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Your
Excellencies, as you are aware the verdict in the MDC President’s treason trial
is scheduled for tomorrow, October 15 at 10 am. Naturally, I assume that you
might want to know our positions, state of our preparedness and responses to
several scenarios that might unfold in the next 24 hours.
The
position of the MDC on the whole treason trial saga has been a matter of public
record since the whole charade began.
The
whole trial was nothing but a political show specifically designed to cripple
the opposition by targeting the leadership with the hope of eventually
paralyzing and ultimately destroying the MDC.
The
Mugabe regime has a well-established record of using trumped accusations of
treason to destroy opposition political parties in this country. The political
experiences of Abel Muzorewa, Joshua Nkomo and Ndabaningi Sithole are well known
to the international community. In line with the political behavior of despots
the world-over, this particular dictator regards criticism and opposition to his
tyranny as treasonous.
A
treason charge has therefore been a handy tool for Mugabe to silence political
opponents and as was the case with Muzorewa and Sithole. Morgan Tsvangirai was
accused of treason during the run up to an election as a strategy to discredit
and cripple the MDC. It is a case with all the hallmarks of Mugabe’s legendary
ruthlessness, opportunism and total moral deficiency.
The
lengthy trial was an unnecessary and somewhat criminal abuse of public funds and
a clear demonstration of the extent to which pillars of the state, state
institutions and law enforcement agencies have been politicized and subverted in
the service of a brutal tyranny.
In these clear
circumstances of institutional abuse, the position of the MDC is that an
acquittal is the only possible outcome dictated by the fundamental facts of the
case. It is the only verdict capable of public defence.
The
timing of the judgment is also designed to inflict what the regime believes to
be maximum political damage on the MDC. The regime believes that a conviction of
the MDC President would paralyze the organizational structure of the MDC,
dismantle leadership cohesion and derail the focus of the party from
concentrating on electoral reform and the upcoming elections. It is therefore a
judgment, which will be delivered in the context of political calculation to
weaken the MDC.
But of course all this
is a terrible miscalculation on the part of the regime. The leadership is united
on all our common objectives and party organization is focused to confront this
challenge and achieve the goals that we have set for
ourselves.
Finally, I want to state for the record and
put to rest any idle speculation on one critical issue. Whatever will be the
outcome of tomorrow’s verdict Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai will remain the President of
the MDC and so will the constitutional perking order of the party. Nothing will
change in the leadership structure, personnel or composition. The leadership
crisis within the MDC, which the regime has been expecting and trying to
engineer in the press and through the treason trial will not materialize. If
anything, the MDC will emerge stronger
and more resolute and united from the experience of the treason
trial.
ZANU PF PLANNING TO DISRUPT TOMORROW’S HIGH COURT PROCEEDINGS
Reports reaching us indicate
that Zanu PF is planning to stir up trouble at the High Court in
We are aware of a series of
meetings since Friday last week at the Zanu PF provincial headquarters in
The plan will be executed by
members of the Zanu PF militia, with the support of rogue war veterans and
misguided state security agents. New clothing has been procured for the militias
to enable them to gain access to the High Court, fill up the court room and then
execute their plan. Altogether, 600 Zanu PF activists are to be deployed for
this operation.
The question uppermost in our
minds is why the state should go that far. Is there someone, other than the
judge, with advance information as to the contents of the
judgment?
We are further informed that
there shall be a heavy police presence throughout the City of
I wish to reiterate our
position that instead of wasting time trying to harass the MDC, it is high time
the Mugabe regime realizes that the priority today is food and jobs. The nation
needs a new beginning. The n ationneedsafreshstart.Weneednationalhealing. We
need a new
Paul Themba
Nyathi
Secretary for
Information
ZNSPCA
INSPECTORATE : OCTOBER 2004
UPDATE
The small ZNSPCA crew continue to
respond to the relentless reports. Their
work on farms, of necessity, has increased and this has probably been the team’s
busiest period yet.
Inspector Simon Chikadaya has been
promoted to Senior Inspector and Trainee Mahias Trengaruwa is showing great
potential – Meryl reports that he has a wonderful way with animals. –
presently bottle feeding 2 young orphaned lambs that were found in a
kraal on an invaded farm in Featherstone.
Trainee Inspector Justine Dare is kept very busy with her administrative
duties, but has also been conducting investigations into condition of Security
dogs.
Meryl has submitted the following
report on recent events:
1.
Roy Bennett’s invaded farm, Charleswood Estate, continued to occupy much
of our time during June and July. ZNSPCA
were tipped off that the Government owned Agricultural and Rural Development
Authority (ARDA) was going to commence moving Roy’s cattle from Chartleswood to
their Charter Estate in the Chikoma area.
We were appalled as this would entail a journey of some 400 kilometres
lasting approximately 12 hours and we knew that many of these cattle were too
weak to survive the journey. We also
heard that several of the experienced cattle transporters had refused the job
because of the very steep gradients between Chimanimani and Mutare. The whole exercise was tantamount to
stock-theft, but ZNSPCA were unable to stop it.
Simon and I drove down to
Chimanimani to monitor the first load - we were not impressed with the two hired
trucks and the loading of the cattle by ARDA staff was very rough. The presence of ZNSPCA was vital and we were
able to stop several weaners being loaded that would never have survived the
trip. We followed the first two
truckloads out of Charleswood and were promptly stopped at a Police roadblock
just outside the village of Chimanimani.
Normally ZNSPCA vehicles are always waved through. This time they ordered Simon and I out of the
truck and they just about stripped the vehicle.
Then began the long trip to Charter
Estate. The two trucks were in poor
mechanical shape and several times on the steep inclines, the drivers had great
difficulty changing from second to first gear.
At Clouds End we left them and droved down to Chipinge to collect an
abandoned security dog. At 9.30 pm the
ARDA vet phoned me to ask me if I knew where the Charleswood cattle were. They finally arrived at 10 am the next day,
having had mechanical breakdowns and 2 punctures.
We monitored the off-loading of the
cattle, several were ‘down’ and all were exhausted. It was as if they had not been expected -
there was no access to food in the kraal they were put into and ZNSPCA had to
start mobilising ARDA staff to provide hay.
We returned to Charter Estate the following day to find two ‘downed’ cows
still lying in the hot sun - no water and only a small handful of crushed maize
had been placed near them. ZNSPCA cut
green grass for them, collected hay and brought them buckets of water. They were extremely hungry and thirsty, but
despite our efforts they both died the following day.
Over the next few weeks,
approximately 600 head of Bennett’s cattle were moved by road to ARDA’s Charter
Estate. ZNSPCA monitored the loading and
off-loading when we could, but several more did not survive. We watched whilst ARDA workers superimposed
their brand over Bennett’s brand. On one
of our many trips to Charleswood we had Roy’s old mare ‘Cutex’ euthanaised – she
was loosing condition rapidly, had a very bad eye and was not being given the
essential medication which we had provided for her.
2.
A family was violently evicted from Pendennis Farm in Karoi, this time by
an Officer from the Prison Services.
Thugs arrived at 4pm and gave the family until daybreak to get off the
farm. In the early hours of the morning
as they were leaving they went to put the 2 family dogs in the car but ‘Sheba’
an elderly Ridgeback was extremely stressed and bit the Son as he tried to lift
her into the car. Further attempts to
catch her failed and the distraught family had to leave without their beloved
dog. ZNSPCA were contacted and several
days later we drove the 193 km to Karoi.
Armed Prison Officers at the farm gate told us that we couldn’t go in
without a “pass” from Harare. We drove
down the road, picked up a female Prison Officer, informed the guards that she
was our “pass” and drove in.
We soon found Sheba wandering round
the garden looking very lost and the house was empty and deserted. However, as soon as she saw us she
disappeared into the flowerbeds. This
was not going to be easy, but we had brought some steak and tranquillisers with
us. She ate the drugged meat hungrily
but two and a half hours later she was still running away from us. Finally she walked unsteadily into the garage
and we were able to catch her. It was
after dark by the time we delivered Sheba to her anxious owners who had rented a
house in Harare. There was an emotional
re-union that made it all worthwhile. We
later heard that Sheba slept for the next 48 hours!
3.
When driving through Karoi recently, we found a German Shepherd and a
Labrador, both in excellent condition, running around in a very anxious state in
the middle of the main Karoi/Kariba road.
We managed to catch them and get them into the back of the ZNSPCA
truck. We later discovered that their
owner’s farm had been invaded and they were away. Neighbours rallied round and moved all their
possessions to another farm, putting the two dogs temporarily in the garden of
the local churchyard. Later a resident,
unaware that the dogs were there, left the gate open. The dogs were later re-united with their
owners.
4.
In mid-August we received a frantic phone call from another farmer, again
in the Karoi area. He was the owner of 2
tame Lions ‘Beau’ and ‘Storm. Officials
from National Parks had arrived at the farm together with the Police, wanting to
arrest him because he did not have a Permit for the Lions and because he had
“dangerous animals” on the farm. They
had obviously been sent by war veterans in the area who wanted the farmer to
leave. He was taken away by the Police
and spent two nights in jail for this
“offence”. In the meantime, we applied
to the Parks Department for an urgent Permit.
The farmer was released on the Monday but he and his Wife felt it was not
safe to go back to the farm. He had left
two workers (whom the Lions loved!) to look after them. A few days later, a neighbour phoned to say
that the Police and Parks were back again, this time to “confiscate” the
Lions. I spoke to one of the officials
and informed him that the Permit was being processed, that the female was
pregnant and could possibly abort from the stress of being moved. Parks later left the farm, without the
Lions.
The issue of the Lions’ Permit was
then held up by a major investigation into corruption taking place at National
Parks. In an official’s words “all
permits will in future go under the microscope”. Eventually, it was issued, but by this time
the farmer had taken the matter of his arrest to Court where it was ruled that
his detention had been unlawful. The
harassment continued and he and his Wife decided to leave the farm for
good. He requested the ZNSPCA’s help
with relocating the Lions to another farm in the Karoi area. In the meantime, Storm had given birth to two
cubs, but sadly the stress of not having ‘Chalkie’ with her had taken its toll
and she rejected the cubs – one subsequently died, but the other is being
hand-reared and is doing well.
The Lions were successfully darted
by a game-capture unit and relocated to a spacious new boma on the other side of
Karoi. It was a huge wrench for Chalkie
to say good-bye to his beloved Lions for the last time – he and Sandy left for
the UK a few days later.
5.
Several months ago farmers in the Odzi area had been violently evicted
and left behind many of their possessions, including horses. The owners were concerned about their
welfare but it was not safe for them to visit the farm. The ZNSPCA gained permission from the Police
Officer-in-Charge to check on the horses.
We found war veterans in the garden who had been sent to “guard” the
property. They helped us find the horses
which were in a pretty bad way – a chestnut pony mare had a wire snare round
both hind legs, dragging half a tree behind her, several of the Palominos (these
belonged to the farmer who had accidentally shot and killed a war veteran when
he was attacked) had bad ear infections caused by ticks, with pus pouring down
their cheeks. A young gelding had very
bad mange and all the horses were covered in ticks, especially large Bont
ticks. It took some time to catch the
mare with the snare, but we were able to cut the wire and treat the wounds. One or two of the Palominos were approachable
and we were able to treat them, but the young gelding was very nervous, as were
the other 5 Palominos. ZNSPCA is
grateful to Mark Evans who accompanied us to Mapor Farm and who used all his
Monty Roberts cunning to catch the horses.
I asked the resident war vets if we could uplift the 7 horses and pet
donkey. We were referred to the war vets
in Mutare and the Chairman later phoned to give ZNSPCA the necessary authority. Two weeks later, we returned to Mapor Farm
with a large lorry borrowed from a local farmer, horse cubes, hay and of course
Mark Evans accompanied by wife, Claire.
We had a feeling the settlers had been chasing the horses as they were
even more elusive. Sadly, in spite of
our search, there was no sign of the pet donkey ‘Tackies’, presumably stolen for
ploughing. It took us 6 ½ hours to catch
and load them with the little chestnut gelding being the easiest of the
lot. Without Mark and Claire, Simon,
Mathias and I would still be trying to catch them. Because they were so stressed we decided to
move them a short distance to a ‘safe’ farm on the outskirts of Mutare. Mark offered to leave one of his grooms with
the horses for a week whilst he got to know their temperaments and suitability
for re-homing. The two owners had given
ZNSPCA instructions “to do what you have to do” as they were now living in
suburban Mutare unable to have the horses back.
We returned a week later. Sadly in this job decisions have to be made
and we euthanaised five of the seven, returning to Harare with a Palomino
gelding and the chestnut pony. A vet was
called in to attend to both of them and in Mark and Claire’s care they are
looking much better already. ‘Alaska’
and ‘Denver’ will be re-homed as soon as the vet has given them the all
clear.
6.
Brunton Farm, Bromley, was mentioned in our last report (owner’s Wife
badly beaten and house ransacked).
ZNSPCA were monitoring the feeding of the horses, but after a few days
workers were chased away by a local war vet (female) who wants the farm. Horses had to be moved and two were
euthanaised as unsuitable for re-homing.
Three cats were left behind and for
over 6 weeks ZNSPCA has been checking the cat traps every day. The cats are very nervous because the house
is not empty and settlers are camped in the garden. Tragically a settler with a grievance against
the owners took 2 of the cats out of the traps before we got there and their
bodies were found floating in a nearby well.
We called the Police and had him arrested. He is due to appear in Court soon. As for ‘Silver’, we are determined to catch
her and now have the resident settlers on our side. We have put the trap inside the house and
have broken a window in the lounge, which she is now using to get in at
night.
7.
Distressed Nyanga residents asked ZNSPCA to check on 6 horses that
belonged to Brondesbury Park Hotel that, in spite of the hotel being closed,
horses are still there. Hotel has been
closed for two years due to current decline in tourism, but a skeleton staff
remains including two grooms. Horses
were not in bad condition, there is plenty of grazing and the grooms are doing
the best they can under difficult circumstances. However, ZNSPCA euthanaised one young horse
that was very ill – neck and throat covered in abscesses – had apparently been
like that for some time.
8.
August Hill Farm, Goromonzi, elderly owner violently evicted for the
second time. His farm was taken over
several months ago by a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation who
felled many fir trees and sold the wood, but did not move in. Owner informed the local Police that the farm
continued to be unoccupied, so the Police told him to return. He had been living there for several weeks
when he was violently evicted again.
Extremely traumatised, he left for this original home in Scotland. ZNSPCA was called in to rescue the owner’s
pet cat for the second time. After two
weeks we caught his cat but found her very dehydrated and stressed, however
after a week at the vets she had made an excellent recovery and we are hoping to
re-home her.
9.
The Sable on Tengwe Estate were mentioned in the previous report – ZNSPCA
had high hopes that after many weeks of negotiating with all stake-holders, with
the Movement Permit issued by the Parks Dept and a Game Capture Unit organised,
that we would at last be able to secure the release of the Sable. However, it was not to be. We arrived at the gate of the farm early in
the morning. The large trucks to move
the Sable belonging to the Game Capture Team were already in place, but so was a
large mob of settlers, war vets, ex-workers and their rent-a-crowd. Two armed guards from National Parks arrived
to oversee the re-location but to no avail.
The crowds were demanding a ”percentage” in exchange for allowing the
removal of the farmer’s Sable – this could run into millions and was pure
extortion. All ZNSPCA could do was once
again express our concern over the welfare of the Sable as they were being
hunted and poached every weekend by Government Officials from Harare. No one would listen to reason and finally a
delegation, including war vets, National Parks and the Game Capture Unit
departed for the offices of the Urungwe District Council.
Simon and I waited outside the gate
all day, nearby a beer hall provided loud music and alcohol to keep up the
spirits of the waiting crowds. At 5.30
pm, it was starting to get dark and the crowd were getting restless and talking
about stoning the ZNSPCA truck – we left, having waited 9 ½ hours. Returning to the farm the following morning,
it was to learn that the meeting had not reached any agreement and the crowds
were continuing to refuse the trucks entry.
We headed back to Harare. Since
then a fire has swept through Tengwe Estate and there is virtually no grazing
for the Sable. I spoke to the main war
veteran at the farm this week who informed me that he was “now bored with the
issue of the Sable and wants to get on with farming” – but he will still not
allow them to be moved. ZNSPCA will
continue to fight for their re-location to a safe place.
10.
Lussoff Farm in Featherstone – The Police phoned to report that sheep
were dying in large numbers on this farm where the owner had been evicted, but
had left the sheep on the farm in the hopes that he would be able to
return. ZNSPCA was provided with a
Police escort and found the situation critical.
There was no grazing and several lambs had died, as their mothers had no
milk. We were shown the ‘graves’ of many
adult sheep. The owner was advised and
immediately sent supplementary feed and moved all the sheep to an unlisted farm
this week.
11.
For two and a half years ZNSPCA has been fighting for the release of 90
Sable that have been incarcerated in bomas at Somerby Farm, Norton at the
Quarantine Station there. Due to a long
complicated dispute over ownership, involving a conservancy and politicians, the
Sable have been living a miserable existence in small bomas lined with black
shade cloth. The Sables’ deteriorating
health has resulted in most youngsters that were born not surviving or else the
mothers aborting. Adults’ hooves have
grown too long as they have not worn down naturally. Twice all the Sable have had to be
tranquillised in order have their hooves trimmed – on the first occasion this
was funded by ZNSPCA.
As the wrangles continued in Court
and the whole issue became a political hot potato, the Sable began to die
because they were not being fed properly.
ZNSPCA has now “seized” the sable in terms of the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals Act – we obtained a Court Order from a Provincial Magistrate in
Harare and this in effect puts them in
our care, until they are strong enough to be re-located. Funding has been set up for their feeding and
now that, after many months, they are receiving the correct food – their
recovery has been remarkable. One female
has died in the last week, but she had recently aborted and for her, sadly help
came too late.
Ironically the day after ZNSPCA
obtained the Court Order, the Supreme Court ruled that the Sable did belong to
the original owner (i.e. the farmer and his associates).
There are now only 54 sable left
from the original 90, but in a few weeks time, they will have their hooves
trimmed again and will be set free on a conservancy. ZNSPCA’s long fight for their release has all
been worth it.
We have held meetings
with:
§
the Permanent Secretary for Lands in
an effort to relieve the plight of the Dairy Cows at Collingwood Farm,
Concession - he said he did not want to see our photos of the starving cows as
he is “an animal lover”!;
§
the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in
an effort to secure the release of the wild Leopard held in captivity by
National Parks at Nyamaneshe;
§
the Executive Director of ARDA in an
effort to secure the release of Roy Bennett’s horses at Charleswood
Estate.
ZNSPCA continues with its work in
the Chinyika and Rusike communal areas with Trainee Inspector Mathias visiting
the villagers there as often as possible.
We are currently trying to save a few cows belonging to a widow in the
Chinyika area. The grazing is
non-existent but we have been taking hay and soya bean stalks to her and so far
the desperately thin cows are holding their own.
Many of the local people come to our
office at Goronmonzi seeking help for their animals – puppies, day-old chicks,
donkeys, goats, etc. One old man walked
a very long distance to ask us for help for his donkey which had been attacked
by a pack of dogs belonging to settlers.
It was in a bad state, but we have patched him up and filled him with a
long-acting antibiotic. He has found
himself a little patch of settlers’ wheat to munch on and we do hope he makes
it.
In addition to the farm issues which
take up so much of our time, we have also dealt with the transportation of
livestock, security dogs, chicken vendors, baboon control on the timber estates,
etc.
COURT CASES
Michael Madondo of Eaglesnest was
found Guilty of Cruelty to a horse by a Rusape Magistrate, was fined $100,000
and banned from keeping an animal for 6 years.
This was an excellent result for us as this banning is provided for in
the Cruelty Act but so few Magistrates use it.
We have since discovered that he is
still keeping another two horses on his property. When ZNSPCA informed the Magistrate, he
requested that we uplift the two horses immediately, inform him afterwards and
he would have Madondo arrested and “put inside”. The Magistrate informed us that Madondo had
tried to bribe him to drop the case and had also asked ZANU PF ‘Chefs’ in the
area to see that the charges against him were dropped – this is one Magistrate
who will not be treated with contempt.
I have also appeared in Goromonzi
Court twice in the Mtetwa case - a woman who was keeping 12 large dogs in small
cages. She is very argumentative in
Court – case remanded to 30 September.
The trial date for our dog fighting
case is 17 November. The accused has
already appeared in Court and was remanded IN CUSTODY pending Z$200,000
bail. The shocked expression on the
accused’s face was a picture. His mother
paid the bail 2 days later.
We have many other cases awaiting
trial dates, and several dockets being drawn up before being passed on to the
relevant Police Stations.
(End of
Report)