of stakeholders and at the end of her fact-finding mission, she thanked everyone, she went out of the country, she did her work professionally which was well received by all Zimbabweans and she did not leave any Zimbabwean in danger because of confiding in her what really happened to the people and this is unlike Abbey Chikane, he is actually talking like a ZANU PF activist. He has no sympathy, he has got no empathy, he has no feeling for what is happening to me, to my family and to all the people I work with. Right now the organisation, everyone is into hiding. We expected him to protest to the Zimbabwe government that these people spoke to me in confidentiality and they were actually helping to make my mission possible but to our surprise it appears like he came as wolf in sheep’s clothing. So it’s quite very unfortunate that he is even having the audacity to say he went to the government to try to authenticate. In any case, if he receives any documentation, that’s why he was on a fact finding mission, he was supposed to go to Marange on his own and try to see whether whatever information he got from all quarters was correct, not for him to go to the government to say I received this document from so-and-so and is it true? That is very childish and primitive.

GONDA: For the benefit of those people who would not know what your organisation actually does, can you tell us about your organisation and what were your finding?


MAGUWU: The Centre for Research and Development conducts a research and advocacy in the areas of human rights, in the areas within and around the Marange diamond fields. We look at the issues of panning, we look at the issues of smuggling of diamonds, so we also do some cross-border research to see what is happening in the town of Manica across Mozambique with regard to the Zimbabwe diamonds. So when I met the monitor, I gave him a report, which was titled “Porous Security at Canadile Zimbabwe”. I also gave him a report of the CRD, which was produced in April about the escalation of human rights abuses in Marange where the soldiers were going around beating people at shopping centres. These are the two documents, which I handed over to him explaining the level of smuggling and also the increase in violence against the civilian population by the military.

GONDA: What about this ‘leaked document’ that was allegedly compiled by an assistant commissioner Mawere? What was he able to tell you about this document because I hear it also highlights the fact that there’s been no security sector reform under the Global Political Agreement and that JOC is still very much in control in the Chiadzwa area?


MAGUWU: What he simply talked about, he mentioned issues of certain military bases in the diamond field where he was asking me whether I know of the existence of those bases. He also wanted to know the issues of the syndicates, which were being operated by the army. He was actually agreeing with our reports that what we were reporting were also featuring in that document which he was holding in his hands which he allegedly got from ZANU PF’s office confirming the operations of the JOC. And he was shaking his head in disbelief saying – I don’t understand how people can deny these things because to me it’s very clear and obvious that the military is still in control of the diamond fields and even the areas which are under the companies, they are not very secure, in some areas the military are still gate crashing into these areas. He also complained about the smuggling across the border, which could be traced back to the operations of the military and the syndicates in the diamond fields. So those were the issues which he was simply raising from that particular document but which were also resonating with the reports I handed over to him.

GONDA: Earlier on you talked about Chikane’s stolen emails. Now media reports actually quote him blaming the theft of his emails on ‘naughty intelligence’. In your view, was this an appropriate response from him?

MAGUWU: He was actually showering praise on the person for his ingenuity in getting into his emails and the like. We were expecting Chikane to burst out of anger and say – how can this be, that the government has disrespected my person, they’ve disrespected my mission, how can a government agent break into my privacy? He was supposed to protest even to the KP chair and possibly he was supposed to walk out of the country and say I cannot continue with my mission because my security is not guaranteed. But to our surprise he went on even to promise that certification is within sight, within two weeks it should be done, which means he voluntarily gave this information to the government of Zimbabwe and he was trying to expose anybody - be these people be Zimbabwean or be American or British or South African - anyone who was trying to show him some elements of non-compliance, he exposed them to the government of Zimbabwe so that his relationship with the government is solidified for whatever benefits he is getting which we do not know.

GONDA: Have you complained to the mother body, the actual KP to tell them about what has been happening or even the civil society in Zimbabwe, have they issued a statement to KP to complain?


MAGUWU: I’m still in hiding, I have no access to the internet at the moment but I will have to start the legal processes tomorrow and depending with the outcome of these processes, I’ll then launch a formal complaint to the KP chair in Israel about the behaviour of Abbey Chikane.

GONDA: You are still in hiding but for how long? The police are still looking for you, what is your next move?


MAGUWU: We have been consulting and we have been setting up our legal team and building up our case so tomorrow I will hand in myself to the police in Mutare and then from there we will see, the rest will be determined by whatever the charges the State will prefer and the legal team will respond to that.

GONDA: And you feel that this is the best way to respond, bearing in mind what you were telling us about your family members being assaulted and arrested?


MAGUWU: Yes Violet, I am a Zimbabwean, this is the only country that I call home, I believe our fight for the rights of the people of Chiadzwa and our fight for transparency and accountability in Marange diamond is a just cause. It is a cause for which I’m very much prepared to suffer any consequences. The reason why I was hiding is simply because these people they raided my home without, I was not prepared to face them at that time, I had not set up any legal team to help me, but now I’ve done my ground work and I’m prepared to face them come what may. We need to continue with the struggle. Zimbabwe is for all Zimbabweans, it is not for a few privileged people no matter how powerful they are, no matter whatever weapons at their disposal, we need to share the cake, everyone must benefit from the resources of this country, not for Obert Mpofu and the political bosses to benefit with their families when everyone else is forced to feed on poverty and everyone else is forced to live on this island between malnutrition and starvation.

GONDA: Now I was actually going to ask you about those who are benefiting from the diamonds in Chiadzwa. Have you been able to actually gather the names of some of the people who are behind this plunder? And also do you know how much Zimbabwe is actually losing every month from diamond sales, from illegal diamond sales?

MAGUWU: For now it is difficult for me to mention names but all I can say is that the two companies that were formed which are mining in Chiadzwa were illegally licensed to mine there, in that the Minister did not follow the government tender regulations in awarding these licences. But coming to the issue of the losses which the government is incurring, we do not have a round figure of the total sums of the loss which the government is incurring - but the calculations we did on Canadile Mining alone, we noted that about two thousand carats are being lost daily through smuggling and theft by workers who we think have actually overtaken the syndicates and the army in supplying diamonds to buyers.

GONDA: And two thousand carats is roughly how much? Would you know?


MAGUWU: Unfortunately I cannot really give a figure because this one is actually, I have tried, we are still making some consultations on the exact value of such amount of diamonds so I cannot really disclose at the moment how much that can cost.

GONDA: What about the issue of the human rights abuses?


MAGUWU: We have gone to the fields, we have gone to areas surrounding Chiadzwa where the army occasionally go out to beat people indiscriminately. We are talking of elderly people who are going to the shops or coming from church, people are just beaten for no apparent reason. Then there are cases of armed robberies by the military where they are robbing people of their valuables. There are also cases of sexual harassment where women are taken as sex slaves. All these things are happening in and around Chiadzwa and there are people, there is a man who is a former headmaster and he is paralysed now, he can’t even walk because he was beaten severely by the military. So these are the abuses we are saying they should stop.

And go all over the world there is nowhere where the military is involved in mining. The role of the military is to defend the country from external enemies. There are companies, there are a lot of Zimbabweans who are jobless. Unemployment rate is standing at about 85 per cent at the moment. We can’t say the government has failed to find people who can work in Marange and produce diamonds for the country. So the military has to be replaced by trained security guards.

And also the other problem Violet I must bring to your attention is that Marange diamond field stretches for about 70 000 hectares. Of that 70 000 hectares only about less than ten per cent is under production and as long as all these vast fields are lying idle, the problem of panning will never stop and therefore we will always get this lame excuse that we need the military because we need to protect the diamond field. Why is the area lying idle when the country is keeping on singing this song that we don’t have money, we need help from outside?

GONDA: So what about the inclusive government itself, especially the MDC? You’ve complained about the Mines Minister Obert Mpofu as being one of those people benefiting from what is happening in Chiadzwa. What is the MDC doing about it? Are you happy with the way the MDC is handling, if at all, this issue in Chiadzwa?


MAGUWU: I think the MDC has really disappointed in the area of Marange. First of all, when we talk about Obert Mpofu we must also remember that his Deputy is Murisi Zwizwai who is an MDC official and he has not really shown any light - we are talking about Murisi here. He has not protested about these things happening, rather it appears he is also part of the gravy train. We are not seeing him showing direction as a party that was carrying the hopes and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe. The question that people are asking is - will the MDC produce a better diamond policy than ZANU PF when they are quiet when all these things are happening? So I should say as civil society we are quite disappointed by the silence of the MDC. Even right now, that ZANU PF is trying to pin me down, they are trying to do a Ken Saro-Wiwa on me because I’m speaking out against these human rights abuses and this theft of the national resource, the MDC is quiet about it which means they are complicit or they are supporting what is happening.

GONDA: I understand that recently a parliamentary committee was actually blocked from going or entering the Chiadzwa area, now I wonder have government ministers been able to go there?


MAGUWU: People like Murisi they go there whenever they want to and we have not heard them protesting against this denial by the police to accept the parliamentary committee into the diamond field. Whereas the, the ministers were not chosen by the grassroots people but the parliamentarians are the voice of the people because they have got a mandate of the people to be the people’s eye. So when these parliamentarians who have got all the legitimacy to debate anything and to go anywhere in the country are being denied access to such a rich national resource, then we begin to ask – to whom do these diamonds belong?

GONDA: Right and of course I’m speaking to you on the night before you actually go and hand yourself in to the police. What’s going through your mind with all that has been happening to you?


MAGUWU: Of course there’s the fear of being abused, you know in Zimbabwe even if you are, a country where the words ‘human rights’ do not exist so no matter how strong your arguments are you are never guaranteed of any protection of the law therefore there is this fear of handing myself to people who have been hunting me like they were hunting for a wild animal and who have been beating my relatives. If they have been beating even school-going kids, how much more when they find me? If they have been sleeping in my house for one week, sleeping on my bed, cooking my food, waiting for me in every corner of the neighbourhood, you can wonder what will happen if they meet me. So those are some of the things, which have been just coming to my mind as I ask myself whether I have made the correct decision to hand myself into them. But at the end of the day you’d say, it has to be done, we have to move forward, we have to tell them we are the people and these are our concerns - we too believe we have the right to live.

I thank everyone who is standing with us at the CRD. There is a lot of support from civil society within Zimbabwe and beyond and I encourage everyone to know, to stand up for our resources. This is a rich country but the moment we remain silent about things that matter, this is when evil will thrive so we need to unite and stand up for what is right and denounce what is wrong.

GONDA: Thank you Farai Maguwu for speaking to us on the programme Hot Seat.

MAGUWU: Thank you very much Violet.

GONDA: The director of the Centre for Research and Development was speaking to us the night before his arrest. Maguwu, who surrendered to the police on Thursday morning in the company of his lawyer, was immediately charged under the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act for allegedly communicating falsehoods on the Chiadzwa diamond field activities to the Kimberly Process monitor. He is still being held in police cells in Mutare.

Feedback can be sent to violet@swradioafrica.com

 

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Elections Yes, but not over citizens’ dead bodies

MDC-USA. www.mdc-usa.org. Chinja Maitiro. Guqula Izenzo

Movement for Democratic Change United States of America

(MDC-USA)
Information and Publicity
Press Release June 2010
Most people agree that elections are the one and only way civilized nations decide who should and who should not form the government of the country. In Zimbabwe developments in the most recent past point to a disturbing trend where this tried and tested democratic tradition has been turned upside down. Not only has the process of electing public officials itself been marred with violence and death but even more disturbing with the refusal of those so resoundingly rejected at the polls refuse to accept the verdict as handed down by the people. It is, sadly not only a Zimbabwean first but also Kenyan phenomena, which one fears may turn out to be Africa’s contribution to the democracy and elections debate in the halls of academia in world universities and colleges. Sadly this is no longer theory but a very sad chapter in the ever catastrophic African record of dictatorship, life presidency and kleptocracy.

MDC-USA notes with increased trepidation the ever increasing call for elections in Zimbabwe in 2011. Most recently, the MDC President and Zimbabwe Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, as reported by Reuters said “Zimbabwe elections will go ahead next year, despite infighting that continues to hamper the government power sharing agreement.” Prime Minister Tsvangirai added a caveat we all agree with when he said, “When we emerge from the constitutional reform program an agreed time frame for elections will be outlined.”

He also said something the people of Zimbabwe have been crying for that the ideal arrangement is to “respect, (the) conduct of an election with a clear winner.” Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has been all over the map so much so that it is really difficult to ascribe him a position on this issue. Suffice to say his recent statement while on a visit to Ghana didn’t illuminate but muddled the waters even further.

Mr. Mutambara is also quoted by a New Zimbabwe.com reporter as having said that “We are working on electoral reforms, economic, political reforms and constitutional reforms that will make our elections free and fair.” In Zimbabwe, he added, “the question should not be about how soon elections should be held, it should be about how to hold quality elections. There will be no elections until such time when we are ready.” He however, revealed in the same piece that “it will not go beyond 2013. We want to make sure that everything is set before elections are held,” he pontificated in his usual professorial gibe.

President Robert Mugabe on the other hand, like Prime Minister Tsvangirai has indicated on several occasions that elections would be held in 2011 whether the ongoing constitutional reform process is concluded or not. Mugabe has already hinted and more recently during his birthday interview that “he is ready to represent his ZANU PF party in the election which would go ahead next year whether or not there was a new constitution.” If precedent is anything to go by, Mugabe’s statement should not be taken lightly. Arbitrary decisions by ZANU PF in the supposedly inclusive government should tell us who is to be believed. Like it or not whether elections will be held in 2011 or 2013, the only difference between Prime Minister Tsvangirai and President Mugabe is the completion or otherwise of the new constitution, its endorsement and referendum.

Herein lays the problem we in the diasporas and particularly the MDC-USA finds disturbing. It is the total absence and total disregard of fair, just and peaceful elections whose results will be respected by all parties that the three principals should be falling over each other to address first. It is also the lack of consensus within the GPA as to what should occur first, the constitution and referendum, the MDC –T position or political opportunism as is exemplified by ZANU PF and MDC-M. To ZANU PF it is always the political environment first and elections conduct second. Any signs of negative voter perception is a trigger for more violence and elections soon after. Their mantra is cow the electorate, beat the population to pulp and then conduct a sham election. If that result does not confirm them as the eternal rulers of the country, delay announcing results, manipulate the numbers and invite only those observers of a like mind who will declare the violent charade as free and fair even if it is patently clear that the process was flawed.

Zimbabwe has had a tradition of holding some form of elections beginning with the historical 1980 elections that ushered in the government of Robert Mugabe after the protracted armed struggle. Imagine Ian Smith et al had at that time behaved the way Mugabe and his coterie are behaving now. The war would have continued. And rightly so the international community would have condemned let alone intensified the sanctions against the country. Fast forward to the year 2000 when ZANU PF for the first time had a credible opposition at its hands. We knew all along that ZANU PF had unparallel degrees in political violence. What we didn’t know was the extent to which those degrees could be unleashed against fellow citizens for the sake of ZANU PF continued stranglehold on power.

There is no denying that the country needs a new government and soon. But to pretend that we can hold the next elections on the basis of the current constitution and under the same conditions and supervision by a handpicked group of observers is the height of naïveté. ZANU PF is a violent party. ZANU PF is not about to become some civilized political contestant pledging to abide by the same rules that govern elections elsewhere in the civilized world. It is also naïve to assume that the new constitution will fundamentally change ZANU PF from a violent to an accommodating political party willing and able to accept the electoral results.

Quite the contrary. We in MDC –USA strongly feel that a lot has been achieved by the Unity government in terms of the quality of the people’s lives, but this does not in any way mean ZANU PF has been transformed. Until and unless ZANU PF disavows itself of the notion that the country owes them eternal gratitude for the liberation of the country, we can forget that a paper constitution can achieve what the collective conscience of ZANU PF has failed to do regardless of all their Christian protestations.

The constitution making process is a good thing for our country. The threat by civil society to pull out of the constitution making process is enough evidence that politicians want to have their cake and eat it. There are not only financial hurdles to this process, but also increased violence ahead of the public consultation period. Evidence abounds of ZANU PF thugs targeting several communities and “reeducating” them on what to say and not to say during the outreach programs. This is hardly the recipe of a people driven constitution let alone one that will usher in a new political dispensation we can all live with and be proud of. It is not the enshrinement of a life presidency in the constitution either. We may have that clause. What matters is whether people will be able to freely and without intimidation vote for the political party and or candidates of their choice. This is the crux of the matter. Political violence and intolerance currently define us as a people. We do not need a new constitution in our opinion to change these atavistic tendencies. They are bad for business plain and simple. ZANU PF needs to understand that violence is the source of our international estrangement, of the mass exodus of its best men and women, of the collapse of its infrastructure and also sadly of turning this once bread basket of the region to a basket case.

Local, regional and international observers cannot prevent our people from being killed by political thugs. Observers cannot expedite the process of announcing results and observers cannot compel the losing candidate to concede defeat if they refuse to do so. It is our belief as a nation in the sanctity of elections that the process of choosing who shall run the affairs of our country should be entrusted. None of that will be achieved as a result of a new constitution, desirable though it may be. It is a whole change of national psyche, a desire by all political leaders regardless of party affiliation to respect the will of the people. Until and unless that national moral turnaround is achieved we can have all the paper constitutions we need and the dictatorial tendencies among us will always rear their ugly heads. Unfortunately, people will die, needlessly and the country we all love so much will continue to bleed and provide, unfortunately, the unenviable moniker of how not to run the affairs of the state. Elections yes, but not over the citizens dead bodies.

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Zimbabwe Vigil Diary 05/06/2010

Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 5th June 2010

 

Vigil supporters were encouraged by a call from Zimbabwean Christian leaders for new elections under international supervision. The Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Zimbabwe Christian Alliance and Christian Agencies, in consultation with civil society partners, insisted that the current administration is transitional and that SADC at its summit in Windhoek in August must ensure that elections are held next year with international observers deployed immediately.

 

The statement (The Zimbabwean: http://bit.ly/9C3OEO) is the latest of a series of calls for new elections as impatience grows at the inertia of the ZANU-MDC coalition.

 

The three principals seem to be engaged in a game of GPA talks avoidance. As we noted in last week’s diary a scheduled meeting of the principals was postponed because Tsvangirai was tired after his latest international posturing. The meeting was rescheduled and Vigil supporters were not surprised when this meeting also didn’t happen – this time because Mutambara was in Ghana for another non-event. Will Mugabe find a reason not to attend the next scheduled meeting?

 

Mutambara, of course, will stop at nothing to sabotage any change whatsoever. He said “when you start talking about elections, you make people confrontational. It is distractive and unhelpful to the process of reforms.” (http://www.swradioafrica.com/news020610/threeprinc020610.htm).

 

Well the Vigil rejects Dimwit Mutambara’s self-serving argument and also the demands that various conditions must be met before new elections are called. We believe that the only demand should be that Zanu PF is prevented from terrorizing the electorate. Any other conditions will be manipulated by the three principals to provide reasons to postpone elections.

 

The Vigil gathers that the other Deputy Prime Minister, Thokozani Khupe, is planning a visit to the UK soon. We would be happy to meet her. She can talk to some of the large crowd who join us every week to demonstrate for change in Zimbabwe. We guarantee she will be given a courteous hearing but we do not expect to see her. It’s extraordinary that politicians from Zimbabwe seem afraid to come and see us. 

 

The Vigil took as a sign of the future the takeover of a block of flats in Bulawayo by Zanu PF youths on grounds of ‘indigenization’ (The Zimbabwean: http://bit.ly/9Yltv4.) We are waiting for houses in the middle class areas to be taken over.

 

We were impressed by the initiative of the officer in charge of Harare Remand Prison, Chief Superintendent Chibaya, who closed the prison’s juvenile section and used the cells to house his chickens (leaving the juveniles at the risk of abuse by adult prisoners) – check: http://www.zimeye.org/?p=180300. At a meeting with his bosses who ordered him to move the chickens out, he in characteristic Zanu PF fashion said they should instead be hunting down the person who gave the information to the press.

 

Other points

·       After a long spell of ill-health, it was good to have Geraldine Takwanda back with us looking well.

·       We were joined by a lady who was silver from top to toe – make-up, hair dye and clothes – just part of the kaleidoscope of London life.

·       Supporters have been following with pride the progress of the act ‘A3’ comprising three Zimbabwean brothers who came third in their semi-final of the TV show ‘Britain’s got talent’.

 

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. For the latest ZimVigil TV programme check the link at the top of the home page of our website.  For earlier ZimVigil TV programmes check: http://www.zbnnews.com/home/firingline.

 

FOR THE RECORD: 146 signed the register.

 

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

·       Two opportunities to meet Philip Barclay, a diplomat stationed at the British Embassy in Harare from 2006 – 2009. He will be discussing his book ‘Years of Hope and Despair’. He asks why the world stood by and watched as Zimbabwe burned and questions whether power-sharing offers the way forward. He will be speaking at The Central London Zimbabwe Forum. Monday 7th June from 7.30 – 9.30 pm.  Venue: Downstairs at the Bell & Compass Pub, 9 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NA and at the Commonwealth Journalists Association (UK) Book Launch. Wednesday 9th June from 3 – 5 pm. Venue: Pitcher and Piano, 42 Kingsway, London WC2B 6EX. If you want to attend this event RSVP: ritapayne@hotmail.com, tel: 08834-845240.

·       OTIENO by Trevor Michael Georges. A contemporary reworking of Shakespeare's Othello, set against the continuing deprivation of present-day Zimbabwe. Till Saturday 12th June at 7.30 pm, matinees 3 pm. Venue: Southwark Playhouse, Shipwright Yard (Corner of Tooley St. & Bermondsey St.), London SE1 2TF. For tickets ring 020 7407 0234 or book online here.

·       ROHR South East London general meeting. Saturday 12th June from 1 – 3 pm. Venue: 16 Sydenham Road, Sydenham, London SE24 5QW. Contact P Chitsinde 07897000075, C Chiromo 07894586005 or 07838153217.

·       ROHR Liverpool general meeting. Saturday 12th June from 2 – 5 pm. Venue: Fairfield Police Club, Prescot Road, Fairfield, Liverpool, L7 0JD. T-shirts available for £10.00. NEW MEMBERS ARE VERY WELCOME. Contact: Anywhere Mungoyo 07939913688, Trywell Migeri 07956083758. Panyika Karimanzira 07551062161

·       ROHR Liverpool demonstration. Saturday 19th June from 2 – 5 pm. Venue: Church Street (Outside Primark) Liverpool City Centre. For details please contact: Anywhere Mungoyo 07939913688, Trywell Migeri 07956083758, Panyika Karimanzira 07551062161 Next Demonstration: Saturday 26th June from 2 – 5 pm at Paradise Street, Liverpool City Centre.  Future demonstrations: Saturdays from 2 – 5 pm at Church Street (Outside Primark), Liverpool City Centre. Dates: 24th and 31st July, 7th and 21st August, 4th September.

·       Church Service in Support of Zimbabwean Victims of Torture. Saturday 26th June from 12 -1.30 pm. Venue: Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP. This is an annual event organised by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum on the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Zim HR Forum has asked the Vigil to provide a choir – this will be led by Sister Beverley Mutandiro.  After the service there will be a procession to the Vigil.

·       ROHR Peterborough launch meeting. Saturday 3rd July from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: 37-38 Copeland, Bretton, Peterborough PA3 6YJ.  Present will be the Founder of ROHR and National Executive plus a well known lawyer. Contact: Alista Mabiya 07724540506, Nyarai Maziso 07732545514, P Chibanguza 07908406069 or P Mapfumo 07915926323/07932216070

·       Campaign on behalf of Zimbabweans with disputed nationality. There is a possibility that the group known as London Citizens may launch a campaign on behalf of Zimbabweans with disputed nationality (such as arriving in the UK on a non-Zimbabwean – for instance Malawian – passport).  This campaign can only go ahead if there are sufficient numbers to warrant the expense.  If you are in this category please email your name to Vigil management team member Luka Phiri: lukaphiri25@yahoo.co.uk. Your information will be treated in the strictest confidence and not passed on to anyone in authority.

·     Swaziland Vigil. Saturdays from 10 am – 1 pm. Venue: Swazi High Commission, 20 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB.  Please support our Swazi friends. Nearest stations: St James’s Park and Victoria. For more information check: www.swazilandvigil.co.uk.

·     Zimbabwe Association’s Women’s Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays 10.30 am – 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays).

·      Strategic Internship for Zimbabweans organised by Citizens for Sanctuary which is trying to secure work placements for qualified Zimbabweans with refugee status or asylum seekers. For information: http://www.citizensforsanctuary.org.uk/pages/Strategic.html or contact: zimbabweinternship@cof.org.uk.

·     For Motherland ENT’s videos of the Vigil on 24/04/2009, check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvwikOhO3Fk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7qqXJ7jfVY.


Vigil Co-ordinators

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.

 

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Zimbabwe Measles Immunization and Child Health Days campaign 2010 - Campaign diary day 10: 2 June 2010

FYI, WHO colleagues there confirmed that today is expected to be the last day of the campaign and they provided an updated number of children vaccinated against measles so far to 4.7m, with 1.5m receiving Vit A.  The campaign, which was expected to conclude on 2 June, has been extended slightly in some areas to ensure the target population was reached by vaccinators. 

 

Also find these updates at http://www.who.int/hac/crises/zwe/sitreps/measles_immunization/en/index.html

 

 

 

 

ZIMBABWE Measles Immunization and Child Health Days campaign 2010
(24 May to 2 June)

Campaign diary day 10: 2 June 2010 

 

Dr Kampo, UNICEF supporting immunization of school children in Mberengwa, Midlands

The campaign came to its scheduled end on 2 June. By the end of Day 10 (2 June), 4496 408 children had been vaccinated against measles and 1 465 974 had received vitamin A supplements.[1] Approximately 79% of the targeted children for measles and 76% for vitamin A supplementation were reached. In terms of population vaccine coverage in different provinces, Chitungwiza, Harare [2] and Manicaland have either reached or surpassed the 95% benchmark. Mashonaland East, Masvingo, Midlands, Bulawayo and Mashonaland West range between 80-86% coverage while Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland North and South range from 75-76%. So far, the national coverage stands at 79%. See graph.

Following discussions held between the national coordinating committee and provincial medical directors, it was decided that Beitbridge (Matabeleland South Province), Gokwe South (Midlands) and Bulawayo would extend their campaign dates by one day, during which they would conduct “mop up” activities. It was agreed that all immunization activities would be concluded by the end of 4 June. The mop up activities consist of visiting areas that failed to achieve their targets as well as newly discovered areas for example recently registered schools in Bulawayo and Beitbridge, religious gatherings and others.

Mothers queuing for vaccination, Bulawayo

 

[1] The reports received were incomplete and these figures are expected to change

[2] The administrative (but not functional) boundary of Harare city includes Epworth, Seke district-the current population is being verified with the Central Statistics Office.

 

  

Photo captions:
Picture 1: Dr Kampo, UNICEF supporting immunization of school children in Mberengwa, Midlands; Picture 2: Mothers queuing for vaccination, Bulawayo (credit: Abou Kampo/UNICEF)

 

For more information, please contact:
Wendy Julias
World Health Organization
+263 (4) 253 724
+263 (91) 243 1408
JuliasW@zw.afro.who.int

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Stuttering and excuses

Dear Family and Friends,

 

When Finance Minister Tendai Biti suspended use of the Zimbabwe dollar in February 2009, the country breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Within a fortnight hyper inflation, which was then in the billions of percentage points, dropped to almost zero. A couple of weeks later the black market, which had turned bums and thugs into multi billionaires, also disappeared. Currency dealers who had brazenly parked their fancy cars outside empty banks and conducted massive deals from the trunks of their vehicles, also disappeared. Suddenly Zimbabwe had joined the real world and Minister Biti announced that we were now a multi-currency economy and trade would be allowed in US Dollars, British Pounds, Botswana Pula and South African Rand.

 

Dealing in real money for the past 15 months has given us all a sense of security again and although the cost of living is still far above people's wages, we've felt a permanence having Dollars, Pounds, Pula and Rand in our pockets.

 

Permanence disappeared in an instant this week when by chance someone mentioned the withdrawal from circulation of the 200 South African Rand note at the end of May. I thought it was a joke at first, a rumour or scare mongering and the obvious way to find out for sure was to phone the bank.

 

Having been a customer of this international bank for 35 years and of my local branch for 20 years I was sure they'd be able to help. This wasn't those silly Zim dollars with masses of zeroes we were talking about after all, this was "real money."

 

"No," the man at the bank said, "the 200 Rand notes are no longer acceptable."

 

When I said I hadn't heard that the notes were being withdrawn he said that the Reserve Bank had made the announcement in February.

 

"Our Reserve Bank?" I asked.

 

"No, the South African Reserve Bank?" he replied.

 

"But we're not in South Africa! And you haven't let your customers know!" I exclaimed but this conversation was going nowhere fast.

 

Then the stuttering began and the excuses followed in rapid

succession:

 

"We, we, we, flighted a notice in the press for 2 weeks," bank man said.

 

When I asked which newspaper he said: "The Herald of course."

 

"Why of course?" I asked. "Who reads the Herald? What about in the Independent Press?"

 

He said no, they'd only advertised in the Herald.

 

There was no answer to my query as to why the bank couldn't have written, phoned or emailed their customers to warn them that their "real money" was about to become worthless. Needless to say the bank refused to take my 200 Rand notes and their only advice was that I should travel to South Africa and try and change them there myself.

 

Is that what I'll I have to do when a British pound denomination note is withdrawn, or a US dollar one, travel to those countries? And what about all the people deep in Zimbabwe's remote rural areas with a few 200 Rand notes tucked away in a safe place for an emergency? Its obscene to think that their precious money, sent home by loved ones slaving away in South Africa, has become good for starting the fire.

 

This, along with daily power cuts lasting from 5 am till 10 pm and no water for 4 days - even for the schools and hospitals, has made for a very trying week in Zimbabwe. Relief didn't even come with the warm up football match between Zim and Brazil because there was no electricity to watch it.

 

This might all sound very funny to the outsider, but its real life in Zimbabwe!

 

Until next week, thanks for reading, love Cathy   Copyright cathy buckle 5 June 2010. www.cathybuckle.com <http://www.cathybuckle.com/>

 

For information or orders of my new book about Meryl Harrison's animal rescues: "INNOCENT VICTIMS" or previous books "African Tears"

and "Beyond Tears," or to subscribe/unsubscribe to this newsletter, please write to: cbuckle@mango.zw <mailto:cbuckle@mango.zw>

 

 

 

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