The Telegraph
By Peta
Thornycroft in Harare and Katherine Griffiths in London Last
Updated:
12:16am BST 20/10/2006
John Bredenkamp, the Zimbabwe tycoon whose
offices were raided this week as
part of an investigation into BAE Systems,
has made more headlines than he
would like.
The last was late
September when he was acquitted of breaking Zimbabwe law
by having a second,
South African passport.
South African-born Mr Bredenkamp, 66, lists four
residential addresses with
Companies House, including two in Knightsbridge,
one in Ascot and one in
Harare, Zimbabwe.
He told the court during
his short trial over his passport last month that
he had, as required by a
new Zimbabwe immigration law in 2001, renounced his
South African
citizenship.
Many of the headlines he has made over three turbulent decades
touched on
his tobacco and weapons deals, mainly selling armaments during
the apartheid
era, for the then South African government. Now it is Mr
Bredenkamp's
connections with Britain's BAE Systems which are in the
spotlight. As a
direct investor and through a private company, Breco, he is
the largest
shareholder in Aviation Consultancy Services (ACS).
ACS,
which lists its business address as Sunningdale, Berkshire, acts as an
agent
for a number of aircraft manufacturers around the world, including
BAE.
The chief executive of ACS is one of Mr Bredenkamp's long-time
business
associates, Jules Pelissier. Companies House lists Mr Pelissier's
address in
the UK as in Berkshire.
Breco confirmed its office in
Sunningdale had been searched by the Serious
Fraud Squad on
Tuesday.
The SFO also said it had raided another Berkshire business
address, and in
London a company office and a private home. Sources said the
London home was
one of Mr Bredenkamp's residences.
The SFO, which is
working with the Ministry of Defence police, is probing
the £1.6bn sale of
Hawk aircraft to South Africa in 2001.
The investigators are thought to
be looking at commissions paid as part of
that deal. It is normal for
companies to pay local agents commissions in
return for their knowledge of
the legal system, or for help making local
contacts. But critics say
companies should not pay too high commissions
because they can look like
bribes.
The SFO and MoD police may be looking at other arms deals in
Africa as well
as the Hawk contract. This comes on top of its ongoing
investigation into
defence contracts with Saudia Arabia, Romania and Chile.
BAE has denied any
wrong doing.
Mr Bredenkamp was not present at the
raids and is travelling in Africa.
Once close to a handful of top members
of Mr Mugabe's cabinet, he has since
fallen out of favour.
His
businesses in Zimbabwe, a luxury tourist lodge, a cigarette
manufacturing
company, like most, are struggling to survive in the current
political
climate.
VOA
By
Carole Gombakomba
Washington
19 October
2006
Student leaders at Bindura University, in the northeastern
Zimbabwe city of
Bindura, said they were abducted and interrogated late
Wednesday by highly
placed members of the ruling ZANU-PF party, and warned
against engaging in
opposition activities.
One student leader,
speaking on condition of anonymity, said he and others
were forced into a
car and taken to an unknown location where their
abductors questioned them
and warned them not to plan demonstrations or
oppose the
government.
He said the abducted students identified one assailant as
Tichaona
Kasukuwere, brother of Deputy Youth Development Minister Saviour
Kasukuwere,
parliamentarian for Mount Darwin, another town in the region. He
said
ZANU-PF political commissar and minister without portfolio Elliot
Manyika
helped organize the abductions.
Saviour Kasukuwere said his
brother had nothing to do with the alleged
abductions, nor did any ZANU-PF
member, including Manyika, who could not be
reached.
Though the
students identified some of their abductors, the student source
they said
they decided against reporting the incident to the police because
they
believed that the police were not likely to take action against senior
ruling party officials.
Reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7
for Zimbabwe spoke with
Zimbabwe National Students Union President Promise
Mkwananzi, who said
Bindura is a hot spot because it is a ZANU-PF stronghold
where opposing
views are not tolerated.
VOA
By
Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
19 October
2006
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Second Vice President
Thabitha Khumalo has
received one of four Window to the World Awards
bestowed by Britain's Women
of the Year organization and sponsored by glass
products manufacturer
Pilkington.
The Window to the World award
recognises women who have worked in dangerous
and intimidating environments.
The trade unionist has been harrassed by
police on a number of occasion
while working to advance the rights of women
and workers.
Action for
Southern Africa campaign head Kathryn Liwellyn said Khumalo has
faced a
particularly difficult time as a Zimbabwean trade unionist.
Khumalo, who
also serves as deputy information secretary in the Movement for
Democratic
Change faction of MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai, helped raise
funds in the
so-called Dignity Period Campaign to acquire and distribute 2
million
sanitary pads to Zimbabwean union members and others who could not
afford
them.
Khumalo told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe the
award will inspire her to work harder for the rights of
Zimbabwean women.
VOA
By Blessing Zulu
Washington
19 October
2006
Former Botswanan President Ketumile Masire has leveled a
tacit but sharp
criticism at Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in a book
just published
which speaks of the "political and economic destruction of
Zimbabwe" under
Mr. Mugabe's rule.
Writing about Zimbabwe, Masire
speaks of the "persecution of many Africans
and the destruction of the
capacity of the economy to function." He does not
take Mr. Mugabe to task
explicitly - but the implication is quite clear that
he deplores his
legacy.
The ex-president's book, entitled "Very Brave or Very Foolish:
Memoirs of an
African Diplomat," was published by Macmillan Botswana
Publishing in
Gaborone to coincide with the recent 40th anniversary of
Botswanan
independence.
Masire says that his relationship with Mugabe
was chilly from the start when
Botswana maintained a close relationship with
Joshua Nkomo, Mugabe's rival
in Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. Mr. Mugabe
"appeared to mistrust us,"
Masire writes.
The author says that he
hoped relations would improve once Zimbabwe had
secured its independence,
but says those hopes were dashed when Harare
imposed duties on imports from
Botswana in what he calls "a violation of our
free trade
agreement."
For a Botswanan perspective, reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's
Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe interviewed historian-author Jeff Ramsay, who is also
press
secretary to Botswana President Festus Mogae, who said Masire's book
is one
of the first accounts of the liberation period from a senior
participant
which is also reasonably candid.
Attorney Tafadzwa Mugabe
of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said that
the criticism from Masire
is welcome - but comes when the damage has been
done.
Zimbabwejournalists.com
By a Correspondent
HARARE - Another
Zimbabwean government minister has once again
threatened the opposition
against organisation the Ukranian-style street
protests against President
Mugabe and his Zanu PF party.
Taking a cue from State Security
minister Didymus Mutasa, the Minister
of State for Water Resources, Munacho
Mutezo, yesterday warned the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
that the security forces
would deal with them if they decide to go onto the
streets to protests
against continued Zanu PF rule.
Speaking at
a police pass-out parade yesterday, the junior minister
also attacked what
he termed Western imperialists. He said the Zimbabwe
government "will not
seat and watch agents of Western imperialists
destabilising the country and
reversing the gains of independence in a bid
to effect illegal regime
change".
He called on the police to be vigilant in dealing with the
anticipated
street protests that the MDC has been planning for over a long
period of
time now.
"Our security forces would not fold their
arms while they destroy
properties and infrastructure that the Government
painstakingly constructed
since 1980," Mutezo said.
"Those
fly-by-night imperialist agents who are bent on destabilising
our country
and effect regime change through unwarranted subversive
activities and
contrived demonstrations backed by the West should never be
condoned. Let
them be reminded that the security of the nation and the
interests of the
people come first and not their wild dreams.
A protest by the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) was recently
thwarted by the police
with a number of unionists being battered for
organising the demonstration
against low pay, access to HIV/Aids drugs and
related issues.
Zimbabwejournalists.com
By a Correspondent
LONDON - Free-ZimYouth,
a militant organisation of Zimbabwean youths
based in the United Kingdom, is
planning a protest next Wednesday against
South Africa's quiet diplomacy on
Zimbabwe at a United Nations lecture to be
given by Dr Nkosazana
Zuma.
Zuma, South Africa's foreign minister, will give a public
lecture at
the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) trying
to explore
the UN in the 21st century. The lecturer will be based on her
experiences as
a foreign minister from a developing country.
United Nations member states were unable to agree to all reform
proposals
made by outgoing secretary general Kofi Annan last year and there
has been
disquiet within the African Union and the Southern African
Development
Community (SADC) on the reforms and the need for a permanent
African seat on
the Security Council.
The reform proposals were premised on the
realisation that the threats
facing the world today are interconnected and
require a new system of
collective security with the UN at its centre.
However, the response of UN
member states to the challenges facing the world
is still parochial and
based largely on self-interest.
Wellington Chibhanguza of Free-ZimYouth said his organisation is
calling on
Zimbabweans in the UK and human rights defenders "to come and put
pressure
on the South African Government to condemn the continuing injustice
and
misrule in Zimbabwe".
The youths held a successful protest at the
weekend outside the South
African embassy in London calling on Thabo Mbeki
to take a different stance
on the Zimbabwean issue.
"We Young
Zimbabweans (Africans) are disappointed and betrayed by Dr
Nkosazana Dlamini
Zuma who is a prominent senior woman of Africa but is
failing to acknowledge
the suffering in Zimbabwe," said Chibhanguza. "Early
year this Zuma told the
world that Zimbabwe is not on their top agenda but
Iran, Sudan and UN
reforms. But we young Africans are saying charity begins
at home.even if
South Africa has a permanent seat on UN security council do
they have the
eyes to see? Why should African leaders wait for wars to erupt
for them to
speak-out, why can't they promote dialogue in the region so as
to avoid
conflicts?"
The youths say they want to demand to know from Zuma
what her country's
foreign policy towards Zimbabwe is. They say they also
need an update from
Mbeki and Annan on what progress has been made through
the Benjamin Mkapa
initiative to have political players in Zimbabwe
talking. The Mkapa
initiative has not materialised since Annan and
President Mugabe met on the
sidelines of an AU meeting early this
year.
The youths also want Zuma to answer to allegations of
xenophobic
experiences Zimbabweans are facing in South Africa, including the
plight of
Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa.
Also on their
list of question is the allegation that some prominent
Zimbabweans including
top publisher, Trevor Ncube, have been blacklisted
from speaking on
SABC
"If Africans leaders need to be respected by young
Africans they need
to openly tell Mugabe to promote dialogue or face
isolation for the sack of
the ordinary children who are suffering in
Zimbabwe due to bad governance,"
said Chibhanguza.
In her
lecture Zuma will argue that a new collective security system
cannot be
constructed unless there is a commitment to addressing, in a
balanced
manner, the threats and challenges facing all States - big and
small. The UN
remains an indispensable organisation, and in particular for
developing
countries for whom multilateralism provides a vital framework for
addressing
their concerns.
The lecture is part of the series United Nations at
60 - relic or
relevant? The lecture series marks the 60th anniversary of the
first session
of the UN.
Zimbabwejournalists.com
By a Correspondent
HARARE - BARELY 24
hours after being given the green light to sell
properties and residential
stands in Zimbabwe in foreign currency,
flamboyant businessman Philip
Chiyangwa had the authorisation revoked by the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
yesterday.
According to the Herald newspaper, Chiyangwa was on
Thursday granted
permission by an official in the RBZ allowing his Pinnacle
Property Holdings
to sell houses and undeveloped land in hard
currency.
Paul Sigauke has since been relieved of his duties after
approving
Chiyangwa's business multi-million dollar deal without authority
from the
central bank. If successful, Chiyangwa was set to rack in millions
of US
dollars.
The RBZ has its own Homelink scheme in which it
tried to entice
Zimbabweans living abroad to purchase houses and residential
stands using
foreign currency. The Homelink project was reportedly too
expensive for most
of the Zimbabweans living outside the country that it has
not been a
resounding success.
The controversial Chiyangwa had
indicated the authority would have
allowed him to raise the much-need
foreign currency for the country.
Chiyangwa, who was arrested by his former
colleagues from the Zanu PF
government for alleged espionage, was last night
adamant the deal was still
on.
Central bank chief, Gideon
Gono, cancelled the authorisation which the
state-controlled media said
"incensed him". Gono said Sigauke had given the
authorisation
irregularly.
Zimbabwe has been plagued by a foreign currency crisis
for the past
few years that has seen top business executives being arrested
for dealing
in foreign currency without the authority of the
RBZ.
Said Gono: "It is illegal for any institution in Zimbabwe,
other than
Homelink, to enter into foreign currency deals for the purposes
of
purchasing or renting property.
"The central bank has
nothing against Pinnacle Property Holdings and
encourages them and other
property developers to try by all means to satisfy
local demand for housing
before attempting to satisfy external demand."
He continued: "My
gratitude goes to the Press for highlighting this
issue, which could have
gone undetected, were it not for the media."
Chinyangwa
dismissed as rumours the fact that the authorisation had
been
cancelled.
"If it were true, I would have received a letter from Mr
Sigauke. It's
something that has taken long to materialise so it cannot be
cancelled just
like that," he said.
zimbabwejournalists.com
By Dennis Rekayi
MUTARE - The
Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has embarked on a massive
recruitment drive of
new soldiers stoking fears among opposition political
activists and human
rights campaigners the move is aimed at strengthening
President Mugabe's
grip ahead of street protests against his rule.
A senior ZNA
officer said the force was recruiting young Zimbabweans
aged between 18 and
24 years of age preferably those with certificates from
the national youth
service training.
Staff Sergeant Davision Manyika, in charge of
public relations at
Three Brigade in Mutare, told a State-controlled news
angency that: "We are
looking at young men and women who are determined to
serve their country.
Unlike in the past we used to look form ages between 18
and 22 but this time
we have extended the years to 24."
"However, those aged 23 - 24 years have an added advantage if they
have a
National Youth Service certificate."
The prospective soldiers are
required to have a minimum of two
Ordinary Level subjects passes for them to
be considered, said Staff
Sergeant Manyika.
The recruitment
drive started last week in Manicaland and is expected
to end next week. The
new soldiers are being recruited at various centres in
the province. Those
from Chipinge District are being recruited from Biriwiri
Mission School,
those from Mutare at Marange High School, Buhera (Buhera
Office), Makoni
(3.2 Infantry Battalion), Mutasa (Mutasa ZRP station) and
those from Nyanga
are being recruited at St Mary's Mission School.
Opposition and
human rights activists told zimbabwejournalists.com
they were wary about the
whole exercise particularly the preferential
treatment being accorded to the
youths brigades.
The youth brigades are notorious for leading
violent campaigns against
opposition supporters and human rights activists
in Zimbabwe.
The opposition politicians and human rights
campaigners said the
timing of the recruitment exercise was also frightening
as it was coinciding
with protests aimed at bringing down the Zanu PF
government. The protests
are being organised by the opposition
MDC.
The Morgan Tsvangirai's faction, which enjoys more support
than the
parallel Arthur Mutambara faction says it has begun decentralised
street
marches in urban areas to psych up supporters ahead of planned mass
protests
against President Robert Mugabe's government.
Nelson
Chamisa, a spokesman for the party, said the "small-scale"
protests were
meant to remove fear among supporters before the party
embarked on broader
protests against the government.
The MDC has since last February
promised to roll out mass
anti-government protests to force Mugabe to give
up power to a transitional
government that will oversee fresh elections and
the rewriting of a new
constitution.
"We are frightened by the
timing of this recruitment of new soldiers,
especially those from the
national youth service," said a human rights
lawyer based in the eastern
border city.
The lawyer, who did not wish to be identified, said
such a move was a
clear indication the government was preparing itself to
deal once and for
all any form of dissent.
Opposition activists
said by giving special treatment to national
youth service graduates the
government was making sure it recruits very
loyal people into the force.
newzimbabwe.com
By Staff Reporter
Last
updated: 10/18/2006 11:25:15
VICE President Joseph Msika has said some people
now think he is mad after
he made claims that the history of Zimbabwe was
being distorted.
Msika last week told a gathering to remember 11 Zimbabwe
People's
Revolutionary Army (Zipra) soldiers killed by Rhodesian forces that
the
struggle for independence started in Bulawayo and not Harare as many
history
books state.
Msika said time was running out for him to tell the
"true story" of the
liberation struggle.
He said: "The history of the
struggle should be told. I feel l have a duty
to correct this blatant lie
before I go but time is running out. The
struggle to liberate Zimbabwe
started in Bulawayo at Stanley Hall, when we
formed the African Youth
Congress".
The comments appear not to have gone down well with other top Zanu
PF
officials.
But a defiant Msika was not too keen to cool the political
temperature last
Saturday while opening a theme park at the site of the Old
Bulawayo, touted
as the country's first cultural centre.
Msika revealed
that some of his colleagues in Zanu PF thought he was mad
over his "history
lessons".
He said: "When I speak, people think I am mad. I am not
mad."
Msika also made fresh claims that the last Ndebele king Lobengula did
not
die in 1894 as claimed by history books. He would not give an
alternative
date.
Msika said: " It is said that the king died a year
later. I don't know that.
Where did you get that? Can you show me his grave?
Inkosi yanyamalala (the
King disappeared)."
Information on the Wikipedia
website on Lobengula says he "died
sometime in the Spring of 1894. As early
as December 1893, it was reported
that Lobengula had been very sick, but his
death was kept a secret for many
months and the cause of his death remains
inconclusive. The earliest
accounts state it was smallpox, later it was
diagnosed as dysentery."
The Vice President said the Old Bulawayo theme park
is a tourist resort as
well as an "educational resource which graphically
illustrates the origins
of the Ndebele nation -- politically, socially and
economically".
Msika said he had great respect for the leadership qualities
exhibited by
King Lobengula.
He said the Old Bulawayo theme park came
about after a study of a similar
site in KwaZulu Natal by a group of local
Ndebele chiefs, members of the
Khumalo clan, Lobengula's relatives and staff
from the department of
National museums among others.