The Zimbabwe Situation

http://www.bloomberg.com

By Brian Latham

Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) -- A Zimbabwean farmers' lobby group has condemned a
proposal by President Robert Mugabe to evict remaining white farmers from
their land before elections are held within two years.

"It makes a mockery of the power-sharing agreement and the return to law,"
Justice for Agriculture spokesman John Worsley Worswick, who has viewed the
document, said in a telephone interview from the capital, Harare.

The document, submitted to Zimbabwe's cabinet by Land Minister Herbert
Murerwa, says land seizures should continue and that no "foreigner" should
be allowed to own land, the U.S.- based Zimbabwe Times reported, citing the
document in its possession. The plan is meeting resistance from members of
the Movement for Democratic Change party in Zimbabwe's cabinet, according to
the Web site.

It is unclear how many white farmers remain on their land in Zimbabwe out of
the estimated 4,000 in place before the often-violent farm invasions began
in 2000. Estimates by farmer groups range between 100 and 400 remaining
farmers.

Calls to the president's office and Murerwa's office today weren't answered.

Charamba Threatens News Day Editor

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, October 07, 2009 - The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of
Information and Publicity, George Charamba, has told Newsday editor,
Barnabas Thondlana, that if he puts his paper on the streets of Zimbabwe
without a licence he will get him arrested.

Newsday is the new daily newspaper from the Zimbabwe Independent Group
stable which has still to be given an operating licence by government.
It is owned by mogul, Trevor Ncube who is based in South Africa.
"I will pick you up," Charamba said to a stunned Thondlana in Harare.
"If your paper goes on the streets of Harare without a license I will send
my boys to get you in your office."
Charamba was addressing more than 30 newspaper editors from Zimbabwe's
diverse media in Harare.
He also told Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) Executive
Director, John Gambanga that his organisation should "abolish itself to
again find itself as a genuine effort".
"The VMC will never come right until and unless it abolishes itself,
to again found itself as a genuine media effort," he said.
Charamba, who was in a no nonsense mood told editors that there was no
way his ministry would allow newspapers to spring up in Zimbabwe.
He said the new H-Metro tabloid had been issued an operating licence
by the old Media and Information Council of Dr Tafataona Mahoso.
"It has a licence," he said when asked by former Standard editor
Bornwell Chakaodza why he allowed the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group to publish
and yet it had not been given a licence for the tabloid.
"It has a licence," he said.
He was quickly supported by Editor-in-Chief on Zimbabwe Newspapers
(1980) Limited, Pikirai Deketeke, who said : "We have a licence. In fact we
have many licences and some of our products are just lying dormant."
Charamba warned editors not to become politicians but to remain purely
"journalists".
Meanwhile proprietors of The Zimbabwean have defied the country's laws
to publish yet another newspaper - Futball Zimbabwe which hit the streets
Wednesday.
This is third newspapers to be published by the United Kingdom
publishing house. The company also publishes the The Zimbabwean, Zimbabwean
on Sunday and Zimbabwean on Monday.
It is understood that the papers, edited by former Community
Newspapers Group of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Wilf Mbanga are mooting
plans to launch a daily newspaper.
The company's newspapers are printed in the United Kingdom before they
flown for distribution in the country. However the company's Harare and
Bulawayo based reporters file their copy at an undisclosed offices in those
cities.
The media house's latest newspaper is a football newspaper - the first
such product in the country.
The monitoring body of Zimbabwe's power sharing pact has called on
President Robert Mugabe to expedite the appointment of a Zimbabwe Media
Commission (ZMC) to regulate the publishing industry.
The Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) also called
on Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara - as signatories to the September 15, 2008, power sharing
agreement - to speed up the formation of a National Economic Council.
Zimbabwe's parliament submitted 12 names to Mugabe for the ZMC, which
he is expected to whittle down to eight and appoint a chairman, but Mugabe
has made no further announcements. MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai said the announcement of the ZMC Board will be announced soon but
said the appointment of recent media boards were irregular. The government
appointed Mahoso to chair the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) that
will issue new TV and Radio licenses.
The delay in setting up the ZMC has stalled at least three
privately-owned daily newspapers which await licensing by the media
regulating body to operate. These include The Daily News which was banned in
2004, and the NewsDay which has targeted an early November launch. A third
newspaper, the Daily Evening Gazette, is also waiting to enter the market.
In a statement on Monday, Jomic also said it was concerned by the
reappearance of "abusive language" in both the state-controlled and the
privately-owned media.

Brigadier Mujaji stealing maize from commercial farmer

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
7 October 2009

Soldiers under the control of Brigadier General Mujaji are continuing to
disrupt farming activities at Charles Lock's Karori farm in the Headlands
district. According to the Locks, the Brigadier has in the last two nights
been 'stealing' maize belonging to Lock, who owns the farm the Brigadier
wants to seize. The latest developments are also in total violation of a
High Court order allowing the commercial farmer to remove his maize and
tobacco which has been held in his sheds by Mujaji's soldiers for several
months.

Lock's wife told SW Radio Africa that they only got to hear about the
ongoing theft of their crops when one of the 30-ton trucks carrying their
maize broke down at Halfway House on the Harare - Mutare road on Wednesday.
She said because they are not allowed on their farm they have no idea how
much exactly has been taken, but reports from workers and neighbours
estimate that at least seven 30-ton rigs, totalling 210 tons of maize, have
been taken by the Brigadier in the last two days alone. "He is stealing it.
It doesn't belong to him. He has done nothing to produce that maize."

Mrs Lock said they tried to get the police to act when they heard that the
truck had broken down. She said police were sent to guard the truck but that
Mujaji went to the scene and ordered them to leave. This prompted Charles
Lock to go to police headquarters to complain. "But I said to him it's so
obvious that no one is going to help. But I suppose he just doesn't want to
give up hope. It's been a hard year for him and now to see all his maize
being trucked off and he can't do anything. He just feels so helpless."

Mujaji has caused serious havoc on the farm for several years now, in
blatant defiance of many High Court orders. The Brigadier already stands
accused of stealing 300 tons of maize and 150 tons of tobacco some months
ago. Additionally the tobacco had been grown under contract and financed by
international tobacco companies. Lock's entire workforce have also been
chased off the property by Mujaji. The commercial farmer says soldiers
manning the farm on behalf of the Brigadier have also been helping
themselves to items from Lock's house.

Last month, after obtaining yet another court order allowing him to remove
his crops and equipment from his farm, Lock went with the messenger of the
court and police officers to serve the order on the soldiers. But the
soldiers just threatened to kill Lock right in front of the police.

Mrs Lock said: "The police just said they haven't got the order from above
and so they weren't going to act. So there is not much that we could do,
especially when you face all these guys with their guns."

Mujaji's wife is the sister of Monica Chinamasa, the wife of the Minister of
Justice. The Chinamasas have been allocated a farm that shares a common
boundary with the Lock's Karori farm, which the Brigadier wants.

The soldiers salaries are of course, being paid by the government.

Tsvangirai in running for Nobel Peace Prize

http://af.reuters.com

Wed Oct 7, 2009 5:40pm GMT

By Wojciech Moskwa

OSLO (Reuters) - Wanted - a peace maker or rights activist engaged in a
current conflict whose influence would benefit greatly from winning the
Nobel Peace Prize.

That is who Norway's Nobel Committee will choose for 2009 Peace Prize
laureate if, as experts expect, it returns closer to Alfred Nobel's notion
of peace. Past prizes went to climate campaigners, life-long diplomats and
grass-roots economists.

Top contenders for the $1.4 million prize include Colombian peace broker
Piedad Cordoba, Afghan rights activist Sima Samar and Zimbabwe's Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

French-Colombian activist and ex-hostage Ingrid Betancourt, Jordanian
interfaith dialogue advocate Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad and U.S. and French
presidents Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy are also in the running,
although the field remains wide open.

Maltese-based bookmaker Betsafe lists Betancourt at 5-to-1, and Tsvangirai
at 6-to-1. Austrialian Centrebet has Cordoba and Samar at 6-to-1 and both
Obama and Tsvangirai at 7-to-1.

The secretive five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee does not disclose the
nominees. The winner will be announced on October 9.

"It's quite likely this committee will reward somebody who is engaged in
current processes," said Kristian Berg Harpviken, head of the International
Peace Institute in Oslo (PRIO).

"They want the prize to have an impact on things that are about to happen
and want to affect events," he told Reuters.

Last year, Finn Martti Ahtisaari won for three decades of work to resolve
numerous international conflicts. The prize was seen as a well-earned
lifetime achievement award and did not appear have much impact on ongoing
conflicts, critics say.

BIGGEST IMPACT OF PRIZE

Earlier this decade the Nobel committee said it widened the definition of
peace to include environmental activism, with Al Gore and the United
Nations' climate panel winning in 2007 and Kenyan conservationist Wangari
Maathai in 2004.

Some say this strays too far from Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel's 1895 will,
in which he says the accolade will go to those who do most for fraternity
between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for peace
congresses.

"Giving the prize to someone in the middle of a security conflict, and with
a chance of boosting his or her influence, is a wise way to use the power of
the Nobel," said Professor Janne Haaland Matlary from Oslo University.

Other leading candidates include Chinese and Russian dissidents, such as Hu
Jia and Lidia Yusupova, but some experts say the Nobel Committee will not
risk challenging a major power this year, just after two politicians joined
the panel.

"A controversial prize that raises severe protests by powerful states or
other powerful interests would draw attention to ... the independence of the
committee," said Harpviken.

Muradzikwa To Chair Zimbabwe Media Commission

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, October 07, 2009 - Former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC) chief executive officer Henry Muradzikwa will chair the Zimbabwe Media
Commission (ZMC), which will oversee the registration of newspapers in the
country.

Informed sources told Radio VOP on Wednesday that President Robert
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had chosen Muradzikwa, who was
unceremoniously dismissed from his job at the state-owned Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) after the first round of last year's
presidential elections, to chair the media body while former Daily News
Editor Nqobile Nyathi will deputise Muradzikwa.

Former journalist and human rights lawyer Chris Mhike who came out
tops during the interviews is among the commissioners.

The other commissioners include former journalist and Christian
Alliance coordinator Useni Sibanda, journalist Miriam Madziwa, former state
broadcaster who is now Danhiko Project deputy director Godfrey Majonga,
former news caster, Millicent Mombeshora, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)'s
divisional head-Special Projects and Strategic Planning, former journalist
and Zimbabwe Union of Zimbabwe (ZUJ) President Mathew Takaona and former
Zimbabwe Ambassador to China and ZANU PF apologist Chris Mutsvangwa.

Initially Mutsvangwa failed the interview but he was brought through
the back door after the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) parties and
ZANU PF agreed to horse trade candidates for the ZMC to suit ZANU PF's
interests.

Tsvangirai on Tuesday told journalists before leaving for Spain that
he had agreed together with his coalition partners on who should sit on the
ZMC that will spearhead media reforms but said there was "one legal point
that President Mugabe wants addressed" before the commission is announced.
He however did not elaborate on the legal point that Mugabe wants addressed.

Tsvangirai was however not happy with the new chair of the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) Tafataona Mahoso, saying his
appointment, and that of other media boards, announced recently by
Information Minister Webster Shamu, were irregular.

Mugabe earmarks foreign firms to mine at Chiadzwa

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
7 October 2009

Robert Mugabe in Parliament on Tuesday announced that the government had
selected two foreign firms to mine diamonds at the controversial Chiadzwa
fields in Manicaland province. By doing this he is once again ignoring the
laws and courts of his own country.

The diamond deposits cover more than 10 square miles and were the scene of a
huge influx of illegal miners after the ZANU PF led government declared them
open in 2006, despite British company African Consolidated Resources, having
a legal claim to them.

Last Thursday the High Court ruled that African Consolidated Resources is
the legal owner of the diamond fields, controversially taken over by the
army. The company posted a statement on its website announcing the court
victory, saying: 'Full details of the judgment are awaited pending the
publication of the transcript and further announcements will be made as
necessary'.

A statement on its website this week said they note that the Zimbabwe
Attorney-General has stated that the government will appeal against the
judgement given by the High Court on 24 September 2009, which confirmed the
title of the companys subsidiaries to their claims over the Marange diamond
field.

'Notwithstanding the statement of the Attorney General, the Company is in
discussions with Government concerning a joint venture on the Marange
diamond field which will benefit both the Company and the people of
Zimbabwe,' the staement said.

Earlier this year, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono said that the country
was losing millions of US dollars every week through the illegal mining and
smuggling of the diamonds. The fields are sealed off and the entire district
of Marange is fortified with military personnel.

There have also been widespread accounts of killings in the area, which has
been the centre of controversy since last year when the army was called in
to disperse thousands of illegal diamond hunters.

Human rights groups maintain that at least 200 people were murdered by the
military when top army chiefs started scrambling for the diamonds. There
were many reports of fleeing women and children being shot in the back from
helicopter gunships.

MDC MP for Mutare West, Sure Mudiwa, whose constituency covers the Chiadzwa
fields, said he was not in a position to comment about the contracts Mugabe
had recently given out to mine the fields, as he was still studying some of
information concerning the companies. He disclosed however that one of the
companies was South African based.

'I am not privy to the information of how they got to settle for the two
companies but my immediate worry as the local MP is what is going to happen
to the many families resettled there,' Mudiwa said.

Many concerns have been raised over the secrecy of processing mining
contracts. Statistically Zimbabwe is rich in mining deposits, but like so
many countries, this is not reflected by any development in the country.

MDC MP for Makoni South Pishai Muchauraya told us ZANU PF will never do
things in a transparent manner.

'I can assure you there can never be a company that is not connected to the
regime when it comes to these mines. There is no doubt in my mind that the
party has a hand in that deal,' the MP said.

ROHR holds Public Hearing Bindura violence

From the information Department of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR)
Zimbabwe www.rohrzimbabwe.org

ROHR Zimbabwe yesterday held a public hearing in Bindura to establish facts
from the inhabitants on the precipice of an imminent eviction from Foothills
farm under the ongoing chaotic farm invasions by ZANU Pf supporters. More
than 30 family heads attended the public hearing representing over 700
inhabitants.

It was a nerve racking experience learning the brutal first hand information
from a people that have suffered so much pain, agony and loss at the hands
of a few callous men that believe they are more superior and deserving than
other human beings.

Sitting listening to the testimonies of the worst human rights violations in
this day and age seemed like turning back the clock to the horrific slave
trade era. To think that men and women over the ages of 65 years could be
forced farm labor refused to sink. For what its worthy the justification of
the inhuman treatment is premised over political grounds emanating from a
clique with war credentials that believes in rewarding itself and holding at
ransom those that are deemed to be outcast from the party that brought the
liberation struggle to Zimbabwe.

All the victimization and persecution is in itself not the end but a means
to an end. The weaponry is denial of the fundamental human rights, right to
decent shelter, right to live in peace, right to safe clean water, right to
live a dignified life, right to education, right to state security, right to
a fair trial, right to decent working conditions, right to life. All these
fundamental rights have become a far cry and have since been substituted
with a chaotic environment of uncertainty, fear and psychological torture.

The oppressors clearly know that they are fighting people riddled in poverty
without resources to hire expensive lawyers. No matter how loud their
victims can cry, it falls between the rocks. The police have assumed a pre
determined positions in favor of the oppressors.

To that part of the country, the government of national unity is a non
event. A participant at the hearing said,' self proclaimed war liberators
like Webster Bepura, cde Sato, Ruston Ngandu and Jacob Chiripanyanga believe
that they are still running this country, there is nothing like a government
of national unity' hence the resolve to exercise their power on the
vulnerable and trampled.

First it was punishment for participating as voting agents for the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC), then for participating in a peaceful march by
ROHR Zimbabwe in a campaign to demand democracy and justice from the
government and head of state.

Systematic series of trumped up charges on the grounds of theft of farm
equipment are the order of the day as punishment for resisting illegal
eviction.

An operation to weed out workers who worked for the white farmers followed.
Typical of the ZANU Pf hate speech and slogans a discriminating term was
coined to refer to those who worked for white farmers and considered members
of the MDC, 'mabritish.' Resisting illegal eviction has come with a steep
price of a multi faceted man made crisis.

Homes have been destroyed by heartless youth militia, livestock looted,
attempts at growing crops has been met by herds of cattle unleashed to graze
as deliberate stifling efforts to deny food security, donor aid groups have
been barred from giving assistance and school children have not been spared.

Despite all the suffering, the inhabitants of foothills farm have not given
up on the place they have known as home their entire lives, a place that is
linked to their fore fathers, their birthright. Some had their fathers
coming as far as Malawi and Mozambique.

What pains them most is the sacrifice of sweat and blood that they have
tendered towards the development of their community let alone the knowledge
that the place is designated to be a growth point. Through community owned
development schemes the residents molded more than 10 000 bricks towards the
building of a school and clinic and suddenly a few individuals impose
themselves and demand their ouster because the party they belong to does not
subscribe to the 21st century ideals of a democratic society in which people
with different political backgrounds can co- exist in peace and harmony. ''We
cannot suffer because of one new comers who cannot live well with others. We
are prepared to work with people who tolerate others for the development of
this country" said Luckmore Langton.

ROHR Zimbabwe noted the following appeals that were directed to the
government and other well wishers, aid humanitarian organizations, donors
and individuals:-

* Need for a fair trial to be heard under the law without discrimination
as guaranteed by the Zimbabwean Constitution and International law. The call
follows shocking revelations to ROHR Zimbabwe that the judgment made by
Judge Chakanyuka on Friday the 2nd of October was passed in the absence of
the defendants and defense lawyers were only called to collect a ruling from
the clerk of court.

* Need to reverse the unfolding circle of the illegal eviction of farm
workers at the hands of the new often violent farm occupiers as this would
set in motion a dangerous precedence considering the fact that there are
hundreds of families/households facing the same circumstances country wide.

* The Zimbabwe Republic Police should conduct their duties professionally
and accept reports without discriminating on political ground, investigate
and bring to book criminals who violate the rights of vulnerable citizens
like farmers workers with impunity. No one is above the law and every
citizen regardless of political affiliation is entitled to the right to
state protection.

* Assistance in settling legal fees that are now an excess of US 17 000
stretching from December 2008 when the trial opened. The people in question
do not have a sustainable income to cater for their basic requirements such
as food let alone legal fees.

* Need for law enforcement agents to put to an end to the intimidation and
victimization currently instigated by ZANU Pf supporters on innocent people
who are now living in constant fear of their lives.

* Intervention to support food security and providing capacity for small
scale sustainable projects to bolster livelihoods and improve standards of
leaving. Inhabitants are barred from engaging in small scale gardening which
is their only available source of survival. The US $ 10 they earn as salary
is a far cry to carter for the daily needs for a standard family 4.

* Providing clean safe water. For more than two years inhabitants have
been drinking water from unprotected wells which leaves them in danger of
cholera outbreaks and other water borne diseases.

* Ensuring the availability of decent shelter suitable for human beings.
Demolished houses are in need of renovation to restore rooftops, windows,
doors and electricity. Inhabitants have been discriminated from occupying
houses with electricity under the new farm settlers.

* Need to teach the inhabitants about their constitutional and fundamental
human rights, how to protect, defend and demand human rights at community
level. There is need to provide capacity for the community to assume the
watchdog role on human rights abuses and getting involved in governance
issues as long term measures aimed towards a culture of respecting human
rights.

* Need to initiate counseling programs that encourage psychological
healing and eradication of fear.

* Financial assistance to ensure the right to education for all children
on the farm.

U.S. sanctions no constraint to Zim economic recovery

Harare, October 5, 2009: Sanctions imposed by the United States government on certain individuals and companies that undermine democratic reforms in Zimbabwe are not a binding constraint to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery, says a U.S. diplomat.

“While U.S. sanctions may have harmed the business interests of some individuals, there is no evidence that they have had any negative macroeconomic impact on Zimbabwe. In our contacts with entrepreneurs investigating opportunities in Zimbabwe, we have not heard any concerns about sanctions,” said James Garry, Second Secretary for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Harare.

Garry spoke at a roundtable discussion with journalists on turning around the Zimbabwean economy organized by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section in Harare on Monday.

Garry said the U.S. has been cautious in designating firms and individuals in Zimbabwe with whom U.S. nationals may not do business, adding that the goal of U.S. foreign policy is to see Zimbabwe’s economy grow.

“The most immediate goal of U.S. foreign policy with respect to Zimbabwe is to see improvements in the health, well-being, and prosperity of its people. That is why the U.S. spent more than $200 million over the past year on emergency assistance for Zimbabweans. But this assistance is therapy, not a cure,” said Garry.

He explained the reasons why Zimbabwe failed to access loans from multilateral lenders, a situation he said began well before the introduction of ZDERA.

“Even before ZDERA was signed by (former U.S.) President (George) Bush, Zimbabwe was not in a position to borrow from the IMF because it already had arrears. After that, the IMF took additional steps. So by June 2002, the IMF board had made a statement of non-cooperation with Zimbabwe. In 2003, Zimbabwe lost its voting rights. So what you see with the IMF, is first, a failed program, and then arrears, and then the IMF started taking these additional incremental steps to try and encourage Zimbabwe to alter its practices and essentially abide by the articles of agreement and clear its arrears,” said Garry.

Trade volumes between the U.S. and Zimbabwe, noted Garry, continued on an upward trend since 2003, despite the decline in Zimbabwe's economy.

Garry, who analyzes macroeconomic developments in Zimbabwe for the U.S. Embassy, said internal, rather than external, factors will determine whether the economic improvements witnessed in the past six months turn into a sustained recovery, citing the progress on political reconciliation and implementation of the Global Political Agreement as most important.

“There are serious problems that will need to be tackled if Zimbabwe is to sustain its economic recovery and U.S. sanctions are not one of those problems,” said Garry.

“It is essential that the government not impede this essential element of recovery. There is an excess of uncertainty over some government policies such as the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar with limited reserves and apprehensions about indigenization,” said Garry.

He noted that Zimbabwe's new economic environment has some important features that are bound to improve confidence. Inflation is no longer a problem, he noted. He observed that liberalization measures introduced by the inclusive government have made it much easier to do business in Zimbabwe.

“Based on what we hear from the business community, there is now a much lower degree of government interference in day-to-day transactions. All other things equal, this should be a significant boost for the economy,” said Garry.

Garry said the acute shortage of credit facing the private sector will take time to repair, but noted that “the private sector is able to do this largely on its own.”

Please Note: The recent U.S.Senatorial hearing, which contains the most recent public USG statements on Zimbabwe and sanctions, can be accessed on http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090930a.html or available via e-mail or hard copy upon request.

This report was produced and distributed by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section. Queries and comments should be directed to the Acting Public Affairs Officer, Andrew Posner, Tel. +263 4 758800/1, Fax: +263 4 758802, E-mail: hararepas@state.gov

ZimVigil urge EU to suspend aid to SADC over Zim

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
07 October 2009
The Zimbabwe Vigil, a grouping of activists who have demonstrated in London
every Saturday for the past 7 years, says this weekend it will petition
European government's to suspend aid to countries in the SADC region because
of their inaction in dealing with problems in Zimbabwe. 'We urge the UK
government and the European Union in general to suspend government to
government aid to all 14 SADC countries until they abide by their joint
commitment to uphold human rights in the region,' ZimVigil said in a
statement. The group suggested the money be used instead to feed people
starving in Zimbabwe.

Members of the vigil will impersonate Mugabe and his wife Grace visiting the
famous Harrods shop in London to stock up on luxuries. The impersonation
will 'illustrate what will happen if the sanctions against Mugabe and his
cronies are lifted as demanded by Zimbabwe's neighbours,' the group said.
'The couple impersonating the Mugabes will return to the Vigil by rickshaw
(two wheeled cart) and present a petition to the European Union demanding
punitative action against SADC.' Other vigil members representing SADC High
Commissioners and ambassadors will be there (wearing suitable masks) to
welcome them in traditional posture - kneeling at Mugabe's feet,
highlighting their subservience to him.

British Conservative Party Member of the European Parliament for East
England, Geoffrey Van Orden, is expected to receive the petition and give a
speech on Zimbabwe. The Vigil say thousands of people passing by their
Saturday position outside Zimbabwe house on the Strand have signed this
petition. As an added incentive to media organisations covering the
demonstration, journalists covering the event will be presented with 100
trillion Zimbabwe dollar notes which the Vigil described as its 'Bribery
Policy'. The move no doubt is meant to also highlight the corruption
prevalent in Zimbabwe.

Hot Seat: Tendai Dumbutshena on why the MDC should pull out of GNU

SW RADIO AFRICA TRANSCRIPT

HOT SEAT INTERVIEW: Violet Gonda talks to Tendai Dumbutshena, a South African based Zimbabwean journalist and commentator, who strongly believes it’s not too late for the MDC to pull out of the shaky inclusive government. ZANU PF is accused of being ‘totally devoid of fairness, sincerity or good faith.’ Dumbutshena argues that: “It's plain stupid to enter into such an agreement because you want to end people’s suffering, when you don’t have power yourself!” The outspoken commentator explains why he believes the power share government will never culminate in free and fair elections.

Broadcast: 02 October 2009

Violet GONDA: The MDC is conducting a series of consultations and feedback rallies to assess whether or not to remain in the fragile power-sharing government with ZANU PF. The Mugabe regime is accused of being totally devoid of the concept of fairness, sincerity and good faith in this agreement. There are those who believe it is highly unlikely that the MDC will ever pull out because it has been seduced by the privileges of being in government, others continue to insist that remaining in the unity government is still the only way forward. My guest on the programme Hot Seat is Tendai Dumbutshena, a South African based Zimbabwean journalist and commentator, who strongly believes the MDC should pull out and that it’s not too late to do so. He first gives us his assessment of the progress of the power share agreement.

Tendai DUMBUTSHENA: Well the inclusive government is not working despite what Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai say from time to time. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that what it was set up to do and that is move Zimbabwe from a badly governed country into a true democracy is not going to happen. It’s becoming increasingly evident to people who initially supported the idea of an inclusive government and it’s quite obvious now that what you are seeing in motion now is Zanu-PF now unilaterally rolling out its agenda as the day of reckoning - by the day of reckoning I mean when the country has to go to elections and nobody knows when that will be. As it gets near, you will see the MDC being increasingly marginalised, even humiliated and all important decisions taken unilaterally by Zanu-PF.

GONDA: When the MDC agreed to join this coalition government, what do you think the MDC was thinking, what do you think they were thinking they were going to get out of this since many are now saying they went into an agreement that hasn’t really given them much?

DUMBUTSHENA: Well it’s entirely their fault because a lot of people, including myself, who were well disposed to the cause they are supposed to espouse, warned them not to join this government until all pertinent outstanding issues were resolved. They were bullied and they were conned by Thabo Mbeki, Robert Mugabe and other SADC leaders into signing a very bad and incomplete agreement, whose implementation was entirely dependent on Zanu-PF’s sincerity and goodwill. Now it is puzzling given what has happened to the MDC over the past ten years, how it has been treated by Zanu-PF, it’s puzzling that they entered an agreement that put them at the mercy of Zanu-PF goodwill. Now they are paying the price because they were warned repeatedly that Zanu-PF only entered into this agreement for two reasons: (a) to get legitimacy for Mugabe’s presidency after the June 27th fiasco and second, to get targeted sanctions lifted against Mugabe and his followers and thirdly to get some economic relief from the western countries. The legitimacy is in the bag but the sanctions are still there and the money is coming in dribs and drabs and Zanu-PF is in a very, very nasty mood. That’s why they are saying that all, there is only one outstanding issue and that is sanctions and that they have fully discharged their responsibilities and they are now dealing with the MDC on a take it or leave it basis.

GONDA: But Tendai, what could the MDC have done at that time, because remember last year there was no food in the stores, there was cholera and widespread human rights abuses. Did they really have a choice but to enter?

DUMBUTSHENA: They did, there are always choices in life. What they should have done after the AU summit in Egypt, they should have said yes, we are prepared to work together with Zanu-PF to get the country out of this mess but on the following conditions: one – that we do not accept the legitimacy of Mugabe’s presidency; that we want a transitional government of a stipulated time, of limited duration, to perform specific tasks that lead to an internationally supervised free and fair election and enter into a transitional administration where there is genuine power sharing between the two parties. That’s what they should have insisted on and had Zanu-PF rejected those conditions then they should have said OK, then you go ahead. But to say that you enter into an agreement because you want to end the peoples’ suffering is plain stupid - because you can’t end peoples’ suffering if you don’t have power yourself, because nothing has changed. The militia is still there, the security forces are still highly politicised and you will see one thing that is guaranteed is that when those elections come, people will realise, even the naïve people will realise that nothing has changed, there’s no way Zanu-PF is going to allow a free and fair election in Zimbabwe. So the whole thing in my opinion is just a total fiasco, the MDC blundered big time and they are now paying the price and the country will ultimately pay the price because there is this false hope that there’s a solution unfolding in Zimbabwe but there’s none, there’s absolutely none and in a year’s time or two years’ time there will be conclusive evidence that Zimbabwe’s not moved an inch towards becoming a democracy.

GONDA: But on the other hand, what do you think would have been the humanitarian situation right now if the MDC hadn’t joined this coalition government and also some observers say that although Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF were weakened by the elections last year, they were far from down and out and in fact, Africa supported them to the hilt?

DUMBUTSHENA: Well some of what you say is partially true. There is evidence that after June 27th, there was a split in the African ranks. Because even those sympathetic to Robert Mugabe could not accept what happened in the presidential run off. Now you see Violet, let me go back to the days of the liberation struggle just to give an example to illustrate my point. There was a lot of suffering in the rural areas, people were being killed by both sides, people couldn’t farm because of the war, there were landmines, schools were closed, clinics were closed, people were in protected villages – that was real suffering. But does it mean that to end the peoples’ suffering, the liberation-struggle leaders had to cave in to Smith? It doesn’t make sense because you are now offering people a false solution. The MDC should have insisted on a transitional government that ushers in, that was guaranteed to usher in a new dispensation in Zimbabwe. What they did was to cave in and to be co-opted by what is essentially a Zanu-PF government.

Let me just make one interesting point, you see after the AU summit in Egypt, the first thing that Mugabe did when he got to Harare, he convened a politburo meeting and they issued a statement saying OK they will go ahead with the government of national unity but the presidency is non-negotiable. At that point the MDC should have refuted that statement to say it is very much negotiable because that presidency was obtained through fraud and violence, but they accepted that and by accepting that they conceded power to Zanu-PF because all power in Zimbabwe is vested in the presidency. So what effectively then happened is they were co-opted into an essentially a Zanu-PF government and given cars and offices and empty titles and you now see evidence of that. You have a Prime Minister without a single executive authority. Decisions are made and implemented, and this is only the beginning, I stress this is only the beginning, you’ll see in the months ahead that decisions will be unilaterally made without Tsvangirai’s knowledge or consent and he will be dealt with on a take it or leave it basis because they calculate that the MDC leadership is too comfortable in office and will not opt out of government. So they will just have to swallow whatever they throw at them.

GONDA: So in your view, what do you think the MDC should do?

DUMBUTSHENA: What I think they should do they will not do but what I think they should do is to pull out. Because if they pull out, it will do two things: number one - it will get the SADC leaders off their backsides because history has shown that since the crisis began in 2000, SADC leaders become proactive when Mugabe is under pressure. They never become proactive to get Mugabe to do the right thing and they know that without the MDC in this government, this government will be very, very shaky and its viability, contrary to what people believe, its viability will be in question, its long term viability and they will then intervene and maybe some of the outstanding issues may be seriously dealt with. But if they stay in there, SADC leaders are quite prepared to wash their hands of Zimbabwe and let Mugabe do whatever he wants to do – which is what is happening.

GONDA: But you know, some say if the MDC was to pull out, the alternative is that the extremists in Zanu-PF will just take over and then there will be more violence and mayhem.

DUMBUTSHENA: Well that’s a very fallacious statement because they are going to take over anyway whether they remain in or not. That’s the point people miss, they are going to stay, and they are going to remain power. You must take Zanu-PF seriously, you must take Mugabe seriously when he says they will never allow transfer of power to the MDC - and they will not allow it in 2010 or 2011 or 2012. And this fallacy of extremist, there are no extremists in Zanu-PF. Mugabe and the security guys call the shots – they are the extremists. This notion that Mugabe is a moderate and we can deal with him so that we keep the extremists out of power is nonsense. The extremists are in power, the securocrats and Mugabe and the CIO, those are the people who run Zimbabwe and they are the people in power and they are the people who will bare their teeth to the MDC in the coming months.

GONDA: But still what will be the MDC’s Plan B if it pulls out, especially as we know that SADC and the AU have largely supported the Mugabe regime and many say SADC has been unable to deal with the Zimbabwe situation before the GNU; If they were to pull out now, do you really think SADC will come to the rescue?

DUMBUTSHENA: Well you see, this whole thing about SADC again, it was nonsensical for the MDC when it had leverage before it signed, it knew that Zanu-PF was desperate for it to join the government, it knew the SADC countries were desperate for it to join the government, so it had leverage, it had bargaining power – that’s when it should have insisted on the resolution of these outstanding issues prior to joining, to signing that agreement. Now they want SADC to do their work for them, to address issues that they should have insured were addressed before they put their signature on paper. I think that’s being unfair to SADC to a very large extent and again they were warned that the SADC guarantees were worthless. You see if in life you don’t learn from previous experience then there’s something fundamentally wrong. SADC neither has the inclination nor the courage to confront Mugabe. So the MDC was in a strong position, they held the high moral ground, the Mugabe regime was wobbly, contrary to what people think, it was broke, it was divided, it was demoralised. The MDC just failed to strategise and to drive the advantage that they had. The African leaders that everybody talks about were divided; Botswana stuck its neck out and said we can’t recognise this and had the MDC stood firm it would have received a lot of support from Africa and from SADC because on all the issues, the MDC was right and Zanu-PF was wrong. But they caved in, even the people who supported them, just gave up and said well if they accept this, they are the people, they are the Zimbabweans so what can we do? And some were in despair because they knew, they knew that the thing wouldn’t work.

Let me just say one thing – a Constitutional Court judge here in South Africa in a case before the Constitutional Court said to the lawyers for the defendants, he said your clients are like people who walk into a lion’s den and see a lion and then they complain that they have seen a lion. That’s exactly what the MDC did; they walked into this agreement knowing that Zanu-PF and Robert Mugabe - the concept of fairness and sincerity is totally alien to them because fundamentally they believe that they fought for Zimbabwe and that gives them the right to govern it for ever and that they do not need the mandate of the people. They know that and then you go into a very bad incomplete agreement putting yourself at the mercy of such people. Now they are paying the price.

GONDA: So Tendai, if the MDC failed to negotiate a proper package as you say, why would you think they would be an effective government if they can’t negotiate for equitable distribution of powers in a unity government?

DUMBUTSHENA: Well I’ve never said they would be an effective government, I never said that. I think they’ve let people down. At the critical moment in the fight for democracy in Zimbabwe, which they were leading, they displayed very, very poor judgement. They were bullied as I said, they were conned and they were seduced by the material comforts of office. Those three factors are what made them sign and of course a lot of naivety in the mix you see. Now they are paying the price. Now they see the nature of the beast that they are dealing with and as, I’ll repeat myself, this is only the beginning.

GONDA: You said in your view, you think they should pull out but they will not pull out. Why do you think they will not?

DUMBUTSHENA: Because they are seduced by the status and comfort of office, one. Two, at least when they are in government they are safe from the CIO and all the men of violence in Zanu-PF and they enjoy the little comforts that goes with office – the travel, the red passports, the chauffeured driven cars and so forth and the leadership is getting soft. But obviously there is a division in the MDC, that’s what we read, but the top leadership, I’ll be very, very, very surprised if they decide to pull out. They’ll just stay in and hope for the best.

GONDA: On this issue of pulling out, I’m still not sure what the Plan B would be if they were to pull out especially when you have clearly stated that SADC is toothless and that Zanu-PF would just dig in, so what can they actually do after pulling out?

DUMBUTSHENA: Well what they can do is to say, at least they will weaken the regime – that’s a plus. And number two they will not be part and parcel of a fraudulent process that will culminate in Zanu-PF retaining power. You see because if they stay in this inclusive government, I swear to you that there is this belief that there will be free and fair elections; that the MDC will win is just a pure fallacy. Zanu-PF will not allow that. They will not allow that and we will have, and we will have given people false hope, a false solution and at the end of the day they’ll have another violent, fraudulent election with Zanu-PF retaining power and it will have been done with the complicity of the MDC. That is why they should pull out because if they don’t, they will be complicit in what happens, in what will inevitably happen and there will be no-one to cry to - because if at the end of this process Mugabe and Zanu-PF are still in power and Zimbabwe has not moved an inch towards becoming a democracy, then the very least Tsvangirai should do is resign, because he will have failed the people. He would have been proven to have exercised extremely poor judgement at the critical moment. So they have a choice – they can be completely complicit or they can say we tried but these people are not serious so we can’t be part of this, they can do whatever they want, we go back to being an opposition and to fight for the peoples’ rights in whatever way we deem possible or necessary. That’s the choice they face – to be complicit in this fraudulent process or to pull out and say we tried but these are people we can’t deal with because they are completely devoid of good faith and they are leading us up a garden path and we are not prepared to walk along that path with them. Those are the choices that face them.

GONDA: And do you think Zanu-PF cares?

DUMBUTSHENA: It does care. The Zanu-PF regime will be under extreme pressure if the MDC pulls out because the problems of legitimacy, you must remember that Mugabe’s legitimacy that he enjoys right now, universally now, stems from the GPA. It doesn’t stem from the June 27th fiasco. So if the GPA ceases to exist then he has legitimacy problems, then sanctions are tightened, then the little money that is coming in ceases to come in. You can forget about investment from the business community and so forth and now you come to the issue of the viability of the Zanu-PF regime, then it becomes their problem. But if the MDC stays in, as I said, it will become complicit in a fraudulent process that will culminate in Zanu-PF retaining power by hook or crook. That’s the choice that faces the MDC in my opinion.

GONDA: Now we know that some of the outstanding issues include the swearing in of Roy Bennett, the swearing in of governors and the appointment of the Reserve Bank governor and the Attorney General but how would you respond to people who would say do you think the whole country should be turned into turmoil over these few outstanding issues?

DUMBUTSHENA: But, you see, there are more than that, there are more than that. You can see that the constitution making process has stalled, no newspapers have been licensed except one that they own and so forth, so all these things just point to people who are very, very insincere, who have a hidden agenda and who will do whatever is necessary to retain power. So it’s not just that these are a few issues and so on and so on, the whole thing is a charade, the whole process is a charade and the MDC has to decide whether it continues to be part of this charade and becomes complicit in this fraudulent process or it cuts its losses and pulls out. To me it’s as simple as that.

GONDA: You know there are some who say the people who are advocating for a pull out are not looking at the situation squarely and that if the MDC pulls out right now, having been given the exposure to some extent being in government, it will just take 48 hours for Zanu-PF to shut down the country and declare a state of emergency.

DUMBUTSHENA: Well let them do that. Let them do that. You see, what those people fail to understand is that there comes a point where you cannot appease people because you are afraid of them. You’ll not make progress that way. History is full of such examples, that is why appeasement is a very dirty word. You must take principled positions. This inclusive government is not moving Zimbabwe towards a democracy, it is not, it is just a fraudulent process that will culminate in Zanu-PF retaining power with a fair degree of legitimacy because the MDC will have been part of that process. Now the question the MDC has to ask itself is that does it want to remain in government and legitimise what is going to be a perpetuation of Zanu-PF rule or does it become honest to itself and to its people. Forget about African leaders, to its people – those are the most important people. To say to your people we tried, we saw your suffering and we thought we could work with these people but they have demonstrated that they are completely insincere and we cannot be part and parcel of giving you people false hope and then, which we know will be dashed when the moment of truth arise.

GONDA: The MDC is currently holding these consultative meetings with members of the public and their supporters, what do you think Zimbabweans want?

DUMBUTSHENA: I think, it is a difficult question for me because I don’t live in Zimbabwe as you know, I think that you will find that the country is divided and peoples’ level of understanding is different. You’ll find that among the thinking classes if I may use that term, among the thinking classes, people who are conscious of what is going on, not people who are driven by desperate hope – who say let’s go on zvimwe zvichanaka (let’s go on perhaps things will get better), but people who understand the political dynamics of the country and what’s going on, they will support a pull out.

GONDA: And a final word Tendai.

DUMBUTSHENA: Well the final word is, I’m afraid to say that we know the character of Zanu-PF so I’m not disappointed with Zanu-PF because that’s exactly what I expected, that’s exactly what we warned, so I’m not disappointed with Zanu-PF at all. They have been true to their character but it is the MDC which has been a major, major disappointment because they’ve allowed themselves to be duped, they’ve allowed themselves to be seduced by petty privileges, they’ve allowed, they’ve lost sight of the big picture and are now part and parcel of a process that will not move Zimbabwe any closer towards the kind of society we all want it to be.

GONDA: Tendai Dumbutshena thank you very much for talking to us on the programme Hot Seat.

DUMBUTSHENA: It’s a pleasure

Feedback can be sent to violet@swradioafrica.com

Beware of a soft-spoken tyrant

They do say we should be wary of a soft-spoken tyrant. And this is relevant
when it comes to Mugabe. We are all used to his breathing fire and his
melodramatic allegations and threats. In fact, we are all hardened against
it.

"A rather subdued Robert Mugabe finally opened the Second Session of the
Seventh Parliament on Tuesday, where Morgan Tsvangirai was also present at
the official opening for the first time as Prime Minister.

Several parliamentarians also said that for the first time there were no
tensions in the House while Mugabe was delivering his speech which was
'relatively devoid of his usual nastiness.'

Observers say it appears the political rivals may have made some concessions
to be 'civil with each other'. Last August Mugabe was humiliated and left
rattled after MDC-T parliamentarians jeered, heckled and sang 'ZANU PF is
rotten' during his speech, but there was none of that this time around. Some
MDC MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were told by the top
leadership in the inclusive government not to repeat last year's
performance."

For someone who has nothing but disdain for the colonial era, he is quite
happy to revel in its glory, is he not?

Mugabe loves any kind of opulence - whether it is a parade or the latest
suit - he has to have the best. And the opening of parliament suits him down
to the ground.

How can the man that ridicules the West have a 32 horsemen escort dressed in
the BSAP uniform of yesteryear? Mugabe hates anything to do with the
British - or Zimbabwe's predecessor, Rhodesia. (The British South Africa
Police - BSAP - was the police force of Rhodesia.)

Mugabe's love of all things fine and flashy has become quite garish - and
this, I believe, is because his market is somewhat limited with the travel
sanctions in place against him, his family and all of his apologists and
loyalists.

Mugabe's wife has the ability to shop until she drops and it is often
reported that 'plane-loads of goods arrive for Amazing (Dis)Grace and
circumvent customs.

How she would dearly love to shop again in London and New York!

So Mugabe has decided to soften his tone and has even gone so far as to say
that he would like to be friends with the Queen again.

But we know that a leopard doesn't change his spots. He has nothing but
ridicule and disdain for the Western way of life - but opens Parliament with
all the pomp and ceremony of a colonial ruler!

"A regal Mugabe and his wife, resplendent in a blue outfit, were riding in
the gleaming Rolls Royce once used by Lord Soames, the last governor of
Rhodesia. As he mounted the saluting dais and the national anthem was
played, a chorus of jeering and salutes began."

It is nothing short of a slap in the face for the history of Zimbabwe that
Mugabe should choose to open Parliament with a backdrop that is nothing more
than the colonial past that he hates so much.

Mugabe fails to hoodwink that people of Zimbabwe, and fails entirely to
convince the West that he is a changed man.

Beware of a soft-spoken tyrant - although I do prefer him as the angry,
much-deluded dictator that he really is.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man

http://mandebvhu.instablogs.com/entry/beware-of-a-soft-spoken-tyrant/

Bill Watch Special of 6th October 2009 [ParliamentOpens and Immediately Adjourns to 20th October]

BILL WATCH SPECIAL

[6th October 2009]

The Second Session of the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe was officially opened today Tuesday 6th October.

Both the Senate and the House of Assembly are now adjourned until

Tuesday 20th October

The President performed the ceremonial opening of Parliament while Senators joined members of the House of Assembly in the chamber of the House of Assembly to hear the President’s speech. Thereafter both Houses held brief separate sittings and adjourned to Tuesday 20th October. When the Houses resume they will commence their customary debates on the President’s speech – traditionally an opportunity for members not only to discuss the content of the speech but also to raise matters of concern in their constituencies. Work will also hopefully start then on Bills that have been gazetted and are ready for introduction – the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill and other Ministry of Finance Bills. In his speech the President outlined the legislative agenda for the year [see list below]. Last year quite a few Bills were mentioned that were never brought to Parliament, so this list is no guarantee that these Bills will come up.

Highlights of the President’s Speech

[Electronic version of full speech available on request.]

Highlights of the speech included references to:

· The recent agreement among the three principals to the Global Political Agreement to restructure the management of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the new Constitution, to “expedite work” towards a new Constitution

· The establishment of four Independent Constitutional Commissions – the process “is progressing well” and “conclusion imminent”.

· Medium to long-term plans to succeed the Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme [STERP] to move from economic stabilisation to growth and development

· Bills to be introduced by the Government during the session [see list below] – the President did not mention any Bills to implement media reform, and repeal or amend AIPPA and POSA.

· Regional and international agreements to be laid before Parliament for approval during the session [see below]

· Plans for the development of the Chiadzwa diamond field – but without mention of the recent High Court decision restoring the mining rights over the field to the company from which Government confiscated them in 2006

· An indication of the policy objectives of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill – to strengthen the relationship of government to mining houses, broaden ownership rights in line with the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment policy, to promote Foreign Direct Investment and enforce the “use it or lose it” principle

· A programme for the restructuring, commercialisation and possible privatisation of some state enterprises and parastatals

· The meagre remuneration of public servants – with a plea for patience until resources permit salaries and allowances to be benchmarked against the poverty datum line

· The realignment of water, electricity, fuel and transport charges to regional levels

· Re-engagement with the European Union and the Western bloc – and the government’s expectation that those countries that have imposed “illegal sanctions” will remove them, as Zimbabwe remains “in a positive stance to enter into fresh, friendly and cooperative relations with all those countries that have been hostile to us in the past”

Government’s Legislative Agenda for Second Session

The President announced that the following Bills would be brought to Parliament during the session [Note that only a few of these Bills are ready for Parliament now – those gazetted or about to be gazetted, as indicated below. The others will reach Parliament later in the session, as drafting is completed and final Cabinet approval is obtained. Some of them may only be dealt with well into 2010. Some may not make it at all.]

Human Rights Commission Bill

* Public Finance Management Bill [to be gazetted on 9th October]

* Audit Office Bill [gazetted on 2nd October]

* Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill [gazetted on 14th August]

Income Tax Amendment Bill

Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill

National Incomes and Pricing Commission Amendment Bill

Railways Amendment Bill

National Information Communication Technology Bill

Small and Medium Enterprises Bill

Education Amendment Bill

Zimbabwe Qualifications Authority Bill

National Youth Service Bill

Food Control Bill

Bacteriological Weapons Convention Bill

Regional and International Agreements to be Placed before

Parliament for Approval

SADC Protocol on Gender and Development

SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement

SADC Protocol on Fisheries

Basel Convention on Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and

Their Disposal

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent

RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands

[Note: no mention of sorting out Zimbabwe’s membership of SADC Tribunal]

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.

74,021 people aged 100+ registered on Zimbabwe’s voters’ roll

Mugabe Plans to Evict All White Farmers; Lobby Group Protests