Tsvangirai's wife to be buried on Wednesday

http://af.reuters.com

Sun Mar 8, 2009 7:18pm GMT

* Wife of Morgan Tsvangirai to be buried on Wednesday

* Trucker involved in crash to face court

HARARE, March 8 (Reuters) - The wife of Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, who was killed in a car crash that also injured her husband, is
expected to be buried on Wednesday, a senior MDC and government official
said on Sunday.

The driver of a truck involved in the crash is likely to appear in court on
Monday charged with culpable homicide, his lawyer said.

Tsvangirai was flown to neighbouring Botswana on Saturday to recover from
the accident and to undergo another medical check-up, but is expected to
return to Harare late on Monday, the MDC official, who asked not to be
named, told Reuters.

"The arrangement is that Mrs Tsvangirai will be buried on Wednesday in her
rural home of Buhera," he said. A procession commemorating her would be held
in Harare on Tuesday.

Tsvangirai, who left hospital in the capital on Saturday, has suffered head
and neck wounds, but is in stable condition, other officials said.

Police have launched an investigation into the accident, which took place on
Friday on a potholed road south of Harare.

Tsvangirai's MDC said they would conduct their own probe to see whether foul
play was involved. The party said the crash could have been avoided if
proper security had been in place.

The truck that collided with Tsvangirai's car belongs to the United States
Development Agency and was carrying British and U.S. aid. The British
government said it believed the crash to be a "genuine accident", according
to media reports.

Lawyer Chris Mhike said police had not decided whether the truck driver
would be brought before a Harare magistrate or would appear in a court in
Chivhu town nearer to the scene of the accident.

"They are hoping they will bring him to court tomorrow. He is facing charges
of culpable homicide, it is something that usually attracts a fine or
community service depending with the degree of negligence and if the case is
not politicised," Mhike told Reuters.

Tsvangirai and his arch rival, President Robert Mugabe, formed a
power-sharing government in February after months of negotiations to try to
end a political and economic crisis that has brought Zimbabwe to ruin.

Tsvangirai, who turns 57 on Tuesday, had six children with his wife Susan.
She was popular among MDC supporters, who would chant "mother, mother" when
she appeared at rallies with her husband.

Mrs Tsvangirai, 50, avoided the spotlight but stood by her husband
throughout his ordeals as Mugabe's most determined opponent.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe)

Tsvangirai's absence may leave void in Zimbabwe

Associated Press

By ANGUS SHAW - 30 minutes ago

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zimbabwe's prime minister, injured in a car crash
that killed his wife, has left for medical treatment in Botswana, leaving no
word when he will return to his troubled homeland to try to make a
power-sharing deal with his longtime rival work.

The effect Prime Minister's Morgan Tsvangirai's absence will have on
Zimbabwe's fraught political system when much of the population is suffering
from hunger and disease is a matter of speculation. He spent months in
Botswana last year, fearing for his life at the height of a standoff with
President Robert Mugabe - the man with whom he formed a joint government
last month.

Tsvangirai arrived in Botswana on Saturday, a day after the crash, according
to a spokesman for Botswana's foreign ministry. State media in Zimbabwe had
said only that Tsvangirai had left for treatment, and his party had refused
publicly to specify where he had gone.

Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama has been one of the few African leaders
to openly criticize Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from
Britain in 1980 and is accused of destroying its economy and trampling on
democratic and human rights.

Tsvangirai's coalition government with Mugabe has been rocky from the start.
Mugabe has treated Tsvangirai as a junior partner, declaring at Feb. 28
celebrations for his 85th birthday: "I am still in control and hold
executive authority, so nothing much has changed."

And Mugabe may use Tsvangirai's absence to further tighten his grip.
Tsvangirai, though, is likely to benefit from sympathy at home and abroad.

Tsvangirai has two deputy prime ministers who, like him, are opposition
leaders - Thokozani Khupe and Arthur Mutambara. In addition, Tsvangirai's
No. 2 in his Movement for Democratic Change party, Tendai Biti, holds the
key government post of finance minister. Biti, a sharp-tongued lawyer, has
meetings in the coming week with an International Monetary Fund team to
review Zimbabwe's financial prospects and discuss addressing its economic
and humanitarian crises.

Key potential foreign donors such as the United States and Britain have been
waiting to see how much power Tsvangirai will wield in the unity government
before stepping in with major development help. Now, their wait is likely to
be longer.

Tsvangirai was criticized for spending long periods out of the country last
year, even when it became clear it was out of fear for his safety. This
time, his decision to seek medical care in a country where he feels
comfortable will be seen in the context of Zimbabwe's catastrophic hospital
system.

Zimbabweans also may be willing to give him time to recover from the loss of
his wife of 31 years. While Susan Tsvangirai did not play a prominent
political role, she was by many accounts an important confidante and source
of support for her husband.

The question, though, is how long Zimbabweans can be patient as they cope
with the world's highest official inflation rate, a hunger crisis that has
left most of its people dependent on foreign handouts and a cholera epidemic
blamed on the collapse of a once-enviable health and sanitation system.

The government-run Sunday Mail quoted Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the
prime minister's Movement for Democratic Change party, as saying Tsvangirai
left after consultations with his family, party and government "for further
medical examination and attention just to make sure that we have exercised
due diligence. We are not leaving any medical stone unturned."

Chamisa would not say when Tsvangirai would return, telling the Mail that
"is going to be a function of the progress that is going to be made in the
examination."

Zimbabwe's long history of political violence blamed on Mugabe's forces -
including several assassination attempts on Tsvangirai - is fueling
speculation Friday's car crash was not an accident.

A statement posted on the prime minister's Web site Saturday said that
"although it is to soon to draw conclusions, available facts suggest it was
an accident." But Tsvangirai's party has called for an investigation, and
said the crash could have been avoided had Tsvangirai had the kind of
motorcade that travels with Mugabe. Since becoming prime minister,
Tsvangirai usually travels in a convoy of four or five cars with his own and
government guards, while Mugabe travels with dozens of cars and motorcycles.

The coalition was formed after a dispute over presidential elections nearly
a year ago and months of state-sponsored violence against MDC members and
independent political activists.

Tsvangirai was headed to a weekend rally in his home region when his
four-wheel-drive vehicle collided with a truck carrying U.S. aid on the
outskirts of the capital on a notoriously dangerous road. State television
said the truck swerved on an uneven stretch of the road, which, like many in
Zimbabwe, is poorly maintained. Tsvangirai's spokesman said the car carrying
the prime minister, his wife, a driver and a bodyguard sideswiped the truck
and rolled at least three times.

Tsvangirai, who turns 57 Tuesday, formed the MDC a decade ago. As it emerged
as a serious political challenger, Tsvangirai repeatedly faced the wrath of
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. He has been beaten and was once nearly thrown from a
10th floor window by suspected government thugs.

Associated Press Writer Sello Motseta in Gaborone, Botswana contributed to
this report

Roy Bennett bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/3595

Via MDC Press Release - Harare Supreme Court bail hearing for MDC Treasurer
General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Hon Roy Bennett will
be heard on Tuesday 10, March 2009, at 1130hrs.

The state lost twice in the Harare High Court applications for the continued
detention of Roy Bennett on politically motivated and trumped up charges.
Flagrantly disregarding the law, the state used judicial, quasi-judicial and
extra-judicial measures to frustrate, and block the release, on bail, of Roy
Bennett.

In his judgement on the state's appeal for an application for leave of
appeal in the Harare Supreme Court, Justice Gware granted the state leave to
appeal to the Supreme Court but stated, correctly, that there was no
prospect of success for the state.

As we have consistently stated, there is no basis at law for both the
charges, and more so, the denial of bail to Roy Bennett. The abuse of
judicial processes, and when this abuse is exhausted, the use of quasi-and
extra-judicial measures to detain Roy Bennett and all other political
prisoners do not give confidence to a new era of the return of just law,
something the country, in the interest of national reconstruction, dearly
needs.

As there is no basis at law for the charges, and continued detention of Roy
Bennett, and all other political prisoners, we demand their immediate
unconditional release unharmed. They have become, plainly, political
hostages.

MDC Secretary for Social Welfare, Kerry Kay visited Roy Bennett earlier
today. The appalling and inhuman conditions in the prison continue to
deteriorate. Yet another prisoner starved to death early today morning. Roy
Bennett has requested the MDC Manicaland to bring food, and MDC Manicaland
has been granted permission to bring in food for all inmates, at least, in
Roy Bennett cell.

Meanwhile, Roy Bennett has learnt with great sadness the tragic passing-on
of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai. Roy Bennett is gravely saddened and has conveyed
his condolences to President of the MDC, and Prime Minister of the Republic
of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, his family, the MDC and to the people of
Zimbabwe. In his message Roy Bennett emphasised the need for all to remain
true to the dreams of the democratic Zimbabwe and to "strive to achieve the
Zimbabwe mai Tsvangirai (Mrs Tsvangirai) wanted to see".

This entry was posted by Sokwanele on Sunday, March 8th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Roy Bennett has been told about the death of Susan Tsvangirai

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/3574

We understand that Roy Bennett, who is still locked up in Mutare prison on
nonsensical charges, has been told about Susan's death and is devastated. He
has sent his condolences.

The vigil outside Mutare prison, supporting Roy Bennett, has grown since the
news of Susan Tsvangirai's death, and people are visibly becoming more
angry.

Roy Bennett himself is now riddled lice and has asked that his food given to
him by supporters is always kept very simple. Most of the inmates are
starving and Bennett's supporters cannot feed all of them - but he is trying
to help as many as he can.

Roy Bennett has also started a cleaning operation in the Mutare prison with
the detergents he asked for.

This entry was posted by Sokwanele on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at 6:10 pm

Botswana attacks Zimbabwe regime

http://www.ft.com/

By Tom Burgis in Gaborone

Published: March 8 2009 17:12 | Last updated: March 8 2009 17:12

Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government is a recipe for “disaster” and sets a
dangerous precedent for democracy in Africa, Ian Khama, president of
neighbouring Botswana, has warned.

Mr Khama, a quad-biking former army chief and the son of Botswana’s
independence leader, has won plaudits for an active reform programme but has
been accused by opponents of using presidential fiat to advance a personal
agenda of “discipline”.
His tough stance on Zimbabwe – a rare exception to many African leaders’
willingness to tolerate autocrats in their midst – has been a crucial prop
to Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change, which triumphed
in a first round of elections last March only to withdraw from the
presidential race amid attacks on its supporters.

Following Friday night’s car crash in which Mr Tsvangirai’s wife Susan was
killed, Mr Khama flew Zimbabwe’s injured prime minister for treatment in
Gaborone, Botswana’s capital.

However, speaking to the Financial Times before the accident, Mr Khama said
that he doubted whether Robert Mugabe, the authoritarian president, and Mr
Tsvangirai would be able to work together to rebuild the country’s shattered
economy. Its collapse has unleashed widespread hunger and triggered a
cholera epidemic that has killed some 4,000 people.

“If you had asked me to put together a combination of people who could spell
disaster, that would probably be the combination,” Mr Khama said in his
first wide-ranging interview with a foreign newspaper since assuming office
in April.

Accusing Mr Mugabe of displaying “bad faith and more bad faith” since an
initial power-sharing framework was agreed in September, he said the
85-year-old’s rule had been “ridiculously long”.

After initial successes following the war of liberation Mr Mugabe led,
“every year, and in more recent times, every day he has been in power,
things have just gone from bad to worse … he should have gone, long ago”.

Since Mr Mugabe installed himself for a further term in his 29-year rule
following widely discredited polls, Mr Khama has been a staunch and often
lonely critic of the region’s senior freedom fighter. He refused to
recognise Mr Mugabe’s mandate, lobbied his fellow regional leaders to demand
fresh polls and gave sanctuary to Mr Tsvangiari when his life appeared to be
in danger.

The Mugabe regime responded with unsubstantiated claims that the opposition
movement was assembling militias on Botswana’s turf and a smear campaign
against Mr Khama in the state media. Mr Khama was said to have been livid
when Mr Tsvangirai opted at a January summit to accept the premiership in a
unity government that allowed Mr Mugabe to remain president and his Zanu-PF
party to retain control of the security apparatus, despite the MDC’s failure
to achieve many of its demands.

Mr Khama defended his democratic credentials in the face of critics who
accuse him of governing in a manner more suited to his military past. He
said that, like cholera and an exodus of refugees, the ramifications of the
Zimbabwe deal go beyond its borders. Drawing a parallel with a power-sharing
pact struck amid the violence that followed Kenya’s disputed ballot last
year, he said: “If a ruling party thinks it’s likely to lose, and then uses
its position as a ruling party to manipulate the outcome of the election so
that they can extend their term in power, [it is] not the way to go . . .
this power-sharing thing is a bad precedent for the continent.”

Transcript: FT interview with president of Botswana - excerpt

Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 7th March 2009

Some wearing black bandanas or armbands, Vigil supporters mourned the death of Susan Tsvangirai in Friday’s road crash. Carrying placards saying “The Vigil mourns with Tsvangirai” and “More death in Zimbabwe”, we expressed our shock at the death of a much admired lady. 

We were at a loss to understand how this could be an accident. There was an electric feeling of outrage, suspicion and anger.  We pray that it was not another assassination attempt on the MDC leader.

The feelings were summed up by two big banners brought to the Vigil: “Sleeping with the enemy one was bound to be bludgeoned to death in one’s sleep. Mugabe is a murderer” and “The plot thickens in Zimbabwe. An attempt on Tsvangirai’s life and he loses his wife in a highly suspicious road accident”.

An extra big crowd attended the Vigil.  People spoke of their need to be with other Zimbabweans at this time to share their grief and try to understand what is happening at home.  What is sure is that few people have any confidence in Mugabe’s willingness or ability to make power-sharing work. 

While the Vigil calls for increased humanitarian aid for Zimbabwe, we insist that there must be evidence of real commitment to the rule of law from Zanu-PF before development aid is handed over.

Some points:

·   Thanks to Sister Beverly Mutandiro for leading the prayers for the Tsvangirais.

·   Vigil management team member Luka Phiri, who recently faced the prospect of deportation, was invited to address a one-day conference in London organised by the National Union of Journalists and spoke about the problems of asylum seekers.

·   Welcome to two new Vigil babies: Paradzai Mapfumo’s son, Leon Michael, who was born in the early hours of Saturday morning, and Enock Dzonga’s daughter.

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

FOR THE RECORD: 368 signed the register.

FOR YOUR DIARY:

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

·   ZIMBABWE: WILL UNITY PREVAIL? with Lucia Matibenga MP. Chaired by Kate Hoey MP. Wednesday 11th March from 6.45 – 8 pm. Venue: Grimond Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, London, SW1A 2LW. Security is tight so it is necessary to book a place – email: campaigns@actsa.org. For map, check: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/faxmap.pdf

·   ROHR UK Chair’s meeting. Saturday 14^th March from 12 noon. Venue to be advised.  Contact Ephraim Tapa 07940793090 or Paradzai Mapfumo  07915926323 or 07932216070

·   Next Glasgow Vigil. Saturday 14^th March, 2 – 6 pm. Venue: Argyle Street Precinct. For more information contact: Patrick Dzimba, 07990 724 137, Tafadzwa Musemwa 07954 344 123 and Roggers Fatiya 07769 632 687.

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

Vigil Co-ordinators

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

Zimpapers went on strike

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/


Sunday, 08 March 2009
ZIMBABWE - HARARE - Zimpapers Harare branch journalists yesterday went
on strike demanding monthly allowances and February salary to be in foreign
currency.
The journalists both junior and senior reporters were unhappy with a
number of issues among them poor remuneration and poor management.

Junior reporters are being paid US$100 while senior reporters earn
US$120 as allowances while their salaries are being paid in Zimbabwe
dollars.
Only last month, the management deposited quadrillions of Zimbabwean
dollars into the reporters' bank accounts much to their disgruntlement.
This is despite the fact that Zimbawean dollar is no longer accepted
in any transaction except at the company's canteen where a plate of sadza
and vegetables cost Z$100 trillion dollars.
However, the reporters have to struggle to pay for their medical,
rental and transport expenses.
A reporter who lives in Chitungwiza needs at least US$2 a day on
transport
By yesterday morning The Herald newsroom was deserted leaving the news
editor to rely on students on attachment.
Indications were that the strike could spread to other departments
that include advertising, marketing, circulation and subscriptions if the
management fails to address the workers plight.
A representative of the workers committee who requested anonymity said
the management failed to heed the calls by Minister of Media, Information
and Publicity, Webster Shamu to revise the allowances upwards.
Shamu held a series of meetings with the management since went into
office but there has been little if any effort, by management to honour up
their pledge.
"We have taken a position not to go to work because of management's
lack of respect for its workers. Besides negotiating in bad faith they seem
not to care about our cause.
So far, the strike has gone on well and should the management fail to
address our grievance we will not go to work," he said. A senior management
official at Zimpapers Harare branch who requested not to be named said they
were looking into the issue.

ZAPU launched in South Africa

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=13036

March 8, 2009

By Mxolisi Ncube

JOHANNESBURG - About 1 000 people, predominantly youths from Zimbabwe's
southern Matabeleland region, converged at Hillbrow Theatre, central
Johannesburg Saturday to witness the official launch of the South African
structures of the revived ZAPU party.

Some disgruntled former leaders of the original PF-Zapu last year pulled out
of a 1987 unity accord, signed between President Robert Mugabe of Zanu-PF
and former ZAPU leader, the now late Joshua Nkomo. They accused Mugabe of
deliberately ignoring some of the requirements of the accord.

Among some of the key issues raised at the launch were the under-development
of the Matabeleland region, from which PF-Zapu drew most of its membership,
Mugabe's alleged lack of respect for former PF-Zapu members and his alleged
plot to assassinate Dumiso Dabengwa, a former key member of PF-Zapu, who has
since been elected as the interim national chairman of the revived party.

The party also said that it did not support Mugabe's reign of terror, in
which he has allegedly killed hundreds of opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) supporters and displaced thousands of others since 1999.

Addressing the gathering, ZAPU's interim chairman for its South African
province, Dubuzizwe Joli, accused Mugabe and Zanu-PF of having solely caused
Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis, which has spanned the past decade, by
disregarding the "letter and spirit" of the Unity Accord.

"When we fought the war of liberation, 'Children of the soil' was the cry of
freedom fighters of all Zimbabweans," said Joli.

"But which soil; in South Africa, Botswana, England and America? Why are we
here (South Africa)? That is the reason why ZAPU has come out of ZANU, to
put back on the rails this freedom train."

He added that the revived party would fight to reverse the country's
multi-facetted crisis, which has caused the forced migration of millions of
Zimbabweans to seek a better life in foreign lands.

"Today we are scattered all over the world, sleeping in pipes, under
bridges, churches of all the nations of the world," said Joli.

"The number one aspiration of our school children is now boarder jumping,
while becoming a refugee in some country is the number one aspiration of our
school leavers.

"We need a party that can wrestle the government out of the hands of Zanu-PF
and give it back to the people of Zimbabwe, a party that will depoliticize
all state organs.

"We want a party that will not undermine the functions of law enforcement
officers and the judiciary system, restore the rule of law, bring good
governance and defence of the nation, and I tell you today - ZAPU is that
party."

Joli rubbished what he said were claims that his party was only for the
Ndebele people of the western regions of Zimbabwe, saying that this was a
Zanu-PF ploy to discredit ZAPU.

"This might be a result of some of our common grievances that are unique to
Matabeleland," he added.

"It is also a deliberate ploy by Zanu-PF in particular, to dissuade the
other tribal affiliations from joining a national party in fear of being
replaced as a government.

"Tribalism is a disease that has to be eradicated in Zimbabwe. Maybe we need
to learn from our neighbours in South Africa and Zambia, which have many
tribes that are all appreciated."

Joli later told The Zimbabwe Times that his party would immediately embark
on a membership recruitment drive in South Africa, in preparation for its
national congress, which is scheduled for May 10.

"We are setting up every structure, from cell, to provincial level, where we
will be having interim leadership in preparation for the national congress,"
he said.

"We want to have a full interim provincial leadership, women's league and
the youth league set up, so that each of those will have representatives
sent to the national congress."

Themba Khanye, who is the organizer of former fighters with ZIPRA force,
ZAPU's armed wing during the liberation struggle, who have pulled out of the
Zimbabwe National War Veterans Association, said that the former freedom
fighters were also being organized into a provincial structure in South
Africa, where he said most of them were now based.

"Most of our members are here and we want to organize them into one force to
push forward the ideals of the party, just like what Zanu-PF is doing with
its ZANLA members," said Khanye. "But we will not be beating up people,
because that was not our training.

"May I also dispel the notion that we are doing this to start a war. ZIPRA
is not preparing for any war. We are pushing forward the program of ZAPU,
which is to win back Zimbabwe in democratically-held elections, whose
results must not be disputed, as has happened now. Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC)
has won elections but is still not in power, just because other people say
that he did not fight in the liberation struggle."

Roy Bennett's cellmate dies

http://www.thetimes.co.za/

Moses Mudzwiti Published:Mar 08, 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A second prisoner sharing a cell with MDC treasurer Roy Bennett has died
prompting an outcry over the conditions in which Zimbabwe's deputy
agriculture minister designate is being held.

a..
Bennett has spent the last three weeks behind bars since being picked up by
secret police on Friday the 13th last month. He faces charges of illegal
possession of dangerous weapons for purposes of banditry or alternatively
terrorism.

Kerry Kay the MDC Secretary for Social Welfare visited Bennett Sunday and
found the prison conditions to be appalling.

The MDC later said in statement released to the press: "The appalling and
inhuman conditions in the prison continue to deteriorate. Yet another
prisoner starved to death early this morning."

When the first prisoner died in Bennett's cell two weeks ago, authorities
did not immediately remove the body. At the time the MDC complained that the
authorities were trying to "intimidate Bennett".

Deaths in Zimbabwe's overcrowded prisons have become common as conditions
continue to become unbearable. Food, water and medication are constantly in
short supply.

At Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison more than 200 inmates have died since
October. Many of the deaths have been attributed to diseases caused by
severe food deficiencies.

The MDC has successfully sought permission from Mutare prison authorities to
allow relatives and friends to provide food for Bennett and his cellmates.

Even though Bennett has been granted bail he remains locked up because the
state, led by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, has opposed his release
all the way to the Supreme Court.

On Friday police arrested magistrate Livingstone Chipadza for signing
Bennett's release warrant.

The MDC said Bennett's bail matter would be heard in Supreme Court Tuesday.

"The state lost twice in the Harare High Court applications for the
continued detention of Roy Bennett on politically motivated and trumped up
charges," said the MDC.

Last week Supreme Court Judge Paddington Garwe granted the state leave to
appeal. He, however, stated that there was no prospect of success for the
state.

"As we have consistently stated, there is no basis at law for both the
charges, and more so, the denial of bail to Roy Bennett," said the MDC.

"The abuse of judicial processes, and when this abuse is exhausted, the use
of quasi-and extra-judicial measures to detain Roy Bennett and all other

political prisoners do not give confidence to a new era of the return of
just law, something the country, in the interest of national reconstruction,
dearly needs".

"As there is no basis at law for the charges, and continued detention

of Roy Bennett, and all other political prisoners, we demand their

immediate unconditional release unharmed. They have become, plainly,
political hostages".

Meanwhile, Bennett has learnt with great sadness the passing of the prime
minister's wife Susan.

Harare water shortage continues

http://www.thetimes.co.za

Moses Mudzwiti Published:Mar 08, 2009

Zimbabwe's capital Harare was by late Saturday still in the grip of a
massive water shortage three days after supplies were cut off raising fears
of a surge in cholera infections.

a.. Council authorities have blamed the chaotic change over of water
supplies from a national body to the local municipality.

Fears were growing that the water unannounced shut off of water supplies
would exacerbate the spread of cholera which has already killed more than

4 000 Zimbabweans.

Harare residents are up in arms over the move to shut supplies without
warning. They have resorted to fetching water from unsafe sources - rivers
and unprotected wells.

Some residents complain that the tap water - when it was available - was
itself unsafe to drink. Visiting health experts from Bangladesh last month
found that Ecoli - the bacteria associated with human waste - was found in
tap water in Harare.

A municipal official said water purification chemicals were still in short
supply and the matter was being attended to.

Hotels, hospitals and other public facilities have had to ferry water from
other towns.

With frequent power cuts, boreholes are unable to satisfy the demand for
water in the capital city.

Zim refugees flood Jhb

http://www.news24.com

08/03/2009 07:24  - (SA)

Johannesburg - Hundreds of Zimbabwean refugees have arrived in central
Johannesburg and are living on the streets following the closure of a
refugee processing centre at the show grounds in Musina, Limpopo.

"Most of the people are staying outside. At night you can see them, there's
lots," Wellington Masaiti told Sapa on Saturday.

Masaiti is a volunteer security guard at the central Methodist church in
Johannesburg which has become a haven for refugees.

Bishop of the church, Paul Verryn said that about 200 refugees arrived from
Musina in the last two weeks, 71 of them arrived on Friday alone.

"There was a definite escalation," said Verryn.

This week home affairs shut down its ad-hoc refugee processing centre at
Musina.

Sleeping on the streets

"The facility at Musina was never meant to be a camp," said home affairs
spokesperson Siobhan McCarthy.

In July, a mobile refugee processing centre was built in the Musina show
grounds, she said. Zimbabwean asylum-seekers then began to congregate and
camp around the processing centre.

"The place became extremely unhygienic and unsafe, especially for children,"
said McCarthy.

A new facility was meant to be built near an air force base in Musina over
the weekend. McCarthy said it would not be ready until later in the week.

The Musina refugees told Sapa they were given transport to Johannesburg but
it was unclear who provided it. Many said home affairs or the Musina legal
resources centre provided mini-bus taxis.

McCarthy declined to say precisely who paid for the minibuses but said it
was a local NGO or municipal organisation.

She added that the decision to provide the refugees transport away from
Musina was taken by a variety of local stakeholders.

Before the Musina refugee processing centre closed, refugees applying for
asylum there were given 14-day temporary visas and told to re-apply at other
refugee centres around the country.

McCarthy confirmed this and said that a few were also given 90-day visas
while their asylum cases were pending.

Nowhere to go

She said the plan was for refugees receiving 14-day visas to get processed
at refugee centres other than the over-taxed facility at Musina.

"Home affairs said we should move out from Musina and get asylum from other
centres," said Elias Mucherina who arrived in Johannesburg on Thursday.

"They said it's too huge [in Musina]."

But on arriving in Johannesburg many of the Musina refugees were told they
need to start the process over again.

They are attempting to find shelter at the Central Methodist Church but many
are being turned away from the door.

Verryn said that the church's building is already at a capacity.

This means that the Musina refugees will join the 2000 who Verryn roughly
estimates are already sleeping on the streets.

"They're sleeping cheek and jowl," said Verryn.

- SAPA

Business round up for Sunday

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Sunday, 08 March 2009
FURTHER tax cuts and an improvement in power supply could see mobile
phone tariffs falling lower, Econet Wireless said this week, announcing a
near-20 percent cut on its key tariffs.

Econet, which is the country's largest telecoms company with an over
60% share of the mobile market, reduced its key tariff by close to 20% with
effect from last Sunday.
Econet's highest tariff had been 29 cents, but tariffs will now fall
to as low as 21 cents on some packages.
Econet chief executive officer, Douglas Mboweni, said the decision to
reduce tariffs was part of a strategy by the company to increase
affordability and drive up usage.
"This is the second time we have reduced our tariffs since the
beginning of the year," Mboweni said.
In January, Econet reduced off-peak call charges by 23 percent.
Mboweni said the lower off-peak tariff had a huge impact on usage and
service quality.
"The idea behind off-peak tariffs was to get people to make
non-business calls in the evening, and reduce pressure on the network during
business hours. It has worked very well."
The Econet boss said his company would continue to develop new
services to address the issue of cost to customers.
But he said many constraints remain, outside of his company's
influence, limiting efforts to reduce charges even further. At the top of
his list was the cost of power, and also government fees. Zimbabwean
operators spend four times more than their regional peers on power, as up to
a third of their base stations have to be continuously fired up by expensive
back up diesel power.
On government fees, Mboweni said 20% of the cost of each call still
goes to government in fees.
"Given how essential telecoms is to the economy we think there is room
to reduce these charges further," Mboweni said.
A seven-year period in which Zimbabwe had the lowest tariff in the
world had done a lot of damage on telecoms infrastructure.
The Econet CEO said that his company had now embarked on a major
programme to repair and replace obsolete equipment. The company has ordered
new equipment to expand capacity. Providing more services entailed more than
just releasing new lines, he cautioned.
"That SIM card only works because we have spent millions in US dollars
building supporting infrastructure. A single base station costs us more than
$250 000, and we currently have more than 500. That gives you an idea of how
much we have invested so far," he said.
Econet has secured funding and equipment to increase the subscriber
base to 2.3 million by year-end. This means more than one million new lines
would be released during this year.
THE Institute of Directors Zimbabwe said its Theme for this 2008
programme is "Striking the Balance".
The theme was taken from the image of balancing rocks, which are seen
to represent solidity, stability, reliability and beauty.
This year, in line with its emphasis on corporate governance, the IODZ
will also once again place special emphasis on the contribution of nominees
towards sound corporate governance in their respective organisations as part
of the criteria for the award.
The overall winner of the Director of the Year Award will receive
fully paid attendance at the Annual Convention of the Institute of Directors
in London in April 2009.
IODZ spokesman, Mark Oxley said the metaphor was the balancing act in
African business against a background of endless challenges.
" It also symbolises the need for an outstanding director to be able
to strike a balance between a variety of skills and characteristics.
There are also financial objectives for this programme.
In addition to being the major activity of the year for the IODZ in
the field of corporate governance, the award programme is also a significant
source of income for the IODZ.
Any financial surplus made by the programme is used to support the
administration of the Institute.
"This year there is a major need to rebuild the secretarial and
administrative services of the IODZ, in order to provide improved services
to members of the Institute.
To this end it is intended that DOYA 2008 will generate funds for this
purpose as well as recognise Zimbabwe's outstanding directors," Oxley said.
A selection panel comprising senior directors and former winners of
the award is being established to review all nominations, to select the
winners in the various categories and to select the overall winner.
Candidates will be required to set out their personal vision for
Zimbabwe, individual contribution to the crafting and achievement of the
vision of their company and organisation.
SUGAR producer Triangle Limited reportedly needs a minimum investment
of R70 million to achieve an annual production of 600 000 tonnes in the next
two years.
At its peak, the Triangle Estate achieved an output of 580 000 tonnes
of sugar in 2002. But production fell to 298 000 tonnes last year, which was
"an absolute nightmare", its major shareholder Tongaat Hulett said last
week.
It was difficult for the company to get raw materials for cane growing
and factory consumables.
Tongaat Hulett, a South African sugar giant owns 100 percent of the 30
000ha Triangle Estate and 51 percent of the adjacent Hippo Valley Estate.
Tongaat Hulett chief executive Peter Staude expressed optimism that
Zimbabwe's economy was now on the recovery track while noting efforts were
need- ed to ensure macroeconomic stability.
"The economy is changing rapidly and a lot of serious people are
trying to put it back on track," said Staude.
Most businesses in Zimbabwe and foreign investors are riding on
positive political developments in the country that saw the main political
parties forming an inclusive Government last month.
Triangle had stopped selling sugar in January but has since resumed
after Government legalised the use of multiple currencies.
"We started realising that the Zimbabwean dollar was disappearing in
December and stopped selling sugar in January, but we have since sold 14 000
tonnes now."
Tongaat Hulett's operations in SA produced 644 000 tonnes of sugar
last year. But Staude noted that under normal conditions, Zimbabwean sugar
operations would have twice the capacity of the expanded Mozambican
operations.
Production at Triangle is expected to rise to 411 000 tonnes of sugar
next year.
THERE has been no hand over take over from Zinwa to the city council
despite the deadline for the proceding which were set for Saturday.
Reports say none of the urban councils managed to reclaim the
management of water and sewer from Zinwa by the Saturday deadline.
Zinwa officials say the delays were caused by a system which requires
an agreement on the status of workers, an inventory of all plant and
equipment among other procedures attendant to the transfer of assets from
one utility to the other.
A senior Zinwa official confirmed that no council had completed all
the formalities with the water body.
Last week, all urban local authorities met the Minister of Local
Government, Urban and Rural Development, Ignatius Chombo, and briefed him on
the poor state of the water and sewer infrastructure in their towns and
cities.
The councils also painted a gloomy picture of the status of water,
citing shortage of money to procure enough water treatment chemicals.
THE Consumer Council of Zimbabwe this week said prices in most shops
trading in foreign currency were high compared to those obtaining in the
region and need to be lowered further.
He said business should know that consumers are not happy to have
products in the shops when prices are not affordable.
CCZ said it was not in the best interest for consumers to cross
borders to buy goods.
"While business leaders are worried about the five percent which
businesses are required to selle to the Reserve Bank, they [businesspeople]
must also consider that the mark-up on their products is too high. In the
end, prices become unaffordable to consumers," said CCZ.
The consumer watch dog said it was imperative for businesses to
establish percentage mark-ups as the country was using multi-currency
system.
"Since trading can be done using stable currencies such as the US
dollar, British pound, and the South African rand, among others, it is
better for businesses to use percentage mark-ups to avoid unnecessary price
distortions," it said.
In the first quarter monetary policy statement, Reserve Bank Governor,
Gideon Gono, said that all licensed traders, save for those explicitly
exempted, would sell five percent of their gross foreign exchange sales to
the central bank at the going market exchange rate.
THE Government must engage the business community when crafting
policies for economic development, businesspeople in Matabeleland have said.
Speaking at a business meeting at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of
Commerce offices in Bulawayo on Monday, ZNCC president Obert Sibanda said
businesspeople in the region expected the new Government to consult
stakeholders when devising policies for economic development.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Professor Welshman Ncube,
Minister of Regional Intergration and International Cooperation, Ms
Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Matabeleland business executives
attended the ZNCC organised meeting.
Addressing the gathering Mr Sibanda said, "As business people in
Matabeleland, we are looking forward to the new Government to have an
inclusiveness that goes beyond politicians. We are appealing to the
Government of National Unity to include other stakeholders in economic
development strategies."
Mr Sibanda said ZNCC had come up with a manifesto, which called for
the initiation of dialogue between the Government and business leaders.
He said the manifesto, among other expectations, focused on policy
framework, country risk, and infrastructure development.
"As businesspeople, we want a situation where we come up with
comprehensive economic policies that the Government implements in turning
around the fortunes of the country," he said.
He said, for example, as a business community, we are advocating the
rationalization of tariffs for public utilities like the Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority and TelOne.
"For now the tariffs that most parastals are charging for their
services are too high and this results in enterprises incurring high
production costs, which in turn can cripple efforts to resuscitate key
sectors of the economy," he added.
Over the years, he said, there was loss of investor confidence in the
country.
"So far, there is a general loss of investor confidence in the
country. This was worsened by negative publicity in the country's tourism
sector," he said.
THE International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique
Strauss-Kahn spoke by telephone with South African Finance Minister Trevor
Manuel yesterday to discuss "how to resume relations" with Zimbabwe and help
revive the economy after a decade of recession.
The IMF will continue talks with Manuel next week at an IMF conference
in Tanzania,  Strauss-Kahn told reporters in Johannesburg via a video link
from Washington.
The fund is also preparing to send a team to Zimbabwe, Ms Antoinette
Sayeh, head of the lender's Africa department, said at the press conference.
Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti met with his regional
counterparts in Cape Town last month, where he requested US$2 billion in aid
over the next 10 months to address a humanitarian crisis and revive the
economy.
Zimbabwe still has an outstanding debt to some donor countries and
financial institutions that will have to be repaid before new aid can be
released, Ms Sayeh said.
"We have a mission going out to Zimbabwe to take stock of the
situation, to discuss with the new authorities their policy ambitions and
reform agenda, to be able to assess whether the international community can
then come in and support," she said.
The African Development Bank has said that Zimbabwe owes it US$460
million, which must be repaid before it can resume lending.
The IMF estimates Zimbabwe's arrears to the fund are US$130 million.
Speaking earlier South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
said Sadc wanted to help Zimbabwe by normalising its relations with global
lenders like the International Monetary Fund, which suspended dealings with
Harare three years ago.
Dlamini-Zuma was speaking after Sadc finance ministers held a meeting
in South Africa said there was need for the regional bloc to invest US$2
billion in Zimbabwe.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe
Mumbengegwi and Biti had earlier on attended meetings in South Africa to
discuss the economic rescue package for Zimbabwe.
South African President Kgalema Motlanthe convened the ministers'
meeting and Minister Biti led a delegation to the meeting where he presented
proposals on Zimbabwe's recovery strategies.
Although Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe needed US$5 billion for its recovery
programmes, SA Finance Minister Manuel said it was just a number and "there
was a document which split the immediate costs over the next 10 months into
two amounts of about US$1 billion each".
He said there was need for a US$1 billion loan to stimulate retail and
related industries, which the ministers were looking at immediately
mobilising, and another US$1 billion for emergencies such as education,
health, municipal services and infrastructure.
The African Development Bank hailed Sadc's move and urged the
international community to support Zimbabwe's recovery plan.
AfDB president Donald Kaberuka said the new Government had made an
impressive start with its economic recovery plan, which, he said, needed
warranted support.
He said the African Development Bank was looking at setting up its own
donor conference to source funds for Zimbabwe.
Bloomberg.

Comment from a correspondent

The recent accident  which left our Prime Minster’s wife dead and he himself
injured got me into thinking what is wrong with our Zanu PF Leaders . I do
not want to foregone any conclusion before a proper independent
investigation is carried out. But what strike me is an unusually trend of a
number of government officials who were killed through these accidents in
the past. Any right minded thinking person who can add two and two is bound
to think these accidents are stage managed and the recent one was an attempt
on PM Tsvangirai’s life.
This idea is so aggravated by our generals who have openly said they don’t
respect the people’s Prime minister, the one chosen by the people.
 These generals are such foolish to think that they can hammer us into their
selfish beliefs which are meant to protect their wealth at the expense of
the well being of the majority citizens.

They treat us like second class citizens in our own country. They are a
batch of idiots who fool themselves that the rest of the Zimbabwean people
are stupid enough not to distinguish between right and wrong.
How easily they  forget  that Mugabe himself was put into power by people’s
vote with a majority  in April 1980.I remember the strong slogan of the time
‘ONE MAN ONE VOTE’ This was probably the only free election the country has
witnessed ever since then. All the elections that followed were
characterized by rigging at its best. Little did we know that by giving
power to one of our own skin color , we were in fact giving him a licence to
oppress us ,maim us, torture us and murder us.

This got me into thinking again, Was the liberation war purely worn on the
war front? WAS’T it an arranged agreement at the Lancaster house conference
that called for a ceasefire? It was then decided by a ballot box that
followed. We never wanted to question this or think of it in this way at all
for it will be construed to as a lack of appreciation and respect for those
who died in the fight to liberate us.
 The time IS RIPE  to tell THE Zanu PF Government largely comprised of  war
vets that you don’t owe this country to yourselves because you were not the
only victors in that liberation war. This failure to give all involved a
credit for their contribution has landed us into the mess we find ourselves
in at the hands of these self ‘ proclaimed’ war heros. If I was old enough
that time probably that was the only route I could have followed for I would
have felt much protected with a gun than without one.   I believe too much
credit was given to the guerrillas that were on the forefront in the
battlefield which should not have been the case.
The good think is, genuine war veterans who went to war out of the desire to
free all Zimbabweans have long disassociated themselves with Zanu PF instead
they felt their decision to go to war are now fully embraced in the main
opposition parties, MDC.
 I vividly remembers when I was a kid when we ran battles with our mothers,
fathers, brothers and sisters, some of them carrying babies or pregnant. For
me, us the ordinary povo endured the wrath of the liberation struggle being
unarmed to protect themselves. We were so vulnerable not to mention our
sisters who were raped  and gave birth to babies to the unknown fathers in
the name of liberation war heros.

A concerned Zimbabwean living in uk

CM
 

Mugabe's culpability

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The death of Susan Tsvangirai is another step in Zimbabwe's unnecessary
decline.

Telegraph View
Last Updated: 6:32PM GMT 08 Mar 2009

The death of Susan Tsvangirai and the close escape of her husband, the
Zimbabwean prime minister, has raised questions about how long Zimbabwe's
power-sharing agreement can continue. Robert Mugabe entered that agreement
in bad faith, arresting the treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change
on the very day the new government was formed. His continued assault on
white farmers shows that nothing has changed in Mr Mugabe's mind - his
racist and megalomaniacal agenda continues unabated.

It is hardly a surprise that many wonder what Mr Mugabe's involvement in Mrs
Tsvangirai's death might have been, even though the Foreign Office claims to
believe it was an accident. After all, Mr Mugabe has a record of killing
opponents, and the fake car crash is a tactic he has used in the past.
Whether or not it was a failed attempt to eliminate his new prime minister,
Mr Mugabe deserves blame. His insistence that he, not the prime minister,
should control the police meant that a country's head of government drove
without a police escort. In most countries, that would have been
inconceivable, but in Zimbabwe the prime minister is evidently expendable.

And so Zimbabwe's terrible decline continues. This is unnecessary: South
Africa, the regional power, could impose considerable influence on
Zimbabwe's politics. It provides economic life support to its neighbour,
which now wants a $1 billion loan to rebuild farms, hospitals and schools.
Yet South Africa has been unwilling to confront Mr Mugabe's assault on
democracy in any meaningful way. This is despite an influx of Zimbabwean
refugees flowing across its border, desperate to escape a cholera outbreak
and a brutal president. Mr Mugabe must go, but until South Africa is willing
to stand up to him, Zimbabwe will continue to be a pariah state.

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