Supreme Court reserves judgement on Bennett's bail

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
10 March 2009

Supreme Court Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has deferred his ruling on
Roy Bennett's bail request.  Last Thursday the court had granted prosecutors
the right to appeal the two High Court rulings granting the MDC official
bail.

The MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture
designate, was arrested on February 13th and is facing terrorism and
sabotage charges.

One of his lawyers, Trust Maanda, said a ruling could be expected any time,
as Justice Chidyausiku had not given a time frame.

In their arguments the State argued that the High Court had erred in
granting the MDC official bail, saying he is a flight risk.  Prosecutor
Christopher Mutangadura said if the Supreme Court did agree with the High
Court ruling, it must at least tighten the bail conditions so that Bennett
does not abscond. The stringent bail conditions proposed by the State
include reporting everyday to the police, as opposed to just two days a
week.

Maanda said the defence team challenged the issue of tightening bail
conditions arguing that the State was bringing in new issues which were
never raised in the High Court hearings. They said Bennett was not a flight
risk, especially as he came back to Zimbabwe well aware of allegations
against him. Bennett had fled to South Africa after several MDC officials
and activists were implicated in allegations of a coup plot in 2006. The
charges against the now Home Affairs Minister, Giles Mutsekwa, and others
were later dropped, because of lack of evidence, but the case against
Bennett lingered on.  Bennett's lawyers say the State's case is very weak
and the MDC official has no reason to run away from it.
Meanwhile Magistrate Livingstone Chipadze, who was arrested last Friday for
accepting Bennett's bail payment, was released on bail himself on Saturday
after appearing in the Mutare Magistrates' court. He was charged with
criminal abuse of authority and is expected to appear in court on March
17th.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has said the detention of
Magistrate Livingstone Chipadze is completely unlawful. The ICJ condemned
the arrest, arguing the Magistrate "acted in accordance with the rule of law
by giving effect to a duly made decision of a higher court."

Bennett's lawyer Maanda also said: "Not only was it unlawful but it was
undue interference with the work of a judicial officer."

Thousands turn up for Susan Tsvangirai memorial

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
10 March 2009

Over 10 000 mourners packed the Glamis Stadium at the Harare Show Grounds on
Tuesday to bid farewell to Susan Tsvangirai, the wife of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai who was killed in a tragic car crash last Friday.
Tsvangirai and his wife were travelling to their rural Buhera home when an
aid truck slammed into the right side of their Land Cruiser, causing it to
overturn 3 times. An outpouring of love, affection and sadness at her death
has since gripped the nation.

As soon as Tsvangirai and his family arrived at the stadium the huge crowd
gave them an ecstatic welcome, waving placards showing their affection for
the widely loved Susan. 'Goodbye Mama' and 'We Miss You Mother' were some of
the placards waved around. A visibly shaken and emotional Tsvangirai briefly
addressed mourners, thanking them for their love and support. He urged them
to turn the tragedy into a celebration of the life of his wife. Tsvangirai's
eldest son took to the podium and thanked his mum for teaching him the
values of loving people. He surprised everyone by saying he had changed his
attitude towards Mugabe, after listening to him addressing mourners at a
service earlier.

The Methodist Church in Mabelreign was the venue for that service and saw
various political leaders and diplomats in attendance. Just as Mugabe had
visited Tsvangirai in hospital after the crash, he made sure he attended the
funeral service and told mourners the accident was 'the hand of God'. The
ZANU PF leader said 'It will take him (Tsvangirai) time to recover from this
shock. I plead with you to accept it. It's the hand of God.' On Monday
Tsvangirai had also told mourners at his home that the crash was an
accident. 'I know when something happens, there is always speculation but in
this case, I want to say, if there was any foul play it is one in a
thousand. It was an accident that unfortunately took her life.'

Mugabe also surprised everyone at the service by claiming; 'We are doing our
best that we create a conducive environment and tell our supporters that the
issue of violence must end. Rest assured we are with you, Honourable Prime
Minister. Our hearts on this day and the days to follow, we are with you,'
he added. After the murder of close to 200 MDC activists last year, and the
torture and beatings of tens of thousands more, the remarks might have been
hard for some to swallow.

Meanwhile Tuesday's cabinet meeting was cancelled to allow ministers to
mourn with Tsvangirai. Mugabe is also reported to have ordered the state to
provide assistance in the burial of Tsvangirai's wife. Soon after the Glamis
Stadium memorial the body was taken to Buhera were it will lie in state
until the burial on Wednesday.

Robert Mugabe tells memorial service for Susan Tsvangirai: 'Violence must stop'

March 10, 2009

(Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP)

Morgan Tsvangirai wipes tears from his eyes during a memorial service for his wife, Susan, who was killed on Friday

Jan Raath, Harare

President Mugabe today called for peace between his supporters and those of his Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, as he joined hundreds of Zimbabweans mourning the death of Mr Tsvangirai’s wife, Susan.

“We are sincere that we would want peace and a conducive environment in the country,” he told the packed Methodist Church in suburban Harare where the Tsvangirais were regular worshippers.

“Political violence amongst our supporters must stop, and we must work together to make sure that we have a good country and good lives for everybody.”

Mr Mugabe has rarely shown such a human, conciliatory side since 1980 when he made an impassioned appeal for reconciliation after the bloody civil war against the former white minority Rhodesian government. He spoke then of “the age of love” and of “turning swords into ploughshares”.

Multimedia

• Pictures: Memorial service for Susan Tsvangirai

Yesterday he assured the Tsvangirai family and Mr Tsvangirai's party, MDC, that “we are mourning with you, our hearts are with you”.

“This is a difficult moment for our colleague. He has lost a partner and we must all rally to support him and lessen his burden. It will take him time to recover from this shock. I plead with you to accept it, it’s the hand of God,” he said..

“To our supporters we want to say violence should stop. That’s what [Mrs] Tsvangirai would have wanted, for us to co-exist peacefully."

He added: “This issue of politics has been affecting our lives and families badly. People don’t know the troubles and dirty wars that we fight.

"We have just started a new life after years of fighting each other and insulting each other. We have said let’s give peace and harmony a chance and work together."

Mrs Tsvangirai was killed last week when the car she and her husband were travelling in collided with an aid vehicle 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Harare.

Mr Tsvangirai, 57 today, was badly bruised in the crash and appeared grave and worn out. He uttered one sentence: “Let us celebrate her existence as God’s gift to me and us.” He occasionally dabbed his bloodshot eyes with a handkerchief during the ceremony.

Mr Mugabe and his wife, Grace, who was also at the service, visited Mr Tsvangirai in hospital shortly after the collision.

The crowd of 15,000 MDC supporters that later attended a farewell rally for Mrs Tsvangirai was in no mood for tolerance, however. They jeered every mention of Mr Mugabe and his administration and roared when a student leader, Jonah Bere, told them: “Zimbabwe’s history is littered with politically motivated accidents.”

They also cheered the MDC secretary-general, Tendai Biti, who is now Finance Minister, when he cried out: “Why? Why? Why?”, but it stopped when Mr Tsvangirai’s eldest son, Edwin, 30, spoke: “I want to thank his excellency, the President for his words that changed my understanding of him.” The crowd applauded enthusiastically.

Mr Mugabe’s appeal for peace comes amid rampant suspicion that the accident was an assassination attempt by his secret police, who have tried repeatedly to kill Mr Tsvangirai over the years. Mr Tsvangirai made the first move towards reconciliation yesterday when he declared that the collision was “an accident”.

Observers say that Zimbabwe's Coalition Government is in desperate need of trust between the two groups. Mr Mugabe’s side has been engaging in a war of attrition to curtail the MDC’s new authority by blocking the release of political prisoners, trying to usurp the powers of MDC ministers and making unilateral appointments of old ZANU(PF) loyalists to powerful positions in the new administration.

MDC supporters, for their part, have over the last six weeks carried out attacks across the country to avenge the violence they suffered at the hands of Mr Mugabe’s supporters in the run-up to elections last year. Mr Tsvangirai withdrew from the second round of voting because of the brutal campaign of violence directed at his supporters.

A Western diplomat said: “Mugabe’s gesture is remarkable, there really seems to be a sign of genuine sincerity and a willingness to work with the MDC. But he has a shocking record on meeting his undertakings. Behind him there is also a huge reservoir of ill-will against the MDC among the ZANU(PF) hard-liners.

“It’s also very important for him to win the MDC’s trust. This could well end up with an MDC government and Mugabe and his cohorts in the dock for the misery they have brought on Zimbabwe.”

Mugabe pays tribute at Susan Tsvangirai memorial service

http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Zimbabwean president urges nation to halt violence and support bereaved
prime minister

Helen Pidd and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 March 2009 17.51 GMT

Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, today described the death of Susan
Tsvangirai as an act of God and urged Zimbabweans to support her husband by
halting violence.

Speaking at a memorial service for the wife of Zimbabwae's prime minister,
Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe wished his rival-turned-coalition partner strength
for the nation-building work ahead.

The body of Susan Tsvangirai, who was killed aged 50 in a car crash last
Friday, rested in a closed, flower-draped coffin. She supported her husband
through years of political struggle against the veteran president.

Mugabe, who formed a unity government with Tsvangirai in February, told
1,000 government and political leaders and diplomats at the Harare Methodist
church he was saddened by the death.

"This is a difficult moment for our colleague," Reuters reported Mugabe as
saying at the service. "He has lost a partner, and we must all rally to
support him and lessen his burden ... This is the hand of God. "To our
supporters, we want to say violence should stop. That's what [Susan
Tsvangirai] would have wanted: for us to coexist peacefully. We have just
started a new life after years of fighting each other and insulting each
other. We have said: let's give peace and harmony a chance, and work
together."

The prime minister and his children attended the service, and later some
15,000 Zimbabweans sang hymns. Tsvangirai, who turned 57 on Tuesday,
addressed the crowd briefly, saying: "Let's celebrate her existence as God's
gift to me and you."

Mugabe said the wives of politicians played important supporting roles,
noting that Susan Tsvangirai was by her husband's side when Mugabe
administered the prime minister's oath, 11 on February.

"We are sincerely saddened by the death of Susan and we hope that Morgan
will remain strong," Mugabe said at the church. He added that the new
coalition government had just begun efforts to rebuild a country beset by
political and economic crises.

Mugabe reluctantly agreed to share power with Tsvangirai only under extreme
pressure from the leaders of neighbouring countries after a year of
political violence and deadlock followed a presidential election in which
Tsvangirai won more votes. Tsvangirai pulled out of a runoff because of
state-sponsored attacks on his supporters, and Mugabe claimed victory
despite widespread criticism that the second round had been neither free nor
fair.

Zimbabwe's long history of political violence blamed on Mugabe's forces led
to speculation that Friday's crash was no accident. Morgan Tsvangirai, who
was injured in the crash, tried to quell the rumors on Monday, telling
mourners there was "no foul play".

Susan Tsvangirai's father, who addressed mourners at the church on behalf of
the family, spoke of sitting down with his son-in-law recently to discuss
how power-sharing would work. Emanuel Mhundwa said he had hoped to see his
daughter help the prime minister "bring peace and stability to the country".

Hazel Makumbo, a 22-year-old Harare resident who joined the crowd outside
the church today, said she wanted to pay her respects to a woman who "was
helping Morgan in trying to bring democracy and good things to Zimbabwe".

In recent days, thousands of Zimbabweans have paid their respects at the
Tsvangirai home in the capital.

The outpouring of sympathy is evidence of support for Tsvangirai, but also
represents a release for emotions that have been building up over months of
economic collapse and political unrest that has seen hundreds of activists
jailed, tortured and killed.

Zimbabwe's unity government faces the world's highest official inflation
rate, a hunger crisis that has left most of its people dependent on foreign
handouts, and a cholera epidemic that is blamed on the collapse of a once
enviable health and sanitation system.

The United Nations said yesterday the number of cholera deaths had topped
4,000, with more than 89,000 cases.

Mutambara booed at memorial service

Production grinds to a halt as Zimbabwean farm invasions continu

MEDIA ALERT

10 March 2009

e

Invaders arrived at Mount Carmel Farm in Chegutu, Mashonaland West province,
Zimbabwe on 9 March accompanied by the Central Intelligence Organisation
(CIO), a lands officer, Mr Makashore, and police from Chegutu.

Mount Carmel is owned by the Campbells who are the first applicants in the
Campbell farm test case.  In November 2008 they were given full protection
to continue farming without disturbance by the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) Tribunal in Windhoek, Namibia.

The invaders of Mount Carmel were led by Peter Chamada who said this time
that he is Dr Shamuyarira's son.  Previously he claimed to be Dr Shamuyarira's
nephew.

Dr Nathan Shamuyarira is spokesman for President Mugabe's Zanu PF party.

Chamada showed the Campbells the offer letter for Dr Shamuyarira and, for
the first time Dr Shamuyarira's acceptance letter.

David Drury from Gollop and Blank, the Campbell's attorney in Harare, spoke
on the phone to both the lands officer and the police sergeant.

He informed them that Mr Chamada had no authority to take up residence on
the farm until such time as there was an eviction order.  He quoted case law
to back this up.

However, the CIO operative told the owners of Mount Carmel farm that the
President was the law.  What the President said, they must do.

He said Mr Mugabe had insisted in his 85th birthday speech that the whites
must vacate:  "The few remaining white farmers should vacate their farms as
they have no place here."

The owners argued that the President was not the law but were cautioned they
were being disrespectful to the President.

They then insisted that the law must first take its course and explained the
SADC Tribunal judgement.  In response, the authorities were adamant that Mr
Chamada's cohorts should take up residence immediately.

They have duly done so in the barns.

Throughout the Chegutu district, similar invasions are taking place.  On
Downs farm the house has been completely looted and the Grain Marketing
Board (GMB) manager has taken over.  Chegutu police have allowed this to
take place.

As a result, dairy cows are now dying - this in a country which is being
forced to import milk from South Africa at more than double the price paid
by South African consumers.

On Twyford farm the workers for the Senator taking the farm made the owner's
farm workers eat dog food last week when they came back to feed the dogs.
This was to make sure it wasn't poisoned

On Reydon farm, the owner obtained a High Court order to stop the local
lands officer from taking over his house and evicted his youth through the
Messenger of the Court.

The lands officer, accompanied by the police, responded by smashing the
locks again and throwing out the owner's belongings from the outbuilding he
has taken over.

On Northleigh farm the lands officer defied another High Court order and
broke into the house with police moving all the owner's furniture into two
rooms.

On Stockdale Citrus Estate, owned by the embattled Etheredge family, Senator
Edna Madzongwe, President of the Senate, continues to halt work on the farm
and the 350 workers are to unable to reap their 6 000 ton citrus crop.

"As a result of the escalating farm evictions in Chegutu and across
Zimbabwe, production is grinding to a halt and everyone suffers - the
farmers, their farm workers, the livestock and virtually the entire
population," said Ben Freeth, son-in-law of Mike Campbell who owns Mount
Carmel farm.

Food shortages and the high cost of basic staples such as maize (corn) meal,
as well as vegetables, fruit and milk are creating immense hardship in a
country where 94 percent of the population is unemployed.

The few who reap the rewards of the labours of farmers and farm workers who
have struggled to maintain farming operations throughout the chaotic and
violent land invasions of the past decade are Mugabe's party elite.

For a small but previously highly productive country like Zimbabwe, this is
a tragedy of epic proportions.

ENDS

Ben Freeth

Mount Carmel Farm

Cell:  +263 912 241477

E-mail:  freeth@bsatt.com

SADC Tribunal Rights Watch - 10 March 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

Attempt by Zimbabwean farmer Etheredge to register

SADC Tribunal Judgement of 28 November 2008

There are reports that Justice Anne-Mary Gowora from the High Court of
Zimbabwe has overturned the SADC Tribunal Judgement in a High Court case
argued in July 2008.

It is important to point out that the case in question was a spoliation case
where the Etheredges, who farm in Chegutu, Mashonaland West province, were
trying to get back onto their property.

The Etheredge family lost virtually all of their possessions after the
looting of their houses in June last year and were determined to resume
farming operations on their farm in July.

The Etheredge case before Justice Gowora preceded the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) case that was heard in Windhoek shortly
afterwards on 16 and 17 July.

It was heard more than four months before the final judgement by Judge Luis
Mondlane, president of the SADC Tribunal delivered on 28 November.

This emphasised the fact that the SADC Tribunal was able to make a judgement
that would be binding on the Zimbabwe Government.

The SADC Tribunal cites in its 28 November judgement the Vienna Convention
which states:

"A party may not invoke provisions of its own internal law as justification
for failure to carry out an international agreement" [which is the SADC
Treaty in this case].

Justice Gowora recognised that the Etheredge case was currently before the
SADC Tribunal but said that "to venture into a foray of the issue before the
Tribunal would be an exercise in futility."

            She said that "from a perusal of the interim judgement [in the
Tribunal] it is clear that the nature of the relief being sought in the
Tribunal is different to what is being sought before me...."

Senator Edna Madzongwe, president of the Zimbabwean Senate, arrived at the
Etheredges' farm with four policemen and others on the night of Wednesday 4
March with a copy of the state controlled Herald newspaper.

This in their view authorised them to stop all work on the farm and declare
the workers to be unemployed.

The Etheredges employ up to 350 people and have a 6 000 ton citrus crop that
is already committed to the Middle East and destined to bring into the
country desperately needed foreign currency.

On Thursday 5 March, the Chegutu police, along with the Chegutu lands
officer, Mr Kanaga and others, broke into the cottage on the farm and had Mr
Peter Etheredge remove all the contents.

Mr Etheredge has been forced to hand over the irrigation keys and the
complete work stoppage continues.

On the various other farms that Senator Madzongwe has been allocated there
is virtually no production, with serious implications for the workers.

Mr Etheredge is protected by the SADC Tribunal judgement of 28 November 2008
with a final order which stated that:

". by unanimity the Respondent [the Zimbabwe Government] is directed to take
all necessary measures, through its agents, to protect the possession,
occupation and ownership of the lands of the applicants...and to take all
necessary measures to ensure that no action is taken pursuant to Amendment
17, directly or indirectly, whether by its agents or by others, to evict
from, or interfere with, the peaceful residence on, and of these farms by
the Applicants.."

Mr Etheredge is the 19th applicant in the SADC case.  He and his workers
should enjoy complete protection to continue living in their homes and
farming.

A number of attempts to have the case registered in the Courts of Zimbabwe
have met with a failure by the High Court to set the matter down.

Mr. Etheredge is putting in an Urgent Application to have the SADC Tribunal
case registered in the High Court.

Ends

Submitted by:

Ben Freeth - Mount Carmel farm, Chegutu

Cell:  +263 912 241 477

Cell:  +263 11 431 068 (very erratic!)

E-mail:  freeth@bsatt.com

For further information:

Peter Etheredge - Stockdale Citrus Estate, Chegutu

Cell:  +263 912 367 311

E-mail:  stockpax@zol.co.zw

Background information overleaf:

High Court Judge implicated in land grab

SW Radio Africa

5 March 2009

The corruption at the heart of the recent offensive against Zimbabwe's
remaining white farmers was further exposed Thursday, when it was revealed
that the High Court Judge who nullified the SADC Tribunal ruling protecting
white owned farms, is a direct beneficiary of Robert Mugabe's land-grab.

Justice Anne-Mary Gowora this week ruled that decisions made by the SADC
Tribunal do not apply and cannot be enforced in Zimbabwe. This effectively
dismissed last year's Tribunal ruling that Zimbabwe's white farmers had a
clear legal title to remain on their farms.

The Tribunal president at the time also ordered the Zimbabwe government to
"take all measures to protect the possessions and ownership" of the farmers'
land - an order which has already been ignored with the recent wave of fresh
invasions of farms across the country.

It has since been revealed that Justice Gowora has a clear personal and
political motive to nullify the Tribunal's ruling, as she was awarded land
snatched from farmer Ben Gilpin.

Gilpin, who is part of the organisation Justice for Agriculture, explained
on Thursday that his Headlands farm in Manicaland, from which he was evicted
in 2005, was divided between two ZANU PF ministers, as well as Gowora and
her husband. Gilpin argued that Gowora clearly "had much to lose by the
judgement made by SADC," and according to law should have recused herself
from the case.

He said that it's almost impossible to find anyone in the judiciary who
hasn't been corrupted by the offer of land.

The Commercial Farmers Union confirmed recently that Attorney General,
Johannes Tomana, is behind the new wave of farm invasions and threats.

According to the minutes of secret meetings held by Tomana with magistrates
and police officials across the country, the AG has instructed officials to
ignore court orders protecting the country's remaining farmers - leaving
them open to invasions, evictions and prosecution, which have been
escalating in recent weeks.

Justice Gowora's High Court judgment this week also dismissed an order being
sought by farmer Peter Etheredge against the President of the Senate, Edna
Madzongwe.

Madzongwe has been harassing Etheredge since 2007 in an effort to force him
off his Stockdale citrus farm, which is one of the few productive farms left
in a country crippled by food shortages.

Last year, the farm was looted over a period of several weeks and an
estimated US$600 000 worth of goods was destroyed or stolen. Etheredge's
brother and wife were also severely beaten at the time of the looting, while
they were trying to reclaim their possessions that had been dumped at the
roadside.

The family have since been fighting off a string of invaders living on the
property and Etheredge, who was supposed to be protected by the SADC
Tribunal ruling, has been arrested on numerous occasions. The offensive
against the farm owners has since been renewed, shortly after Justice Gowora
delivered her judgment nullifying the SADC Tribunal's ruling.

On Wednesday Madzongwe, accompanied by a 20 strong group of people,
including four policemen, arrived on the farm brandishing a copy of the
state owned Herald newspaper, and ordered Etheredge to cease operations on
the farm. Madzongwe's spokespeople apparently told Etheredge the Herald's
report on the High Court ruling gave them the authority to carry out the
order.

http://www.swradioafrica.com

ENDS

Statistics:

The fresh wave of invasions has already seen almost 80 farms being seized
and more than 100 farmers facing prosecution. At the same time at least 50
farms are confirmed to be under siege by lawless thugs - with the farm
owners facing possible violent eviction.

It is estimated that only about 300 commercial farmers are managing to farm,
most of them operating on substantially reduced acreages.

Zimbabwe acknowledges IMF need for loan conditions

http://af.reuters.com

Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:12pm GMT

* Zimbabwe admits IMF will impose conditions

* "Cordial" talks after two-year hiatus

* No way Harare can pay arrears, minister says

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, March 10 (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending to
Zimbabwe depends on Harare's ability to push through reforms to its crippled
economy, a senior minister said on Tuesday after a rare meeting with IMF
officials.

"The funding will be a result of two things -- the credibility of our plan
and our ability to deliver on set policies and how the institutions think we
will be able to do what we are saying we will do," Economic Planning
Minister Elton Mangoma told Reuters.

Despite describing the talks as "cordial", Mangoma backed off earlier
comments in the state-controlled Herald newspaper suggesting the IMF and
World Bank had agreed to a meeting next month to hammer out an aid package.

"That's putting the cart before the horse. This was an initial meeting. We
will be able to give a clearer assesment after the exit meeting later this
month," Mangoma said.

Last week, IMF officials said the visit was more about sounding out the
direction of government policy than laying the groundwork for a financial
rescue package.

The mission follows the setting up of a power-sharing government between
President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's sole ruler for nearly three decades, and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader.

The southern African country badly needs Western donors and foreign
investors to rescue its economy but external help will depend on the
creation of a democratic government and reforms such as reversing plans for
nationalisation.

In a closely watched political case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred
ruling on an appeal by prosecutors against the granting of bail to Roy
Bennett, a senior member of Tsvangirai's MDC party arrested on Feb. 13 and
charged with plotting terrorism.

Bennett had been set to become deputy agriculture minister in the unity
administration.

Economists said if the Washington-based IMF really was looking at a package,
it would be designed to force a switch from Mugabe policies such as the
printing of money and seizure of land that have caused hyperinflation and
economic collapse.

"It will be extremely fussy with the conditions," Harare-based economist
John Robertson, who has met previous IMF and World Bank delegations, said.
"They will set very tough conditions, which we deserve because we have
behaved badly."

The mission -- the first after a two-year break -- will run until March 24.

CAN'T PAY DEBTS

The IMF suspended Zimbabwe's voting rights in June 2003, barring it from
participating in IMF decisions as its economic situation deteriorated and
the Mugabe government fell behind on paying its debts.

The IMF says it was owed $89 million at the end of February 2009, while the
World Bank says Harare owes it $600 million, and the African Development
Bank $429 million as of the end of June last year.

Mangoma said Zimbabwe could not pay the IMF arrears.

Last month, Southern African finance ministers called on the World Bank, IMF
and African Development Bank to help Zimbabwe recover from economic
collapse, putting the initial financing need at $2 billion.

Under their rules, the IMF and World Bank would not be able to provide
financial assistance to Zimbabwe until the country has cleared its arrears
to them.

Zimbabwe photojournalist only political detainee in Chikurubi

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
10 March 2009

A group of political detainees accused of banditry activities, appeared in
the magistrate's court last Friday for a remand hearing. The group of seven,
who include photojournalist Shadreck Manyere and two MDC officials Chris
Dlamini and Ghandi Mudzingwa, were remanded in custody to March 23rd.
Four of the accused Chinoto Zulu, Regis Mujeyi, Zacharia Nkomo and Mapfumo
Garutsa, who were released on bail earlier in the week, appeared for the
remand hearing with their three co-accused, who are still in police custody.
Their lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, said the photojournalist and the other two
MDC officials were denied bail because the State alleges they were found
with 'offensive' items. The defence team is appealing in the Supreme Court.
Of the three remaining individuals still in police custody, Manyere is the
only one in Chikurubi prison, while Mudzingwa and Dhlamini are 'detained' in
hospital at the Avenues Clinic.
Muchadehama also said three other individuals, from a separate group of
political detainees who are facing charges together with human rights
activist Jestina Mukoko, were finally freed on Tuesday. The whole group had
been granted bail more than a week ago, but Collen Mutemagawo, Tieta Kaseke
and Violet Mupfuranhehwe remained in jail because they could not immediately
fulfil part of their bail conditions.

They had no national identification cards and travel documents, but were
able to provide these on Tuesday, resulting in their release. They are all
still facing charges of plotting to overthrow the Mugabe government.

The MDC has maintained: "The charges against Roy Bennett and all other
political hostages are politically motivated and trumped up, driven by those
in the junta who are opposed to change, and the inclusive government."

General Vitalis Zvinavashe dies

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
10 march 2009

One of ZANU PF's longest serving officials, General Vitalis Zvinavashe, has
died. He was 65 years old. The retired former commander of the Zimbabwe
Defence Forces is reported to have died at Manyame military hospital late on
Monday. He had been ill for some time.

Born on the 27th September 1943 in Gutu district, Masvingo, Zvinavashe left
the British South African Police in 1967 to join the liberation war in
Zambia. He was one of the first ZANLA guerillas to be trained in Tanzania.
After his military training he was sent to Lusaka, Zambia and by then he was
using his chimurenga nom de guerre, Sheba Gava. In the early 1970's he was
nicknamed 'the fox' after the car he was driving overturned at a notorious
corner in Zambia.

When the decision was made for ZANLA forces to relocate to Mozambique from
Zambia in the mid 1970's, Zvinavashe was one of those entrusted with the
responsibilities of overseeing that exercise.

In Mozambique he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the chief of
security for the ZANLA forces. His duties included maintaining discipline
within the ZANLA guerrillas as well as providing security for Robert Mugabe
and senior members of the high command. He earned a fierce reputation on the
battlefield as a strict disciplinarian, often running prison camps inside
ZANLA bases with an iron fist.

An army officer who served under Zvinavashe during the liberation war
described him as an effective, no-nonsense commander who produced results.
He said Zvinavashe was very reserved but was also well known at times for
exhibiting a ruthless streak of brutality towards wayward officers, as well
as opponents.

'You hardly saw Zvinavashe smiling. He said very little but the authorities
banked on him to deliver, which he did very well,' said the army officer.

Wilfred Mhanda, whose chimuranga name was Dzinashe Machingura saved with
Zvinavashe in the high command from 1975 and described him as a strict but a
good and professional soldier.

'I last saw him just before the June presidential election last year and we
had a lengthy chat. He was extremely concerned about the level of violence
in the country and was also deeply worried about the direction ZANU PF was
taking to hang on to power,' Mhanda said.
After Independence Zvinavashe served as a brigadier in the Zimbabwe National
Army and commanded 3 brigade in Mutare. In January 1983 he was promoted to
Major General and Chief of Staff at the army headquarters in Harare and then
he took over as commander of the army in June 1992, after General Solomon
Mujuru retired.

After a Constitutional Amendment in 1994, Zvinavashe became the first
Commander of the Defence forces, bringing the army and airforce under one
command.

Zvinavashe is also well known for publicly declaring, on the eve of the 2002
presidential election, that the security chiefs would only back a president
who had participated in Zimbabwe's war of liberation - a clear reference to
MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai.
He retired in December 2003 to go into business and politics. Besides
running his vast transport business, Zvinavashe was also a ZANU PF central
committee and politburo member. He was named by the United Nations as one of
those who had personally benefited from the war in the Democratic Republic
of Congo, in which Zimbabwe intervened in 1998 and his Zvinavashe and Swift
Investment companies were added to the US targeted sanctions list in 2004.
In the 2008 parliamentary election, he ran on the ZANU-PF ticket for the
Gutu district in the Senate, but lost to Empire Makamure of the MDC. He told
other ZANU-PF candidates that they needed to "accept the reality" that the
MDC had won, and he stressed the importance of preserving peace. He blamed
Mugabe for the various ZANU-PF candidates' defeat, saying that the people of
Masvingo had rejected Mugabe and that the parliamentary candidates suffered
as collateral damage.

Mnangagwa says no to appointments

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=13144

March 10, 2009

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO - Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa,  a leading Zanu-PF stalwart,
yesterday dismissed the recent announcement by President Robert Mugabe of a
new line-up of permanent secretaries.

He said the announcement was null and void since the issue was yet to be
finalised by the three political parties that signed the Global Political
Agreement and formed the government of national unity.

The Secretary to the President and the Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda,
announced three weeks ago  that he had appointed permanent secretaries. It
emerged that he had not consulted the  two MDC parties as prescribed in the
September 15 agreement.

Addressing party officials at a meeting here Mnangagwa who is  secretary for
legal affairs in the Zanu-PF politburo, said the issues relating to the
appointment of provincial governors, permanent secretaries and ambassadors
were yet to be finalised, thus effectively rendering all previous
announcements ineffective.

"Let me tell you that the appointment of permanent secretaries, governors
and ambassadors is not yet over ", said Mnangagwa.

"This issue is being discussed beyond the Joint Monitoring and
Implementation Committee and is yet to be finalised.

"This, therefore, means any appointments to this effect are not valid. We
are yet to finalise this issue and proper appointments will be made."

This is the first time that a senior Zanu PF official has clashed with
Mugabe over issues concerning the all inclusive government.

Sibanda, the chief secretary to Mugabe, announced three weeks ago that with
the consent of the head of state he had appointed permanent secretaries.

However the issue riled the two MDC parties who quickly denounced the move,
declaring it was null and void.

MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara said they had not been
consulted. The appointments could, therefore, not be valid.

According to Prime Minister Tsvangirayi all permanent secretaries who were
in their position as at September 15 last year, when the Global Political
Agreement was signed, would retain their posts in an acting capacity until
the issue of sharing the portfolios was finalised.

The rift between Mugabe and Tsvangirayi over the issue of permanent
secretaries prompted the two to meet last week. Sources say they agreed to
come up with a formula for sharing the portfolios.

Turning to the land issue Mnangagwa said the land reform programme was not
reversible. He said those coming on board in the all-inclusive government
should continue with the land reform programme and not reverse it.

"The land reform programme is not reversible", he said. "Even if we have new
people coming in the land reform will not be reversed, Hallelujah".

Daily cholera update and alerts, 09 Mar 2009

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 200.9 Kbytes)

* Please note that daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the numbers. Any change will then be explained.

** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may occasionally result

A. Highlights of the day:

- 387 cases and 33 deaths added today (in comparison 255 cases and 2 deaths yesterday)

- 45.8 % of the districts affected have reported today (27 out of 59 affected districts)

- 90.3 % of districts reported to be affected (56 districts out of 62)

- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate 1.8.%

- Daily Institutional Case Fatality Rate 6.6 %

Who controls the water determines the severity of cholera

Photo: WHO/Paul Garwood

Bulawayo escaped the worst of cholera

BULAWAYO, 10 March 2009 (IRIN) -

A protracted tussle over Bulawayo's water and sanitation services between local councillors and the ZANU-PF controlled water parastatal allowed Zimbabwe's second city to escape the nationwide cholera epidemic relatively unscathed.

More than 4,000 people have died and nearly 90,000 have been infected by the waterborne disease since the outbreak began in August 2008; total infections could reach 120,000 cases before it abates.

Bulawayo's director of health, Dr Zanele Hwalima, said the city had recorded 440 cases and 18 deaths since the outbreak began, compared with 2,606 cases and 167 fatalities in Chitungwiza, a dormitory town near the capital, Harare, which has a population of similar size.

"We are fortunate that the drawn-out wrangle between us and the government, through the Zimbabwe National Water [ZINWA], apparently saved the city residents from an outbreak at a scale similar to Harare," said Bulawayo's mayor, Patrick Thabamoyo. "We resisted the takeover and we have somehow been vindicated."

The provision of services in urban areas became the source of an acute power struggle between President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by the recently installed Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabwe's urban populations were the first to turn against Mugabe - the country's only leader since independence from Britain in 1980 - and increasingly voted in MDC-dominated city councils.

ZANU-PF attempted to dilute the power of MDC municipalities by transferring the provision of services, and their budgets, to parastatals under the control of central government.

In May 2005, ZINWA, previously the bulk water supplier, took over water delivery and sewerage management. This was widely seen as the genesis of Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic, as the parastatal soon proved hopelessly inadequate in its new task and the services under its control collapsed.

By March 2006 Harare's civic organisations were warning of a "cholera time-bomb" after the disease killed 27 people that month. However, unlike Harare - the epicentre of the current outbreak - Bulawayo's councillors managed to stave off the imposition of ZINWA on their water affairs.

Since the formation of the unity government ZINWA has reverted to its role as a bulk water supplier.

Drought a friend in times of cholera

Water scarcity in Bulawayo, in the country's drought-prone region, has always demanded careful planning to keep the taps of its 1.5 million residents running. The city's main supply dams - Upper Ncema, Lower Ncema, Inyankuni, Insiza and Umzingwane - are located about 30km from the city in the Mzingwane area.

The rural setting of the dams makes them less susceptible to industrial pollution than is the case with Harare's water sources, and relatively free from the risk of burst sewage pipes contaminating streams and rivers.

Three months after the August 2008 cholera outbreak began, ZINWA admitted to pumping raw sewage into Lake Chivero, Harare's main water source.

While it takes more than a dozen chemicals to purify water for Harare residents, our water requires at most three different chemicals because it is less polluted

"While it takes more than a dozen chemicals to purify water for Harare residents, our water requires at most three different chemicals because it is less polluted," Bulawayo councillor Emmanuel Munjoma told IRIN.

Zimbabwe's economic malaise, which has seen unemployment reach 94 percent and hyperinflation all but killing off the local currency, has resulted in the collapse of health services, made hard currency scarce, and the purchase of water purification chemicals extremely difficult.

In Harare, the response was an almost total shut-down of the public water supply, forcing residents to dig shallow wells or to source water from contaminated rivers and streams.

In Bulawayo, water scarcity had instilled a different discipline and the council made use of "208 boreholes drilled with financial assistance from aid agencies at the peak of water shortages, because of the drought in the past two seasons," Thabamoyo said.

"We deploy water bowsers to deliver water to affected suburbs whenever we run short of purification chemicals," he said. "These have been augmented by boreholes on the Nyamandhlovu aquifer outside of the city."

Cholera stabilizing

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in its regional cholera update on 6 March, "In Zimbabwe, the epidemic appears to be stabilizing in urban areas, while outbreaks in rural areas remain high or are on the increase."

Gregory Härtl, spokesman for the World Food Programme's Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR) in Geneva, told IRIN: "It is difficult to pinpoint one reason for the decline [of cholera cases in Zimbabwe].

"Health providers have been undertaking intensive infection control measures within hospitals, particularly training of health staff in appropriate control procedures, and social mobilization efforts have been continuing to raise awareness about the threats posed by the disease," Härtl noted.

"But the measures that have been promoted by WHO, the MoH [Ministry of Health] and other health providers are likely to have contributed to the declining rates of new cases." 

[ENDS]
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

Cholera rising among Zimbabwe's neighbours

Photo: ReliefWeb

JOHANNESBURG , 10 March 2009 (IRIN) - Zimbabwe remains the worst affected country in a regional cholera outbreak, but in nine southern African countries surveyed, case numbers and fatalities are rising, according to a UN report released on 6 March.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said as of 4 March, 124,404 cholera cases and 4,320 deaths from the waterborne disease had been reported in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe since August 2008.

Apart from Zimbabwe's 3,948 deaths, Malawi reported 95 deaths, Zambia 68 deaths, Mozambique 77 deaths, Angola 60 deaths and South Africa 59 fatalities from cholera, at a regional case fatality rate average of 3.5 percent.

Zimbabwe's cumulative cholera caseload was 86,867 cases, followed by South Africa's 11,979 cases, Mozambique's 9,405 cases - although this does not include data from 2008 - Zambia's 5,763 cases, Angola's 5,368 cases and Malawi's 4,171 cases. 

Zesa Denies U.S.$13 Million Coal Debt

http://www.herald.co.zw/

Published by the government of Zimbabwe

Martin Kadzere

10 March 2009

Harare - A SHOWDOWN is looming between Zesa Holdings and Hwange Colliery
Company over a US$13 million debt the coal miner claims to be outstanding
for coal supplies to Hwange Thermal Station.

Zesa, through its power generating subsidiary ZPC is denying the debt.

HCC, always blamed for subdued power generations at Hwange Thermal Station,
said from about one million tonnes of coal it supplied to Zesa last year,
the power utility only managed to pay for 756 313 tonnes.

This represents just over a third of the overall output achieved by colliery
last year.

In contrast, Zesa argues it has not paid for only 207,569 tonnes delivered
between October last year and January. The outstanding bill would be paid in
Zimbabwe dollars, according to Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira.

It is understood that HCC is using a compromise of US$17,50 per tonne, a
price, which Zesa said was arrived at after the colliery asked for US$20 per
tonnes with ZPC requesting for US$15 per tonne.

Even if a compromise price was to be used, Zesa says it would still pay US$2
million for 207,569 tonnes, way below US$13 million for 756 313 tonnes HCC
was claiming.

"Zesa has been paying for its debt to the colliery up to 30 September 2008
in Zimbabwean dollars as invoiced," said Mr Gwasira.

"It is important to note that the charging in forex only started after the
monetary and fiscal policies at the beginning of February, and it is thus
not feasible for Zesa to have high foreign currency denominated in US$."

However, an HCC official has insisted that it was owed US$13 million.

The official said Zesa has as of now failed to confirm their ability to pay
for future coal supplies. "HCCL is badly exposed and not able to supply
"free" coal to Zesa. No business would be able to operate under such
circumstances," said an official who wanted to remain unknown.

"This is reality and known by both parties. HCCL is now in a severe cash
squeeze as a result," the source added.

Zesa and HCC have a coal supply contract that demands Zesa to pay for coal
at commercial rates and that HCC must supply the specified product.

HCC managing director Mr Fred Moyo confirmed the developments, saying both
companies would "amicably reconcile the figures."

The latest revelations come a week after Energy and Power Development
Minister Engineer Elias Mudzuri was told erratic coal supplies had resulted
in subdued power generation at Hwange Power Station.

Eng Mudzuri toured the power plant last week. Sources said ZPC managing
director Mr Noah Gwariro told the minister that the perennial coal supplies
to the power station has lead Zesa to decide to go into coal mining. Coal
production is expected to start in August this year.

Over the years, HCC has been struggling to supply sufficient coal to the
local market as a result of inter-parastatal debt and breakdowns among
others.

It needs about US$3 million for dragline repairs.

MDC-T Activists' Application Dismissed

http://www.herald.co.zw/

Published by the government of Zimbabwe

10 March 2009

Harare - A HARARE magistrate yesterday dismissed an application for refusal
of further remand by six suspected MDC-T activists who were allegedly
involved in the recruitment of people for insurgency, banditry and terrorism
training in Botswana.

Kisimusi Dhlamini, Gandi Mudzingwa, Andrison Manyere, Zacharia Nkomo,
Mapfumo Garutse and Regis Mujeyi had their

application thrown out for lack of merit.

Magistrate Mr Archie Wochiunga said after considering the submissions by the
defence and State attorneys it was proper to give the State another chance
to conclude its investigations and set the matter for trial.

"After considering these and other factors the application for refusal of
further remand is dismissed," said Mr Wochiunga.

Mr Alec Muchadehama of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni had requested the
court to refuse to further remand his clients on the grounds of inordinate
delay in

trying the six, which the State opposed.

There were remanded to March 23.

Meanwhile, three other MDC-T activists who were granted bail are still in
custody after they

failed to meet one of the bail conditions.

Violet Mupfuranhewe, Pieta Kaseke and Collen Mutemagau were ordered to
surrender their passports to the clerk of court as part of the bail terms.

However, the three have no passports. The registrar of the court now needs
confirmation from the Registrar General's Office, before they are set free.

Controversy continues to rage over Tsvangirai accident

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
10 March 2009

The controversy over the tragic car crash which clamed the life of Susan
Tsvangirai continues to rage in and outside Zimbabwe. The MDC Monday night
forum in central London provided another example of the long held suspicions
about car accidents in Zimbabwe. 'Even if Morgan Tsvangirai was struck and
killed by lightning, the first person I would blame is Mugabe,' one man
said, much to the amusement of everyone at the forum. His remarks confirmed
what many people feel about Mugabe.

The driver of the aid truck, Chinoona Mwanda, has claimed his truck hit what
appeared to be a hump or pothole, causing him to serve and crash into the
Prime Minister's Land Cruiser. Newsreel spoke to his lawyer, Chris Mhike,
who denied earlier reports that said the driver was sleeping at the wheel or
was negligent. Mhike said he visited the scene himself and saw what looked
like loose soil on the road. Deputy Mines Minister and MDC MP Murisi
Zwizwayi, who also visited the crash scene, disagrees and asked, 'Where are
the potholes, even humps, here, do you see one, it's just a clear road.'

Former US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Tom McDonald offered his own perspective on
the crash saying, 'I'm skeptical about any motor vehicle accident in
Zimbabwe involving an opposition figure. President Mugabe has a history of
strange car accidents when someone, lo and behold, dies, it's sort of his
M.O. (Method of Operating) of how they get rid of people they don't like.'
McDonald who served as ambassador to Zimbabwe from 1997 to 2001 did however
temper his views with an acknowledgement that the road Tsvangirai used was
in bad shape and that the type of truck involved in the crash is commonly
used on the route.

A team of investigators immediately dispatched by the MDC on Friday evening
were briefly arrested by the police and had their photographic equipment
confiscated. Senior MDC official Eddie Cross told us on Monday that two
teams were sent to the site, to carry out preliminary investigations, with
the first team arriving on the scene before police had gathered. The group,
which included the Vice President of the Commercial Farmers Union Deon
Theron, was promptly arrested.

Another debating point is why Tsvangirai never received a police escort as
Prime Minister. Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the accident could have
been avoided if this had been provided. No word has come from the MDC over
whether they made this request. Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa confirmed
that Tsvangirai arrived from Botswana on Monday and travelled from the
airport without any police escort. There is a widespread belief the Prime
Minister might be unwilling to have a police motorcade, long associated with
the extravagance of Mugabe's regime.

Last year police confiscated an armour plated BMW that Tsvangirai was meant
to use during his presidential campaigns. His former presidential spokesman
George Sibotshiwe told Newsreel that Friday's accident could have been
averted had Tsvangirai been using that vehicle instead. Additionally the
abduction and continued detention of the MDC chief of security, Chris
Dhlamini, is being viewed as a deliberate ploy to weaken the MDC security
structures.

The tragic accident has only served to pose the question of whether these
incidents were pre-meditated, to make the Prime Minister vulnerable.

Morgan Tsvangirai rules out foul play in car crash

From The Times (UK), 10 March

Philippe Naughton, and Jan Raath in Harare

A grieving Morgan Tsvangirai told supporters today that a car crash last
Friday in which he was injured and his wife killed was an accident and not a
set-up by Robert Mugabe's security forces. The Zimbabwean Prime Minister
spoke to mourners outside his house in Harare after returning home from
Botswana, where he went at the weekend for medical treatment after the
crash. Mr Tsvangirai's wife of 31 years, Susan, was killed when the car the
couple were travelling in was hit by a US aid lorry carrying relief supplies
from Britain, forcing it off the potholed highway. There were immediate
suspicions that the collision had been an attempt on Mr Tsvangirai's life,
but he said today that he was all but certain it had been accidental. "In
such incidents there is always speculation but in this case I want to assure
you that if there was any foul play it would probably be one in 1,000," he
said. "It was an accident which unfortunately took a life. I am sure that
life has to go on and I'm sure she (his wife Susan) would have liked for
life to go on."

The tragedy comes at a difficult time for Mr Tsvangirai, who is under
mounting pressure to rescue the shattered economy in a power-sharing
Government with President Mugabe. Supporters in his Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) had feared that a prolonged absence would leave hardliners
within the Government free to force through their agenda - but Mr Tsvangirai
appears determined to return to work as soon as possible after his wife's
funeral on Wednesday. The driver of the truck that slammed into Mr
Tsvangirai's vehicle appeared at a court in Chivhu, 90 miles south of
Harare, today, accompanied by three plain-clothed policemen. Chinoona Mwanda's
application for bail was granted and he was remanded to appear back in court
on March 23. Mr Tsvangirai left hospital on Saturday, unsupported but with a
baseball cap over his bandaged head, after treatment for severe head, neck
and chest bruising. Later that day he flew to Botswana at the invitation of
President Khama, his staunchest ally among Southern African leaders. "He
needs peace and quiet, and he's not going to get it at home," a senior MDC
official said then as hundreds of mourners gathered outside Mr Tsvangirai's
house in suburban Harare, singing Shona funeral songs, dancing and beating
drums. Mrs Tsvangirai, 50, will be buried at her rural home of Buhera.

She would have made a superb First Lady

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=13156

March 10, 2009

By Eddie Cross

DURING Zimbabwe's bush war two of our best friends were teaching at a
mission station in the Eastern Highlands. They had given up a great deal to
come out to teach at the high school and knew they were coming to a country
at war with itself.

One evening a group of armed men arrived and the teaching staff were rounded
up and beaten to death. Our friends had a baby with them and she was also
brutally killed. The following morning I had to go through to a hostel for
boarders in Harare and tell the two other children - both young teenagers,
that their parents had been murdered. It was the toughest assignment I have
ever had to handle.

On the hillside overlooking the site of the massacre is a small monument
placed there by local Christians - it simply says, "Lord, we do not
understand, but we trust you."

On Friday night, after a tough day in the new government I wrapped up what I
had to do and headed home. At six in the evening I was called to be told
that Morgan and his wife Susan had been in an accident and were on their way
back to Harare. We put things in motion, two ambulances were sent out on the
road to meet them and the hospital put on standby and an air ambulance
prepared at the airport.

At seven we knew Susan had died and Morgan was admitted to the hospital with
minor injuries. I have known and worked with many couples in my life, but
few have had the kind of relationship that existed between Morgan and his
wife of 31 years. She was a striking woman, deeply religious and a devoted
mother. The real affection between the two was clearly evident. Although she
played a low key role in her husband's political life, she was his anchor.
She ran a great home, was always welcoming and accepted that on any day she
might be called upon to feed drivers, security staff and visitors - by the
dozen.

One of my colleagues said to me yesterday that she never forgot that he
could only drink a diet coke. She always produced one for him when he was at
the house. We always thought she would make a superb First Lady of Zimbabwe.
All of us are still stunned by the knowledge that she has died and we all
feel something of the loss and pain that Morgan must feel at this time.

It now looks as if the accident was just that, a fluke accident with fatal
consequences and I feel very sorry for the truck driver who caused the
accident because he will have to live with this all his life. I am relieved
by that information because had there been anything more to the accident,
then this would have threatened the new government and caused widespread
violence and retribution. However we are still investigating.

It is impossible to explain why such things are allowed to happen. I
personally think that God, having set up the world system as it is with its
natural laws and inherent rules for life and accountability, does not
intervene to prevent natural consequences except in the most exceptional
circumstances. This means we have to learn to live with pain and sorrow.

After the death of our friends, my wife was hospitalised for three days and
sedated, our own anguish was so severe. Even now, 30 years later, I cannot
remember those events without a sense of loss.

In the new government we continue to struggle with the situation we have
inherited. Water supplies to the City of Harare failed totally this week - I
have yet to discover why. But on Tuesday the Prime Minister was sworn in as
a Member of Parliament and on Wednesday we sat at 14.30 hrs to hear his
inaugural address. It was a great speech and I would urge you to read it on
the new website www.zimbabweprimeminister.org.

Just to wet your appetite for this task, let me look at a few excerpts:

"There can be no viable, permanent or sustainable solution to the problems
facing Zimbabwe, without the promotion of the people's freedoms."

"We must lead by example and respect and uphold the constitution and other
laws and the principle of the rule of law."

"The fact that individuals have been incarcerated for months without trial,
smacks of political persecution. This will not be tolerated. Justice must be
seen to be done now."

"There is no room in this House, in this Government or this country, for any
individuals or groups that wish to prevent progress and keep us mired in
poverty and misery that have come to represent life in Zimbabwe."

This wide ranging speech, carefully crafted, was delivered in a confident
and clear manner as if the Prime Minister had been in Parliament all his
life instead of one hour. I was disappointed, but not surprised that the
Zanu-PF side of the House sat in stony silence except when he called for
restrictions imposed by many countries to be lifted.

When he said this they suddenly came to life and applauded - as if that was
the only issue on the table.

He called for all Members of Parliament to declare their assets and to be
open and honest in all their dealings. I will set about doing that this
coming week and submit my own declaration to the Clerk of Parliament. It
will be fascinating to see the declarations by many of the Zanu-PF people.

The death of the Prime Minister's wife will set back our programme a couple
of weeks but we will keep the momentum going while he spends time coming to
grip with his loss and pain. I remain astonished at the response by
everybody in Government to the call to return to work. Four weeks ago I
toured my constituency visiting the schools, not one was open and most were
completely locked up and empty. On Monday this week, every school was open
and children were back in class.

Teachers were only paid US$100 each in February - and yet they responded to
the call to return to work. So did nurses and doctors, clerks and other
staff. In March we will try to get more to them - our resources are very
limited, but even so they will have to work for a pittance. There are not
many countries in the world where civil servants would make such a
sacrifice.

City of Harare Budget reaction

Mbare Mourns Mai Susan Tsvangirai

The Mbare Residents' Trust (MRT) joins the rest of the nation in mourning
the untimely death of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai in a road accident Friday that
left the prime Minister injured. While death is by God's design, the MRT
calls on authorities to fully investigate the circumstances leading to the
crash that claimed her life and left the PM injured. The question that
remains unanswered to us is why the PM was travelling unaccompanied by a
State motorcade. May her Soul rest in Peace. We wish the Prime Minister a
quick recovery.

Mbare Residents Want a Reasonable Budget. No to Unjustified rates!

The City of Harare has announced its 2009 Estimate Budget of around US$185
million. In terms of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15), Section 219,
Subsection (2) and (3), the estimate budget has to be closely scrutinized by
the residents at their respective local council offices, who in turn can
object to any estimates if they are unreasonable, unjustified and or
unaffordable within a thirty day period after the placement of the first
advertisement in a local newspaper.

Subsection 3 of Section 219 categorically states that if a statement has
been advertised ------and within thirty days referred above, objections to
the proposed tariffs, charges or deposits are lodged- (a) by thirty or more
persons who are voters or who are users of that service to which the tariff,
charge or deposit relates, or (b) where there are less than thirty such
users of the service concerned, by less than fifty percent of the number of
such users; such tariffs, charges or deposits shall be reconsidered by the
council, together with the objections so lodged and they shall not come into
operation unless the resolution is again passed by a majority of the total
membership of the council: Provided that the council may in these
circumstances, by such resolution, fix lower tariffs, charges or deposits
than those objected without further advertising.

In meetings held with residents following the announcement of the estimate
budget, residents are anxious. The MRT, in collaboration with the Harare
Residents Trust (HRT) is in the process of breaking down all the estimates
to afford all residents an opportunity to understand the council's
proposals. Experienced people are being widely consulted on the impact and
implications of the budget on the livelihoods of the poor Mbare community.
Meetings with councillors and other stakeholders have been lined up to
ensure that the budget is subjected to further scrutiny to assist residents
to make an informed position on the whole budget.

MRT Chairperson David Samukange said: "The council should come up with
reasonable charges that are commensurate with the services they offer to the
residents of Harare. So far, the council has not done much to deserve these
high rates. Residents are really shocked and will respond accordingly."

There has not been consistent refuse collection or service provision in
Mbare since 2007. The MRT calls on the councillors to positively respond to
the demands and expectations of the citizens.

While residents appreciate their monthly obligations to the City of Harare,
they will not pay unjustified and unreasonable rates. The Council has to be
transparent and accountable in everything it does for the residents.
Considerations have to be given to the impact of the 2005 Operation
Murambatsvina, the sources of income of the majority residents and the
quality of services expected.

Ends

For details and comments, please contact MRT leadership David Samukange, the
Chairperson or Luckson Timbenavo Rice, the Secretary on email
mbaretrust@yahoo.com or 0912 751 228 and 023 334 069.