MDC set to pursue plan B if talks fail

http://www.nehandaradio.com

02 September 2008

By Never Kadungure

The Movement for Democratic Change is already preparing a Plan B should
power sharing talks brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki collapse
completely as expected.

Over the weekend both Zanu PF and the MDC again failed to reach agreement in
what is turning out to be a tragic soap opera.

Sources within the MDC say party leader Morgan Tsvangirai is fed up with the
process and is already planning a diplomatic offensive that will see him
visit African countries and ask the SADC, African Union and the United
Nations to pick up from where Mbeki left of.

There has been suggestions that the talks will resume again through out this
week but both the Zanu PF and MDC positions seem to be widening the more
they speak to each other.

Mbeki is now expected to fly to Harare on Thursday in yet another attempt to
resuscitate the process.

Robert Mugabe is insisting on remaining the Head of Government, Head of
State and Commnader in Chief of the Army while relegating Tsvangirai to a
ceremonial Prime Minister. Tsvangirai dismissed this as unworkable since he
won the March 29 election ahead of Mugabe.

He even suggested a reversal of roles under Mugabe's proposal to see if the
Zanu PF leader would accept being Prime Minister himself if he thought the
deal was fair. Mugabe refused.

Tsvangirai to attend Mwanawasa's funeral

http://www.zimbabwemetro.com

Local News
September 2, 2008 | By Gerald Harper
MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to arrive in Zambia today to
attend the late President Levy Mwanawasa's burial,a senior aide has
confirmed.

Mwanawasa passed away in a Paris hospital where he had received treatment
after suffering a stroke in June,he has led Zambia since 2001 and was
re-elected in 2006. His tough stance against corruption endeared him to
donor countries and he was credited with turning the southern African nation
into one of Africa's economic success stories.

The MMD has been in power since 1991 when trade unionist Frederick Chiluba
ousted Liberation hero Kenneth Kaunda. The party remains popular and has
majority seats in parliament.

Meanwhile eleven African heads of state are expected to attend Mwanawasa's
burial,according to a Zambian government spokesman.

The Presidents would arrive in the country on Tuesday, except for South
African President Thabo Mbeki, who would be in Lusaka on the actual burial
day Wednesday.

African Union (AU) Commission chairperson Jean Ping and former Malawian
president Bakili Muluzi had also confirmed that they would come to Zambia.

The heads of state expected include Seretse Ian Khama of Botswana, Chadian
leader Idriss Deby, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Robert
Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Others are Rwandese President Paul Kagame, Armando Geubuza of Mozambique,
Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar and Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba.

State organs continue to hinder NGOs

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Simplicious Chirinda Tuesday 02 September 2008

HARARE - Zimbabwe state organs continue to hinder distribution of
humanitarian aid despite the government saying last week that it had lifted
a ban on relief operations, the National Association of Non-governmental
Organisations (NANGO) said on Monday.

The NANGO said feeding schemes for hungry children and support programmes
for people living with HIV/AIDS were among programmes disrupted by "state
structures on the ground" that it said had largely ignored an instruction by
Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche to allow NGOs to resume distribution
of humanitarian aid.

The group that is the largest representative body for NGOs' operating in
Zimbabwe said in a statement that Goche's order allowing "the continuance of
child supplementary feeding and HIV/AIDS interventions was largely ignored
by state structures on the ground who have continued to restrict and disrupt
NGO operations".

The NANGO called on the government to follow up the lifting of the ban on
aid operations with measures on the ground that would "facilitate the
development of a conducive operating environment for civil society in
Zimbabwe".

President Robert Mugabe's government had last June banned field operations
by NGOs, including provisions of life-saving drugs to thousands of people
living with HIV/AIDS and feeding schemes for millions of hungry Zimbabweans.

The government said the ban imposed weeks before a June 27 second round
presidential run-off election was necessary to stop NGOs using aid to bribe
Zimbabweans to vote against Mugabe as part of a Western-backed plot to
topple the veteran ruler.

The restriction on NGOs followed Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party's loss
to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC party in the March 29
presidential and parliamentary elections although Tsvangirai failed to
attain the margin required to avoid a second round run-off vote.

Mugabe went on to be re-elected in a June poll in which he was sole
candidate after Tsvangirai pulled out, citing state orchestrated
intimidation and violence against his supporters. Western governments,
African election observers and some African governments denounced the
violence-marred June poll.

The Harare administration lifted the ban on aid operations last Friday,
appearing to give in at last to pressure from local human rights activists,
the opposition MDC and the international community who had complained that
the ban had put the lives of especially marginalised groups such as orphans,
the elderly and HIV/AIDS patients at great risk.

But the government did not lift the ban on NGOs involved in the promotion of
human rights, good governance and democracy, a move NANGO has decried.

Once a regional breadbasket, Zimbabwe is reeling under severe food shortages
that President Robert Mugabe blames on poor weather and Western sanctions he
says have hampered importation of fertilizers, seed, and other farming
inputs.

But critics blame Zimbabwe's troubles on repression and wrong polices by the
veteran leader such as his haphazard fast-track land reform exercise that
displaced established white commercial farmers and replaced them with either
incompetent or inadequately funded black farmers resulting in the country
facing acute food shortages.

An economic recession marked by the world's highest inflation rate of more
than 11 million percent has exacerbated the food crisis.

With the government out of cash to import food, while many families that
would normally be able to buy their own food supplies are unable to do so
because of an increasingly worthless currency - it means NGOs would be
required to play an even greater role helping to feed the hungry in
Zimbabwe. - ZimOnline

Bidvest targets Zim investment opportunities

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Jameson Mombe and Wayne Mafaro  Tuesday 02 September 2008

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's biggest company by revenues, Bidvest said on
Monday that it is targeting investment opportunities in Zimbabwe, a country
deep in political crisis but which investors are finding increasingly
attractive because of its potential for huge returns once its economy starts
to recover.

Bidvest said it was looking to raise about 600 million rand for investment
in South Africa, the United States and in Zimbabwe, where the firm already
operates and says it is confident about future growth despite the country
suffering the world's highest inflation of more than 11 million percent and
an array of other problems.

The firm's chief executive, Brian Joffe, told the media: "We are still
looking for opportunities in the US. We are definitely looking for
opportunities in Zimbabwe."

Several foreign-owned companies have packed their bags in the past seven
years, galled by President Robert Mugabe's controversial policies, including
the seizure of white-owned farms to resettle blacks, which have called into
question Harare's commitment to uphold property rights.

Mugabe - who often accuses foreign-owned businesses of plotting with his
Western enemies to bring down his government and externalising foreign
currency earnings - has in recent months stepped up pressure against the
businesses by threatening to force them to sell controlling stake to
indigenous blacks.

But economic analyst Eric Bloch said Bidvest's announcement that it was
considering investment opportunities in Zimbabwe showed a growing belief
that the country was close to finding a political settlement that would
allow for its once brilliant economy to begin recovering.

Bloch said: "Zimbabwe is still considered a high risk nation but I think
that there is growing belief internationally that there will be political
settlement within the next few months and that there will be some concerted
effort to turn around the economy.

"This is why some companies consider Zimbabwe an interesting investment
opportunity."

Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC
party failed once more during talks last weekend to reach agreement on how
to share power in a government of national unity that has been touted as the
most viable way to end Zimbabwe's crisis.

While Mugabe and Tsvangirai differ sharply over who between them should
control the unity government, political analysts say both leaders were under
growing pressure from African leaders and the international community at
large to hammer out a compromise deal that could pave way for resolution of
one of Africa's worst crises.

In addition to hyperinflation, Zimbabwe is also in the grips of severe
shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel, water, and electricity amid
growing record unemployment.

However economic analysts say despite the grim economic statistics, Zimbabwe
would at some point recover once the current political stalemate dissipates,
giving more reason for investors to position themselves.

For example, British registered investment firm LonZim said last week that
it was planning to invest up to US$100 million in Zimbabwe and position for
an anticipated recovery of the southern African country's economy.

The former British colony still has good infrastructure, including road
networks and sits on large mineral reserves, including the world's second
largest platinum reserves after South Africa. - ZimOnline

'Mugabe has betrayed liberation struggle principles'

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by By Basildon Peta Tuesday 02 September 2008

JOHANNESBURG - US ambassador to Harare James D McGee says it is very sad
that President Robert Mugabe's government has betrayed the principles for
which the gallant liberation struggle was fought.

In a wide ranging interview Mcgee said the liberation struggle had been
fought to enable Zimbabweans to determine who governed them through
legitimate one man one vote elections.

"Now we hear them say a vote for Tsvangirai is a vote for war. Why? A vote
for the MDC is a vote for war. Why?"

He said the right of citizens to choose a government of their choice was
sacrosanct and statements threatening war against citizens exercising their
rights to determine who governs them were deeply unfortunate.

On whether the US would fund Zimbabwe's reconstruction if opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai succumbed to pressure and signed a proposed power-sharing
deal, which has been widely condemned as defective as the MDC leader would
play a subordinate role to Mugabe, McGee said his government's position
remained that of doing business with a government of Zimbabwe that reflected
the will of the people and that met all the tenets of good government
including upholding human rights, the rule of law and free market policies.

"Our position is that the people of Zimbabwe spoke on 29 March and they
explicitly said they wanted a different government. Fifty-seven percent of
people voted against President Mugabe and his policies. The majority of
Zimbabweans clearly said they wanted a new government. We therefore want to
see the people of Zimbabwe allowed to have their day and their wishes
respected," said McGee.

The June 27 run off was a sham election and the US did not recognise it, he
said.

McGee, however, hoped that the current power-sharing talks, mediated by
South African President Thabo Mbeki, would succeed and produce a government
that reflected the will of the people of Zimbabwe.

He also said that about 1,1 million Zimbabweans were starving and it would
take a long time for aid agencies to reach them after Mugabe's government
belatedly lifted a ban on their relief work.

McGee said the ban on aid agencies had had "a profound effect" on the people
of Zimbabwe and it would take at least six weeks before "we go back to the
levels which prevailed before the ban was imposed".

The US is funding most of Zimbabwe's humanitarian operations and assessments
by relief agencies with whom it works had shown that at least 1,1 million
people "were going without food right now".

While the US was pleased that a bad situation had been corrected after he
ban was lifted, McGee said his government was saddened that it had been
imposed in the first place.

Mugabe banned aid agencies on June 4 ahead of a controversial June 27
presidential run-off election, which he contested against himself, accusing
them of supporting the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The ban left beneficiaries of humanitarian aid stranded.

Humanitarian analysts say the amount of victims of the ban would never be
known as Zimbabwean rural areas were not accessible to humanitarian workers
during the ban due to violence.

The lifting of the ban came shortly after McGee wrote a strongly worded
letter to Public Service and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche warning
him to lift the ban immediately, failing which the US and its allies would
hold him personally responsible for the "inhumane suffering" it had caused.

In his letter seen by ZimOnline, McGee also demanded compensation from the
Zimbabwe government for the value of 20 metric tonnes of food donated for
poor children by his government but which were seized and stolen by the
Zimbabwean government, police and military officers.

Goche had earlier written to McGee stating that his government had not
sanctioned the theft of the food and was hence not responsible for any
financial reimbursement.

McGee said his government would help its partners ensure that food detained
in warehouses reached the needy as soon as possible following the lifting of
the ban.

Aid agencies through their mother body the National Association of
Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) have cautiously welcomed the lifting
of the ban saying they still needed to clear a few issues with the
Zimbabwean government. McGee nevertheless said he took the Zimbabwean
government at their word and hoped they had realised their mistakes and
would not hamper the work of relief agencies anymore.

He applauded Goche for lifting ther ban. McGee said pressure from different
sources seem to have persuaded the Zimbabwe government to lift the ban.

The US has large stocks of food in warehouses in Zimbabwe and South Africa
awaiting distribution to the poor in Zimbabwe. A further 48 000 metric
tonnes of food were on their way from the US, he said. - ZimOnline

Zimbabwe diamond baron cleared under controversial circumstances

http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com

2nd Sep 2008 00:21 GMT

By John Fenandes

HARARE - Misheck Muhwehwesa, the Mutare-based diamond baron who was arrested
after he was found in possession of 262 pieces of the precious stones,
walked out of the magistrates' court a free man after he was cleared of any
wrong doing.

The ruling by Livingstone Chipadze, a provincial magistrate based in Mutare,
has sent several tongues wagging in the eastern border city.

Muhwehwesa, 38, is suspected to have links with powerful ruling party
politicians with interests in the diamond industry. Chipadze ruled there was
no evidence to prove the diamonds belonged to Muhwehwesa since they were not
found in his personal possession.

The magistrate said the vehicle they were allegedly hidden had been used by
several other people who could have put them there. The diamonds were found
in the vehicle's air cleaner in July after police at a roadblock in Marange
stopped Muhwehwesa.

Instead the magistrate took a swipe at the police accusing them of doing a
shoddy job and failing to establish the real owner of the diamonds.

"From the evidence led in this court there was nowhere at one point when it
was stated that the police uplifted fingerprints from the air cleaner,"
Chipadze said. "One wonders why fingerprints were not uplifted when the
accused person denied knowledge of the presence of the diamonds."

He was represented by Advocate Eric Matinenga and Chris Ndhlovu, a
Mutare-based lawyer.

Ironically over 2000 illegal diamond miners and traders have been convicted
even when the gems where not found in their personal possession.

Court sources in Mutare said it was clear from the onset that Muhwehwesa
could escape unscratched. Since the police began its operation to curb the
illegal dealing and mining of diamonds only small time players have been
arrested and successfully prosecuted.

This has raised eyebrows as it appears the police or court officials are
having their palms greased by the barons.

The discovery of diamonds in the vehicle Muhwehwesa was driving is so far
the largest single haul since the discovery of precious stones in the
Marange District of Manicaland over two years ago. The 262 pieces of
diamonds are estimated by industry experts to be valued at close to US$1, 3
million although the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe valued them
at a mere ZW$52 trillion (US$520).

Muhwehwesa, a Mutare resident, was nabbed at the Chiadzwa diamond fields in
Marange after the police stopped him at the roadblock.

The diamonds, weighing 668 carats, were recovered from the air cleaner of
his vehicle, where they were concealed. One carat can fetch as much as
US$2000, depending on the clarity of the stone.

The connection of Muhwehwesa, a known diamond dealer, to one of Zimbabwe's
richest and most post powerful and influential families first came to light
after he allegedly sought the assistance of the family to secure the
prosecution of a Zanu PF politician in Mutare.

Sherrington Dumbura, the losing Zanu PF candidate for Mutasa South
constituency in the March 29 parliamentary election, allegedly swindled
Muhwehwesa of an unknown amount of diamonds which were valued at millions of
United States Dollars.

Dumbura is allegedly also involved in the illegal diamond trade. Muhwehwesa
is reported to have approached the head of the wealthy family for assistance
in seeking the arrest and prosecution of Dumbura.

Dumbura, a lightweight Zanu PF politician in the eastern Border City, is
alleged to have surrendered five vehicles to Muhwehwesa to secure his
immediate release.

The illegal diamonds were found in one of the vehicles, A Hyundai Santa Fe.
While several sources confirmed the intervention of the head of the wealthy
family in the case it was not possible for practical reasons to obtain
comment from him. When working on certain assignment journalists working for
online publications such as the Zimbabwe Journalists can only reveal their
identity at great personal risk.

The diamond dealers have formed powerful cartels, which have become immune
to both arrest and prosecution.

Zimbabwe Schools Set To Reopen Amid Confusion, Wage Demands

VOA

By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
01 September 2008

Primary and secondary schools across Zimbabwe were to re-open on Tuesday,
but there was widespread confusion among parents and even some teachers as
to the starting date, with many convinced the return to classrooms was not
to happen until a week later.

But the Ministry of Education confirmed that schools would open on Tuesday,
September 2.

Sources in Harare said the Mbare Musika and Fourth Street bus terminals were
quiet Monday with few children and teachers boarding buses back to their
respective schools.

Some parents told VOA they had made no back-to-school preparations because
the reports their children brought home last term indicated schools would
open September 9.

National Education Director Thomas Machingaidze said the Education Ministry
issued a press statement informing the public that schools would open a week
earlier to make up for time lost during the country's extended and turbulent
March-June election period.

Teachers, meanwhile, were threatening to strike, demanding another increase
in salaries to offset the effects of inflation officially measured at 11.2
million percent in July.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe was demanding a monthly minimum
salary equivalent to US$979. Officials of the rival Zimbabwe Teachers
Association were to meet later this week discuss and set their
organization's position on wages.

The highest paid teachers now earn some Z$1,475 in redenominated Zimbabwe
dollars - or Z$14.75 trillion before the central bank lopped off 10 zeros
last month.

Progressive Teachers Union General Secretary Raymond Majongwe told reporter
Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the confusion about the
date for schools to reopen reflected communication problems in the Ministry
of Education.

The Day the Dollar Died

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Today the new Zimbabwe currency devalued to one South African cent. Issued
just a month ago at parity with the Rand, it was a desperate move by the
regime in Harare to try and meet the demand for cash in an environment where
the local currency is halving in values every week or less.

Even though we have no less than five sets of currency in circulation - the
new notes, the bearer bonds, the agric cheques and two different sets of
coinage, there is still a huge shortage of local currency. Businesses with
cash are selling their surplus on the market at up to a 50 per cent premium.
Bankers and the Reserve Bank are also selling cash and buying foreign
exchange on the parallel market.

In fact to the uninitiated the situation here can be quite bewildering -
just take today for example. The US dollar was trading at Z$1334 per dollar
at the so-called "Old Mutual Rate". The "RTGS" rate was about Z$850 to 1.
The street rate was Z$200 to 1. The interbank rate was slightly higher and
the "official rate" was Z$0,0000003 of a local dollar to one US dollar.

Then today we tried to buy some fabric from a local firm - 100 per cent
cotton, locally manufactured and dyed - they quoted me Z$6060 per Metre or
US3,10 - at that rate the exchange rate was 1955 to one US dollar. That is
10 times the street rate.

So if I was able to get an allocation of foreign exchange from the Reserve
Bank at the "Official" rate, US$100 000 would cost me 30 Zimbabwean cents.
If I sold the US$100 000 on the local market at the RTGS rate I would earn
Z$85 million. If I then bought US dollars on the free market in Zimbabwe I
would be able to buy US$425 000. This is what we call "Gononomics".

But if you were a worker in a clothing factory, your weekly wage would be
about Z$200 - and a 300 mls Coke would cost you Z$1 800 - you would have to
work for 9 weeks to buy a cold coke!

Last month the militias were paid Z$3 trillion - that is 30 cents in the new
currency. Worth a fortune in the hands of Grace Mugabe but not worth a dime
in the markets in which they have to live. They are going to have to print
currency and "create" currency through the Reserve Bank by simply issuing
cheques or even just a credit for an account in order to pay the army - but
the army will not be able to get hard cash and therefore cannot spend the
money they get until it is worthless.

How you function in such a crazy environment I simply do not know.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 1st September 2008

Aziz Pahad on the latest developments in Zimbabwe

Hyperinflation wrecks havoc on economy

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,175233,00.html

Zimbabwe's poor billionaires

By Zeng Ming
September 02, 2008

 IN economics, hyperinflation is inflation that has run amok.

It's a condition in which prices go up at an extremely high rate of at least
50 per cent a month, causing a country's money to quickly become practically
worthless - sometimes overnight.
That's what's happening right now in the southern African nation of
Zimbabwe, whose economy is fast collapsing with each passing day, and where
the country's 84-year-old President (some say, dictator), Mr Robert Mugabe,
has still refused to step down from power despite more than 20 years of
misrule.
Those who're old enough will probably remember the so-called 'banana money'
issued by Imperial Japan during the Japanese occupation of Singapore,
Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei. (It was named as such because of
the motifs of banana trees on 10-dollar bank notes.)
Back then, the Japanese occupiers simply printed more notes whenever they
required more money.
This resulted in high inflation and a severe depreciation in value of the
banana note. After the surrender of Japan, the currency became worthless -
except as a collector's item.
And that's precisely what's also happening in Zimbabwe today. The country's
money-printing presses are running full time and the country has even had
difficulty obtaining sufficient supplies of special paper with which to
print enough currency.
President Mugabe first wrecked his country's agricultural industry when he
broke up large white-owned working farms to distribute in small parcels to
poor Zimbabweans without training them how to farm.
Destructive

WORTHLESS: A man (above) carries bundles of cash while shopping for
groceries in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Then, faced with economic sanctions and the difficulty raising money to
finance his government, he took what seemed to be the easy way out by
printing more money.
In a way, his hands were tied as he could not tax Zimbabweans whose average
income is barely at the subsistence level. All in the name of keeping
himself in power at all costs.
Zimbabwe is not alone in abandoning financial integrity. To date, some 15
countries - including China (just before the communist takeover) and Japan
(just after World War II) - have experienced post-war hyperinflation.
But the hyperinflation in Zimbabwe is perhaps the fastest-ever in living
memory. Last month, the country's inflation was officially running at 2.2
million per cent but independent economists said it's closer to 12.5 million
per cent.
Back in July, a loaf of bread cost 200 billion old Zim dollars in Harare,
the country's capital. As of Monday, the same loaf cost 1,600 billion old
Zim dollars. One Zimbabwean observes: 'We are billionaires and we can't buy
anything.'
Sadly enough, dropping 10 zeros from its hyper-inflated currency - a move
which officially took effect on 1 Aug - hasn't improved the situation at
all. Bread in Harare still cost 160 new Zim dollars at the start of this
week, compared to only 20 new Zim dollars less than a month ago.
'Hyperinflation is greatly destructive to a nation's economy because it
basically terminates the usefulness of money,' said Dr Ron Ross, an
economist based in California.
'Money's primary roles in an economy are to serve as a medium of exchange
and as a store of value. Hyperinflation destroys both these roles.'
In the case of Zimbabwe, the hyperinflation is further exacerbated by a
'crisis of confidence' in an economy wrecked by civil war (or its
aftermath), gross economic mismanagement, and political or social upheaval.
And don't expect this hyperinflation to go away overnight, without Mr Mugabe
first relinquishing his power.
Then and only then, might there be hope yet for this country that was once
one of the most prosperous and productive in Africa.
The writer, a Harvard-trained economist based in Singapore, is a freelance
contributor.

Zimbabwe 2008: Lessons from US

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Mutumwa Mawere Tuesday 02 September 2008

OPINION: The just ended democratic convention is pregnant with lessons not
only for the United States but for Zimbabwe, a country whose promise has
been frozen in a state that even elections cannot change.

The economy of Zimbabwe is in turmoil and the promise has been under threat
since independence from the least expected quarters - the founding fathers.

When Barak Obama stood four years ago before the Democratic Party convention
he made a compelling case of why a country of 300 million with a 228-year
history then was destined to lead because in its foundation there was a
shared belief that the future belonged to those who dared and it was founded
on a promise that set it apart from other countries. It was a nation of laws
and of sovereign citizens and it offered a promise to its citizens that
through hard work and sacrifice, they could pursue their individual dreams,
including seeking to occupy the highest office in the land while at the same
time being able to carve out a homogenous national identity and collective
spirit.

When he announced his candidature some 19 months ago and began a journey
that has tested the country's ability to live up to its promise to all its
citizens, many of us believed that his journey would be short-lived and just
one of many that America had witnessed before.

The democratic primaries were as eventful as they were competitive but when
the hour arrived for contestants to put their differences and move forward,
even Hillary Clinton came to the party.

It was not surprising that the party rallied behind Obama and I could not
help but ask why at the defining hour in Zimbabwe's history, opposition
leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara have not been able to find
each other.

What is it about America that would allow for bitter rivals in the same
party to put aside their seemingly personal differences and put the
interests of change at the centre of their political engagement?

Obama and Clinton managed to put the country first on their agenda and both
understood that the challenges facing America required a change of direction
and were partly a result of failed policies and broken politics.

They both represented a departure and turning point in US politics in that
for the first time, one of the principal parties in the country faced in the
primaries a choice between the first woman and the first African-American to
head it.

They both broke the glass ceiling that has been in existence since the
foundation of the republic some 232 years ago. However, they both understood
the weight of history and their role in shaping the future.

The Zimbabwean crisis endures not because the people of Zimbabwe did not
pronounce their opinion on what kind of future they wanted. On March 29,
they voted for change and yet the change they sought has been more elusive
after the election than before principally because the framers of the
post-election negotiations agenda were acutely aware of the challenges of
getting Tsvangirai and Mutambara to embrace a common vision.

So when the SADC-mediated talks broke down with no resolution, what was
reported and confirmed by the outcome of the elections of the Speaker
suggests that Zimbabwe is a long way towards creating a climate in which
national interest can rise above personal interests.

Attempts were made to unite the MDC formations that on paper subscribe to
the same change agenda, prior to the March elections and the rest is
history.

What divides them is less than what should unite them to present a united
face to the challenge of reclaiming the future from a party and leader that
are determined to condemn in perpetuity the country to more poverty and
hopelessness.

Notwithstanding, it is evident that at this defining hour in the face of a
failed state, there appears to be no possibility for Mutambara and
Tsvangirai to raise the level of conversation beyond power games.

What kind of Zimbabwe does MDC-M and MDC-T want to see? Would the kind of
Zimbabwe they want to see be closer to reality with a power-sharing
arrangement premised on the confused interpretation of the March 29 results?

Is it not strange that the two formations would sponsor two competitors for
the Speaker's position with ZANU PF opportunistically taking the higher
moral ground by deciding to support the Mutambara faction.

Questions have been raised whether it was wise for the MDC-M leadership to
sponsor a candidate for the Speaker in the framework of the inter-party
dialogue.

One view says that it was not unreasonable for the MDC-M formation to seek
to have one of its own as the Speaker given that, in principle, Tsvangirai
has accepted the broad framework of the inter-party dialogue that seeks to
place Mugabe in the statehouse and Tsvangirai in the government house as
Prime Minister.

Accepting this construction means it would be unreasonable for the MDC-T to
seek to control both the parliament and the executive branch of government
leaving ZANU PF and MDC-M in the cold and with no power at all.

Another view, says that MDC-M was entitled to pursue its own actions since
there was no agreement and, therefore, it risked becoming irrelevant if the
candidate of the MDC-M formation was elected.

Already through political manipulation ZANU PF controlled the senate,
Presidency and through the active support of the MDC-M formation would have
ended up controlling parliament.

Contrary to the spirit of the inter-party talks, ZANU PF sought to assert
rights that were not conferred on it by the electorate.

What is clear is that it is time for Tsvangirai, like Obama, to reach out to
all the progressive formations including MDC-M to forge a new unity
operating on the principle that Zimbabwe must come first with a leader who
believes in bringing people together.

The two formations represent that they stand for a new Zimbabwe founded on a
new set of values and yet strangely enough arguments are now being advanced
that the correct interpretation of the March election results and the
subsequent run-off Presidential election is that executive power must be
shared.

Surely, on March 29, Zimbabweans could have decided to give Tsvangirai and
Mugabe the same vote but history will record that Mugabe, an incumbent, was
number two but even SADC has accepted the proposition that Zimbabweans want
the next five years to be the same as the last 28 years.

Zimbabwe is a broken state requiring a change of direction. In the words of
Obama at the convention, enough is enough. I can do no better than
reproducing his own words as follows:

"Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and
Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election -
is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive.
Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms
of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are
here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look
like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is
enough'."

It is now time for Zimbabweans to say to ZANU PF, MDC-M, and MDC-T that it
is enough and the fact that ZANU PF does not enjoy a parliamentary majority
as confirmed by the election of the Speaker in a democratic process from
Tsvangirai's faction provides yet another opportunity for the two factions
to think hard and fast about what Zimbabwe needs at this defining moment.

Both Mutambara and Tsvangirai love Zimbabwe just as much as Obama and
Clinton love America to allow themselves to be on the wrong side of history
and must stand up and jointly say: "28 is enough".

Charamba in his weekly column entitled: "Mutambara/Ncube: A wet swab, kind
balm, for salty eyes" makes the case that the failure by their candidate to
win the election for the post of Speaker confirms that the widely held view
that there is a serious disconnect between the party and the leadership
representing it in the talks.

An allegation of conspiracy between the leadership of MDC-M and ZANU PF has
been made but denied by Mutambara as is the allegation that a bilateral deal
has been concluded between the two. However, if there is no deal then surely
it must be strange that ZANU PF legislators ended up voting for a candidate
sponsored by the leadership of the MDC-M formation. One would have expected
at the very least that Mutambara and Tsvangirai should have consulted and
agreed on a strategy.

The mere fact that in the face of an uncertain future caused by squandered
opportunities to lift the country up, ZANU PF found itself in the same
corner with the MDC-M formation should provide an opportunity for the
leadership of the formation to think seriously about what time it is and
what the people want to see.

The election was not about Tsvangirai or Mugabe but about the Zimbabwean
people's desire to move forward and the first step ought to be a break from
the past and it must be obvious from the tone of Charamba that ZANU PF has
no interest in change rather the primary interest is to keep power in the
hands of President Robert Mugabe with or without the help of the Mutambara
faction.

It is not surprising that Charamba and not Tsvangirai had no kind words to
say about the Mutambara formation and yet the stalemate has little with the
personal ambition of Mutambara.

In the Obama/Clinton scenario when the dust settled, it behoved on Obama to
take the leadership by not only reaching out to Clinton personally but to
her supporters. Mutambara had voluntarily excluded himself from the race and
like Clinton he has never been a competitor with Tsvangirai for the position
of State President.

The unity that was evident at the democratic convention was to the credit of
Obama and yet it has not been possible in the Zimbabwean scenario to get a
leader who can unite all the democratic forces to deliver the change that
people can believe in.

It must be accepted that Obama has never sought to belittle Clinton but
instead has used a unifying model to advance not only his personal interests
but his party. Now the united democratic party can confront the opposition
in November as one and not as is the case in Zimbabwe where Tsvangirai,
Makoni, Mutambara, and Jonathan Moyo have failed to lead the charge against
Mugabe to the extent that instead of the focus being on Mugabe's reluctance
to give way or pass on the baton it is now on Tsvangirai.

The obligation to make the future brighter lies in the hands of those who
have accepted to lead. Zimbabwe is at the crossroads and a choice has to be
made but equally it is important that a lesson be drawn from how Obama has
managed to unite and rise above the politics of division.

Is it the kind of Zimbabwe that Tsvangirai and Mutambara have been fighting
for that would expose the division in the progressive forces at this
defining and historic hour of change? Where is Zimbabwe's Obama? - ZimOnline

Bristol march in solidarity with Zimbabwe asylum seekers

http://www.nehandaradio.com

02 September 2008

Bristol Respect a community pressure group in the UK took part in the August
30th demo organised by the Bristol Zimbabwe Association (BZA) - a community
organisation representing Zimbabweans in Bristol.

Called in combination with the Bristol branch of Action for Southern Africa
(ACTSA), Movement for Democratic Party Bristol branch, Bristol Defend Asylum
Campaign and Zimbabwe Vigil Bristol Group, the protest called on the
government to allow many Zimbabweans who have waited in limbo for so long,
the right to work and release those in detention centres.

"The clandestine removals carried out under the disguise of voluntary return
policy to Zimbabwe reflects a changing political climate in Britain rather
than any lessening in the merits of Zimbabwean asylum claims," said Forward
Maisokwadzo, BZA Chairperson.

The government says that there has been no change 'in our opposition to
human rights abuses in Zimbabwe' and that it will work to 'restore democracy
so that All Zimbabweans can in time return safely to help build a prosperous
and stable Zimbabwe.'

In the meantime, there are efforts to send many Zimbabweans back to an
unstable Zimbabwe in a state of economic collapse and with continuing human
rights abuses.

"What has changed since 2002 is not Zimbabwe but the British political
climate. In 2002, Zimbabwe was much in the news because of the take-over of
white-owned land.

"Even the Conservative Party supported the suspension of removals. Now
Zimbabwe has dropped out of the news headlines. Few British politicians seem
to care any longer about what happens to Black Zimbabweans," he said.

He said: "But those of us and our friends who do care wish to register a
strong protest against such double standards and call for the government to
act swiftly in order to save lives of many Zimbabweans."

A petition was signed on the day and will be sent to the Prime Minister.

There are over 1000 Zimbabweans living in Bristol.