The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.

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More teeth for 'already bad press law' - MISA

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

JOHANNESBURG, 10 Nov 2004 (IRIN) - New amendments to Zimbabwe's press laws,
including penalties of up to two years in jail for unaccredited journalists,
have been slammed by the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA).

Rashweat Mukundu, acting national director of MISA Zimbabwe, told IRIN on
Wednesday that the newly passed Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (AIPPA) Amendment Bill "added further repressive clauses to an
already bad law".

The new legislation calls for a penalty of up to two years in jail or a fine
of Zim $200,000 (US $35.50), or both, for journalists caught working without
accreditation from the state appointed Media and Information Commission
(MIC).

The official Herald newspaper quoted Information and Publicity Minister of
State Jonathan Moyo as saying that the penalties stipulated in the amendment
were not unique to Zimbabwe "but was the norm worldwide", and that
"irresponsible journalism" could be used to undermine Zimbabwe's
sovereignty.

The Amendment Bill scraps an earlier requirement that nominations for MIC
commissioners should come from both the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ),
and an association of media houses. As no nominations for commissioners were
made by media houses, the MIC was at risk of having its decisions on the
registration and de-registration of journalists and newspapers invalidated,
Mukundu explained.

"So the minister [Moyo,] is giving the commission a new lease on life by
doing away with that illegality," Mukundu added.

According to news reports, opposition lawmakers had complained that the ZUJ
was dominated by journalists from the official media.

With regard to the new penalties for journalists working without MIC
accreditation, Mukundu said it was a clear indication of the lengths to
which the state would go "to intimidate independent journalists".

"Such repressive legislation is meant to target those independent
journalists not accredited by the MIC. If you are denied accreditation, it
means you cannot work as a journalist and feed your family - if you are
caught, you go to prison. We have a number of freelance journalists writing
for local and foreign media organisations, and this [act] does away with
that. We've had three papers closed down since last year, and we have
hundreds of journalists out on the streets," Mukundu commented.

The penalty provisions also extend to licensed journalists who contravene
the terms of their MIC accreditation.

"Local journalists are accredited only to work for a certain media house -
even as a freelancer you have to say who you will be writing for [in your
application for accreditation]. Yet most journalists in newsrooms do
freelance work for other media, either locally or internationally, and the
new clauses mean they could face two years in jail," Mukundu said.

The original AIPPA made it illegal for foreign journalists to work in
Zimbabwe. Foreign media houses operating in Zimbabwe thus relied on local
journalists.
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conservatives.com

      Another banned Mugabe Minister allowed into the EU

      In spite of strong protests, the Dutch Government has today granted a
visa to Kumbirai Kangai, a Zimbabwean Minister, to attend the forthcoming
EU-ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific countries) Joint Parliamentary
Assembly in The Hague, despite the fact that he is banned from entering the
country under EU sanctions.

      Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, Conservative Spokesman on Human Rights and
Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament,
said:

      "Kangai is banned from travelling to the European Union. His
nomination by Mugabe is a direct challenge and insult. The decision to grant
him a visa makes a nonsense of the EU's sanctions policy and sends a clear
message to the Mugabe regime, and to Zimbabwe's neighbours, that the EU is
not serious.

      "The Dutch Government has ignored our calls to keep banned Zimbabweans
away from the JPA. Once again it will be left to Members of the European
Parliament to take action. The EU seems to have lost sight of the urgent
need to remove Mugabe's boot from the neck of the oppressed Zimbabwean
people."

      Martin Callanan MEP, Chairman of the EU-ACP Political Committee, said:

      "This is a shameful decision. I shall not sit down with Kangai and I
know that other MEPs from many countries will refuse to have dealings with
him. This time next year, when it is the British Government's turn to host
the JPA, I trust it will ensure that no banned Zimbabweans set foot on
British soil."

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Urban poor take to farming cemetry plots

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

HARARE, 10 Nov 2004 (IRIN) - It is midday at the Mabvuku cemetery on the
eastern outskirts of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, and a funeral is in
progress. A few metres away, groups of people are preparing patches of land
for planting maize and sweet potatoes.

Farming in cemeteries has been a lifeline for many Harare residents
struggling to cope with the ongoing economic crisis and spiraling prices.

Lucky Marime, one of the cemetery farmers, told IRIN it was common practice
to grab unused council land for farming, which then remained "in the family"
until the council claimed it back.

At Mabvuku, most idle land outside and inside the cemetery had already been
claimed for urban farming. "There is no space for newcomers here. If you see
a piece of land not yet prepared, it does not mean it is free - it has
already been booked but the owner has just not started his preparations
yet," Marime explained.

Although he did not have any land in the cemetery himself, he was often
hired to prepare and till land for others, he added.

Similar land encroachment is evident at two larger cemeteries in the
capital, Warren Hills on Bulawayo Road and Granville on Harare's southern
edges, despite the presence of council officers at all burial grounds.

Council spokesman Leslie Gwindi told IRIN that the practice of cemetry
agriculture would no longer be tolerated. "What they are doing is illegal.
We do not care if it has been happening for 10 years, we will nip it in the
bud - cemeteries are not for agriculture. Culturally it's not right to grow
foodstuffs where there are dead people," he said.

Keeping the cemeteries free from intrusion and "beefing up security" would
be part of a general "cleanup" campaign currently underway in Harare's
central business district, he said.

Policing large far-flung cemeteries with little or no security fencing is
likely be a mammoth task - Grenville cemetery, the country's newest and
largest, stands on 250 acres of former farmland, most of it unprotected.

Land grabbers and other intruders, including vendors, gain access through a
number of entry points. The vendors can be seen trotting after a funeral
cortege and then waiting at a respectful distance to be approached for
service.

"Sometimes the council workers chase us away, but we keep coming back,"
Mavis Garande, an 18 year-old vendor told IRIN.

Dr Gordon Chavunduka, president of the Zimbabwe Traditional Healers'
Association, described cemetery agriculture as "culturally wrong", but added
that simply flushing out the farmers was not the answer. "People are
desperate - council must assist them to look for alternatives. The
government and the people, together, must deal with the economic problems,"
he told IRIN.

A survey conducted by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe in September revealed
that a low-income urban family of six needed Zim $1.5 million (about US
$266) a month for basic commodities, and a number of low-income workers,
many of them living in areas bordering the cemeteries, earned less that Zim
$750,000 (about $133) per month. Unemployment in Zimbabwe currently stands
at 70 percent.

But the HIV/AIDS pandemic may eventually force the cemetery farmers out.
According to recent estimates, more than 2,500 people die every week of
AIDS-related causes in Zimbabwe and the cemeteries are filling up fast.

"Last year some people's maize had grown a metre tall when it was destroyed
to make way for the graves," Marime at Mabvuku cemetery told IRIN.

Grenville opened less than 10 years ago and was expected to provide
sufficient burial space for 40 years but is already more than half full.

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Zim online

STATE OUT TO EMBARRASS JUDGE FOR ACQUITTING TSVANGIRAI
Wed 10 November 2004

      HARARE - The government has allegedly ordered the Attorney General's
office to speedily bring to court a matter in which Judge President
Paddington Garwe is a respondent in what insiders said was an attempt to
embarrass the judge for acquitting opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, of
treason.

      Garwe is named as one of the respondents in an application filed with
the High Court last month by white farmer, Christopher Geoffrey Tracey, who
accuses the judge of illegally occupying his 57 267-hectare Mount Lothian
Estate in Goromonzi district in Mashonaland East province.

      Retired army colonel Godfrey Mutemachani, a business partner of the
judge with whom he is sharing Tracey's farm, is the first respondent in the
matter.

      The AG's office, which would not normally handle such a civil suit, is
involved because Tracey also named Lands Minister Joseph Made as a
respondent.

      The farmer accuses Made of wrongfully issuing a letter offering his
farm to Garwe and Mutemachani which he says the two have used to take over
the farm.

      And Special Lands Minister in President Robert Mugabe's office, John
Nkomo, is also cited as a respondent after he allegedly refused to assist
Tracey get his farm and property back from the judge and his partner.

      Apart from unlawfully occupying his farm, Tracey alleges that Garwe
and Mutemachani failed to pay for equipment which their company, Hallamshire
Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd, purchased from him.

      The farmer claims he sold the equipment for US$30 000 to Garwe and
Mutemachani and was to be paid in hard currency.

      Tracey alleges in his court affidavit that Garwe had expressly told
him that he had no money to pay for the equipment while Mutemachani told him
that he had no intention to pay for the equipment. He says the judge and
Mutemachani told him that they were going to take
      whatever equipment they wanted without paying for it.

      A senior law officer at the AG's office, who did not want to be named
for fear of victimisation, said: "We are under orders from the government to
use this matter to put severe pressure on Garwe and punish him for freeing
Tsvangirai.

      "The instructions were that we should ensure the matter was heard this
month but because of the backlog of cases this is impossible. But the matter
will certainly be heard in December."

      Tracey's application is not listed as an urgent matter and would
ordinarily have been heard sometime next year given the backlog of cases at
the courts, the law officer said.

      In a surprise judgment last month, Garwe exonerated Tsvangirai of high
treason saying the state had failed to prove that the opposition leader had
plotted to assassinate Mugabe ahead of the March 2002 presidential election.

      Many had expected Garwe, widely seen as sympathetic to the government,
to convict Tsvangirai and to sentence him to at least a lengthy jail term.

      But acting AG, Bharat Patel, who has said he will appeal Tsvangirai's
acquittal, last night denied his department was under pressure to bring the
farm wrangle to court in order to embarrass or punish Garwe over the
Tsvangirai judgment.

      Patel said: "Any suggestion that this matter is being pushed to court
to victimise the judge is utter nonsense. This is a civil matter which has
nothing to do with the government.

      "We are seeking instruction from the government departments mentioned
in the matter as to what their positions are but our position (as the AG's
office) is that this matter has nothing to do with the interests of the
government."

      Since his acquittal on 15 October, Tsvangirai, who until then was
unable to travel because his passport had been seized by the government, has
launched a diplomatic offensive visiting key African capitals mobilising
pressure on Mugabe to uphold human rights
      and democracy.

      The Zimbabwean opposition leader was yesterday in West Africa where he
is visiting heads of state after meeting with the leaders of South Africa,
Botswana, Mauritius and Lesotho since being freed by Garwe last month. -
ZimOnline

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Zim online

Parliament wants probe into looted agriculture funds
Wed 10 November 2004

      HARARE - Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Finance has called on
financial authorities and the police to probe the looting of a government
agricultural fund allegedly by mostly ruling ZANU PF party politicians,
military officials, their friends and relatives.

      The report is expected to be tabled in Parliament today.

      Confirming reports by ZimOnline last week that a Z$50 billion fund
created with taxpayers' money to help poor villagers buy farm inputs was
looted dry by ZANU PF and military officials, the committee said financial
authorities and the police should probe corruption at Agribank, which
administered the fund.

      Agribank is wholly owned by the government and is tasked with
mobilising financial resources to support black peasants resettled on former
white-owned farms seized by the government under its controversial land
reform programme.

      The parliamentary committee that is headed by ZANU PF legislator, Ray
Kaukonde, noted: "The committee is calling for thorough investigations on
the corruption at Agribank.

      It has emerged that there was abuse of funds (agricultural support
fund) as well as a lot of unclear practices in the handling of those funds.
We are recommending that police also conduct investigations into this
matter."

      The agricultural support fund is now empty after senior government
politicians and military commanders raided its coffers.

      Agricultural Minister Joseph Made, under whose portfolio the fund
falls, indicated last week that the government was already probing the
administration of the fund.

      An investigation by ZimOnline has established that among senior
government and military officials who benefited from the fund are
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, Local Government Minister Ignatius
Chombo and Transport and Communications Minister Chris
      Mushowe.

      Matabeleland North provincial governor Obert Mpofu and former
Mashonaland West provincial governor, Peter Chanetsa, also received large
sums of money from the fund.

      Philip Chiyangwa, who is chairman of the quasi-government National
Economic Consultative Forum's anti-corruption committee, also took money
from the fund.

      Zimbabwe National Army Commander Constantine Chiwenga and his wife,
Jocelyn, also benefited from the fund and so did Air Force Commander,
Perence Shiri.

      Agricultural experts say production on former white farms has
plummeted by as much as 80 percent chiefly because the peasant families
settled there by the government did not have money to finance large-scale
and commercial production on the farms. - ZimOnline

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Zim online

Deportation of illegal immigrants costs Botswana US$360 000
Wed 10 November 2004

      GABORONE - Botswana says it is spending up to US$360 000 per year
repatriating illegal immigrants from neighbouring Zimbabwe.

      Chief immigration officer Roy Sekgororoane, told the Press here last
weekend that the department was deporting at least 30 000 Zimbabweans every
month at a cost of about US$30 000 in food and transport.

      He said: "Illegal immigrants have become a big issue between the two
countries. We deport about 30 000 Zimbabweans every year and this has proved
costly."

      An estimated 1 000 Zimbabweans fleeing home because of hunger and
political violence illegally cross into Botswana every day.

      The influx of immigrants has strained relations between the two
countries with Zimbabwe accusing Botswana of ill-treating its nationals
visiting that country. Gaborone denies the charge.

      An electric fence which Botswana is constructing on its frontier with
Zimbabwe further worsened relations between the two countries with Harare
accusing Gaborone of targeting its nationals with the Gaza-style fence.
Botswana says it is building the US$700 000 fence to control movement of
livestock across the border.

      More than 4 million or about a third of Zimbabwe's population of 12
million live in Botswana, South Africa, Britain, United States, Canada, New
Zealand and other countries after fleeing economic hardships and political
violence in their country. - ZimOnline
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Zim online

Mayor faces the boot
Wed 10 November 2004

      BULAWAYO - The government is understood to be considering dismissing
Bulawayo Executive Mayor Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube for revealing that 162 people
had died of hunger-related illnesses in the city so far this year, it was
learnt last night.

      Ndabeni-Ncube belongs to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) party and has since his election three years ago battled with the
government for control of Zimbabwe's second largest city.

      Well-placed sources said two committees, one set up by Local
Government Minister Ignatius Chombo, and another by state-appointed governor
of Bulawayo, Cain Mathema, had recommended that the mayor be suspended and
eventually dismissed for claiming people had died of hunger in the city.

      "The reports (by the committees) are damning to say the least and the
government is already moving to suspend the mayor and eventually dismiss him
either by the end of the year or early next year," said one source, who did
not want to be named.

      Chombo, who under the Urban Councils Act can fire city mayors, could
not be reached for comment on the matter last night. Chombo earlier this
year restored government control of the capital, Harare, after dismissing
opposition mayor, Elias Mudzuri.

      Mathema refused to speak on the matter saying he would only do so
after reviewing the report compiled by his team.

      Ndabeni-Ncube told ZimOnline he was right in revealing that people
were dying of hunger and vowed to resist attempts to dismiss him from his
job.

      "I am ready to fight them over that, I cannot be victimised for doing
my job, there is no room for that ouster," he said.

      About three months ago, Ndabeni-Ncube told the Press hunger was
worsening in Bulawayo contrary to claims by the government that Zimbabwe had
enough to feed itself.

      The mayor, who said the information was obtained from the government's
own death registry office, said more people could die because of
hunger-related sicknesses unless food agencies stepped in with food
donations. - ZimOnline
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Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 8:38 PM
Subject: There comes a time when people get tired: the Zimbabwe situation

 

The general lack of fuel that characterized the country yesterday and that will continue to characterise the country in short to medium term is yet another fine example of the gross mismanagement and misgovernance of this once great country by those at Jongwe house. Since coming to power in 1980, the ZANU PF government has systematically decimated this once great country: its formerly robust economy is in intensive care; its citizens have been tortured, raped and beaten to silence; its justice system is one that protects the robber and punishes the robbed; the education system once the pride of Africa is in tatters and the health system is on the brink of collapse. To add insult to injury, we are told ad nauseum that that the cause of the country’s current malaise is Tony Blair and George Bush- As if it were Blair and Bush that made the disastrous decision to go to War in the DRC, as if it were the two who were party to the politburo decisions to embark on land invasions with no thought to the consequences on agricultural production, as if it were the two who made poor socio-economic decisions that have left the Zimbabwean economy in the precarious state that we find it today. ZANU PF’s admission of failure to govern Zimbabwe is evidenced by their total silence on the immense challenges facing this once great country. The president has failed to engage with his colleagues in cabinet to effectively address the root of the problems facing Zimbabwe today.

In the meantime, the ordinary long suffering citizens of this country have been helplessly watching as these shocking events have rapidly unfolded before their very eyes. Those who have been courageous enough to apply their citizenship to the fullest of its meaning in a bid to offer constructive criticism have been branded ‘sell-outs, traitors, uncle toms,’ and all sorts of other terms not fit to published in any paper worth its salt . They have also been systematically and brutally denied their inalienable entitlements to freedom of speech, expression and association by the very government whose principal duty is to uphold and protect those rights.

Through ‘rule by law’, ZANU PF has propagated unjust laws that have made it near on impossible for Zimbabweans to lawfully express their disquiet at the status quo in the streets as well as the press. To parody Mugabe’s own words, the citizen’s of this country have been terrorised and coerced into the political-cum-religious doctrine that there is but one God in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe and that Jonathan Moyo is his prophet. As I write the government is in the process of legislating to ban civil engagement in all aspects of governance and rights through its draconian NGO bill.

However, such coercion and oppression can only be tolerated for so long: As the great American civil rights leader Martin Luther King once said, ‘there comes a when people get tired of been trampled by the iron feet of oppression’. Zimbabweans are tired of the ZANU PF government using their hard earned tax dollars to fund the beating, torture and incarceration of their brothers and sisters; to travel to talk shops in New York, Addis Ababa and Mauritius to pontificate ad nauseum on the so called hypocrisy  of Tony Blair and George Bush  instead of exercising their minds to address the fundamental issues that concern the citizen’s of Zimbabwe today: social justice, corruption, rampant crime, abuse of human rights, food, shelter, HIV/AIDS and a functioning economy. They are tired of their hard earned tax dollars been abused by the likes of Jonathan Moyo and propaganda machinery (it would be a lie to call ZBC, the radio stations and Zimpapers anything else) to brainwash into believing that the immense challenges we face in Zimbabwe are to blamed on Bush and Blair when it is as clear as day that they have come about as a direct result of the gross negligence and incompetence of a political party that has been in power and no one else. They are tired of their hard earned funds used to maintain the upkeep of a police force and military machine that protects the robbers, instead of them the robbed. They are tired of been told by the powers that be in Jongwe house that they are ‘colonised’, or ‘stooges’ of imperialist governments when they have openly cried out at the litany of abuses perpetrated by ZANU PF. They are tired of the selective application of unjust laws by ZANU PF.

It is common knowledge that was the MIC an impartial entity, Zimpapers would have been shut down for sort of 'articles' that are published in its presses on a daily basis. ZANU PF claims that there is rule of law and justice for all. What rule of law is there when the Supreme Court has failed to deliver judgements on over 20 pending election petitions that were made over 5 years ago by the opposition party? What rule of law is there when the government does not follow rulings of the courts that it finds unpalatable to its taste? There have been hundreds of judgements made against it by the courts that it has not bothered to uphold. What rule of law exists when they imprison an MDC member of parliament for one year with hard labour for a petty crime as common assault, when the minister who taunted him and also threw a punch is left to go unpunished? What rule of law exists when the same government that imprisons this MDC Member of Parliament for a simple crime of common assault, illegally takes over his farm despite several lawful judgements against them doing so?  What rule of law exists when the police fail to carry out orders of the courts or punish members of the government? What rule of law exists when innocent people are thrown in jail for crimes that they they did not commit?What rule of law exists, when the government ignores a court order not to deport the COSATU officials that were in the country a few days ago?  Zimbabweans are tired of the nonsense emanating from the government that there is rule of law in Zimbabwe when we all know,  that no such thing as rule of law exists in Zimbabwe.The South African foreign minister should know better as well and desist from making foolish pronoucements concerning the rule of lawi in Zimbabwe.  As Mark twain said "tis better to remain quiet and be called a fool, then to speak and remove all doubt".

The incumbent president and his party are campaigning to remain in power for another 5 years. If ZANU PF was as confident of winning as it says it is, many of the SADC guidelines on free and fair elections would have been put in place a long time ago, but they actually have to be brow beaten into putting them into place. The fact of the matter is that ZANU PF knows that it cannot win an election under conditions that are conducive to free and fair elections even in a constituency like Zvimba where Mugabe hails from hence why they will not implement these guidelines. It is wishful thinking on the part of the MDC if they think that lobbying Mbeki and others to force ZANU PF to comply will change the status quo come election time next year. The ‘thugocracy’ that is ZANU PF cannot shoot itself in the foot by implementing these guidelines, that is ludicrous and it is naïve on the part of the MDC or any 'quiet diplomat' to believe that it would. It is far better for MDC not to participate in any election until ZANU PF is forced by civil disobedience to create democratic space in this country.The ZANU PF government is desperate for legitimacy so that international aid can begin to flow into the country, they cannot earn any legitimacy if the MDC does not participate in next year’s election.

For several years since this crisis began Zimbabweans have been told ‘wait’, ‘chete!’, ‘chilla kani!’ Mbeki is exercising ‘quiet diplomacy’ (I did not know such diplomacy existed until Mbeki came into power. The long suffering citizens of Zimbabwe certainly did not exercise ‘quiet diplomacy’ when it came to supporting the ANC against Apartheid in South Africa, a fact Thabo Mbeki has chosen to conveniently forget) to end the crisis. “Wait!” MDC is in informal talks about formal talks with ZANU-PF to end the crisis, “Wait! “Don’t leave the country yet, zvinhu zvichanaka! For several years now they have heard the word “Wait” .It rings in their ears with piercing familiarity. This “Wait!” has almost always meant “Never’. Like Martin Luther King, they have come to see that justice too long delayed is justice denied.

The fact of the matter is that Zimbabwe simply cannot survive another year, let alone another 5 years of more and the same from a ZANU PF led government. Perhaps it is easy for Thabo Mbeki to tell Zimbabweans to “Wait!” for the dividends of his ‘quiet diplomacy’. But I put it to Mbeki and his ANC government, that when you have seen vicious mobs torture your mothers and fathers at will while the “police” stand by watching; when you have seen thugs rape your sisters and aunts; when you have seen the vast majority of your fellow Zimbabweans smothering in an airtight cage of poverty; when you find it necessary to pay bribes to government officials for services that are meant to be provided gratis; when you cannot leave your money in a bank account because it becomes more worthless each and every hour that it remains there; when you can no longer afford to put your children through school; when you have to wake up early in the dawn of the day to queue for bread, water, fuel and the Lord knows what else; when you have to sit and watch ZBC spew out its propaganda telling you to stay determined for entertainment; when you go to a hospital  and it has no drugs or doctors;  when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the mere fact that you support a political party of your choice, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect perhaps then Mbeki will understand why Zimbabweans are increasingly  finding it difficult to wait.

Zimbabweans have failed to get rid of Mugabe and his government because they have been incapacitated by fear. From now on they need to stick together as citizens of this once great country and say with boldness and determination and one voice to Mugabe and his government- go! Unity is the greatest need of this hour and if are united they can get many of the things that they not only desire but which they justly deserve. Do not let anybody frighten you. You should not be afraid that what you are doing is wrong when you protest. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting together and organising and protesting for your rights. Your true liberation heroes Tongogara, Moyo, Chitepo, Mangwana and other glorious dead sacrificed their lives for these very rights; your war veterans fought for these very rights (though one cannot tell given their recent behaviour over the past few years). There is never a time in Zimbabwe’s history that you must ever think you are wrong when you protest. You reserve that right. Have the moral courage to stand up for your rights. God grant that you do it before it is too late.

..........................
Richard Gonzo

London

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Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 11:31 PM
Subject: Church on Trial - Noel Scott

Friends,

News from Zim:  an Anglican priest, Noel Scott, is
going on trial next week in Bulawayo.  The gov't has
gone completely over the top in the last few days,
since they successfully voted to throw the opposition
MP, Roy Bennett, in jail for a year.   Now they are
willing to try to get anything past -- through the
courts, the legislation, by whatever means.  Throwing
the COSATU delegation out by the scruff of their necks
is a dramatic escalation of how bold they have become
in the last few week.  Things are getting worse by the
day.

I can get the details from the Rev. Graham Shaw, but
what I remember is this:  Rev. Noel Scott's case has
been dragging on now for two and a half years.  He led
a church service (perhaps one of the justice and peace
services at St Mary's but it may have been at his own
Anglican church).   At the time, food was very scarce
and the people were really suffering.  Noel Scott led
a service that spoke out about God's suffering people.
The service was attended by the CIO, the secret
police.

The upshot was that the police arrested Noel Scott.
Other clergy, including Graham Shaw, went down to the
jail to register their concern by praying.  Graham
Shaw and several others were then also arrested and
thrown in jail for the weekend.

I spoke to Graham Shaw last night.  He was very
concerned that the flimsy case against Noel Scott,
postponed over and over again for the last two years,
is actually coming to trial.  Noel has had to go to
court ELEVEN times, each time costing him money to
defend himself.  His lawyer finally demanded that
either the case be brought to trial or that it be
dropped.  The general expectation was that the case
would be dropped.  But in light of the increasing
boldness of the kangaroo justice system in the last
few weeks, Noel Scott's trial could be yet another
chance for the government to crack down on the church,
especially in Bulawayo.

As general Secretary of Christians Together for
Justice
and Peace, Graham may be able to attend the trial next
week.  Often trials are closed: the government doesn't
want anyone to know what is going on.   Noel Scott is
one
of the leaders of Christians Together , whose
meeting at the Archbishop Pius Ncube's offices was
broken up two weeks ago by the secret police.  The two
priests leading the meeting were taken to police
headquarters and threatened with jail,  if the meeting
wasn't abandoned.  When Christians Toghether
reconvened their planning meeting last week,  the CIO
sent police to spy on their internal church meeting.
The effect is like Hilter's Germany:  even in a
private ecumenical church meeting,  people have to be
really careful about what they say.

The church, especially Bulawayo Cathedral, has been
the last open space for public protest.:  it was the
one place  where people could hear the truth about the
repression, and hear voices raised in the name of God
to say:  'this is evil.  It must cease.'   Even though
the atmosphere in those services was thick with fear,
the voices of the brave could be heard.   That last
public space is closing . . .  and people outside Zim
are unaware it is happening.

Please be aware of what is going on.   2.5 million
people in Zimbabwe, especially vulnerable women and
children, are on the verge of starvation.  Where is
the justice in that?

Pray for peace and justice,

Martine

Revd Dr Martine Stemerick

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Talks held between rebels and board

Wisden Cricinfo staff

November 10, 2004

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has been in discussions with the rebel players in a
bid to end the seven-month dispute which has left Zimbabwean cricket in
chaos.

A report in the Zimbabwe Independent claims that two board members - Ozias
Bvute and Tavengwa Mkuhlani - approached Ray Gripper, one of the leading
critics of ZC, at the end of October in a bid to kick-start talks between
the two factions. A result was that meetings were held which put forward
proposals aimed at reworking the board's constitution, drafting new
contracts and holding fresh elections.

"Initially I was approached by Mkuhlani, who brought up the suggestion. I
agreed with him and raised the matter with the players who also agreed,"
Gripper told the paper. "We later held meetings with Mkuhlani and Bvute and
we came up with proposals."

The paper added that it had seen minutes of the meetings, which referred to
the rebels being brought back into the fold. "The qualification criteria for
selectors as put forward by the players is accepted in total and not only
partly," the minutes stated. "The players who do agree to come back will be
valued by [Zimbabwe's coach] Phil Simmons. The only criteria to be used in
this assessment are cricket skills and value, nothing else. Maybe any
rejections could be supported by a report from Phil as to how he arrived at
his assessment.

"There is to be no interference by board members in selection or cricketing
matters and their contribution should be largely restricted to the boardroom
and committee meetings."

Bvute confirmed to the paper that there had been meetings. "Gripper made
some suggestions to Mkuhlani. I met with Gripper, Mkuhlani and Pichanick and
agreed that we had to take the suggestions to the board."

But Gripper warned that there was a long way to go, adding that the lack of
any feedback or official response from ZC indicated that it might not be
willing to agree to the proposals.

© Wisden Cricinfo Ltd
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SABC

Zimbabwean opposition MP Bennett applies for bail

November 10, 2004, 09:00

Roy Bennett, a Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
member of parliament, has applied to the high court today for bail.

Bennett was sentenced by a parliamentary committee to 15 months hard labour,
with three months suspended, for being involved in a scuffle in which he
pushed Patrick Chinamasa, the justice minister, to the ground.

Meanwhile Eric Matinenga, Bennett's advocate, said yesterday evening that
"parliament had to work within certain limits". "If it does something that
is irrational, then it will be denying liberty to an individual in
circumstances where it is plain that nobody acting rationally would have
come to that decision and the court must interfere," Matinenga said.

Bennett's sentence was recommended by a parliamentary committee dominated by
Zanu PF legislators. Relatives of the popular politician, who represents the
rural Eastern Highlands district of Chimanimani, said he was being kept in
filthy conditions in an over-crowded cell.

In his defence, the MDC is arguing that Bennett was provoked into assaulting
Zanu PF MPs when they told him his ancestors were "thieves and murderers." -
Sapa
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Recent Developments.

There is so much going on at present that it is quite difficult to keep up
with what is happening and to consider just how all these developments feed
into the crisis in Zimbabwe. Lets just take a few and examine how they are
likely to impact on our immediate future.

The governing alliance in South Africa is made up of three organizations -
the Confederation of South African Trade Unions and the South African
Communist Party as well as the African National Congress. Of the three, the
ANC has the smallest direct membership, Cosatu, the largest, with its
membership running to millions of workers. The SACP is a relic of the past
but still commands a significant following - probably larger than the Pan
African Congress. It also supplies some of the main players and thinkers in
the SA government.

Both Cosatu and the SACP have been moving away from support for the position
of Zanu PF in Zimbabwe for some time. They have developed a better
understanding of the position of the MDC and are now actively supporting
political strategies that will secure some form of democratic transition
here. The recent visit to Zimbabwe by senior delegations of both
organisations were undertaken in the spirit of fact finding tours to confirm
their own understandings of the situation here. The SACP visit went off
without hitch, but the Cosatu delegation was given the boot - literally.

As a consequence of these developments the two major players in the ANC
camp, are now firmly committed to supporting the effort to secure free and
fair elections next year. How the South African government will play this
new development is difficult to see through the mist of all the spin that is
going on, but there can be no doubt that this represents a major diplomatic
set back for the Zanu PF and for those who support them in the SA
administration.

Mbeki will have to take these developments into consideration or face the
prospect that he will lose some control over events as they affect the
SA/Zimbabwe relationship. Cosatu has the power to put significant autonomous
pressure on Zimbabwe and the SACP simply cannot be ignored inside the South
African corridors of power. The recent improvement in the relationship with
the MDC has shown that Mbeki is moving his own position. The treatment of
Morgan Tsvangirai when visiting African Heads of State in Africa is also
revealing. These things do not happen in Africa without serious decisions
being taken. In South Africa Morgan was given substantial status for the
first time - and Mugabe was furious. Morgan has now been received by the
Presidents of 6 countries, with full honors that such visits normally
attract to significant visitors and this again reveals a changing climate in
Africa.

Commentators in South Africa who have criticised Morgan's diplomatic
offensive are simply mouthing the views of the Zimbabwe propaganda machine
who are enraged that having let the lion out of the cage, he has gone
hunting.

There can be no doubt that we are now in for a second Bush term - one in
which the conservatives in the US will be very much in the driving seat.
Regime change in Afghanistan is now almost complete and represents an
astonishing military and diplomatic achievement. The Iraq situation is
getting the same treatment. In the Ivory Coast, the French are doing their
own bit of political surgery.

There are no signs of any shift in the Bush administrations strategies in
Africa. This means that although we will not be a top priority, we will not
be ignored. Just look at the global team that now confronts the Mugabe
regime. In the USA, Bush; in the UK, Blair; in the SADC, Mauritius and
Botswana hold the key leadership positions. In the AU, Obasanjo of Nigeria
is in charge. In the G8, and the EU, Blair will be in the key leadership
role next year - when it matters. Heavens, if the MDC was to choose a team
to confront the regime here diplomatically, we could not have done a better
job.

This translates into even more pressure on Mbeki. How he will react is
difficult to tell, but he has moved his position and it is difficult to see
how he cannot keep on moving if he is to maintain his own position as the
major crime buster and fixer in Africa.

Next week on Tuesday the Agriculture Portfolio committee in Parliament is
going to table a report which we understand will completely contradict
Mugabe's claim that "we have grown 2,4 million tonnes of maize and do not
need your food." The committee was the product of a slip up by the Zanu whip
who failed to get a majority into parliament when the debate on the food
situation initiated by the MDC shadow Minister of Agriculture Rensen Gasela
took place. The resolution proposed by Rensen was passed and the Committee,
chaired by a rather decent Zanu MP, has now completed its investigations -
with the grudging participation of the Ministries and the GMB.

The committee concluded that only 600 000 tonnes of maize was in fact
produced this past season - less than in 2003 and only a quarter of the
Mugabe estimate. With opening stocks of about 200 000 tonnes we had enough
food for about 5 months. Since then we have been importing steadily from the
region and further abroad. Fortunately for us, South Africa has a 2 million
tonne surplus and if we need food in a hurry it is not far away. Maize is
also a cheap product and we can always find the money to import stocks if
the need is there.

But what this confirms is that it is the objective of the Mugabe regime to
restrict basic food supplies to government controlled channels. This
situation will be in place by the end of the year and the whole system is
ready to be used in the Zanu campaign in 2005. We have seen some signs of
how they will do it - in Chipinge they stopped all stores carrying the basic
staple, maize meal. Then they allocated maize to the Zanu PF candidate for
the area (Zanu has not won a seat in Chipinge in recent years) who sold it
through groups of young Zanu thugs who took a margin. Both the candidate and
the "Green Bombers" made money. If you wanted maize, you had to become a
member of Zanu and attend Zanu functions.

If anyone wanted confirmation that the Mugabe regime was not wiling to
change its ways in any way, you only have to read Hansard, the daily
verbatim record of proceedings in Parliament. The action taken against Roy
Bennett - a clear violation of the regulations controlling Parliament and
also Zimbabwe law, just to remove a political thorn in the flesh of Zanu PF,
is a clear indication of how far they are prepared to go. Chinamasa's remark
to Dave Coltart the "he was next." Is a chilling reminder of just how
narrow-minded and vindictive these people are. Well, they need to remember
"what goes around, come around."

But if you examine the proceedings right now - the Zanu machine is in full
swing - changes to AIPPA to give the Minister more power, Changes to the
electoral Act to further entrench the Zanu monopoly of control over the
whole process - deliberately flaunting the agreements Mugabe signed just 2
months ago in Mauritius. Then the statements by Ministers in response the
MDC questions - "we will never allow the MDC access to the State controlled
media, never!" Democracy, they do not understand the word, let alone the
practice.

So what does this all mean for those of us on the ground in this firefight?
The Bennett story plus the failed votes in Parliament and the tightened grip
on food, shows that we continue to lose battles, but the overall message is
that we are winning the war. And in the longer term, that is what counts.
The Chinese saying "he who rides a Tiger, cannot get off!" Certainly applies
to the Mugabe regime. It's good to belong to the Tiger.

Eddie Cross

Bulawayo, 10th November 2004.

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From: "Trudy Stevenson"
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 5:22 AM
Subject: Parliament: Announcement of Adverse Reports, presentation of
Reports on Food Stocks and NSSA

Today the Speaker announced Adverse Reports received from the PLC on NGO
Bill, Electoral Bill and Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill.  The
House has adjourned until Tuesday, when the Reports may be presented and
debated.  Meanwhile debate on the Adverse Report on the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission Bill has not yet resumed.

Committee Reports on Food Stocks and NSSA were presented this afternoon.
Government is criticising the Food Stocks report, which warns that "the
country is likely to stock out before the next harvest" and that in fact we
have maize for only 3 months.  Matabeleland South was forecast to produce
109 178 tons of maize, but GMB had only received 362 tons by 10 September,
ie 0.3% of the forecast.  GMB had only received 1.3% of the forecast from
Masvingo, 1.4% from Matabeleland North and 3.9% from Midlands.
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From The Daily Mirror, 10 November

Pandemonium in parliament

Clemence Manyukwe

There was chaos in parliament yesterday after Zanu PF and MDC legislators
clashed on the appropriate voting procedure on the despised Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Bill. The legislative
assembly's business came to a halt for close to 30 minutes as legislators
traded insults before the Bill finally sailed through, with 41 Zanu PF
legislators voting in the favour, while 37 MDC members voted against the
amendment. Trouble started when opposition members demanded that voting
should commence at a time when Zanu PF members appeared to be out numbered -
a development that would have resulted in the amendment being rejected -
soon after dividing the house. The majority of Zanu PF members were still
outside the legislative assembly, well after the bells summoning them to
come into the house and vote had stopped toiling. According to Parliamentary
procedures, those in the House within a stipulated time after the bells have
rung can vote, while those outside should not be allowed in. When Parliament
staff stood at the three entrances to block those who were outside,
pandemonium broke out - Zanu PF MPs charged that they had not been given
enough time to troop in. Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo could be seen
pointing and shouting at close range to Parliament clerks, responsible for
ringing the bells, a development that drew the ire of Harare South
legislator, Gabriel Chaibva. "Don't threaten employees of Parliament. Why
are you threatening them?" asked Chaibva. Moyo shot back: "I will threaten
you also. What can you do?"

Harare Governor Witness Mangwende, who was in the chair, said the correct
procedure had not been followed and that there had been a mistake which had
resulted in ruling party members being trapped out. When calm returned, the
MDC chief whip, Innocent Gonese said they were voting in protest as Zanu PF
members who were not supposed to vote, had been brought in. "There are
members who were not present. They came into the House after four minutes.
Even you (Deputy Speaker of Parliament Edna Madzongwe) should have remained
outside, and Mangwende should have proceeded with the vote," Gonese said.
Gonese and the ruling party's chief whip, Joram Gumbo went on to submit a
list of names of MPs they said should not have voted. The three amendments
to AIPPA seek to provide a penalty provision to the principal act, which is
presently absent. Under that provision anyone who practices without
accreditation "shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine,
imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both." The other clause
seeks to set up a disciplinary committee to determine whether any member of
the Media and Information Commission who would have been suspended by the
Information Minister should be dismissed. The other amendment seeks to amend
Section 40 (2) of the principal act, which deals with the appointment and
composition of the MIC. The AIPPA Amendment Bill now waits presidential
ascend to become law.
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Chitungwiza Nurses Go On Strike

The Herald (Harare)

November 10, 2004
Posted to the web November 10, 2004

Harare

NURSES at Chitungwiza Municipality's four clinics went on strike on Monday
to press for a 50 percent salary increment backdated to May 2004 and
improved working conditions.

The strike has resulted in most patients being turned away while those whose
condition was deemed serious were being referred to Chitungwiza General
Hospital.

The nurses were also unhappy about not getting their October salaries
despite assurances by council officials.

Yesterday, Seke South, North and St Mary's clinics were deserted as patients
were being turned away while at Zengeza 3 Clinic only a few nurses were on
duty. There was a long queue of patients in the afternoon.

"As you can see there are no nurses here and there is no one to attend to
patients. Patients are being turned away or referred to Chitungwiza (General
Hospital)," said a source at Seke North Clinic who preferred anonymity.

The nurses met Chitungwiza mayor Mr Misheck Shoko shortly before lunch
yesterday to air their grievances and were expected to resume the meeting in
the afternoon.

"He seemed very accommodative and showed a willingness to address the
problem, but we do not know if that was meant to cool down our tempers,"
said one disgruntled nurse.

Mr Shoko denied claims that council nurses had not been paid last month
saying the only council employees who have not received their salaries were
those with accounts with a certain commercial bank, which he did not name.

He said the nurses had been put on the same salary scale as Government
nurses.

"We put the nurses on the same salary scale as those in Government as they
have always wished for and now we don't know what the problem is unless they
are saying the Government salaries levels are also low," said Mr Shoko.

The nurses also complained about council's failure to provide them with
adequate protective clothing.

"Most nurses are leaving council clinics for Government and other private
institutions where conditions of service are better. They are leaving every
month and we are aware of some leaving next month. We fear for our lives
because we are constantly exposed to health risks due to inadequate
clothing," said one nurse.

Mr Shoko said the issue of protective clothing had come to his attention and
he had directed the chairperson of the health committee to ensure that it
was addressed.

"Yes, that is very dangerous and when it came to my attention, I immediately
directed the chairperson of the health committee to tour all the council
clinics so that the situation on the ground could be established and
addressed," he said.
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Stakeholders Assessing State-Drafted Tourism Policy, Master Plan

The Herald (Harare)

November 10, 2004
Posted to the web November 10, 2004

Martin Kadzere
Harare

STAKEHOLDERS in the tourism industry are still assessing the National
Tourism Policy and Master Plan, which was drafted by the Government early
this year.

The policy was expected to have been launched in May this year but delays
were experienced in thedrafting process and stakeholder assessments which
are said to be progressing very slowly.

This is despite the great need to revive the sector which has not been
performing well over the past six years as a result of adverse publicity
Zimbabwe received from the international media.

Zimbabwe Council of Tourism (ZCT) chairman Mr Paul Matamisa confirmed the
document has been delayed as it was supposed to have been launched about six
months ago.

"We, as the council and other stakeholders are still in the process of
scrutinising the document and we are not in a position to comment now.

"The document is expected to be finalised within the next few weeks and will
be presented to the Cabinet for approval.

"We have made several recommendations and we are hoping our input as a
tourism council is going to have a positive contribution towards the revival
of the sector," Mr Matamisa said.

The new policy with input from both the Government and stakeholders from the
sector, is aimed at harmonising the activities in the sector and to align
operations within the sector.

Viewed as the launch pad for the revival of the sector, the document is
currently being scrutinised by companies before finalisation.

ZCT has been active behind the scenes in the process of developing the
tourism policy and the preparation of relevant and suitable topics for
consideration at a convention of stakeholders held in May.

The Ministry of Environment of Tourism spearheaded the convention with the
support from all stakeholders in the tourism industry.

The policy plan seeks to address problems, which had been besetting the
sector, and these include marketing initiatives, human resource development,
product pricing, infrastructure development, taxes and other facets that
drive or hinder the development of tourism.

It would also provide direction and guidance to every individual and
organisations either directly or indirectly involved in tourism, which would
provide groundwork for future developments.

The document also focuses on the need to rebuild confidence not only in the
source markets, but also among Zimbabweans.

Although domestic tourism has improved significantly over the past three
years, much is needed to be done to factor in tourism within the local
culture.

To show its commitment in the revival of tourism, the Government deployed
three tourism attaches to South Africa, France and Malaysia from where the
country anticipates a significant number of arrivals.

Zimbabwe needs to come up with more aggressive marketing strategies to
attract visitors from such areas and consolidate traditional markets such as
Europe.

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New Zimbabwe

Business mogul Mutasa held on new forex charges

By Agencies
Last updated: 11/10/2004 21:08:04
ZIMBABWEAN police have arrested prominent businesswoman Jane Mutasa as part
of a clampdown on foreign currency dealings.

Mutasa, director of the mobile telephone company Telecel, was placed under
arrest after she turned herself in to Harare Central Police Station on
Tuesday, the state-run Herald newspaper said.

Police had said at the weekend they were looking for her.

She is accused of funnelling US$4.5m (R28m) outside the country, in
violation of Zimbabwe's strict foreign exchange control regulations.

Three other Telecel directors are already in police custody, including James
Makamba who is a member of Zimbabwe's ruling party.

Four senior officials from another mobile telephone provider, Econet
Wireless, have also been arrested on the same charges.

The southern African country has been hit by critical shortages of foreign
currency in the last few years, with serious effects on the economy.

Zimbabwe's laws stipulate that all foreign currency earned by resident
Zimbabweans must be repatriated. Foreign currency can only be purchased
through authorised dealers.

This year, police have waged a tough war on corruption, netting several
high-profile figures for alleged foreign currency offences.

Finance Minister Christopher Kuruneri is in prison on charges of moving hard
currency out of the country, though he has still not been tried.

This is the second time this year Mutasa has been arrested for alleged
illegal foreign currency dealings. In April she was fined Z$8.5m (R9 574) by
a Harare court after she pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Sapa
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The Scotsman

City charity charged with a tough job

ADRIAN MATHER

FROM a helicopter 100 feet above the African plains, a lone gunman takes aim
at the stampeding wild rhino in his sights.

The mighty animal charges across rivers and crashes through trees as the
marksman tracks it with the telescopic lens of his rifle before firing a
single shot.

The rhino bucks from the impact and ploughs onwards, gradually slowing
through exhaustion until it finally slumps on the dusty ground. The
helicopter lands beside it and the gunman steps out from beneath the
whirring blades to inspect his prize.

But this isn't a dramatic case of big game hunting, or even an example of
the lengths that poachers will go to in order to seize illegal, but
valuable, rhino horn.

Rather, it is the work of conservationists and vets who have to fire
tranquilliser darts at the rhinos in order to perform vital medical work on
them and fix tracking devices to monitor their movements.

And the work which is performed in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is
being funded by, among others, the efforts of a small Edinburgh-based
wildlife charity.

The Hwange Conservation Society, a British-registered charity based in
Sighthill, is attempting to protect the future of wild animals - including
black and white rhinos - at the park, which is situated between the
world-famous Victoria Falls and the Kalahari desert.

Originally set up in Zimbabwe by residents who felt that there wasn't enough
national funding being provided for their park, the charity has spread
globally and its UK branch, which was established in Aberdeen in 1992, is
now run from Edinburgh.

It was set up by chairman Alan Main, from Aberdeen, who was talked into
starting the UK office whilst on holiday in Zimbabwe by some of the
residents who had originally established the charity. But after Main moved
to South Africa eight years ago, the position of chairman was transferred to
John Gillon, from Sighthill, who had previously lived in Zimbabwe.

Gillon left Scotland in 1969 and moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, to
take a job in publishing before moving to Zimbabwe - then called Rhodesia.

He spent six years living in the capital, Salisbury, until escalating
political unrest and the war of independence forced him to return to
Scotland in 1976.

But during his time in Zimbabwe he was a regular visitor to the Hwange
National Park and often travelled for more than 500 miles in order to see
elephants, rhinos and buffalos in the wild and to spot exotic species of
birds.

After the Hwange Conservation Society was set up in the UK in the early
1990s, he quickly joined up and started to fundraise for the park before
taking over the society eight years ago.

And he and his wife Sandra are still regular visitors to the park, aiming to
go over to Zimbabwe every two years to see the work that the charity is
helping to fund.

The society currently funds sponsorship projects such as research into wild
dog populations and hyenas as well as aiming to promote a wealth of
conservation programmes at the African national park.

And, working together with global wildlife organisations such as the World
Wildlife Fund and Save the Rhino, the charity is also involved with attempts
to conserve the park's rhino population and assist veterinary experts who
monitor the animals' movements.

Now, as part of its current fundraising efforts, the society has invited one
of Zimbabwe's leading veterinary researchers to put on two special talks in
Edinburgh about the future of the country's rhinos.

Dr Chris Foggin, who is the principal scientific research officer with the
national parks of Zimbabwe, has already completed one talk at Edinburgh Zoo
on Monday, and will deliver his second lecture tomorrow at the Royal (Dick)
School of Veterinary Studies.

"Our charity is aimed at combating poaching and protecting the wildlife in
Zimbabwe," says Gillon. "We run on a voluntary basis so that all of the
money we receive can go straight to the park and help their conservation
projects.

"We sponsor some of the research programmes and have donated money towards
providing piping for water supplies for some of the animals. But we have
also donated money to help provide vehicle maintenance and tools, as well as
helping to establish anti-snaring and anti-poaching projects by donating a
dart rifle, range-finder and immobilising drugs.

"We try to help fund as much as we can and to help conserve all the
different species at the park - whether they are lions, hyenas, zebras or
rhinos. But as Chris is a rhino expert, we decided to focus the talks on the
plight of wild rhinos in Zimbabwe. We're trying to let people know what is
going on and give them information about endangered rhinos and what they can
do to help.

"He's doing seven talks across the UK and hopefully we'll be able to raise a
lot of money for the park."

DR Foggin has been involved with wildlife conservation across Zimbabwe for
more than 15 years, but this is his first promotional visit to the UK to
talk about the national parks and the plight of the country's rhinos.

He has previously appeared on BBC series such as Vets in the Wild and Vets
on the Wild Side as an on-location wildlife expert.

He says that the team at the Hwange park have to deal with a range of issues
including the dangers of ivory poaching and the use of snare traps, and he
adds that he has personally spent the past six years working to protect wild
rhinos in the country.

But although he and his team are involved in hands-on work to protect and
treat the animals in the wild, they are dependent on vital funds from
wildlife organisations from across the globe to continue their conservation.

And despite the Sighthill charity only having 150 members worldwide, its
fundraising is providing vital help to protect a number of animal species in
the Zimbabwean plains. "Between the 1980s and early 1990s, we lost more than
70 per cent of all rhinos in Zimbabwe," Dr Foggin says.

"There was a lot of poaching going on at that time and rhinos were being
caught and slaughtered for their horns. At one point there were only about
200 rhinos left in the whole country. But from 1993 to about 2003, there was
virtually no poaching and the rhino numbers steadily built back up. There
was a lot of conservation work set up to protect the rhinos and we were able
to see both white and black rhino populations improve.

"However, in 2003 there was a resurgence of poaching and rhino numbers began
to fall again. Although there is a mandatory custodial sentence for anyone
caught poaching in Zimbabwe, the practice started to become popular once
more, which was a worry.

"But it is a problem which is currently in the process of being sorted out,
and poaching levels have dropped over the past year." However, Dr Foggin
adds that the number of rhinos in Zimbabwe is still currently at a critical
level. Although he does not give an exact figure - as it could potentially
attract poachers to take advantage of the number of animals or affect the
amount of funds that rhino conservation projects are awarded - he says that
the figure is "well below 1000".

But he does add that it is not only poaching that is threatening the rhinos.

"What we also see a lot of in the park are animals being caught in snare
traps set by hunters. Sometimes the snares are made of solid steel wire and
cut deeply into the rhinos' legs, and our job is to release them from the
snares.

"But that can be difficult. Rhinos often just pull away from the traps and,
if the snares are attached to something heavy like a tree trunk, they end up
dragging the trunk along with them, which makes the wire cut deeper into
their flesh.

"If those wounds are left untreated then it can lead to infection and death.
We can track the animals, but we have to take a helicopter out into the park
if we are to treat them. We usually fire a tranquilliser dart at the rhino
from the air and then wait for the drugs to take effect before landing.

"But sometimes the snares are so strong that we have to use a hacksaw rather
than wire cutters, and there have been times when the initial wounds have
healed and we have had to cut into the rhino's skin to get the wire out. We
also have to treat rhinos that have been injured in fights, and sometimes
have to remove horns that have been damaged by poachers."

He adds that the team at the park, which consists of conservationists, vets,
scouts and rangers, tags every rhino by cutting a unique pattern on their
ears. They also fit radio transmitters to some of the animals in order to
monitor their movements. But, he says, the work they do at Hwange is
expensive and the park is reliant on donations from local authorities and
charity groups to continue its work.

"Our helicopter alone is a constant drain on our finances, but there is no
other way of tracking long distances to treat the animals safely.

"We don't transport the rhinos to a special surgery, so all of the work has
to be performed at the scene, which means we have to take the helicopter out
to get to the injured animals.

"We also have to look at the problem of poaching and the measures we take,
such as monitoring the rhinos on the ground and using radio transmitters,
are also quite expensive to run. The park is 15,000sq km big - which is
about the size of Scotland - so it's a fairly large area to monitor, and the
only way we can do that is with expensive aircraft, helicopters and Land
Rovers.

"But it isn't just the rhinos that the park deals with. There are people who
work with the 45,000 elephants that we have and others who deal with animals
such as lions and zebras.

"Although we work closely with 'well-known' groups such as the WWF, Save
Australia and Save the Rhino, the park also gets funds from smaller groups
such as the Hwange Conservation Society. What I hope that these talks will
achieve is to make people aware of the work we do and raise the profile of
the charity here in Edinburgh."

. Dr Chris Foggin will be making his speech, Rhinos and other wildlife
veterinary work in Zimbabwe, at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary
Studies tomorrow at 7pm. There is no set price for tickets but donations are
welcome.
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