High Court judge grants Mudzingwa bail

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16546

May 13, 2009

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - Gandhi Mudzingwa, former aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai,
and two co-accused persons, were finally granted bail Wednesday after
spending five months in remand prison.

In his ruling, High Court judge November Mtshiya ordered Mudzingwa, MDC
director of security Kisimusi Dhlamini and freelance photo journalist
Shadreck Andrisson Manyere to deposit US$1000 each with the Clerk of Court
at Harare magistrate's court.

The three were also ordered to report once every Friday at Mabelreign police
station and to continue residing at their last given addresses.

They were further ordered not to interfere with the investigations and state
witnesses.

Although this was a completely different bail ruling, Justice Mtshiya said
the US$1000 bail which had been deposited by the accused persons when they
were initially admitted to bail on April 9 would suffice for purposes of his
fresh order.

Together with four other accused persons who were in March this year granted
bail, they are being accused of bombing two Harare police stations, a
railway line and a bridge in Norton between August and November last year.

They deny the charges.

The three were denied bail for allegedly having been found with some
explosives linking them to their offence.

Justice Mtshiya said he found no reason to discriminate the three accused
persons from their co-accused.

"The distinction would have made sense if the respondents (state) had
through evidence, shown the individual roles played by each of the seven
co-accused in the execution of the common purpose which resulted in the
commission of the offences they face," he said.

Justice Mtshiya said he agreed with the defence's contention that the
accused persons did not find cause to escape when they were on April 17
released from custody after the state had failed to file its appeal against
the April 9 High Court order granting them bail.

When the order was given, the state had invoked Section 121 of the Criminal
Procedure and Evidence Act which allows it to suspend the effect of any High
Court ruling pending an appeal at the Supreme Court.

However, the validity of the state's appeal to the Supreme Court was revoked
by last week's decision by the Attorney General to indict the accused
persons for trial at the High Court, something that prompted their fresh
bail application.

Justice Mtshiya said he was convinced the accused persons were proper
candidates for bail after they failed to escape when they had been released
on April 17.

"They had ample time to escape," said Justice Mtshiya.

"If, as alleged, this was a politically motivated crime, there is great
possibility that their political sympathisers would have willingly assisted
them to escape. They did not escape.

"To me, that is a clear demonstration that the applicants are good
candidates for bail."

Justice Mtshiya further dismissed the state's contention that the accused
could not be granted bail because of the seriousness of their crime.

He agreed with the defence's submission the state's case was weak and merely
anchored on evidence which had been extracted from the accused persons when
they were in their secret detention.

Chris Mutangadura, representing the state, said he was satisfied with the
court's ruling.

Human rights lawyer, Charles Kwaramba said although he welcomed the High
Court decision, he was not happy with that it was passed after the accused
persons had spent months in custody.

"We are very sad that justice has been delayed," he said, "We had people
spending six months on pre-trial incarceration. There is nothing that can
justify that in a democratic society. The fact that they are now out is,
however, a positive development.

Tsvangirai launches government's new 100 day plan

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
13 May 2009

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday launched the government's new
100 day plan at the Rainbow Towers hotel in Harare. Tsvangirai said unless
all parties to the coalition government were fully committed to implementing
the power sharing agreement then the planned recovery programme would
falter. Of concern to the Prime Minister is that continued violations of the
unity deal are putting off international donors and blocking the flow of
development aid.

This week marked the completion of the first 100 days of the coalition
government which have been dominated by violations to the agreement by
Mugabe. Tsvangirai insists this first phase was mainly focused on
'formulation and consolidation'. The second phase launched Wednesday would
be about 'implementation' he said. He also announced the setting up of
several sub committees, led by different ministers, dealing with security,
rights, infrastructure and social and economic issues. The office of the
Prime Minister would hold provincial launches of the 100 day plan in the
next two weeks, to reach out to members of the public.

For all the ambitions laid out by the Prime Minister, donor support remains
the crucial ingredient for now. Finance Minister Tendai Biti this week
admitted government revenue was US$20 million a month when total government
services required up to US$100 million a month. Salaries for civil servants
alone amount to US$30 million per month. 'Without this budgetary support the
situation is very fragile,' Biti said. But those with the money to help
insist more comprehensive reforms are needed, including a return to the rule
of law. This means a stop to the ongoing farm disruptions and the harassment
of all perceived ZANU PF opponents.

Weak rule of law means closed wallets - PM

http://www.iol.co.za

    May 13 2009 at 05:12PM

Harare - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday blamed ongoing
violations of Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal for stalling efforts to win
desperately needed foreign aid for the three-month-old unity government.

Despite the signing of the Global Political Agreement that created the
unity government, the nation's laws were not enforced uniformly, making
foreign donors reluctant to open their wallets, Tsvangirai said.

"The continued violations of the rule of law and the GPA prevent the
inflows of development aid, obstructing the legislative agenda and risk
keeping Zimbabwe mired in poverty and the fear of persecution," Tsvangirai
said.

"What continues to plague Zimbabwe can be best described as reluctance
to accept the reality of the changes taking place within the country," he
told reporters.

"This residual resistance represents an unwillingness to accept the
fact that the new political dispensation is not only irreversible, but also
offers the country the only viable way forward."

Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe's long-time President Robert Mugabe formed a
unity government in February aimed at ending nearly a year of political
unrest sparked by inconclusive elections last year.

However, Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is
disputing Mugabe's unilateral appointment of the central bank governor, the
attorney general and provincial governors.

Guarantees of political and media freedoms have also been ignored,
with two leading journalists arrested this week for reporting on public
court documents that named security officials involved in the abductions of
rights activists.

Tsvangirai warned that Zimbabwe will not move forward if the unity
deal is "not fully implemented while the rule of law continues to be
violated".

He again insisted he would not pull out of the unity government,
calling it "the only viable way forward for this country".

Although Zimbabwe has won one billion dollars in credit lines from
across Africa, the government is still struggling to win direct financial
support.

Many Western nations say they want to see more concrete signs of
reform before giving financial aid directly to the government. - AFP

Conviction of MDC Legislators Threatens Party's Parliament Majority

http://www.voanews.com


By Peta Thornycroft
Harare
13 May 2009

Two legislators from the Movement for Democratic Change have been convicted
in eastern Zimbabwe, and another is on trial for charges defense lawyers say
are trumped up and designed to deprive their clients of their parliament
seats. Any Zimbabwe legislator convicted of more than six months in prison
automatically loses his seat in the legislature.

Mathias Mlambo was arrested last month for allegedly obstructing a policeman
at the funeral of an MDC supporter. Police say they were at the funeral
looking for a suspect, whom so far, has not been named.

With what lawyers and observers have called unusual speed, Mlambo was
brought to trial, convicted and sentenced to 10 months in prison by
magistrate Samuel Zuze at a lower regional court in Chipinge, near the
Mozambique border.

One of Mlambo's defense witnesses was the local priest who presided over the
funeral and a mourner. The state's witnesses were two policemen.

Zuze is the same official hearing a case in which MDC parliament member Meki
Makuyiana is accused of kidnapping two people last December. Seven members
of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF Party gave evidence against him Tuesday
when the state closed its case.

The third MDC parliament member prosecuted in the same district, Lynette
Karenyi, has appealed to the High Court after being convicted of fraudulent
nomination papers for last year's parliamentary election. She was charged
eight months after the poll and found guilty.

Zimbabwe's parliamentary rules say no legislator can remain in parliament if
convicted of crimes and sentenced to six months or more in jail.

The Movement for Democratic Change, which is loyal to Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, has a one-seat parliament majority.

Magistrate Zuze has also been busy in the Chipinge court in the state's
fast-track prosecution of white farmers, which accelerated after a
government of national unity in February was sworn in.

Commercial Farmers Union President Trevor Gifford was found guilty by Zuze
of blocking Zanu-PF members from hacking down his tree plantation. Gifford
says he has tried, without success, to obtain a copy of the judgment against
him.

He says he cannot return to his home in eastern Zimbabwe where he is accused
of trespassing on his coffee, fruit and nut-tree farm. Two thirds of the
trees have been chopped out.

Tuesday, Ray West, who is in his mid 80's, was on trial in Chipinge for
living on his son's farm. He has already been forced to leave his home in
the same district.

More than a third of Zimbabwe's remaining white farmers have been placed
under court prosecution since the inclusive government was formed in
February.  Zuze, other magistrates, and officials in the Mugabe government
have been repeatedly accused of not following the rule of Zimbabwe law in
the land seizures and the prosecutions.

Since President Mugabe started his compulsory land-reform program to
redistribute white-owned farms in 2000, the country's economy has collapsed
and Zimbabwe has gone from net food exporter to needing international food
aid.

Schools close as cholera kills 10

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16526

May 13, 2009

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO - At least 10 people have died and 50 others hospitalised during
the past five days following a fresh outbreak of cholera in rural parts of
Masvingo, due to shortage clean drinking water.

Health officials here said some schools had been temporarily closed
following the outbreak of the disease which has claimed over 3 000 lives
countrywide since the beginning of August last year.

According to health officials, the disease has claimed about five lives in
Masvingo Central constituency near Ngomahuru Psychiatric Centre, while five
others died on admission at Chikombedzi rural service centre in Chiredzi.

Following the outbreak of the disease, Ngomahuru Psychiatric Centre has also
been affected and has shut its doors to the public with no new patients
being admitted.

"We have new cases of cholera in Masvingo Central and Chiredzi district,"
Robert Mudyirandima, the Masvingo provincial medical director said.

"Ten people have died and 50 hospitalised since Friday last week but we are
working flat out to control the situation".

Sources within the Ministry of Health said some schools in the affected
areas had been ordered to close as the situation was being monitored.

"We have advised the Ministry of Education to temporarily close schools in
the affected areas so that the epidemic does not affect pupils," said a
source.

"Health personnel are also reluctant to go to the affected areas due to poor
remunerations and incentives."

The disease outbreak has been caused mainly by shortage of clean drinking
water in rural areas where some people are relying on rivers or streams for
their drinking water.

The Ministry of Education and health officials here are appealing to
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to rehabilitate boreholes in the
province especially those serving schools and rural service centres in order
to contain the disease.

"We are appealing to NGOs and the private sector to come forward and
rehabilitate our sources of water in rural areas so that the cholera
epidemic can be controlled," a health official said.

Zimbabwe has been battling with the cholera epidemic since August last year.
The World Health Organisation estimates that over 3000 people have died
while more than 80 000 have been affected.

Chaos at Kadoma and Mpilo Hospitals

http://www.radiovop.com

Kadoma- May 13, 2009, Kadoma Hospital in Mashonaland West province has
been hit by a shortage of tuberculosis drugs while mayhem at Mpilo Hospital
in the country's second largest city of Bulawayo over salaries has affected
operations.

For two weeks now, Kadoma patients have been unable to access TB drugs
while the mayhem at Mpilo was caused by reports that donors would assist
with salaries for doctors and nurses only and not other staff members.
"I went to the hospital (Kadoma) last week to collect my medication
but I was given an incomplete prescription. I was referred to Kwekwe general
hospital to look for the remainder of the drugs. I am afraid my condition
might deteriorate because I skipped medication last week,' said Gladys
Mlalazi who was diagnosed with TB in January this year.
Another TB patient Samuel Chikoto of Chakari mine said he cut short
his course owing to the prevailing drug shortage at the hospital.
"I was about to finish my ...course at the end of June but I cannot
access the drugs. I cannot afford to travel to Kwekwe because I do not have
money for the bus fare" he said.  Tuberculosis is one of the leading killer
diseases in Zimbabwe. Residents are now living in fear of contracting TB as
it is imperative that patients take a full course of TB drugs if they are
going to be completely cured of the disease.
Reports from Mpilo said there was chaos on Wednesday when news
filtered in that donors will stop paying non medical staff at all the
country's hospitals and clinics.
The announcement, contained in a circular sent to all hospitals in the
country, meant that only nurses and doctors will now be paid allowances from
donor funds. The likes of chief executives, clerks and other support staff
will no longer be catered for, something that infuriated workers into
staging a demonstration at Mpilo.
"We have been told that we are no longer being catered for by donors.
This means that we are back to square zero because the government and the
hospital do not have money to pay us. We believe this is really unfair and
we have also not received the promised allowances in the last two months,"
said a clerk at Mpilo.
The Chief executive at Mpilo, Dr Lindiwe Mlilo, refused to comment on
the matter, but some senior officials confirmed that a circular had been
sent to the hospital indicating that non medical staff will no longer be
catered for by donors in terms of allowances.

Neglected health crisis on farms

Photo: IRIN

Living standards on resettled farms have plummeted

BINDURA, 13 May 2009 (PlusNews) - It is harvest time in Zimbabwe's northern Mashonaland Central Province, but the only thing growing on most of the farms around Bindura, the provincial capital, is tall grass.

"This area used to be the breadbasket of the region," said Zivei Kabungaidze, provincial coordinator of the Farm Orphan Support Trust (FOST), a local NGO that assists orphans and vulnerable children in farming communities. "Only about five out of 100 farms are still growing commercially."

A small percentage of farm workers received plots and most lost their jobs when formerly white-owned commercial farms were redistributed during President Robert Mugabe's fast-track land reform programme that began in 2000.

Those who have remained on the farms mainly survive by piece-work and gold panning, but living standards have plummeted and basic social services like farm schools and clinics no longer exist. "Life is very difficult in farm communities," said Kabungaidze, and HIV/AIDS is making the lives of the children FOST supports even harder.

At Umzi Farm outside Bindura, a few small plots of maize and vegetables grown by former farm workers and their families compete with the grass, but Maria Macuculi's* plot is completely overgrown.

Like many former farm workers allotted land, she cannot afford seed and fertiliser to cultivate it. These days, she also lacks the strength to carry water from the river about a kilometre away. 

Macuculi, who like many former farm workers is originally from Mozambique, learned she was HIV positive after losing her husband to tuberculosis (TB) four years ago. She has been getting free antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) at a clinic in nearby Glendale for the past three years, but she often struggles to find food to take with them. "At times I go to bed without having any food, and then I don't take my ARVs."

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) helps local NGOs like FOST to support vulnerable farm children with school and medical fees, home visits by trained community members, and skills training for older children, but political violence in recent years has made NGOs and donors reluctant to venture onto resettled farms with much needed food aid.

At times I go to bed without having any food, and then I don't take my ARVs

"We've not been able to raise funding to provide food to our home-based care patients, and it is a problem for many of them to take medication when they don't have a balanced diet," said Godfrey Magaramombe, director of Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe, another NGO funded by UNICEF.

Mercy Dimbi* has lived on Umzi farm since she was a girl, when her father started working there. She and her daughter, Esther*, 9, have been on ARVs since 2002, but Esther still has continuous headaches and bouts of flu, and Dimbi looks weak and undernourished.

She has attended some of the FOST training on livelihood development but does not have the strength to work the land, so she knits jerseys for her neighbours in exchange for maize and sends her daughter, 14, to look for firewood to sell. None of her three children and one grandchild is in school.

A national farm health programme run by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare used to train community members to provide basic health services, but it stopped when the land reform programme began and most farm clinics closed. "Many people don't have money for public transport to travel to hospitals," said Magaramombe, whose organisation is among several NGOs trying to fill the gap by training their own community health workers.

Esther, also a resident of Umzi Farm, is the second wife of former farm worker Antonio Fanuel, who has TB. He says he was tested for HIV but never learned the result because he could not afford to return to the hospital. Esther is underweight and suffers from chest pains, while her 18-month-old child has diarrhoea, but she has no money to go to the hospital for TB or HIV tests.

"The Farm Health Programme is one of those services that must come back to life, especially with everything that happened during the land reform programme," said Dr Henry Madzorera, a member of the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change and health minister in Zimbabwe's new unity government.

In the short term, the ministry plans to use mobile clinics and village health workers to provide farm communities with basic health services and health education but, eventually, said Madzorera, "We must have a clinic within a five kilometre radius of every settlement."

*Not their real names

Electricity Bills - Govt Sets Ceiling

http://www.herald.co.zw/

13 May 2009

Harare - DOMESTIC power consumers should disregard bills they have received
from Zesa and pay US$30 and US$40 per month depending on where they live
starting February this year until the power utility regularises its billing
system, a Cabinet minister has said.

Addressing a Press conference yesterday, Energy and Power Development
Minister Elias Mudzuri said Government had made the decision following an
outcry from consumers who have received exorbitant bills from Zesa.

"Further to my directive on February 25, instructing Zesa not to disconnect
consumers until such a time when the issue of tariffs would have been
rationalised, I am further directing that all consumers in the high-density
and low-density areas should pay a minimum of US$30 per month and US$40 per
month of their bills respectively," he said.

The Government directive means consumers in high-density areas would have to
pay US$90 and those in low-density areas US$120 for the three months from
February.

Minister Mudzuri also urged consumers to take their meter readings to Zesa
as the power utility was currently issuing estimated bills.

Customers should also disregard January bills charged in US dollars as
Government only issued a directive to pay in foreign currency starting in
February this year, he said.

"On March 15, I announced that consumers should pay at least US7c per
kilowatt/hour after Zesa indicated that domestic consumers have an average
consumption of 420 kilowatts per month, so the US$30 and US$40 should ensue
and customers should disregard the exorbitant tariffs they are being asked
to pay," Minister Mudzuri said.

He also ordered Zesa to withdraw bills that had been backdated to January.

"Zesa should charge customers from the month of February 2009 and no bills
will be charged for the month of January this year," he said.

Minister Mudzuri said Zesa cashiers should also abide by the directive.

"I have met with the Zesa chief executive and he is aware of the directive,
so we expect employees to abide by the directive," he said.

His instruction follows reports in February of Zesa tellers at banking halls
turning away customers intending to pay a standard amount of US$10 on the
grounds that they had not received communication to that effect from their
bosses.

Minister Mudzuri urged consumers to pay the amounts announced.

"The payments will at least ensure that Zesa raises foreign currency towards
the importation of power and maintenance of the power infrastructure. It
will also ensure that the company continues to operate on a sustainable
basis," he said.

The power utility, Minister Mudzuri said, also needed the money to pay for
electricity imports currently at 400 to 500 megawatts per month and coal
supplies from Hwange Colliery.

He also called on residents to use electricity sparingly as the country as
well as the region are facing a generation deficit.

Minister Mudzuri said residents should assist Zesa curb vandalism of
electricity infrastructure.

He also gave an assurance that his ministry would try to do all within its
means to ensure provision of adequate, reliable and affordable electricity
supplies to the nation.

DPRK delegation not welcome

 

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

Zim.most feared 5th Brigade Army The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) is utterly disgusted by the presence of  Mr Kim Vong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in this country. We wish to castigate and condemn all those who embraced and gave this despot a warm reception. We throw our support to all the progressive Zimbabweans who are calling for his immediate departure from Zimbabwe. The government even hosted a five star reception for the dictator atstate house yesterday at the expense of the hungry and suffering peopleof Zimbabwe, who are yet to see the deliverables from the newgovernment. Lest people forget that, Mr Nam's country was the place where thenotorious five brigade troops who massacred close to 20 000 innocentcivilians received their training. North Korea is on top on the list ofworst human rights violations, restrictive media laws etc. His presence in Zimbabwe is a direct insult to the people ofMatabeleland and the people of Zimbabwe in general. We demand anapology from Mr Nam on behalf of his government for the role hiscountry played in assisting and funding the notorious and heartlessFifth Brigade during the Gukurahundi. It surely came as a shock to us when some of our colleagues who are nowin government, joined their ZANU PF counterparts to welcome thedictator at the airport on Monday.We appreciate that   our country is in dire need of funds and resources but this  should not be an excuse to accommodate, wineand dine with well known dictators, human rights violators, andvampires who thrive on human blood  simply because we need aid fromforeign countries. We are also disappointed that another exiled Ethiopian dictator HaileMengistu is still residing in this country under the benevolence ofMugabe when he is a man who is wanted to answer to crimes againsthumanity in his country. In February this year the MDC-T said that theissue of Mengistu would be high on the agenda of the inclusivegovernment. Just to remind the nation of what  the MDC spokesperson MrNelson Chamisa said of Mengistu,'' Zimbabwe should not be a safe haven or resting place for serial humanrights violators like Mr Mengistu, We can't shelter purveyors ofinjustice," he said. We demand that the issue of Mengistu should  bedealt with once and for all by the three principals. We wish to  categorically state that dictators like Nam,Mengistu andMugabe should be treated as pariahs because of their appalling recordof human rights abuses. ZINASU Media Release

Uranium behind N. Korean president's visit?

http://en.afrik.com/article15680.html

MDC official asks Kim Yong Nam to leave

Robert Mugabe has met with the rogue president of the Democratic People's
Republic of North Korea (DPRK), Kim Yong Nam, his military Generals and
Intelligence chief in Harare.

Wednesday 13 May 2009, by Alice Chimora

The rogue DPRK leader was accompanied by his army Generals, Intelligence
Chief and other military operatives.

Job Sikhala, the leader of the anti-Mugabe camp in the MDC has issued a
48-hour ultimatum to the DPRK President of the Presidium of Supreme People's
Assembly of the Democratic Republic of North Korea Mr Kim Vong Nam to leave.

Political commentators on Tuesday said the meeting raised eyebrows
considering that North Korea was in the middle of a nuclear dispute with
Western nations.

North Korea is well known in Zimbabwe for the training of 5 Brigade army
regiment which killed so many people in the Matebeleland province in the
80s.

"Kim Yong Nam arrived in Harare today and went to the state house to meet
with President Mugabe," a top official said.

Zimbabwe has had cordial relations with the DPRK since the country's
liberation struggle.

Former ZANU-PF secretary general, Edgar Tekere was once dispatched during
the liberation struggle to seek arms but the weapons were not delivered
although the DPRK had undertaken to provide them.

The visit to Zimbabwe by the top North Korean official has raised questions
in the diplomatic circles. Zimbabwe is believed to have uranium deposits in
the north of the country around the Zambezi escarpment.

It was not immediately clear whether Yong Nam will meet Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai and other senior government officials.

Zimbabwe government in the past years embarked in the Look East policy after
falling out with western governments over the country's human rights records
and holding fraudulent elections.

Embarking in the Look East policy government is yet to receive any notable
financial assistance from the East.

Since the formation of the unity government Zimbabwe has been requesting the
West to help provide funds to mend the infl ation ravaged economy.

Burn the red carpet

Mohadi's secret visit to N. Korea worrying

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16549

May 13, 2009

IT was with trepidation that I read on the Korean Central News Agency
website that a Zimbabwean delegation led by Kembo Mohadi is currently in
North Korea.

According to the news the report, Mohadi and his delegation met with the
North Korean Minister of the Interior in which they discussed, among other
things, boosting exchange and co-operation between security organs between
the two countries.

Coincidently, a North Korea delegation led by Kim Vong Nam is in Harare,
ostensibly to look for investment opportunities.

This is worrying because the notorious Fifht Brigade which was accused of
committing crimes against humanity in Matabeleland and parts of Midlands was
trained by the North Koreans. It is also curious to note that the visit by
Mohadi and his delegation seems to be shrouded in secrecy as there are no
reports in the state media. Most significantly, Giles Mutsekwa, who is a
co-minister of home affairs, is not part of the delegation. This raises
serious questions as to the motive of the visit.

Of course for budgetary considerations it may be justifiable to have a
single minister going for the trip but again the sensitivity of the matter
should have justified both ministers going especially in light of the
macabre role the North Koreans played in the Matabeleland massacres.

What is even more curious is the subject matter of the discussions. Zimbabwe
is a dysfunctional state. As a country, the greatest challenge is to
resuscitate the moribund economy rather than security co-operation with
North Korea. It could be anybody's guess as to the reason for Mohadi's
surreptitious visit to North Korea but given the current situation in the
country, there is reason to suspect that Mugabe's Zanu-PF might be up to
some mischief.

Only time will tell.

Tobby Tizo

Masvingo MDC demands to choose governor

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16542

May 13, 2009

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO- The MDC provincial executive in Masvingo has approached Morgan
Tsvangirai over the anticipated appointment of a provincial governor from
the party amid suggestions the MDC leader has made a choice for the post.

The Zimbabwe Times understands that the MDC Masvingo provincial executive
has its own choice for governor for the province while Tsvangirai, who is
now Prime Minister, is reported to have his own candidate.

The reported canvassing and haggling over the post comes before Zanu-PF and
the MDC have concluded talks on the equitable allocation of governors, one
of the sticking issues between the partners in the coalition government.

Highly-placed sources within the MDC said a delegation from Masvingo
province, led by provincial chairman Wilstaff Stemele, recently met
Tsvangirai in Harare to protest against the proposed appointment of Ms Lucia
Matibenga as governor of Masvingo.

Matibenga's name is being touted within the party circles as Tsvangirai's
choice for the Masvingo governorship post while the provincial executive
feels the former leader of the MDC women's league does not have roots in
Masvingo.

Matibenga was in 2007 toppled as chairperson of the women's wing in
controversial circumstances and replaced by Theresa Makone, a family friend
of Tsvangirai and now Minister of Public Works.

Matibenga's appointment would be seen as an attempt to appease the popular
former labour movement activist after her dismissal caused ructions within
the party.

According to sources, the Masvingo provincial executive prefers either
Tongai Matutu, the MDC's Masvingo urban legislator or former Masvingo
executive mayor, engineer Alois Chaimiti.

A source within the Masvingo provincial executive, who was part of the
delegation which met Tsvangirai over the matter, said "We made it clear to
the president that we need someone who is known in Masvingo and whose
political base has been Masvingo.

"Importing a person from outside the province will mean that the prime
minister is just dictating things to us. We have the likes of MP Tongai
Matutu and Engineer Chaimiti who can take up such a post".

However, it is reliably understood that Tsvangirai dismissed the "rumours,"
and told the delegation he had not yet made an appointment as it was
premature to do so.

Although no official comment could be obtained from the Prime Minister's
office Wednesday, a source within his office confirmed that the Masvingo
provincial executive had met Tsvangirai over the proposed appointment of the
resident minister.

"It is a fact that the Masvingo provincial executive met the prime minister
sometime over the appointment of the province's governor but we are not
aware of the outcome of the meeting", said the source.

Matutu, who is also the provincial spokesman, said that while negotiations
to resolve outstanding issues were in progress, the MDC would almost
certainly have governors in Masvingo, Manicaland, Matebeleland North, Harare
and Bulawayo.

Outstanding issues between Zanu-PF and the MDC include the appointment of
provincial governors, ambassadors, and permanent secretaries.

According to the government, an announcement on the outcome of negotiations
to resolve the outstanding issues will be made on Friday.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office, Gorden Moyo, said:
"The principals are working flat out to resolve the outstanding issues and
an announcement would be made by Friday."

President Robert Mugabe appointed governors before the conclusion of
negotiations between Zanu-PF and the MDC, sparking protests from the latter.

Of the 10 provincial governors' posts, the MDC led by Tsvangirai had
demanded five of the posts while the smaller MDC led by Arthur Mutambara
would have one, and Zanu-PF four.

Zimbabwe urged to sell shares in some state firms

http://af.reuters.com/

Wed May 13, 2009 3:56pm GMT

*Minister calls for restructuring of state firms

*State companies operating at 8-20 percent

*Will present proposals to cabinet

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE, May 13 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's state enterprises minister on
Wednesday called for quickly finding investment partners for some state
companies to help stem decades of losses and rebuild the shattered economy.

The southern African country is trying to recover from a devastating
economic crisis that was marked by the world's highest inflation rate,
shortages of foreign currency and the closure of companies, which pushed
unemployment past 90 percent.

State enterprises have been key in the provision of affordable services such
as water, transport and electricity, but low tariffs have seen the companies
recording losses and racking up huge debts of more than $2 billion.

Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals Gabuza Joel Gabbuza said most
of the companies, like electricity utility ZESA Holdings, transport entity
National Railways of Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe and state broadcaster Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Holdings were operating at between 8-20 percent capacity.

The government wholly owns and has substantial shares in 64 entities,
Gabbuza said.

"One thing that we have said is needed is the need to immediately
restructure (and) very soon we will be presenting (proposals) to cabinet on
what needs to be done for about 10 of them," Gabbuza told Reuters in an
interview.

"The restructuring will be in the form of identifying partners, bringing in
partners who will bring in capital investment. There will be no more
government money so for some parastatals we have to re-organise their tariff
structures."

SELL OFF

Economic Planning Minister Elton Mangoma had earlier said despite the
government's urgent need to raise funds, there would be no sell-off of
underperforming state enterprises because a global economic downturn meant
assets would be sold cheaply.

But Gabbuza said that would not stop his ministry recommending the sell-off,
arguing that they were a huge burden on the treasury.

In the past five years, the companies have been propped up by the central
bank with Air Zimbabwe gobbling up $2 million every week.

Gabbuza said his ministry was preparing a uniform governance code to be used
by all parastatals, which would include performance-based contracts for
senior management.

Critics say most of the parastatals have been run-down through mismanagement
by political appointees while President Robert Mugabe's past governments
have been reluctant to sell-off shareholding in the companies.

Zimbabwe's government in 2006 raised hope it was moving towards privatising
state firms when it clinched a $400 million deal allowing Indian steel
concern Global Steel to manage its giant Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company
(Ziscosteel) only for the deal to collapse within months.

Ziscosteel used to be the largest integrated mining steelworks in the region
and was cornerstone for the survival of the then white Rhodesian government
before independence in 1980.

"The interest for some of these parastatals are very high. Certainly we are
receiving unsolicited bids from in and outside the country now," Gabbuza
said.

"The fact that an investor can now generate forex (foreign exchange) inside
Zimbabwe is one thing that is attracting many people. We are actually moving
very slowly for them."

Zimbabwe has since the start of the year allowed the use of multiple
currencies, effectively replacing its worthless Zimbabwe dollar and
officials say it will only be re-introduced once the country starts
generating enough money to support it.

(macdonald.dzirutwe@reuters.com; +263 4 799 112)

Botswana blasts Zanu PF for sabotaging Unity Government

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Wednesday, 13 May 2009

GABORONE - Botswana has warned that the international community might
withdraw pledges to help the reconstruction of Zimbabwe if President Robert
Mugabe and his Zanu-PF do not stop violating the power sharing agreement.
Through a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Botswana blamed
Zanu-PF for the woes afflicting the power-sharing agreementsigned last
September.
The statement said that the recent failure to release human rights
activists does not augur well for Zimbabwe.
Invasion of farms
Botswana also expressed concern about the delay in making key
appointments in the coalition government.
The statement condemned what Botswana termed illegal invasion of
farms,which are still going on despite the formation of the
coalitiongovernment.
Botswana said the invasions by Zanu-PF loyalists and operatives
undermine the power-sharing agreement.
Botswana has been one of the most vocal critics of President Mugabe
and Zanu-PF in Africa.
Postponed
Meanwhile Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai postponed a speech
toparliament which was to review the work of the new power-sharinggovernment
in its first three months, a spokesman said Tuesday.
"It's now next week," Tsvangirai's spokesman James Maridadi told
AFPwithout saying why the speech had been deferred. "We don't have thedate
yet but it's next week."
Government sources said Robert Mugabe is refusing to meet demands made
by the MDC.
Tsvangirai and long-ruling President Robert Mugabe formed a
unitygovernment in February to ease tensions and tackle an economic
crisiswhich saw inflation at one point peak to a conservatively estimated
231million percent.
Analysts say the unity government has yet to make key
reformsguaranteeing political and media freedoms, highlighted by the
arrestMonday of two newspaper editors.
Three months after the formation of the new government the
politicalparties have yet to resolve outstanding issues including
theappointment of provincial governors.
Violence on white-owned farms continues, while activists
fromTsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change have been detained oncharges
of seeking to topple Mugabe.
The fledgling government has declared itself broke and is unable to
payworkers salaries, only managing a US$100 monthly allowance.
Schools and public hospitals re-opened after nearly year-long
strikesby workers, but hospitals still have few drugs while teachers
haverenewed a threat to strike over their meager wages
Zimbabwe mail

Zimbabwe dispatches: little has changed

http://www.channel4.com/

Updated on 13 May 2009

By Channel 4 News

It has been 100 days since the winners and losers of Zimbabwe's elections
agreed to share power, but most people have not seen any improvements to
their lives in the last three months, writes Helen from Zimbabwe.

Electricity and water remain in short supply or absent altogether. Rent,
transport charges, service costs and food prices remain so high as to leave
people floundering and still entirely dependent on donor food.

Pensioners are in dire condition, receiving between $US25 and $US45 a month,
less than one British pound a day, and surviving almost entirely on charity,
food parcels and the goodwill of strangers.

Aside from the physical daily struggles of life under Zimbabwe's unity
government is the even more worrying question about who is really wielding
the power in the country.

One hundred days in power and people are openly asking why the MDC is not
systematically dismantling the tyranny.

The legislation that terrorised our lives under Zanu PF is still in place
and continues to restrict basic freedoms of speech, movement and
association.

The only television channel, ZBC, and the only daily newspaper, The Herald,
continue to be nothing more than propaganda mouthpieces obviously controlled
by the old order.

On the day when 18 political activists were re-arrested last week and civic
society were calling urgent press conferences to expose the re-detention of
people originally abducted and tortured by the State, ZBC Television did not
even report the matter.

The main evening news bulletin reported on sports tourism associated with
the 2010 football world cup; tourism promotion in Bulawayo; the funeral of a
war veteran and the opening of the school term.

Speaking on a short wave radio station broadcasting from London, a
Zimbabwean lawyer said the re-detention of activists was further proof that
the judiciary in Zimbabwe was far from being independent:

"We now rely on the charity of politicians."

One hundred days into unity governance, law and order remains illusive and
partisan and known criminals continue to walk free on our streets. It is
becoming increasingly common to see crazed, wild men stumbling around
shopping centres and rummaging through piles of litter.

Barefoot, unkempt and wearing filthy, tattered clothes, these are not the
normal beggars or street children and everyone is giving them a wide berth.

These are young men, often in their thirties or less, and people say they
are the perpetrators of the abductions and murders of opposition MDC
supporters during last year's elections.

They have been possessed by Ngozi (angry spirits) and are literally driving
themselves mad as they have not owned up to their crimes, been held to
account or made peace with the families of the people they killed.

More and more stories are being heard of crazed men openly volunteering that
they killed people during the elections, dropped bodies in dams and rivers
and hid human remains in the bush and in anthills.

Outside a big supermarket last week one of these crazed men was asking
passers-by for food.

"Go and beg for food from your political masters," was the response from
some shoppers and one said: "We are busy trying to support the widows and
children of the people you killed."

PEACE WATCH of 13th May 2009 [Bail at Last for Dhlamini, Mudzingwa and Manyere]