The ZIMBABWE Situation
An extensive and up-to-date website containing news, views and links related to ZIMBABWE - a country in crisis
Return to INDEX page
Please note: You need to have 'Active content' enabled in your IE browser in order to see the index of articles on this webpage

Tsvangirai supporters attacked ahead of Zimbabwe poll


15 MAR 2013

HARARE (AFP)

Seven members of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party were
assaulted Friday while campaigning on the eve of a key constitutional
referendum.
Sten Zvorwadza, a candidate MP for Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), said the group was canvassing in a Harare township when they
were attacked by supporters of President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.
"We went down to Mbare to put up posters to canvass for a 'yes' vote when
ZANU-PF rowdy youths descended on us," he told AFP.
"Seven of us got injured, two seriously."
Zvorwadza said he was hit in the neck with a bottle and punched. He also
complained of spinal pain.
A BBC crew filming the campaign was also punched.
The British broadcaster's correspondent Andrew Harding said the MDC members
were attacked while putting up posters urging people to vote for a new
constitution on Saturday.
The draft constitution will underpin new elections to end the uneasy
power-sharing arrangement between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
Writing on the BBC website, Harding described Zvorwadza being hit and kicked
by men and a woman being punched by other women.
"One of the had a gash on his hand, a cut lip and cheek and bruises on his
head. It was clear he had been badly beaten," he wrote.
The journalists were also punched on the arms and back after an
"increasingly large and agitated crowd" turned on them.
While the victims headed to hospital, one member of the team tried to lodge
a complaint at a police station but was turned away, Zvorwadza said.
"We sent a guy to report but police refused to take a report because he was
wearing an MDC T-shirt," he said.
There was no immediate comment from the police.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai were forced into an uneasy compromise government after
polls in 2008 that were marred by deadly violence.
"The attacks are a clear testimony that ZANU-PF wants to embark on acts of
violence," MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora told AFP.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Zimbabwe attack reveals potential for violence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/
 
People throwing water at Sten ZvorwadzaSten Zvorwadza (r) is not sure it is worth reporting the attack to the police

We were in Mbare, a tough, poor neighbourhood close to the centre of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

We were following a group of about eight activists for the MDC who were putting up posters calling on Zimbabweans to vote "Yes" to the new draft constitution in Saturday's referendum.

Sten Zvorwadza, who hopes to take over as the next MDC MP in Mbare, was wearing a smart grey suit and waving a copy of the constitution while his colleagues used a bucket of home-made glue to put up their posters.

When the first poster was ripped down, Mr Zvorwadza condemned "Zanu thugs" who have routinely broken up MDC rallies and meetings in the area.

But he and the team continued to put up more posters on the walls of some old blocks of flats, watched by a few dozen people.

Suddenly a woman came charging towards us from a nearby market stall and ripped down two posters.

Start Quote

Unfortunately supporters of Zanu-PF are very violent, and don't support the cause that the country is fighting to bring peace after so much violence”

Sten Zvorwadza

"Who are you? Why are you putting those posters up? Put them where you live. I'm not going to allow you to do that here," she screamed.

Within seconds, she was punching one of the women campaigners. Another woman joined in.

Eventually they were separated, but then two or three men began to punch and kick Mr Zvorwadza, and throw water at him.

"Watch out… watch out!" they said menacingly, brandishing glass bottles at him and ordering him to leave.

As he slowly tried to move away, an increasingly large and agitated crowd turned on me and cameraman Stuart Phillips.

They tried to grab our camera, then threw buckets of dirty water at us. Finally two or three men began to punch us on the arms and back.

The urge to run was almost overwhelming. But we feared that would provoke even more violence.

Badly beaten

Sticking close to Mr Zvorwadza, we walked back towards our car, with the crowd following close behind.

Mr Zvorwadza said they were shouting: "Next time we will kill you."

We became separated from some of the other MDC campaigners.

Mr Zvorwadza said he feared they might have been abducted or killed, but a few minutes later we met them in their van back in the centre of Harare.

One of the men had a gash on his hand, a cut lip and cheek and bruises on his head. It was clear he had been badly beaten.

Edwin Machokoto, a Movement For Democratic Change activist shows his blood stained injuries after he was allegedly attacked by suspected Zanu pf supporters in the capital Harare, Friday, March, 15, 2013, on the last day of campaigning before a referendum on a new constitution to be held Saturday.

"Unfortunately supporters of Zanu-PF are very violent, and don't support the cause that the country is fighting to bring peace after so much violence," said Mr Zvorwadza.

He said he was planning to report the incident at a local police station but fully expected that he would be arrested, rather than his attackers.

"The entire people really long for peace and democracy and free and fair elections, but Zanu-PF supporters - headed by President Robert Mugabe - continue to abuse Zimbabweans as you have just witnessed," he said, urging Mr Mugabe "to uphold the rule of law and make sure impunity is not promoted".

The MDC later said the police had refused to accept a report made by those injured in the attack unless they first removed their party T-shirts.

The whole incident lasted only a few minutes, but it was a chilling reminder of the violence that lurks very close to the surface here in Zimbabwe.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Zimbabweans to vote Saturday in referendum on new constitution

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
15 March 2013

Zimbabweans will vote on Saturday on a proposed new constitution, five years
after a general election that led to a disputed result and widespread
violence that killed more than 500 people and displaced more than 500,000.

Voters above 18 years of age will be casting their ballots to accept or
reject a new constitution. The new constitution is thought to be important
in that it limits the terms of the president and gives Zimbabweans a bill of
rights.

The constitution is being backed by both President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who ran against in each other in the 2008
presidential election that turned into violence and chaos.

The referendum was part of a deal that ended the violence after the last
disputed election.

An MDC-T MP said the new constitution, if adopted, will make politicians far
more accountable and generally clean up the extremely dirty world that is
Zimbabwean politics.

‘But if the process tomorrow (Saturday) passes off peacefully, Zimbabwe can
then also show the world it has turned a corner and moved on from the days
when voting meant violence.

‘This is a poll seen as a test of democracy after the 2008 disaster and one
that could reshape the politics of our nations after almost a decade of
political and economic woes,’ the MP added.

Many Zimbabweans on both sides of the Yes and No campaigns agree the new
constitution is not perfect, but our Harare correspondent says such a
document will always need compromise.

It is expected Saturday’s vote will point to a Yes victory, as all the main
political parties are backing this. Muchemwa said the passage of the new
charter could usher in a new era.

But if people vote No, which Muchemwa said is ‘very remote’, the country
will go to the next election using the current constitution with its 19
amendments. The current constitution includes the post of Prime Minister,
held by the MDC’s Morgan Tsvangirai.

‘Delivering a new constitution was a key SADC requirement of the peace deal
to end the violence. The current law dates back to independence and has
allowed Mugabe to rule unchallenged.

‘The proposed legislation will, in theory, make the president and parliament
more accountable, devolve power and improve citizens’ basic rights,’
Muchemwa added.

But the MDC Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga said: “A new
constitution will not guarantee us a free and fair election. What is going
to guarantee us a free and fair election is a culture of constitutionalism.”


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Referendum challenge dismissed as Makarau sworn in as ZEC head

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
15 March 2013

Supreme Court Judge Rita Makarau was on Friday sworn in to her new position
as the head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), in a move that
overturned a court application seeking to have the referendum postponed.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) on Thursday filed a court
challenge against the appointment of Joyce Kazembe as the acting ZEC chair,
saying she is unqualified for the position. The NCA said that Kazembe’s
‘unconstitutional’ position threatened the credibility of the referendum
that until Friday she was set to oversee.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai announced this week that Makarau would only
be sworn in after the referendum. But this plan was moved forward after the
NCA filed its challenge on Thursday.

Makarau was sworn in by Robert Mugabe on Friday at State House, along with
the new Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Jacob Mudenda. Justice
Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the swearing in of Makarau overturned the
NCA’s challenge.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the challenge along with a separate
one filed at the same time by the International Socialist Organization
(ISO). The group argued in court papers that there was not enough time
before the referendum for their ‘no’ vote campaign.

Activist Raymond Majongwe was in court on Friday and he explained that the
application, along with the NCA one, was dismissed on a “technical basis.”

“The Court based its decision on issues of urgency and said they we were
quiet until this week and so the case was not urgent,” Majongwe told SW
Radio Africa.

He added that it was “obvious” that Makarau’s swearing in was a direct
reaction to the NCA challenge filed on Thursday.

“At the 13th hour they brought her and swore her in, even after the Prime
Minister said this would only happen after the referendum. We are dealing
with people who want this process (the referendum) to go ahead no matter
what and the swearing in is part of that,” Majongwe said.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

ZEC admits ‘error’ in failure to accredit ZimRights

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
15 March 2013

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) in Friday admitted it had made an
‘error’ in not accrediting some human rights groups ahead of the weekend
referendum.

ZEC was reacting to a legal challenge filed by the Zimbabwe Human Rights
Association (ZimRights), whose application for accreditation had previously
been dismissed on the grounds that the group was facing ‘criminal
investigation’.

ZEC and ZimRights met on Friday and came to an agreement that the group
could apply for accreditation. ZimRights’ legal representative, Tawanda
Zhuwarara told SW Radio Africa that this was an “admission of wrongdoing,”
that was approved by the High Court on Friday.

“ZEC made a consent order at the High Court meaning that their decision to
refuse to accredit ZimRights was set aside. We have filed accreditation
papers and the full accreditation committee is meeting to decide what will
happen. The court order stipulated that a decision needed to be made before
Saturday’s referendum,” Zhuwarara.

Also waiting for accreditation before Saturday’s vote is the Zimbabwe Peace
Project (ZPP) whose director Jestina Mukoko was last week formally charged
as part of a police crackdown on civic society. The ZPP submitted its
accreditation papers on Thursday and by the time of going to print Friday
there was still no word of what ZEC’s decision would be.

Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has said it has
deployed about 600 observers across the country ahead of the referendum.
ZESN chairperson Solomon Zwana told SW Radio Africa that the group remains
concerned that there has not been enough time for Zimbabweans to study the
draft constitution.

“One of our fears is that we are going to a referendum with many people not
having a clue about what is in the charter. We will be monitoring the
process to see if it is free and fair,” Zwana said.

ZESN has set up hotlines for citizens to share their views and comments
about the referendum. Those numbers are: 0774584669, 0715596701, and
0738918420.
Zimbabweans can also participate on ZESN’s social media platforms
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zimbabwe-Election-Support-NetworkZESN,
Twitter handle: #ZESN1 and Blog: www.blogspot.zesnblog.com.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

ZEC 'threatens validity of polls': report

http://mg.co.za/

15 MAR 2013 00:00 - INYASHA CHIVARA

The spotlight has fallen on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's ability to
hold free and fair elections.

The ability of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to conduct free and
fair elections is under the spotlight following a report by the Zimbabwe
Democracy Institute (ZDI) that has questioned the relationship between the
ZEC and the Central Intelligence Organisation.

Research from the ZDI shows there is too close a relationship between the
Central Intelligence Organisation and the ZEC secretariat regarding the
management of elections. The increased militarisation of the state has led
to the military taking control of election strategies, says the report.

The ZDI also alleges that most ZEC commissioners have an intelligence
background in the government or are former, and in some cases current,
Zimbabwe National Army members, and it questions whether this is "by design
or is a mere coincidence".

The report alleges that the ZEC secretariat, headed by chief elections
officer Lovemore Chipunza Sekeramayi, involved in the 2008 election, in
which results of the presidential poll were delayed for about a month, has
the same staff to run this year's polls and so cannot be trusted to fulfil
its mandate fairly.

The report says that, although the Southern African Development Community
(SADC), the African Union and the international community raised serious
concerns about the conduct of the electoral body in 2008, the ZEC
secretariat went ahead and declared the poll as free and fair.

"The problematic, partisan and militarised ZEC secretariat that presided
over the 2008 sham election remains intact," says the report.

Main players
Among those named in the report who were ZEC commissioners or part of its
secretariat in 2008, and who are still serving the body, are:

• Major Utoile Silaigwana who is in the operations division of the ZEC. He
has denied reports that he is still a serving soldier.
• ZEC public relations officer Shupikai Mashereni, who the ZDI says is still
a member of the army.
• ZEC deputy chairperson Joyce Kazembe who was part of the now defunct
Electoral Supervisory Commission. She presided over the disputed and
sometimes violent elections in 2002, 2005 and 2008.
• ZEC commissioner Theophilus Gambe who is a senior legal counsel and also
worked in the Electoral Supervisory Commission during the 2002 and 2005
elections. He was a commissioner during the 2008 polls.
• ZEC commissioner Sibongile Ndlovu, who has been involved in elections
since 1995 in various positions, including as an election officer,
election-monitoring supervisor, voter education supervisor, deputy elections
officer for Bulawayo and district elections officer.
​• Chief elections officer Lovemore Sekeramayi who is a former career civil
servant and has worked in the office of the president and the registrar
general. He was chief executive of the ZEC in 2005 after Major-General
Douglas Nyikayaramba resigned in order to return to the army.

Credibility
The ZDI says that ZEC commissioners cannot be trusted because some of them
have worked for the Central Intelligence Organisation, and it is not clear
whether they are still intelligence operatives.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has also in the past made the
accusation, without ­providing any names, that the ZEC secretariat contains
serving Central Intelligence Organisation members who are involved in the
manipulation of ­election results.

The ZEC had not responded to enquiries about its credibility or the
allegations made by the ZDI by the time of going to print.

The ZEC is an independent body mandated to prepare, conduct and supervise
elections. It assists in the compilation of the voters' roll, printing and
distribution of ballot papers and ballot boxes, as well as operations at
polling centres.

Officials in the MDC told the Mail & Guardian that the party has raised
concerns about the ZEC with the SADC-appointed facilitator, South Africa.

"It [the ZEC] is a very big area of concern. The involvement of the army and
intelligence in the ZEC ­secretariat is at the core of the credibility of
the next elections," said MDC national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa.

He said the continued presence of commissioners who served during the 2008
poll is a "real threat to the credibility of the elections". "That
secretariat still has the ­mischief of the June 2008 elections hanging over
it," he said.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Zuma calls for peaceful Zimbabwe referendum

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

Staff Reporter 28 minutes ago

SOUTH AFRICAN President Jacob Zuma says Zimbabwe's referendum, which will be
held tomorrow, must be peaceful.
The referendum on a proposed constitution follows four years of prolonged
negotiations between that country's political rivals facilitated by Pretoria
on behalf of SADC.  It paves way for elections later this year - to end the
shaky unity government.

Civil groups have reported an upsurge in attacks in months leading to the
referendum.

Zuma's advisor, Lindiwe Zulu, is in Harare to observe the referendum.

“According to ZEC, it's all systems go and as far as SADC and facilitator
President Zuma is concerned it has to happen in peaceful conditions and we
are happy that the political principles they have been calling for is a
peaceful referendum.”

But, many believe the army and police, not voters, may ultimately decide the
country's fate.

While the referendum on the constitution is largely expected to be fair, the
main event - elections slated for July - may be decided by the outsize
influence of a handful of those close to President Robert Mugabe, 89, the
country's leader for the past 33 years.
Already the police force has launched a crackdown, raiding the offices of
rights groups and seizing documents and communication equipment
Those allies include police chief Augustine Chihuri, who reportedly told
senior police officers at a retreat late last year that anyone who did not
support Mugabe's party.

Lest there be any confusion, Chihuri has also denounced Mugabe's opponents,
including Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, as "stooges of the West".

Police officers across the country have also been ordered to register as
voters, and, reportedly, to vote for Zanu-PF.

Chihuri, a key Mugabe ally, is a veteran of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle.
He is also Zimbabwe's longest-serving police chief since independence in
1980.

He is one of many senior security force officials in Mugabe's inner circle.

Oliver Mandipaka, a senior police officer, is reported to have thrown his
hat into the ring as a Zanu-PF parliamentary candidate in Buhera, in
south-east Zimbabwe.
High-ranking army officers such as Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba
have also publicly declared their allegiance to Zanu-PF.

In 2002, Nyikayaramba served as chief election officer of the Electoral
Supervisory Commission, but by 2011 he openly described Tsvangirai - who
leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zanu-PF's main competition -
as a security threat.

Already the police force has launched a crackdown, raiding the offices of
rights groups and seizing documents and communication equipment.

Activists have been detained and charged in what critics say is a campaign
to silence Mugabe's critics and instil fear ahead of the July vote.

"You can already see the state security agents continue to play a
significant role to ensure a Zanu-PF victory through the criminalisation of
civic society on the basis of trumped-up charges," says Thabani Nyoni,
director of the civic group Bulawayo Agenda.
"The whole machinery of intimidation, repression and propaganda has been
reawakened and as we approach the elections, where the stakes are higher,
they will intensify the campaign to silence any dissenting voices."

Essie Ncube, a political analyst based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city,
says the security forces "have the potential to destabilise the capacity to
have free and fair elections."
Additional reporting by Sapa-AFP


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

South African Envoys in Harare, Push For Political Reforms

http://www.voazimbabwe.com

Blessing  Zulu
14.03.2013

WASHINGTON — Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator in
Zimbabwe, South African president Jacob Zuma, has dispatched envoys to
Harare to push for political reforms and to assess the political situation
ahead of the constitutional referendum on Saturday.

The envoys’ mission follows a SADC summit of the troika of the organ on
politics, defence and security cooperation in Pretoria last weekend, when
the body decided to back Mr. Zuma’s mediation efforts in Zimbabwe. SADC is
urging Harare to implement media, security and electoral law reforms.

Speaking with VOA, SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao confirmed the SADC
position.

Lindiwe Zulu, spokesperson for the envoys and international relations
advisor to Mr. Zuma, said they are continuing to push for the election
roadmap to be implemented.

Zimbabwe Democracy Institute board member Gladys Hlatwayo said regional
leaders must not relent their attempts to resolve outstanding issues.

Meanwhile, international rights group, Amnesty International, says Harare
must stop its clampdown against activists and protect constitutional rights
during the referendum.

In a statement, Amnesty International said authorities should allow eligible
civil society organizations to observe the process without harassment and
intimidation.

Recent months have seen a clampdown on a number of civil society
organizations that have been raided by the police and charged with offences
ranging from causing malicious damage to property to smuggling shortwave
radios into the country.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) this week said organizations facing
police investigations would not be allowed to monitor the referendum.

Civic groups cleared to monitor the vote are meeting in Harare on Friday and
will debate pulling out of the monitoring effort if ZEC does not accredit
colleagues from the Zimbabwe Peace Project and ZimRights as observers.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

US calls for monitoring of Zim referendum

http://www.news24.com/

2013-03-15 10:47

Washington - The United States on Thursday called for the "broadest possible
monitoring" of Zimbabwe's upcoming referendum on a new constitution.

"That's the best way to ensure the integrity of the process for the
Zimbabwean people who've been waiting a very, very long time to have more
democracy," said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland.

After four years of debate, Zimbabwe finally has a draft constitution that
will be put to citizens Saturday in a referendum.

The new constitution proposes modest reforms to basic rights but,
significantly, would not hinder President Robert Mugabe from running for
another term as head of the state he has governed for nearly 33 years, first
as premier and then as president.

All three major political parties in the country are backing the charter,
which is expected to easily pass.

In her remarks, Nuland was referring to reports that the electoral
commission of Zimbabwe had refused to accredit members of the Zimbabwe human
rights association as election monitors.

Nuland also said the US welcomed the fact that the referendum was taking
place, setting the stage for elections later this year.

"That's a very, very big step for Zimbabwe," she said.

- SAPA


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Outsiders offer cash to Zim for favours

http://mg.co.za/

15 MAR 2013 00:00 - JASON MOYO

Foreign companies have tempted Zimbabwe with money for elections in return
for lucrative mining deals.

As desperation deepens over efforts to raise funds to run elections, wealthy
foreign interests are offering funding in exchange for huge favours from the
government.

Senior government officials who spoke to the Mail & Guardian this week told
of pressure from large foreign interests hoping to wangle commercial deals
by helping the cash-strapped government to fund elections. These include
mining companies and investors seeking to win new mineral concessions that
the government has recently made available. Zimbabwe needs $132-million for
elections, according to Finance Minister Tendai Biti – well above his
original $25-million budget.

Biti this week appeared to acknowledge the pressure on the government from
powerful interests seeking to buy influence. "I think that it will be very
unfortunate if people think that they can exploit us because we require
immediate resources now for our elections and for our referendum."

A senior government source said he feared a "bought election" funded by
wealthy figures who would "in return demand much more than any government
will ever deliver".

Much of those proposing funding hope to get mining concessions; in one such
proposal, a finance ministry official said, one mining company proposes
easier mining royalties and tax breaks for a year in exchange for
$100-million to help to fund elections.

Elections are expected to be held in the middle of the year, but some in
government want the date pushed back until Zimbabwe has raised resources
from "credible sources", the official said.

Poll funding
The frustration within the government over poll funding showed this week
when Biti announced a raft of desperate measures to raise cash. This
included a 25% hike on fuel duty, an unpopular move likely to drive up
prices and further slow down the economy. Biti did not say how much he hoped
to raise with the fuel tax.

Biti also floated a special $40-million special bond to Old Mutual and the
National Social Security Authority, the state pension fund. The two are the
largest funds in Zimbabwe. He is also betting that a large part of the
election funds will come from telecoms operators' licence fees, which were
increased for June this year.

But Biti admitted that all this is not going to be enough "in the absence of
the financial support of co-operating partners". The government has insisted
it is unwilling to take foreign funding for polls.

However, the M&G has established from officials in the foreign affairs and
finance ministries that the ­government discussed possible election funding
with Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, ruler of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah,
who visited Zimbabwe recently.

The Zimbabwe government has in turn presented $2.7-billion worth of
potential deals in "value addition projects" to Farzana Gul, a
representative of the emirate's Ras Resources.

"No figures [on election money] were agreed, but there was the suggestion,
obviously, of some pay off for any assistance we get towards funding
elections," a senior official in the foreign affairs ministry said. "But
there are some who inevitably are opposed to us getting money from foreign
sources, at least those outside the United Nations structures."

Mining
​Zimbabwe and the oil-rich emirate signed agreements on a number of "areas
of co-operation", mainly focused on resources, agriculture, energy and
tourism.

Mines Minister Obert Mpofu confirmed Zimbabwe and the sheikh had held talks
covering "the entire mining spectrum".

The agreements would see the emirate funding the building of a
diamond-cutting centre, and Zimbabwe would give it access to platinum
concessions on condition it agrees to invest in a refinery. Documents show
there was also talk of Ras Al Khaimah exploring the possibility of setting
up a power plant in Zimbabwe.

The sheikh, reported to have recently spent more than $10-million on a stake
in local mining company African Consolidated Resources, has shown interest
in taking over some or part of the 30 000 hectares of land seized from
Zimplats.

However, the government has also discussed the same platinum concessions
with South African-based Cypriot businessperson Loucas Pouroulis, who last
month reportedly wrote to the government seeking to take up the concessions.
He has offered investment worth $4-billion in a bid to win access to the
platinum concessions.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

High Court grants order barring anti-graft searches

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Nomalanga Moyo
15 March 2013

The National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) obtained
an interdict from the High Court barring the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption
Commission (ZACC) from searching and seizing documents from its offices.

Judge President George Chiweshe granted the order on Thursday with the
consent of the corruption commission as well as co-respondents, police chief
Augustine Chihuri and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana.

In a statement NIEEB, through its lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa, said ZACC had
agreed to stop the searches.

The anti-graft body was blocked from carrying out two separate legal
searches this week, after being granted search warrants by a High Court
judge on Monday.

The warrants, signed by Justice Charles Hungwe, gave ZACC investigators the
go-ahead to search the Harare-based offices of the Zimbabwe Mining and
Development Corporation (ZMDC) and the NIEEB.

ZACC had also sought to search and collect documents from the offices of the
Ministers of Mines and Mining Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment as
well as Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development.

In its application ZACC indicated that they wanted to search the three
ministers’ offices for documents which “would assist in the investigation of
the alleged corrupt deals” in the country’s indigenisation programme.

Regional group the Anti Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-Southern
Africa) on Thursday slammed the deliberate interference by ZANU-PF
politicians in the work of ZACC, calling it “disturbing.”

The indigenisation programme is a controversial ZANU-PF project in which
foreign-owned companies must cede 51% ownership to locals. It has been hit
with allegations of massive corruption and public fights involving senior
party officials.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Ministers off the hook

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Friday, 15 March 2013 10:41
HARARE - The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc)’s bid to search two
key government ministries over possible graft has flopped after the crime
busters consented to a High Court interdict barring the raids.

With Youth Development,  Indigenisation and Empowerment  minister Savior
Kasukuwere and his Mining counterpart Obert Mpofu reportedly under the
spotlight, Tinei Dodo, representing Zacc yesterday agreed to the two
ministries’ application, grinding the intended busts to a halt.

As stakes get high in the National Indigenisation and Empowerment Board
(Nieeb) saga which was first exposed by the Daily News in February, there
seems no end in sight to the sensational case.

The issue has gone viral since the Daily News broke the Nieebgate Scandal on
February 14, exposing apparent flaws in the nearly $1 billion Zimbabwe
Platinum Mines Limited (Zimplats) deal — touted as the biggest empowerment
deal since independence in 1980 but now turning out to be the biggest
commercial scandal.

Following the expose, Zacc obtained a search warrant from the High Court to
search and seize documents from the two ministries.

However, Nieeb, which falls under the ministry of Indigenisation and
Empowerment and Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation(ZMDC), which falls
under the Mines and Mining Development ministry on Wednesday filed a High
Court urgent chamber application seeking to bar Zacc from ransacking
government offices in search of potentially damaging evidence.

Judge President George Chiweshe’s ruling by consent means its back to the
drawing board for Zacc, while the two ministries get the much needed
breathing space.

Nieeb and ZMDC were represented by Gerald Mlotshwa.

“My learned friend Dodo has indicated that first respondent (Zacc) is not
opposed to the interim relief sought,” said Mlotshwa.

In the application, ZMDC said Zacc had bungled in the process of obtaining
the search warrants, thus temporarily freeing the Zanu PF ministers.

In his affidavit, Cleopas Makonese, ZMDC’s acting general manager said Zacc
had no power to get a search warrant from the High Court.

“Section 50(1) of the Criminal Procedure & Evidence, from which the search
warrant purports to have been issued does not empower, with the greatest of
respect, a Judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe to grant search warrants in
the manner and circumstances to which this search warrant relates.

“I am verily advised that Section 50(1) grants the power to a judge to issue
out a search warrant only in those circumstances where search warrant
relates to proceedings over which the judge concerned is presiding, in other
words during the course of criminal proceedings pending before such Judge,”
reads part of Makonese’s affidavit.

ZMDC further said their chamber application was urgent because its
operations were important to the economy of the country.

“The execution of the illegal search warrant will certainly disrupt its
operations and irreparably prejudice the national fiscus to which the
applicant is a critical and major contributory,” ZMDC claimed.

According to the search warrant, the probe team want a register of all
mining companies that have complied with the Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment Act, copies of all agreements entered into between mining
companies, the government and communities.

According to information reaching the Daily News, Zacc had reasonable
grounds to suspect that there was abuse of duty by public officers handling
the indigenisation transaction in contravention of Section 174 of the
Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo has publicly admitted that
corruption is a cancer afflicting the former liberation movement.

Mugabe also admitted that Kasukuwere got it wrong in implementing the
indigenisation programme in relation to the obtaining of shares in platinum
mining giant Zimplats.

Apart from resorting to the legal channels to block Zacc from getting to the
bottom of the shoddy empowerment deals, Nieeb officials reportedly used guns
to stop the anti-graft body from entering its offices. - Tendai Kamhungira


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Sadc leaders restricting access to justice: Gutu

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

Friday, 15 March 2013 10:13
HARARE - Leaders of the 14-nation regional grouping Sadc want the bloc’s
Tribunal to be a useless court that does not grant individuals access to
appeal against their governments, a Zimbabwean minister has said.

Deputy minister of Justice and Legal Affairs Obert Gutu told a Sadc regional
colloquium in Johannesburg this week that the decision by Sadc leaders at
the 32nd heads of State and government summit held in Mozambique last August
to consider reopening the regional court of appeal with limited jurisdiction
will deny millions of Sadc citizens access to justice.

The Namibia-based court was suspended in 2010 after ruling against President
Robert Mugabe’s land seizures.

Sadc leaders that met in Maputo last year maintained the suspension of the
court amid reports Zimbabwe insisted that the court’s powers be further
whittled down, its ability to adjudicate in human rights matters be
destroyed and that it should bar individual access.

“This decision has reduced the Tribunal into a mere interstate court which
cannot be accessed by individual persons, both natural and juristic,” Gutu
said. He said the court was supposed to be a regional judicial institution
that administers justice to the people of Sadc.

A communique issued at the end of the Maputo Sadc summit, a new protocol on
the Tribunal should be negotiated and that “its mandate should be confined
to interpretation of the Sadc treaty and protocols relating to disputes
between member States.”

Gutu said: “The option of an interstate court which is preferred by our
heads of State is in reality a nullity because I cannot imagine any one of
our States taking the other to the Tribunal.

“This leaves us with a rather awkward state of affairs where the very tenets
of rule of law and human rights that the Sadc Tribunal is intended to uphold
are circumscribed without any meaningful justification. This is because the
same decision appears to be nothing more than a deliberate move to restrict
access to justice.”

The Tribunal in 2008 ruled in favour of 78 white farmers fighting against
the seizure of their land by Mugabe’s government, and ordered Zimbabwe to
uphold the Tribunal’s order to return confiscated land and compensate
farmers for lost property.

Zimbabwe’s government refused to comply with the Sadc Tribunal’s ruling and
challenged the regional court’s decision.

Zimbabwe’s courts flatly declined to register the Tribunal’s decision,
saying it violates the country’s Constitution.

The last Maputo summit was the second year the Sadc summit has failed to
revive the Tribunal after Harare raised objections.

“The past few years have witnessed the summit of the Sadc heads of State and
government taking two gigantic steps backwards: first in the form of the
decision to suspend the Tribunal pending a review of its role,
responsibilities and terms of reference and as I mentioned earlier by
deciding to make the Tribunal an interstate court,” Gutu said. - Gift Phiri,
Political Editor


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Mpofu should explain riches: Tsvangirai

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

15/03/2013 00:00:00
     by Staff Reporter

MDC-T Leader Morgan Tsvangirai has challenged Mines Minister Obert Mpofu to
explain the source of the wealth which has allowed him to buy one of the
country’s commercial banks.

Addressing a referendum campaign rally in Bulawayo Thursday, the premier
accused Zanu  PF ministers of “looting State resources” at a time the
majority of Zimbabweans were struggling to survive.

According to a statement from the MDC-T, Tsvangirai told supporters: “Ask
Obert Mpofu how he managed to buy a bank when yesterday he had nothing. I
hear he has bought almost half of Bulawayo."

Mpofu assumed 100 percent ownership of the Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group
(ZABG), now renamed Allied Bank, after injecting about US$23 million into
the institution last June.

The investment, confirmed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), effectively
rescued the bank from possible collapse after it had struggled to meet new
minimum capital requirements.

“Dr Obert Mpofu who came forward with his money and sought permission to
take over ZABG bank which was ailing then is a case in point,” RBZ chief
Gideon Gono said last year.

“We gave him two years within which to regularise the ownership structure of
that bank to a maximum of 25 per cent for any single shareholder which he
committed to do but for the time being he has put in money and is a 99,9 per
cent shareholder.”

But questions have been raised over the source of Mpofu’s wealth amid
reports he also owns a huge property portfolio in Bulawayo and Victoria
Falls.

He however, defended by his deputy, Gift Chimanikire of the MDC-T, who
insisted that his boss had “worked hard” for his riches.

“What kind of a genius could he be to create such amount of wealth in one
year?” Chimanikire enthused while speaking at diamond  conference last
November.

“When I joined the Mines ministry, Mpofu had been there for a year. He
already had that kind of wealth.”

Meanwhile, Tsvangirai urged supporters to vote for the new constitution in
Saturday’s plebiscite.
“The Lancaster House Constitution was a ceasefire document and not a
democratic document. Zanu PF used it as a power transfer tool. As a result,
after 18 amendments the Constitution brought our nation to its knees,” he
said.

“The new constitution sets out the Bill of Rights which for the first time
expands people’s rights in totality. People shall henceforth be able to
freely express their opinion, associate, and move freely without fear.

“There shall be a devolved State. Everything shall be done at provincial
level. We shall not have (Local government minister Ignatius) Chombo firing
democratically elected people willy-nilly. Provinces shall be more
accountable and resources distributed equally.”


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Zanu PF wants to grab my farm — Mutinhiri

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

Friday, 15 March 2013 10:33

HARARE - Ex-Zanu PF Women’s League political commissar and legislator Tracy
Mutinhiri claims her former comrades are moving in to grab her farm as
preparations for elections gain momentum.

Mutinhiri, who is now a member of the MDC, nearly lost her farm in 2011
after she had been accused of befriending MDC officials.

The well-planned move to take over farms from blacks not loyal to President
Robert Mugabe has raised fears that only Zanu PF supporters will retain
their farms.

Mutinhiri claimed she is being spied on by people from her former party.

The ex-deputy minister of Labour claimed one of her farmworkers was being
used to track her down and feeding information to top Zanu PF officials who
are salivating over her farm in the prime agriculture region of Marondera.

“I received a call from my farmworkers this morning (Tuesday)  who had been
warned that a takeover was going to take place. They chased me away from the
party and I am now happy in the MDC, a party which respects people’s lives.
Now I have stalkers on my back,” she said.

In 2011 Zanu PF youth militia invaded Mutinhiri’s farm and it took the
intervention of police in riot gear to save her farm.

At the time she was being crucified for her closeness to Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.

The militia took camp at the entrance of Mutinhiri’s Tapiwanashe Farm and
dancing to Zanu PF songs denouncing the then deputy minister.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Mapfumo says Zimbabweans should vote Yes if new constitution is good

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
15 March 2013

Chimurenga music star Thomas Mapfumo has said if the new constitution is
good for the people then Zimbabweans ‘should just go for it’ at the
referendum on Saturday.

The United States based musician, who is in the United Kingdom to perform in
a rare show with fellow music legend Oliver Mtukudzi, said even though he
has not read the draft charter, Zimbabweans have been suffering for a very
long time and therefore should vote for the new constitution if it is good
for them.

“There have been a lot of problems in Zimbabwe. We want everybody to live a
good life in Zimbabwe. We don’t care who is in power as long as they look
after the people, that’s good for us.”

Mapfumo told SW Radio Africa he is excited to be performing again with his
good friend for the first time since their joint show in the UK four years
ago.

The two music legends have been talking about working on an album together
and are set to perform in London and Leicester, on Friday and Saturday
respectively.

“Yes that is in the pipeline. We have been talking about that.” Mapfumo
added: “We need to do that as soon as possible, you know we are growing old
and time is not on our side. We need to do a lot of things. I have a lot of
backlog myself, a lot of music which is not recorded but I would like do
something with Oliver.”

He has a new album of his own that is coming out soon. The Chimurenga
musician said he is very excited about the new CD which he says will be very
different this time “with some strange beats.”

“We need to change with the times. Zimbabwe is not an issue these days and
we have to look at the rest of the world where people are dying and a lot of
people are suffering.

“We are reading about Syria, refugees, people running away from their homes.
So those are important things we have to address.”

Mapfumo, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States
since 2003, said he has been in talks with business mogul Phillip Chiyangwa
and is making plans to return to Zimbabwe after elections to perform there.

He said his roots are in Zimbabwe but he will return to the States to work
‘because there are too many opportunities overseas.”

Mapfumo also said he recently held talks with Deputy Prime Minister
Mutambara, calling on the government of Zimbabwe to gazette a law to stop
music piracy so as to protect already struggling musicians in the country.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Consumers to pay more for maize-meal

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Nomalanga Moyo
14 March 2013

Consumers will now fork out almost double the amount for a bag of maize
meal, in what is thought to be a response to a fuel duty hike by the
government last week.

On March 11th Finance Minister Tendai Biti announced a 20 percent increase
on fuel duty in a desperate bid to raise money for the upcoming elections.

Following the announcement suppliers indicated they would be passing the
increase on to consumers, with the pump price for petrol already up by 6-9
cents.

In a country with 90% unemployment and where the average wage is $150, any
increase, however minor, is a cause for concern as indicated by the general
outcry that greeted Biti’s remarks.

In what is feared to be the first of expected increases, most Harare shops
had by Friday hiked the price of a 10kg bag of mealie-meal to $6,50 – $7,50
up from $4,70, the Herald reports. Grain vendors responded with a $2
increase on a bucket of maize, from $4 to $6.

However the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) said they did not think the
price hike on maize meal had anything to do with that of fuel “as those were
two sectors”.
The head of the consumer body, Rosemary Siyachitema, said the country is
facing a shortage of grain which she blamed on last year’s poor harvest.

Siyachitema also said there had been issues with the original supplier of
cheaper grain, meaning that the country had to look elsewhere for imports.

“As a result, maize had to be sourced from elsewhere, and from the Grain
Marketing Board, where it is more expensive.
Siyachitema expressed concern at the lack of consultation by government
prior to raising fuel duty, saying consulting would have yielded
alternatives.

“A fuel price rise means the cost of transport, services and basic
commodities will also go up and this is not matched by any substantive
salary increase.

“I am sure by month-end we will see a spate of other increases because we
import a lot of our goods. This adds more pressure on the already
hard-pressed consumer,” she said.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa on Wednesday, economic analyst Tony Hawkins said
he felt the government’s options were limited given that Zimbabweans are
already over-taxed.

Hawkins added that it wasn’t surprising that Biti opted for a fuel tax, as
it is “a relatively inexpensive way of raising government revenue.”


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

SA ‘will not extend’ Zimbabwean document drive

http://www.bdlive.co.za/

by Ray Ndlovu, March 15 2013, 12:50

HARARE — South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs will not extend the
documentation exercise for Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa, an
official in the department has said.

In May 2009 South Africa suspended the deportation of undocumented
Zimbabweans and later introduced a special dispensation under which
Zimbabwean nationals were given an opportunity to regularise their stay in
South Africa and apply for work, business and study permits.

South Africa initially set a December 2010 deadline but later extended it to
July 2011 after Zimbabwean officials complained that they could not meet the
demand for passports from applicants — which were a requirement needed
before applications for the South African permit could be processed.

Spokesman Lunga Nqengelele recently ruled out the possibility of the
Department of Home Affairs extending the deadline, following intimations
that the Zimbabwean government was keen to engage South Africa on the
matter.

Kembo Mohadi, one of Zimbabwe’s two home affairs ministers, is pushing for
South Africa to extend the deadline that lapsed at the end of July 2011.

"Engagements will continue because this is not a one-off thing. A lot of our
people continue to cross the border into South Africa without proper travel
documents and it is something that happens every day", Mr Mohadi said.

But Mr Nqengelele ruled out any chances of a moratorium and said, "There is
no indication of extending the exercise at all. It has been completed."

There are about 2-million Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa and
the latest figures from the department show only 275,762 people had
regularised their stay under the facility.

Trevor Maisiri, a political analyst based at the Johannesburg offices of the
International Crisis Group, has said that despite South Africa insisting it
will not extend the documentation process, the political instability in
Zimbabwe could fuel an increase in border-jumping.

"It’s a case of closing the back door while leaving the front door open …
the situation in Zimbabwe keeps feeding more people into South Africa," Mr
Maisiri said.

"Until Zimbabwe has levels of political stability and economic recovery, the
regularisation exercise will continue to face challenges as more people will
illegally cross the borders."


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

Crackdown in Zim is latest hallmark of Mugabe dictatorship

http://www.swradioafrica.com

Opinion: Recent crackdown in Zimbabwe is latest hallmark of Mugabe
dictatorship
By J. Thomas
15 March 2013
Since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in 2008, it
has been a clear and deliberate policy of President Robert Mugabe and
ZANU-PF to hold onto power despite popular domestic opposition. President
Mugabe has held the reins of executive authority for over three decades,
causing many outside observers to forget that both he and his political
party have experienced defeat, first in 2000 during a constitutional
referendum and most recently in 2008, when Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
bested him at the polls. Despite the massive amounts of violence,
harassment, and intimidation that was, and continues to be, inflicted upon
opposition supporters and civil society, countervailing opinions remain
strong and vocal.
While several public opinion surveys over the course of the past year show
an increase in support for ZANU-PF and sometimes significant declines in
support for Tsvangirai’s MDC, many experts nonetheless concede that the
country’s liberation party is not in a favorable electoral position. In
fact, it seems the only manner in which ZANU-PF can feasibly triumph is if
the election environment is once again marred by violence – perpetrated by
the country’s highly partisan police and security forces which have already
deployed across the country – and by means of malfeasance by election
officials, including those at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and
polling stations.
The suppression of rights for the Ndebele speaking minority is also a
cynical, though entirely rational, political strategy that has been employed
by President Mugabe and ZANU-PF. While the disarray in Zimbabwe is often
explained or otherwise viewed through the prism of political affiliation, it
is important to note the severe social cleavages and tensions that currently
exist. Ethnic identity in Zimbabwe often, though not always, manifests
itself through political preference. While this phenomenon is not exclusive
to Zimbabwe, the way in which ZANU-PF has historically and consistently
suppressed this minority group is unique.
The Gukurahundi genocide that occurred during the early to mid 1980’s killed
upwards of 20,000 native Ndebele speakers and their sympathizers. While the
violence officially ended in 1987 – after the signing of the Unity Accord
establishing ZANU-PF as Zimbabwe’s de facto ruling party – the oppression
has nevertheless continued. Economic activity is purposely stifled and the
provision of basic services such as education, water, and electricity is
sporadic and subpar at best. Increased calls for devolution of power –
including in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo – have been ignored.
Civic organizations at the forefront of social advocacy and reform,
including Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), Habakkuk Trust, and the National
Youth Development Trust (NYDT), have bore the brunt of the state’s ire for
daring to question this longstanding status quo, suffering repeated arrests,
beatings, and harassment without adequate redress.
President Mugabe, in collusion with ZANU-PF hardliners in the military,
security sector, and the police, have expertly perceived and exaggerated
threats to national security, driving them to abridge civil liberties and
human rights. Civic leaders and opposition political figures who challenge
President Mugabe’s dictatorial directives are often branded “enemies of the
state” and “agents of regime change.” These labels, in effect, allow state
security agents to act with impunity, often arresting leaders on spurious
grounds and using repressive legislation to stifle peaceful assembly,
association, and freedom of expression. When this ‘persecution by
prosecution’ fails to deter legitimate democratic activity, disappearances,
extrajudicial killings, and murder often occur.
The heinous acts perpetrated by ZANU-PF – and its affiliated militias and
“war veterans” – fit neatly into the party’s liberation ideology, a
continuation of the narrative utilized by President Mugabe to ostensibly
safeguard the country from the imperial and neocolonial impulses of the
West. Most recently, this rationale has been used by the country’s partisan
police to “ban” shortwave radios, which are allegedly used to incite
violence and peddle foreign propaganda. A number of prominent civic
organizations, including Radio Dialogue and Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP),
have been raided and a growing number of radios have been confiscated in a
blatant effort to muzzle freedom of expression and access to independent
media. Of paramount concern is the fact that these latest actions on the
part of the police are taking place in the crucial time period before the
constitutional referendum and watershed elections, a moment in time when
civic education is crucial to both combat voter apathy and spur civic
activity.
Zimbabwe is in the midst of an uncertain transition, where most institutions
of the government remain unreformed. ZANU-PF continues to run roughshod over
and dominate important ministerial portfolios, including local government,
defense, the police, the security sector, and mining. This toxic combination
has, in effect, created a parallel government in which ZANU-PF, partly due
to enormous windfalls from diamond and natural resource revenue, has been
allowed to control vital levers of power in the country.
What is more, ZANU-PF has recently installed party stalwarts and long-time
supporters to oversee important institutions, including the ZEC and the
Human Rights Commission. The previous director of the HRC resigned in
December 2012 due to the lack of a clear mandate, requisite funding, and
buy-in from political elites, many of which have been implicated or
suspected of committing crimes against humanity.
Overall, the dire human rights problems in Zimbabwe are attributable to a
climate of violence that has been fostered and perpetuated by ruling elite
within ZANU-PF. Major institutions of the state, including the police,
military, courts (particularly at the local magistrate level), and the
President, are part of the problem, not the solution. This cabal of vested
interests views their entrenched power, and the privileges that necessarily
flow therewith, as a divine right. In public, ZANU-PF frames their hold on
power as necessary to protect against an inevitable neocolonial onslaught,
while in private it is their desire to protect amassed wealth and shield
themselves from criminal prosecution that underlies aspirations to rule in
perpetuity.
While there is an impressive level of political direction and assertiveness
by ordinary citizens, public interest groups, and human rights defenders,
the Mugabe regime has ably kept these social forces in check. Over the
course of the past several months, a concerted and unsurprising crackdown on
civil society has caused organizations to be largely on the defensive, with
police break-ins, raids, and arrests commonplace throughout the country. The
human rights situation will likely deteriorate further, as activists – and
opposition supporters alike – will continue to encounter a parallel
government that is bolstered by an impunity infrastructure, comprising the
country’s most violent, increasingly affluent, and wholly unaccountable
individuals. For these reasons, regional and international engagement is
necessary in the immediate term, including advocating for and securing
international election monitors and peacekeepers well in advance of
scheduled elections. Such measures are necessary to adequately safeguard the
basic rights of citizens and will also improve the long-term prospects for
genuine democratic reform, political stability, and overall human
development in Zimbabwe.


Click here or ALT-T to return to TOP

This week in Zimbabwe

http://www.cathybuckle.com

March 15, 2013, 1:30 pm

Quite apart from the legal battle between the owners of the House of
Gushungo  fashion label and the Zanu PF party over ownership of the brand,
the story tells us quite a lot about Robert Mugabe’s self-image. Gushshungo,
as everyone knows, is Mugabe’s totem and we are told that Mugabe himself is
not making any money from of the use of his name on T shirts, berets and
various other items of clothing. He has simply given the fashion house
permission to use his signature and as a result there are people walking
around Harare with Mugabe’s name emblazoned on their shirts. It all smacks
of the cult of the personality and the fact that the scheme has Mugabe’s
approval indicates that he is not reluctant to have his name used in this
way. I suppose it must give a considerable boost to his ego to see people
with his name inscribed on their clothes. As for the party he leads, they
are only too happy to exploit their leader’s name to increase their support
at the polls. It is hardly likely that the wearer of one of these T shirts
would be an opposition supporter, is it? The battle of the T shirts is about
to be resumed and we all know what that entails. When wearers of opposing
parties’ T shirts meet in the bottle store you can be pretty sure that a
punch-up will follow; after all supporters of Zanu PF would wear a shirt
bearing Gushungo’s name.

    Last week, the Police Commissioner ordered the police to ensure a Zanu
PF victory, “Leave now if you’re not going to toe the line” he told them.
Everyone knows that Augustine Chihuri is an avid supporter of Robert Mugabe,
that is why he has kept his job for thirty years. Mugabe and Zanu PF have
been in power for so long that they actually believe that they have an
inalienable right to rule Zimbabwe. When it comes to election observers, we
hear that hardliners within the party are opposed to western observers for
fear that there will be unacceptable conditions attached. The MDC reminded
Zanu PF that it is not for a political party to decide who the observers
will be. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has turned down a request by
Zim Rights to observe the elections on the grounds that Zim Rights is under
police investigation. Now that the case against the director has been
dismissed, it will be interesting to see if Zim Rights is now acceptable!
Morgan Tsvangirai informed the country this week that the GPA principals had
not yet made a decision about international observers but once again Zanu
PF - the Vice President this time - declared that there will be no external
observers.

    The Referendum on the draft constitution takes place tomorrow.100 SADC
observers have been deployed to cover the entire country. They will leave
again on March 20 , the question is will the results will be out by then?
The African Commission has ordered Zimbabwe to allow Zimbabweans in the
diaspora the right to vote in this Referendum but it remains to be seen
whether Zimbabwe will obey the order. Interest in the Referendum appears to
be lukewarm; not surprising really when you consider that most people have
not even seen the draft which has been abridged from the original 170 pages
down to 45; a somewhat suspicious abbreviation, you might think! And as for
those pesky short wave radios, this week George Charamba virtually accused
the UK of smuggling them into the country to help Mugabe’s rivals. “The
radios have a sinister intent,” Charamba declared. Personally I can’t see
how an inanimate object can have an intent of any kind, sinister or
otherwise but perhaps a Mugabe signature might make them less ‘sinister’ in
Charamba’s eyes?

Yours in the (continuing) struggle, Pauline Henson.


Back to the Top
Back to Index