EU to raise alarm on Zimbabwe elections

Reuters

Thu 6 Mar 2008, 18:17 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will raise concerns on Monday that
elections this month in Zimbabwe will not be free and fair, a draft
statement seen by Reuters showed.

"The (EU) Council remains very concerned about the humanitarian, political
and economic situation in Zimbabwe and conditions on the ground," the
statement agreed by EU envoys before a meeting of the bloc's foreign
ministers on Monday said.

"(It) may endanger the holding of free and fair parliamentary and
presidential elections," the statement said, urging veteran President Robert
Mugabe to ensure the elections respect international standards.

The March 29 election presents Mugabe with one of the biggest challenges to
his rule since taking office in 1980.

Millions of Zimbabweans hoping for an end to a decade long economic crisis
are due to vote in presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections
described by Mugabe and his opponents as a landmark poll in the
post-independence period.

EU relations with Zimbabwe have been tense for years, and have been a thorn
in EU-Africa relations.

The 27-nation bloc slapped visa bans and asset freezes on Mugabe and over a
hundred top officials after a controversial distribution of white-owned
commercial farms to mainly landless blacks and Mugabe's disputed re-election
in 2002.

The bloc nevertheless temporarily lifted the ban on the 84-year-old leader
in December to hold a long-delayed EU-Africa summit, as many African leaders
refused to attend if he was barred. Prime Minister Gordon Brown boycotted
the meeting to protest against his participation.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers are due to say that the bloc is willing to
hold dialogue with the government of Zimbabwe and to resume full cooperation
as soon as conditions allow.

Mugabe faces a challenge in the presidential election from his former
finance minister Simba Makoni, who is standing as an independent after being
expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

(Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Charles Dick)

Opposition, Analysts Say Zimbabwe Election Will Not Be Free and Fair

Opposition complains of pre-election intimidation

BULAWAYO, 6 March 2008 (IRIN) - Both groups of the split main Zimbabwean
opposition party have lodged complaints with the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (ZEC) that their candidates are being harassed by the police
ahead of the general elections on 29 March.

The two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have each
claimed that their members have either been arrested, abducted or beaten up
by the police, and have also alleged acts of violence against their
supporters by the ruling ZANU-PF party.

"The police are acting in a partisan manner, banning our candidates and
their supporters from conducting door-to-door campaigns, especially in the
city," said Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the MDC faction led by Morgan
Tsvangirai.

On 29 February, police arrested Marvelous Khumalo, an MDC parliamentary
candidate, and 11 other party supporters during a campaign in Chitungiza, a
high-density satellite township 25km south of the capital, Harare. Kumalo is
still in custody.

Police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri brushed aside claims that the
police were partisan, and said Khumalo and his campaign team had been
arrested for violent behaviour. "Those people were arrested for a crime they
know - they were carrying weapons and campaigning aggressively. The police
are simply doing their job of maintaining law and order."

Chihuri maintained that the police were impartial in discharging their
duties, as they had also arrested members of the ruling ZANU-PF in the past
weeks for engaging in acts of violence. A ZANU-PF lawmaker, Isaiah Shumba,
was arrested recently for brandishing a gun in public.

The commissioner-general has warned that police would use force to deal with
perpetrators of violence in the election period.

A ZANU-PF official, Elliot Manyika, has also dismissed allegations of acts
of violence by his party's activists against MDC supporters. "We are not a
violent party, we are carrying out our campaign peacefully, and such reports
[of violence] really are false," he told IRIN.

Abednico Bhebhe, a spokesman for the rival MDC faction, led by academic
Arthur Mutambara, said his group had lodged a complaint with the electoral
authorities, protesting intimidation of supporters. "Intimidation is rampant
and the conditions are not conducive for a free and fair election," he
claimed.

No airtime

The MDC has also accused the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), the
state broadcaster, for denying its candidates airtime. "It is our view that
ZBC has abused its privilege to give unfair advantage to ZANU-PF ... even
though, as a publicly funded broadcaster, you are expected to give equal
coverage to all political players," the Tsvangirai-led MDC group wrote in a
letter of complaint to the ZBC management.

Analysts said the opposition's complaints did not bode well for the
government, as a pre-election assessment team from the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) was in the country to assess the situation.

Tanki Mothae, director of SADC's Organ on Politics, Defence and Security,
told IRIN that the team had arrived in Zimbabwe in the third week of
February and had already compiled its preliminary report on conditions ahead
of the elections.

Mothae said he would not divulge the contents of the report, neither would
he comment on whether the SADC team had reported the alleged violence and
intimidation by the MDC.

"Our entire team is leaving on Sunday [9 March] and about 150 election
observers have been accredited. As far as we are concerned, everything is
going on well and we are looking forward to this election," Monthae said.

Civic organisations pointed out that the SADC should have deployed observers
to assess pre-election conditions, including the registration of voters and
public inspection of the voters' roll, as well as the general environment,
more than a month ago. They argued that prevailing conditions did not favour
a free and fair election.

Xolani Zitha, coordinator of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC), a civic
organisations umbrella body, said the state-run media's refusal to cover
opposition candidates was a violation of the SADC guidelines on the conduct
of a free and fair election.

"Our teams on the ground report that there is intimidation going on and we
have also observed ... the conduct of the police ... when dealing with
opposition members," Zitha alleged. "We urge the SADC team to consult
widely, so that we as civil society can also make an input of such concerns
to their reports."

President Robert Mugabe, who is facing stiff challenges in the presidential
race from the MDC's Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni, a former ZANU-PF member
standing as an independent candidate, has said his government would only
invite "friendly" countries, such as those in SADC, to observe the
elections.

European countries have been banned from observing the polls. Local
observers have been invited to submit their applications, but organisations
such as the CZC may not be accredited because according to Zitha, "They see
us as hostile elements."

[ENDS]
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

Cholera kills four more in Zimbabwe, ups death toll to 15

Deutsche Presse Agentur

Date: 06 Mar 2008

Harare_(dpa) _ Four more people have died from cholera in Zimbabwe, bringing
the total number of deaths from the disease to at least 15 in the last
month, reports said Thursday.

The deaths come after an outbreak of cholera was reported in the capital
Harare this week.

The four latest deaths were recorded last week in Shamva, a town in
north-eastern Zimbabwe, said the state-controlled Herald newspaper.

"We have already deployed a team in the area to monitor the situation since
the first death on February 26," Edward Mabhiza, a senior official in the
health ministry, was quoted as saying. In February, 11 people were reported
to have died from cholera in Muzarabani and Mudzi, in Mashonaland Central
province.

Earlier this week Health Minister David Parirenyatwa confirmed that at least
14 cases of cholera had been reported in Harare, including nine at a refugee
camp in Harare's Waterfalls suburb. No deaths were reported.

At least 6 million people in Zimbabwe - or around half the population - do
not have access to proper sanitation facilities such as clean water.

"What we have established is that most of the (cholera) cases are spreading
due to inadequate sanitation facilities," the Health Ministry's Mabhiza was
quoted as saying Thursday.

Harare, which is in the grips of a strike by municipal workers, is already
struggling with severe water cuts, burst sewer pipes and heaps of
uncollected garbage - conditions ripe for the spread of diseases.

The strike has also affected operations at clinics run by the city council,
with patients reportedly being turned away. dpa rt pw

Former Zimbabwean finance minister's backers still support Mugabe

Monsters and Critics

Mar 6, 2008, 7:40 GMT

Harare/Johannesburg - Political heavyweights in Zimbabwe rumoured to be
behind ex-finance minister Simba Makoni's bid for the presidency are in
public at least stolidly proclaiming their support for President Robert
Mugabe.

When in February Makoni announced his shock bid for the top seat, there were
rumours that senior ZANU-PF figures including Vice President Joyce Mujuru,
her husband Solomon, Vice President Joseph Msika and Mashonaland East
provincial governor Ray Kaukonde secretly supported him.

But all are now firmly maintaining their allegiance to Mugabe, who has ruled
this southern African country since independence in 1980. He is seeking a
fourth term in office when Zimbabwe goes to the polls on March 29.

Only Zimbabwe's former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa has openly
broken ranks, along with a few less senior officials. Dabengwa is now widely
shunned.

The official Herald newspaper on Thursday reported that Vice President
Mujuru told ZANU-PF supporters she was 'confused' by Dabengwa's defection.

'This is not the first time that we have lost our dear ones because of
defections,' she said during a briefing in Insiza South constituency in
southern Matabeleland province.

'It is confusing and I do not understand it. When I think of ubhudi Du
(Dabengwa), I say what has happened? I joined the (1970s) struggle (for
independence from white minority rule) when he was already there, so what
could have gone wrong?' she said.

Later she instructed rally-goers to vote for Mugabe. 'By voting for
President Mugabe, the people of Zimbabwe would have reaffirmed the ideals of
the revolution,' Mujuru is reported to have said.

Mugabe maintains a vote for the opposition - either Makoni or Morgan
Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - is a
vote for former colonizer Britain.

The 84-year-old president refuses to accept any blame for Zimbabwe's biting
economic crisis, blaming widespread shortages of food, fuel, drugs and
foreign currency variously on drought and Western sanctions.

The announcement of the surprise election bid by Makoni was greeted with
excitement among sections of Zimbabwe's educated elite, limited enthusiasm
by the main opposition MDC and anger by Mugabe.

But since then its been difficult to measure exactly what support the former
finance minister has.

'I know Simba. I've sat on boards with him. Im on first name terms with him.
I don't think he'd do it on his own without a masterplan,' a former
colleague of Makoni's told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Makoni's strategists confidently predict he should win 90 per cent of the
urban vote and 60 per cent of the rural vote, which is traditionally
Mugabe's stronghold.

Mugabe Turns Back on Makoni Allies

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

President distances himself from top officials suspected of backing his
rival's election bid.

By Hativagone Mushonga in Harare (AR No. 159, 6-Mar-08)

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe now trusts no-one and is sidelining his top
army and intelligence officers whom he suspects of involvement in Simba
Makon's bid to oust him in presidential elections later this month, say
senior ZANU-PF sources.

The sources say that Mugabe is relying on junior officers or brigadiers to
report to him instead of the army chiefs. Director-general of the Central
Intelligence Organisation, CIO, Happyton Bonyongwe, and his deputies have
also not been spared. Their junior intelligence officers are now said to be
reporting directly to Mugabe.

Bonyongwe might face the axe because Mugabe is no longer sure where his
allegiance lies, given his close links to former army commander General
Solomon Mujuru, believed to be the chief architect of the Makoni project,
say the sources. CIO director Elias Kanengoni - convicted of the attempted
murder of political activist Patrick Kombayi in 1990 - is tipped to take
over from Bonyongwe.

Kanengoni and his accomplice, ZANU-PF youth Kizito Chivamba, were sentenced
to an effective seven years behind bars for shooting and injuring Kombayi,
then the national organising secretary of the now-defunct Zimbabwe Unity
Movement, ZUM.
However, the pair never spent a single minute behind bars as Mugabe
immediately pardoned them.

Mugabe's closest security unit has now been tasked with attending public
meetings and press discussions being organised by Makoni, who shocked the
ruling ZANU-PF party when he announced on February 5 his intention to
challenge Mugabe in the March 29 harmonised elections, which will see
elections at all levels of government. This close unit reports directly to
Mugabe and not to the director-general and his deputies.

Although the army chiefs' tenures were extended, they are still being linked
to the Makoni election challenge, which claims to have the backing of at
least 90 per cent of ZANU-PF's politburo members and senior army and top
central intelligence officers who want to oust the 84-year-old leader.

It is not clear why Air Marshal Perence Shiri's term of office, which
expires in April, was not extended together with other service chiefs but he
is believed to be a close ally of Mujuru. Both hail from the same rural area
in Chikomba in Mashonaland East.

The tenures of General Constantine Chiwenga, chief of the Zimbabwe Defence
Forces, and Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, Zimbabwe National
Army commander, were extended to 2013.

A politburo member requesting anonymity told IWPR that if Makoni did not
have the backing of Mugabe's top intelligence officers, his announcement
would not have shocked Mugabe and ZANU-PF the way that it did.

"Where was Mugabe's intelligence when the idea was mooted to front Makoni.
Several meetings were held over a very long period with most of Mugabe's
trusted comrades. What angers the old man is that he was being surrounded by
people who were plotting to get rid of him.

"I don't think many can truly stand up now and deny that they were never
involved at one stage or the other. When Makoni's people are talking about
having the backing of senior army and intelligence officers, this is not a
figment of their imagination.

"Truthfully, I don't think the old man trusts anybody. People know that now
and that is why they are all rushing to denounce Makoni and distance
themselves from him. I know that the ones doing so and making the most noise
are the guilty ones and they feel the need to exonerate themselves fast
before President Mugabe turns on each one of them."

At a recent rally in Bulawayo, former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa
came out in support of Makoni. He is the biggest heavyweight yet to have
openly backed him.

Press reports have linked some of the following individuals to the Makoni
project: Mashonaland East governor Ray Kaukonde; former Zimbabwe Defence
Forces commander Vitalis Zvinavashe; and former Masvingo provincial chairman
Dzikamai Mavhaire.

Women's League head Oppah Muchinguri has distanced herself from Makoni and
is said to be part of Mugabe's new inner circle. Despite reports that they
are backing Makoni, ZANU-PF chairperson John Nkomo and Vice President Joseph
Msika have also distanced themselves from him.

Zvinavashe, who retired a few years ago and is a successful businessman and
a member of the politburo, has always made public his feelings on the need
for new leadership. "When we went to war we did not fight for a single
person but for all of us. But what the president is doing now defeats the
whole purpose of our having gone to war," he told a Zimbabwean news site in
January.

"By clinging to power Mugabe is betraying the essence of the liberation
struggle. I may also want to be president one day, but if one clings on to
power for too long, how do you expect youngsters to be leaders of tomorrow.
The president has played his part and should go immediately, to give a
chance to others whom we feel have the guts to shape a good Zimbabwe."

Mugabe launched his ruling ZANU-PF party election manifesto in Harare on
February 29, questioning the loyalty of some parliamentary candidates
representing the ruling party. The veteran Zimbabwean leader who is seeking
a new five-year term at the polls at the end of the month, described Makoni's
backers who were still in ZANU-PF as "two-faced" political creatures.

At the launch, Mugabe accused former colonial power Britain of using Makoni
to sponsor rebellion against him in the ruling party. "You who are with us
here, I hope we can trust you," Mugabe told the crowd of about 4 000,
including ZANU-PF candidates, at the Harare International Conference Centre.

"The traitors and sell outs, the political witches and political
prostitutes, political charlatans and the two-headed political creatures
must be confined to the dustbins of history."

In giving a vote of thanks at the launch, Vice President Msika distanced
himself and a few other ZANU-PF heavyweights, including Dabengwa. But
Dabengwa defected to the Makoni camp a day later.

Makoni has repeatedly stressed that he is working with people in ZANU-PF to
bring political change to Zimbabwe. Speaking at the rally in Bulawayo on
March 1, Dabengwa confirmed that Makoni indeed had the backing of some of
top ZANU-PF officials.

"We urged him to come forward and clean on the facilitation process. We gave
him our support and we found that there was no way out but to take this
step," he said.

Dabengwa became the first ruling party heavyweight to come out in support of
Makoni. "Our condition today arises primarily from the failure of national
leadership," he said. Dabengwa, who is 69, said for a long time he had tried
to work with fellow politburo members to facilitate a "smooth transition"
after realising that the ZANU-PF leadership "was getting old".

He said one such discussion took place in Cape Town, South Africa, where he
met Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa and
Makoni and they agreed that it had become urgent to replace the aging
leadership. Chinamasa's heart must have skipped a beat when he heard his
name. He was always believed to be one of the few remaining staunch
supporters of Mugabe in the politburo.

The politburo member said Mugabe feared being dumped at the last minute by
his comrades which according to Makoni's camp might be one of its strategies
to get rid of the president.

Hativagone Mushonga is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.

Makoni's backers 'confused'

IOL

    March 06 2008 at 10:47AM

Harare - Political heavyweights in Zimbabwe rumoured to be behind
ex-finance minister Simba Makoni's bid for the presidency are in public at
least stolidly proclaiming their support for President Robert Mugabe.

When in February Makoni announced his shock bid for the top seat,
there were rumours that senior Zanu-PF figures including Vice President
Joyce Mujuru, her husband Solomon, Vice President Joseph Msika and
Mashonaland East provincial governor Ray Kaukonde secretly supported him.

But all are now firmly maintaining their allegiance to Mugabe, who has
ruled this southern African country since independence in 1980. He is
seeking a fourth term in office when Zimbabwe goes to the polls on March 29.

Only Zimbabwe's former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa has
openly broken ranks, along with a few less senior officials. Dabengwa is now
widely shunned.

The official Herald newspaper on Thursday reported that Vice President
Mujuru told Zanu-PF supporters she was "confused" by Dabengwa's defection.

"This is not the first time that we have lost our dear ones because of
defections," she said during a briefing in Insiza South constituency in
southern Matabeleland province.

"It is confusing and I do not understand it. When I think of ubhudi Du
(Dabengwa), I say what has happened? I joined the (1970s) struggle (for
independence from white minority rule) when he was already there, so what
could have gone wrong?" she said.

Later she instructed rally-goers to vote for Mugabe. "By voting for
President Mugabe, the people of Zimbabwe would have reaffirmed the ideals of
the revolution," Mujuru is reported to have said.

Mugabe maintains a vote for the opposition - either Makoni or Morgan
Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - is a
vote for former coloniser Britain.

The 84-year-old president refuses to accept any blame for Zimbabwe's
biting economic crisis, blaming widespread shortages of food, fuel, drugs
and foreign currency variously on drought and Western sanctions.

The announcement of the surprise election bid by Makoni was greeted
with excitement among sections of Zimbabwe's educated elite, limited
enthusiasm by the main opposition MDC and anger by Mugabe.

But since then its been difficult to measure exactly what support the
former finance minister has.

"I know Simba. I've sat on boards with him. I'm on first name terms
with him. I don't think he'd do it on his own without a masterplan," a
former colleague of Makoni's told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Makoni's strategists confidently predict he should win 90 per cent of
the urban vote and 60 per cent of the rural vote, which is traditionally
Mugabe's stronghold. - Sapa-dpa

Zim hotel rates up 400%

iafrica.com

Thu, 06 Mar 2008

Zimbabwe's National Incomes and Pricing Commission has approved a 400
percent increase in hospitality industry rates, the state-controlled Herald
said on Thursday.

The commission was seeking to stop unstructured price increases that had
become increasingly evident in the sector, the newspaper said.

The new rates would see breakfast in a five and four-star hotel in the city
centre rising to Z$220-million from Z$55-million while the same meal now
costs Z$264-million from Z$66-million in resort areas.

The cost of lunch and dinner within a five star city hotel was hiked from
Z$25-million per meal to Z$100-million and Z$120-million from Z$30-million
in resort areas.

A single room in a five star hotel now costs Z$280-million while the price
of a double bed rose to Z$340-million.

The cost of a single bed and breakfast in a one star hotel was pegged at
Z$175-million, the Herald said.

The move was made after discoveries that the sector had been charging
"astronomic" rates - way above those approved in December.

The move was also in line with the expected boom in the number of tourists
expected to visit the country for 2010 World Cup soccer matches to be held
in SA, the Herald said.

AFP

Sokwanele : Zimbabwe Election Watch : Issue 18

Sokwanele - Enough is Enough - Zimbabwe PROMOTING NON-VIOLENT PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY

Zimbabwe Election Watch Issue 18 : 06 March 2008 Executive Summary March 2008 Elections - A climate of confusion and fear News24 (SA) sums up Zimbabwe's electoral landscape with the following comments: "Voters in Zimbabwe's (forthcoming) elections … will have to puzzle through a blur of alliances, divisions and sub-divisions among the political parties... The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the official election administrator, has now published a list of 779 candidates for the 210 seats in the lower house of assembly, and 197 aspirants for the 60 elected seats in the upper house, the senate, from 12 political parties and 116 independent... The muddle of candidates adds to the widespread concern about the elections when, for the first time, the electorate of 5.5 million people will have to mark their Xs on four different ballot papers for presidential, house of assembly, senate and local government wards. Church and civic groups point out that the head of ZEC, Judge George Chiweshe, has been illegally appointed by Mugabe; that he ignored legal procedures for the setting of the election date; that the boundaries of the constituencies in the elections were illegally promulgated; and that there is evidence of comprehensive manipulation of the voters' roll They say ZEC has carried out almost no voter education on the complicated system, the campaign period is far too short and there is scant hope of all would-be voters being able to cast their vote in a single day..." IRIN (UN) reports there is little evidence on the ground that the country is about to hold one of its most crucial elections; many rural people and others have not received any voter education. Dr Simba Makoni, who was ejected from the ruling Zanu PF earlier this month for announcing he would stand against Mugabe, told the BBC Zimbabwe was 'a country of fearful people.' Police have turned down his application for protection for himself, his family and key associates during the elections. The Mail & Guardian notes that, "as the chaos spreads, there are still no accredited observers on the ground to blow the whistle." The newspaper quoted a senior foreign affairs official as saying the government was 'still finalising' a list of foreign observers... Countries and organisations which had criticized past elections would be excluded. Use of violence and torture widespread Churches and human rights groups say a relentless wave of political violence over the past 12 months, in which police and other state security forces have played a major role, has rendered a free and fair contest impossible. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Professor Manfred Nowak, says "the high number of indictments for torture filed by the Attorney General's Office show it is widespread." The opposition for Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says that incidents of violence and arrests of their candidates, polling agents and supporters have intensified. During the past month, more than 35 MDC candidates from Morgan Tsvangirai's faction have been abducted or arrested on spurious charges. Members of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe were abducted and beaten with iron bars, logs, booted feet and bottles. Preparations for poll chaotic Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has expressed concern at the continued harassment of voters and aspiring candidates by election officials presiding over some voter inspection centres. ZHLR also notes that several candidates wishing to check the voters' roll in preparation for their nomination have been denied their right to do so. The MDC (MT) House of Assembly candidate for Harare North, Theresa Makone, says there are many ghost voters registered in the constituency and it was done systematically with what appears to be the collaboration of election authorities. In addition, many names of dead people still appear on the roll. Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba has ordered the state broadcaster ZBC to pull off air voter education advertisements placed by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network. This is in blatant contravention of the SADC principles governing the conduct of elections in member countries. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has admitted it is ill equipped and under funded to carry out any exercise on its own. The state-run Chronicle newspaper has rejected advertisements from presidential challenger Simba Makoni to advertise an election campaign rally, and media coverage is still heavily skewed in favour of the ruling party. Vote buying is widespread and Zimbabwe's central bank has "donated" a fleet of brand new vehicles to state media houses "for immediate use". Reporters Sans Frontieres says the daily lot of Zimbabwean journalists has consisted of permanent surveillance, police brutality and injustice. New electoral laws negotiated under South African mediation have made no difference to biased public media and the skewed electoral climate in Zimbabwe. Ordered to vote for Mugabe Retired Major-General Paradzayi Zimondi, the commissioner of prisons, told his staff: "I am giving you an order to vote for the President (Cde Mugabe)..." The same week, Mugabe awarded salary increments to the military, just one month away from the elections. The armed forces are crucial in his bid to retain power. MDC houses burned and officials arrested in Muzarabani Source Date: 25-02-2008 The MDC has reported that incidents of violence and arrests of their candidates, polling agents and supporters have intensified around the country as we get closer to the harmonised elections on March 29th. The latest reports were received from Muzarabani, where on Monday the houses of several MDC activists were burnt down…. On Sunday, also in Muzarabani, ward election agent Muchemwa Chihota and MDC activist Munyaradzi Nyama were arrested… it is believed they held a meeting to discuss election strategies. Dozens of MDC officials have been arrested around the country for engaging in activities related to the March elections. This includes activities such as conducting private meetings, putting up posters, trying to obtain voter registration details and singing on a MDC campaign music album, all of which are all legal activities…. Identified victims: Muchemwa Chihota, Munyaradzi Nyama Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The membe r state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; Pishai Muchauraya attacked by Zanu PF mob at Old Mutare Source Date: 27-02-2008 The bitter election battle in Manicaland has once again spilled over into violence after the MDC spokesman in the province, Pishai Muchauraya, was attacked by a mob on Wednesday. Muchauraya, the MDC parliamentary candidate for Makoni South in next month's elections, was travelling to the constituency with his driver and an aide …. (when) a mob … of over 45 youths set upon the trio and ripped off their MDC T-shirts …. The mob (then) ransacked the truck and took away a mobile phone, over 1000 party cards, Z$1,4 billion in cash, party regalia including T-shirts and Muchauraya's information pack, which contained the manifesto that was launched on Saturday. The Manicaland spokesman said the mob came from a nearby farm owned by a Zanu-PF senator…. 'The police officers were getting instructions from the senator and the two war veterans on the scene….,' said Muchauraya…. Identified perpetrators: Misheck Masukume and Peter Ngwarapi of Plot 20, Old Mutare Identified victims: Pishayi Muchauraya, MDC parliamentary candidate for Makoni South, driver Michael Murapa and security aide, Tendayi Kononda Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.2: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish where none exist, appropriate institutions where issues such as ... would be addressed; 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; Police refuse to give Makoni protection Source Date: 29-02-2008 Police have turned down an application for protection from independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni and his associates amid reports that they are being trailed by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). Sources said Makoni wrote to the police last week requesting protection for himself, his family, and his allies, among them Ibbo Mandaza and Kudzai Mbudzi, but the application was turned down by Deputy Commissioner-General in charge of operations, Innocent Matibiri. Matibiri, President Robert Mugabe's nephew, is in charge of the VIP protection unit…. Matibiri in response to Makoni's application on February 19 said police protection would only be "awarded to individuals with VIP status. Regrettably you do not hold such status."… Source: Zimbabwe Independent, The (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 3.4: The constitution of the Mission should comply with the SADC policies relating to gender balance … 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; Teachers’ union says women activists were sexually assaulted Source Date: 22-02-2008 … The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general Raymond Majongwe, who was among a group of nine union activists kidnapped and tortured by the ruling party supporters earlier this week, said the Zanu PF militants beat and kicked the women in their private parts with booted feet. (They also) stole cash and cell phones … as punishment for not supporting President Robert Mugabe. “We were indiscriminately beaten by seven groups of about 15 people from 10h50 to 12h30 using iron bars, logs, booted feet, bottles and anything that they could lay their hands on,” Majongwe said at a press briefing in Harare…. The Zanu PF activists abducted Majongwe and his colleagues as they distributed flyers on the streets of Harare denouncing the collapsed state of education…. Majongwe said their assailants accused them of supporting main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai… Identified victims: Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general Raymond Majongwe Source: Zim Online (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is p rovided to all parties participating in elections; 7.9: [The member state holding elections shall] Encourage the participation of women, disabled and youth in all aspects of the electoral process … Police impose unofficial curfew in parts of Zimbabwe Source Date: 25-02-2008 Police have imposed an unofficial curfew in some parts of the country, illegally restricting movement of people in the evenings, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) said at the weekend. ZimRights said the police forced people to stay indoors after dusk reportedly in order to stop them from *using the night to campaign for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party as next months' key elections loom closer…. Under the government's Public Order and Security Act, Zimbabweans are required to first seek permission from the police before gathering in public in groups of more than three to discuss politics. The Act was however recently relaxed under a raft of legal reforms agreed between the government and the opposition under mediation of South African President Thabo Mbeki and meant to ensure conditions for free and fair elections. The amendments allow groups or individuals denied permission to organise political meetings or demonstrations to appeal the ban before a magistrate, while the police are also required to provide reasons for banning meetings. But human rights and pro-democracy activists have criticised the amendments as piecemeal and inadequate. *Note: Door-to-door campaigning and campaign meetings after dark are traditionally two of the most important methods employed by the opposition in urban areas. Source: Zim Online (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … 7.9: [The member state holding elections shall] Encourage the participation of women, disabled and youth in all aspects of the electoral process … KweKwe police chief disregards changes to POSA and AIPPA Source Date: 29-02-2008 The police chief for KweKwe district in the Midlands, Chief Superintendent Charles Chagonda, has said he doesn’t recognise changes made to the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). At a meeting with all candidates for the parliamentary, senatorial and council elections in the Midlands town recently, the police chief reportedly told them he had the power to dictate what laws should be used in KweKwe. MDC legislator for the town, Blessing Chebundo, said Chagonda made it clear he was not going to follow the amended new laws, which were signed into law by Robert Mugabe in January…. ‘He has unilaterally banned all gatherings in the town and how do you meet your supporters?’ (asked Chebundo)…. Identified perpetrators: Chief Superintendent Charles Chagonda, police chief for KweKwe district Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … MDC candidates arrested for meeting supporters Source Date: 26-02-2008 Two opposition election candidates were on Monday being held by police after their weekend arrest in Karoi town, more than 200km northwest of Harare, for allegedly meeting supporters without permission from the police. The two, Godfrey Gumbo and Maireva Gudo Nziramasanga, who belong to the faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party led by academic Arthur Mutambara, are expected to appear in court today to answer charges of violating the Public Order and Security Act (POSA)…. According to eyewitnesses, armed police last Friday night stormed a house in the small town’s Chikangwe low-income suburb where the two MDC politicians were meeting supporters to explain their party’s policies ahead of elections next month…. Identified victims: Godfrey Gumbo and Maireva Gudo Nziramasanga, who belong to the faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Source: Zim Online (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel … 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … Nominees Barred From Inspecting Voters Roll Source Date: 21-02-2008 Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is concerned by the continued harassment of voters and aspiring candidates by election officials presiding over some voter inspection centres. ZLHR is aware that several people wishing to check the voters’ roll in preparation for their nomination as candidates during the 29 March 2008 elections have been denied their right to do so. ZLHR is also aware that some Zimbabweans, born in Zimbabwe, to foreign parents, have also been frustrated in their seeking to register their names for the elections or inspect the voter’s roll. ZLHR is aware that two prospective candidates … Mr. B Chiwola and Mrs T. G. B. Stevenson Dickey (MDC MT) were both denied inspection of the voters roll … Section 21 (1) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) clearly provides that every voter’ roll shall be a public document open to inspection to any member of the public, free of charge, with the right to make any written notes of anything contained therein during office hours. … Source: Zimbabwean, The (ZW) SADC standards breached 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 4.1.3: Non-discrimination in the voters’ registration; 4.1.4: Existence of updated and accessible voters roll; 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel … 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … Theresa Makone alleges electoral fraud Source Date: 27-02-2008 MDC (Tsvangirai) candidate for Harare North, Theresa Makone alleges electoral fraud in the constituency through the manipulation of the voter registration process. Makone … says she has established that the ruling Zanu PF party has been bussing voters from outside of the constituency and ensured they were all registered to vote… Makone, whose husband Ian is the MDC director of elections, says that she is planning to appeal to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) after discovering the "broad daylight cheating" even before the elections day. Ian says that the situation in Harare North is prevailing generally across the whole country making the voters' roll shambolic. "We have established that there is serious fraud in the constituency and Zanu PF is determined to steal victory in Harare North unless something is done to stop the cheating," Makone said. "There are many ghost voters registered in the constituency and we have discovered that it was done systematically with what appears to be the collaboration of election authorities….” Source: Zimbabwean, The (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 4.1.3: Non-discrimination in the voters’ registration; 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and preca utions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … ZEC declines to investigate Zanu PF voter registration fraud Source Date: 27-02-2008 The provincial elections officer for Manicaland has declined to institute an investigation into reports that a Zanu PF legislator has allegedly helped ‘illegal aliens’ to register as voters. The MDC on Tuesday approached the head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) in Mutare, Colonel Moffat Masabeya, and informed him of reports that Zanu PF MP for Chipinge south Enock Porusingazi, was involved in voter registration fraud. It is alleged Porusingazi had on several occasions ferried villagers from Gudu and Save in Mozambique to the district registrar’s offices in Chipinge where he managed to get them identification cards. According to the MDC the volatile Zanu PF legislator would then proceed to ‘have his people registered as voters.’ ‘We have information it’s a syndicate between officials from the registrar’s office and Porusingazi. A number of these illegal aliens were registered well after the deadline but their registration slips were backdated to January,’ said an MDC official. But Colonel Masabeya (a known serving officer in the Zimbabwe National Army), said it was not the duty of the ZEC to investigate such reports … Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 2.1.7: Independence of the Judiciary and impartiality of the electoral institutions … 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 4.1.3: Non-discrimination in the voters’ registration; 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel … 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … ZBC pulls plug on ZESN ads Source Date: 27-02-2008 President Robert Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba has ordered the State-broadcaster ZBC to pull off air voter education adverts by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, ZESN. This is in blatant contravention of SADC principles governing the conduct of elections in member countries. Authoritative sources at the State broadcaster confirmed that ZBC stopped airing the voter education adverts, which have been conspicuously absent from the airwaves since Friday, the day the directive from the President's Office came… The directive comes hardly a week after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) stopped ZESN from conducting voter education, stating that under the Electoral Act, only ZEC was mandated to carry out voter education. ZEC has admitted that it is heavily ill-equipped and under funded to carry out any exercise on its own… Source: Zimbabwean, The (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.1: Full participation of the citizens in the political process; 2.1.5: Equal access to state media for all political parties 2.1.8: Voter education. 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel … 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the hu man and civil liberties of all citizens … 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … Chronicle rejects Makoni's adverts Source Date: 29-02-2008 Zimbabwe’a state-run Chronicle newspaper has rejected adverts from presidential challenger Simba Makoni…. Makoni wanted to place adverts in the paper, advertising his election campaign rally scheduled for Bulawayo's White City Stadium on Saturday…. A source at the paper revealed: "Makoni's advert had his picture, dates and venue for the rally. There was a flurry of activity as bosses consulted on what to do, until the paper's editor, Brezhnev Malaba, got an instruction from Harare not to carry it."… Source: NewZimbabwe.com (ZW) SADC standards breached 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.5: Equal access to state media for all political parties 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … RBZ donates new fleet to state media Source Date: 29-02-2008 Zimbabwe's central bank has "donated" a fleet of brand new vehicles to state media houses to prop them up ahead of the March 29 elections…. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), the country's monopoly broadcaster, received 17 vehicles. Zimpapers, publishers of the country's only two state-run daily newspapers - the Herald and the Chronicle - also received several vehicles … Source: NewZimbabwe.com (ZW) SADC standards breached 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process … Defence forces chief orders Zimbabweans to vote Mugabe Source Date: 29-02-2008 Retired Major-General Paradzayi Zimondi, who is the commissioner of Prisons, …(has told the staff under his command), “I am giving you an order to vote for the President (Cde Mugabe). Do not be distracted. The challenges we are currently facing are just a passing phase," he said. The Zimbabwe Prison Service is an integral part of the country’s defence forces, which is made up of the national army, air force, police and prisons... Source: Afrik.com SADC standards breached 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 2.1.3: Political tolerance; 2.1.6: Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… 7.8: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral proces s … Mugabe awards salary increment to military Source Date: 28-02-2008 President Robert Mugabe's beleaguered government has awarded huge pay rises to the army ahead of critical elections next month in a bid to calm the restless military. The move is widely seen as an attempt to pacify the soldiers who have been restive due to poor working conditions and low salaries. The opposition accuses Mugabe's government of vote-buying and ballot-rigging. The army is a pillar of strength in Mugabe's embattled regime…. Note: Business Day (SA) reports that police and intelligence agents also received pay hikes…. Source: Afrik.com SADC standards breached 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections 7.5: [The member state holding elections shall] Take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging… Visit our website at www.sokwanele.com Visit our blog: This is Zimbabwe (Sokwanele blog) Send an e-card! www.sokwanele.com/sendcard/ We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression! Sokwanele does not endorse the editorial policy of any source or website except its own. It retains full copyright on its own articles, which may be reproduced or distributed but may not be materially altered in any way. Reproduced articles must clearly show the source and owner of copyright, together with any other notices originally contained therein, as well as the original date of publication. Sokwanele does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising in any way from receipt of this email or use thereof. This document, or any part thereof, may not be distributed for profit.

The Ugly Face of "Land Reform" - Part 2

The Zimbabwean

Wednesday, 27 February 2008 11:23

The Ugly Face of ‘Land Reform’
Nearly 50 orphans have found a caring and loving home in the orphanage
the Nesbitts set up.

A farming family’s story of torment and intimidation at the hands of a
top cop and green bombers.[Standfirst] Last week we carried the first part
of Digby and Jessie Nesbitt’s nightmare tale of the invasion of their home
by Assistant Police Commissioner Veterai and his gang of green bombers.
Here, we continue their story of threat, harassment and fear.Veterai carried
his pistol with him at all times but whenever he arrived back from Harare,
normally late at night, he always carried his folding AK47 machine gun too.
He seemed fearful that we would harm him and always locked his bedroom
door.Our staff were prevented from coming to work for two days by the green
bombers. Our maid, Chipo, was crying constantly and suffering severe
headaches. She had also been chased away from her house in December and was
having to share a room with a friend.On the Saturday, we had a few visitors
during the morning, which we really appreciated as the visitors brought us
groceries and because it was such a pleasure to see some friendly faces.
While we were talking, the green bombers and Veterai’s relatives were
playing music loudly, trying to irritate us.That evening, while we were
sitting on the steps outside the lounge with our doctor and his wife, men
dressed in army uniforms appeared with a group of people in ordinary
clothes. The next moment, we saw crates of beer, liquor and coke being
carried into the lounge – obviously, a big party was being planned for that
night. We knew we were in for a night of intimidation.   As soon as our
guests had left, we locked ourselves in our bedroom.The power had gone out
at 5pm and stayed off till 11pm, so it seemed the party was destined to be a
flop but – with vehicles coming and going all night and with people clearly
walking past the bedroom window until late – there was little peace.On the
Sunday morning, Jessie went to her mother’s cottage to feed her two cats.
She had to climb through the window again. Veterai’s manager and another man
had been sleeping in the lounge every night. On the way back, she saw
Veterai and about 12 of his guards having a meeting.Later that morning,
around 12 members of our church tried to come to visit after the service,
but were not allowed in. They tried everything to persuade the guards to let
them in and spent a couple of hours arguing with them, until eventually the
minister and his wife were allowed through. They gave us communion and were
only allowed to stay for about 15 minutes.    On the Monday, Jessie went
again to the cottage and found Veterai sprawled on the couch in the lounge
with three or four men around him having a meeting. She pretended she had
seen nothing – sticking to her oath on the Bible that she would never say
another word to him for fear of being accused of saying something she hadn’t
said, which was his way of intimidating and provoking them.By Tuesday, our
lawyers in Masvingo had managed to draw up a court order to have Veterai
evicted from the farm until the court case on March 10. The court order
stated that he had to evacuate the farm with immediate effect and that he
could not come within 30 metres of the farm. Needless to say, this was
totally ignored and nothing happened.By this time, the guards were allowing
visitors, but not more than two cars at one time. They wanted everyone’s
names, ID numbers, vehicle registration numbers and the reason for visiting.
For the rest of the week, Veterai, his family and staff came and went.The
only way we were coping with this unbelievable invasion of our privacy and
intimidation was through our faith in God and our many friends and family
who prayed continually and sent many SMS messages, giving us encouragement
and support.Many people brought us groceries, which were accepted with
gratitude because by this time we had very little food left in our kitchen.
I just want to mention that we had incredible support from many blacks as
well as whites. We had many visits and phone calls from black friends and
people we hardly knew, which we really appreciated.On the Saturday
afternoon, we were in their bedroom when the dogs started barking madly. We
saw two men walking past the bedroom, and one was carrying a gun. It was a
false alarm – only our groom who was bringing the war veteran, called Satan,
from the farm next door. Satan had come to say he was on our side and did
not want us to leave their farm.Satan, a genuine war vet, had lived next
door for around six years and said that all the local veterans supported us
and did not want Veterai taking over the farm. He said that Veterai had
approached him and other war vets in the area and asked them to help
jambanja us, but they had refused out of respect for us. He said he knew how
much we had done for the community in the Lowveld, including building an
orphanage in Chiredzi, now home to 47 orphans. We also built a clinic on the
farm, which had helped many people over the years, but was now occupied by
some of Veterai’s staff.On the Sunday morning, we woke to the sound of rapid
gunfire just outside the yard. The dogs were barking like crazy and we
panicked. When Jessie went to the kitchen, she found four women cooking on
her stove. In the dining room, Veterai was sitting at the dining room table
with about six other men, eating sadza and having a meeting. They stayed
most of the morning and we had people all over the house and in the garden.
Our friend Leon Kruger came around for tea and a visit so we went to sit
outside in the corner of the garden, far from the maddening crowd. While we
were sitting there, Jessie felt such a weight on her chest that she thought
she was on the verge of having a heart attack. She went to the lounge,
ignoring Veterai, who was still sitting in the dining room with his children
and another man, and listened to her Christian CD. She just needed something
to calm her nerves. The green bombers stared at her as though she were mad
because she was singing with the music. She sat on the carpet, in full view
of Veterai, and played with the dogs while listening to the music. The next
minute, Veterai disappeared down the passage, came back with two bags in his
hands and went out the door.We discovered later that the gunshots had been
some of Veterai’s men doing target practice right outside our
– To be continued next week

Teachers, nurses, doctors strike in Zimbabwe

Afrique en ligne

Harare, Zimbabwe - Teachers and government medical staff, including
nurses and doctors, have gone on strike in Zimbabwe, demanding higher pay
and better working conditions.

Patients and pupils across the country have been turned away from
hospitals and schools, with both teachers and medical staff vowing not to
return to work until their demands are met.

This is the latest in a series of bad news for President Robert
Mugabe, who is fighting for political survival in a crunch 29 March poll.

Teachers and nurses, who form the bulk of the public service, are
demanding new salaries of up to ZWD3.5 billion (ZWD30,000=1USD) per month,
citing high cost of living fuelled by high inflation of over 100,000 per
cent.

At present, they earn average salaries of around ZWD400 million a
month, barely enough to cover transport costs alone.

Teachers and medical staff have been further irked by being left out
when the government recently increased the salaries of soldiers and other
security agencies, ahead of the poll, to an average of over ZWD1 billion per
month.

Mugabe, campaigning for re-election Thursday, ordered his government
to resolve the issue quickly to bring the situation back to normal.

He said he wanted teachers in particular to be adequately renumerated
because their frequent strikes were affecting education standards in the
country.

"Teaching is an important profession which we give first priority;
that is why the government gives the biggest budget allocation to
education," he said.

Mugabe's opponents, including a break-away group from his ruling
party, are capitalising on Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, in the election.

They accuse him of mismanagement and ruining the economy, once one of
the strongest in southern Africa.

Harare - 06/03/2008

Patients sent home to die

The Zimbabwean

Thursday, 06 March 2008 10:10
     .... as strike paralyses hospitals
HARARE - Patients were being turned away from major government
hospitals as the strike by nurses and doctors entered full swing this week,
paralyzing an already crippled health delivery system, leaving multitudes of
Zimbabweans to die.
Nurses and doctors have made demands to the beleaguered government of
President Robert Mugabe asking for minimum salaries of Z$2 billion and Z$3,5
billion respectively vowing not to return to work unless they get this - but
the Zanu (PF) government, busy with election campaigning, is giving very
little attention to the protests.
Susan Lungu of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association said, "We are simply
saying the money we are getting is not enough to take us to work, feed us
and our families as well as afford decent lives. We have made our demands
but there has not been any serious response hence we have to stay at home or
just do nothing."
The Zimbabwean visited Parirenyatwa and Harare hospitals in the
capital this week and observed only a skeleton staff comprising senior
personnel trying to attend to patients. The staff were overwhelmed and most
people were sent home without being attended to.
Some patients who had been admitted were asked to go home because of
lack of staff to attend them. "This is a sad situation," Vivian Chamuko of
Harare said after she had been informed to take her husband home from Harare
Hospital. "They are saying we should go home because there are no nurses and
doctors. They are saying we should simply take the patients home to die."
Health minister David Parirenyatwa could not be reached for comment
but the Public Service Commission has said its members are disgruntled
because government gave salary hikes only to the uniformed forces yet all
civil servants' earnings have been ravaged by massive hyperinflation.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Tells Police To Keep Distance From Polls

VOA

By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
05 March 2008

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has announced that police officers will
remain at least 100 meters from polling stations during the presidential,
parliamentary and local council elections set to take place on Saturday,
March 29.

The commission issued this order in keeping with the country's revised
Electoral Act, which prohibits police from entering polling stations during
voting. In the past members of the opposition complained of interference by
the police in the voting process.

Spokesman Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
formation headed by presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, told reporter
Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that his formation is
skeptical about the commission's announcement because its nonpartisan
credentials are in doubt.

Eatery fined for overcharging minister

The Star, SA

March 06, 2008 Edition 1

Harare - One of Harare's most exclusive restaurants has been fined for
overcharging the deputy information minister for a meal last year.

Bright Matonga complained that when he came to pay for a meal and drinks at
Amanzi Restaurant in Harare's plush Highlands suburb in June, the
proprietors charged him at black market rates.

Matonga's bill came to US$97,11, said the official Herald daily. The
restaurant converted the bill into Zimbabwe dollars but used the parallel
market rate prevailing at the time of US$1: Z$100 000.

The deputy minister maintained he should have been billed at the official
rate of US$1: Z$250.

Amanzi Restaurant, with its plush gardens and water features, is a favourite
with diplomats and foreign tourists.

The outlet is allowed to bill foreign visitors in foreign currency but
locals must pay in Zimbabwe dollars.

President Robert Mugabe's government artificially fixes the rate of
exchange, which is usually way below black market rates.

This week, while the government maintains US$1 is worth just Z$30 000, the
parallel exchange rate sits somewhere between Z$18-million and Z$29-million.

Most traders, schools and health providers set their prices with an eye on
the parallel exchange rate.

The Herald said Amanzi was fined just Z$10-million, enough to buy two pints
of fresh milk - in the unlikely event that milk is available. - Sapa-dpa

Battle raging to clinch rural support

The Star, SA

March 06, 2008 Edition 1

Basildon Peta

Campaigning in Zimbabwe has gathered steam, with President Robert Mugabe
sweeping through his rural strongholds to consolidate his support base.

He focused on discrediting former finance minister Simba Makoni ahead of
crunch elections later this month.

In four separate rallies attended by thousands on Tuesday and yesterday
Mugabe virulently attacked Makoni, who walked out of Zanu-PF in an
unprecedented move to challenge his mentor for the country's top job.

Mugabe's anger appears to demonstrate his fear that Makoni, who drew decent
crowds to his first rallies at the weekend, will split the ruling-party
vote, with devastating consequences to Zanu-PF's electoral prospects.

Makoni, who is also making a blitz across the rural areas, preferred to
campaign using low-key methods. He visited voters in their homesteads and
has avoided being drawn into trading insults with Mugabe. So far, he has
focused on bread-and-butter issues.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is also visiting rural areas to try to
counter Mugabe in his support base.

But Tsvangirai's spokesperson, Nelson Chamisa, said the Movement for
Democratic Change wanted to dispel any notion that the situation in the
rural areas has improved for the opposition.

There have been suggestions that Tsvangirai has been able to campaign
unhindered. But Chamisa said this emanated from people who "have no clue
about what we have to live with here".

He said opposition candidates across the country continued facing obstacles,
including violence from ruling-party supporters. Chamisa listed instances in
which he claimed the police had disrupted opposition rallies.

He also complained of a media blackout from state broadcast and print media.
Tsvangirai and his activities have barely featured in the state media, which
has focused on Mugabe and little-known independent candidate Paul
Towungwana, who has no chance of beating Mugabe.

Chamisa complained that while Mugabe was buzzing around the rural areas in
an air force helicopter, the opposition had no access to state resources.
Tsvangirai did not benefit from state money allocated to political parties
as his party's share was given to an MDC splinter formation led by Arthur
Mutambara.

In Zimbabwe's hyper-inflationary environment, that money is too little
anyway to make a significant difference.

Chamisa said the situation on the ground required credible independent
observers to be in place to see for themselves how skewed the electoral
playing field was, but Mugabe has said he would admit only observers from
"friendly" countries.

Bail Hearing Set Thursday For Detained Opposition Candidate For Zimbabwe

VOA


House

By Patience Rusere
Washington
05 March 2008

A parliamentary candidate for the branch of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement
for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai held by police since late
last week has obtained a high court order for a bail hearing in his case on
Thursday.

Police arrested Marvellous Khumalo and eight others Friday and charged them
with committing public violence - they said they were simply campaigning
door to door to drum up support ahead of parliamentary elections set for
March 29.

Earlier this week the men were denied bail and remanded in custody to March
18.

Opposition sources said police have arrested Khumalo four times since the
beginning of the year and recently raided the offices of civic groups in
search of him.

Khumalo's lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's
Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that his client's arrest seems to be politically
motivated.

Senior officers campaign for Simba, Morgan

The Zimbabwean

Thursday, 06 March 2008 10:17

Massive pay increases fail to win hearts and minds of forces

BY ITAI DZAMARA
HARARE
President Robert Mugabe's hitherto unshaken support base among the
military is crumbling as massive lobbying take place in the Zimbabwe Defence
Forces (ZDF) for members to vote for either Simba Makoni or Morgan
Tsvangirai instead of the geriatric leader.
In addition, a good number of Zanu (PF) senior officials are not
seriously campaigning for him.
Inducements given to ZDF members in the form of huge salary increases
and soft loans have not succeeded in winning hearts and minds, as sources
say Makoni and Tsvangirai have penetrated the army, air force, prison
service and police and gained support from influential senior members.
Confidential information obtained this week also reveals that, while
Zimbabwe Prison Service head Paradzai Zimhondi has already issued a
directive to his subordinates to vote Mugabe, senior army, air force and
police officials are clandestinely campaigning for the other two candidates.
Sources at KG V1 army headquarters this week revealed that pamphlets
and fliers have been circulated urging members to "vote with your
consciences and put the interest of the nation ahead. Remember your kids and
parents are dying of hunger".
Major William Mutasa of KG V1 responded to inquiries saying the
pamphlets "are coming from some unknown elements outside the army" but our
investigations showed that senior army officials were behind the anti-Mugabe
campaign and that it was stirring a lot of enthusiasm as well as anxiety in
the ranks.
Security services sources say given the scenario and available
options, Tsvangirai has the backing of many members described as having
"long chosen to support the opposition", whilst Makoni is said to be
attracting those who still regard themselves as Zanu (PF).
We have also established that Mugabe this week complained to the other
members of the party's presidium that, according to an informed source,
"there is not enough zeal, commitment and enthusiasm down to the lowest
party levels for the campaign and it appears most candidates are not giving
it their best to campaign for the president's re-election".
A senior ruling party official said "many members are campaigning for
other candidates other than Mugabe, and mostly Makoni because they admit we
cannot continue the way things are in the country".
Zanu (PF) political commissar Elliot Manyika admitted that "there are
some in the party who are being double-faced and sell-outs by pretending to
be with the rest of us but doing something else behind our backs".

Mugabe gives police strip-search powers

The Zimbabwean

Thursday, 06 March 2008 10:12
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe has unilaterally given police the
power to ban money "hoarding" by stopping and stripping people in the street
if they suspect them of hoarding cash.
Under sweeping new powers aimed at forestalling a looming cash crunch,
a statutory instrument printed last month says: "A police officer, acting in
accordance with a warrant issued in terms of this section, may require a
person to remove any clothing that the person is wearing, but only if the
removal of clothing is necessary and reasonable for an effective search of
the person."
Zimbabweans have slated the new law, which make it illegal to hold
more than Z$500 million (about US$21) in cash. The new regulation has been
promulgated under the Bank Use Promotion and Suppression of Money Laundering
Act.
Authorities said Mugabe hurriedly signed the new law to avert a cash
crisis in the run-up to the hard-fought March 29 general election.
Bankers have not been warned of the move and were "mystified" about
how it would be applied.
The new law says anyone found with cash holdings in excess of Z$500m
will be guilty of "unlawful hoarding". The statutory instrument also outlaws
companies from settling any bills for more than Z$250m in cash, in a move
aimed at promoting the use of cheques. This means it will now be illegal for
companies to buy 10litres of petrol using cash.
In November, the RBZ raised the cheque limit that can be accepted for
clearing by 150 percent to a maximum $500 million, amid a sharp rise in
demand for cash on the market.
A Germany company engaged by the Reserve Bank is currently printing
and delivering Z$170 trillion worth of bearer cheques every week to meet the
huge demand for cash. Government is paying the Munich-based Giesecke &
Devrient (G&D), US$500,000 a week for this service.
Economist John Robertson feared the announcement would open the way
for arbitrary seizures of cash by police as has happened with people found
in possession of dwindling necessities like bread, maize meal or fuel.

Zanu heavies get cold feet over Makoni

The Zimbabwean

Thursday, 06 March 2008 10:21
HARARE - After weeks of exploiting speculation that he was backed by
senior Zanu (PF) members, presidential challenger Simba Makoni suffered a
major setback this week when the powerful Mujuru bloc moved to distance
itself from him.
On Monday Vice President Joyce Mujuru, wife to retired army general
Solomon Mujuru, threw her weight behind Mugabe's bid for a 6th term in
office. Up until recently Makoni was thought to be sponsored by the Mujuru
faction and enjoyed support from a significant section of Zanu (PF) members
unhappy with Mugabe.
Her vice president Joseph Msika and party chairman, John Nkomo, have
also distanced themselves from Makoni.
By the weekend only Dumiso Dabengwa and Cyril Ndebele had defected to
his cause, together with former Zimbabwe Union of Democrats President
Margaret Dongo and former Zanu secretary general, Edgar Tekere - who was
expelled from the party some time ago.
On Sunday Makoni held a rally at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield
with some media reports putting the crowds at between 3000 and 5000 people.
During the rally Makoni alleged that the low turnout was because thousands
of supporters were turned away by riot police who closed off Willowvale Road
and ordered buses packed with supporters to turn back.
Tekere also addressed the rally and pledged to spend his time
campaigning for Mugabe's removal.
Our Harare correspondent, Tagu Mukwenyani, says Makoni seems to enjoy
support from academics and members of the business community while ordinary
people, 'identify Morgan Tsvangirai as the face of the struggle'.
Makoni created a buzz of expectation when he told journalists on the
day of his campaign launch that there would be massive defections from
within Zanu (PF) to his camp. But he has only managed to secure the backing
of individuals who at best have been described as fringe Zanu (PF) members,
such as education minister Fay Chung and former prosecutor Levison Chikafu.
"These are people who feel they have been mistreated by Zanu (PF).
They have nothing to lose and in Makoni have found a convenient rallying
point to vent their frustrations," said a commentator.
On Saturday Makoni took his campaign to Bulawayo where around 5000
people were estimated at White City Stadium. Three candidates from the
Mutambara MDC were introduced to the crowd. Rumours that John Nkomo would
join the parade proved false as he did not turn up. - SW Radio Africa

ZPF youth force police to arrest vendors and MDC member in Mbare

By Tererai Karimakwenda
06 March, 2008

Police arrests over the alleged removal of election campaign posters have
continued. We received a shocking report from the Mbare high-density suburb
of Harare that a group of rowdy ruling party youths pressured police
officials at the local station to arrest the complainants in a case
involving campaign posters. We understand that 3 street vendors and an MDC
official are in custody. This is similar to many other cases that have been
reported where MDC members are arrested after complaining that they were
victimised by youth from ZANU-PF.

According to lawyer Alex Muchadehama, an MDC security official named Ozius
Ndhlovu went to Mbare police station to report that ZANU-PF youths were
pulling down posters and defacing images of MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai.
Ndhlovu was made to wait at the station for about 3 hours.

The ruling party youths arrived at the station while Ndhlovu was still there
attempting to press charges against them. Muchadehama said they told the
police to arrest Ndhlovu and 3 others that they dragged in with them,
claiming they were all defacing posters of Mugabe.

The lawyer said the police resisted initially in order to investigate
further. But the ZANU-PF youths became rowdy, noisy and aggressive. They
threatened the police, saying their hesitance showed they were MDC
supporters.

Muchadehama said he believes the police fear being labelled opposition
supporters because it can lead to them losing their jobs or being
transferred to some remote rural post. This is why most cases involving the
arrests of opposition officials have no supporting evidence and they wind up
being thrown out of court.

The arrested vendors had the goods they were selling with them in the police
cells when Muchadehama was allowed to visit them. They insisted they were
not MDC members and had not even registered to vote.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Hunger stalks villagers in Chivi district, Masvingo

By Tichaona Sibanda
6 March 2008

The MDC parliamentary candidate for Chivi north in Masvingo, Bernard
Chiondegwa, claimed on Thursday that corruption and mismanagement of food
supplies by Zanu-PF has now brought the country to its knees.

He said millions of villagers in the country's rural areas could be facing
famine within months. Chiondegwa said this was a man made crisis, since the
government's disastrous land reform programme.

'Famine is caused by the shortage or inability of people to obtain food.
Ours has been caused by low food production, not resulting from drought, but
from government's suicide policies on food production,' said Chiondegwa who
is representing the Tsvangirai led MDC.

Hunger and food insecurity are most serious in rural areas, where farming
and livestock rearing are the main means of livelihood. Chiondegwa, a
successful businessman, who was born and grew up in Chivi, blamed Mugabe's
obsession with power for the collapse of the domestic economy.

'We've come to a point where life simply is unbearable for the majority of
us. Mismanagement, corruption and bad policies by Mugabe and his Zanu-PF
have all played a major part in causing low food production, widespread
poverty and dislocation of food distribution,' He said.

He added; 'I think Zimbabweans have woken up to the full extent of the
failure of the Mugabe regime. Every place I visit in Chivi there is so much
anger against government failures and this sense of national anger and
outrage has become overwhelming. We are fighting to make those who are blind
to poverty to be able to see the poverty that we see. Unfortunately power
has blinded Mugabe to a point where he only sees rose tinted glasses
everywhere,' Chiondegwa said.

Widespread Apathy Ahead of Elections

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Many too preoccupied with getting by from one day to the next to feel
excited about voting.

By Florence Mafa in Harare (AR No. 159, 6-Mar-08)

There is little excitement and much despair among Zimbabwean people in the
run-up to harmonised elections set for March 29.

The usual euphoria preceding presidential or parliamentary elections is
almost absent as the so-called "make-or-break" polls approach.

The elections mark a critical moment in Zimbabwe's deepening political and
economic crisis, which has seen the former breadbasket of Africa become, in
the words of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, a "sinking titanic".

The polls are being held at a time when the country's economy is at its
lowest ever ebb, with the world's highest inflation rate of over 100,000 per
cent, an unemployment rate much higher than 85 per cent, critical food and
fuel shortages, and a collapsing infrastructure.

President Robert Mugabe, who turned 84 last month, has presided for the past
nine years over the world's fastest shrinking economy and achieved the world's
worst mortality rates.

In the last parliamentary polls in 2000 and presidential elections in 2002,
ruling party ZANU-PF and Mugabe came close to their first ever losses since
independence. So this year's combined local government, parliamentary and
presidential elections were predicted to be among the most exciting.

This time round, not only is Mugabe facing a stiff challenge from Morgan
Tsvangirai from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, but his
former ally Simba Makoni has also entered the race.

According to inside sources, Makoni has the backing of more than 90 per cent
of the ruling party's supreme council, the politburo. He is also a former
finance minister, and Zimbabwe's economic crisis is expected to be a crucial
factor in influencing voters.

Local and international observers had expected to see the country gripped
with election fever in the run up to the race, rather than the current
malaise being displayed by both ordinary Zimbabweans and politicians.

Driving around different suburbs in Harare, one does not get the feeling
that elections are three weeks away. There are few of the posters of
presidential or parliamentary candidates that have been plastered everywhere
ahead of past elections.

Instead, there is a distinct lack of excitement and even lack of hope among
ordinary people.

Some say the enormity of another victory from incumbent president Robert
Mugabe is weighing heavily on people's minds, while others say Zimbabweans
are more preoccupied with bread-and-butter issues, such as coping with food
shortages, to worry about the elections.

In a normal political environment, these are the kinds of issues that would
spur people on to participate in the country's politics. However, in
Zimbabwe, where intimidation, political violence and vote rigging are
commonplace, the opposite is true.

Only once, in a referendum in February 2000, has Mugabe ever lost a popular
election, and analysts predict he is not about to lose this one.

Many believe that that ZANU-PF will rig the vote. The president controls the
entire electoral process, including the counting of the ballots - a fact
which has plunged the population into apathy and despair.

Harare resident Amos Chigwida told IWPR that he had neither the energy nor
zeal to follow the political campaigns and is more concerned about feeding
his children.

"[The price of] food is going up every single day. Meat is now beyond the
reach of the majority of people. Many people cannot afford cooking oil,
margarine, soft drinks and beer. Imagine - even tomatoes and onions have
become unaffordable. So have green vegetables, which were sustaining many
families," said Chigwida.

"So tell me, what is there to get excited about? I have too many things to
worry about than to spend time following rallies or listening to political
speeches.

"We have been told by analysts that Mugabe and ZANU-PF are going to win. So
why waste my time, when they are so sure that Mugabe will win? I have lost
hope and the more I read about these predictions the more I get depressed."

Observers also report there has also been little of the routine violence
which is common in Zimbabwe during pre-election periods.

"People are hungry. Why fight when you don't even have mealie [maize] meal
in your house and have not had bread, tea, milk or sugar in a long time?"
asked Harare resident Munyaradzi Masango.

"People do not have the energy - many people are starving and living on one
small meal a day.

"They have more serious things to worry about than to be used in fights
which do not have a direct benefit to them or their families - they have
learnt this from past experience."

But not everyone is apathetic about the elections. Struggling single mother
of three Christine Makumbe believes her vote will make a difference.

"I pray that Zimbabweans have registered and will go and vote. I don't agree
with those that have already given up - every vote counts and each of us can
play our part in choosing which direction Zimbabwe should go," she said.

"For me, hope is important and without it there is no reason to live."

For Makumbe, the thought of another ZANU-PF victory gives her nightmares.

"I cannot imagine the day after ZANU-PF wins, or a week, a month or another
five years of hell. Have people really put into perspective what it will
mean for inflation, foreign currency rates, the health delivery system and
the education system?" she asked.

Foreign currency dealer Willis Ncube is one of the few people who would like
the economic crisis to continue. He does not worry about how the country can
continue to sustain parallel foreign currency rates.

Ncube, who has never been formally employed, became what is referred to as a
"runner" or middleman when the black market for foreign currency began to
boom. Over time, he began trading his own cash and has since bought a car
and is renting a house in a Harare suburb.

"Mudhara (the old man - a reference to Mugabe) must win. I can't imagine
going into formal employment. I am used to working my own hours and making a
quick buck," he said.

"It is better for me the way things are right now. I can't imagine what I
would do if things normalised."

Florence Mafa is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai Lacks "Killer Punch"

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Critics say he hasn't got what it takes to defeat Mugabe in upcoming
elections.

By Joseph Sithole in Harare (AR No. 159, 6-Mar-08)

Although many here believe the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is
the biggest threat to President Robert Mugabe's 28-year rule, there is
little consensus on how he will fare in the coming elections.

The Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, has been the most popular
opposition since independence in 1980, at one time winning 57 seats against
the ruling ZANU-PF's 61. But Tsvangirai enters the presidential race later
this month on the back foot, at the helm of a party weakened by splits and a
shrinking support base.

Supporters of the trade unionist-turned-politician believe he will win the
March 29 harmonised elections ahead of Mugabe while critics say he has made
to many tactical errors and lacks the "killer punch" to finish the job.

Some go so far as to claim that Tsvangirai is being sacrificed by "enemies"
in his party who believe that he can easily be pushed out once he loses the
presidential race this time around, since he has never won a popular
election.

Tsvangirai controversially lost the parliamentary elections in his home area
of Buhera only a year after the launch of the MDC in 2000. He went on to
lose the presidential race against Mugabe in 2002 by 400,000 votes in a
result he described then as "daylight robbery". The election was marred by
violence and allegations of vote- rigging and resulted in the imposition of
sanctions by the West on Mugabe and his ministers.

According to the MDC constitution, a party leader can serve only two terms
as president of the party. Tsvangirai is in his second term, which ends in
2010, unless the constitution is amended to allow him to stay on, a likely
scenario if he wins next month's elections against both Mugabe and his
former finance minister-turned-independent candidate Simba Makoni.

But since 2000, the MDC has been weakened by internal squabbles, violence by
the state and a mass exodus of a majority of its young supporters who have
left the country for the diaspora. Tsvangirai himself is accused of
leadership failure by allowing the party to split into two factions in
October 2005 over the reintroduction of a bicameral system.

Until very recently, the presidential race was mainly between Mugabe and
Tsvangirai, with the other MDC faction leader, Arthur Mutambara, largely
written off as a serious contender. However, the announcement a month ago by
Makoni that he was entering the contest altered the political landscape
overnight and injected new energy into the elections, with reports of
thousands of people rushing at the last minute to register to vote on March
29.

Even though he doesn't have a political party, Makoni is taken so seriously
that state propagandists have made it their business to attack him at every
opportunity since he announced plans to challenge Mugabe for president a
month ago. Mugabe himself called Makoni's decision to challenge him against
the party constitution "disgraceful" and accused him of being worse than a
prostitute.

The MDC has downplayed Makoni's impact on the electoral outcome, with
Tsvangirai saying a fortnight ago he was not interested in an alliance with
Makoni. Party supporters say Makoni threatens to split the opposition vote
in their urban strongholds, already weakened by Tsvangirai's failure to
unite with Mutambara, who is now backing Makoni.

There are now strong appeals that Tsvangirai should also defer to Makoni as
the main opposition candidate to face Mugabe and forge a united opposition
to take on Mugabe in the elections. Analysts say Makoni has appeal across
the political divide in Zimbabwe and internationally and therefore will be
able to reunite the nation once Mugabe is out of the picture.

They say Tsvangirai has also made too many errors of judgment which
undermine him as a credible leader. "This is a do-or-die election for
Tsvangirai," said an analyst in Harare. "It is an election he cannot afford
to lose, especially if his MPs win in their so-called 'safe urban'
constituencies. That would seriously weaken his authority in the party, as
has happened to South Africa's [president] Thabo Mbeki since Polokwane."

The analyst said it was possible that if Tsvangirai lost the presidential
elections, he would not get the support to amend the party constitution to
remain president of the party. "Then that would be the end for him," said
the analyst. "There would be many people ready to challenge him for the
leadership of the party depending on how well they perform in their own
constituencies."

He suggested that the same people who were refusing unity with other
opposition groups stood to benefit from Tsvangirai's defeat by either Mugabe
or Makoni. "The trouble is that, at least from a distance, Tsvangirai's
close friends have become his worst enemies. They believe they own him and
he is unable to function without their advice, which means once they begin
to see opportunities for the presidency they can sacrifice him," said the
analyst.

"At the moment, they are giving the impression that he is able to split the
opposition vote and still win, a very difficult undertaking given Mugabe's
huge rural constituency where at least 70 per cent of the population still
live."

The analyst added that it had to be born in mind that Makoni would also be
taking votes away from Tsvangirai in urban areas.

"In any case, we cannot rule out rigging of the vote should Mugabe feel real
threatened," he said. "That in itself minimises Tsvangirai's chances of
winning."

The fairness of the polls was cast in doubt after the failure of the talks
between ZANU-PF and the MDC, initiated by the South African Development
Community, SADC. According to the MDC, the negotiations became deadlocked
over the time frame for elections; the implementation of electoral and media
reforms and the process of drawing up a new constitution.

The opposition complains that by unilaterally proclaiming the date of the
elections, Mugabe reneged on the letter and spirit of the talks. It has
warned that the results of the elections will be contestable, given that
they will not be free and fair, it claims.

Zimbabwe's economy has been in freefall for the past eight years and
observers see little chance of a change of fortunes if Mugabe wins the
polls. But most believe any other outcome is unlikely and doubt Tsvangirai
can pull off a victory this time round.

Joram Nyathi, a veteran Zimbabwean journalist working in Harare, said
despite Tsvangirai's evident popularity, he lacked leadership when it
mattered most. "Most of the tactical errors he makes, like dividing his
party's women's assembly just before a crucial election, are the result of
bad advice. Every serious political leader in Africa knows that women
deliver the vote, not men. But clearly Tsvangirai lacks the killer instinct
to finish off a job well done," he said.

Joseph Sithole is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.

Presidential Election Runoff Unlikely

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

If election shows signs of heading for second round, Mugabe expected to
ensure that it doesn't.

By Joseph Sithole in Harare (AR No. 159, 6-Mar-08)

The belated entry of Zimbabwe's former finance minister Simba Makoni into
the presidential race has prompted speculation that a second round of voting
will be needed after the March 29 polls.

But some argue that the ruling party will determine the outcome through
control and abuse of the electoral process, removing the need for a run-off.

Makoni is one of four candidates who will fight in the presidential poll,
set to take place on the same day as senate, house of assembly and local
government elections.

Before Makoni came into the picture, it was essentially a two-horse race for
the presidency between the country's leader since independence 84-year old
Robert Mugabe, and Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the main faction of the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC.

However, there has been speculation that Makoni's candidacy will split the
vote, triggering a second round of balloting.

According to a constitutional amendment of 2002, 51 per cent of the vote is
now required to win the presidency instead of a simple majority as was
previously the case.

Some observers believe Makoni may snatch votes from the MDC in urban areas
and the ruling ZANU-PF's votes in the countryside where it holds sway. The
candidate, who has no party of his own, is seen as representing "moderates"
from both sides.

Zimbabwe's former information minister and political scientist Jonathan Moyo
suggested that all three leading candidates could struggle to clear 51 per
cent of the vote.

"If you look around where Tsvangirai is popular and likely to get support,
where Makoni is popular and likely to get support, where Mugabe is popular
and likely to pick more votes, none of them is guaranteed 51 per cent," said
Moyo, on an online news site.

However, a political science lecturer, interviewed by IWPR under conditions
of anonymity, said Mugabe would never "allow himself to be humiliated" by a
second ballot.

"A run-off is only possible when the whole electoral system is transparent
and all the parties have access to the entire process - from the casting of
the vote, through to counting, to the announcement of the final result," he
said.

He argued that the authorities would use their control of administrative
bodies to manipulate the results.

"The election results are decided by the command centre which is under the
full control of the ruling ZANU-PF party and to which Makoni and Tsvangirai
and their agents have no access," he said.

The political scientist said the opposition party missed a chance at recent
Southern African Development Community, SADC, sponsored talks with ZANU-PF
in failing to demand access to the command centre where the final results of
all national elections are processed.

The SADC negotiations, which began in March last year, are intended to
achieve an agreement between ZANU-PF party and the MDC to put an end to the
country's eight-year political and economic crisis.

He said that if a close challenger to Mugabe emerged during the poll, it
would be easy for the command centre to use postal votes from the embassies
abroad to widen Mugabe's lead. He suggested it was easy to exploit the
postal voting system to influence results.

The political scientist added that the opposition had shot itself in the
foot by failing to resolve the internal differences which led it to split in
2005. He argued that because the MDC delayed its decision to take part in
elections, many of is supporters may have missed the chance to register to
vote.

"They took too long to decide whether or not they wanted to take part in the
elections," he said. "As a result, it is possible that a number of people
who wanted to vote for them didn't in fact register as required by law."

Joseph Sithole is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.

Help rescue a Zimbabwean old age pensioner

Grass not always greener on other side of border

Mail and Guardian

Zahira Kharsany | Johannesburg, South Africa

06 March 2008 06:00

      For many refugees streaming into South Africa, especially from
Zimbabwe, it is a matter of trading a life of poverty and famine for one of
violent crime, unemployment and bureaucratic obstacles.

      Most of the refugees arriving here try to escape the economic
meltdown in neighbouring Zimbabwe. If they are not detained at the border,
they make their way to the Johannesburg and Pretoria offices of the
Department of Home Affairs.

      Elliot Moyo, a researcher at the Centre for Forced Migration
Studies at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, says: "The
Zimbabwean situation is traumatising in itself. It is true that some leave
because of the economic collapse. They cannot access the basic commodities.
Economic migration coupled with ongoing violence and intimidation has led
them to seek refuge in South Africa."

      The Mail & Guardian Online spoke to two refugees about their
experiences and the difficulty in obtaining asylum-seeker status in South
Africa.

      Lee Faison (33), an accountant from Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe, manages
an adult literacy school at the Central Methodist church in central
Johannesburg, a known haven for refugees.

      "They're [refugees] are from all over. It's mainly Zimbabweans
but you can find some from Mozambique, Zambia, DRC [Democratic Republic of
Congo], Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi and even Ivory Coast. We all stay
peacefully at the church and no one interferes," he says.

      Leaving behind his wife and seven-year-old boy in Kwe Kwe,
Faison set out in February 2006 for Johannesburg.

      "I had some help. I knew people who were always crossing the
border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, but coming [in] illegally is very
difficult. The border guards are not dangerous. If you are caught by them,
all they do is hold you for a while and send you back after fining you," he
says.

      However, "The people who rob and steal and kill at the border
are vicious. They are [the] most vicious and should be known as animals
instead, and not people. They have traits like animals. They attack people
[refugees], rob them, beat them, kill and even rape women."

      According to the Department of Home Affairs, the number of
people seeking asylum and protection in South Africa each day is estimated
at more than 1 000. The department does say, however, that this number of
registered asylum seekers does not reflect the number of those queueing
outside its refugee reception offices.

      Refugees soon find that life in South Africa has its own
challenges.

      Says Faison: "Johannesburg has the stench of death on it. In my
first week here I smelt death on the streets. I witnessed a shoot-out
between cops and robbers on the first day I was here. In the second week I
was here I was robbed. People here have such indifference to others.

      "Johannesburg is unsafe. In Zimbabwe, I could still walk at
night and know I won't be mugged. With all our problems we still feel safe
from each other."

      He sends whatever he earns home to his wife via cross-border
traders. "The deliverymen charge 20% for every R100 we send home. For
groceries, it depends. They judge and give us a price, but we trust them and
we know the money will get home safe to our families."

      His wife is studying interior design at the technical college in
Kwe Kwe. "If things change overnight in Zimbabwe, I will be back home
overnight," Faison says.

      Desperate measures
      Many refugees resort to desperate measures to cross the border.
Some are assisted by human traffickers, for which there is a booming market,
and some arrive via bus or truck. Others travel to South Africa with
temporary travel documents and decide to stay.

      Moyo, of the Centre for Forced Migration Studies, says that
towards the end of last year, the centre's research team at home affairs saw
an increase in arrivals from Malawi, Lesotho, Rwanda and Somalia.

      Department of Home Affairs head of communications Jacky Mashapu
says that the department registered 7 612 new applications for asylum during
January this year.

      "Refugee reception offices' trend shows that Pretoria led the
pack with 3 018, followed by Cape Town and Rosettenville respectively with 2
728 and 1 279. Durban (247) and Port Elizabeth (340) have fewer numbers of
registered asylum seekers."

      The department has been overwhelmed by the flood of refugees.
"They are not able to deal with the mass exodus," says Moyo.

      Plenty of queueing await refugees who need to have their
documents issued.

       The Department of Home Affairs office in Johannesburg does not
have sufficient infrastructure and human resources to process asylum
applications. Refugees have to travel to the home affairs office in Pretoria
to apply for asylum-seeker status; once they have been processed, collection
takes place at the Rosettenville reception office in Johannesburg.

      "This is not easy. It is a big challenge to newly arriving
refugees who have to travel to Pretoria, [only] then to get there and
realise that there is no relief. There is a bottleneck in the process," says
Moyo.

      The department's Mashapu says, however, that an additional home
affairs office in Crown Mines in the city should start operating soon to
help take care of the backlog in asylum applications.

      Survival
      To survive, many refugees resort to informal trade, find their
way into the security industry or become waiters. Moyo says that some even
get jobs as teachers.

      "The Department of Education has benefited the most from the
refugees. Many schools even help some get their papers," he says.

      Some South Africans feel threatened by the new arrivals, and
there is a growing tendency among the country's citizens to alienate and
intimidate refugees, especially informal traders, says Moyo.

      Sitting on an upside-down drum at the Central Methodist church,
Peter Dzingai (39), another refugee from Zimbabwe, shares Faison's
sentiments.

      Dzingai sells tea and coffee from a makeshift table -- a board
balanced over some tins and bricks. By pouring boiled water from a flask and
using instant coffee and tea, he earns a few rands to send to his wife and
three children in Masvingo.

      The bus ride from Masvingo to the border was the easy part, says
Dzingai; crossing the border on foot and avoiding the criminals operating
there was difficult. The primary-school teacher now has to contend with
doing odd jobs to earn an income to send home.

      Dzingai's reason for fleeing Zimbabwe is different from the
others. Instead of fleeing to a "better life", he was forced to leave.

      "I was a teacher at the primary school in Masvingo. The NGOs
used to help with the schools and I joined them. There was nothing political
in what they were doing. But I was victimised for working for with the
whites. I tried to explain, but it was all in vain. I had problems with my
neighbours and with the ruling party's [Zanu-PF's] district committee."

      Dzingai wants to rejoin his family soon and says that being
without them in Johannesburg is the worst. "Johannesburg is a little better
than back home, but the worst thing I hate is the crime. The crime rate is
too high, but I am more afraid of the thugs than the police. I was robbed
three times. I miss my family and hope I see them soon."