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

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letter to editor in Sunday's Standard...

How I envy Americans

DESPITE the horrific terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York I have a sense of envy of the American people. Why? Because they have a government, a police force, an army and an air force totally committed to America, to the people of America. America is attacked by terrorists and its government rallies round.

Americans enjoy a sense of intense, spine tingling national pride. They have a sense of oneness as a nation. They have people of integrity in all positions of civic authority, They have a president who consoles and pledges help to those affected by the devastation. How I envy Americans!

A country of all races and religions, but its people are loyal and blended together under a wonderful sense of national pride and, most importantly, determined that they will not be enslaved by terrorism, whether it comes from within or without its borders.

By stark and shocking contrast Zimbabwe has a government that indulges in mass murder, looting, and the initiation of terrorism against its own people. Here we have a police force that can hardly be persuaded to get off its backside to attend a common theft, let alone undertake the duties of law enforcement for which it is paid from the high taxes forced from the impoverished citizens of Zimbabwe.

Here we have filthy, stinking hospitals, dangerous pot holed roads, arrogant and useless civil servants, government sponsored racial hatred, the encouragement of brutality and savagery against black and white citizens and the deliberate impoverishment of all. We also seem to have a supine, spiritless population to whom anyone can do anything.

Here we do not need a ‘bomb’ to cause the collapse of buildings and the economy as we already have the government of the day involved in our country’s disintegration.

Here we have a president who agrees to the Abuja Agreement, not due to a change of heart, a sudden injection of moral integrity or remorse, but only because he is being forced into it and still prefers not to be bothered with such peripheries such as law and order or the cessation of violence being perpetrated by his paid thugs.

America is looking hard at the perpetrators of terrorism and those that assist them. Is anyone here listening?

E M Makoni
Chinhoyi

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Harare Seen As Test Case for Africa'



Business Day (Johannesburg)

October 9, 2001
Posted to the web October 9, 2001


Zimbabwe is is being seen as a test case for Africa by powerful nations,
particularly Britain and the US,nited States, Democratic Alliance leader
Tony Leon said yesterday.on Monday.

In a speech prepared for delivery to the SAouth African Institute of
International Affairs (SAIIA) in Johannesburg, he said The "hard truth is
that the developed world has very little financial interest in Africa".

There were plenty of low-risk, high-return investment opportunities in
China, South America and Eastern Europe. for the world to pass Africa by. in
the 21st Century.

While the world's attention was diverted by the terrorist attack on the
US,nited States, and the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in
Australia was postponed, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe had taken full
advantage to "continue his own reign of terror against his citizens".

Since the September 6 Commonwealth task group meeting in Abuja, Nigeria,
which was hailed as a "breakthrough", a total of 30 new farms had been
invaded by war veterans in Zimbabwe. At least three people were killed in
political violence, and the intimidation and arrests of opposition
campaigners in by-elections in that country has continued, Leon said.

He said farm workers had had their homes had been looted and razed to the
ground, and 350000 workers could lose their jobs by the end of the year.

"With this humanitarian crisis on our borders, SAouth Africa has a moral
duty not to turn away. But we also have compelling political and economic
reasons to care about Zimbabwe," Leon further said.

SAouth Africa and Africa have also been under attack since September 11.

"There has been an unprecedented, and to some extent unwarranted, attack on
the rand while foreign capital flows to Africa, which were never more than a
trickle, are draining away."

Ten days after the terror attacks on the US the US its acting assistant
secretary of state for African affairs, William Bellamy, said that concern
in the US over events in Zimbabwe remained s high. Sapa.

The success of President Thabo Mbeki's Millennium Africa Plan (MAP), and the
New African Initiative (NAI) of the African Union (AU), depended on
resolving the Zimbabwe crisis, he said. Sapa

"But another reason for supporting peace and development in Africa has
emerged in the past month. Africa is of strategic importance in the global
war against terrorism," Leon said.

Mbeki and the AU should make it clear that economic growth and political
stability were hostile conditions for radical extremists.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair alluded to this in his recent speech to
the Labour Party conference, when he warned that if the world continued to
ignore the sufferings of African nations. it would breed anger and
frustration which would threaten global stability, Leon said.

Also, just ten days after the terror attacks on the United States, US acting
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, William Bellamy, said that
"concern in the US over events in Zimbabwe remains high".

"If the US Congress can consider the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic
Recovery Bill at a time like this, and Tony Blair singles out Zimbabwe in
his latest speech, then how can South Africa remain silent? "Perhaps the
greatest weakness of South African foreign policy is the ANC government's
apparent inability to separate the party's friendships and loyalties from
South Africa's foreign interests.

"It is certainly not in South Africa's interests to be seen as prepared to
overlook the foibles of old comrades in the liberation struggle. Africa and
the world have moved on, and the ANC must accept this reality," Leon said.

Sapa /jk/rod
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Tuesday, 9 October, 2001, 18:58 GMT 19:58 UK
Murderers hanged in Zimbabwe
At least 60 people have been hanged since 1980
Three men have been hanged in Zimbabwe, in the first executions the country has seen for three years says a state-run newspaper.

The Herald said the men - convicted murderers - were hanged after their Supreme Court appeals had been rejected as well as a plea for clemency to President Robert Mugabe.

One of the executed men shot dead three people during burglaries committed in 1995.

Another raped and then stabbed to death a 12-year-old girl.

Sentences commuted

At least 60 people have been executed in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, says the Associated Press news agency.

Former Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay
Former Chief Justice Gubbay was opposed to the death penalty

Pope John Paul II, during a visit to Zimbabwe in 1988, appealed to the government to abandon the death penalty.

Several prisoners on death row have had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment after the Supreme Court ruled it inhumane to delay their execution.

But in 1998, two people were executed for killing a man whose organs were sold to a businessman for ritual sacrifice.

New executioner

Soon after the 1998 hangings, the government announced it was looking for a new executioner following the death of its long-serving hangman.

There have been no public reactions to the hangings, which the Herald says took place last Friday.

But human rights groups and other non-governmental agencies have been circulating petitions calling for the abolition of the death penalty for some time now.

A draft constitution recently proposed by civil rights activists says that judicial executions should be stopped.



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COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION
Farm Invasions and Security Report
Monday 8 October 2001
 
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This report does not purport to cover all the incidents that are taking place in the commercial farming areas. Communication problems and the fear of reprisals prevent farmers from reporting all that happens. Farmers names, and in some cases farm names, are omitted to minimise the risk of reprisals.
 
NATIONAL REPORT IN BRIEF:
 
Save Conservancy - poaching is at an unprecedented level
Wedza  - 90 year old  viciously attacked
Work stoppages continue countrywide
Bindura - six armed and camouflaged men invade farm
Bindura - swarm of bees descend upon invaders
Kwekwe - DDF tractors preparing land for settlers
 MASVINGO
Chiredzi Area - Situation remains very much the same with poaching and snaring, theft, cutting of trees, building of houses and veld fires continuing.
 
 Mwenezi Area - Theft, poaching and snaring, cutting of trees continues unabated.
 
 Masvingo East and Central Area – On Chidza Farm tractors are reported to be ploughing up lands on this property.  Fomax Dairy 1 Electric motor was stolen over the weekend. Valued at $200 000.00 Owner resides near township.
Chiredzi Area - A brief update for Buffalo Range and Essanby - The following cattle losses have occurred as a result of lawlessness from 1st January to 4th October 2001 inclusive:  18 head snared & 8 killed; 4 head snared & destroyed; 1 head speared; 2 head killed by vehicle (fence cutting) giving a total lost to date - 33 head. The cattle herd is currently 400 head less than the normal carrying capacity due to occupier related problems. Both properties have been listed and are heavily occupied and several occupations have taken place since March 2001. District Administrator, Clayton Sanjobo is included and his plot has been cleared right next to the Buffalo Range Safari Camp. On Buffalo Range, approximately 3 400 hectares cannot be grazed due to daily threats on the labour force as well as fence cutting and gate removals. On Essanby, the same applies to about 3 200 hectares.
 
At Quagga Pan "B"  poachers have been very active again - led by a well-known criminal sought by the police, but there has been limited interest in actually arresting the individual and his gang, who continue to harass the staff. New invasions have been reported over the last week and approximately 100 huts have been built , therefore tree cutting has been extensive. People are coming from Sossonye Ranch and the Maranda Communal Lands. On Bar G illegal occupiers have approximately 160 cattle on this property. Owner has asked them to remove them and they say they await instructions from superiors to do so. Fire was reported on Swanscoe over the weekend and 400 ha was burnt. Kleinbegin had an order  come through from the Court for Veterinary to remove all green zone cattle from this property. They have until the end of the week before they are in contempt of Court. Wire theft is rampant and out of control. Police have searched huts and found large amounts of wire. Illegal squatters claim they have been given the wire and have letters from the Samayanga area. Quagga Pan "A" has in the past 36 hours had the pipeline vandalised 3 times by squatters. No water has made it to the farm. This is the owner’s only source of water. The police appear reluctant to investigate. There is an outstanding assault charge against squatters that the police have made no attempt to investigate even though the suspects are known.
 
Fires  There have been numerous fires again over the past few days. There had been a break following the rain of 3 weeks ago and the cooler weather, but with warmer weather and increased squatter activity we can expect an upsurge in fires.
 
General  There has been an increase in squatter activity - tree cutting, building, poaching, wire theft, cattle movements, etc.
 
Save Conservancy Area - Situation remains the same, poaching, snares continually removed daily.  The vet took a wire snare off a rhino on Senuko and Humani had to put down an elephant with a terrible snare wound on its leg.
Gutu / Chatsworth Area -  The Cutting of trees, clearing of lands, harassment from illegal occupiers for owners to move cattle continues unabated.
MASHONALAND EAST
WEDZA - In the area there have been 31 work stoppages to date. Merryhill Farm . On Sunday 30.9.01 the owner’s 90 year old mother was viciously attacked and knocked unconscious. It appeared that the motive was theft. The Police reacted but no arrests have been made as yet. The victim is making a good recovery in hospital. On Mbima Farm illegal occupiers demanded access to the barn complex in order to live in the three houses that are there. This was refused. Police were informed but there has been no reaction.  The store was broken into and theft took place.  The police were informed but there has been no reaction. There is continued occupation of staff houses by illegal occupiers. Illegal cattle are on the farm. This is a small, one only farm and meets none of the criteria laid down for acquisition. Numwa Farm owner was given 3 days to remove all the tobacco and vacate the farm by Isaac Mureverwi. There has been a break-in and theft of fertilizer and diesel drained from all the tractors. The police arrived but showed little interest. Msasa Estates is an unlisted farm. The owner was visited by Agritex  to say they were coming to peg. There has been theft of 4 irrigation taps and bends. On Boisserain Farm 30 irrigation pipes were stolen and the owner laid an ambush and arrested 2 people, l escaped. The police did respond. Skoonveld & Bickleigh Farms had all the labour chased off by war vet Kujeke but they appear to have stopped beating the labour. The owner was told to leave the farm and that the paprika belongs to the illegal occupiers, who informed the owner that they intended to remove the compound house roofing. On Bita Farm 4 dead cattle were found, one had drowned and the cause of death of the other 3 is unknown.  The meat was not taken. To owner of Nelson Farm was told to have all the cattle off the farm by the 31.9.01. This has been resolved for the time being. There are illegal cattle on Leeds Farm and no guards are allowed. The owner had been watering seedbeds and left one worker to finish off.  The worker was stopped by illegal occupiers from the next door farm and told not to work in the seedbeds. Later 2 illegal occupiers from Leeds, Bobo and Maisiri, removed the pipes from the seedbeds. The owner filmed them leaving with the pipes and they threatened the owner that they would kill him. They later repeated their threat and said it also applied to any ploughing that took place.  After some discussion, Maisiri downgraded his threat to a severe beating. They told the employee that the DA had instructed them to stop any work in the seedbeds and lands. On Nurenzi Farm Agritex are pegging. Lilifontein 6 poachers with dogs killed a warthog. Police reacted after +- 5 hours. Another warthog was poached the following day and the police arrived and another shot was heard as soon as they had left. At Corby a water pump was stolen and the workshops was broken into twice. In each case the guards had been chased away beforehand. One worker was beaten. War vets Chigwedere and Zinyoro arrived on the farm with government valuators. The owner was told he could not have any guards and must vacate the farm by Wed 3.10.01. At Wedza Club there have been several thefts in the past couple of weeks. The Nursery school was broken into and some of the stolen goods were found at the house of the war vet on Sheffield. He has been arrested by the police. Fels Farm had the plastic covering over the roses slashed. 25 rifle shots were heard around the houses. Rapako Farm owner and his son met with the full Lands Committee at the DA's office in Wedza . The main speaker was war vet Chigwedere. The owner once again asked to be allowed to bring in a few of the workers to finish off the tobacco grading and to work in the rose greenhouses and on the cattle. The request for about 60 workers was turned down as Mr Chigwedere explained that the workers could not be trusted not to fight with the new settlers on the farm. He stated that the owner would have to use the new settlers to move the tobacco to another area where it can be handled without the use of the labourers. The owner pointed out that there were still very few settlers on the farm. When asked about the 2.5 hectares of roses which are now dying, Mr Chigwedere stated that he felt the owner had made enough money out of them by now and that the owner would therefore no longer require them. But again the owner could negotiate with the settlers to help with the flowers. The owner was told to make sure the cattle were either moved off the farm or herded so they did not interfere with the new settlers’ crops. Mr Chigwdere said that the game animals were now the property of the settlers and they would deal with any game animals which ate their crops. The DA stated that he had information from the workers that the workers had carted all their possessions into the communal land so that they could come back to fight the settlers without fear of damaging their furniture. The owner stated that this was not true and that it was the war vets who made them move all their possessions into the barn area where they lived for a week before, once again, being forced by the war vets to load all their possessions onto tractor and trailers and into lorries to get them off the farm. Both the DA and Chigwedere stated that if the farm was delisted the owner would be able to get the labour back and return to work. There have been numerous cases of snaring of game and cattle and one case of a cow being slashed.
Macheke-Virginia -   Whilst the owner of Nyagadzi was off the farm, war veterans blocked the entrance to the owner’s home and barns with trees and told the labour that the owner was not allowed back on the farm, and that the workers could only work within the barns fence. The Lands Committee visited the farm and resolved the situation. On Glensomerset war veterans have prevented the collection of bricks. Chirunji had a total work stoppage and a delegation singing and dancing at the gate for about two and a half hours.  This was reported to Cst Madenge and was later resolved by the Lands Committee. The police visited the scene afterwards and reported a slaughtered calf. Leyland Farm has had Agritex pegging on it. DDF have been assessing Twist Farm to see if it is suitable for A2 resettlement. Chigori have reported the theft of gum poles and wire. DDF have continued to build huts and to plough.  The police have been following up on these reports, as well as noticing obvious signs of poaching amongst settlers which is also being followed up. The owner and labour have been threatened with death on Mignon.  There have also been reports of grass theft from the yard. The situation on Flint is still unresolved and the labourers are living in the barns. Government Evaluators have been reported assessing the property on Paradise farm.
 
 MASHONALAND WEST
 
On Elveden Farm Security Officer Mpofu had a meeting with the labour regarding Zanu PF cards and the invasions.  The labour informed Mpofu that the farm is not a listed farm, but Mpofu said that it is. He accused the farmer of pulling out the pegs but said the farmer must continue to plant. Finally he asked the farmer for petrol, which the farmer did not have, then Mpofu wanted $500 which was also refused. On Squatodzi Farm work has resumed  without problems. The DA was phoned and he instructed the settlers that they must let farmer get on with all operations and he would visit the farm to check on the situation. The work was stopped by the chairman of the settlers.  St Johns Estate has a work stoppage again as has St Andrews.  Preston Farm has been listed and pegged and has a number of very militant settlers who have made huge demands and refuse to allow farm work to continue. Farmer continues to try and resolve the stalemate.
 
 MASHONALAND WEST (NORTH)
 
Chinhoyi – The is a work stoppage on Mtunzi and Njiri Farms.   At an organised meeting with the settlers, it was decided that the farmer would try and get the D.A. and Governor to come out to the farm to resolve several issues, one being the fact the fact that tobacco had been planted on land that had been pegged and the settlers wanted to pull out the tobacco in order to plant their maize.   The Governor had informed the farmer to go ahead and plant the tobacco crop. This was not believed by the settlers who wanted clarification on the issue.  They insisted that the farmer stop a labour gang that was re-filling tobacco and that there was to be no further work in the land until this issue was resolved.   Also the tractor that was triffing for the late crop was stopped.  On Manyamba Farm  the irrigated tobacco land is now the settlers’ housing complex,   After harvesting wheat,  they were planning to disc and ridge for tobacco.   On the 2nd, the tractor and roam was stopped and on 3rd, the roam worked for about 45 minutes before it was stopped.  At Longmead Farm a tractor that was out ridging was stopped and sent home.  In the afternoon the settlers went to the seedbeds and stopped the workers from irrigating the seedlings.   They threatened to assault any workers who tried to switch the irrigation back on.  The settlers also threatened to collect all the cattle and herd them into the yard.   At Chisaki Farm the ridger worked until 4.30 when the settlers suddenly woke up to the fact that it was working in the lands, and stopped it. On Temperly Farm in the absence of the farmer the labourers spent  the whole day planting tobacco, but t the end of the day the foreman was presented with a list of demands to be met if they were to continue planting. This amounts to extortion in the form of preparing half of the farm for them to use, which is totally unacceptable to the farmer as it results in another work stoppage.   At Long Valley the farmer sent a gang to take down one section of fencing so that he could use it to put around a settler's house that is in the middle of a paddock that he wants his cattle to graze.   The workers were stopped from doing so by the Police details based on that farm who advised the farmer that he would be compensated for the fence and not to remove it. The Police detail also advised the farmer to contact Chief Inspector Mudziwapasi, M.I.C. Rural, for clarification.   The C.I. was unavailable. On Talfourd Farm there  was a work stoppage  and the tractor and ridger were sent off the land.
 
 MASHONALAND CENTRAL
 
Bindura - A group of six armed and camouflaged men arrived on Condwelani Farm and forced the security guard to open the gates to the owner's house.  The owner, whose wife was away at the time, locked himself and his two children in a cupboard and managed to call for help.   When help arrived, accusations were made against the owner saying that he had been responsible for the burning down of two houses belonging to the illegal settlers.  Threats were made against the owner with the invaders claiming that they had to "Deal with him".  Whilst this was going on, a swarm of bees descended upon the invaders and they all had to run for their lives.  No one else was hurt. Negotiations are still in progress as the owner has stated that he is innocent of any of the accusations.  On Saturday, two of the owner's workers were forcefully evicted from their homes and had to flee the area.
 
Glendale - The owner of Harmony Farm returned from leave to find that his farm had been pegged.
 
Centenary - The illegal settlers and labourers on Ashmere Farm attempted to extort finances from the owner of the farm in the form of gratuities. The owner was called to Centenary for negotiations and when he reported the matter to the Police they refused to give him a report number.
 
Mazoe/Concession - The work stoppages on Taveydale and Normindale Farms have come to an end and the farms are fully operational again. On Warmingdale Farm a Policewoman has illegally occupied the manager's cottage and demanded that the electricity and water be connected at the owner's expense.
 
Mvurwi - Officials from Agritex arrived on Braid Julie Farm and told the illegal settlers to peg land for permanent dwellings and once these had been built, to remove the shacks they had been living in.
 
Midlands
Kwekwe - generally there is lots of movement and DDF tractors are preparing land for settlers. Poaching and snaring are ongoing and rife. On one farm, occupiers held meetings at which everyone living on the farm was told to obtain party cards at a cost of $82.00 each. On another farm, $250 000.00 worth of irrigation equipment was stolen, including 39 sprinklers, taps, aluminium bends and end caps. All of them had been marked and police have said they will investigate. This is the fourth farm in the area to have irrigation equipment stolen.
 
Manicaland
Mutare - On Dairy Farm the settlers set fire to grazing and a cow was burnt to death in the process.  On Saturday DDF arrived and drilled a borehole, the owner contacted the Governor who asked him to take a copy of the Abuja agreement to Mutasa and resolve the situation.
 
Nyanga - The situation at Claremont is ongoing.
 

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aisd1@cfu.co.zw
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From The Daily News, 8 October

Mnangagwa ordered armed robber’s release

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Speaker of Parliament, facilitated the release of a hard core criminal when he was the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, an inquiry by the High Court has established. The discovery was made by Justice David Bartlett in July after he convicted George Tanyanyiwa Chikanga of armed robbery involving more than $200 000. Chikanga robbed First Bank Corporation’s Birmingham branch in Harare on 16 September 2000. Before passing sentence, Bartlett established that Chikanga had in 1990 been convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison on various counts of armed robbery. But he only served nine years of the sentence after Mnangagwa’s intervention.

The court heard Chikanga had been released earlier because he suffered from hypertension. Bartlett then ordered that Chikanga be examined by a medical doctor to establish his condition and the circumstances leading to his release in March last year. When the case resumed last Thursday, a medical report presented before Bartlett showed that Chikanga did not suffer from hypertension as claimed upon his release. Chikanga was then asked to tell the court how he had managed to come out of jail before completing his prison term. His lawyer, Tichaona Garabga, told the court that it was his client’s mother, Febby Chikanga, who petitioned Mnangagwa to have her son released. Mnangagwa became the Speaker of Parliament last July after he was defeated by the MDC’s Blessing Chebundo in last year’s parliamentary election in Kwekwe.

Febby Chikanga was then called to explain the circumstances leading to the release of her son. She said after her son was sentenced to 35 years in jail in 1990, she wrote six petitions to the Ministry of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs pleading to have him released on the grounds that he was only 17-years-old when he committed the offence. She also said her son was the family’s sole breadwinner. She said Irene Zindi, the former MP for Hatfield where she resides, then advised her to meet Mnangagwa and present her case to him. Zindi lost her constituency to Tapiwa Mashakada, the MDC’s shadow minister of finance, in last year’s parliamentary election.

Chikanga told the court that after the meeting with Mnangagwa, following her last petition in February last year, Augustine Chikumira, the late permanent secretary in the ministry, then wrote a letter to the prison officials directing them to release her son. She secured his release in March last year. She said if the court wished, it could call Mnangagwa to give evidence on the matter. In a letter written to Bartlett and read in court, David Mangota, the new permanent secretary in the ministry, thanked the judge for unearthing the scandal.

Meanwhile, in the latest case, the State alleges that on 16 September 2000, Chikanga armed with a pistol assaulted First Bank employees, Rungamai Bhebhe, Pavelot Mukucha, Virginia Ndowora, Pharastein Chinokora, Roggers Shonhiwa, and Joseph Magaya, before he stole $221 000 from the bank. The court heard that a search by the police at Chikanga’s house in Hillside, recovered $632 000 and some foreign currency. Bartlett is yet to deliver sentence on the matter.

From IRIN (UN), 8 October

Prison Service suspends 16 alleged opposition supporters

Sixteen prison officers were allegedly suspended indefinitely from the Zimbabwe Prison Service on allegations that they were active members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the 'Daily news' reported on Monday. The report said the officers were stationed at the Chikurubi prison headquarters complex, comprising of the maximum security prison facility and training depot in Harare. The newspaper quoted a letter dated 27 September and sent to each of the suspended officers as saying: "The above named member is to be placed on interdiction from duty on half pay with effect from 27 September 2001 in terms of Section 6 (1) of the Prisons (Staff) (Appointment and Discharge) Regulations, 1984 for allegations of being an active member of the opposition political party MDC." Some of the suspended officers were quoted as saying that they had been visited by Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI) officers. They said they were living "in constant fear for their lives". They denied being active members of the MDC, insisting they did not belong to any political party, the report said.

From News24(SA), 8 October

Zim test case for USA, UK

Cape Town - Zimbabwe is being seen as a test case for Africa by powerful nations, particularly Britain and the United States, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said on Monday. In a speech prepared for delivery to the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in Johannesburg, he said the "hard truth is that the developed world has very little financial interest in Africa". There were plenty of low-risk, high-return investment opportunities in China, South America and Eastern Europe, for the world to pass Africa by in the 21st Century.

While the world's attention was diverted by the terrorist attack on the United States, and the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Australia was postponed, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe had taken full advantage to "continue his own reign of terror against his citizens". Since the September 6 Commonwealth task group meeting in Abuja, Nigeria - hailed as a "breakthrough" - a total of 30 new farms had been invaded in Zimbabwe, at least three people killed in political violence, and the intimidation and arrests of opposition campaigners in by-elections in that country continued. Farm-workers' homes had been looted and razed to the ground, and 350 000 farm-workers could lose their jobs by the end of the year.

"With this humanitarian crisis on our borders, South Africa has a moral duty not to turn away. But we also have compelling political and economic reasons to care about Zimbabwe," Leon said. South Africa and Africa had also been under attack since September 11. "There has been an unprecedented - and to some extent unwarranted - attack on the rand. Foreign capital flows to Africa, which were never more than a trickle, are draining away." The success of President Thabo Mbeki's Millennium Africa Plan (MAP), and the New African Initiative (NAI) of the African Union (AU), depended on resolving the Zimbabwe crisis.

"But another reason for supporting peace and development in Africa has emerged in the past month. Africa is of strategic importance in the global war against terrorism," Leon said. Mbeki and the AU should make it clear that economic growth and political stability were hostile conditions for radical extremists. British Prime Minister Tony Blair alluded to this in his recent speech to the Labour Party conference, when he warned that if the world continued to ignore the sufferings of African nations. it would breed anger and frustration which would threaten global stability, Leon said.

Also, just ten days after the terror attacks on the United States, US acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, William Bellamy, said that "concern in the US over events in Zimbabwe remains high". "If the US Congress can consider the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Bill at a time like this, and Tony Blair singles out Zimbabwe in his latest speech, then how can South Africa remain silent? Perhaps the greatest weakness of South African foreign policy is the ANC government's apparent inability to separate the party's friendships and loyalties from South Africa's foreign interests. It is certainly not in South Africa's interests to be seen as prepared to overlook the foibles of old comrades in the liberation struggle. Africa and the world have moved on, and the ANC must accept this reality," Leon said.

From The Daily News, 8 October

Former MP flees invaders

Masvingo - Albert Chamwadoro, the former MP for Chivi North has fled his Allanvale Farm near Mashava after he was threatened by scores of farm invaders. Chamwadoro said: "The invaders have blocked the entrance to the farmhouse and have threatened to kill me. I have since left the farm for security reasons. All the farm employees have been chased away. I have tried my level best to have them evicted but Masvingo Provincial Governor Josaya Hungwe wants them to stay. He also wants to acquire the farm for resettlement." The farm invaders are allegedly taking instructions from Hungwe who is the chairman of the provincial land committee.

Although the government has said all black-owned farms would be spared from acquisition, Hungwe said the farm should still be acquired for resettlement. The governor’s determination to acquire the farm is being viewed as a ploy to frustrate and embarrass members of the Zanu PF faction led by Eddison Zvobgo. Chamwadoro belongs to the Zvobgo camp in the faction-torn province where Hungwe leads a group of Zanu PF supporters allegedly aligned to Vice-President Simon Muzenda. Zvobgo is a former Minister without Portfolio who fell out of favour with President Mugabe after he was dropped from the ruling party’s supreme organ, the politburo.

Chemwadoro bought the 235 hectare piece of land from the Mashaba-Shabanie Mines last year. Hungwe, however, said the certificate of no present interest had been cancelled by the provincial land committee. He said the sale transaction that took place between the former MP and the Mines had been reversed. "All those people who are on Chamwadoro’s farm should remain and if the need to put more people arises we will do so," Hungwe said.

From IRIN (UN), 9 October

Food shortages begin to bite

The view from one of Zimbabwe's beleaguered commercial farmer's houses is a constant reminder of what he has lost. From the front window he can clearly see what was once a rolling field of lush green wheat. It has been reduced to a bed of dry stalks after pro-government militants drove cattle through the field. "That crop was worth millions. But at least they did not physically harm me," the farmer said, pleading with IRIN not to publicise his case. He doesn't want to provoke more action from the militants still occupying the southern part of his mixed-production farm in Beatrice district, 60 km south of Harare.

At Manyati village not far from Beatrice, 41-year-old widow and mother-of-four Mary Makombo despairs. "The five bags of maize we harvested will take us to around March next year, after that I do not know what we shall eat," she says. Zimbabwe, in the throes of its worst economic and political crisis since independence, faces critical food shortages because of disruptions in agriculture, and a severe lack of foreign aid and hard currency. Illegal farm seizures and chaotic fast-track land reform, as well as a delay in the start of the rainy season last year, shortages of fuel, farming inputs and a mid-season dry spell, all combined to cause a drop in agricultural production, said University of Zimbabwe (UZ) crop science lecturer Pangirai Tongoona.

Agricultural analysts say the failure of the state-run Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to pay communal farmers, who normally produce 60 percent of Zimbabwe's maize, has been a major contributing factor to the looming food crisis. Observers agree that preventing starvation next year in Zimbabwe will require external help. But with an election on the horizon, the government has been reluctant to acknowledge the extent of the problem. Finance Minister Simba Makoni told parliament recently that 100,000 mts of maize and 60,000 mts of wheat would have to be imported to make up for shortfalls in domestic production. According to a United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimate in June, Zimbabwe will need to import a total of about 570,0000 mts of maize and wheat to avert starvation and replenish its reserves.

The Zimbabwe Grain Producers' Association (ZPGA), bringing together mainly white large-scale commercial grain producers, said according to its research the country last season produced 1.8 million mts against a total annual requirement of 2.6 million mts of maize. The country needed to import a minimum of 350,000 mts of maize, ZPGA said. "Without these additional imports Zimbabwe will run dry of maize from 1 April, 2002 until the new crop is harvested," ZPGA administrator Vanessa Mckay said. University of Zimbabwe (UZ) political scientist Elphious Mukonoweshuro told IRIN that the government was deliberately downplaying the food shortages for fear that Zimbabweans would hold it's fast-track land policy responsible. "For the government to accept figures scientifically produced by local and international food experts that put the food deficit much higher would be accepting a liability," Mukonoweshuro said.

Although the government continues to publicly downplay the possibility of a major food crisis, action on the ground suggests that Mugabe's administration is taking the threat seriously. Last month the government banned all exports of basic foods, including the staple maize meal. In June, in a move to increase control over maize and wheat, Mugabe made it illegal to buy or sell the two crops - except through the GMB. Last month it hiked producer prices for maize and wheat in an attempt to stimulate production next year. Meanwhile, in regions with low rainfall, like the Masvingo and Matabeleland provinces, there are already visible signs of food shortages with most families requiring food supplements because they did not harvest enough to feed themselves. But with little external aid forthcoming and dwindling amounts of foreign currency to import food, their plight seems set to worsen.

From The Amani Trust, 8 September

Human Rights Statistical Summary - July to September 2001

TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY VIOLATIONS: 27, 633

Deaths: (gunshot, burns, beatings): 30

Assaults (blunt/ sharp, burns 2,928

Property offences: (destruction, theft) 1,165

Death/disappearance threats: 753

Rape 6

Rape threat 12

Assault threats 5,138

False accusations 796

Forced displacement: 20,853

Detention/kidnapping: 586

Unlawful dismissal 210

Barricading 218

No of farming/wilderness areas affected by deliberate land burning 33

POLITICAL AFFILIATION OF VICTIMS

(1 July – 30 September 2001)

Unknown 61,7 %

MDC 33,0%

Zanu PF 5,3 %

POLITICAL AFFILIATION OF PERPETRATORS

(1 July – 30 September 2001)

Zanu PF (war veterans, youths etc) 73,3 %

STATE AGENCIES

Army/air force: 4,4 %

Police 16,0 %

CIO: 0,6 %

MDC: 2,5 %

unknown: 3,2 %

There has been a dramatic increase in reported violence in the last three months, mainly linked to continued violence on commercial farms, which have affected tens of thousands of families, but also linked to elections around the country, notably in Chikombe and (to a lesser degree) Bulawayo. The patterns of affiliation of perpetrators and victims remain similar to previous months.

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