Zim Online
Monday 09 October
2006
HARARE - A confidential Ministry of
Economic Development document
leaked to ZimOnline on Sunday paints a picture
of a government in crisis,
lacking co-ordination, ripped apart by infighting
and uncommitted to ending
the country's economic meltdown.
The
document that is undated was prepared for the National Security
Council, a
powerful committee chaired by President Robert Mugabe which
includes top
military commanders, selected Cabinet ministers and other
prominent figures
such as Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono.
It is a
virtual admission of charges by the political opposition that
Zimbabwe's
economic and political troubles stem from a crisis of governance,
noting
that the government's "business as usual" approach in the face of the
country's worst ever economic crisis was only helping worsen the
situation.
The document titled, "Memorandum to the National
Security Council on
the National Economic Development Priority Programme,"
also says a massive
brain-drain as young professionals fled economic
hardships to find better
opportunities in other countries was also to blame
for lack of progress in
ending the economic crisis.
But says in
the main: "Lack of urgency to resolving the crisis (and
the government's)
'business as usual' approach, lack of effective policy
coordination and
implementation, lack of an over-arching monitoring
mechanism, mistrust
within government which is resulting in conflicts over
turf, mistrust
between public and private sectors, lack of commitment and
above all the
absence of shared national vision among stakeholders, have
exacerbated the
economic situation."
Zimbabwe is grappling with an economic crisis
described by the World
Bank as the worst in the world outside a war
zone.
The meltdown, critics blamed mainly on state mismanagement,
has seen
the economy contract by more than a third over the past seven
years, while
inflation has shot beyond 1 000 percent. Skyrocketing
unemployment,
shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel, electricity and
increasing
poverty levels are some of the highlights of Zimbabwe's
crisis.
Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe's independence from Britain
in 1980,
denies ruining what was once one of Africa's most vibrant economies
and
instead blames Western sanctions against his government and erratic
rains
for crippling the agriculture-based economy.
But the
government document says European Union and United States
sanctions against
Mugabe and his top officials were only part of the causes
of Zimbabwe's
crisis.
It says: "The country is in a state of an economic crisis
which has
partly been caused by international sanctions by the Western
countries.
"The economic crisis also reflects a lack of consensus
and shared
National Vision among stakeholders. We cannot, therefore continue
with a
'business as usual approach' because the crisis demands quick
win-strategies
to stabilise the economy."
Mugabe's spokesman
George Charamba and Economic Development Minister
Rugare Gumbo were both not
available to take questions on issues raised in
the document. -
ZimOnline
Zim Online
Monday 09 October
2006
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe's
ruling ZANU PF party retained two
rural constituencies in weekend
by-elections, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
(ZEC) spokesman Utoile
Silaigwana told ZimOnline on Sunday.
Silaigwana said ZANU PF's
Stephen Chiurayi beat opposition Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC)
party's Moses Jiri to clinch Chikomba
constituency. In Rushinga
constituency, the ruling party's Lazarus Dokora
won against MDC's Kudakwashe
Chideya.
The ZEC official said figures on the two polls were not
yet available
owing to bad roads and poor communication.
"ZANU
PF has won both constituencies but I do not have the exact
figures owing to
bad roads and poor communication with the result centres.
The constituency
registrars will have to travel physically to bring the
results," Silaigwana
said.
The Rushinga by-election was held to fill the vacancy left
after the
death of ZANU PF legislator Sandra Machirori, while the Chikomba
poll was to
replace the late ruling party parliamentarian and former
information
minister Tichaona Jokonya who died last June.
ZANU
PF was expected to win in the rural constituencies that have
traditionally
voted for the ruling party. The poll results do not alter
representation in
the House of Assembly with the MDC maintaining control of
the 41 seats it
won in last year's general election.
ZANU PF controls 78 seats it
won in that poll plus another 30 seats
occupied by individuals appointed to
Parliament by Mugabe, giving the ruling
party more than the two-thirds
majority required to amend the Constitution.
The other seat is held
by former information minister Jonathan Moyo
who stood as an independent in
last year's parliamentary election.
Zimbabwe also has a House of
Senate reintroduced by the government
last year and also controlled by ZANU
PF.
The main faction of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai took part
in the
Saturday election while the smaller wing of the fractured opposition
party
that is led by prominent academic Arthur Mutambara did not take
part.
Meanwhile, Silaigwana also said ZANU PF had won in 13 of 14
district
wards in elections also conducted last Saturday. The MDC won in
Manyene
north ward. - ZimOnline
Zim Online
Monday 09 October
2006
BULAWAYO - Leading supermarkets in
Zimbabwe's second biggest city of
Bulawayo at the weekend hiked the price of
sugar by 50 percent as the
country's seven-year old economic crisis showed
no signs of abetting.
A two kilogramme pack of white sugar now
costs Z$600, up from the $400
it used to cost last week while a 10kg bag of
the same commodity now costs
$3 000, up from $2 000.
The latest
hike in the price of sugar comes barely a week after
transport operators
also increased fares in most major towns and cities as
the cost of living
skyrockets in a country with the world's highest
inflation of 1 204.6
percent.
A combative Industry and International Trade Minister,
Obert Mpofu,
accused business leaders of working with the opposition, saying
they were
hiking prices in order to incite hard-pressed Zimbabweans to
revolt against
the government.
Mpofu, who has in the past
threatened to withdraw trading licences
from business that hike price of
basic goods without approval from the
government, said his department would
soon reintroduce price controls on a
wider range of goods.
At
the moment the government only controls the prices of a select few
most
essential commodities.
"We will definitely act on that because we
cannot let innocent people
suffer because somebody wants to either profiteer
or push the government out
of power," said Mpofu.
Once the
breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe is in the grip of a
severe economic
crisis, marked by shortages of food, fuel, essential
medicines and just
about every basic commodity. - ZimOnline
Reuters
1 hour, 43
minutes ago
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's main opposition is trying to
bolster fearful
supporters before confronting President Robert Mugabe with
mass street
protests, its leader said on Sunday.
The main opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said in March it
planned to launch
peaceful mass demonstrations seeking to end Mugabe's long
rule, pen a new
constitution and hold fresh internationally-supervised
elections.
But
more than six months on, the protests have yet to begin, leaving
political
observers wondering if Zimbabweans are simply too cowed to take
their
grievances to the streets.
"We will organize the critical mass which is
going to demonstrate in the
streets but you don't build it overnight,"
Morgan Tsvangirai told thousands
of supporters in Harare during celebrations
to mark seven years since the
party's launch.
"We first have to
remove the fear in our people (and) the constraints that
Zimbabweans are
facing," said Tsvangirai, leader of the main faction of the
split
party.
The MDC had resisted pressure to launch street protests which
would not draw
large crowds, he added.
Mugabe, Zimbabwe's leader
since independence from Britain in 1980, has
warned opponents that the army
stood ready to "pull the trigger" against
anyone seeking to topple him as a
mounting political and economic crisis
raises fears of unrest.
The
MDC, which has come closest to unseating Mugabe, has been weakened by
internal squabbling, the latest being a split in October last year over
participation in senate elections.
The MDC accuses Mugabe of rigging
elections since 2000 and charges that the
veteran leader has ruined the
once-prosperous economy through controversial
policies, such as the seizure
of land from white commercial farmers.
Zimbabwe is in the throes of its
worst economic crisis with the world's
highest inflation of 1,200 percent,
unemployment above 70 percent, shortages
of foreign currency, food and fuel
and deepening poverty.
Mugabe, 82, denies responsibility for Zimbabwe's
woes and brands the
opposition a puppet of Britain. He says the economy has
been sabotaged by
Western powers over his land seizures.
The
opposition chief repeated on Sunday that his party would continue to
review
participation in future polls, charging that Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF
had
again rigged the ballot in parliamentary by-elections for two seats held
on
Saturday.
Results were released on Sunday for one contest, showing a win
for ZANU-PF.
The ruling party is also expected to win the second
seat.
IOL
October 08
2006 at 02:58PM
Harare - A total of 206 white farmers in Zimbabwe
have been paid out
for assets on farms seized under Harare's controversial
land reform
programme, a fraction of the 4 000 or so who have lost their
land, it was
reported Sunday.
Lands and Security Minister
Didymus Mutasa told parliament this week
that 206 farmers had accepted
payment for the equipment and fixed assets on
their farms, the
state-controlled Sunday Mail reported.
The minister urged other
white farmers who have been forced to leave
their farms in the last six
years and who have not been compensated to
contact his ministry, the paper
added.
Farming pressure groups, however, have urged ex-farmers
to reject
compensation, saying the sums on offer from President Robert
Mugabe's
government are far below the market value of the farms and assets
taken.
A constitutional amendment pushed through parliament last
year by the
ruling ZANU-PF party made all agricultural land state
property.
The government does not pay for the actual land taken,
claiming this
is the responsibility of former colonial power
Britain.
Harare says the colonisers stole the land from blacks more
than a
century ago.
Opponents and critics of Mugabe's
government say the land reform
programme is the reason Zimbabwe's
agricultural production has plunged by at
least 40 per cent since
2000.
Zimbabwe is in its sixth year of a worsening economic crisis
marked by
rising poverty, food and foreign currency shortages and inflation
of more
than 1 204 percent. - Sapa-dpa
The motherly figure of Juliet
Ngulube standing alone between the 4 maples
greeted the Vigil co-ordinators
when they arrived to set up the Vigil. She
had travelled all the way from
Manchester determined on her protest. We
were soon joined by groups from
Leicester, Wolverhampton and Sheffield and
by several babies in buggies.
The passionate singing and dancing continued
all afternoon with Evelyn
beating the hell out of one the drums. We already
have one drum in
casualty. Among people dropping by was a well-known
Ugandan writer, a
Malawian journalist and an elderly Indian gentleman from
South Africa. They
were all very supportive as indeed were the thousands of
passers-by. Many
of them were aware of the clandestine visit to Zimbabwe
recently by Kate
Hoey, the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on
Zimbabwe. It was
given wide publicity on television and in the newspapers,
and people were
shocked at the brutal treatment of peaceful trade union
demonstrators.
While the singing and dancing went on, several people
were busy making
posters (thanks to Chipo, Bonny, Yeukai and Dumi) for the
presentation of
our petition on Thursday. Our message is "Vigil 4 Freedom"
marking our 4th
anniversary. Kate Hoey has agreed to receive the petition
outside the
Houses of Parliament at 2.30 pm on our anniversary on Thursday,
12th
October. The petition signed by more than 10,000 people calls on the
UN
Security Council to intervene in the appalling human rights' situation in
Zimbabwe and Kate has promised to ensure that it gets to Kofi Annan, the UN
Secretary-General. Mr Annan has failed to deal with the problem so far but
he leaves office at the end of the year and we want our petition to be at
the top of the in-tray for the new Secretary- General.
The Chair of
the MDC UK, Ephraim Tapa, came to the Vigil to urge MDC UK
members to come
to the Vigil next week. MDC UK, a member of the Vigil
Coalition, has asked
to join us to express their gratitude for the Vigil's
persistent campaign
against human rights abuses and lack of democracy and to
mark our
anniversary and the 7th anniversary of the MDC. We will all be
wearing
black armbands to mourn the death of our country.
Two encounters: we had
a phone call from a friend in the Mrewa area who said
he had been threatened
by government thugs for distributing the Zimbabwean.
He was undeterred
though his wife was understandably fearful and an
Englishman with a
Zimbabwean wife spent some time with us - he recalled how
he had been
married in Salisbury for 50 cents. What can you get for that
now?
Certainly not a bride!
For this week's Vigil pictures:
http://uk.msnusers.com/ZimbabweVigil/shoebox.msnw.
FOR
THE RECORD: 73 signed the register.
FOR YOUR DIARY:
· Monday,
9th October, 7.30 pm: At the time of the MDC's 7th
anniversary, Mike
Bennett, Chair of MDC Central London Branch and Julius
Mutyambizi-Dewa,
Secretary of MDC UK will be discussing activism in the UK
and in Zimbabwe.
Upstairs at the Theodore Bullfrog pub, 28 John Adam
Street, London WC2
(cross the Strand from the Zimbabwe Embassy, go down a
passageway to John
Adam Street, turn right and you will see the pub).
· Saturday, 14th
October, 1 pm: Free-Zim Youth's protest about the
ineffectiveness of South
Africa's 'quiet diplomacy'. Venue: outside the
South African High
Commission, Trafalgar Square. They will be joining the
Vigil after their
protest.
Vigil co-ordinator
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe
Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place
every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00
to protest against gross violations of
human rights by the current regime in
Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in
October 2002 will continue until
internationally-monitored, free and fair
elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk
FROM THE ZIMBABWE VIGIL
4th Anniversary of the Zimbabwe Vigil -
Events
The Zimbabwe Vigil is 4 years old on 12th October 2006. To mark
the
occasion we have planned the following:
1. Presentation of
our petition to Kate Hoey outside Parliament -
12th October
We are
delighted that Kate Hoey (chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group
on
Zimbabwe) has agreed to accept our petition on our Vigil anniversary. We
salute Kate's courage in visiting Zimbabwe secretly last week - the
resultant publicity has kept Zimbabwe in the news.
Timing: 1 pm
- meet at Zimbabwe Embassy
1.30 pm - walk to Houses of Parliament
2.30 pm
- present petition to Kate Hoey
3 pm - return to Zimbabwe House
The
Vigil petition reads: "A petition to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
about
human rights abuses in Zimbabwe - We are deeply disturbed at the
deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. It seems as if the international
community does not care that a rogue government can hold its people hostage.
In the past six years up to a quarter of the population have fled the
country. Half of those remaining face starvation. Any dissent is stamped
on. The UN's special envoys have seen this for themselves and condemned the
regime. We urge the UN Security Council to take measures to help free the
suffering people of Zimbabwe."
Kate will pass it on to the
appropriate UN representative.
For those who want to join us at
Parliament, the nearest tube is
Westminster.
2.
Commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the Vigil - 14th October
We will be
marking the 4th anniversary of the Zimbabwe Vigil on 14th October
by
mourning the death of freedom and democracy in Zimbabwe. We will be
wearing
black armbands. MDC UK, a member of the Zimbabwe Vigil Coalition,
has
asked to join us in solidarity to mark the MDC's 7th anniversary.
Although
this anniversary is not a cause for celebration, it is a time of
congratulation to all our supporters for their constancy and commitment in
turning out every Saturday afternoon whatever the weather for 4
years.
PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT US AND MAKE IT A REALLY BIG VIGIL - usual
time of
2 - 6 pm outside Zimbabwe House.
.
Vigil
Co-ordinators
The vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand,
London, takes place
every Saturdays from 14.00 - 18.00 to protest against
gross violations of
human rights by the current regime in Zimbabwe. The
Vigil which started in
October 2002 will continue until
internationally-monitored, free and fair
elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
OhMyNews
Zanu (PF) seeks help from the poor
Nelson G. Katsande
(NELKA)
Published 2006-10-08 11:30 (KST)
President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) Party -- which has been in
power
since Zimbabwe's independence from British colonial rule in 1980 -- is
reportedly broke and has launched a countrywide fundraising campaign for its
annual conference in December.
Zanu (PF) has been on a vigorous
fundraising campaign in rural areas,
with the latest campaign held in
Mutoko. Last week, Joe Matiza, the party's
secretary for finance in
Mashonaland East Province appealed to traditional
leaders and the majority
of the rural folk in Mutoko to help raise funds for
the annual peoples'
conference.
Speaking at Kotwa, he appealed for assistance in the
form of cash,
farm produce and livestock for use at the December conference
to be held in
Goromonzi. A village chief in Mutoko accused the party of
insulting the poor
by asking them to donate funds to the party.
The majority of the rural folk live below the poverty line and their
harvests have been severely affected by drought. Rural communities remain
segregated and underdeveloped as the government has failed to raise funds
for development.
Most rural areas have no electricity and
people have to walk long
distances to seek medical treatment as the
government's promise of free
treatment and building more hospitals has not
been forthcoming. Transport
operators are now shunning some routes due to
bad road conditions and some
areas have become inaccessible.
In
towns and cities, youths who the ruling party are reported to be
coercing
people to buy party cards. Those who refuse have their names taken
for
possible later recrimination. Party members whose subscriptions are in
arrears are threatened with expulsion from the party.
Mugabe's
fundraising campaign has been taken to every province. In a
move which the
people have codenamed "Operation Payback," the party has been
asking those
who were allocated white-owned farms to come forward with their
contributions. Those unwilling to make contributions have been threatened
with expulsion from the farms.
In Sanyati the people said they
have no choice but to make the
required contributions as they fear being
attacked by the militia if they
refuse to co-operate. Some schools were
sending pupils to work in
neighboring farms to raise funds for the ruling
party. A primary school
teacher from Mupamombe School told OhmyNews they had
a duty to support the
government of the day. He further said it was within
their curriculum to
send children to work in the farms.
At
Mupawose School, some teachers confirmed that it was common
practice for
schools to send pupils to work in neighboring farms. They said,
however,
that the funds raised were for the school and not the ruling Zanu
(PF).
The government-owned Herald newspaper reported on Oct. 7
that more
than 700 chickens for consumption at the conference had so far
been
contributed by other provinces.
The majority of urban
dwellers are reported to be opposed to the
ruling party's request for
contributions. They have instead blamed the
government of failing to manage
its financial affairs and are calling for
Mugabe's resignation.
Analysts say if the ruling party has no funds to host the annual
conference,
it is best that the hosting of the conference be suspended until
such a time
when funds are available.
However, it remains to be seen how far
the majority of the suffering
Zimbabweans are prepared to go in supporting
Mugabe's political party. Most
of the ruling party's members benefited from
Mugabe's controversial land
reform program. The party has also been accused
of brutally attacking
members of the opposition.
The Telegraph
By Telegraph
online and PA
(Filed: 08/10/2006)
West Indies took just
14.2 overs to chase down Zimbabwe's lowly 85
target and win their opening
ICC Champions Trophy qualifier by nine wickets.
After losing the
toss at Ahmedabad, next year's World Cup hosts
skittled their opponents for
the third lowest total in Champions Trophy
history, in just 30.1
overs.
Windies spinner Chris Gayle finished off the tail to finish
with the
best figures of three for three before letting fly with the bat to
set up a
successful run chase.
Gayle's wicket was the only one
to fall in the Windies reply.
The opener made a quickfire 41 -
thanks in part to some comedy
fielding from Zimbabwe - before going for one
big heave too many and giving
Tafadzwa Kamungozi a virtually undroppable
catch.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (14 not out) and captain Brian Lara
(24 no)
made light work of the remaining 20 runs, Lara finishing the game
with two
big sixes to take the Windies to 90 for one.
Yet it
wasn't Zimbabwe's bowling which cost them dear, but it had been
their
batting that let them down.
Openers Tafadzwa Mufambisi (18) and
Chamu Chibhabha (one) were only
able to survive three overs before the
latter was bamboozled by an inswinger
by Ian Bradshaw, the left hander
removing middle and off-stump.
It was not long before the stumps
were flying again, Jerome Taylor
this time with an outswinger which tore
Hamilton Masakadza's (one) off peg
out of the ground.
Taylor
was in aggressive mood and produced a vicious bouncer, with
Mufambisi's
evasive action only succeeding in top edging the ball to
wicketkeeper
Carlton Baugh.
It got even worse for Zimbabwe when Brendon Taylor
(seven) was run out
looking for a single and Chanderpaul produced a
brilliant direct hit.
Dwayne Smith got in on the act for the
Windies with an outswinger
which Stuart Matsikenyeri nicked behind to
Baugh.
More good fielding saw Piet Rinke (one) run out, before
Taylor was
presented with a simple catch by Elton Chigumbura's mishit
loft.
Captain Prosper Utseya and Anthony Ireland (five) put on the
biggest
partnership of the innings, but the fact they added only 24 runs for
the
eighth wicket summed up the performance.
Their stand was
broken by Gayle, who pushed one straight through,
taking Ireland's
off-stump.
The spinner then produced some extra bounce to outwit
Edward
Rainsford, who edged to Bravo at first slip for a duck.
Gayle applied the coup de grace with the first ball of the 31st over,
trapping Utseya - who top scored with a paltry 27 - lbw to set up the
easiest of run chases.
Mmegi, Botswana
Onalenna
Modikwa
Staff Writer
10/8/2006 9:36:41 PM (GMT
+2)
SELEBI-PHIKWE: For the third, foreign exchange problems has put
paid
to a visit by Zimbabwe councillors to Selebi-Phikwe. The last failure
last
Friday, saw the Selebi-Phikwe mayor Molosiwa Molosiwa declaring a
free-for-all feast because the food had already been ordered at Phokoje Bush
Lodge.
The Zimbabwe councillors are from Victoria Falls
Municipality Council
(VFMC). They were supposed to visit the Selebi-Phikwe
Town Council last
Friday morning but cancelled at the last minute after
refreshments and food
had been laid. Their intended visit follows a similar
trip to VFMC by
Selebi-Phikwe councillors. Among other things, the
Zimbabwean councillors
were expected to learn how the SPTC runs its
activities.
It was obvious, according to the day's arrangement,
that the
Zimbabwean councillors were to be accorded royal treatment as the
SPTC clerk
and the deputy mayor appeared to have vacated their seats at the
high table
for the visitors. But then, the mayor walked inside the council
chamber and
announced that it was very unfortunate that the visitors they
expected had
just informed him that they were no longer coming due to
foreign exchange
problems in Zimbabwe. He said the council had incurred
expenses because it
had already booked lunch from Phokoje Bush Lodge and the
order could not be
cancelled.
Before he could dismiss the
sitting, Molosiwa requested the officers
and councillors to feast on the
sandwiches and tea that were prepared in the
council for the visitors' tea
break. He requested them to return to the
chamber by lunch time to eat the
food ordered from the lodge.
He stated that the council will
consider if the Zimbabwean councillors
wish to visit again. However, the
council did not book accommodation for the
Zimbabwean councillors as theirs
was a one-day visit.