http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Peter Marimudza Monday 12 March
2012
HARARE – Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU) are set to resume
talks to
find ways to revive full diplomatic relations, suspended when
Brussels
imposed sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and his top
officials more
than a decade ago.
EU chief representative to Zimbabwe
Aldo Dell’ Ariccia told official media
in Harare that the European bloc last
month wrote to Mugabe proposing
dialogue, adding the EU embassy in Harare
had suggested dates for the talks
either at the end of this month or early
April.
“We have tried to find dates that are suitable for ministers here
and those
in Brussels. The dialogue is set to resume end of March or early
next
month,” Dell’ Ariccia was quoted as saying.
Zimbabwean foreign
affairs permanent secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha said
Harare was waiting
for formal invitation from EU foreign affairs chief
Catherine Ashton to the
dialogue that is expected to take place in Brussels.
The EU, alongside
the United States, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand,
imposed targeted
sanctions against Mugabe and his top officials in 2002 as
punishment for
allegedly stealing elections, human rights violations and
failure to uphold
the rule of law.
The sanctions include a ban on weapon sales to the
southern African country.
Mugabe, who denies violating human rights or
stealing elections, says
sanctions by the EU and its western allies were
meant to weaken him and
eventually cause his ouster from power as punishment
for seizing land from
white farmers.
Western nations – that continue
to give humanitarian aid – insist they want
Mugabe’s unity government with
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to implement
comprehensive political and
economic reforms, uphold human rights and the
rule of law before they can
lift the sanctions and provide direct financial
support to
Harare.
The veteran leader -- who insists the visa and financial bans
have had a
wider impact beyond the targeted individuals to damage Zimbabwe’s
once
vibrant economy --has blocked democratic reforms, especially in the
security
sector, saying these could only take place after sanctions have
been
removed. -- ZimOnline
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tichaona Sibanda
12 March
2012
The country’s national flag carrier Air Zimbabwe Holdings has been
disbanded, ending almost 32 years of continuous service.
But
Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development Minister
Nicholas
Goche immediately announced a ‘rebranding’ of the airline’s
company, which
is now Air Zimbabwe Private Limited.
He told the state controlled Herald
that cabinet had approved the change.
The ‘new’ AirZim will use an airbus
A320 aircraft for domestic and regional
routes and will acquire more
aircraft on lease to service its international
routes.
A source told
SW Radio Africa that the government might lease out its two
Boeing 767
planes to raise cash to service debts accrued by the former flag
carrier.
It’s believed the new brand will have to implement massive
job cuts and look
for strategic partners to make it a viable entity. Most of
its workforce,
including pilots and cabin crew, will be hired from the
disbanded company.
In December the financially crippled Air Zimbabwe
Holdings cancelled all its
flights to Johannesburg and London over fears
that their planes would be
seized to cover outstanding debts owed for
handling service charges.
A source told us the airline was forced to
abandon plans to take to the
skies again after partners began demanding
advance payments for their
services.
The airline owes Bid Air of
South Africa $500,000 in handling service
charges that have accrued over the
years, while it was also forced to raise
$1.2 million to pay off a debt owed
to U.S. company American General
Supplies, for aircraft spares.
The
American firm had impounded Air Zimbabwe’s Boeing 767-200 after it
landed at
London’s Gatwick Airport and had threatened to auction the plane
off if the
debt wasn’t paid off by the end of the day.
The suspension of AirZim
flights has allowed competitors to increase the
number of flights in and out
of Zimbabwe. South African Airways has three
flights daily while British
Airways’ Comair has a daily flight on the
Harare-Johannesburg route.
Emirates Airlines has already started operating
five flights a week, linking
Harare with Dubai and London.
Economic analyst Bekithemba Mhlanga told us
the reason behind the move to
disband the former national carrier was
because of its debts of around $140
million.
Mhlanga added that the
airline had reached what he called an ‘unsustainable’
financial situation
and had been unable to find new investors.
‘Air Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd is now a
new corporate entity with its own identity.
It is separate from Air Zimbabwe
Holdings whose debt is now part and parcel
of the national debt because
government has assumed it.
‘Anyone who wants to trace or pursue their
debt will have to do it with the
government, as it is now administrator of
the insolvent company Air Zimbabwe
holdings,’ Mhlanga said.
It will
be interesting to see if the government ever pays off any of this
huge debt.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
11/03/2012 00:00:00
by
Business Reporter
AIR Zimbabwe has leased an Airbus A320 for its
regional routes, but the
airline's planes remain grounded while the
government scrambles to find a
partner, a minister
confirmed.
Transport Minister Nicholas Goche said the aircraft would be
part of the
airline’s regional fleet.
“Yes I can confirm that it is
not a rumour that we have ‘acquired’ an A320
airbus but it is only for the
purpose of leasing. It has been here for a
while and it will be part of Air
Zimbabwe’s regional fleet,” Goche said.
“Air Zimbabwe’s old planes may not be
part of the regional and international
fleet as they will service local
routes.”
However, the airline remains grounded after suspending
operations due to
problems with creditors and strikes over pay by pilots and
other key staff.
Goche said flights would only resume once the airline’s
problems have been
resolved.
“We do not want a situation where Air
Zimbabwe can resume operations and
suddenly suspend them,” he said.
‘‘We
want Air Zimbabwe to restore its customers’ confidence,” he said.
The
company pulled out of international and regional flights after restive
creditors seized aircraft in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Air
Zimbabwe is believed to owe various local and international creditors
more
than US$140 million.
The government has since pledged to take over the debt
to help the airline
return to viability.
However, the airline’s
problems appeared to be mounting at a time
competition is also increasing
with a number of regional and international
carriers returning to
Harare.
Dubai-based Emirates Airlines has already introduced started
flying into
Harare from London, a key route for Air Zimbabwe.
Goche also
confirmed that Air Namibia and Precision Air of Tanzania would
also start
flying into Harare.
“Air Namibia will resume its flights to Harare in
April. We still have
offers from other airlines that want to come to
Zimbabwe,” he said.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
12 March 2012
Monday March 12th was, in theory, doomsday
for Information Minister Webster
Shamu – the deadline by which he had to
implement the media reforms ordered
by the three principals to the inclusive
government.
But to the surprise of no one he has once again ignored a
deadline.
According to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Shamu was ordered to
reform
the boards of three key media institutions, which were declared
unconstitutional because they were appointed unilaterally by one political
party, ZANU PF. Tsvangirai told journalists that Shamu had three weeks to
comply.
Stewart Musiwa, Coordinator at Community Radio Harare (CORAH),
told SW Radio
Africa that ZANU PF has no intention of reforming media and
open it up to
independent players. “It would be detrimental to their chances
of
manipulating the airwaves,” he added.
Musiwa explained that the
Broadcasting Authority (BAZ) has avoided calling
for community radio
applications, as required by the Broadcast Services Act,
because they do not
want people to be able to comment on their failures.
CORAH said that last
year they become tired of waiting for the broadcasting
authority to make a
move: “We submitted an unsolicited application last year
just to test the
waters and were denied a license.” CORAH then took BAZ to
court and are
still waiting for a hearing date.
With ZANU PF pushing for elections this
year, while resisting media reforms
agreed to by the principals in the GPA,
Musiwa said any election held before
those reforms are implemented will not
be free or fair. “They manipulate
things to ensure victory, including the
constitution process,” Musiwa said.
Just last week Shamu was reportedly
summoned by the committee charged with
overseeing reforms agreed to by the
coalition government, JOMIC, to account
for his refusal to comply with the
principals’ orders. It is not clear when
this was due to happen, but the
Minister remains silent on the matter.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Monday, 12 March 2012
15:18
HARARE - Attorney General (AG), Johannes Tomana’s directive to
stop arrests
of MPs who abused Community Development Funds, (CDF) has
invited the ire of
commentators and a cabinet minister who argue that he
wants to protect
legislators from Zanu PF.
Tomana has instructed
investigations and arrests by the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC), on MPs
accused of abusing CDF to be put on hold.
He said the ministry of
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs should
conduct a thorough audit of
all 210 constituencies.
Social commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said Tomana’s
directive came about upon
realising that Zanu PF MPs could have been the
next target, hence he wanted
to protect the former ruling party from
possible embarrassment.
“It seems that he has realised that his cronies
would be the next to be
arrested hence he had to use his constitutional
powers. It is unfortunate
that this could promote corruption and render the
ACC useless at the end,”
said Ngwenya.
Constitutional Affairs
minister Eric Matinenga said the AG should leave the
AAC to do its
constitutional duty of investigating all suspected abuse of
public funds by
legislators.
Matinenga told the Daily News yesterday that his ministry
was in possession
of a letter written by Tomana instructing the ACC to stop
investigating
allegations of corruption on MPs until all 210 constituencies
are audited.
“The ideal situation in a democratic society would be that
every
constitutional body is allowed to do its duty. In this case, we do an
audit
and if we are not satisfied, we hand it over to police who carry out
another
investigation to ascertain if there is any criminal case,” said
Matinenga.
He said that it would be very unfortunate if Tomana’s powers
prevail as his
ministry has no powers to investigate criminal
cases.
“After that the police would then approach the AG’s office for
prosecution
that is where Tomana comes in,” Matinenga said.
At least
10 MPs have been targeted by the ACC after they failed to account
for $50
000 they received from Finance minister Tendai Biti as
Constitutional
Development Funds (CDF).
So far four MPs have been charged with fraud and
abuse of authority after
they failed to account how they used public
funds.
Three of the four MPs are from the mainstream MDC while Franco
Ndambakuwa a
Zanu PF MP was accused of squandering almost everything from
CDF.
Matinenga said he has since asked his officials to prepare a
consolidated
report concerning the manner in which audits are being carried
so that his
ministry remains clean over Tomana’s
intentions.
According to Tomana’s letter which was quoted in the state
media, Matinenga
stands accused of selective application of the law as he is
targeting a few
MPs while shielding his cronies.
However, Matinenga
refuted the allegations saying he was still to finish
auditing every
constituency.
“We have only attended to 65 constituencies, the big
problem that we have is
that we have five auditors in the ministry which
makes it difficult for us
to rush the process. Everyone will be
audited.
“From those we have audited, we have only referred four
constituencies to
the ACC so that they can further investigate. This has
nothing to do with
witch-hunting but we are working according to the
information we receive,”
said Matinenga.
He said they had to verify
whether returns submitted pertaining to the usage
of the money tally with
the work done on the ground and this was being done
through
auditing.
Matinenga has been given until June to provide all audited
reports so that
Tomana could act.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance
Guma
09 March 2012
A coalition of civil society groups who recently
visited the Marange diamond
fields have expressed concern that they were
denied access to information on
“production data, revenues generated and
allocation of mining rights” in the
area.
After years of being denied
access to the diamond fields, the civil society
groups were allowed to visit
the mines on the 7th and 8th of March. Last
month Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, his deputy Arthur Mutambara and
Finance Minister Tendai Biti
were also allowed access to the controversial
mining ventures.
While
acknowledging ‘improved security’ the Kimberly Process Civil Society
Coalition Representatives who visited this week, have conceded that their
trip only observed ‘technical’ matters related to production and they were
not able to assess the human rights situation nor get a sense of where the
diamond revenue is going.
At the core of most criticism is that most
mining ventures in the Marange
area are owned and run by key Mugabe
loyalists in the military and state
security agencies. Mines Minister Mpofu
has also been accused of corruptly
awarding mining rights to ZANU PF cronies
and this many say explains his
property buying spree.
Hundreds of
so-called illegal panners were gunned down using helicopter
gunships when
the military took over control of the area. The massacres and
reports of
forced labour practices sparked an international boycott of the
diamonds.
After several showdowns, a decision was later made to allow
limited
exports.
Still there is concern that despite the huge production in
Marange the
remittance figures are low.
The civil society groups have
also raised concerns that the diamond mining
is disrupting the livelihoods
and social fabric of “families that are fenced
inside concessions or on the
verge of relocation in area such as Betera,
Chiadzwa, Charamba, Chishingwi,
Chipindiwe and Garamanowako villages.”
Dust emissions as a result of
industrial activities “in conjuction with the
poor road infrastructure can
adversely cause serious respiratory diseases,”
the groups said. They also
raised concern over the possibility of water
contamination for families
emanating from the mining activities.
A joint statement by the groups
said because of time limitations they were
not able to meet the relocated
families “in order to obtain first hand
information regarding the living
conditions. This will be pursued in the
near future.”
Meanwhile it’s
reported that NewsDay journalist Moses Matenga was arrested
in Marange on
Wednesday after allegedly being found with a ‘suspicious stone’
during the
tour by civil society groups. He appeared before a Mutare
magistrate for an
initial remand hearing and was remanded to 16th March on a
$20
bail.
The case against Matenga is that he was caught on CCTV opening his
wallet
and putting the stone in his mouth. The guard monitoring the
surveillance
camera is then said to have alerted other guards who conducted
a search and
arrested him.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3451701.htm
Australian Broadcasting
Corporation
Broadcast: 12/03/2012
Reporter: Ginny
Stein
Transcript
EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: A battle is
brewing in Zimbabwe over control of
the country's newly-found diamond
wealth. Three companies have been licensed
to mine and export the diamonds,
potentially worth billions of dollars, but
the benefits are yet to be seen
by the people of Zimbabwe. Even the prime
minister claims he doesn't know
where the money is going, and that's
straining an already fragile
power-sharing arrangement.
Africa correspondent Ginny Stein
reports.
GINNY STEIN, REPORTER: Once tarnished as blood diamonds,
Zimbabwe's gems
have been cleared for sale.
OBERT MPOFU, ZIMBABWE
MINES MINISTER: They've already started auctioning. I
mean, the DMC has sold
their diamonds, Engin has sold their diamonds and all
the recently certified
companies have sold their diamonds.
GINNY STEIN: Mining at Chiadzwa,
possibly the world's richest alluvial
diamond find, is now operating around
the clock.
TENDAI BITI, ZIMBABWE FINANCE MINISTER: Zimbabwe's diamonds
will be a
billion-dollar industry. There's no question about it. The finds
at Chiadzwa
are amazing and unbelievable finds by any
standards.
GINNY STEIN: While the peak diamond body may have approved
their sale,
no-one is quite sure just who's profiting, let alone the
country's prime
minister.
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, ZIMBABWE PRIME MINISTER:
The amount of activity there is
quite extensive. But what do we show for
it?
TAKURA ZHANGAZHA, INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ANALYST: It is a good thing
Zimbabwe
has diamonds, it is a bad thing that the government is not
utilising them
transparently and with honesty.
GINNY STEIN: In Mutare
the capital of what's now become known as the diamond
province of Zimbabwe,
revenues from the mines are being closely watched.
With little transparency
to date, just who is profiting remains the key
question.
Farai Maguwu
has been keeping a close eye on Chiadzwa since the Government
sent in
security forces to seize control at the height of a diamond panning
frenzy.
He spent time in jail for speaking out about human rights abuses at
the
diamond fields.
FARAI MAGUWU, DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT: I think now we
have got about three companies which have been
licensed to export now.
Within a few weeks we should be able to review
whether that decision means
we now have some paper trial of how our diamonds
are being exported, whether
this money's being properly accounted for and
whether this money's making an
impact on the Zimbabwean people.
GINNY
STEIN: Three years into a power-sharing government made up of unequal
partners, control of this wealth could decide the country's future. With
president Robert Mugabe one of the world's longest-serving leaders seeking
re-election, there are fears that the country's new riches will fund
campaigns and even renewed violence.
Finance minister Tendai Biti
belongs to prime minister Tsvangirai's party.
TENDAI BITI: There is no
transparency in the present moment. The Chinese
that are there, the Lebanese
that are there - no-one is sure of what is
happening vis-a-vis the revenue
transmission. They are Zimbabwean assets and
they have to benefit the
Zimbabwean people. So far they're not benefiting
Zimbabwean
people.
GINNY STEIN: How much is it actually costing Zimbabwe, the
leakage from the
mines? Do you have a figure?
TENDAI BITI: It's
costing, ah, it's costing, ah, Zimbabwe, yes. I can't give
you, you know,
privileged information on the figures that I have, but the
fact of the
matter's that there's a gap.
GINNY STEIN: But is it $1 million, is it a
billion?
TENDAI BITI: I can't give you privileged information. Yes, the
figure is
close to billions.
GINNY STEIN: At 88, Mugabe must want an
election this year regardless of
committing to electoral and constitutional
reforms. For now, Zimbabwe
continues to mark time.
JOHN ROBERTSON,
INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC ANALYST: While he is there, you can
pretty well write
down exactly what's going to happen tomorrow and as long
as he's there. I
could still write down today what's gonna be happening in a
year's time if
he's still there.
GINNY STEIN: Which is?
JOHN ROBERTSON: Nothing.
Virtually nothing is allowed to happen, again
because they are fearful of
the possibility that other people's success will
diminish their
authority.
GINNY STEIN: The first step to real change is tied to a new
constitution and
that could be ready within weeks. While term limits are
likely to be set, a
transitional clause is expected to allow president
Mugabe to run for office
again.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Nine MDC activists were attacked and
injured by the Zanu PF terror gang Chipangano on Saturday while preparing for a
rally in Sunningdale, Harare.
The MDC condemns the continued use of
violence by Zanu PF and its militia as it is not conducive to national
development. Nine people were injured after Zanu PF thugs attacked them while
preparing for a peace rally at Sunningdale 1 Grounds and stole a tent that was
being erected there.
The injured are: the Sunningdale district Women’s
Assembly chairperson, Virgina Manyarara, Bongani Chimombo, Martin Revu, Admire
Nyandoro, Martin Soda, Last Gayigatsi, Nomsa Magodyo, Listen Muderedzi and
Tendai Maritinyu.
Muderedzi had a fractured jaw while Bongani sustained
serious cuts on his back. The rest managed to get treatment and were discharged.
It is sad that the police, who are supposed to provide security to all
citizens and uphold the law, stood by and watched as ruffians needlessly
attacked innocent law abiding citizens who were exercising their democratic
right of association and assembly.
This intolerance is retrogressive and
does not support growth of our national politics. A healthy society is one in
which people are allowed to make a choice based on what they believe in and what
they like.
As the MDC, we believe the people have a God-given ability
and option to choose and that ability should not be limited.
The MDC
urges the police force to show the same zeal and enthusiasm they project when
arresting innocent MDC members, by arresting Jimu
Kunaka and his gang of
thugs who continue to terrorise civilians of this nation.
The people of
Zimbabwe want peace and an end to all forms of violence, with a police force
that seeks to uphold the rule of law without fear or favour.
The
people’s struggle for real change: Let’s finish it!!
--
MDC Information & Publicity Department
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
12/03/2012 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
A SECRET squadron of Australian SAS soldiers has been
operating
clandestinely in Zimbabwe over the last year, an Australian
newspaper
sensationally claimed on Monday.
The special forces unit -
dressed in civilian clothes - also deployed in
Nigeria and Kenya on
intelligence gathering missions, The Age newspaper
reported.
The
unit’s operations put it on the “outer reaches of Australian and
international law”, defence experts said.
The African operations by
SAS 4 Squadron initially centred on possible
rescue scenarios for endangered
Australian citizens, such as freelance
journalist Nigel Brennan, who was
held by Somali rebels.
The soldiers have also assessed border controls,
explored landing sites for
possible military interventions and developed
scenarios for evacuating
Australians, as well as assessing local
politics.
The intelligence gathered by the Australian soldiers “all flows
into
databases used by the United States and its allies in Africa,” The Age
reported.
But the operations have raised serious concerns within the
Australian
military and intelligence community because they involve
countries where
Australia is not at war.
The revelations come just weeks
after an Australian couple were detained by
Zimbabwean police and accused of
spying before being deported.
Although the charges were unproven, it
would suggest a level of heightened
awareness in Zimbabwe’s intelligence
community about the presence of
Australian mercenaries on Zimbabwean
soil.
Last Saturday, Nathaniel Manheru, a columnist for the Herald
newspaper who
is widely believed to be President Robert Mugabe’s official
spokesman,
George Charamba, teasingly made reference to the arrest of
“western special
forces... a few weeks ago”, but gave no further
details.
The Age reports growing concerns within the SAS that the
soldiers do not
have adequate legal protection or contingency plans if they
are captured.
''They have all the espionage skills but without [ASIS's] legal
cover,''
said one government source.
In a comment relayed to
government officials, one soldier said: ''What
happens if we get
caught?''
Australian National University professor Hugh White, a former
deputy
secretary of Defence, said: ''Such an operation deprives the soldier
of a
whole lot of protections, including their legal status and, in a sense,
their identity as a soldier.
“I think governments should think
extremely carefully before they ask
soldiers to do that.''
Professor
Ben Saul of the University of Sydney said: “If Australian forces
are present
in other countries, in circumstances where Australia is not
fighting
lawfully in an armed conflict but they are just picked up as spies
on the
ground, that then exposes them to the full force and penalty of the
local
domestic law.
“In many countries espionage is an incredibly serious political
offence
which can carry the death penalty.”
SAS 4 Squadron is based
at Swan Island, near Queenscliff, a high-security
defence facility that has
doubled in size over the past decade, in part to
accommodate the new
squadron.
The squadron was formally raised in 2005 by the John Howard
government, but
its new intelligence-focused role was authorised in late
2010 or early last
year by Defence Minister Stephen Smith.
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare, March 12, 2012 — The United Nations World
Tourism Organisation
(UNWTO) Secretary General, Taleb Rifai is set to visit
Zimbabwe and Zambia
next month to see how the two countries are faring with
preparations for the
body’s general assembly meeting in Victoria Falls next
year.
Zimbabwe and Zambia last year won the bid to co-host the 20th
session of the
UNWTO meeting in the resort town of Victoria
Falls.
The confirmation of the visit was made on the sidelines of the
world’s
leading tourism and travel fair, ITB Berlin which ended on
Sunday.
Rifai met Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister, Walter
Mzembi and
Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Tourism.
Announcing his historic visit to the two countries Rifai said
his visit is
the highest level of re-engagement between the two countries
and the UN
agency which specialises in tourism.
“This visit will also
be political, let’s use it to raise awareness and
build excitement around
the continent and beyond for the next General
Assembly. Even the general
public should have interest in this important
event,” he said.
Rifai
expressed his desire to meet all tourism key stakeholders including
government, private sector, legislators, the media and civil society during
his official visit. He said he was impressed by the report he received from
the UNWTO inspection team that assessed facilities and progress in Zambia
and Zimbabwe early this month.
“We received with satisfaction the
news that the inspection team is happy
with preparations to date. We look
forward to all preparations being
concluded satisfactorily ahead of the
General Assembly,” said Rifai.
However, he said that it is important that
all outstanding bilateral issues
between Zambia and Zimbabwe would have been
finalised by the time of the
visit. Zimbabwe wants to use the UN meeting to
market the country as a safe
tourist destination.
Analysts say
accessibility would militate against the country from reaping
the benefits
associated with such meetings. The country’s airline, Air
Zimbabwe is in the
intensive care unit. This means that visitors for the
meeting have to go via
South Africa and then fly to Victoria Falls. If Air
Zimbabwe was operating,
delegates would fly to Zimbabwe and then connect to
the resort town.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
12 march
2012
The trial of MDC-T members accused of killing a police officer in
Glen View
last year, failed to kick off on Monday after the defence team
requested
more time to get instructions from their clients.
A
separate bail hearing, which was set for Monday for the 29 MDC-T members,
was also postponed to Thursday. Hundreds of people had turned up at the
court house, in support of the MDC activists and many were turned away as
the court was packed to capacity.
Lead defence lawyer Charles
Kwaramba told High Court Judge Justice
Chinembiri Bhunu that it had been
difficult to interact with the accused in
custody, because of the proximity
of prison guards inside the cells.
Kwaramba complained that it had not
been easy for the lawyers to get
instructions from their clients because the
prison officers were usually
within earshot, instead of eyeshot as the
prison regulations stipulate.
Seven members of the group spent 9 months
in custody. They were released a
month ago, and had only tasted freedom for
just two weeks before they were
taken into custody again.
The 29
MDC-T members are accused of murdering police inspector, Petros
Mutedza. The
group denies any involvement in the murder, saying the cop was
fatally
assaulted by patrons at a Glen View bar who were discussing
football.
The MDC-T group comprises Solomon Madzore, the MDC Youth
Assembly
chairperson, Last Maengahama, a National Executive Committee
member,
Councillor Oddrey Sydney Chirombe of Ward 33, Budiriro, Councillor
Tungamirai Madzokere of Ward 32, Glen View, Cynthia Manjoro, Lloyd Chitanda,
Stanford Mangwiro, Edwin Muingiri, Francis Vambai and Tendai
Chinyama.
Others are Jefias Moyo, Abina Rutsito, Gabriel Shumba, Stephen
Takaedzwa,
Linda Madyamhanje, Tafadzwa Billiard, Simon Mudimu, Dube
Zwelibanzi, Simon
Mapanzure, Augustine Tengenyika and Gapara
Nyamadzawo.
The rest of the group includes Paul Rukanda, Lazarus and
Stanford
Maengahama, Kerina Dewa, Memory Ncube, Rebecca Mafukeni, Yvonne
Musarurwa
and Phineas Nhatarikwa.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Alex Bell
12
March 2012
Efforts to reinstate the Southern African human rights court
have been
rewarded with an important breakthrough, after Africa’s top human
rights
body agreed to consider the case.
The African Commission was
approached last month over the suspension of the
regional human rights
Tribunal by Southern African leaders last year. The
SADC heads of state had
agreed to review the roles and functions of the
court, after it ruled
against Robert Mugabe and his land grab campaign. In
effect the regional
leaders’ refused to bring Mugabe to order over his
contempt of the Tribunal
and instead suspended the court.
This has left the entire region’s
citizens with no legal recourse against
their governments and has been
slammed as a ‘retrogressive’ and a massive
blow for Southern Africa’s human
rights commitments.
The closure of the court led to the launch of a
landmark legal application,
in which all 15 SADC leaders were cited as
respondents. The case was
launched by Zimbabwean farmers Luke Tembani and
Ben Freeth, in place of his
late father-in-law Mike Campbell, who all lost
land as part of the land
grab.
The Tribunal ruled in 2008 that the
scheme was unlawful, and ordered Mugabe’s
government to compensate farmers
who lost land, and protect the remaining
farmers from future illegal
seizures. But the Mugabe regime ignored the
Tribunal’s rulings and was
repeatedly held in contempt because of ongoing
land seizures and threats
against the remaining commercial farming
community.
Freeth and
Tembani then decided last month to take their case against SADC
leaders to
the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, in the hope
the case
will be handed to the Commission’s human rights court.
In response to the
application lodged by Namibian lawyer Norman Tjombe, the
Commission said it
would consider the case and invited further submissions.
In a letter to
Tjombe, Dr Mary Maboreke, Secretary to the Commission, wrote
that they had
“considered your complaint and decided to be seized of it.”
She said, “the
matter had been registered and referenced.”
Freeth and Tembani’s legal
team has two months to make further submissions,
after which the Commission
will proceed with deliberations on the
admissibility of the
complaint.
Thoba Poyo-Dlwati from the SADC Lawyers Association on Monday
welcomed this
latest development, calling it a “good step in the right
direction.” She
told SW Radio Africa that this is a positive development for
a region that
has no other choice but to seek assistance from high-level
African
groupings.
“The African Commission would really be fulfilling
its role as a human
rights watchdog by taking this on. It is clear the
Commission or even the
African Union is the only available route for
recourse on this critical
issue,” she said.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Lloyd Mbiba, Staff Writer
Monday, 12 March
2012 15:06
HARARE - Zanu PF’s desperation to have Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai
arrested on trumped-up charges was exposed at the weekend
when politburo
member and serial political flip-flopper, Jonathan Moyo, once
again called
on the MDC leader to be nailed for allegedly inciting
violence.
Moyo claimed Tsvangirai should be arrested under the draconian
Public Order
and Security Act (Posa) for what he called inciting violence to
destabilise
the country.
But as it turns out, actually Tsvangirai
said he was against war and
violence as a way of winning
elections.
During the launch of the MDC Conditions for a Sustainable
Election in
Zimbabwe (CoSEZ) last Friday, Tsvangirai likened the clamouring
for
elections before reforms as calling for war.
In an opinion piece
in the state media at the weekend, Moyo tore into the
Prime Minister for his
utterances, arguing that he is so “desperate” as to
incite his supporters to
unleash violence.
“So Morgan Tsvangirai has become so desperate that he
has found it
politically profitable to blatantly and irresponsibly incite
his members to
unleash violence by getting them to view the forthcoming
harmonised
presidential, parliamentary and local government election as a
declaration
of war,” said Moyo.
“First Tsvangirai must be
investigated by the relevant law enforcement
authorities and held to account
without fear or favour for his shocking
statement that President Mugabe’s
call for elections this year is tantamount
to a declaration of war,” Moyo
said.
“That is a totally irresponsible and unacceptable statement whose
clear and
unquestionable motive is to instil public fear, engender alarm and
despondency, scare away tourists and incite violence to destabilise Zimbabwe
and is therefore criminal and thus intolerable,” he added.
But
Tsvangirai never called for war or violence. Tsvangirai actually implied
that those who were calling for elections without reforms wanted to reduce
the country to a war situation. He said: “The experience of disputed
elections accompanied by needless loss of blood in Kenya, Zimbabwe and the
Ivory Coast cannot be repeated and the conditions contained in the document
we are launching today, which in any case are Sadc’s minimum conditions for
elections, will go a long way in closing the recurrence of violence and
bloodshed.
“We are not afraid of an election but we will definitely
not participate in
a war. It is because of this that the MDC will not be
stampeded into a sham
election that is not predicated on the necessary
reforms.
“I wish to reiterate that the date for the next election is
process-driven
and until the conclusion of the Constitution-making process
and the
implementation of key media, electoral and political reforms will
the
President and I agree on a date for the polls. Zimbabweans want a
peaceful
election and not a war. That is what the people of this country
want and
that is what Sadc wants.”
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke
Tamborinyoka said Moyo is a nonentity who is
“always trying to find
relevance.”
He also said Moyo’s sentiments were misinformed and
misguided.
“Is it a crime for someone to want reforms? Jonathan Moyo is
indeed a funny
fellow. Since the WikiLeaks scandal, he has been trying to
find relevance
through stupid ways.
“Everybody knows that the whole
country wants reforms to be implemented
before the next election. If we are
to follow Moyo, then every citizen
should be arrested,” Tamborinyoka
said.
He asked: “Since when has Moyo become the spokesperson of the
police? If he
wants a new job, he should apply and stop wasting everybody’s
time.”
Moyo is one of the Zanu PF hardliners who have on many occasions
called for
the arrest of Tsvangirai.
Recently in one of his articles,
Moyo said the Prime Minister should be
arrested for fraud allegations that
he and a close relative Hebson Makuvise
misused $1,5 million in public funds
meant to buy a house for the premier in
the up-market Highlands suburb in
Harare.
Analysts say Zanu PF hardliners are using the fraud charges to
arm-twist the
Prime Minister to go for an election without
reforms.
Tsvangirai has said elections should be held after a cocktail of
reforms
have been implement. Chief among the reforms are a new constitution
and
security sector reforms.
However, Mugabe has insisted that
elections should be held this year without
fail and even without
reforms.
He argues that the Global Political Agreement (GPA) was formed
to end
violence and not initiate reforms.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
12 March
2012
The majority shareholders of River Ranch diamond mine, dubbed
‘Solomon’s
Mine’ have reportedly snubbed an indigenisation offer by the
Mujuru family,
and are instead approaching the government directly about
selling their
shares.
The family of the late army General Solomon
Mujuru has been wrangling with
the Dubai-based Rani Investment for control
of the River Ranch mine in
Beitbridge. This fight escalated and moved in a
new direction last week when
Rani Investment, headed by the Saudi-based
tycoon Adel Abdul Rahman al
Aujan, said it was now negotiating with
Zimbabwe’s government for the sale
of its stake in the mine.
Rani
Investment is the majority shareholder in Limpopo Resources, a company
that
owns 80% of River Ranch, in which the Mujuru family holds a 20% stake.
In
April 2004 Mujuru controversially took over River Ranch, with the help of
his then ally Al Aujan, who is a millionaire Saudi real estate developer.
But it appears that this relationship has soured, and there is speculation
about the links between the end of this relationship and the end of Mujuru’s
life.
It is being widely questioned if the wrangle for control of the
mine could
have led to Mujuru’s suspicious death in a house fire at his
Beatrice farm
last year. An inquest into his death ended earlier this year
with more
questions than answers about the events that night.
The
Zimbabwe Independent reported last week that Mujuru and his former
business
partner Al Aujan had been embroiled in a worsening war over plans
to
indigenise the diamond mine. Documents of an indigenisation plan done
before
Mujuru’s death, seen by the Zimbabwe Independent, reportedly also
revealed
that Mujuru and Al Aujan had a public falling out over the mine in
May last
year.
It’s also understood that Mujuru then died the night before he was
due to
travel to Beitbridge with Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere
to
finalise the indigenisation plan for River Ranch. This included a 45%
shareholding for Khuphukile Resources, whose directors are former ZANU PF
legislator Tirivanhu Mudariki and Mujuru’s daughter, Nyasha Mujuru del
Campo.
This meeting never happened and Rani Investment has now stated
its
intentions to sell its shareholding to the government, not to the
Mujuru’s.
The soured relationship and Mujuru’s subsequent death has
sparked more
questions in the ongoing controversy surrounding the mine,
which is already
believed to be the front for a money laundering scheme.
Allegations have
been made that the mine is being used to launder some of
the diamond plunder
from contracts in the DRC, secured by Mujuru and his
allies. This is because
their production numbers don’t tally with
revenue.
Meanwhile the Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe refused
to buy the
diamonds from this mine some years ago, but Mujuru flexed his
muscles in the
ZANU PF Central Committee and had the entire board
replaced.
SW Radio Africa has also revealed how Mujuru’s daughter, Nyasha
del Campo,
tried to set up a deal on behalf of her parents involving illegal
gold from
the DRC. She and her husband Pedro live in the Spanish capital
Madrid and
set up two companies there, allegedly with the help and financial
support of
the parents. The deal involved shipping about US$35 million worth
of gold
nuggets per month to Switzerland.
Firstar a company with
offices in Europe, said Mujuru’s daughter offered to
sell them the gold from
the DRC. The company said it withdrew from the deal
when it realized who
Nyasha was. The company also claimed that Vice
President Joice Mujuru then
phoned their Chief Executive in Europe,
demanding that the decision be
reversed.
River Ranch’s history is already mired in suspicious deaths.
The previous
owners of River Ranch, Adele and Michael Farquhar, were forced
off the
property by police at gunpoint. Despite the courts passing judgement
in
favour of the Farquhar’s, Mujuru continued to occupy and mine the
area.
The intimidation campaign then took a very personal and tragic turn
in
February 2010, when Adele’s brother, Richard Amyot, and his wife, Tecla,
were murdered.
Police ruled it a murder-suicide but investigations by
the family disputed
these findings. Tecla was reportedly shot four times,
including a close
range shot to the back of her head while she was lying on
the floor. Richard
was found slumped in a door frame as though running from
the room. He too
was shot in the head, but from medium range. No gunpowder
residue was found
either on his hands or at the bullets entry point.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Staff Writer
Monday, 12 March
2012 14:40
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HARARE - Political
commentator and a former defence service commissioner,
Ibbo Mandaza said it
is taboo for army officials to make political
statements as they are
considered “treasonous”.
Mandaza, who served in government soon after
independence, made the remarks
last week during the New Zimbabwe Lecture
Series that focused on whether
Zimbabwe should have elections this year or
not.
Mandaza said national institutions should not be abused by
politicians who
pretend to be civil servants.
“In the 1980s when our
national institutions were working, we had no army
officer speaking
politics. It was a taboo, I was in defence and police
service commissions
and there was never a tussle or a debate that so and so
should retire, it
happened naturally,” said Mandaza.
His statements come at a time when
some senior army and police officers have
declared their loyalty to Zanu PF,
a development that has attracted an
outcry from other political parties in
the inclusive government.
Police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri
has publicly declared his
allegiance to Zanu PF just like senior army
generals who have vowed not to
salute any leader who wins a free and fair
election but has no liberation
credentials.
Most retired and serving
army officers have spoken against MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai with one
Douglas Nyikayaramba describing the Prime Minister as a
security threat
rather than a political challenge to Mugabe.
“And now when we have a
situation where our national institutions have been
subverted, no one
retires and the President can’t retire and no one can
retire,” Mandaza
said.
“When I was in government police commissioners came and went, we
did not
have a problem with people not willing to go,” he
added.
Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube’s MDC party say Chihuri and other
uniformed
forces should go.
But the Zanu PF representative at the
lecture series Goodson Nguni said
those who want to see Chihuri’s back are
doing so in an attempt to weaken
the former revolutionary party.
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/
March 12th, 2012
It pains me that 30 years
after the country attained independence, ZANU (PF)
continues to claim that
it has brought about development in the country, yet
there are now people
who have to walk up to 30 kilometres to catch a bus.
This is not
development, it is destruction.
In a rural area some 80 kilometres from
Karoi I witnessed this myself over
Christmas. I saw scores of people walking
long distances after the police
had impounded the few trucks which ply the
area. Many of the poor villagers
who had gone to town to buy groceries for
the holidays failed to enjoy the
day as they were unable to get home on
time.
My relative commented that, “Impounding these vehicles for being
unfit is a
good idea, but it’s unfair for us because we have no other source
of
transport.”
I also discovered that these people have no choice but
to resort to open
trucks, bought by locals with tobacco funds, are at risk
of losing their
lives to the unfit vehicles and their unlicenced drivers.
According to the
area residents they last had a bus some 10 years ago before
the death of the
late ZANU (PF) Member of Parliament for the area, Shumba
Yaonda
Chandengenda.
The local Member of Parliament Peter Chanetsa
(ZANU-PF) is said not to have
visited the area since 2008 when he was
elected.
Posted by Beven Takunda
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
MISA Zimbabwe
Communiqué
12.03.1212:50pm
by MISA
ZIMSEC most closed
institution- MISA survey report
The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council
(ZIMSEC) is the most closed public
body while the National Arts Council of
Zimbabwe (NACZ) emerged as the most
open and transparent according to a 2011
survey report undertaken by
MISA-Zimbabwe.
The annual survey report
which was officially launched by MISA-Zimbabwe
Chairperson Njabulo Ncube in
Harare on 8 March 2012, focused on eight public
institutions to assess and
deterimine the availability and accessibility of
information held by public
bodies.
The other institutions so assessed included, the National Social
Security
Authority (NSSA), Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ), National Aids
Council
(NAC), Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), Zimbabwe Tourism
Authority
(ZTA) and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).
Of the
eight institutions, ZIMSEC did not have an accessible website, a
situation
that is very disturbing given the importance of its mandate. Of
the seven
institutions with websites, only two of these had up-to-date
information.
Five had very little or completely outdated information.
Only two
institutions, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and NSSA responded
to
written questions submitted by MISA-Zimbabwe.
However, ZIMSEC was the
most secretive of these institutions as it does not
have a website. Tasked
with the vital national responsibility of maintaining
the integrity of
Zimbabwe’s education system, it is inexcusable for such an
institution to
have no website as its operations are of serious
national/public
interest.
Meanwhile, given the standard principles on access to
information as well as
the criteria of the research, the National Arts
Council of Zimbabwe fared
relatively better and deserving of the 2011 Golden
Key Award for the most
open and transparent public institution while the
National Aids Council
qualifies as the runner-up.
Ncube stressed that
the right to information underpins a host of other human
rights. “For
example, freedom of expression and thought inherently rely on
the
availability of adequate information to make informed
opinions.
“Likewise, the realisation and claim to other rights is also
dependant on
having sufficient information in that regard,” he
said.
He noted that contrary to its perceived intentions, the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) had cumbersome provisions
and requirements which did not enhance citizens’ right to access to
information. This situation was made worse by other existing legislation
such as the Official Secrets Act and the fact that the constitution did not
explicitly guarantee the right to access to information.
“As
MISA-Zimbabwe we therefore urge the government of Zimbabwe to table the
proposed Freedom of Information Bill before parliament which we hope will go
a long way in enhancing citizens’ right to access to information and foster
transparency and accountability in both private and private bodies,” said
Ncube.
Guest speaker and former Attorney General of Zimbabwe Andrew
Chigovera said
access to information falls within the general rubric of the
right to
freedom of expression. He said the importance of the free flow of
information cannot be overemphasised as this was key to the development and
welfare of society and enjoyment of other fundamental
freedoms.
Chigovera who also served as a Commissioner with the African
Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights, castigated the provisions of AIPPA
saying they
were never intended to provide access to information. He
observed that the
provisions were not in line with international standards
and best practices
and contravene the requirement that any limitations to
freedom of expression
must be reasonably justifiable in a democratic
society.
In its report MISA-Zimbabwe calls for the repealing of the
offending
provisions under AIPPA that make it cumbersome to access
information. “These
should be substituted with provisions that compel public
institutions to
periodically release information about their operations;
establish
monitoring mechanisms on public bodies compliance; penalties for
breach of
the law, among other provisions that are in sync with
international
instruments on freedom of expression and access to
information,” says the
report.
There is also need for increased
awareness campaigns on the right to access
to information targeted at
government institutions and members of the public
to exert pressure on the
institutions to release information in the public
interest.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
March 21: Red Lines, Please Draw Them
Mr Zuma
12.03.1204:19pm
by Staff Reporter
With nine days to go
before Round 3 of the 21st Movement Global Zimbabwe
Protest Free Zimbabwe
Global Protest on March 21st diaspora-based
Zimbabweans' demonstrators are
stepping up their protest and adding demands.
In South Africa the usual
demo will be held at the Union Buildings and the
co-ordinators are asking as
many Zimbabweans as possible to attend,
especially in light of Zanu (PF)'s
attempts to go back on promised reforms
before elections.
"We have to
make sure the Union Buildings hear our noise so that when Jacob
Zuma goes to
Harare he will tell Mugabe that these demands are not just
coming from SADC,
but also from his own people.
"Our booking for the demonstration at the
Unions Buildings in Pretoria on
the 21st of March is from 12-2pm, so lets us
be there earlier so that we use
up all our time, " said Butholezwe Nyathi
who is co-ordinating in SA.
Global Co-ordinator, Den Moyo in the US said:
"It is without any shadow of
doubt that the protests are working and
influencing the political dynamics
at home. Our efforts are not in vain, and
we should all take pride in the
fact that we are doing something about the
chaotic situation at home."
He urged all Zimbabweans to participate, not
just MDC members, because the
struggle was for everybody and everybody would
benefit from a free and
democratic Zimbabwe, with rule of
law.
Co-ordinators agreed that the March 21st theme will be "RED LINES -
Please
draw them President Zuma"
The following are the RED LINES
which cannot be crossed and if crossed
should bear dire consequences that we
expect President Zuma to clearly lay
out.
The following are the RED
LINES which cannot be crossed and if crossed
should trigger dire
consequences that we expect President Zuma to clearly
lay out.
RED
LINE 1: New voters' roll as soon as possible - no elections without a
new
voters' roll.
RED LINE 2: Reorganization of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
(ZEC) to remove
members of the military and CIO operatives before fresh
elections are held.
RED LINE 3: No interference with the
constitution-making process - people's
views must be adhered to and Copac
should be allowed to complete the process
and see it through to a national
referendum.
RED LINE 4: Implementation of outstanding media reforms as
soon as possible.
RED LINE 5: Ensuring security sector re-alignment to
prevent interference in
political and electoral affairs and to prevent
state-sponsored electoral
violence.
RED LINE: 6: Release of all
political prisoners and stop harassment of
opposition and civic
organisations within a specified period.
In the UK this time around
Zimbabweans in the UK from all walks of life are
going to turn up in their
numbers and send a strong message to the rest of
the world that its high
time camera lenses this time around turn on the
Zimbabwe
situation.
To make this possible, the Chair of the District leading the
3rd round of
the 21st Global Protest Demo, Khama Matambanadzo, has
established a high
powered steering committee chaired by Washington Ali the
District Vice Chair
and five Branch executives drawn from across the
district.
While people will gather at the Zimbabwe Embassy at 1300 hrs
and later march
as is the norm to the South African embassy there will be
various other
activities among others which will include; singing, dancing,
speeches and
performances.
In Western Australia protestors will be
seeking audience with the
Perth-based Consular, with members saying they are
encouraged that the RSA
seems to be applying considerable
pressure.
MDC-USA secretary, Mr. Andrew Chaponda, said: "Our message to
the
peace-loving people of Zimbabawe is:
"Aluta Continua. Our message
and actions have not escaped the attention of
our leaders back in Zimbambwe.
In the USA we are encouraging our members,
Zimbabweans as well as friends of
Zimbabwe to join others at their
respective Embassies and Consulates in
Washington DC, Chicago, and New York
and show the world we need change in
Zimbabwe."
"While we are encouraged by the statements attributable to
some South Africa
government officials, we remain nonetheless resolved to
press upon South
Africa and President Zuma to demand the enforcement of the
GPA. This is the
time for action, not appeasement."
He said, the
message from the MDC leadership is encouraging and deserves to
be supported.
As Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, we have this unique vantage to
show Mugabe
and Zanu (PF) that human rights are universal rights. The right
to
participate in a free and fair election ought to be a routine
expectation.
This movement will continue to gather strength. The
March events will
provide activists an opportunity to meet and talk about
the fourth Global
Protest on April 21, which will also coincide with our
country's 32nd
independence celebrations. MDC Washington DC District have
tentatively
offered to host the event.
Round 1, Jan 21, 2012 - The
world was taken by surprise
Round 2, Feb 21, 2012 - The world took
notice
Round 3, Mar 21, 2012 - The world will be awed!!, said Chaponda
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
This past week, the MDC held a press conference where
the leadership of the
Party announced their minimum demands for the
conditions under which any
future elections are to be held in Zimbabwe.
Nothing dramatic or new, but
the Party simply set out to remind everybody
what had been agreed and signed
by all three Parties under the GPA, what had
been agreed subsequently at the
level of the three Principals and in Cabinet
and finally what the SADC and
the AU had set out in the past 18 months as
the
12.03.1212:54pm
by Eddie Cross
Taken together the documents
make powerful reading and the message was very
clear; Zanu PF has agreed and
signed up to a raft of reform measures, which
if implemented in full, will
deliver a free and fair democratic election in
Zimbabwe, the outcome of
which could not be challenged by anyone.
At the Press Conference, Morgan
Tsvangirai defended the strategies of the
MDC that had led to this position
over the past 12 years. He acknowledged
the criticisms and the view of many
both inside and outside the country,
that the MDC should have used a
different mix of measures to bring about
change. But he reiterated that the
MDC strategy of working for change using
democratic, peaceful and legal
means was a deliberate choice. He said that
the refusal of the organisation,
no matter what the provocation, not to
retaliate or use violence in any form
(not even street demonstrations) had
been a deliberate and conscious
choice.
In September 2008 when the GPA was signed in Harare, the three
political
parties had first sight of what had been negotiated behind closed
doors by
the three teams assisted by the South Africans. The negotiations
had been
conducted in complete secrecy at the insistence of the
Facilitators. The
reaction in Zanu PF was shock. Senior figures in the
Politburo asked their
leadership what they thought they were doing –
recognizing immediately, that
the GPA, if implemented, would lead to the
destruction of Zanu PF in a
future election.
The decision was taken
to go along with the deal but to fight a rear guard
action to impede MDC
power and role in the upcoming GNU and to slow down or
even subvert the
reform process. The result was a five month fight over the
power sharing
deal during which time Zanu PF put together a strengthened
Joint Operations
Command, a Parallel Government of senior Civil Servants and
appointees in
all arms of the State and moved to take over the diamond mines
in Manicaland
as an alternative funding source to those that had been used
to loot the
State up to then.
Regional changes impeded their progress when Mbeki was
summarily pushed
aside by the ANC and replaced by an acting President who
was more
sympathetic to the MDC and the democratic process. Assisted by
these
changes, the MDC made some gains (Ministry of Finance and half the
Ministry
of Home Affairs) and reluctantly agreed to go into a government
that Morgan
Tsvangirai described as a “Mule that would be stubborn, stupid
and sterile”.
Once locked into government with the MDC, Zanu PF stalled
the reform
process, ploy after ploy was used and after some early gains the
whole
reform process was brought to a halt, creating another crisis in the
country, greater uncertainty and slowed economic recovery. In mid 2010 Zanu
PF took the decision to abandon the GPA altogether – they did not announce
this but simply began to plan on an alternative.
The result was the
idea of a snap election that they could manipulate and
control and dictate
any outcome. To do so they had to get into a position
where they could call
for and get away with, an election that did not comply
with the reforms they
had signed up to in the GPA. So, backed by the
conditions of dysfunctional
State they themselves had created in the
country, they argued that “the GPA
was unworkable, the GNU was deadlocked,
economic recovery was stalled by
political uncertainty and the only way to
clear up the mess was an immediate
election”.
This position was reinforced by the mantra repeated constantly
in all forums
that “Zimbabwe is a sovereign State, we have a Constitution,
Mugabe is the
State President and has the power to suborn Parliament and
call elections”.
This was reinforced by saying that the existing voters roll
was “clean” and
would provide the basis for delimitation and the new poll.
Everything was in
place and ready to go.
Inside the Party, Zanu PF
preparations were detailed and considerable in
scope, paper was imported for
posters, jingles written for radio and TV, a
campaign was planned around
agreed themes and the whole of the JOC and
parallel State mechanisms were
mobilized to manage the campaign and
determine the outcome. The structures
of oppression and violence were
deployed to every District and Ward and a
quiet campaign of elimination,
abduction, imprisonment and intimidation was
put in place. They were careful
not to repeat the mistakes made in 2008 when
public violence simply made a
credible election impossible.
Their
only difficulty was the further changes taking place around them – in
South
Africa Jacob Zuma came to power and appointed a tougher facilitation
team,
established a powerful intelligence network inside Zimbabwe to keep
himself
informed and began the process of strengthening regional consensus
on what
to do in Zimbabwe to resolve the deepening crisis. Outside the
region, the
Arab spring began to gain momentum and African leaders became
more proactive
in seeking to halt the conflicts on the continent.
The final result has
been a regional and continental consensus that the
leadership in Zimbabwe
must abide by their agreements, implement the needed
reforms and only then
hold elections. Despite all their efforts, both
diplomatic and secret, Zanu
PF has been unable to shift African opinion,
this was clearly demonstrated
in the series of summits in the SADC in 2011
(Livingstone, Mid Rand and then
Luanda) and finally at the AU summit in
Addis in February 2012.
The
result is that despite regular demands that they are able and entitled
to
call for an election, the Zanu PF leadership has been unable to convert
their rhetoric into reality. The efforts of the JOC to engineer conditions
for a military coup have also been frustrated and today, given the changes
that are taking place in the rank and files of the armed forces, the JOC is
looking isolated and unable to take any sort of unilateral action to derail
the democratic process that is under way
This is the background to
the pending visit to Zimbabwe by the President of
South Africa in yet
another effort to keep the process launched by the South
African Government
in February 2007, on track. He is taking his time and
will come fully
briefed and prepared and I personally expect significant
developments. To
back this up, it now seems that a breakthrough is taking
place in the
Constitution making exercise.
After two years of painfully slow progress
and discussion, agreement is
close on all key elements and Zanu PF is again
disappointed and frustrated –
this time because they were unable to control
the process and dictate the
outcome. The final result is a compromise – we
cannot claim to be happy
ourselves, but it is OK as a transitional
Constitution and is better than
what we have got, and that was
essential.
For Zanu PF it is decision time, once again. They are locked
into a process
that will take them to destruction in a free and fair poll
and they know it.
They have some hard choices to make and this time it is
MDC that has drawn
the line in the sand which will dictate the outcome. This
time there is no
fudging the issues or distorting the outcome.
Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 12/03/12.
With reports that human rights abuses
continue in Marange despite government
spin, it is now imperative for 2012
to be the year of the new Diamond Mining
Act.
The recent guided tour
of Chiadzwa by civil society activists has raised
more questions than
answers that it can be safely said to have backfired.
Those who went on
the “don’t pick anything” tour of the diamond fields were
“impressed” by
what they saw but it was not the whole story.
For instance, the activists
were not allowed to talk to the local villagers,
who continue to report of
physical abuse by both private security guards and
state security and being
short-changed with paltry compensation schemes
after
displacement.
Visitors expected a greater degree of openness at the
controversial diamond
mines like that experienced during tours of some of
the country’s
manufacturing plants whereby organisers do not try to insult
the
intelligence of their guests.
A notable omission on the itinerary
was an effort to clarify discrepancies
in production figures vis-a-vis the
much talked about auctions and exports
against a background of shortfalls in
remitting proceeds to Treasury.
As called for in the past, a new Diamond
Mining Act must be seen to promote
transparency in ownership, fair
compensation for the local villagers and
control of environmental
degradation by ensuring that the polluter pays.
With election rhetoric
increasingly getting more emotional than rational,
there is a risk of the
law of the jungle taking over at Marange minefields
and other new diamond
sites in Zimbabwe, unless the new law was enacted
soon.
Not only have
the rich and powerful frustrated the enactment of a new
Diamond Mining Act
in the recent session of parliament, but they are
increasing in numbers
while objecting to a diamonds cash audit, suggesting
they have something to
hide.
It is a matter of great concern that over 250 traditional chiefs
have joined
in the scramble for Zimbabwe’s diamonds by demanding control of
Community
Trust Funds amid warnings that some of them were corrupt and
looting the
CTFs .
Vice President John Nkomo on Friday 9 March 2012
accused some traditional
chiefs of being corrupt and looting the country’s
mineral resources through
the government‘s Community Trust Fund
(CTF).
While giving no indication of any arrests or on-going
investigations, in his
closing speech at the chiefs’ annual conference in
Bulawayo, John Nkomo
alleged some chiefs were using the Community Trust Fund
for self enrichment
instead of giving the money to the community.
“We
hear some traditional chiefs are now claiming they bought their own
shares
in the diamond and platinum mines through community shares. Those
shares are
not for you, but for the people in your community. You should
work for the
people,” Nkomo said.
Although, government spin doctors and some
politicians may employ delaying
tactics on the new Diamond Mining Act,
people expect civil society not be
fooled by cheap public relations stunts
that are choreographed for maximum
propaganda.
New legislation will
help bring safeguards on prospecting, exploration,
ownership, health and
safety in mining and extraction, compensation and the
safe use of the
environment.
However, the new law is no panacea for the problem of
smuggling and money
laundering that is allegedly taking place in some of the
country’s banking
halls and at the Harare International Airport with some
bent pilots being
fingered as actors.
Clifford Chitupa Mashiri,
Political Analyst, London,
zimanalysis2009@gmail.com
