Zimbabwe Supreme Court grants Bennett bail

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
11 March 2009

Supreme Court Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has upheld a High Court
decision, granting Roy Bennett bail. The decision was made on Wednesday
after the judge had heard arguments from both the prosecution and defence
teams the previous day.

The State had appealed in the Supreme Court against the granting of bail to
the MDC Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, saying he was a flight
risk. Prosecutors had also recommended tighter bail conditions if the judge
decided to rule against their appeal.

The Chief Justice ruled against the state prosecutors saying they had no
grounds to oppose a previous High Court ruling ordering Bennett's release.

However, Justice Chidyausiku increased the bail payment from US$2000 to
US$5000, ordered Bennett to surrender title deeds and report to the police
three times a week. The State had wanted him to report everyday.

The MDC politician who has been in custody since February 13th is now
expected to be released from prison on Thursday. His lawyers said the
paperwork was going to be sent to the Mutare magistrates' court from Harare,
where he will post his bail payment with the clerk of court in the morning.

Last Wednesday Bennett's lawyers in Mutare successfully posted bail of US$2
000 and surrendered his passport after being granted bail by the High Court.
But prison officials disappeared with his release papers on the night of
posting bail and the Magistrate who accepted Bennett's bail payment and
documents was arrested the following day. Magistrate Livingstone Chipadze
who was released on bail on Saturday is being charged with criminal abuse of
authority.

Although wary about their reception in Mutare, Bennett's lawyers are hopeful
that this time around their client will be released, since the order is
coming from the country's highest court.

Meanwhile Claire Ingram, a woman who transported Bennett from his house to
the airport on the day he was arrested, was briefly detained herself on
Tuesday after a lengthy interrogation.  Bennett who is facing weapons
charges denies the allegations of plotting to overthrow Robert Mugabe.

ALERT: State possibly preparing to arrest Beatrice Mtetwa - unverified

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/3744

We've just had very alarming news that the State is preparing to arrest
Beatrice Mtetwa. This is unverified and we have no further information at
this stage but it comes from a credible source. We're trying to find out
more.

Beatrice Mtetwa is a phenomenally brave woman and a brilliant focused
lawyer. She has been very involved in defending the rights of all the
abductees and was quoted in the BBC in our previous post, after helping Roy
Bennett too.

If this information turns out to be true, and the State proceed with
arresting her, then everyone must be ready to take action immediately.

This entry was posted by Sokwanele on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

Susan Tsvangirai buried in Buhera

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
11 March 2009

On Wednesday thousands of people converged on the rural home of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera, to bury his beloved wife Susan. The
horror car crash last Friday claimed the life of a woman who was adored by
all for her kindness, humility and support, especially to victims of
political violence who sought comfort at their home. It was no surprise that
the Tsvangirai homestead was turned into a sea of humanity, with red and
white MDC insignia dominating the scene. Thousands made the journey using
buses and cars, while many walked miles to the area. The couples 6 children
were all present in the village of Manikwa in Buhera.

Diplomats from several countries, including Botswana, Swaziland, Kenya and
South Africa were also present at the burial. Robert Mugabe did not attend,
having made an appearance at Tsvangirai's hospital bed last Friday and
having attended the funeral service Tuesday.

Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa said on Tuesday over 20 000 people were
already waiting in Buhera to mourn with the family during Wednesday's
burial.

A convoy of vehicles traveling to Buhera used exactly the same road on which
Susan was killed. Several cars stopped at the scene, with many people
getting out to survey the road and search for answers as to why the crash
took place.

Muchemwa told us Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara finally got the
chance to address mourners at the burial. On Tuesday he was jeered into
sitting down at the funeral service, when he tried to speak. In Buhera
Mutambara said Susan Tsvangirai should have been declared a national hero as
she was clearly 'Mother Zimbabwe'. South African government officials spoke
at the graveside and disclosed that they have offered Tsvangirai a private
retreat in their country to allow him a period of rest and reflection. Some
officials from ZANU PF were present, the most prominent being the Governor
for Manicaland Christopher Mushowe. All declined to give speeches, probably
sensing the atmosphere was a little tense for them to speak.

Susan was born in Buhera 50 years ago and met Tsvangirai in 1978 when he was
a foreman at the Bindura nickel mine. An example of her unwavering support
was in an interview where she spoke about Tsvangirai, saying; 'He is a good
man, husband and a loving father. Once he sets his eyes on a target he never
takes his eyes off the target until he has achieved it. He is a man of great
determination, and above all a man of great courage. I think he has proved
his courage to the world. He has fought Mugabe for 10 years and is still
fighting. We all know that Mugabe's tactics are not always above board, but
that didn't faze my Morgan.'

Susan stood by Tsvangirai throughout his treason trial, 4 assassination
attempts and last years police beating, plus many other forms of harassment
and assaults.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti paid his tributes to her at Tuesday's service,
saying; 'Many of us are in pain but many of us were so shocked. She was a
mother to the democratic struggle. She was there when we were beaten, when
we suffered. She has left a void that will not be filled.' Biti told
Tsvangirai, 'You have no time to cry. All these people are looking up to you
for your leadership.'
Former Zimbabwe National Students Union President, Nkululeko Sibanda, told
Newsreel, 'Amai Tsvangirai was a mother to me; every time I went to her
residence she offered me food and tea. Other than being the MDC President's
wife she did not send workers to offer us food, she brought it. She was as
good as my mother in her manner. My experience with her always reminded me
of the love and innocence of an African mother's love. She was authentic,
she was humble and she was encouraging and an asset to Tsvangirai. If anyone
is responsible for this, please tell us what the issue is? I loved her.'

Sadness tinged with new hope as Zimbabwe mourns Susan Tsvangirai

http://www.timesonline.co.uk

March 11, 2009

Jan Raath in Humanikwa village, southeast Zimbabwe
Mourners came from all over Zimbabwe. Some had walked for two days to see
Susan Tsvangirai, the wife of the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangira, laid to
rest today.

About 5,000 of them thronged the Tsvangirais' home village in the wooded
hills of Buhera district. They hoped that their pilgrimage would spur Mr
Tsvangirai's determination to continue in office to deliver the country to
eventual victory over President Mugabe and a better life. They carried with
them a sense of certainty that change was on its way.

Among them were four prison officers who had been forced to fill in their
ballot papers last June in front of their commanding officer to ensure that
they voted for Mr Mugabe. "We were very frightened then," said one of them.
"But we do not fear any more."

It was a sign of the dramatic change of the country's mood in the month
since Mr Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister in Zimbabwe's new
coalition Government. The edginess that was always present at any meeting of
his Movement for Democratic Change, that Mr Mugabe's ZANU(PF) militia would
swoop, was absent today.

The funeral was more like a political rally, with most mourners in MDC
regalia, chanting, thrusting their arms in the party's open-handed salute,
and even fighting over T-shirts bearing Mrs Tsvangirai's image, that MDC
workers handed out.
There was anger too. No one believed that the crash that killed Mrs
Tsvangirai last Friday was an accident. "They will try again," said Concilia
Ndlovu. "God will punish them."

Last June, the village had been attacked by a party of 50 soldiers and youth
militia, said Albert Muzadzi, the Prime Minister's nephew, who bears the
scar of the assault on his left shoulder. "Three were killed in this ward,
and 13 in the ward next door," he said.

About 10km (6 miles) from the village is the crossroads where the first two
MDC victims of Mr Mugabe's war against the party died, in 2000. They were
burnt to death in their car. "We will revenge," said a young man from the
district.

In recognition of Mr Tsvangirai's growing stature, the occasion was attended
by nearly every Western ambassador in Harare and Cabinet ministers from many
Southern African countries.

"They would never have come for the funeral of anyone from ZANU(PF)," said
one of the several white MDC supporters present. "Mugabe will cry when he
sees this on TV."

Mr Mugabe did not attend. When there was an appeal from the podium for
ZANU(PF) ministers present to offer condolences, none came forward,
apparently cowed by the charged atmosphere.

However, when a Botswana minister congratulated Mr Mugabe on his
conciliatory remarks at a memorial service at a Harare church yesterday, the
crowd applauded generously. Mr Tsvangirai sat in silence throughout,
according to traditional custom.

The country's Supreme Court today ordered the release on bail of Roy
Bennett, the former white farmer and now Mr Tsvangirai's choice as deputy
agriculture minister. Western diplomats said that the move reflected a shift
in the balance of power.

Australian today became the first Western country to renew financial support
with a pledge of $10 million, "to help Mr Tsvangirai and the so-called
inclusive Government restore water and health services, and relieve the
suffering of the Zimbabwe people", said Steve Smith, the Foreign Minister.

MDC says houses burnt down in Zimunya and Buhera

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
11 March 2008

On Tuesday Robert Mugabe called for peace and for an end to violence. He was
at a church service for the late Susan Tsvangirai. But it appears his 'plea'
has fallen on deaf ear, as far as his own followers are concerned.

While the ZANU PF leadership and most ministers in the inclusive government
joined the Tsvangirai family to mourn the Prime Minister's wife, the MDC in
Manicaland Province accuse ZANU PF supporters of once again terrorising MDC
supporters in Zimunya and Buhera.

Pishai Muchauraya, MDC MP for Makoni South, said a house belonging to Robert
Jack Saunyama, the party's provincial security officer, was burnt to the
ground on Tuesday night. The MDC also claims that 10 houses were burnt down
in Ward 5 in Buhera West.  Muchauraya said although there was extensive
damage to the properties, no one was injured. He said the people whose homes
were attacked in Buhera had gone to mourn Amai Tsvangirai at the Prime
Minister's homestead, also in Buhera.

The MDC said reports were made to the police and investigations are
underway. We were not able to get a comment from Zimunya and Buhera police.

It is always difficult to know if Mugabe is sincere when he uses words of
peace. Frequently in the past he has called for peace through the
microphone, while at the same time ordering violent reprisals against
political opponents.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said that the car crash that killed his
wife was an accident, and that foul play is one in a thousand, and there has
been an unprecedented outpouring of messages of support from the ZANU PF
leadership. Mugabe said the tragic accident was the hand of God. 'We are
sincerely saddened by the death of Susan and we hope that Morgan will remain
strong."

This resulted in Tsvangirai's eldest son Edwin thanking Mugabe for "the kind
words that changed my understanding of him." He also urged his father to
look ahead to the work of rebuilding Zimbabwe.

On the same day the MDC issued a condolence message at the death of a ZANU
PF stalwart, speaking in very glowing terms about retired Army-General
Zvinavashe. This was a man who used the war in the DRC to enrich himself and
who publicly declared he would not salute Tsvangirai.

There are very mixed reactions about what all this unusual rhetoric means
and if it is sincere.

Some say the untimely death of the Prime Minister's wife may be the catalyst
that will bring the divided country together. They believe that through her
death, and that of General Zvinavashe, ZANU PF and the MDC may work together
differently.

But there are others who are extremely sceptical and say the sequence of
events is very strange and seem too well orchestrated. The sceptics say it
is delusional to think that ZANU PF has suddenly changed, after years of
violence, torture, beatings and deliberately inflicted starvation.

While Zimbabweans ponder the unfolding events the rest of the world is
cautiously watching and some are more inclined towards justice, rather than
forgiveness.

Justice Richard Goldstone, a distinguished South African judge and former
international war crimes prosecutor, has told Australia's ABC radio that
last week's decision by the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant
against Sudan's President Al Bashir, sets a precedent for action against
Mugabe. He said the Zimbabwean leader's 'conduct over many years warranted
the attention of the International Court's prosecutor' and that he would
like to see the members of the Security Council make a reference to the ICC
for Mr Mugabe to be charged with crimes against humanity.

The question that remains is - what do Zimbabweans want? Do they want to try
and forget the past atrocities and just hope they never recur? Can a nation
really move forward, without some form of justice and accountability?

Australia boosts aid to Zimbabwe by $10m

http://news.smh.com.au/

March 11, 2009 - 6:59PM
Australia will give another $10 million to Zimbabwe to help provide clean
water and draw health professionals back into the system.

Water-borne cholera has so far claimed more than 4,000 lives in Zimbabwe,
according to World Health Organisation figures, while more than 89,000
people have the disease.

To date, Australia has provided only humanitarian assistance amid concerns
the regime of President Robert Mugabe could somehow swindle foreign aid
dollars.

But Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told parliament on Wednesday that the
time had come for additional assistance.

"I think that, provided we take the appropriate balance of circumstances
into account, we can render Zimbabwe development assistance and help to
build their capacity," he said.

Mr Smith acknowledged it was a period of difficulty for Zimbabwe's Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabweans are mourning the death of the prime minister's wife, Susan
Tsvangirai, who was killed in a car crash as the couple travelled from
Harare to their rural hometown of Buhera.

Her funeral was held on Wednesday.

While there have been questions about whether the crash was an accident, Mr
Tsvangirai has ruled out foul play.

Mr Tsvangirai works in a power-sharing arrangement with Mr Mugabe, who has
been denounced by much of the international community.

Half of the new development assistance will be spent on water sanitation and
infrastructure.

Mr Smith said the money would be spent through UNICEF.

"Recently Zimbabwe's local authorities took control again of responsibility
for the water infrastructure, and UNICEF dealing direct with local
authorities, in our view, minimises the prospects that that money will be
diverted for insidious purposes by Mr Mugabe or his associates," he said.

The other $5 million would be spent through the United Kingdom Department
for International Development (DFID) to help revive Zimbabwe's collapsed
health system.

"The health system of Zimbabwe has collapsed and they are in desperate need
of finding health professionals and health workers," Mr Smith said.

"DFID has recently introduced a program where they provide health workers
and professionals with additional incentive payments."

Mr Smith said the government would consider further opportunities to help
Zimbabweans with development assistance and capacity building.

Photojournalist's application dismissed

http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/

11th Mar 2009 09:36 GMT

By a Correspondent

FREELANCE photojournalist Anderson Shadreck Manyere's application for
refusal of further remand was on Monday dismissed by Harare magistrate
Archie Wochionga who said the state should be given time to conclude its
investigations.

The matter was remanded to 23 March 2009 while Manyere remains in custody on
alleged acts of banditry in terms of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act.

Defence lawyer Alec Muchadehama had filed the application for refusal of
further remand arguing that there was no basis for this given the protracted
length of time that Manyere has been in custody. Manyere first appeared
before the Harare Magistrates Courts on 24 December 2008.

The journalist reportedly went missing after he had taken his vehicle to a
garage in Norton about 40km west of Harare on 13 December 2008 until his
appearance in court on 24 December 2008.

Muchadehama told MISA-Zimbabwe that the issue of the merits on the
submissions of the application had not come into question, but that the
magistrate had merely deemed it fit to give the state a chance to complete
investigations and file its indictment papers. He said if the State failed
to file the necessary papers by 23 March 2009 the defence would make another
application for refusal of further remand.

Manyere has another pending application before the Supreme Court challenging
the High Court's decision to refuse him bail.

Manyere is being charged under Section 23 (1) (2) of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act which criminalises acts of insurgence,
banditry, sabotage or terrorism or alternatively Section 143 of the same Act
which relates to aggravating circumstances in relation to malicious damage
to property.

Daily cholera update and alerts, 10 Mar 2009

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 172.9 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:

- 283 cases and 6 deaths added today (in comparison 387 cases and 33 deaths yesterday)

- 30.5 % of the districts affected have reported today (18 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.%

Refugee crisis in Johannesburg sparks legal battle with church leader

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
11 March 2009

The leader of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, Bishop Paul
Verryn, has been dragged into a legal battle with local businesses in the
area, because of the swelling numbers of Zimbabwean refugees living on, and
around, the church premises.

The church is fighting a High Court application filed by local businesses,
who are seeking to have the refugees moved elsewhere. Business owners have
argued that there are serious sanitation, hygiene and safety scares as a
result of the numbers of exiles living on the streets outside the church,
and many have a demanded that a fence be erected to cordon off the exiles
from the rest of the city. Bishop Verryn is now facing a court action from
two companies which are adjacent to the church on Pritchard Street. They
want the church to remove the 20 mobile toilets which are a stone's throw
from one business which is a restaurant and to find an alternative place for
the refugees.

On Wednesday an emergency meeting between business leaders, church leaders
and City of Johannesburg officials was convened to find an urgent solution
to the refugee crisis now affecting the heart of Johannesburg. City
officials have now reportedly made steps to resolve the crisis, asking for a
joint task team to be formed with all the relevant parties, to deal with the
worsening hygienic conditions.

The Central Methodist Church has been a lifeline to thousands of Zimbabwean
refugees forced to flee their own country, which has been crippled by
combined humanitarian, economic and political crises.  With nowhere else to
go, more than 3000 men, women and children have been living on the church
premises, receiving food and medical treatment from local NGOs, with an
estimated 2000 living on the city streets outside. But that number has
swelled significantly in the past week, after authorities in the border town
Musina closed an overflowing refugee camp there.

By last Wednesday the makeshift shelters of an estimated 5000 Zimbabweans
exiles living at the Musina showgrounds had been torn down and burnt, after
the Department of Home Affairs announced it was closing a mobile refugee
registration office that was based near the camp. The decision to close the
camp was met with outrage by charity groups, with Doctors Without Borders
officials saying the move "demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the
humanitarian and protection needs of Zimbabweans seeking refuge in South
Africa and will have extremely negative consequences, as no allowances have
been made to ensure their access to shelter, food or medical assistance."

The charity described in a statement last week the cruel nature with which
authorities shut down the camp, explaining that families were not even
allowed to stay together. Last Tuesday authorities started dividing the
refugees into different groups, according to their legal status, gender, and
age. Women with children, pregnant women and unaccompanied minors were
removed from a special location that had been established for them at the
showground, despite having nowhere else to go. The remaining refugees were
then ordered to vacate the area. With many holding no documentation
protecting them from the threat of deportation, hundreds fled to
Johannesburg seeking protection and shelter.

Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that it is
considering giving Zimbabwean nationals temporary legal status in order for
them to work in the country. The exemption card would allow them to work and
live in South Africa for a period of time, yet to be decided by the
Government.

Zimbabwe's unity government faces huge hurdles

http://www.latimes.com

The nation's finances are dire and no aid is in sight; services such as
health, power and water are paralyzed; and Mugabe, who still calls the
shots, seems more fond of power plays than power-sharing.
By Robyn Dixon
March 11, 2009
Reporting from Harare, Zimbabwe -- Why are all those women carrying buckets
of water on their heads?

That was the first riddle that David Coltart, Zimbabwe's new education
minister, faced last month as he walked into his high-rise headquarters.

"The reason is that the whole of the Ministry of Education, 18 floors, has
no water in it. So my first, immediate task was to get the pump repaired. If
you walk down the stairwells you will gag, the stench is so bad on some
floors," Coltart said in an interview in his new office. (Most of the
bathrooms still weren't working.)

Until a few weeks ago, the Dickensian halls of the Education Ministry
belonged to President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party. Now under the new
"unity government," the ministry is run by his political opponents in the
Movement for Democratic Change. The deal was forced on the MDC by African
leaders to resolve a standoff over last year's disputed elections, in which
ZANU-PF lost its parliamentary majority.

"It's like a dark hole of Calcutta," Coltart said.

Mugabe's legacy of busted plumbing and peeling paint is the least of the
problems Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC party face in this
shotgun marriage of a government: The country's finances are catastrophic;
vital services such as health, education, power and water are paralyzed; and
the man still calling the shots seems more fond of power plays than power
sharing.

Tsvangirai promises reform and a better future, but he's trapped in a
difficult situation. Without money from the West, his team has no hope of
success. But he is unlikely to get that aid with Mugabe in power. And
failure by Tsvangirai would suit Mugabe and his hard-line allies just fine.

The prime minister's effort to sell the unity government as a reform
administration took a telling blow last week when President Obama ignored
his call to end Western sanctions imposed against Mugabe and his cronies.
Instead, the U.S. leader extended them another year.

A rare moment of real unity between the rivals has come as Tsvangirai faces
his most difficult hour: the death of his wife of 31 years in a car
accident. Mugabe visited Tsvangirai in the hospital the night of her death,
staying for more than an hour.

At a memorial service Tuesday, Mugabe expressed grief and even referred to
Tsvangirai by his first name -- a rare moment for a president who has shown
open disdain for his prime minister.

"We are sincerely saddened by the death of Susan and we hope that Morgan
will remain strong," Mugabe said. He called for an end to violence and said
Zimbabweans needed to work peacefully together.

Yet political prisoners -- including several close allies of Tsvangirai -- 
remain in prison and power struggles continue.

The wrangling between ZANU-PF and the MDC over control of the public service
sector could make or break Tsvangirai's bid for reform.

Last month, Mugabe infuriated Tsvangirai by unilaterally appointing the
heads of public services. Tsvangirai put out a statement declaring the
appointments null and void, but he lacks the power to reverse them.

Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe for 29 years, couldn't resist a snide prod at
the MDC: "You must also grant that we have new people and they would be
making a few mistakes. Well, if mistakes are outrageous, naturally they put
people off. But we try to correct each other," he said in a recent
Zimbabwean television interview. The MDC had assumed that control of public
services resided with the Public Service Ministry, and the party made sure
to win that portfolio in negotiations on the unity government. But it was
wrong.

Once in government, MDC officials stumbled upon an inconspicuous bureaucrat
named Mariyawanda Nzuwa; as chairman of the Public Service Commission, he
has the power to hire and fire any public servant and to block senior
appointments by the MDC.

MDC strategists say that Nzuwa is so powerful that he's Mugabe's de facto
prime minister, a key ally in the battle to control top public servants and
freeze out the MDC.

But nowhere is the dysfunctional marriage more strained than in the Home
Affairs Ministry, which is now run by two ministers -- one MDC, the other
ZANU-PF.

The MDC minister, Giles Mutsekwa, a former army major, is the lone
opposition figure in the agency, which is in charge of the police. Mutsekwa
has to grapple with both his ZANU-PF counterpart and the hard-line police
commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, a bitter opponent of change.

Even Mutsekwa's personal assistant seems a problem. When the minister agreed
to an interview with The Times recently, she briskly countermanded him.

Those kinds of power struggles, small and large, are unfolding every day,
some behind closed doors, others in the headlines.

One way to get people's loyalty, the MDC figures, is to make sure they're
paid. The first thing MDC Finance Minister Tendai Biti did was pay soldiers,
police and other civil servants in foreign currency vouchers, a move
designed to kick-start the economy, but also to win their support.

But what if the money dries up? Zimbabwe needs about $100 million a month
for operational expenses, half of which is the government's payroll. Its
monthly receipts are about $10 million.

"They need desperately to get some money," said one diplomat in Harare, the
capital, speaking on condition of anonymity, as is customary for envoys.
"It's a chicken-and-egg thing. They need to show they can make a go of it.
But if they don't get the money, it's difficult to make a go of it."

The MDC believes that the unity government will die without a financial
rescue package from the West.

"The only way we can resuscitate education in the short term is if we get
donor support," Coltart said. "To get that, we have to overcome the extreme
skepticism of the donor community. We have to show that we are all acting
with goodwill and that we are all committed to make this global political
agreement work," he said, speaking of the unity government.

But with some political activists still in jail, and continuing evictions of
white farmers from their land, the hard-liners who oppose the unity
government can send a message they are still in charge and block any hope of
a rescue package.

The West's conditions for engagement include economic stability and reform,
the release of political prisoners, news media freedom and restoration of
the rule of law.

"The question is whether ZANU-PF is willing to go there," the diplomat said.

That leaves the MDC ministers doing what little they can in their
departments, without much money or support.

During an interview in his Health Ministry office, Henry Madzorera offers a
litany of problems: There are widespread staff shortages and no medicines,
hospital equipment doesn't work and ambulances are broken down. It would
take $700 million to fix the system, he says.

As the interview ends, he has his own question.

"Do you know any donors who would help us?"

The MDC's struggle for funding is exacerbated by perceptions that Mugabe
remains firmly in charge -- the main barrier for Western donors.

"I'm still in control and hold executive authority," Mugabe said at a recent
celebration of his 85th birthday, "so nothing much has changed."

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Tsvangirai, Mugabe clash

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Wednesday, 11 March 2009
By Moses Muchemwa

Bulawayo - President Robert Mugabe has once again clashed with Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai over a ministerial retreat that was scheduled for
this month.

The meeting which was organised by the Prime Minister's office was
meant to put Cabinet Ministers, their deputies and permanent secretaries to
map the way forward to tackle the economic crisis.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Gordon Moyo had
announced that the ministerial retreat would focus on the implementation of
the Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP).
However President Mugabe has ordered the cancellation of the retreat
without giving reasons.
A statement released by the Chief Secretary to the President and
Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda confirmed that Mugabe was not happy with the
proposed ministerial retreat.
Analysts criticised Mugabe for throwing spanners in the Prime Minister's
sterling job of seeking ways to bail Zimbabwe of the deep humanitarian and
economic crisis.
The analysts added that Mugabe remained a major stumbling block to the
successful implementation of economic recovery programmes because of fear of
losing support to Tsvangirai.
The economic analysts said ever since Tsvangirai joined the government
last month, the economic situation was likely to improve because the MDC has
the potential to attract major investors.

ZimEye

Activists' Release A Positive Sign

http://www.voanews.com

The Following is an Editorial Reflecting the Views of the US Government


10 March 2009

In a welcome act, the Zimbabwean government has allowed the release of a
number of detainees on bail in the last week. Jestina Mukoko, director of
the Zimbabwe Peace Project, and the others who were abducted from their
homes and workplaces at the end of 2008 still face trumped up charges of
plotting to train fighters to commit acts of sabotage in Zimbabwe.

During their prolonged detention, they were denied access to their lawyers
and medical care for extended periods of time. Their release on bail allows
them to return to their homes and families after as many as 4 months of
imprisonment.

The Mugabe government's harsh treatment of its critics and opponents is well
documented, and such arrests are as much intended to intimidate others as to
punish the prisoners themselves. Even with the recent release of prisoners
besides Ms. Mukoko, dozens of political activists and others are still are
held in Zimbabwe's jails on politicized charges, including Roy Bennett, the
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Designate.

Two views then may be taken of these recent developments.

The political view could be that the activists' bail is a sign Mr. Mugabe is
acting in good faith with his new partners in the nation's unity government,
including Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and others of the Movement for
Democratic Change who long opposed him.

It also will appeal to the international community, which has demanded all
political prisoners be freed and last year's power sharing agreement be
fully implemented before providing anything more than humanitarian aid for
the troubled country.

The legal view, though, is much simpler: Ms. Mukoko and the others should
never have been abducted, arrested or detained in the first place and their
release, even on bail pending court action, is long overdue.

In sum then, the release of Zimbabwe's political prisoners is always a
positive sign, but many more are still in jail and the United States urges
that they be released without delay.