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Zimbabwe must repay debt, reform economy-CBank

http://af.reuters.com/

Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:35pm GMT

* Zimbabwe c.bank governor says must restore donor ties

* Governor's strongest call yet for economic reform

* Says must repay debt to IMF, World Bank

* S.African minister says Zimbabwe turnaround "important"

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, March 15 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's central bank governor said the
country must repay debts to multilateral institutions, restore donor
relations and push through economic reforms to end a deep crisis, state
media reported on Sunday.

Gideon Gono was quoted as saying Zimbabweans needed to work together to
rescue the economy, the strongest signal yet that he is ready to cooperate
with Finance Minister and senior MDC official Tendai Biti on the reforms
needed to lure donors.

"A robust future has to emerge through deeper co-operation among us as
Zimbabweans as we work in harmony with each other to steadfastly implement
coherent and internally consistent sets of macroeconomic policies," Gono
told the Sunday Mail.

Some critics blame Gono, an ally of President Robert Mugabe, for many of the
policies that have wrecked an economy that was once one of Africa's
strongest, and have doubted his commitment to reversing steps such as
nationalising companies.

Zimbabwe's economy is in virtual meltdown, with the world's highest
inflation rate and unemployment at around 90 percent.

TOP PRIORITY

Revamping the economy and persuading sceptical foreign donors and investors
to help is the top priority for a new unity government between Mugabe and
his long-time rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC).

"We would also need to closely restore good financial relations with the
Paris Club of lenders and all the other donors and financiers who we owe
money," Gono said, adding the country needed to repay debts to the IMF,
World Bank and African Development Bank.

The IMF suspended Zimbabwe's voting rights in June 2003 as its economy
deteriorated and the Mugabe government fell behind on debt repayment.

An IMF delegation is in Zimbabwe on its first visit in two years, a mission
it has said is more about sounding out the direction of government policy
than laying the groundwork for a financial rescue package.

A fund official said last week it could not disburse funding until Zimbabwe
clears its arrears and demonstrates responsible economic policies.

Southern African finance ministers have called on the World Bank, IMF and
African Development Bank to help Zimbabwe recover from economic collapse,
and South Africa's foreign minister said on Sunday it was "important" the
unity government worked.

"It's also important that the Zimbabwean economy starts to turn around, not
only for Zimbabwe but for South Africa," Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told SAFM
radio ahead of a ministerial meeting between the two neighbours in Zimbabwe
on Monday.

Dlamini-Zuma will be joined by South Africa's health, trade and industry,
land and agriculture and home affairs ministers, and their Zimbabwean
counterparts.

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

Gono said Zimbabwe also owed the Paris Club of sovereign creditors about
$1.1 billion.


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Zim police free deputy mayor

http://www.iol.co.za

    March 15 2009 at 07:06PM

Harare - A deputy mayor from Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's party was freed without charge on Sunday after being detained
over violence in the country's main eastern city, a party spokesperson said.

"Mutare deputy mayor Admire Mukorera was released without charge,"
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesperson and lawmaker Pishayi
Muchauraya told AFP.

"They (police) say they would call him by summons if they still need
him," Muchauraya added.

Mukorera was picked up by detectives early Saturday morning at his
home.

Police had claimed Mukorera's car was used during violent clashes in
Tsvangirai's home district of Buhera between supporters of the prime
minister and veteran President Robert Mugabe at the beginning of last week,
said Muchauraya.

Tsvangirai entered a national unity government with Mugabe last month
after a long-standing political impasse sparked by disputed election a year
ago. - Sapa-AFP


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A new daily for Zimbabwe

http://www.mg.co.za

Mar 15 2009 06:00

Zimbabweans will soon be able to pick an independent daily news­paper
alongside state-run dailies The Herald and The Chronicle.

NewsDay is a new title in the stable of newspapers belonging to Trevor
Ncube. Ncube already owns weekly titles The Independent and The Standard,
published in Zimbabwe, and the Mail & Guardian, published in South Africa.

NewsDay will be published every day except Sunday. The Independent and The
Standard will continue to be published on Fridays and Sundays respectively.

Ncube said: "As a local invester we are encouraged by the opportunities that
the global political agreement offers. While there have been teething
problems we believe that the new inclusive Zimbabwean government realises
the importance of creating an economic environment that encourages local and
international investors."

Ncube said his company had been waiting for a conducive environment for this
project and was encouraged by the fact that the legislative framework had
been improved by the three political parties late last year ahead of the
signing of the political agreement.

He said that the company had also been encouraged by the discussions that it
had had with the inclusive government and the regulatory authorities. "We
have briefed both the inclusive government and the regulatory authorities
and we are confident that we will be licensed as soon as possible. We don't
foresee any obstacles at all," Ncube said.

Ncube said the task facing the new inclusive government will be assisted by
the re-emergence of a vibrant and independent media sector that will empower
both the people and those in authority. "We all need accurate information to
make vital decisions and right now both the people and those in authority
are poorly served."

"Strong and competitive nations are those that create a market place for
ideas where ultimately the best ideas win. Right now such a market place
does not exist and Zimbabwe is poorer for it," Ncube said.

The NewsDay project along with related operations is expected to create more
than300 jobs in the publishing sector, at an investment of US$4-million over
two years. Ncube is also encouraged by the authority's view that NewsDay is
not just about press freedom but also represents an important financial
investment.


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Tsvangirai Flies Out To S.Africa

http://www.radiovop.com


Harare - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai left the country Sunday for
South Africa with his family to rest and mourn the death of his wife.

Tsvangirai went with all his six children. He travelled to South
Africa at the invitation of the South African President Kgalema Motlanthe.
Just a day after the horrific accident which claimed his wife
Tsvangirai also travelled to Botswana to receive proper treatment and rest.
His spokesman James Maridadi confirmed that he had travelled to SA
with the rest of his family.
"He left in the morning with the rest of his family for South Africa
to rest," said Maridadi.
Tsvangirai's family appealed to the media and MDC supporters at the
funeral wake of the passing on of Susan Tsvangirai last week that it will
need time to mourn their mother and allow their father to fully recuperate
before resuming his duties as leader of the government. Tsvangirai"s eldest
son Edwin said the family would need some quite time away from the public
glare.


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Zanu PF Youths Terrorise Teachers

http://www.radiovop.com

Zaka - Schools in Zaka have not opened yet due to threats by Zanu PF
youths that they will deal with all teachers on their black list who
monitored last year's harmonised elections.

With only three weeks left to come to the end of the first term,
teachers who spoke to RadioVOP said they will never set their foot in Zaka
unless they were given guarantees that their lives will be protected.
"The situation is not yet normal so we can not risk by going back now.
We want ...our jobs but we also have to protect our lives. It is very easy
to be victimized or abducted in rural areas so few need to be given the
surety that we shall not be beaten when we go back.
"I went to my school last week but I had to come back to town
immediately when three Zanu PF youths visited me demanding to know where I
was staying. The trio also promised to send some people who would listen how
I teach because they are afraid that I might spread MDC doctrine to the
children," said a teacher.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)'s President Takavafira
Zhou said he was aware that their members were under threat and said his
union will talk to responsible ministers to make sure the situation is
resolved.
"We are reporting such reports especially from Zaka and Bikita. In
some instances, overzealous headmasters are also victimising teachers. Such
terror campaigns against teachers must end immediately.
"As a union, we have statistics of what is happening and we want to
talk to the Minister of Education (David Coltat) and ask him to help us to
end such activities as soon as possible," said Zhou.

Most affected schools include Chitonhora Secondary, Ndanga schools,
Zivavose Secondary and Madhloro Primary among others.

Teachers who had been on strike since last year, agreed to go back to
work a few weeks ago. Last year Zimbabwe's teachers only taught for a few
months before abandoning jobs due to the strike. However, other teachers
fled their homes due to fear for their lives due to the political violence
that followed after elections. Teachers who monitored elections were being
accused of favouring the oppostion Movement for Democratic Change whose
leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of the Presidential elections.


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Top Post For Zimbabwean Girl Child

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare - A Zimbabwean, Lisa Bonongwe, Girl Child Network (GCN)
representative on the board and former National Girls Executive Publicity
Secretary, has been selected to sit on the Child Jury for the World
Children`s Prize for the Rights of the Child.

According to the Founding Director of GCN, Betty Makoni, this jury
will decide this year who the decade`s hero is for the rights of the child.
Makoni said she first met Lisa when she was six years old. She later
took the Presidency of St Lukes Girls Club, Rusape when she was 8 years old.

"She is an eloquent and passionate speaker and rural advocate for
girls` rights," said Makoni.

"I have seen her organise demonstrations at school to protest against
teachers who sexually abuse girls. One demonstration she later reported to
me was one in which she led a group of Grade Seven exam class to protest
against a 60 year old teacher who for long touched girls` breasts under the
guise of punishing them. She made a demand that the girls in the club would
not sit for the exams unless officials from the Ministry of Education had
been informed about the abuse. This was granted and the teacher was
arrested."
"Her activism did not end there. In the same village she organised a
rescue mission for one orphaned girl abused by a step mother. Her demands
were clear - they were supposed to let her go to school and stop the slavery
.This was granted. Later she helped fund-raise for all poor girls who did
not attend school because they could not pay and she
successfully did this and many of them have since completed their
primary school with her. She left no girl she knew was in trouble behind."
Makoni said she cherished the moments when she helped her mother out
of domestic violence and she was so proud in the house she lived now and the
school she attended.

"At least now more than before in the rural areas girls have their own
spaces and they stand up even against fathers who abuse anyone in the home.
I strongly feel change begins with one individual empowered girl who leads
now and continues to do so .Space to do what girls want is limited but
everyday they have found a way to create it in Zimbabwe," said Makoni.
Bonongwe is the first rural girl to score straight four points at
Grade Seven in her rural home in 100 years and she is currently at St
David's Bonda Girls School in Manicaland. GCN supports her education and
that of other girls who were sexually abused and are poor. Makoni said this
was good to see that most of them were now beginning to walk in the fullness
of their potential.
"As GCN celebrates its 10th Anniversary I send my congratulations to
Lisa and many girls who are not waiting to lead tomorrow but who are leading
right now. This is what we want to see Girl Child Empowerment Model do to
all girls.
Girl Child Network has since 1999 supported thousands of girls in
Zimbabwe to transform
from perceived victims to leaders.

"GCN  turns 10 on 21 March 2009. We have every reason to celebrate our
achievements...," said Makoni.


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Bishop Verryn defends his efforts to help Zimbabwean refugees

http://www.sabcnews.com

March 15
2009 , 12:28:00

Bishop Paul Verryn of Johannesburg's Central Methodist Church has
defended his action of allowing thousands of Zimbabwean refugees to stay at
the church near the city centre. Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani
Mahlangu on Friday criticised Verryn for this, saying that he was putting
the refugees' lives in more danger.

Verryn says: "Well I think it's fairly absurd in fact. She herself has
never come to the building, she hasn't spoken to me, she's had absolutely no
contact with me at all, so how she knows the danger must be from reports and
from hearsay.

"Certainly the conditions at the present moment are not ideal because
of the huge overcrowding. But with due respect we have tried and spoken and
asked for help from Government certainly, and there has been very little."

Yesterday, Zimbabwe's MDC in South Africa says it was shocked by
Mahlangu's verbal attack on Verryn. MDC spokesperson Sibanengi Dube, says
its regrettable that Mahlangu is accusing a man of God, like Verryn of
exposing Zimbabweans to danger, when he is in actually providing them with
shelter. Meanwhile, the Gauteng provincial government has devised a plan to
form partnerships with NGOs and churches to absorb some of the refugees into
their shelters.


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Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 14th March 2009

There was new hope at the Vigil that things could work out at home despite the odds. The release of Roy Bennett was greeted with great relief. Roy was one of the people who inspired the launch of the Vigil seven years ago and it was difficult to imagine how there could be any progress in government if he was targeted.

 

We were not surprised that his first action on release from prison was to visit Morgan Tsvangirai to offer his condolences on the death of his wife. Neither were we surprised at his big-hearted comments on the need for reconciliation among Zimbabweans.

 

At the Vigil we offered supporters and passers-by an opportunity to sign a condolence book for Susan Tsvangirai. This is sort of thing that is normally done by the Embassy but, standing outside Zimbabwe House for so long, we know how useless the staff there are. 

 

On our front table we displayed a two-page spread from today’s Times discussing the death of Susan and the implications of the developments in Zimbabwe.  The Vigil noted a significant change in attitude in a Times leader article dealing with the question of financial aid to Zimbabwe.  It said ‘There may be a case for . . . . offering the Prime Minister the means to save his country. That could be his wife’s most enduring legacy.’ Until now the UK and other Western governments have insisted that development aid will only start flowing once Zanu PF is not in control.

 

People at the Vigil were amused by a spelling mistake in a report in the Zimbabwe Observer, which said that Zanu PF leaders were ‘quacking’ in their boots. Talk about lame ducks!

 

Several Vigil supporters attended a meeting chaired by Kate Hoey, MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Zimbabwe, at Westminster on Wednesday. The speaker was Thabitha Khumalo, MDC-T MP for the Bulawayo constituency, Mkokoba. She talked about how she and her constituents were trying to repair damage: filling in potholes, unblocking sewers.  She had gone into a sewer, braving the unbelievable stench, to try and unblock it. She was more successful than she expected and was suddenly drenched by a fountain of sewage! She had to travel 5 kilometres to find water to bathe in.  Kate Hoey said that she was relieved that in all her years as an MP she had never been called on to carry out such a task.

 

We were visited by Jemma Gander of Channel 4. She was researching for a Despatches programme and was looking for Zimbabweans who could speak about the violence in last year’s elections.  If any one can help her, please email her: jemma.gander@gsmedia.tv or jemmagander@hotmail.com.

 

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/

 

FOR THE RECORD: 362 signed the register.

 

FOR YOUR DIARY:

·   Central London Zimbabwe Forum. Monday 16th March at 7.30 pm. Venue: Bell and Compass, 9-11 Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NA, next to Charing Cross Station at the corner of Villiers Street and John Adam Street.

·    Showing of Zimbabwe film ‘Neria’ by Zimbabwean film maker Tsitsi Dangarembga. Tuesday, 17th March, 6.30 pm. Hosted by King’s College London’s student-led charity Project Zimbabwe. Venue: Function Room, the Miller of Mansfield, 96 Snowsfield Road SE1 3SS.

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

 

Vigil Co-ordinators

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

 

 

 


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Zimbabwe: 'Unity' government in name only

http://www.chicagotribune.com

Bureaucratic power plays, dearth of Western aid thwart bid for reforms
  By Robyn Dixon | Tribune Newspapers
  March 15, 2009
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 were still offline.)

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 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.

Mugabe's legacy of busted plumbing and peeling paint are 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;
such vital services 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 such aid is unlikely 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 U.S. President Barack
Obama ignored his call to end Western sanctions imposed against Mugabe and
his cronies. Instead, he extended them another year.

A 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
more than an hour.

At a memorial 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 close allies of Tsvangirai-remain jailed,
and power struggles persist.

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 declared the appointments null and
void, but he lacks the power to reverse them.

The MDC had assumed that control of public services resided with the Public
Service Ministry, and they won that portfolio in negotiations on the unity
government. But they were wrong.

Once in government, they 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 appointments by the
MDC.

MDC strategists say 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.

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

"The only way we can resuscitate education in the short term is if we get
donor support," Coltart, the education minister, 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."

Los Angeles Times


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Blood diamonds: 1.3 million carats 'missing'

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Saturday, 14 March 2009

Laundered by Mugabe's thievocracy?

HARARE - Zimbabwe cannot account for more than 1.3 million carats of
diamonds produced since 2003, according to a new report released last week,
which raised suspicions that the precious mineral worth at least US$150
million may have been laundered by government and Zanu (PF) chefs into the
international system.
The report said there was no clear statistical evidence to enable
Kimberley Process investigators to prove that significant volumes of
Zimbabwean diamonds had been laundered through the Kimberly system, Zimbabwe's
own statistics showed a huge gap between what has been produced since 2003
and what has been officially exported.
The Kimberley Process was designed to halt the traffic in conflict
diamonds which are directly linked to the fuelling of armed conflicts and
activities of rebel movements.
The report, titled "Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of History"
and published by Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), said Zimbabwe was sitting
on a stockpile of 1.33 million carats which have not been exported but are
unaccounted for.
"The number is higher if 2008 figures are factored in - more than 50
percent of the production between 2004 and 2008," said the report produced
under PAC's Diamonds and Human Security Project.
Using the average value of diamonds exported over the past six year,
the stockpiled diamonds would be valued at approximately US$150 million,
according to PAC.
"This is a great deal of collateral for a country as cash-strapped as
Zimbabwe has been in recent years and the question arises: does this
stockpile exists in Zimbabwe?" asked the report authors who speculated that
some of the diamonds may have been laundered into the international system
in order to prop up a shaky and increasingly kleptocratic regime.
PAC also said there was evidence that Zimbabwe was being used as a
conduit for smuggling blood diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It observed that production figures provided by the Zimbabwe's Mineral
Development Corporation to the Kimberley Process showed average per carat
output to have exceeded US$110 between 2003 and 2007 yet some of the country's
largest diamond producers clocked US$65 per carat averages.
"The values suggest that these may not be Zimbabwean diamonds or that
there is some other form of fraud taking place," the PAC report said.
It said some of the reported diamonds could be those looted by
Zimbabwean soldiers and chefs from the DRC.


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Zimbabwe Unity Government needs to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission -Lloyd Msipa

http://www.thezimbabweobserver.com

Sun, March 15th, 2009

The Zimbabwe coalition government is now a month old and it continues to
grow stronger each day despite the attacks it receives from those who had
vowed this day will never come. Justina Mukoko and the other political
activists are now out of prison leaving those who were using their continued
detention to vilify the unity government clutching on straws. To cap it all
the agricultural Deputy Minister designate Roy Bennett was released on bail
a few days ago.

Upon his release Roy Bennett is quoted as having said, "I bear no malice. In
my heart, all I can do is move forward to build the country. If we don't
forgive and there isn't a spirit of forgiveness, we are going nowhere. There
are people who don't want right to prevail and want to keep believing they
have the power to do anything. But they are few and their time is near the
end."
These words are instructive. It is time that Zimbabweans took back their
pride and stop the wanton destruction of the country at home and abroad and
begin the audacious task of rebuilding Zimbabwe, both black and white. The
Prime Minster of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai in his parliamentary inaugural
speech also called for Zimbabweans to move away from the politics of hate
and violence and begin to rebuild. He said the days of police violently
breaking up demonstrations and needlessly arresting people had to come to an
end.

The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe , at the funeral of the late
retired Army General Vitalis Zvinavashe also called for the end of violence
between the main political party supporters in the various provinces. "We
were fighting among ourselves, brother versus brother ... but we've realised
our folly. Let us walk the same road. We formed this inclusive government to
bring stability, peace and harmony."Violence must stop," Mugabe said. "We
have heard reports of renewed violence, that must stop. Yes, we belong to
different parties, but let's not fight. Those who persist with acts of
violence are the enemies of Zimbabwe," President Mugabe said

Whilst the call for the end of violence is commendable, the time it seems
has come for us to ask ourselves some hard questions and of course we need
to deal with attendant hard answers. Following years of violence between the
main contending parties, the cause which is attributable to both parties
seeking advantage over the other on the political popularity continuum. We
now need to address the causes and effects of these on our citizens before
it is too late. Zimbabwe needs a Truth and Reconciliation commission,
perhaps modelled on the South African one.

The success and failure of our unity government may just come back to haunt
us if we do not as a nation face the hard questions that are starring us in
the face by way of a Truth Commission. The sporadic incidents of violence
that are taking place in various parts of our country are symptomatic of a
much bigger problem. There is an urgent need to establish a Truth Commission
to look into the atrocities that have taken place in the last ten years or
so.

"Truth Commissions" refers to appointed officials mandated to look into past
atrocities or historical injustices. It is a generic name to public
inquiries. Truth Commissions are often established after a democratic
government has succeeded a repressive one or as in our case when a long
running dispute between the various political players has resulted in the
death and injury of the country's citizens and then the parties finally put
aside their differences in favour of nation building.
The citizens of Zimbabwe are happy that Zimbabwe has an inclusive government
in place. But at the same time they are angry that the long road that
brought us to where we are today is littered with broken dreams, separated
families dead and maimed bodies.
A Truth Commission will play a critical role in our country as we struggle
to come to terms with the past, mired with massive human rights violations.
Criminal sanctions for past human rights atrocities will not necessarily
resolve the issues of past human rights abuses as I have alluded to in
previous postings.
The Truth commission we should set up must have an implicit mandate or a
term of reference that is designed at rebuilding the country and
strengthening the all inclusive government currently in place. In other
words the mandate for the Truth Commission needs to be all inclusive. It
must concern itself with all citizens including those that are in positions
of authority.
For example it is common knowledge that the Zimbabwe security apparatus has
adapted a look warm attitude towards the all inclusive government formed
between ZANU PF and the two MDC's. There is a probable valid reason for
this. Zimbabwe is a country coming out of internal conflict and strife. The
enemies of the people of Zimbabwe have been hard at work to a point that we
turned against each other. One simply needs to look at previous engagements
between the MDC and ZANU PF in the last elections to realise this. In the
Diaspora Zimbabwe news websites and internet chat rooms were places of war
between those purporting to be supporting their various causes. Incidentally
some to date have not evolved in the spirit of inclusiveness. In South
Africa our brothers and sisters are not entirely convinced as to how genuine
our inclusive government is. What it stands for and were it is going.
It has taken the intervention of SADC and the then President of South
Africa, President Thabo Mbeki to make us realise that we are our own
liberators and it is only us who can begin the process of rebuilding our
country. The security apparatus is the last line of defence and hence there
is a need for them to stand aloof and watch until Zimbabwe convinces them
that it is time to make that symbolic salute.
It is therefore imperative for the Truth Commission to be established to
look all the reasons the security apparatus is holding out and address these
issues. In other words our Truth Commission must mirror our needs as a
people and the needs of government. The Truth Commission must have a goal of
national reconciliation attached to it, but must not compromise on the
issues of disappearances, atrocities committed by all the political players
in Zimbabwe. Our target must be national reconciliation.
Another overriding reason we need to set up this Truth Commission is simply
to correctly codify the history of our country taking into consideration the
various political realities that exist on the ground. Our failure to do this
will result in our history been written by the enemies of Zimbabwe which in
turn will translate into more hate for generations to come as our children
continue to be foisted with half truths and untruths.
The issue of amnesty must also be built into the goals of this Truth
Commission for those that come forward with harrowing testimonies. The South
African Truth Commission was one of the few hybrid truth commission that
offered amnesty in exchange for full and public testimonies of the
atrocities that took place.
Our Truth Commission must modelled on it and be given sufficient powers to
refer cases that are excessively bad to a committee set or compromising of
members from both the two MDC's and ZANU PF. These committees must be a
product of an act of parliament and should have the power to refer cases to
our domestic courts for possible prosecution. Our Truth Commission must be
"victim centred" this way it is my humble submission, the only way we can
make a clean break with the past and start again. An attempt to ignore or
suppress the current pockets of sporadic violence occurring around the
country may have disastrous consequences for future generations. The
establishment of Truth Commission would be the beginning of true national
healing and a prosperous future for Zimbabwe.

The writer Lloyd Msipa writes from the United Kingdom. He can be contacted
at lloyd@lmsipa.com


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Bill Watch 9 of 13th 2009 [Number of Seats in Parliament Increased]


BILL WATCH 9/2009

[13th March 2009]

Size of Parliament Increased

As a result of the formation of the inclusive government and the ex officio members named by the Inter-party Political Agreement having recently taken up their seats, the composition and number of seats in both Houses of Parliament has been altered.  The number of seats in the House of Assembly rises from 210 to 214.  The seats in the Senate increase from 93 to 100.  The total number of Parliamentarians is now 314.

The 4 additional seats in the House of Assembly [as provided for by the amended Constitution incorporating Schedule 8 Article 20.1.8 of the IPA] are allocated as follows:-

1 to ZANU-PF –a non-constituency seat.  If Vice President Mujuru, who is an elected MP, did not already have a seat, she would have been given an ex officio seat under the IPA.  Instead the party gets an extra seat [non-constituency] to be allocated as the party chooses.  The member who gets this seat still has to named and sworn in.

2 to MDC-T – one for the Prime Minister, who was not an elected MP and is now an ex officio, non-constituency MP.  And another, a non-constituency seat, in lieu of the ex officio seat which would have been allocated to Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe if she had not already been an elected MP.  The party chose Gordon Moyo, Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office, to fill this seat and he has already been sworn in as an MP.

1 to MDC-M – for Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who was not an elected MP and is now as an ex officio and non-constituency MP.

Note:  the new ex officio members are full voting members.  It is only the Attorney General, who although able to sit ex officio in both Houses, does not have a vote.  [Constitution, section 76].

The 7 additional seats in the Senate [as provided for by the amended Constitution incorporating Schedule 8, Article 20.1.8 and 9 of the IPA] are allocated as follows:-

1 to ZANU-PF – a non-constituency seat in lieu of the ex officio seat Vice-President Msika would have been given if he had not already been an appointed Senator.  The member who gets this seat still has to be named and sworn in.

4 to MDC-T – to be appointed by the party.  No names announced yet.

2 to MDC-M – to be appointed by the party.  No names announced yet.

Changes In Party Representation in Parliament

As a result of the additional seats allocated under the IPA the proportion of seats each party holds has changed.

House of Assembly – Total now 214 [was 210]

MDC-T    102  [was 100]

MDC-M     11  [was 10]

ZANU-PF     100  [was 99]

Independent     1

Senate – Total now 100 [was 93]

ZANU-PF  46  [now 30 elected, 15 appointed and 1 nominated by party] 

                          [was 45 – 30 elected, 15 appointed]

MDC-T      28  [now 24 elected, 4 appointed]

                          [was 24, all elected]

MDC-M       8  [now 6 elected, 2 appointed ]

                          [was 6, all elected]

Chiefs        18

Note: Of the 15 ZANU-PF appointed Senate seats, 5 are those that the President has the prerogative of appointing, and the other 10 are Provincial Governors. There are still ongoing negotiations to share out the governorships according to which Province was won by which party in the March 2008 elections.  If this happens it would mean ZANU-PF would keep 4, MDC-T would get 5 and MDC-M 1.  The balance in the Senate would then alter to: ZANU-PF 40; MDC-T 33; MDC-M 9; Chiefs 18.

Ministers and Deputy Ministers Without Seats in Parliament

Every Minister or Deputy Minister must either be an MP or Senator when appointed or become one within three months of appointment [Constitution, section 31E].  At present there still five without seats:

There is 1 ZANU-PF Deputy Minister without a seat [Aguy Georgias] who will presumably take up 1 of the 2 ZANU-PF seats available in the Senate – leaving one to be filled.  [Note: As well as the additional seat allocated by the IPA, ZANU-PF had one vacant seat because only 4 of the 5 Presidential appointed seats have been filled].

There are 3 MDC-T Deputy Ministers without seats – Tichaona Mudzingwa, Cecil Zvidzai and Roy Bennett [although he has not yet been sworn in].  There are 4 appointed seats available to MDC-T in the Senate.  If these are taken up by the 3 Deputy Ministers, MDC-T can still choose 1 more Senator for appointment. 

There are 3 MDC-M Ministers without seats – Welshman Ncube, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Gibson Sibanda.  The only seats available are MDC-M’s 2 appointed seats in the Senate, so MDC-M is one seat short of its requirements.

Parliamentary Vacancies Requiring By-Elections

Six elected seats are vacant.  Since the general elections, four elected seats have been vacated by elected members taking up other appointments – the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the President of the Senate and two Provincial Governors.  Two are vacant because of MPs dying.  The vacancies are – 3 in the House of Assembly [1 formerly held by MDC-T and 2 by ZANU-PF] and 3 in the Senate [all formerly held by ZANU-PF].  Under the Electoral Act the necessary by-elections should have been held months ago, but the by-elections, like so much else, were delayed pending the formation of the Inclusive Government.  Now that the Inclusive Government has been formed there is no excuse for postponing the by-elections any longer.  [Note:  Under Article 21 of the IPA the three political parties have agreed not to oppose each other in by-elections arising before 15th August 2009. This does not prevent other parties or independent candidates from contesting by-elections, so the incumbent parties cannot be 100% sure that their candidates will be returned unopposed.  It also means that a rebel or floor-crossing MP sacked from Parliament by his or her party is free to stand in the ensuing by-election as an Independent or as a candidate for a non-IPA part.]

What if a Member of the Executive Dies or Resigns?

If Mr Mugabe dies or resigns, he will be replaced as President by a ZANU-PF nominee.  If Mr Tsvangirai dies or resigns, he will be replaced by a MDC-T nominee, and so on.  This is because, as long as the Inclusive Government continues, any vacancy occurring in the Executive must be filled by a nominee of the party holding the post concerned when the vacancy occurs.  This rule applies to the posts of President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister and Deputy Minister [Constitution, Schedule 8, IPA Article 20.1.10].  [Note: before Constitution Amendment No. 19 came into force on 13th February, Mr Mugabe’s replacement would have had to be voted for by members of the House of Assembly and the Senate sitting jointly as an electoral college.]

Unfinished Election Business

ZEC report on the 2008 Elections

Still awaited is the long-overdue report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the March and June 2008 elections.  The report has been printed and is now ready for presentation.  The ZEC Act requires ZEC to submit the report to the President, the Speaker, the Minister responsible for the ZEC Act and the political parties that took part in the elections.  The Speaker must lay the report before Parliament – and it is unlikely to be publicly available before then.

Election Challenges in Courts

A large number of election petitions, brought by both ZANU-PF and MDC-T are still technically before the courts.  The Electoral Court rejected all the petitions on procedural grounds and the parties have appealed to the Supreme Court.  But the appeals have not been set down for hearing, and the six-month deadline for deciding them has passed.  In any event, now that the Inclusive Government has been formed, the spirit of the Interparty Political Agreement seems to require the withdrawal of the appeals and the acceptance of the status quo. 

Conference at Victoria Falls

The three-day Ministerial Retreat at Victoria Falls scheduled for this weekend has been postponed.  The aim of the retreat is to draw up an agreed government action plan necessary for the implementation of a Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP).  It is to be attended by Ministers, Deputy Ministers and permanent secretaries. 

Inclusive Government – Outstanding Issues

There have been no authoritative official announcements clarifying the following issues:-

·    whether there will be a recall and fresh appointments of Permanent Secretaries, Ambassadors and Provincial Governors – Mr Mnangagwa was reported as saying earlier this week that these issues still have to be finalised “beyond JOMIC”.

·    the controversy over the appointment of the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Attorney-General

·    specification of the functions falling under Ministerial portfolios – there are still reports of turf wars and overlapping areas of responsibility – clarity on Ministerial portfolios may emerge from the Victoria Falls Conference if it takes place.

Correction - High Court and SADC Tribunal Ruling on Farms

In Bill Watch 8 we reported that the High Court had refused to recognise the SADC Tribunal’s authority vis-à-vis farmers facing dispossession under the Land Reform Programme.  In fact, although the judgment has only just become available, the case concerned (Etheredge v Madzongwe) was heard some time before the final Tribunal ruling.  The decision went against Mr Etheredge on the simple basis that his continued occupation of his former farm was unlawful under Zimbabwean land acquisition law.  The judge’s brief remarks about the standing of the Tribunal in Zimbabwe law were made in the course of dismissing an argument by Mrs Madzongwe's lawyers that, having taken his complaint to the Tribunal, Mr Etheredge had no right to seek the assistance of the Zimbabwe courts.  Mr Etheredge is to bring another case before the High Court, specifically seeking recognition and enforcement of the Tribunal’s final ruling. 

 

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

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