Robert Mugabe's wife given diplomatic immunity after alleged street attack on Briton

By Simon Parry
Last updated at 10:05 PM on 21st March 2009

The wife of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has been granted diplomatic immunity over an alleged attack on a British photographer who took pictures of her shopping for designer clothes while her home country descended into financial chaos and starvation.

Grace Mugabe, 44, faced a possible wounding charge after being accused of repeatedly punching Richard Jones while outside an upmarket Hong Kong department store in January. The diamond ring she was wearing was said to have caused several cuts to his face.

The alleged incident happened while Mrs Mugabe and her entourage were on a £63,000 five-star Asian tour, reportedly paid for with US dollars withdrawn by her husband from Harare’s central bank at a time of chronic poverty, a cholera outbreak and hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.

Grace Mugabe (left) attacked photographer Richard Jones, seen here with blood on his face after the assault. But Hong Kong authorities have allowed her to escape prosecution

Two witnesses gave statements and police concluded there was sufficient evidence to prosecute, sources close to the investigation said.

But Hong Kong’s Department of Justice said last night: ‘Grace Mugabe is not liable to arrest or detention and enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution.’

The department declined to say if Mrs Mugabe had requested immunity or whether it was granted automatically.

Mrs Mugabe, who married the 85-year-old Zimbabwean president in 1996 after his first wife died, flew home before Mr Jones reported the incident and was not interviewed by police.

Zimbabwean tyrant Robert Mugabe and wife Grace, who had no qualms going on an extravagant shopping spree in Hong Kong while her country starved

Welshman Mr Jones, 42, who works for The Mail on Sunday, said yesterday: ‘I’m disappointed. It’s appalling this woman can behave like that without being held to account.’

He claimed Mrs Mugabe had acted like a ‘mad woman’, hitting him at least ten times in the face and head.

International law expert Simon Young, of the University of Hong Kong, said Mrs Mugabe was entitled to diplomatic immunity – recognised by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations – but could still face arrest if her husband were forced out of power.

And invoking the protection could yet cause a headache for the Mugabes as protocol dictates that those using it should stay away from the territory in question.

The Mugabes have a daughter at university in Hong Kong and are said to have bought a £6million house there.

Zanu PF Sabotaging Inclusive Government

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:58
MAJOR donors have voiced concern over the spate of farm invasions amid
concerns some Zanu PF elements are stepping up their efforts to sabotage the
inclusive government's push for an emergency financial rescue package.

The fresh farm invasions spearheaded by the Joseph Chinotimba-led
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) and senior Zanu PF officials are
reportedly causing headaches for MDC-T ministers charged with leading
Zimbabwe's desperate search for aid.

Farmers' unions say the invaders, aided by soldiers and the police
have targeted 100 commercial farmers throughout the country.

Government officials fear the disturbances that have also affected
preparations for this season's harvest will ruin winter cropping seen as
crucial in addressing the country's humanitarian crisis.

Senate President, Edna Madzongwe, Zanu PF MPs and senators, and some
senior civil servants especially in Chegutu have been identified as among
some of the people leading the renewed wave of violent farm invasions.

Sources said European countries that signed Bilateral Investment
Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs) such as France and Denmark
lodged formal complaints last week after their citizens whose farms are
protected by the agreements were targeted.

Danish Minister of Co-operation Development, Ulla Tonaes, who was in
the country last week met members of the Joint Monitoring and Implementation
Committee (JOMIC) where she voiced concern about the disturbances.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and African
Development Bank (AfDB) delegations during consultations with ministers
recently have also warned that international donors would be scared away by
the latest assault on property rights.

Gorden Moyo, the Minister of State in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's
office yesterday said the farm invasions, which he said had spread to most
parts of the country were "worrisome, coming at a time when we are trying to
build bridges".

"A lot of farmers are coming to us to report that their farms have
been invaded and this is one of the major challenges facing this unity
government right now," he said.

"We do not know whether this (the invasions) is a systematic thing or
spontaneous but a number of farmers, black and white are affected in most
parts of the country."

He said the invasion of farms protected by BIPPAs was affecting the
unity government's relations with countries that Zimbabwe signed bilateral
agreements with and major lenders such as the IMF and the World Bank.

In 2002, Western countries cut off financial support to Zimbabwe after
President Robert Mugabe's administration began a chaotic land reform
programme that displaced about 4 000 commercial farmers.

The Bretton Woods institutions suspended support because Zimbabwe was
overdue in its obligations. As of last month Zimbabwe's arrears to the World
Bank stood at US$656 million; US$137.4 million to the IMF and US$449.5m to
the African Development Bank.

But hopes of mending its relations with the international community
were raised following the setting up of the inclusive government, which
promised to end fresh farm invasions and encourage production on the farms.

"These invasions are causing a lot of friction with countries that we
are trying to court for financial assistance," Moyo said. "They are really
causing us a lot of headaches. They have to stop."

Finance Minister, Tendai Biti has warned the unity government faces
collapse unless international donors inject cash into its treasury.

Tsvangirai early this month said government needed at least US$$5
billion to kick-start the reconstruction of the economy and address pressing
humanitarian needs.

Besides the threats of the invasions, delays in resolving outstanding
issues in the Global Political Agreement such as the appointment of
governors, permanent secretaries and ambassadors has also caused skepticism
in the donor community.

Moyo said negotiations were still going on between Zanu PF and MDC
principals to resolve the issues "in the next couple of weeks". But he
admitted the delays in resolving the outstanding issues were affecting
government operations.

BY KHOLWANI NYATHI

Fresh Farm Invasions Revive Misery

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:41
SEATED on a wooden bench outside a dilapidated pole and dagga hut with
her palm on her cheek, Margaret Ngoma (32) stares into the clear blue sky
seemingly lost in thought.Her eyes tell tales of hunger, deprivation and
desperation.

"Since the white man was chased away we have never had a proper meal,"
she said. "I now fear my children will soon be malnourished because rations
have been stopped."

Ngoma, a single mother who is also taking care of three orphans, said
she now feeds the children on a daily diet of maize she gets from a small
field next to her yard.

"The children will not be going to school next week when the
authorities demand fees because I have lost my source of income," she said.

Ngoma was a worker at Downs Farm in Chegutu before Grain Marketing
Board (GMB) manager Tendai Chasauka occupied the dairy farm some two weeks
ago.

About five kilometres from the farm compound former Downs Farm manager
Robin Taylor has put what remains of his belongings in a small garage.

For a week he slept on the roadside.

His 12-year-old daughter Kyrie-Anne, a grade seven pupil at nearby
Bryden School, is traumatised.
The plight of her father has taken its toll on her.

 "She gets nightmares," said Talyor. "She wakes up at night screaming
saying there are people who want to abduct us. She needs counselling."

These two families are victims of a new wave of farm invasions that
have rocked the farming community of Chegutu as the inclusive government
continues to send mixed signals on its commitment to end the lawlessness.

One of the key result areas for the inclusive government installed
last month was to restore law and order and stop the disruptions on the
farms.

But farmers and their workers are once again bearing the brunt of
renewed Zanu PF brutality with disastrous ramifications not only for food
production but also for the bankrupt economy.

Several white commercial farmers have sought refugee at friends and
relatives' houses after war veterans looted their goods as they sought to
drive the few remaining land owners off.

When The Standard news crew arrived at Downs Farm on Thursday,
Chasauka's five workers were slashing grass around the farm house.

Most of the redundant and hungry workers were milling around the
compound. "War veterans chased us away when we went to get our rations last
week," Ngoma said. "They said we must follow our former boss."

About eight of Taylor's 116 dairy cows are now missing. The workers
suspected they were stolen while others died from disease as a result of
neglect.

One of the workers who claimed to be Chasauka's relative said the GMB
boss was milking the 108 cows left by Taylor.

But when Taylor left there were 116 cows.

"We milk the cows and sell the milk at Mr Chasauka's residence in
town," said the relative. "This is because the fridge here broke down."

Taylor claimed Chasauka's offer letter was "illegal" as the Southern
African Development Community (Sadc) Tribunal and a High Court Interdict
preventing him from entering the premises protected Downs Farm.

Mugabe has dismissed the Sadc Tribunal ruling describing it as "null
and void" insisting that local courts can deal with the matter. Efforts to
get a comment from Chasauka were fruitless.

It is however not just Downs Farm which has been affected.

Less than five kilometres from Downs Farm, Zimbabwe Federation of
Trade Unions (ZFTU) members have chased away the Eltherege family from their
Stockdale Farm after claiming taking instructions from Senate President Edna
Madzongwe.

They beat up some of the workers including a farm guard before looting
the oranges.

"The person who beat up Edwin was brought on to the farm by Edna
Madzongwe, he is a ZFTU official," said farm owner, Peter Etheredge.

Like Downs Farm, Stockdale is also protected by the Sadc Tribunal
ruling, which described the land reform programme as racist and illegal.

Madzongwe could not be reached for comment.

Another group of ZFTU officials went to Twyford farm in Chegutu where
Zanu PF Senator Jamaya Muduvuri has taken over the farm.

General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ)
secretary-general Getrude Hambira estimated that the latest invasions have
displaced over 1 000 farm workers in less than three weeks.

The invasions have worsened the food security situation on many farms
around the country.

 "I have in my office a letter from farm workers in Mashonaland
Central pleading for food assistance," Said Hambira.

"The food crisis has reached alarming levels and we fear there will
soon be widespread malnutrition"
Hambira accused the ZFTU of spearheading the invasions on behalf of
some senior officials in the police, army and Zanu PF.

The ZFTU officials said Hambira was forcing the farm owners, most of
them forced to abandon crops that have almost matured, to pay terminal
benefits to the workers and later demand between 10-35 percent of each
worker's money.

But ZFTU leader Joseph Chinotimba who spearheaded the 2000 farm
invasions denied his members were extorting money from the disillusioned
workers.

He said they were only ensuring that the white farmers being forced
off their land pay workers their terminal benefits.

"We are not chasing anyone from the farmers but we are making sure
that the farm owners don't leave before paying them," said Chinotimba.

Efforts to get the number of commercial farmers affected by the latest
invasions from the Commercial Farmers' Union were fruitless.

 BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE

Chaos as Civil Servants Fail to get Their pay

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:38
SCORES of civil servants were left stranded yesterday after they
failed to get their US$100 allowances from banks as the unity government
struggles to raise salaries for its workers.

At the same time a number of soldiers, police officers and teachers
were reportedly left off the payroll for unclear reasons.

The government says it deposited this month's allowances into
individual foreign currency accounts. Last month civil servants received
payment in the form of vouchers.

Long queues formed outside a number of banks in Bulawayo and Harare on
Friday and yesterday as civil servants sought to access their money.

Some were reportedly told that cash would only be available next week.
In Kwekwe some teachers were told they would get their money after 19 days.
No immediate explanation was offered for the delay.

The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said a number of
teachers were affected.

Some teachers also failed to redeem the US$100 vouchers they were
given last month because their banks did not have cash.

"Not all of our members managed to access their salaries," said PTUZ
spokesperson Oswald Madziva.

"They were made to bank the vouchers but still they could not get the
cash."

He said they had not yet received a communication from the ministry
concerning the non-payment of salaries.

Meanwhile, teachers went on a go-slow last week after the government
failed to deliver on some of the promises it made when it persuaded them to
return to work early this month.

The government had reportedly agreed to offer teachers' children free
education, a negotiated March salary, and US$100 allowances and improved
working conditions, among other things.

But last week, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Senator
David Coltart said the government was not able to improve on the US$100
allowances because its coffers were dry.

Zhou said teachers would go on a full-blown strike should the
government fail to meet their demands by the end of next month.

"We have jointly (PTUZ and Zimbabwe Teachers' Association - Zimta)
called on teachers to be on a go-slow because we have realised the
government is taking us for granted," PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said.

"We agreed with the minister that the government would meet its side
of the seven-point plan where it had pledged to give our children free
education, better working conditions, and a host of other things.

"Now we are told the government does not have money. Why is the
government prevaricating?"

Zhou said claims by the government that it could not offer teachers
improved salaries were contradicted by moves to give ministers flashy cars.

"Teachers are not volunteers," he said. "We are professionals and we
deserve to be treated as such.
"If this issue is not resolved, then the go-slow will explode into a
full-scale job action and there is a danger that once schools close now,
they will not re-open again."

Zimta officials were not available for comment as they were said to be
away in South Africa on business.
Schools only re-opened on March 2, following a lengthy break caused by
intermittent job boycotts by teachers which began early last year.

Coltart and his Permanent Secretary, Dr Stephen Mahere, were not
immediately available for comment.

BY OUR STAFF

Mukoko's Lawyers File for Refusal of Further Remand

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:35
LAWYERS representing Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) director, Jestina
Mukoko, and a group of MDC-T activists have launched an appeal for refusal
of further remand after the State failed to come up with a trial date.

The application was made on Friday when the activists appeared for
routine remand.

Mukoko and eight other MDC-T activists, Fidelis Chiramba, Audrice
Mbudzana, Concillia and Emmanuel Chinanzvavana, Pieta Kaseke, Broderick
Takawira, Collin Mutemagawu and Violet Mupfuranhewe were further remanded
out of custody to April 9 by Harare magistrate Memory Chigwaze.

The activists were abducted by Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
agents between October and December and were handed over to the police after
weeks of torture.

They are facing charges of sabotage, banditry and terrorism.

The MDC-T says it regards the charges against the activists as
"trumped up".

The State represented by Tawanda Zvekare argued it was in the process
of preparing indictment papers, which would be presented to the High Court
by April 9.

He said the case would be tried during the second term of the High
Court beginning in May as the current session was almost full.

But defence lawyer Alec Muchadehama said should the State fail to come
up with a trial date when the activists return for their routine remand, it
must consider withdrawing the charges.

"If the state fails to come up with a trial date on April 9 they
should withdraw the charges or the court should refuse further remand of the
accused," Muchadehama said.

He said the accused persons had not been formally placed on remand for
the state to ask for further remand.

Muchadehama also protested against the strict bail conditions imposed
on the activists.

"We had indicated that in light of the state's apparent failure to set
a trial date for the accused, these conditions are causing unnecessary
hardships to the accused and we appeal that they be relaxed," he said.

As part of their bail conditions, the activists were ordered to reside
at their given addresses as well as report twice a week to their nearest
police stations.

However, the State opposed the relaxation of the bail conditions
saying they were "in the process of preparing indictment papers and
therefore a trial date will be set soon."

The sate also argued that the accused had been formally placed on
remand "as evidenced by the granting of their bail applications".

BY EDGAR GWESHE

Police Hunt Ministry Official Over RBZ Cars Scam

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:30
A senior Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity official is on
the run after he was implicated in a scam where top-of-the-range cars
donated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe were sold using fake registration
papers.

The scam exposes how corrupt officials benefited from vehicles that
were purchased by the RBZ and distributed to various government departments.

Clyde November, the acting director of Finance, Human Resources and
Transport is wanted by police  for his alleged role in the sale of RBZ cars.

His accomplices, Isaac Chigumadzi (34), employed as a driver and
Blessing Mphawanyera (21), who is a freelance salesperson were convicted on
two counts of stealing two vehicles valued at US$29 000.

Harare regional magistrate Stephen Musona said he found the two guilty
of contravening section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform)
Act (theft).

"These two men stole cars which belonged to the government; both knew
they were committing an offence. I therefore find them guilty of stealing
two cars, sentence will be passed on March 26," he said.

Appearing for the State, prosecutor Norman Tsarwe said between
February 12 and 16, 2008, RBZ Governor Gideon Gono handed over a total of 79
various cars to the ministry to boost its resource requirements.

The vehicles were collected and signed for by November, and Francis
Chatambudza Chikowore, the acting director Rural Communication and the
President's press officer on behalf of the ministry.

The court also heard that in April last year, the two accused acting
in cahoots with November, who is currently on the run, went to Production
Services and drove away with a Mazda B1800 valued at US$17 000, which they
sold to Francis Dewe Mutyavaviri and Washington Matiyenga for US$8 500.

They used fraudulent registration books.

It is further alleged that in June last year the two together with
November again went to the ministry's parking area at Munhumutapa Building
car park, where they drove off with a Mazda BT 50 worth US$12 000.

They sold the car to Matiyenga for US$8 000.

The two were arrested following a tip-off and the stolen cars were
recovered. An RBZ representative positively identified the two cars, which
were handed to the ministry of information and publicity in February last
year.

Meanwhile, Mphawanyera is also appearing in court this week on three
counts of stealing three cars valued at US$54 000, which also belonged to
the ministry.

BY SANDRA MANDIZVIDZA

Rights Lawyer Nominated for top Award

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:28
HUMAN rights lawyer Harrison Nkomo, who has represented a number of
journalists, has been nominated for a top award that honours people who have
furthered the cause of freedom of expression and battled censorship around
the world.

Nkomo's name features among the four nominees in the running for the
top UK-based Index on Censorship award.

Other nominees for the prestigious Bindmans Law and Campaigning for
2009 award are Gamal Eid, who founded the Working Group for Freedom of
Expression in Egypt, North Africa,  Harry Roque, a campaigner for human
rights and media freedom in the Philippines, and Malak Imtiaz, a human
rights lawyer and activist and the current president of the National Human
Rights Society of Malaysia.

The award will be presented on April 21 at Kings Place in London at an
event where other activists will be honoured for their role in the battle
against censorship.

Index on Censorship Chief Executive John Kampfner said the awards
recognised activists, writers and film makers around the world who have
actively promoted free expression, often in the most difficult
circumstances. "Index on Censorship is delighted to recognise their efforts
at this increasingly high-profile annual event," he said.

Nkomo follows in the footsteps of his law firm partner and former Law
Society of Zimbabwe President Beatrice Mtetwa, who won the award in 2006.

Like Mtetwa, Nkomo has fiercely defended journalists who have been
arrested in Zimbabwe at great personal risk. Among those Nkomo represented
are New York Times correspondent Barry Bearack, and British journalists
Phillip Warrington Taylor and Steve Beaven.

Nkomo found himself in the cells after Taylor skipped bail last year.

On the political front, Nkomo has represented, among others Deputy
Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara in his struggles with the Zanu PF
government. On March 11 2007, Nkomo was beaten up by police when he went to
inquire about the whereabouts of the opposition leader and Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.

It was on this day when Tsvangirai, NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku and
others were brutally assaulted by police at Machipisa Police station while
visiting detained colleagues who had attended  a prayer meeting.

Yesterday Nkomo, who is still fighting to have terrorism and banditry
charges against former ZBC personality Jestina Mukoko dropped, said he was
humbled by the nomination. He paid tribute to all those who were campaigning
for freedom of expression in the country, once described as one of the worst
places to be a journalist.

BY WALTER MARWIZI

School Head Charged with Abusing Pupils

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 21:25
GWERU - The headmistress of Rhodes Primary School and her deputy last
week appeared in court facing charges of abusing minors by forcing them to
learn while standing because their parents failed to pay tuition fees.

Idah Nyabeze (51) and her deputy Munyaradzi Murenga (45) were granted
US$100 bail each by Gweru Regional Magistrate Rosa Takuva after they
appeared for an initial remand on Monday.

The two are facing charges of contravening Section 7 (1) of the
Children's Act and will reappear in court on March 31.

The charges arise from allegations that the school punished pupils who
had not paid the levy of US$80 by making them stand while lessons were being
conducted.

Appearing for the state, Diana Msipa said on March 6 during assembly
time the headmistress told pupils that those who failed to pay the levy
would be punished.

She said on March 9 Nyabeze and Murenga started moving around Grade
III to VII classes fishing out those who had not paid the levy.

It is alleged that 239 pupils were allegedly told to carry their
chairs to the storeroom and surrender them to the caretaker.

The pupils were told they would only get the chairs back after paying
the fees.

Concerned parents tipped off the police leading to the arrest of the
two last Friday.

Besides paying bail, Nyabeze and Murenga have been told to stop
reporting for duty at the school, surrender passports and any travel
documents.

The two will also have to report twice a week at Gweru Central police
station until March 31 when they are due to appear in court.

Brian Dube of Gundu & Mawarire legal practitioners is representing the
two.

Some of the parents who attended the court hearing said despite the
government's directive that no students should be chased away from classes
for failure to pay fees, children were being prevented from attending
classes.

The parents also complained that some schools were threatening to send
back home pupils who were not able to pay their fees and levies.

Following the dollarisation of the economy, many parents have been
finding it difficult to raise school fees as most companies are still
struggling to pay salaries in foreign currency.

BY RUTENDO MAWERE

Cash Crunch Stalls PF Zapu

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 18:03
A financial crunch coupled with logistical challenges has forced PF
ZAPU to postpone its inaugural congress that had been slated for this month.

The developments follow the establishment of ZAPU structures in South
Africa and the United Kingdom, among other places.

The party, formed after its withdrawal from Zanu-PF in December last
year, was expected to hold its inaugural congress in Bulawayo this month to
formalize its withdrawal from the President Robert Mugabe-led party.

Zanu-PF insists the Unity Accord signed in December 1987 between
Mugabe and the late veteran nationalist and Father Zimbabwe, Joshua Mqabuko
Nkomo is irreversible and cannot be undone by what it described as a "mere
withdrawal."

At the congress, party representatives from across the country were
expected to choose a new substantive leadership of the party to take over
from the interim arrangement headed by former ZIPRA intelligence supremo,
Dumiso  Dabengwa.

However, funds and other logistical problems have forced Dabengwa and
his interim executive to change the dates for the congress from March to May
2009.

In a statement party's interim spokesperson, Smile Dube said: "ZAPU
intends to hold its congress on the 8th to the 10th of May 2009. The venue
will be advised in due course. A number of committees have been put in place
to look at the various aspects of the party."

Sources in Zapu said the party was still chasing shadows in search of
funding which would then guarantee its staging of the congress.

"The-would-be sponsors are mum on funding the congress. This is not
like Zanu-PF where Mugabe commandeers people into funding the party's
congress and conferences. We have to beg," said a source.

It was highlighted by the sources that some people were still
skeptical about funding Zapu ventures as they were not sure whether the
party would live to survive during Zimbabwe's economic and political
turbulence currently being experienced.

The sources also disclosed that would-be donors had indicated their
preparedness to fund a fully-fledged political party than what Zapu is at
the moment. Some other sources said donors had raised questions whether the
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) syndrome where the group that formed it were now
locked in a fight for the movement's resources.

BY OUR STAFF

RBZ Workers Want Gono's Head

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 17:55
BULAWAYO - Heavily armed police on Friday prevented striking Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) workers from taking to the streets to denounce the
central bank governor, Gideon Gono for failing to pay them in foreign
currency.

The workers who have gone for months without pay embarked on a
full-scale job boycott last week to press Gono to address their concerns
about poor pay and deteriorating working conditions.

They are also opposed to a looming retrenchment exercise, which Gono
says was necessary to streamline the operations of the central bank as it
tries to move away from its quasi-fiscal activities.

The RBZ is reportedly refusing to pay its workers in foreign currency
despite admissions by Finance Minister Tendai Biti that the Zimbabwe dollar
is "dead".

"We have also not been paid since January but when we protest, we are
threatened with dismissal.

"We downed tools today (Friday) and planned to go to the streets to
protest against Gono but police blocked us," said an RBZ employee who was
out of the building before police cordoned it to prevent the workers from
venturing into the streets.

Bulawayo RBZ workers' committee chairman, Witness Mugabe said they
were forced to down tools after management refused to listen to their
demands.

"We decided to strike because we have not been paid since January. The
management has also kept quiet about our demands for payment in foreign
currency.

"We have families to feed, kids to send to school and we cannot
continue working without pay," he said.

"As workers we have said enough is enough and we will not go back to
work until the management meets our salary demands."

Kumbirai Nhongo, the RBZ spokesperson and the RBZ Bulawayo manager,
Cassandra Sibanda could not be reached for comment.

Gono whose five-year term was extended by President Robert Mugabe in
December has been accused of quickening the country's economic decline with
his penchant for printing money and involving the central bank in
quasi-fiscal policies.

But despite mounting pressure for him to step down, Gono has defended
his policies, saying they were necessary under prevailingdire economic
circumstances.

"I am aware that there are some both locally and externally who have
been and are calling for my head for whatever reasons but the seriousness of
the matters at hand requires that any level-headed individual ignore such
petty calls and rise above trivialities," Gono was quoted as saying in a
recent interview.

He blames the economic problems on sanctions, banks, the stock
exchange, black-market currency dealers and insurance companies.

Having stopped printing the Zimbabwe dollar, clandestinely used to
purchase foreign curency on the blackmarket, the RBZ now finds itself in a
difficult position to raise the required ammounts.

It's sources of the currency were further narrowed last week after
Finance Minister  Biti scrapped the export surrender requirement which
forced to companies to sell 5 to 7 percent of their gross earnings to the
RBZ.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Magistrates up in arms Over Arrest of a Member

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 17:46
 MASVINGO - THE Magistrates' Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) has
petitioned the government to reprimand the police for "unlawfully" arresting
and detaining Mutare magistrate Livison Chipadze for complying with a High
Court order to release MDC-T treasurer, Roy Bennett from prison.

Chipadze was arrested for accepting bail money from Bennett after High
Court judge Tedious Karwi ruled that the Deputy Minister of Agriculture
designate should then be set free.

He was released last week after a local magistrate ruled that he had
no case to answer.

A letter dated March 10 directed to the chief magistrate Herbert
Mandeya, MAZ president Enias Magate said he was outraged by the police's
conduct in the case.

"We wish to express our utmost outrage when police abuse their powers
of arrest by maliciously victimising magistrates through arrests simply
because they would have made decisions that they do not agree with," read
the letter.
Association said Chipadze was complying with a High Court order dated
February 24, which the State had not appealed against.

MAZ also felt the government should protect magistrates from police
officers who harass and arrest them for doing their duties.

"When we preside over court in the performance of our judicial and
administrative functions, we do so with the comfort that we are protected by
the law," the letter said.

"But if the police are allowed to act with such impunity as they did
with our Mr Chipadze then the only result to expect is anarchy."

The association said its members were now afraid to carry out their
duties properly because they thought that they would be victimised.

"We are afraid and indeed our membership throughout the country is
fearful that when each and everyone of them sits in court to preside over a
matter and makes a decision which the police do not like or approve of, he
or she stands the risk of being arrested by the police," MAZ said.

They demanded that the government must condemn the conduct of the
police.

"We therefore request your office to condemn the unwarranted conduct
by the police.

"We further request your office to assure all the magistrates
countrywide that they are not at the mercy of the police neither should we
be afraid of them," said the petition.
President Robert Mugabe's previous government has been accused of
compromising the independence of the judiciary by intimidating court
officials and filling the bench with Zanu PF sympathisers.

BY GODFREY MUTIMBA

Chombo Accused Over Vacant Town Clerk Position

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 17:38
BULAWAYO - The City council has accused Local Government, Rural and
Urban Development Minister Ignatious Chombo of frustrating development
projects by delaying the appointment of a substantive town clerk.

Bulawayo has been running without a substantive town clerk since
October 2007 following the death of Stanley Donga a few months after he
assumed the post.

The position should have been filled within three months in terms of
the Urban Councils Act.

Gilbert Dube, the chamber secretary, has been acting town clerk since
Ncube's departure.

Sources said the MDC-T dominated council had identified its preferred
candidates within the stipulated period but was waiting for advice from the
Local Government Board in terms of the Act.

board falls under Chombo, who in the past has been accused of trying
to impose his own candidates on the council.

Last year, Chombo invited the ire of Bulawayo councillors when he
seconded Khonzani Ncube, who was the acting provincial administrator to act
as town clerk.

She left council after councillors protested her appointment.

Bulawayo mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo said the delays in appointing the
town clerk had affected council's development programmes.

"This is impacting negatively on the implementation of the council
development projects since the town clerk acts like a chief executive
officer," Moyo said.

 "Despite many inquiries at the ministry, we still cannot get a
satisfactory answer."

  "It's probably delaying tactics by the ministry, which used to
frustrate the operations of MDC-run councils."
Chombo denied accusations he played any role in delaying the
appointment when contacted for comment last week.

 "There is nothing like that and all procedures have to be followed,"
he said, without elaborating.

Chombo has also in the past been accused of interfering with
operations of MDC councils in an effort to replace them with handpicked
commissioners.

He replaced popularly elected mayors in Harare, Chitungwiza and Mutare
with handpicked commissioners who were accused of precipitating the collapse
of service delivery.

In 2007, Chombo was accused of blocking the appointment of Gwanda town
clerk Gilbert Mlilo to the same post in Bulawayo.

He replaced Mlilo with Donga who was the deputy city treasurer at the
time.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Anglicans Want Chihuri Charged

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 17:31
THE main Anglican Church congregation loyal to Harare Diocese Province
of Central Africa Bishop Sebastian Bakare, which has been embroiled in a
long drawn battle for control of the church with a rival group led by
renegade Bishop Nolbert Kunonga wants the police commissioner charged with
contempt of court.

The group, now commonly referred to as the Bakare faction, says
Chihuri is biased against them, adding they have evidence that the
commissioner-general, who is also a sworn Zanu PF supporter, connived with
Kunonga to destabilise their church.

Kunonga, who broke from the church's hierarchy in 2007, is trying to
wrest control of the diocese's extensive assets from the faction led by
Bishop Sebastian Bakare.

The dispute turned ugly last Sunday when riot police tried to disrupt
a service led by Bakare at a parish in Mabvuku arguing Kunonga had won a
Supreme Court challenge against a January 2008 ruling by the High Court
allowing the two factions to share assets.

Bakare's group now wants Chihuri charged with contempt of court for
allegedly instructing the police to assist the bishop who uses his strong
links to Zanu PF to intimidate opponents in his bid to drive Anglicans out
of their churches.

The Diocesan Registrar for the Church of the Province of Central
Africa, Michael Chingore, said they had filed a contempt of court
application against Chihuri in the face of the continued disruption of
church services by the police.

"We have already launched a contempt of court appeal against the
police at the High Court," he said. "The police have only been trying to
stop our services instead of maintaining order.

"We are simply saying the police or commissioner-general should not be
anywhere near our services.

He said on numerous occasions the police had interfered with their
services as they tried to force them to make way for Kunonga's faction in
violation of the High Court ruling.

  "It appears the police are now causing more problems than Kunonga's
faction and our case is not against Kunonga but the police," Chingore said.

Bakare accused Chihuri of being biased against his group and said they
had evidence that the commissioner-general connived with Kunonga to
destabilise the church.

"Chihuri is sending people to provoke Anglicans and on the other hand
he is saying he does not know anything about it," said Bakare.

Chihuri has sought to distance himself from the Anglican church saga.

Three weeks ago the church secured an affidavit from Chihuri in which
he denied any knowledge of instructions issued to force Anglicans out of
their churches.

But Bakare said the disruption of church services proved that Chihuri
was not being truthful.
"The question here is that if Chihuri claims he does not know anything
then who has been sending the police?

"For police officers to be so partisan raises a lot of questions."

Last weekend police arrested three parishioners including the church
warden Henry Musikavanhu at St Stephens church after they resisted attempts
to force them out of a Sunday service to make way for the Kunonga faction.

They were released on Monday without any charges being laid against
them.

"The police have been making numerous arrests but surprisingly enough
no charges have been made and that is why we would like to believe they are
deriving their orders from their seniors," said Chingore.

But Bishop Alfred Munyanyi, speaking on behalf of Kunonga's faction,
claimed Bakare's group was out to cause trouble.

 "The police are coming because this other faction is failing to
observe the status-quo.
"They are simply doing their work," he said.

"These people are just making noise but the constitution is very clear
that Kunonga remains the head of the Anglican Church.

"Bishops are not fired but they are removed following clearly outlined
procedures."

Kunonga's faction claims to have won a Supreme Court challenge that
allowed them the sole use of the church's premises, an assertion dismissed
by Bakare's group.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena defended
the police saying they were only enforcing court orders.

"Our position is that we are following the law in resolving the
dispute and they (Bakare and Kunonga factions) should follow the court
orders," he said.

The CPCA has also approached the Joint Monitoring and Implementation
Committee which was set up to ensure the implementation of the Global
Political Agreement.

BY EDGAR GWESHE

Unicef Donates Water Chemicals

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 17:10
THE Harare City Council has received about US$1.5 million worth of
water treatment chemicals from the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) and
Japan to tackle water shortages blamed  for the cholera outbreak ravaging
the country.

bought the chemicals using a grant it got from the Japanese government
in December to fight cholera in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Morton Jaffray Waterworks in
Norton on Thursday the Japanese ambassador to Zimbabwe Koichi Morita
expressed hope that the chemicals would help reduce cholera cases.

"It is our fervent wish that the provision of these chemicals will
contribute effectively to the improvement of the humanitarian situation in
Zimbabwe," Morita said.

As the Japanese government we want to support Zimbabwe's efforts to
reduce the incidence of cholera cases caused largely by people using
untreated water."

Harare mayor Muchadei Masunda (pictured) said the return of water
management to the city council from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority
(Zinwa) came as a relief.

He said government's decision to give the responsibility of water
management to Zinwa in the first place was "regrettable".

"Sometime back in May 2005 the responsibility of providing portable
water to greater Harare was taken away from the city of Harare and given to
Zinwa, which is a parastatal and that's one of the most regrettable things
that have happened in this country," Masunda said.

Masunda said since January when this decision was made to reverse the
takeover, council had been busy with the logistics and the absorption of
workers from Zinwa remained a major challenge.

"The town clerk and his team have been working feverishly on a due
diligence exercise just to check on the integrity of the assets that we are
getting back from Zinwa, that is on the technical side," Masunda said.

"On the human resources side they are working to ensure that the 1 400
old employees that were seconded to Zinwa are accommodated but to our utter
amazement that number had increased to 2 400 or so.

"We are busy working on all those issues and it hasn't been easy."

On the cholera situation, Unicef country representative Roeland
Monasche said although reported cases were on the decline, the epidemic
remained a cause for concern for the agency.

"In Zimbabwe the cholera situation seems to be coming slowly under
control," said Monasche.

"Over the past eight weeks we have seen a continuous drop of cholera
cases. However, there are still pockets where we see spikes especially in
the last week or two we have seen an increase in cholera cases at Budiriro
Polyclinic but we are continuously monitoring it."

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) since the cholera
epidemic began in August last year at least 4 000 people have died while
more than 80 000 have been infected by the disease.

The cholera epidemic has been largely blamed on lack of clean water in
affected areas, broken down sewer infrastructure and general sanitation
issues in many suburbs.

Monasche said getting Zimbabwe's water and sewer infrastructure
working again was now the Unicef's occupation as it sought funding from
donors.

BY BERTHA SHOKO

'No likely takers for Mugabe aid pleas'

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:27
BULAWAYO - Zimbabwe's desperate pleas for financial assistance to kick
start the revival of its economy battered by almost a decade of political
turmoil will not yield anything until the United States repeals its Zimbabwe
Democracy Recovery Act (Zidera), analysts warned last week.

President Robert Mugabe on Thursday pleaded with "Zimbabwe's friends"
to finance a US$5 billion recovery plan, which the inclusive government
hopes will be backed mainly by Western donors.

But the United States immediately responded by saying Zimbabwe's
power-sharing government had "a long way to go" before the Obama
administration could consider lifting sanctions.

"We have not yet seen sufficient evidence from the government of
Zimbabwe that they are firmly and irrevocably on a path to inclusive and
effective governance, and as well as respect for human rights and the rule
of law," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters.

He added: "So that government has a long way to go before we will
consider. . . easing sanctions with that government. We're not in any kind
of discussion with . . .  the government of Zimbabwe on removing our
targeted sanctions.

"We remain very concerned about the plight of the Zimbabwean people
who have been under such terrible suffering. And we're going to continue to
try to help the people of Zimbabwe.

"With regard to the government, it's got a long way to go before we
will look at removing any targeted sanctions."

In the meantime, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank
and the African Development Bank (IMF) have sent delegations to assess the
situation in the country following the setting up of an inclusive government
last month.

The new government and some African countries have called for the
lifting of sanctions on the basis that the problems were solved by the
political settlement.

But respected analysts Eric Bloch and John Robertson warned the
inclusive government still had a long way to go before major donors could
come to its rescue.

"As far as I am concerned this visit will not yield anything for
Zimbabwe now until the United States repeals Zidera," Bloch said. Zidera was
enacted in 2002 after Zanu PF supporters with President Mugabe's tacit
support, invaded white-owned commercial farms at the same time that
government began a vicious campaign against political opponents.

"It is pretty difficult for the United States to do that because of
developments that have characterised Zimbabwe's political environment in the
last few months after the signing of the Global Political Agreement," Bloch
said.

Despite the new political dispensation Zanu PF militants have stepped
up the invasion of commercial farms. There are also reports of resurgent
political violence in some parts of the country.

Delays in releasing political prisoners has also cast doubts on the
success of the inclusive government as fears mount that some Zanu PF
hardliners were working overnight to torpedo the new government.

"It is my considered view that such are the cases which could create
problems for the IMF team in the country to argue Zimbabwe's case," Bloch
said.

"In as much as there have been some positive developments, these are
outweighed by the negatives, and that is not a healthy situation for the
country."

He said the continued assault on property rights would scare away any
donors who might want to come to the aid of the inclusive government.

The IMF team report is exploring if Zimbabwe is able to settle the
remainder of the debt to IMF and whether Zimbabwe's expenditure was in line
with the national budget.

Zimbabwe owes US$89 million to the IMF, US$600 million to the World
Ban and US$429 to the AfDB.
Robertson said the failure to settle outstanding debts would also
weigh heavily against the country's search for financial assistance.

"The IMF will not be of any assistance to Zimbabwe," he said.

"The government messed us up by failing to settle the outstanding IMF
debts.

"That is a basic requirement that all member states should be paid up
members in terms of debt they owe to the IMF.

"Given that we are as a country yet to fully settle the debt means
that the IMF's hands are tied at the moment in terms of financial support."

Finance minister, Tendai Biti last week announced a US$700 000 budget
cut from the initial budget of US$1,7 billion presented by the then acting
minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa.

The government hopes to raise the bulk of the money from international
donors.

BY NKULULEKO SIBANDA

Inclusive Government Mulls 'open-skies' Policy

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:24
ZIMBABWE is set to introduce liberal air transport policies in a bid
to attract foreign airlines in what will be a landmark move to make the
country accessible as a tourist destination.

According to the new recovery plan titled Short Term Emergency
Recovery Programme (STERP) launched on Thursday, tourism is the sector that
will experience quickest turnaround ahead of other sectors of the economy.

"To increase destination access for major source markets both long and
short haul, the inclusive government will introduce more liberal and less
protective air transport policies and offer competitive incentives to
attract foreign airlines in accordance with the Open Skies Policy," the
document said.

The introduction of an open skies policy comes amid revelations that
Malaysian and Emirates have been kept waiting for permission to fly into
Zimbabwe.

Last month, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter Mzembi
said the tourism industry had proposed the opening up of the skies as a
prerequisite to make Zimbabwe an accessible destination.
In 1996, 45 carriers served the country linking it to more than 100
source markets from throughout the world.

Reputable airlines like British Airways, Qantas, Virgin and Lufthansa
used to fly to Zimbabwe but stopped when the country's image took a knock
after the controversial land reform programme.

Only seven airlines remain rendering the country inaccessible to
tourists.

"This is attributed to the restrictive and protective air transport
policies that have seen foreign carriers being denied rights to land in
Zimbabwe," the recovery plan said.

Tourism experts say the opening up of the skies will increase
competition and reduce the cost of travel.

"It allows competition and reduces costs of travel and that is why
travelling in Africa is costly because there is no competition," said Shingi
Munyeza, African Sun Limited group CEO.

Munyeza said national carriers should be commercially run so that they
could not crumble in the face of competition from established airlines.

"In Africa national carriers are bankrolled by the state and we should
defend local carriers by making them commercially viable like Kenyan
Airways," he said.

The government has been accused frustrating foreign airlines in a bid
to protect Air Zimbabwe.

But the struggling carrier has been failing to satisfy the market due
to under capitalisation and foreign currency constraints.

The airline has been struggling to attract partners in the region and
abroad due to Zimbabwe's bad boy image.

In 2007, Air Zim group CEO, Peter Chikumba, told a parliamentary
portfolio committee that the national carrier had communicated to seven
"sympathetic carriers" to fill the void left in the Harare-London route
following the withdrawal of British Airways.

But nearly two years after Chikumba's remarks, the partners are still
elusive to the troubled airline.

The tourism industry has lost its former glory. Two years ago Zimbabwe
was ranked the third best country in Africa by the United Nations World
Tourism Organisation in terms of arrivals but violence in the run up to the
June 27 presidential election run off and the cholera outbreak affected last
year's arrivals.

Preliminary figures show that 2008 arrivals were lower than previous
years, Karikoga Kaseke, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority CEO said last month.

Last year, 17 conferences, including the Common Markets for Eastern
and Southern Africa were cancelled a result of the political unrest the
country.

Other than tackling the issue of accessibility, Zimbabwe has to deal
with travel warnings issued last year that have chased away potential
tourists.

BY NDAMU SANDU

Global Recession Hits Safari Operators

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:21
THE country's safari industry is struggling to sell quotas for this
year's hunting season as the effects of the global recession take their toll
on traditional source markets.

A hunting auction held at a local hotel two weeks ago was under
subscribed as the 150 regional and international buyers felt the prices were
too high.

The auction was targeting to raise US$1 million but only raised US$600
000. Safari operators said in good times the auction could raise up to US$2
million.

But this time around buyers' resistance was evident as they offered
US$8 000 for an elephant trophy which used to fetch US$12 000.

Safari operators see the resistance by the buyers as a wake-up call
for stakeholders to review their prices, which have become among the most
expensive in the region.

"Prices that we have in our minds are not sustainable because it makes
the cost structure expensive," Emmanuel Fundira, the group chief executive
officer for Makuti Safaris said.

"We need to exercise restraint by bringing prices down to accommodate
the impact of the global recession and dollarisation."

Fundira said the country's negative image also played a role although
it was mitigated by the formation of an inclusive government. But he
cautioned that the market was testing the sincerity of the political actors.
He said travel warnings issued on Zimbabwe had played a part in the
low uptake of local products as agents had taken them off their menu list.

Fundira said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority must
review the prices so that the total package becomes competitive in the
region.

He said the authority was taking "more than what the business can
 chew".

In any auction, the authority benefits by charging trophy fees while
safari operators get their proceeds from covering clients' upkeep.

Fundira said the seven percent surrender levels on exporters was
hurting safari operators as they were unable to use the local currency given
by the central bank.

He said the surrender level was an outright tax on safari operators.

In his budget review statement on Wednesday, Finance Minister Tendai
Biti removed the export surrender requirements saying it would be replaced
by an appropriate tax structure.

The safari industry is marketed in three distinct forms, which are
attendance to internationally organised marketing shows, public auctions and
repeat business.

Repeat business occurs when clients who have been to a particular
destination come back or refer other potential clients.

BY NDAMU SANDU

Alex Magaisa: Political reform, economy of Zimbabwe

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 16:30
WHENEVER I see beggars in the streets of Canterbury, I'm often
reminded of the woman who plied the same trade along Harare's First Street.

She was always jovial; always with a cheerful expression. Her normal
station was near the Topics clothing shop. I remember her because she would
always ask for ten cents. Nothing but ten cents. Perhaps to distinguish
herself from competitors, she carried her plea in English, always asking,
'Can I have ten cents, please!'

I often wonder if she is still in this wretched world; if she is still
stationed at her usual office along First Street and whether she, too, has
revised her figures in the wake of record hyperinflation, because surely by
now 'ten cents' must have vanished from the Zimbabwean financial vocabulary.

And as I watch the new Zimbabwe administration on its knees, bowl in
hand pleading for financial assistance, images of the 'Topics woman' flood
the memory.

Forgive the old cliché but they do say a week is a long time in
politics - a year is surely, an eternity. You see, there was a time when it
was said that Zanu PF's biggest adversary was the economy.

It was argued, vehemently in some circles, that the MDC did not need
to join Zanu PF in government, for the ailing economy would finally bring
the old party to its knees. In the event, this so-called 'tongai tione' (Go
it alone) line of thought gave way to the 'ngatitongei pamwe' position (let's
govern together).

Yet still, that great adversary that spelt potential doom for Zanu PF
remains firmly in place, still throwing very heavy, below-the-belt punches
against the new fledgling baby. Suddenly, the economy, an erstwhile
instrument in the struggle to dislodge Zanu PF has evolved into an adversary
against which the MDC must now grapple.

The new administration admits that there is no money and indeed, that
without short-term external help, the future looks grim. Presenting the
Budget review on Wednesday 18th March 2009, Finance Minister Tendai Biti
revised the 2009 budget revenue estimate from $1.7 billion to $1 billion.

The proposed expenditures were pegged at $1.9 billion. This leaves a
volcanic crater of a shortfall - more than 50% that must somehow be covered.

Since the country lacks the immediate resources to do so this means it
has to increase taxes, increase export revenues or beg for assistance. It
has to look for bilateral and multilateral loans. He also revealed that
government revenue was a miserly $25 million in February 2009. The figures
represent no more than 20% of the initial projections of $140 million per
month that were too optimistically announced in January.

 Further, export receipts have been in freefall over the years,
falling 14% last year.

The reasons for the poor revenue are many and some too obvious to
warrant discussion. Suffice to say, Zimbabwe is not producing enough to feed
itself, let alone export to earn revenue. The productive sectors in
agriculture, mining and industry have been in terminal decline with farm and
industry closures.

Unsurprisingly, unemployment is pegged at about 90%. All this means
the tax pool has been drastically reduced. Most people have, by necessity,
retreated into the informal economy from which the government gets little,
if anything, by way of taxes.

Yet those millions of informal sector players still have to use the
same infrastructure which the government is supposedly responsible for. It's
little wonder then that the country has experienced a painful process of
deterioration. The situation is utterly unsustainable.

Facing this bleak outlook, the new administration is understandably
begging for foreign assistance and has come up with what is referred to as
the Short Term Economic Recovery Plan (STERP). I often chuckle at the way
our Zimbabwean politicians love high-sounding acronyms! BACOSSI, FELOPADS,
FOLIWARS, FELOCS, ASPEF, RESTART and yes, now we have STERP - phonetically,
it suggests a step forward. Zimbabweans must hope it works as beautifully as
it sounds!

To be sure, however much we beg for help, the ball is in our court and
we have to play it and play it well.

 Prior to the tragic accident that claimed the life of his wife, Prime
Minister Tsvangirai appeared to have set his eyes on the ball. He was
running around, getting busy and making key statements. President Mugabe,
seemed to have taken a "back-seat approach" to things, leaving his new
partner to hog the limelight for the few weeks he has been in office. The
two men were visibly united in mourning the loss of Susan Tsvangirai and
Vitalis Zvinavashe.

Yet beyond this show of solidarity, there has always been a shadowy
force lurking in the background; something that seems to drain the energy
and impetus from the new administration. It is this dark force that could
derail the new administration's begging expedition.

Potential donors have said they are observing first, to determine if
there is genuine-power-sharing and if this new administration can be trusted
given its hybrid character. Yet it is also akin to a "chicken and egg"
conundrum. In other words, which comes first, political transformation or
economic recovery? The desire to see political change is understandable. Yet
one must also contend with the fact that economic stagnation weighs down on
the efforts to effect political changes.

There is a credible view that economic recovery may ease the path
towards political transformation. Minister Biti was recently quoted by
finance news channel, Bloomberg as having said, "Our political recovery,
even political stability, is linked directly to our economic recovery".

I do not think it is fair to judge the new administration on the basis
of past failures of a government that was monopolised by a single party.
Some have understandably expressed fears given the repressive
characteristics that persist in some parts of what might be referred to as
the Old Power. To my mind, it goes to confirm the old cliché that old habits
die hard. These challenges represent a natural circumstance of change.

They also demonstrate the reality of what the nation faces. Anything
else would be too fake, indeed it would be too pretentious if the process
was smooth. I'm not surprised that there are those in the Old Power who have
resorted to a 'Scorched Earth Policy' - that old war tactic whereby the
retreating enemy slashes and burns everything in its way in order to stifle
the advancing adversary. To expect those who are resisting change to do
otherwise would be a naïve expectation that can only be found in a utopian
world which does not exist.

In my view, therefore, those who wish to help Zimbabwe out of its
quagmire must understand this fact of life; that there is not going to be a
day of beautiful sunrise after all the undesirables have vanished into the
sunset. To my understanding, the MDC went into government to try a new way
of waging the struggle for democracy. Yet it will be incredibly difficult
for them to preach the political gospel for as long as millions of
Zimbabweans remained stuck in the murky waters of poverty and hopelessness.
They need to demonstrate real change in people's economic circumstances if
they are to effect the political changes that are sorely needed.

So far Australia and more recently Denmark appear to have opened a
window of opportunity. That is a good sign. It is recognition that this
transitional arrangement is itself part of the political reform process that
will one day yield a more desirable result. However, the Zimbabwe
administration should work hard to remove from its path those obstacles that
hinder the support it is begging for.
The culture of impunity, violence and deprivation of civil liberties
has to end not simply to create a better image abroad but also to inspire
confidence among the long-suffering citizens.

Alex Magaisa - University of Kent wamagaisa@yahoo.co.uk  or
a.t.magaisa@kent.ac.uk

Comment: Chombo's Blatant Opportunism, Hypocrisy

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 16:26
THE majority of ratepayers would have welcomed the directive by the
Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatious
Chombo, to nip manifestations of extravagance in new councils in the bud.
But his sincerity is suspect and his record questionable.

Chombo last week stopped newly installed Harare City councillors from
granting themselves free cellphones and residential stands at subsidised
prices. He also barred the council from suspending its under-fire Town
Clerk.

The decision by the councillors to award themselves the perks,
especially so soon after coming into office, is appalling. It only serves to
unmask the rapacious nature of those who seek public office under the guise
of serving their communities.

In addition to the cellphones and stands, the councillors had also
resolved to award themselves allowances for meals during meetings, and for
laundry.

Chombo might be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but
he cannot fool all of the people all of the time. As Minister of Local
Government, Chombo introduced the Urban Councils Act which ushered in the
era of executive mayors.

The executive mayors were an expensive experiment that allowed Zanu PF's
favoured few to live like royalty, while the rest of the country was
exhorted to tighten belts.

Chombo has no qualms acting to stop the suspension of Harare Town
Clerk, but will do nothing about ensuring the appointment of Bulawayo's
chief executive officer. The city has gone without one since October 2007
after Stanley Donga's death.

It is inconceivable that a city like Bulawayo - one of the most
professionally run urban authorities - could fail to "follow procedures", a
euphemism for not toeing the Zanu PF line, for as long as the city has been
without a Town Clerk.

The collapse of service delivery by most urban authorities can be
deposited on Chombo's doorstep.

On the one hand he did everything in his powers to frustrate councils
that sought to operate professionally because they happened to be in the
hands of the opposition.

On the other, he did absolutely nothing where he had imposed
incompetent commissioners, or where his party had elected executive mayors
who believed their duty was to be at the beck and call of Zanu PF and not
serve the interests of ratepayers.

While Chombo is quick to prevent the suspension of Harare's Town
Clerk, it will be recalled the determination with which he persistently
hounded out of office executive mayors in Chegutu, Chitungwiza, Harare and
Mutare elected on an MDC ticket.

He would have succeeded in Bulawayo, Gweru and Masvingo but for the
determination and resistance of the councillors and the electorate in those
towns.

Three examples will help us in understanding Chombo's hypocrisy: When
Lawrence Mudewe completed his second term as executive mayor of Mutare he
was given a package that raised eyebrows at a time when Mutare was
cash-strapped. Chombo was Minister of Local Government.

When James Bwerazuva retired as Gweru's executive mayor in 2003, he
left with a package that included a commercial stand of his choice, a
twin-cab truck, a Mercedes Benz saloon, a cell phone and free line which
were paid for by the council, in addition to a multi-million dollar one-off
payment and annual benefits then in excess of Z$10 million. Chombo was
Minister of Local Government.

Then there are the legendary lavish habits of Sekesayi Makwavarara,
who was chair of the Harare Commission and her pathetic record of service
delivery, the effects of which the city still suffers. Again Chombo was
Minister of Local Government. In all these cases he did nothing to intervene
in the interests of ratepayers. The people will not be fooled.

Why Zimbabwe Could Collapse Again

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 16:23
I JUST know Raymond Majongwe will enjoy this:

".We have simply got to create exceptional conditions for teachers,
and that as soon as possible, since we realise that unless the people can
have all-round education, the state will collapse like a house built from
insufficiently burnt bricks.

"The teacher must be an actor, an artist, passionately in love with
his work, and our teachers are navies, half-educated individuals, who go to
the village to teach children as willingly as they would go into exile.

"They are famished, down-trodden; they live in perpetual fear of
losing their livelihood. It is intolerable that such as one should go about
in rags, shiver in a damp, dilapidated school, be poisoned by fumes from
badly ventilated stoves, be always catching a cold, and by the age of thirty
be a mess of disease - laryngitis, rheumatism, tuberculosis. It's a disgrace
to us."

In case you were beginning to get all teary with the emotional tone of
the lecture, this was not about the scandalously low-paid Zimbabwean
teachers. It could very easily have been, as many of them have gone into
exile too - but not to teach, in some cases. Some have turned into what were
called "garden boys".

When our world was very dark and ruled by white-skinned people who
seemed to believe God would always be on their side, Anton Chekhov, the
great Russian writer delivered that lecture to Maxim Gorky, another Russian
believed to have been murdered on Josef Stalin's orders. . . but that's
another story. This happened in the 19th century.

It seems that teachers have always had rotten luck, in terms of how
governments throughout history have rewarded them for their work . . .
niggardly.

Of course, when you consider the great Socrates was forced to drink
poison, you begin to wonder if history has always been schizophrenic about
great minds.

In Zimbabwe, we are all familiar with the glittering teaching
background of President Robert Mugabe, who taught in his own country, in
Northern Rhodesia and then famously in Ghana during the peak of Kwame
Nkrumah's leadership.

Sadly, though, Mugabe's reign in Zimbabwe has not been marked with
spectacular achievements for the teaching profession. It might even be fair
to say teachers have suffered more hardships during his presidency, than
they did under successive racist regimes.

To be balanced, it would probably be accurate to describe his
relationship with the teachers as one of mutual distrust, or even mutual
disaffection. The crux was politics: the teachers for the most part, were
thoroughly disillusioned with Zanu PF's policies on how to ameliorate the
working conditions of their lot.

This was apart from their unhappiness with the jackboot government
attitude towards any citizens who were even mildly critical of Zanu PF.

In the early days of independence, it was wrongly assumed by Mugabe
and his close lieutenants that most Zimbabweans - intellectuals and
non-intellectuals alike were in favour of the Marxist-Leninist thrust of
Zanu PF - one-party, one leader, one ideology, one television station, one
radio station, one newspaper, one trade union movement, one teachers' union
and almost one church.

It came as a tremendous shock to them that this was a huge tragic
fallacy. Most people were ecstatic at the defeat of the white supremacists,
but not all were excited by the declared intentions of what they branded as
the "black supremacists".

As we now know, the ruling elite's reaction was instantaneous - the
old "sell-out" label was reintroduced and threats of violence were issued
and in some instances, carried out summarily.

The outright rejection of dissent was to be manifested in the
formation of "puppet" movements to those opposed to Zanu PF. A new umbrella
organisation for the union movement, linked almost directly to Zanu PF, was
formed. A famous (notorious) Zanu PF name - that of the loud-mouthed Joseph
Chinotimba - was identified as one of the key leaders.

The teachers, who are returning must display more courage and tenacity
than they did the last time. The task is now even more onerous than before.
If a situation arises, which demands that they stand together with the
citizens to resist all government attempts to deprive them of their
inalienable rights, they must not flinch, for if they do, this time then
this state might indeed collapse again.

This time it might take longer than just eight years to bring it back
to the days of hope and glory.
lwsaidi20022003@yahoo.co.uk

BY BILL SAIDI

Newsanalysis: Little Optimism Over

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com


Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:15
THE government unveiled another blueprint on Thursday to patch up the
country's battered economy but analysts remained sceptical of its success
saying without sincerity among stakeholders the plan was doomed to fail like
previous programmes.

The Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP), launched amid
fanfare on Thursday, is expected to provide the arsenal for a quick economic
turnaround in the inclusive government's first 100 days in office.

It is an emergency short term stabilisation programme, whose key goals
are to "stabilise the macro and micro economy, recover the levels of
savings, investment and growth, and lay the basis for a more transformative
mid term to long term economic programme that will turn Zimbabwe into a
progressive state".

The new revival plan requires US$5 billion from the international
community to bring the economy - on a free-fall for the past nine years - to
a sound footing.

The plan proposes the retooling of the manufacturing sector, boosting
agricultural production and funding of tourism to drive the quick turnaround
of the economy.

While lauding the plan as having charted a new territory unlike the
previous plans, analysts cautioned that the response of the international
community holds the key to the plan's success.

Zimbabwe is broke and is living from hand to mouth, a situation
Finance Minister Tendai Biti on Wednesday likened to a hunting community,
suggesting Zimbabweans must in future consume only what they are able to
gather.

Revenues from taxes have dwindled drastically while exports are at
their lowest since independence and analysts say only foreign capital
injection will steer the country out of the current mess.

Independent economist, John Robertson said the response from the
international community would determine the success of the revival plan.

"It's (the plan) not convincing at this stage because the funding to
carry out the plan is still to materialise," he said.

Robertson said however, STERP's recognition of property rights would
improve investors' confidence in the country adding that the new political
dispensation seemed to have made a more conciliatory view on what is needed
by businesses.

"They are not treating business sectors as enemies and the new
government is supportive of the sector," he said.

Last month Biti took the country's begging bowl to the Southern
African Development Community's council of ministers pleading for an
injection of at least US$2 billion to bail-out the one-month old inclusive
government.

Zimbabwe is cut out from list of nations eligible to get funds from
multilateral institutions due to the country's indebtedness and questionable
human rights record.

Professor Tony Hawkins from the Graduate School of Management at the
University of Zimbabwe said STERP was more realistic than previous
programmes that were based on the printing of money to drive the economy.

According to STERP, unveiled by President Robert Mugabe on Thursday,
efforts would be made to establish an over US$1 billion external credit
facility to retool the manufacturing sector.

However, Prof Hawkins said recent reports of farm evictions would test
the government's adherence to property rights.

STERP becomes one of numerous documents crafted since independence to
boost economic growth.

The Transitional National Development Plan (1986-90), according
priority to poverty reduction, was launched with the objective that
government would invest money towards increased social sector development,
expansion of rural infrastructure and redressing social and economic
inequalities such as those created by skewed land tenure systems inherited
from the colonial past.

The programme was dumped in the 1990s for the Bretton Woods-inspired
Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP), which undertook to reform
public enterprises and the civil service. ESAP promised to reduce central
government deficit from 10% of GDP to 5% by the fiscal year 1994-95. This
did not happen, and the programme was subsequently abandoned.

The Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Transformation
(Zimprest) touted as a home-grown panacea to the country's mounting economic
problems, was launched in February 1998 to stem inflation from over 200% at
the start of the programme to single digit level by the year 2000.

It also promised continuous growth in exports and envisaged a real
annual GDP growth of 6% until 2000, creating 44 000 new jobs per year. To
achieve these targets, savings and investments were expected to reach at
least 23% of the GDP and the budget deficit reduced to less than five
percent.

Besides seeking to advance the unfinished work of ESAP, Zimprest also
added socio-political goals such as improvements in the quality of
democratic institutions, the pursuit of good governance and the elimination
of corruption.

Zimprest, however, did not live to celebrate its fourth anniversary as
it was abandoned for another programme: the Millennium Economic Recovery
Programme (MERP) launched in August 2001.

MERP was touted as a short-term economic programme to restore economic
vibrancy and address the underlying macroeconomic fundamentals. But it was
rendered ineffective, largely due to the withdrawal of international donor
support in February 2003.

Then the National Economic Development Programme (NEDPP) was crafted
in 2006 promising heaven on earth with forecasts that US$2.5 billion would
be raised within three months. Like previous programmes it died a natural
death.

Then last year, government announced that it was coming up with a
long-term economic recovery programme under the Zimbabwe Economic
Development Strategy, which was billed to run from this year up to 2013, but
not much else has been heard about this until this latest initiative.

BY NDAMU SANDU

Zim Standard Letters

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com

MDC Must Never Forget Role Of Students
Saturday, 21 March 2009 16:02
I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Morgan Richard Tsvangirai
on being sworn into office. It was indeed a partial victory for democracy.

Over the past 10 years, the scorched-earth policy pursued by President
Robert Mugabe's administration razed the fortresses of academia to the
ground. This suffocation of academic oxygen motivated us to join Christians,
constitutionalists, socialists, peasants, workers and feminists in order to
speak with one voice - that of seeing a better Zimbabwe for its citizens
from all walks of life. It is in this spirit of unity and equality that we
bestowed a legal mandate on Tsvangirai on March 29, 2008.
While we were in the trenches together with the MDC during the past
decade, the students were never considered junior partners. We are concerned
by the relegation of the higher and tertiary education sector by the new
government.

We are saddened by the retention of the "deadest" wood in the form of
ministers who failed to perform or make a difference to the sector during
the last government. All state universities are demanding extortionate and
unreasonable fees. Such a draconian policy exposes a sinister motive, one
which seeks to turn most of us into college drop outs.

We have seen to our utter dismay, the new government applying itself
in a robust manner in the way it is tackling issues pertaining to the plight
of teachers and school children, yet there is deafening silence when it
comes to the parlous state of students at universities and tertiary
institutions. It seems that the MDC is forgetful of the selfless role
students played in its success. Some of our brothers and sisters paid the
supreme sacrifice for this new dispensation.

Countless student activists sacrificed their university studies and
lives for the future of our country. Up to now students who fought
fearlessly for change find deplorable prison cells have become their halls
of residence and their role in bringing to an end Zanu PF's political
hegemony has now been conveniently forgotten. Can you imagine the MDC
without the likes of the late Learnmore Judah Jongwe, Nelson Chamisa, Job
Sikhala and Tafadzwa Musekiwa during its formative stages?

To the Prime Minister, I say: I want to make it clear that we will not
allow the euphoria of a new dispensation to cloud our critical senses. What
your administration has done during the past month is to sow seeds of
animosity and mistrust between the government and students.

Since the formation of the government of national unity, many students
have been brutalised.

Their crime? - peaceful demonstrations against extortionate fees.
After the demonstrations that took place at the University of Zimbabwe on
February 3, 2009, three students were detained for more than 48 hours facing
trumped up charges. There was no word from the MDC or the Prime Minister
expressing concern over and in defence of the students. All we heard was
concern over Jestina Mukoko and Roy Bennett's continued imprisonment and
that of several dozens of MDC activists. There was nothing said about
students.

Two students at the Midlands State University were suspended
arbitrarily and in stark violation of the Prime Minister's assurance at his
first rally at Glamis Stadium during which he said such manifest abuse of
power must end immediately. The following are our urgent concerns. They are
non-negotiable:

There is evidence of widespread abuse by the administration at the
University of Zimbabwe and I would like to invite your officials to observe
what will happen when we open on March 30, 2009.

All students who were suspended should be re-instated by March 30, in
the spirit of the Global Political Agreement.

Upon opening on March 30, the Students' Representative Council and the
Students' Executive Council elections, which were suspended for the past
year, should be held.

The Students' Union building, for long the epitome of student activism
and freedom of expression and association must become functional once again
by April 30, 2009.

Halls of residence that were closed should be renovated and open for
student accommodation by April 30, 2009.

Grants be restored and our Parliamentary majority must be used to
ensure that all repressive provisions in the University of Zimbabwe Act are
repealed.

We are not an unruly bunch. At the same time we are not a congregation
of saints, who are prepared to stand by and watch their legitimate
expectations being flouted.

Khethimani weUBA Mulenga

University of Zimbabwe Mount Pleasant

Harare.

----------------
Free Political Prisoners
Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:53
FOLLOWING the recent release of Jestina Mukoko, Roy Bennett and other
MDC political prisoners aroma remand prison, it is shocking that the media,
the MDC and other progressive forces are not calling for the immediate
release of three other political prisoners who are still languishing in jail
at the Harare Remand Prison.

Gandhi Mudzingwa, Chris Dhlamini and Andreson Manyere, are part oaf
some 15 other MDC a unknown after they were abducted by state security
agents late last year.

However, after the release of high-profile figures such as Mukoko and
Bennett, the media and the MDC have fallen silent as if there are no more
political prisoners still in remand.

A lot of noise was made by organisations calling for the immediate
release of all political prisoners. But once Mukoko was released this noise
has died down as if nothing remains inside the prisons.

There is need for pressure on the government to release the remaining
political prisoners including those whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Agrippa Zvomuya
Harare.

--------------
No to This Incompetence
Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:49
I am surprised that Parliament failed to meet last week because there
was no water in the Central Business District, yet even the MPs appear to
accept that this is normal. Have we lowered our expectations to these
levels?

Someone at Town House is drawing a salary supposedly for ensuring that
residents of the capital have services delivered to them, yet we are quiet
about it. This is what used to happen under Zanu PF.
The inclusive government is supposed to do more than that and those
found out to be non-performers must shape up or ship out.

We are more than a month into the inclusive government, it's time we
began to see some positive developments. For once, let's say an emphatic
 "No" to the incompetence nurtured by Zanu PF.

In the new dispensation, it is no longer good enough being able to
shout party slogans loudest.  What we want are results, results and results.

While at it, I am appalled that a municipal tractor drivers who were
cutting grass on the roadsides along Harare Drive knocked down power lines
and there are two cases where a tragedy is waiting to happen:

Outside the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Marlborough, the power
lines are down and in order for one to enter the church's premises from the
road, one has to jump over the lines.

I just hope they are not live.  The reckless drivers who did this
should at least have had the decency to report the matter so that the
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority engineers or electricians would have
gone and attended to the matter at the earliest convenience.

Two other houses along Harare Drive but next to the Standard Chartered
Bank's Sports Club have several power cables strewn across their entrances.

Zesa is waiting for someone to be electrocuted before any action is
taken? If the legal advice centre or the Combined Harare Ratepayers'
Association helped the residents to sue for negligence maybe these overly
paid and unproductive office holders responsible for service delivery would
start taking notice.

I do not for once believe that this is the calibre of people who can
provide leadership of organisations in the new Zimbabwe that we all desire.

Really Fed Up
New Marlborough
Harare.

-------------
Clip the Wings of Overbearing University Vice-chancellors
Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:43
I am a student at the University of Zimbabwe and would like to
congratulate the people's project, the MDC - not really for getting into the
government but rather for making a giant leap towards realising our dream of
a democratic prosperous Zimbabwe.

No matter how inconvenient and problematic the MDC's marriage with
Zanu PF may be, the fact is that the MDC now has the advantage of being in a
position to dismantle the dictatorship and steer Zimbabwe towards a peaceful
democratic transition from within the government.
Achieving this from outside the government has clearly proved
impossible. Former student leaders such as Tendai Biti, the Minister of
Finance and Nelson Chamisa, the Minister of Information and Communication
Technology, are now government ministers.

As students, we have endured extreme repression aggravated by the
extreme economic meltdown, coupled with the total abandonment of all the
safety nets meant to cushion students from the harsh economic predicament.

Having been in the trenches with the MDC for a long time and now
having people who understand our situation in positions of authority, there
are certain things that students expect from the MDC's presence in
government.

Firstly, the junta-style administration of state universities needs to
stop immediately. The legal and political framework which gives university
vice-chancellors leverage to exercise arbitrary powers should be dismantled
as a matter of urgency and replaced with a student-centred and
student-friendly framework.

Secondly, the state must rededicate itself to its duty to provide
substantial financial support to students in institutions of higher and
tertiary learning.

Our Minister of Finance, Biti, went through his stone-throwing days at
the University of Zimbabwe on a full stomach and received a substantial
government grant. On the other hand, we, the students of today have
witnessed the commodification of education, which has made our burden much
more gruesome.

I trust that the people's party (and not the inclusive government) is
aware of our legitimate expectation.

Relevant
University of Zimbabwe
Mount Pleasant, Harare.

------------
Save us From These Demons
Saturday, 21 March 2009 15:40
I am a married woman with four children and we stay in Mutoko East. My
life is not what I thought it would be like in our lovely Zimbabwe.

In the run up to the June 2008 election run-off Zanu PF thugs attacked
my family and took our cattle, goats and property because we are MDC
supporters. They beat up my husband and he has been bed-ridden since they
broke his back.

Early this year Zanu PF supporters started returning some of the
things they confiscated from the MDC supporters in Mutoko East. But we now
have a problem in the name of an officer from the Air Force of Zimbabwe, who
is terrorising MDC supporters in Mutoko. He is threatening MDC supporters
whose confiscated property is being returned.

Life in Mutoko has become as nightmarish as it was in June 2008. The
AFZ officer has been joined by another Zanu PF supporter and together they
are threatening MDC supporters and saying that the Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai is nothing but a Zanu PF international public relations person.

Is this true? Is this what the inclusive government is all about? Is
Tsvangirai there to sanitise Zanu PF's image internationally? Why are we the
ones suffering when an MDC person is the Prime Minister?

Desperate
Mutoko East.

-----------------
Standard SMS
Saturday, 21 March 2009 16:13
PM's chopper idea
WHILE I agree with Dr John Makumbe that Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai should travel by helicopter, I want to disagree on the source of
the helicopter - that is the Air Force of Zimbabwe.

There are more of the Prime Minister's enemies there. Like Southern
Sudan's John Garang, the helicopter could be tampered with and we would only
be told that the aircraft crashed after developing a mechanical fault. John
Garang died and what became of it? If the helicopter can be provided, it
should be on MDC security terms. It should be procured from South Africa or
Botswana as part of Sadc's contribution to the success of the peace
initiative, similar to the financial aid package they are now trying to
raise for Zimbabwe's immediate recovery process. Then the maintenance and
security of the said aircraft should also be by the MDC security and
intelligence personnel so as to ensure that there is total security. And if
the government is sincere, it should then help in paying for the attendant
costs. It may not be easy but it would guarantee the success of the
government of national unity. Whoever said it was going to be less expensive
to implement the all-inclusive government? - Oracle, Harare.

Price of peace
PEOPLE need to understand that peace and tranquility comes with a
price. There is nothing wrong with having an enlarged Cabinet. - E Ndlovu,
Bulawayo.
******
WE were telling people that there is no such thing as the Bulawayo
Agenda. It was Morgan Tsvangirai's Agenda. That "meet the candidates"
programme was fake. - Ndlovenkulu, Bulawayo.

Beduin story at play
ZANU PF had banked on the MDC-T refusing to be part and parcel of the
government of national unity. Now it is a situation similar to that of the
Beduin, who allowed the camel to shield its head in the tent during a
sandstorm - the camel eventually uprooted the tent. So it is with the MDC-T.
It has entered the tent of power and will in time uproot it much to the
chagrin of the hitherto sheltered sheikhs. - Clerka, Harare.

******
SENATOR David Coltart, the new Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and
Culture, is the Minister of the Month. I wish to say to him: Keep it up,
your province; Bulawayo is very proud of you. The Minister of Finance,
Tendai Biti and the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Professor Welshman
Ncube are first and second runners-up. - Ndlovini yakwa Ngozi, Bulawayo.

******
THE so-called private schools need to appreciate the true value of the
US dollar and revise their first term fees downwards. - Worried Parent.
Extortionist teachers
IT really boggles the mind that a few misguided criminals masquerading
as teachers can be allowed to hold the whole nation to ransom by daily
demands of pocket money from impoverished parents. This culture of impunity
should be dealt with once and for all. May be a few arrests would serve as a
deterrent. They should be made to realise that extortion is a criminal
offence. - DK, Harare.

******
CAN the Environmental Management Agency take legal action against the
Governor of the Reserve Bank, Dr Gideon Gono, for polluting our environment
with his numerous but worthless notes that we find littered everywhere. -
Baba Taps.

Why keep Gono?
WHY keep the Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Gideon Gono? He closed banks
saying they were not doing their core business of banking, but he bought
cars. Is that the RBZ's core business? How can anyone keep him? - Scared
depositor.

******
GOVERNMENT Ministers must realise that time is not on their side and
that people have already started evaluating their performance. They must get
their priorities right. The inclusive government is not a platform for
settling personal vendettas. Reconciliation should start at the top. This is
a time for national healing. - Muchesa W Chatsama, Chipinge.

High-way priority
THERE is an urgent need to attend to the Harare-Masvingo highway,
following the tragic accident which caused the death of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai
and injured the Prime Minister and his driver. Could the Ministry
responsible for the country's road network urgently repair the hump at the
accident scene in particular and in general maintain the highway and other
major motorways in the country before more lives are lost needlessly? The
Harare-Masvingo highway is one of the worst in claiming the lives of
innocent travellers. - Very afraid.

******
I AM concerned about the silence of the Zimbabwe National Students'
Association (Zinasu). It is becoming increasingly clear that the MDC-T has
betrayed students since it entered into an arrangement with Zanu PF and the
smaller MDC formation  as a result of Sadc mediation. The fees set out by
the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Dr Stan Mudenge are beyond
the reach of most students of poor backgrounds. Their parents are not being
paid in foreign currency. The motive behind the new education fees appears
to be to ensure that 90% of students in colleges drop out. Instead of
reacting to this act of extreme provocation by the government our Zinasu
leaders have found refuge in the new government structures. The majority of
students are not surprised by this unprincipled move by the Zinasu
leadership. Here is a body which purports to fight for the rights of
students but only in the form of statements to the media and messages on
T-shirts. Is it the love of money that has led the leadership to forsake
pursuit of students' interests and welfare? History will judge them harshly
for abusing their mandate. - Khethimanih, University of Zimbabwe, Harare.

Council US$ madness
THE Harare City Council should remove some zeros from their bills. How
can anyone be expected to pay US$1 000 after selling sweets and biscuits?
That is our bill for March. I urge the Minister responsible to stop this
madness. How does anyone in their right mind justify such amounts? This is
not the Zimbabwean dollar! This is not normal. - Tongombeya, Budiriro,
Harare.

THE bias that ZBC displays in its news coverage does not help the
reconciliation process that is supposed to be promoted through the
government of national unity. They only broadcast news about the arrest of
MDC-T supporters for various acts of violence against alleged Zanu PF
supporters, trying to portray them as innocent victims. Unfortunately, the
attacks were an act of retaliation after Zanu PF supporters first burnt down
houses belonging to MDC-T supporters, because Zanu PF did not want them to
go to the burial of Susan Tsvangirai. If ZBC is still working for Zanu PF
instead of being a public broadcaster and therefore working for the good of
the citizens of this country, then they need to come clean so that people
know that ZBC is for Zanu PF and against the rest of the people of this
country. Zanu PF needs to be told that the people remain alert and will
defend themselves in the absence of protection from the law enforcement
agents. The GNU is not going to suddenly transform us into saints while we
are under attack. We will remain vigilant and are preparing for the
elections in 18 -24 months' time. True liberation is still a long way off. -
Matigari, Manicaland.