The Zimbabwe Situation

Reuters

Mon 29 Sep 2008, 12:22 GMT

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said on
Monday he expected a unity government to be formed by the end of this week,
ending an impasse with the opposition over cabinet posts.

"We discussed the ministries before I left. Only four remain, but there is
no deadlock. We will be setting up government this week, towards the end of
the week," Mugabe told reporters when he returned home from a U.N. General
Assembly meeting.

An outline agreement signed this month between Mugabe and opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai brought hope that political stability could reverse
Zimbabwe's economic chaos.

Tsvangirai, who is set to become prime minister under the deal, called on
Saturday for the formation of a power-sharing government "in the next few
days" to help end the crisis.

Under the deal, Mugabe retains the presidency and chairs cabinet, while
Tsvangirai will chair a council of ministers supervising the cabinet.

So far, Zimbabweans have seen little benefit from the deal.

The central bank introduced higher denomination banknotes on Monday in
another sign of the runaway hyperinflation that shows no sign of abating.

Arthur Mutambara, who heads a small faction of the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) is also taking part in the negotiations and is set
to be one of two deputy prime ministers.

The opposition will have a combined cabinet majority, with Tsvangirai's main
MDC faction controlling 13 cabinet posts in the new government, Mugabe's
ZANU-PF 15 and Mutambara's breakaway MDC faction three. (Reporting by Nelson
Banya and MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Barry
Moody )

Zimbabweans overwhelm banks to withdraw cash

http://www.iht.com

The Associated PressPublished: September 29, 2008

HARARE, Zimbabwe: Banking authorities raised the daily withdrawal limit in
Zimbabwe, prompting tens of thousands to line up Monday in desperate hopes
of getting enough cash for groceries before spiraling inflation eats away
more value.

New rules went into affect the day President Robert Mugabe returned from the
U.N. allowing withdrawals of up to 20,000 Zimbabwe dollars (US$35). The old
1,000 Zimbabwean-dollar limit was barely enough to buy a newspaper.

The limit and the fact that Zimbabwe has the world's highest inflation rate,
officially 11 million percent, unofficially much higher, has meant long
lines at banks most days.

But Monday was extraordinary. Mothers with babies strapped to their backs
arrived at bank doors at dawn. Police vainly tried to stop the crowds from
blocking traffic, but there appeared to be more police and uniformed
soldiers in line to get cash than on duty.

Lovemore Matombo, head of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, said if
politicians did not take action soon to ease the suffering of workers "we
will go onto the streets."

He called for the limit on withdrawals to be removed altogether, but central
bank officials say that could spark a run on banks that would ultimately
worsen the cash shortages.
On Saturday, central bank governor Gideon Gono vowed to keep printing money,
a practice critics say has fueled inflation.

As the lines disrupted traffic in Harare, the capital, Mugabe returned from
a 10-day trip to the U.N. promising a new coalition government will be named
soon. Getting the long-promised government up and running is seen as a first
step to addressing the southern African nation's growing economic and
humanitarian crisis.

But with his absence, a power-sharing deal he signed with his longtime
rivals in the Movement for Democratic Change has stalled. The two sides have
been unable to agree which party would control key Cabinet posts, among them
the Finance Ministry.

Looking fit even at 84, Mugabe was greeted by about 1,500 singing, dancing
well-wishers at the airport.

"We never said there was a deadlock. But we will be setting up a government
this week, toward the end of the week," he promised, warning U.S. Ambassador
James McGee, an outspoken critic, to stop "interfering" in domestic matters.

Mugabe's rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, who is to be prime minister in the unity
government, said during the weekend that a new power-sharing government must
be formed within days to avert a humanitarian crisis.

Under the power-sharing deal, Mugabe's party gets 15 Cabinet seats and 16 go
to Tsvangirai's party and a smaller breakaway opposition group led by Arthur
Mutamabara.

Mugabe remains president and head of the Cabinet. As prime minister,
Tsvangirai heads a new council of ministers responsible for government
policies.

Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, blames Western
sanctions for Zimbabwe's economic collapse. But critics point to his 2000
order that commercial farms be seized from whites. The often-violent
seizures disrupted the agriculture-based economy, and much of the land went
to Mugabe loyalists instead of the poor blacks he said he wanted to help.

Zimbabwe unveils $20,000 banknote

Yahoo News

Mon Sep 29, 9:08 AM ET

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's central bank Monday introduced 10,000- and
20,000-dollar bank notes to ease a cash crunch in the country struggling to
cope with the world's highest inflation rate.

The central bank has unveiled a series of ever-larger bills since August,
when the central bank struck 10 zeros off the local currency that had become
so weak that billions of dollars were required just to buy bread.

The new notes are meant to help Zimbabwe, once one of Africa's most
prosperous nations, keep up with crushing hyperinflation last reported at
11.2 million percent.

Cash currency is in such short supply that banks are essentially rationing
money, allowing businesses and consumers to withdraw only 20,000 dollars a
day -- worth only 20 US dollars on the black market.

The restrictions have led to long queues outside banks, with some people
sleeping on the pavements in the hope of being the first person to reach the
teller window in the morning.

Zimbabwe's economy has been on a downturn for a decade with high
unemployment and food shortages in a country where at least 80 percent of
the population live below the poverty line.

The country's chronic economic crisis has condemned 80 percent of the
population to poverty, amid mass shortages of basic goods in shops.

Queues worsen despite new currency and increased withdrawal limits

By Lance Guma
29 September 2008

Cash queues at the banks persisted Monday, despite the Reserve Bank raising
the maximum cash withdrawal limit from Z$1 000 to Z$20 000 and introducing
new Z$10 000 and Z$20 000 dollar bank notes. Our correspondents in Bulawayo
and Harare witnessed a massive scramble for cash as desperate depositors
battled to withdraw their hard earned money from their accounts. Long
winding queues were observed in major cities, including Bulawayo and Harare.
Thousands of people, including mothers with babies strapped to their backs,
slept the night at bank premises trying to be the first in line at the
opening of business.

Last week the central bank announced an increase in the maximum cash
withdrawal limit. This was seen as a direct response to the threat of strike
action from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). The union gave the
central bank seven days to scrap the limit, arguing workers were spending
too much time in the queues trying to get their own money. For some the old
Z$1 000 limit was barely enough to cover transport to and from work, let
alone meet any other daily need. A meeting of the ZCTU general council
Friday appeared to back down on the strike threat. A statement released
later read; 'The mass action penciled in for 1stOctober has been deferred
while we assess, in consultation with our structures, the impact of the RBZ
move to increase the daily maximum withdrawal.'

It was only in August that 10 zeroes were struck off the currency in an
attempt to ease the shortages and make transactions easier, but at that time
analysts warned the zeroes would quickly creep back. Those predictions came
true with an almost immediate devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar against
major currencies. With inflation at well over 11 million percent central
bank Governor Gideon Gono's fire-fighting techniques have been slammed as a
failure. In the absence of fundamental political and economic reforms
analysts say they can be no change in the situation. During last weeks tour
of banks with long cash queues Prime Minister designate Morgan Tsvangirai
called for the immediate assembling of a new government to deal with these
issues affecting people. Whether this will happen this week remains to be
seen.

Meanwhile the ZCTU has criticized the power sharing accord between ZANU PF
and the MDC saying, 'people would be led by an unelected government for the
next five years.' The union said they viewed the new government as a
temporary stop-gap measure. 'The ZCTU maintains its earlier position on the
need for a Neutral Transitional Authority as the panacea to the current
electoral dispute. However, if the present arrangement is to continue, it
must be a transitional arrangement that will lead to a free and fair
election under a new, people driven constitution.'

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Scrap Current Approaches To Cash Crisis

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Monday, 29 September 2008 08:52

Saturday, 27 September 2008

THE measures previously undertaken by the Reserve Bank to increase the
maximum bank withdrawal limits for individuals and companies have amply
demonstrated the futility of such approaches.

What is clear is that the solution cannot emanate from the central
bank. It has to come from elsewhere, including the lessons of countries that
have suffered similar crises, although on a more limited scale compared to
Zimbabwe.

On Thursday the Reserve Bank announced that from tomorrow (Monday) it
was raising the maximum cash withdrawal limit for individuals and companies
to $20 000 and $10 000 respectively.

It is difficult to understand what informs central bank decisions:
companies, cognisant of the hardships their workers are enduring have taken
to paying them bus fares in cash. It is therefore incomprehensible how
anyone can suggest that companies access a maximum of only $10 000 a day. In
any case the needs of any given company are greater than those of
individuals.

What effectively the central bank is doing is to force companies to
access cash from and through unorthodox means. And the real beneficiaries
are the "cash barons". We all know who they are and which organisation they
belong to.

The central bank has failed to learn a lesson from the past and to
appreciate that every time such limits are set the prices of commodities
follow with yet another round of increases.

The longest queues in town are now found at banks. There are more
people at banks at any given time than there are at work. That is a damning
statement on the failure to manage the cash crisis. Setting maximum
withdrawal limits has served to provide short-lived relief.

We cannot pretend that we are managing the process when people are
spending nights in bank queues in order to access their hard-earned savings.
The lesson ordinary people are taking from the on-going crisis is: if you
can, do not deposit your savings in a bank, because it is a struggle to get
it. It is aseconomic blueprint that will bring an end to the queues outside
banks.
The whole exercise is designed to frustrate depositors from
withdrawing their money. People should be able to access as much of their
money as they want when they want it.

Matters are not made any easier when there are suggestions that
central bank staff are allowed to withdraw as much as 10-fold the amounts
ordinary depositors were permitted as of last week. Such charges fuel
allegations of the duplicitous conduct of the Reserve Bank.

One thing that the cash crisis has emphasised is to make the
transition from the rhetoric of the political settlement agreed to by the
three main political parties to the implementation of the deal, so that
Zimbabweans have a permanent solution to cash shortages.

Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday did what many of the politicians have
never bothered to - gain a first-hand impression of what ordinary
Zimbabweans have to endure when he toured the long-winding bank queues in
central Harare.

Many distraught depositors will hope something tangible comes out of
the Prime Minister-designate's walkabout, not just in a resolution to the
shortage of money but in the country's recovery process.

One development to emerge from last week's hiatus in the negotiations
over sharing of government ministerial positions is that the outside world
is more concerned that after the September 15 agreement Zimbabweans should
have hit the ground running in implementing the recovery process.

The country's political leadership needs to prove that they too are
concerned and should set about implementing their economic blueprint that
will bring an end to the queues outside banks and locate workers at their
work stations.

More Zimbabwean universities remain closed as staff, water shortages bite

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Two more Zimbabwean universities have postponed
indefinitely the opening of the new academic year citing a host of
challenges, including shortages of staff, water and food, APA learnt here
Monday.

One of the institutions, Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), told
students that the opening of the 2008/09 first semester, which was scheduled
to start on Monday, has been postponed to a later date due to acute water
problems, food procurement challenges and staff shortages.

CUT spokesperson Tapera Musekiwa said the institution, located in the
provincial capital of President Robert Mugabe's home town, would only reopen
once "these issues were resolved".

Another state-run institution of higher learning, Midlands State
University located in the third city of Gweru, has also told students that
it would remain closed until further notice.

The two institutions join the country's largest university, University
of Zimbabwe, which has remained closed since the new academic year started
in August.

Zimbabwe is in the middle of an eight-year economic crisis manifesting
itself in record inflation, food shortages and problems in the provision of
water.

JN/nm/APA
2008-09-29

Residents take Chihuri to court over food

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=4922

September 28, 2008

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - An association of residents in Glen Norah, Harare has taken the
Minister of Public Service and Social Welfare and Commissioner-General of
Police Augustine Chihuri to the High Court seeking to reverse a ban which
bars the group from distributing food to its members.

The Glen Norah Resident Association has 200 members among the suburb's poor
community, who include elderly pensioners, orphans and the disabled.

The court application Number HC 4743/08 lodged by human rights lawyers on
Friday cited the Officer Commanding Harare South as the first respondent,
the Minister of the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare as the second
and the Commissioner general of Police.

The police in Glen Norah barred the association from distributing the food
demanding that it produces a certificate of registration to allow it
distribute mealie-meal and sugar beans to orphans, people living with
HIV/AIDS and the elderly in the suburb.

Sometime in July the organisation received a donation of food comprising 600
packets of 10kg mealie-meal and a quantity of sugar beans from the
Catholic-based Jesuit Relief Fund.

A government ban on the operations of NGOs published in a June edict has
spawned severe food shortages and starvation among both urban and rural
communities.

The edict was premised on Zanu-PF claims that the humanitarian food
assistance organisations were using food as a campaign tool to canvass
support for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) during the presidential
elections.

President Robert Mugabe stood against the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and
lost in March. In June, Mugabe stood unchallenged in a runoff which was
widely condemned as a sham. His rival, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC
boycotted the second election, citing political violence against his
supporters.

The ban on food drew international outrage from human rights organisations
and governments. They expressed concerns that the decision would worsen
starvation among communities after a failed agricultural season.

In his founding affidavit in the case represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR), the chairman of the residents association Kingsley
Kanyuchi said the police, instructed by the Officer in Charge at Glen Norah
police station, ordered the association to stop distributing the donated
food.

"After several follow-ups with the Officer Commanding Harare South I was
told that the association could only distribute food to its members after
getting the authorization from the minister of Labour," Kanyuchi's affidavit
reads.

When a meeting was called on September 1 of all NGO [article ends here...]

Hero's welcome for Mugabe

http://www.thetimes.co.za

Moses Mudzwiti Published:Sep 29, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Zimbabwe collapses, Zanu-PF salutes old tyrant

ZANU-PF yesterday embarked on a massive campaign to woo party members into
giving President Robert Mugabe a "hero's welcome" when he returns to Harare
from the UN today.

a.. State-controlled radio said Zanu- PF was pleased with Mugabe's speech at
the UN and he deserved a hero's welcome.

Mugabe exonerated himself from causing Zimbabwe's worst economic collapse in
living memory by blaming "Western imperialists".

A major mining house, Falcon Gold Zimbabwe , last week estimated that
inflation in Zimbabwe was about to exceed 1 billion percent.

Many industries in Zimbabwe have seen production plummet. Some were
operating at less than 30percent of normal capacity.

The capital, Harare, is battling a cholera epidemic that has claimed 13
lives. Without sufficient chemicals for water purification, the city
authorities are at a loss as to how to deal with the health crisis.

"Wash your hands with ash after using the toilet," a health official told
residents of the densely populated Unit O, where the disease was first
reported. Lack of clean water in many urban areas puts poor Zimbabweans at
risk of cholera and other diseases.

Mugabe told the UN general assembly that "illegally imposed" sanctions by
Britain and the US had caused untold hardships for Zimbabweans.

He dismissed reports that the agreement with opposition political parties to
form an "all-inclusive government" was in trouble.

The 84-year-old president, who has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist since
independence from Britain in 1980, left for the UN last week after
negotiations with the opposition on the allocation of crucial ministries hit
a brick wall.

An agreement signed earlier this month stipulates that Mugabe's party will
have 15 ministries, Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC will have 13 and Arthur
Mutambara, of the breakaway MDC formation, will have three. But the parties
could not agree on which would control crucial ministries, including those
of finance and foreign affairs.

Mugabe's return to Zimbabwe is expected to expedite the finalisation of the
cabinet.

Tsvangirai, the prime minister designate, who will take office once the
cabinet is finalised, warned that further delays in forming the new
government would worsen Zimbabwe's food crisis.

"The uncertainty pertaining to the negotiations is causing unnecessary
anxiety and agony," Tsvangirai said at the weekend.

He said it was "imperative that a government be formed in the next few days".

Waiting for signs of real change in Zimbabwe

http://www.capeargus.co.za

2008-09-29 09:29:30

Zimbabwe has undergone intense political, economic and social anarchy for
nearly a decade, so any intervention that can help restore calm is more than
welcome.

As an exiled Zimbabwean journalist living in Cape Town, I believe President
Thabo Mbeki, who brokered the "historic" power-sharing deal, deserves praise
for diplomacy, despite his early departure from the president's office due
to squabbles within his party.
It is a deal that hopefully will lead to a new chapter in the history of my
country.

Yet my greatest concern is not only that the deal remains on paper and has
yet to be transformed into tangible meaning but also that it is fragile, and
bitter rivals Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change remain
reluctant to set aside selfish pursuits in order to rebuild the country.

I hope Mbeki will finish his job and tie together the last difficult knots
of the deal regarding the composition of the cabinet. I sincerely hope to
see my country return to its former glory and I wish to make a contribution
towards realising that dream.

The deal has become a major talking point in refugee camps sheltering
Zimbabweans and in coffee shops and bars across Cape Town.

The big question that is being asked is whether we should now rush home and
start to rebuild our country, or rather adopt a wait-and-see position until
the deal has become a reality.

And for me as a journalist, who fled the country with the secret service on
my heels and having been tortured and labelled an enemy of the state, I
remain nervous about going back chiefly because the deal put the critical
question of a free press on the backburner.
How do we go back to a country where the media landscape remains a grey
wasteland fraught with lethal landmines and death traps?

It is important to remember that the ideological and repressive state
machinery ruthlessly instituted by the Mugabe regime to attack a free press,
political activists and civil society is still alive and a huge cause for
concern.

It is imperative that instruments of oppression and repression, such as the
secret service, the police, the army and the militia that murdered and
tortured many of my colleagues who sought to find the truth, be reformed.

Thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans have suffered under the iron rule of this
regime and others have lost their lives.

The notorious media laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (Aippa), Public Order and Security Act (Posa) and the
Broadcasting Act and institutions such as the infamous Media and Information
Commission have been used for nearly a decade to stifle a free press, and as
a consequence, to starve Zimbabweans of a pluralistic and diverse source of
information.

These instruments need to be abolished if the power-sharing deal is to be
taken seriously.

It is vital that the state broadcaster - the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation, which is run as a political venture to advance the interests of
Zanu-PF while trashing those of the nation - goes through rigorous changes
to play its role in advancing the development of a democratic state.

Zimbabwe has experienced socio-economic meltdown for nearly a decade.

As a journalist I would like to appeal to the business sector to assist us
to rebuild our ruined independent media institutions, such as the Daily
News, which was shut down by the government a few years ago.
I call upon concerned fellow professionals in this country and those around
the world who have helped tell our story of change, to go the extra mile by
supporting the
re-establishment of dynamic institutions that would foster the rights and
liberties of my people and champion the growth of democracy.

My wish would be to see the establishment of a free press in Zimbabwe sooner
rather than later.

Only a free press can ensure that Zanu-PF and the MDC follow through with
the undertakings they made in the deal.

Zimbabweans need access to a free press so they can be fully informed of the
critical formulation of the new constitution and other developments, such as
the socio-economic policies that the country will adopt.

The ruling party has been accused of mass murder and torture. As a result I
had hoped the deal would include provision for a process of national
healing - such as a truth and reconciliation commission - but unfortunately
this has has not been the case.

A free press needs to operate to ensure crimes against humanity are not
swept under the carpet. Until I see signs of one, I remain nervous to return
to my country.

New Crackdown on White Farmers

http://www.iwpr.net

Since historic political settlement was signed, a wave of forced evictions
has been reported.

By Chipo Sithole in Harare (ZCR No. 165, 29-Sep-08)

White farmers in Zimbabwe say that since a power-sharing deal between the
ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, was
signed, many have come under renewed pressure to leave their land.

The Commercial Farmers Union, CFU - a grouping of white farmers - said that
military officials and self-styled former guerrillas of Zimbabwe's war of
independence invaded 42 more white-owned farms within hours of the agreement
being signed between President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai on September 15.

"Since [then], there has been an increased number of disruptions on farms,
with new alleged beneficiaries arriving on many properties and claiming
immediate access to the homesteads and crop lands, despite the fact there is
no vacant possession [right to possess land in which there is no current
occupant]," said a CFU report covering the period from September 17 to 19.

The report also noted that there has been an upsurge in the number of
prosecutions for alleged offences under the Gazetted Land (Consequential
Provisions) Act, which was passed in December 2006, and makes it illegal for
a farmer to remain on a farm listed for acquisition. In the Rotten Row Court
in Harare, four white farmers face prosecution under the act for defying
orders to hand over their farms to black settlers.

"All [court] summonses were issued after the signing of the recent
power-sharing agreement," CFU president Doug Taylor-Freeme told IWPR.

Since the onset of Mugabe's land invasions in 2000 - when land owned by
white farmers was confiscated and given to poor black Zimbabweans and
political supporters - only about 280 of an original 4,500 white commercial
farmers remain on their farms.

Observers say that ZANU-PF hardliners now appear to be trying to seize the
remaining farms before a new government is formed following the political
settlement.

"It would seem the intention is to grab the farms before the announcement of
the new all-inclusive government, which might be very soon," said Alex
Dhewa, a businessman and political analyst.

"The target obviously would be the remaining white farmers."

John Worswick, head of white farmers' pressure group, Justice for
Agriculture, JAG, agrees that there would appear to be a last-ditch attempt
to remove those few white farmers still on their land.

"At the moment, no remaining farmer appears to be safe from.what appears to
be a final clean-up of any remaining white-owned land in Zimbabwe," said
Worswick.

"Although considering there has not been an active government for six
months, the legality of [the seizures] is questionable, they are having a
huge destabilising effect on confidence and hence production."

Zimbabwe has been without a government since March, when Tsvangirai won the
first round of the presidential election, but fell short of an absolute
majority. Mugabe later won a controversial June 27 presidential runoff
unopposed after Tsvangirai withdrew, citing state-sponsored violence against
his supporters.

Following the elections, Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since independence
from Britain in 1980, has been forced to share power with rivals under
pressure from an imploding economy.

The president insisted on safeguards in the power-sharing agreement he has
entered with the opposition, designed to ensure that his land reforms are
irreversible. For example, Article V, Clause 5.5 deals with "the
irreversibility of.land acquisitions and redistribution".

The Mugabe government has long claimed that the opposition, which it
frequently accuses of being a puppet of former colonial power Britain, was
planning to reverse the changes in land ownership in the country if it
seized power.

However, the agreement also says that the parties agree to "conduct a
comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit.. for the purpose of
establishing accountability and eliminating multiple farm ownerships".

Yet senior officials in his government and in the army, who benefited
immensely through his patronage networks, are staunchly opposed to the
power-sharing deal, which they fear could reverse the land redistribution
programme. Farmers suspect them of leading the latest invasions.

Worswick said he believed that recent evictions were planned by a clique of
ZANU-PF hardliners - rather than initiated through official channels - as
one of the invaders reportedly turned up with an offer letter apparently
signed by a minister and dated September 2.

Because the government declared two years ago that farm seizures were at an
end, offer letters - in which the ministry offers farmland to prospective
black farmers, who then use these offers to force white farmers off their
land - issued after 2006 are suspect.

As head of JAG, Worswick is informed of all new farm seizures, and he said
even farms covered by Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection
Agreements, BIPPAS, were being invaded in the latest round of evictions.
BIPPAS are government-to-government agreements, which ensure that citizens
of one country who invest in another are protected by the host government
from any form of harassment. Under these, their investments are supposed to
be immune to seizures.

Observers say a further threat to white productive farmers could come from
Mugabe's promise during a speech on September 11 to give land to those
traditional chiefs who had so far not benefited from the land reform
programme.

The chiefs have mobilised support for Mugabe in the rural areas.

"All [of these factors] are having a detrimental effect on the already
reduced level of production of strategic crops this forthcoming season -
which in fact is already upon us," said Worswick.

A shortfall in the harvest can only do more damage to Zimbabwe's economy,
which has been on a downward spiral since the turn of the decade when Mugabe
first launched his controversial land-reform programme.

There is now diplomatic pressure to end the seizures of the remaining
white-owned farms.

IWPR has seen a diplomatic note sent by the South African embassy in Harare
to the Zimbabwe government, and copied to Police Commissioner-General
Augustine Chihuri.

The note reveals that South African ambassador to Zimbabwe Mlungisi Mkhalima
has sought the intervention of Zimbabwe's deputy foreign affairs minister
Reuben Marumahoko in halting further farm seizures.

It makes reference to the south-eastern lowveld of the country where South
African conglomerate Tongaat Hullet owns vast sugar cane plantations which
are reportedly under siege by ZANU-PF militants.

Digby Nesbitt, a farmer from that area, who grows seed cane for the South
African company's sugar mill, said he was struggling to head off his
eviction by Assistant Police Commisioner Edmore Veterai.

Nesbitt told IWPR that he has been under siege from Veterai - who is already
in contempt of three court orders to vacate Nesbitt's farm, as well as an
interim relief order granted by the Southern African Development Community,
SADC, tribunal in Windhoek, Namibia.

Sitting around a green-baize card table in the Harare Club, Nesbitt - who
had come to the capital to seek government intervention - said he could find
little cause for optimism.

Yet the farmer, who has lived in Zimbabwe for decades, said he was resolute
that he will not move an inch from his farm where he runs an orphanage for
disadvantaged children.

A fellow white farmer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he thought
the reported seizures were an attempt to grab land before the new government
comes in.

"I even doubt the authenticity of the offer letters [the invaders] are
brandishing. We have it on good authority that the last offer letters were
issued at [the ZANU-PF national congress in] Goromonzi in December 2006. So
these offer letters they have are fake," he said.

"This is ethnic cleansing, pure and simple," said another farmer, who
declined to be named.

Chipo Sithole is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.

'The Only Thing White Farmers Understand!'

http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk

Chilling accounts of a new wave of farm invasions

Hopes that the signing of the power-sharing agreement would result in an end
to the forcible evictions of white farmers in Zimbabwe have been dashed with
the news that the reverse is true. Taking advantage of the current stalemate
between the ruling parties, a fresh wave of farm invasions has been
launched.

It is currently believed that another 35 white-owned farms have been grabbed
in the last two weeks, usually by combined bands of Zanu-PF militia and
so-called War Veterans. In many cases the farms are taken over and stripped
of everything of value, before the gangs move on to another target.

The President of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), Trevor Gifford, told me
that things were getting progressively worse. "There are a lot of new
invasions," he said, "the worst areas being Manicaland, Masvingo and
Mashonaland East, West and Central." The invasions had been regularly
reported to police, but no action was taken.

One white farmer is recounting an incident at his farm which left him
staring down the barrel of a gun wielded by a self-proclaimed top official
of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

Mr. Filippo Marucchi-Chierro, originally from Italy, who farms at Trelawne
but has never been listed for acquisition, described how a Mr. Andrew
Muzonzini, with an ID number 63-447595B-18, describing himself as the
Political Commissar of the CIO, drove onto his property on September 12.

After an argument over whether and how Mr. Marucchi-Chierro should move out,
Mr. Muzonzini shouted: "The only thing you guys (white farmers) will
understand is if we use this."

He then produced an AK-47 weapon from his vehicle, and pointed it at the
farmer.

Mr. Marucchi-Chierro is still on his farm, but for how long remains
questionable. Meanwhile the latest invasions are certain to disrupt
preparations for the new rainy season, now only weeks away - this in a
country where food shortages remain acute, and every farmer needs to produce
as much as possible.

Another farmer I spoke to, Mr. Swan Hurbbet, had this to say: "Invading
farms in Zimbabwe has ceased to be an event of our time. It is now a
tradition, passed down from one generation to another."

Posted on Monday, 29 September 2008 at 15:46

WOZA demands new government

WOZA demands the immediate forming of a new government in a street demonstration in Bulawayo today

OVER 600 members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (MOZA) took to the streets of Bulawayo this afternoon, marching straight to Mhlahlandlela Government Complex to demand the immediate forming of a new government as outlined in the 15 September power-sharing deal. Despite this complex being directly opposite the Zimbabwe Republic Police Drill Hall, no members appear to have been arrested at the time of this release.

On several occasions, police officers walked by the protest looking the other way. Workers at the three government complexes along the route met the peaceful procession with big smiles. They demanded copies of the Woza Moya newsletter covering our position as regards the power-sharing agreement. At Mhlahlandlela, the security guard received the newsletter and some placards with a broad smile and handed them in to the receptionist.

The protest began at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) where participants delivered a protest note, complaining about poor electricity supply and high tariffs. Bystanders shouted out – ‘Well done, good job – good job!’ The procession then proceeded several blocks to the government complex where it ended.

The theme of the protest was ‘actions speak louder than words’. Despite it being 15 days since the deal was signed, no progress has been made in forming a new government although it was to have been implemented immediately. Food prices are soaring, electricity and water cuts are increasing but no one seems interested or able to deal decisively with these issues and the ordinary citizens continues to carry the ever-increasing burden. WOZA members, along with the rest of the nation, are starving but unable to access food aid despite recognition in the deal that the situation is urgent.

WOZA is therefore demanding immediate action regarding the formation of a new government that will begin to work on solving urgent social issues, like food, electricity and water. We also requested that the mothers of the nation arise and demand a liveable peace.

During the protest, WOZA members chanted in Ndebele – ‘ayihlale phansi ihambe umthetho’ (sit down and maintain discipline). This was sang both as a way to ensure that the activists maintained non-violent discipline and also as a message to politicians to sit down and respect the deal. Other songs sang include a WOZA favourite – ‘this is an issue that men are failing to solve’.

Some of the placards written by members read – ‘we can’t eat empty promises’; ‘once bitten twice shy’; ‘we are hungry’ and ‘three principals, the talk show is over’.

The protest was also a test to see if freedoms of expression and assembly have opened up and WOZA commend the police for looking the other way. In our view police did not act to arrest anyone because they are fed up and personally support the protest issue.

Bill Watch 38 of 28th September 2008 [Structures of New Inclusive Government]

Media laws could be relaxed

Photo: IRIN

Free speech for all

HARARE, 29 September 2008 (IRIN) - The leadership of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is claiming that state-controlled media are still using negative reporting, in contravention of a power-sharing deal signed by the country's main political parties on September 15.

President Robert Mugabe, leader of ZANU-PF, and prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, and Arthur Mutambara, leader of a smaller MDC faction, are parties to the deal brokered by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

According to Article 19 of the power-sharing deal: "The parties hereby agree that steps be taken to ensure that the public media provides balanced and fair coverage to all political parties for their legitimate and political activities."

It further states, "The public and private media shall refrain from using abusive language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred, or unfairly undermines political parties and other organisations."

Lovemore Moyo, an MDC legislator and Speaker of the House of Assembly, said at a media awards ceremony in the capital, Harare, that "Despite the signing of a political agreement by the political parties, we have sections of the public media that continue to report negatively about the opposition leadership."

The National Journalistic and Media Awards (NJAMA) honours journalists from the private, state and "underground" media. "I am sure all of you are aware that the African continent is replete with examples of partisan reporting that has led to conflict and instability," said Moyo, the awards ceremony's guest of honour.

He told the audience that press controls would be lifted during his term of office. "Government interference in the media should be discouraged, to ensure impartial and accurate reporting.

"Our parliament has, over the years, passed various media laws that have hindered freedom of expression and made it difficult for journalists to operate. As parliament, we stand ready to play our part in the liberalisation of the media, in line with the spirit of the agreement among the political parties."

Since the power-sharing deal was signed, the MDC has continued to be vilified by media columnists, including "Nathaniel Manheru", believed to be a pseudonym for President Robert Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba.

We note with dismay that the state-controlled media continues with its use of hate speech and propaganda, which flies in the face of the spirit of national engagement and the political settlement

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said in a statement: "The MDC is calling on all journalists in the country, especially those in the state media, to play a positive role in moving our country forward through assisting national healing and creating hope.

"We note with dismay that the state-controlled media continues with its use of hate speech and propaganda, which flies in the face of the spirit of national engagement and the political settlement in Harare recently.

"The ZBC [Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation] and the [state-controlled] Herald [daily newspaper] continue to give acres of space to analysts who want to poison the spirit of dialogue. The public media should play a pivotal role in healing the nation and give people hope."

Information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said he was unaware of any media attacks by the public media on the MDC. "Who has attacked them? I am not aware of any attacks. I would also urge the MDC to be rational and not confrontational when dealing with certain issues. I am sure they wanted to bulldoze their way into the newsrooms, but the editors exercise their independence and neutrality."

Matthew Takaona, president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, told IRIN: "The inclusion of Article 19 is a reflection and acknowledgement that the media has played a role in fomenting some of the problems facing this country; in particular, promotion of divisions and polarisation through hate speech."

Is it a Mule?

In a recent meeting with diplomats, faced with serious concerns about the
workability of the arrangements negotiated with Zanu PF, Morgan Tsvangirai
laughingly said ³this new government is like a union between a donkey and a
horse, it could produce a mule not very pretty, but functional². One of
the diplomats responded that mules are sterile they cannot reproduce
themselves. That is probably just as well!

Because the deal has not yet been even consummated, we do not have the
beginnings, so no progress. I understand that Mr. Mugabe came back from his
trip to the UN General Assembly in New York this morning. It had been
rumored that he was not due in until next Friday; so that is progress. Now
we need to get things moving so that a new government can be sworn by next
weekend and we can finally start work.

The one thing that observers are generally failing to see in this situation
is that the swearing in of a new Cabinet and government will in fact signal
the end of the Zanu PF Junta. Over the past ten years we have seen a gradual
shift from Cabinet government to rule by a civilian/military junta. This
Junta remains firmly in charge today and is working at fever pitch to sweep
their tracks and secure a last minute meal at the nations expense. I think
they have now accepted that their time in control is nearly over and that
the SADC process has gone too far to be reversed.

Once a Cabinet is sworn in and Morgan Tsvangirai becomes Prime Minister with
responsibility for supervising and managing all government Ministries, we
will again be governed by a more conventional government system power and
control will shift from the Junta to the Cabinet where it actually belongs.

The effectiveness of the new arrangements will then depend on our ability to
mould the new team into a cohesive whole that will work together to put the
country back onto its feet. Given our recent history, that will not be
easy but at the same time its not impossible. We have many advantages over
other States that have had to try and bring their countries back into the
mainstream of development after conflict and decline. We have not been swept
by violence and armed insurrection. Our armed forces, remain generally
disciplined and professional, they will take orders. Our economy is in
tatters and dangerously close to complete collapse, but the fundamentals are
all there.

If we finally get this deal consummated, MDC will have very largely achieved
what it set out to achieve 9 years ago a peaceful, legal and democratic
transfer of power to a new government that can effect fundamental change in
the way our affairs are run. Sure we have had to compromise and share power
with Zanu PF and the transfer has only come about because our neighbors have
helped us hammer out a deal that enables us to work together during the
transition, but once the new team is in place and starts work, we can say
that power is once more in democratic hands and has been wrested from a
military dominated Junta that was destroying our country.

This past week we have been trying to meet all stakeholders in an effort to
try and find out what are the fundamental problems and concerns of the
people who make things happen in Zimbabwe. A team led by the Prime Minister
designate has met the food industry, the bankers, the mining industry
leadership and the combined farmers unions. It is not a pretty picture.

The food people told us they have insufficient stocks to feed the country,
that the capacity to finance and physically import the quantities needed to
prevent starvation and hardship were just not available. Industrialists told
us they were working at 10 per cent of their capacity and could not fund the
necessary recovery in their activity if the wider economy was stabilized and
returned to growth. The miners said that three quarters of all gold mines
were closed and overall the industry was operating at 20 per cent of
capacity. The bankers said they feared for their staff as crowds of people
gathered at all banking halls and ATM¹s in a desperate effort to gain access
to their funds as inflation, now at over a billion per cent per annum,
simply destroyed their savings and salaries while they stood in queues.

Farmers pleaded for security on their farms and the return of the rule of
law and said that with 4 weeks to go to the annual planting season, only 5
per cent of the necessary inputs for the new crop were in place. They told
us that if nothing was done about this, yet another year of shortages and
hunger would be inevitable in 2009 with no chance of relief until 2010. A
delegation from the cities told us that water shortages were now critical
that public health and sanitation were in jeopardy throughout the country.
Teachers told us that virtually no real teaching was going on in schools and
that many students would simply have to repeat the year to get back on
track.

Despite the daunting and stark conditions confronting all sectors of our
economy and society we were encouraged as, sector by sector, leadership
pledged themselves to help us get out of this mess as quickly as possible.
Just yesterday I was with a team who were working on what to do in the first
100 days of the new administration. How to improve services and stabilise
the economy. How to get Zimbabwe working again.

Can we do it? Yes we can! Mules may not be pretty but they can work and work
effectively. But we have to demonstrate that before a skeptical and wary
world. We also have to try and meet the needs and aspirations of the
millions of our people who have patiently supported us and fought with us in
what has been a principled and non-violent democratic struggle to regain our
freedoms. We are nearly there.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 28th September 2008

Mugabe driving Zimbabwe into the ditch

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=4914

September 28, 2008

By Jane Madembo

A WEEK ago, I met a South African woman, a professor at Columbia University,
in a pub in Manhattan, New York. We immediately started talking politics,
the effectiveness or lack thereof, of South African President Mbeki's role
in mediating efforts in Zimbabwe. Finally, she just said, "You know what?
You Zimbabweans are a little passive. In South Africa we don't mess around.
Mugabe would have gone a long time ago."

A week later, she was proven right. Mbeki was forced to resign.

But in Zimbabwe, where the President has done far more harm than what former
President Mbeki was accused of in South Africa, Mugabe still reigns supreme.

This week Mugabe has been at the United Nations, as he has been every year
of his presidency. For nearly thirty years Robert Mugabe has travelled from
Zimbabwe to New York to attend UN meetings. Nothing stops him.

The United Nations headquarters in New York is located in a posh area of
Manhattan. New York, compared to Harare, is like paradise. The street lights
shine bright night and day. The restaurants feature the best cuisine from
all over the world. The supermarkets overflow with food from every corner of
the globe. Food vendors line up on street corners. Clothes, from the best
designers in the world are stocked in boutiques. In this city which never
sleeps, there is everything that man wants and money can buy.

If Mugabe had taken a ride on the subway, he would have noticed that even
the sewer rats in New York City are well-fed and healthy. There is plenty of
food for everyone.

In New York, Mugabe and his delegation of 40 were able to forget about the
other country called Zimbabwe. There, the streets have been dark for a long
time and the buildings look like those of a ghost town. The people on the
streets are hungry and desperate. Supermarket are deserted, the shelves are
empty.

Over there, even if you have money, there is little that you can buy.
Therefore, it is not difficult to speculate what members of the delegation
packed into their baggage on return home.

Back at the UN, these meetings have become so routine that people like
President Mugabe and his delegation, with little in the world to worry
about, sleep through them. The words 'human rights, poverty, development,
equality, justice, democracy and freedom of speech' start to seem like the
drone of a plane flying overhead.

They mean little to them.

Instead, Mugabe called for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Perhaps someone should have advised Mugabe that, instead of the 40-member
delegation, he should have brought along Morgan Tsvangirai. What a
difference that would have made in the eyes of the world? Instead of him
calling for the lifting of sanctions, it should have been Tsvangirai
speaking. I doubt that anyone took Mugabe's call seriously.

Watching Mugabe, one is inclined to wonder whether there are any cooler
heads within the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Refuse lies uncollected around the city of Harare. The streets lights don't
function. There is no electricity most of the time. No medicine. There is
little food in schools, or anywhere else. There is no money in the banks.
Parents are paying school fees in cows

But that's not Mugabe's problem. As far as he is concerned it is Bush's and
the British's fault.

Is it?

I once read an article by a woman who was agonizing over getting her
82-year-old father to stop driving. She said his car has numerous dents from
bumping into parked cars, trees, parking meters and other minor traffic
accidents. On the few occasions when they have travelled together, the
father insisted on driving the car, leaving her to clench her jaws and hold
on to her seat in fear as he sped along dangerously. Finally, she called the
police on her father. After a lot of drama, he finally surrendered the keys.

Despite the fact that he placed the life of other road users on line with
his erratic driving, no amount of reasoning would get her father to stop
driving. He remained as stubborn as ever, insisting that he had been driving
all his life.

The old man in the above story has something in common with Mugabe.

Mugabe, who has been President of Zimbabwe for almost 30 years, views
Zimbabwe as his personal property, like a car. He owns it. George Charamba
is right. Mugabe will never capitulate.

Never mind that the people of Zimbabwe are struggling, hungry, and jobless.
Never mind that they want change. He alone has the solution to the country's
problems. The solution according to Mugabe is that the West shouldn't
interfere in Zimbabwe's politics. They should look the other way when he
abuses people. They should look the other way and ignore the hungry stream
of Zimbabwean refugees arriving on their borders.

Mugabe won't be going back home until October 3. Meanwhile, the people of
Zimbabwe must wait as they have been waiting for the last ten years for
change. The MDC may bite their nails or whatever until Mugabe comes back.

The MDC is in danger of losing the people's support. There was a sense of
anti-climax after the signing of the agreement. There were no loud cheers.
We didn't see any refugees streaming across the border going back to
Zimbabwe. Instead, there are more questions than answers about the nature of
this agreement.

Mugabe is as stubborn and as rigid as ever.

The brave men and women MDC members of Parliament are hardworking ordinary
people. Now, they are coming into the fold. They will get houses and other
perks. In time, they too will get comfortable, and may forget what brought
them there in the first place. After all, when you are sitting dry by the
fireplace, it's hard to go back into the cold.

Nothing will change in Zimbabwe with Mugabe at the controls, and as he said,
in his interview with Associated Press at the UN, he is not going anywhere
soon.

This is the reality my friends. Unless cooler heads prevail, Mugabe will
drive Zimbabwe into the ditch.

Zimbabweans Uneasy About Cabinet Formation

http://voanews.com

By Akwei Thompson
Washington,DC
28 September 2008

Earlier this month a power-sharing agreement was signed in Zimbabwe between
the ruling Zanu-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Under the deal, a new government is to be formed with ministers from Both
ZANU-PF and the MDC. However, follow-up talks to elect a power sharing
cabinet have stalled.

In his assessment of the current political mood in the country, John
Makumbe, professor of political science at the University of Zimbabwe,
Harare told VOA's Akwei Thompson there is a feeling of disquiet and concern
among the people amidst all the wrangling between the two parties.

"I think there's is a little bit of uneasiness. People are a bit tired of
waiting and they would like the new government to be put in place as soon as
possible," Makumbe said.

Professor Makumbe said it would take some hard bargaining among the parties
to "in fact agree on identifying first of all which are the key ministries
and then allocate those key mninistries on pro rata basis - on the basis of
what parliamentary representation each party has.."

In the meantime Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has warned that Zimbabwe is
facing a humanitarian crisis in the coming months if a new power sharing
government is not formed soon.

ZANU-PF, however, appears to be trying to hold on to all the key ministries
and to give the MDC formation only the "peripheral, only the minor or
trivial ministries," Makumbe noted. Makumbe feared that the talks may end
bein mediated again by SADC

He characterized President Mugabe's recent appeal at the UN for the
immediate removal of sanctions which have brought "untold suffering to his
people, as hot air. He called for the sanctions to be tightened to
"encourage Mugabe and motivate him to do the right thing."

Wood Poachers Thrash War Vets Chairman

http://www.radiovop.com

MASVINGO, September 29 2008 - War Veterans Association provincial
chairman, Isaiah Muzenda, was last week given a thorough beating as
retribution by wood poachers whom he had tried to relieve of their loot,
police have confirmed.

Muzenda was hit with a log resulting in him sustaining several
injuries on the head, after he was mobbed by close to ten people who were
looking for firewood in a farm bordering his, near the small mining town of
Mashava, located about 30 kilometers outside Masvingo.

Police said they have since identified the wood poachers, and charged
them with assault.

Muzenda, who once led a delegation of former guerilla fighters into a
dairy farmer's plot late last year- got a taste of his own medicine when the
ten asked him where he thought they would get money to buy firewood, given
the incessant power cuts by Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, (ZESA)
Holdings.

"When he asked them to leave the firewood, they hit back and quizzed
him over the power outages. When he tried to instill fear in them, they
started beating him with a log, before fleeing," a witness said.

But Muzenda, who is also the provincial lands secretary in ZANU PF,
said he had caught the ten vandalizing equipment at his farm.

"They were burning grass for no reason and vandalizing farm
equipment," he said.

The provincial war veterans chairman is recuperating at home after
being treated at Masvingo General Hospital.

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Sebastian Bakare, Anglican Diocese of Harare, Zimbabwe

Church of the Province of Central Africa
The Diocese of Harare
From the Bishop of Harare
P.O. Box HR7331

Harare

Pastoral Letter September 2008

Theme: God Our Refuge

Dear Sisters and Brothers

I am still under shock as I write this Pastoral letter. A young mother and
her son about 10 years old appeared at the doorstep of our flat recently
asking for food. After more than 40 years as a priest I know the difference
between a professional street beggar and a hungry person genuinely asking
for food. She was no street beggar at all. Going by her appearance she had
not seen water to bathe for a long time. This young mother represents many
others in our community today in Zimbabwe.

As you all know, most people have been without running water in their homes
for months, let alone, electricity, and there are no affordable food items
in the shops. Cholera, a waterborne disease, has claimed several lives in
Chitungwiza. Children are being sent home from schools because teachers like
all workers are underpaid. One does not have to speak about unemployment any
more, because the majority of our work force is at home as they cannot
afford bus fare to work. Housebreaking and other criminal activities have
increased. In short we have been messed up by a few men and women who have
ravaged our economy through corruption and patronage. As voters we have done
our best but our participation in the elections has been fruitless. Good
governance, justice and peace remain a pipe dream for is all in Zimbabwe.
Selfish leadership has no room for the neighbour. Such kind of leadership
should be reminded of the words of Job:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart".

In a situation like this the following prayer may be of help to you:

Jesus Christ
when scorn and shame besiege us
and hope is veiled in grief,
hold us in your wounded hands
and make your face shine on us again,
for you are our Lord and God. Amen.

We refer you to Ps.31 for further personal reflection.

Diocese of Rochester
As many of you know my wife and I were in the United Kingdom to attend
Lambeth Conference. Whilst in the UK, we took the opportunity to
re-establish our diocesan link with the Diocese of Rochester. It was a happy
occasion to formalise our relationship. Apart from visiting some parishes in
that diocese and staying with host families, I had the opportunity to preach
in the Rochester Cathedral under the leadership of the very able Dean and a
very welcoming congregation. My wife and I were very much uplifted in
fellowship with so many sisters and brothers in that cathedral. At the
Eucharist the intercessor prayed for "Michael, the Bishop of Rochester,
Brian, the Assistant Bishop, and Sebastian, the Bishop of Harare." This was
one important way of demonstrating our new relationship. Likewise we are
asking our intercessors to pray for "Sebastian our Bishop, Michael Bishop of
Rochester and Brian, his assistant". For your information the full names of
the two bishops are: Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester and Brian
Castle, Bishop of Tonbridge (Tonbridge is part of Rochester Diocese).

The Diocese of Rochester has an established Link Committee, and we are in
the process of forming one. The Link committees will work together in order
to strengthen our relationship. We are going to ask you to submit profiles
of your parishes so as to be linked with those in Rochester. We are glad to
hear that the link between Tafara and Rainham in Rochester Diocese has
continued despite the temporary suspension of the link. If there are some
parishes which had links with Rochester before the suspension and would like
to resume them, please let us know.

While we were in Rochester Diocese, Rainham church organised a special
evening prayer for Zimbabwe with colour slides taken by Bishop Brian during
his recent visit to Harare showing locked churches and open air services as
well as empty supermarket shelves. It was a very touching service,
especially to know the concerns expressed by our brothers and sisters in
Rochester Diocese.

Lambeth Conference 2008

The Lambeth Conference is a gathering of bishops from the entire Anglican
Communion which met for the first time in 1888. It meets every ten years to
discuss issues of common concern in the mission of the church today. In the
words of the Archbishop of Canterbury: "The chief aims of our time together
are, first, that we become more confident in our Anglican identity, by
deepening our awareness of how we are responsible to and for each other; and
second, that we grow in energy and in enthusiasm for our task of leading the
work of mission in our church."

The conference gives bishops a chance not only to get to know each other
personally, but also to share stories from different parts of the world and
the cultural contexts they come from. This year's conference was attended by
670 bishops out of approximately 800 bishops in the Anglican Communion.
Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda did not attend.

One of the issues that came up among others was homosexuality, especially
the blessing of same sex marriages and ordination of openly gays and
lesbians. Lambeth's position was that homosexuality is a sensitive pastoral
and divisive issue that has to be handled with care. Lambeth discussed this
issue in a very responsible manner by emphasising the importance of the
family bond in the Communion whereby members of one family do not have to
agree on all issues but still remain a family. Contrary to the forecast by
the media that the Anglican Communion was about to break up, the 670-
bishops present expressed their allegiance to the Archbishop of Canterbury
and the Communion. It was also made clear and agreed upon, after long
discussion in small groups where all the bishops were able to make an input,
that the ordination of gays and lesbians and blessings of same sex marriages
was to stop forthwith and the discussion about these matters was to
continue.

You may have heard that several bishops met in Jerusalem prior to Lambeth
expressing their unwillingness to participate at the Lambeth Conference over
the issue of homosexuality. However a good number of those who met in
Jerusalem also attended Lambeth to show their allegiance to Canterbury and
the Anglican Communion. Even those who stayed away have not severed
relationship with Canterbury.

There were many other areas of serious concern such as the political crises
in Zimbabwe, Darfur and Pakistan. My wife and I were surprised and indeed
moved to come across so many bishops and their spouses who were very much
aware about the persecution in our diocese and assured us of their prayers.
Archbishop Rowan Williams and his wife Jane personally pray for Zimbabwe
daily in their chapel. They are indeed a gift to the Anglican Communion. We
came home feeling very much encouraged by the solidarity we experienced at
Lambeth.

We were also reminded of our responsibility in Zimbabwe to pray for other
areas of conflict in the worldwide Communion. We rarely hear of such places
mentioned in our intercessions. Once more we appeal to clergy to remind
those who lead the prayers that the Anglican Church goes beyond our national
boundaries and that we have a duty to pray for one another and especially
for those in troubled areas of the world.

62nd Session of Synod

Synod was held on 29 and 30 August 2008. We want to thank you, especially
those who had the opportunity to discuss the agenda before Synod in their
congregations. This helped a great deal to make our deliberations at Synod
more meaningful and also faster. A good number of resolutions were passed,
and it is our sincere hope that they will be implemented. We do believe that
your delegates have since reported back to you about the resolutions taken a
Synod. We will be approaching some members to serve on various commissions
to form the newly established Diocesan Council.

Chapter Appointments

We are pleased to announce the names of the new Chapter of the Cathedral of
St Mary and All Saints:

Canon H. Chifunyise, Canon T. Madeyi, Canon D. Manyau, Canon J. Mudowaya,
Canon F. Mutamiri (Dean), Canon C. Tapera, Canon W. Zhuwakino to be
installed in the Cathedral in the near future. Canons D. Nhema, M.
Madziwanyika, M. Makoni, who are in active retirement will serve as honorary
canons of the Cathedral.

Ordination

God willing there will be ordination of the following candidates at Banket
Church on 27 September 2008 at 9am:

Rev. Taurai Constantine Kachembere

Mr Alexander Mahlava

Mr. Naboth Manzungo

Mr. Boyman Mancama

M. Mahomed Selemani

Please pray for them and their families.

Political Agreement

The news of the deal between MDC and ZANUPF is most a most welcome
development. We hope, however that the deal was motivated by and has the
interests of the people at heart and that there is serious commitment to its
implementation on all sides.

Your Bishop

Signed +Sebastian Harare

New government gives HIV-positive people hope

Photo: Obinna Anyadike/IRIN

NGOs want to resume their work supporting people living with HIV

HARARE, 29 September 2008 (PlusNews) - AIDS activists are hoping that the country's new administration will make good on promises to urgently improve access to affordable HIV/AIDS treatment and services at state hospitals.

The country's three political parties - ZANU-PF and the two factions of the majority Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - signed a power-sharing deal on 15 September, ending one of the worst periods of inter-party political violence since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980.

Despite scepticism that the three parties will be able to work together, the deal has brought hope to many ordinary Zimbabweans, particularly those living with HIV, who have been battling to cope in the current harsh economic and political environment.

Of the estimated 320,000 people in need of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, only about 100,000 are accessing the medication at public health facilities. Besides the treatment gap, government hospitals are struggling to deliver services in the face of shortages of drugs, medical staff and foreign currency.

Zimbabwe's social welfare minister banned the operations of all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during the run-up to the June 27 presidential runoff, compounding the lack of services available from the public health sector. Included in the ban were about 400 organisations providing support services to people living with HIV, such as home-based care, orphan care and ARV treatment.

Although the ban was lifted after an international outcry from human rights activists, in reality, only those organisations running ARV programmes were allowed to resume their work; the beneficiaries of other HIV support services, including orphans and vulnerable children, were left to fend for themselves.

NGOs affected by the ban are now hoping to be allowed to continue their work without undue interference and restrictions by the government.

High expectations for new government

Bernard Nyathi, president of the Zimbabwe HIV and AIDS Activist Union, who is living with HIV, told IRIN/PlusNews that under the new administration, parliament would cease to be the "rubber stamp" it had been for the past 28 years when ZANU-PF dominated.

The welfare of HIV-positive Zimbabweans has, for too long, been ignored

"Through appropriate legal frameworks, members of parliament ... could help improve the lives of us people living with HIV. We have no doubt about that and we are very optimistic," said Nyathi. "The welfare of HIV-positive Zimbabweans has, for too long, been ignored."

Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (ZNNP+), Benjamin Mazhindu, shared Nyathi's optimism. "In previous years there has been serious under-funding of key ministries, such as health and social welfare, with ministries such as defence being given priority," he said.

"In an all-inclusive government, budget allocations won't just be the decision of one party that has a majority in the house, as was the case before. Our hope, as people living with HIV, rests on the fact that budget proposals will [now] be heavily debated in parliament."

Mazhindu added that as soon as the new cabinet was sworn in, ZNNP+ would mobilise its members to start lobbying for urgent action on access to treatment, and for increasing budget allocations to the health sector.

Another challenge facing the new government will be to improve relations with donors, to secure more external HIV/AIDS funding. As a result of the political crisis, many international donors have pulled out of Zimbabwe over the years, creating a huge funding deficit for HIV/AIDS programmes.

Read more:
AIDS organisations still grounded
NGOs withering under foreign currency shortages
Wild fruits instead of food aid

But it will take time for the new government to make meaningful changes and, in the meantime, life for many of the estimated 1.7 million people living with HIV in Zimbabwe will continue to be a struggle.

With inflation at more than 11.2 million percent, those on treatment are finding it increasingly difficult to afford food to take with their drugs. For those on waiting lists to begin ARV treatment, getting adequate food is also essential for helping to delay progression of the disease.

Namibian President Pleads for Zim Rescue

http://www.newera.com.na

Monday, 29th of September 2008
By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
President Hifikepunye Pohamba has asked the United Nations Secretary General
to use the influence of his office to secure international bailout packages
for Zimbabwe.

Pohamba said the international community should extend both financial and
humanitarian packages to Zimbabwe.

"We have had the opportunity to meet with the secretary general and we urged
the international community to provide financial and humanitarian assistance
to Zimbabwe to ensure successful implementation of the power-sharing deal,"
said the President.

Pohamba said this yesterday morning when he arrived at Hosea Kutako
International Airport from the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The President added that Namibia emphasised the need for sanctions imposed
on that country to be removed.

Apart from attending the UN General Assembly, the President said Namibia
participated in two other special meetings one of them being the meeting
with Ban Ki-moon, whom he invited to visit Namibia early next year.

During their special meeting, the President indicated to the UN Secretary
General the need to start inter-governmental institutions, in particular the
expansion and democratisation of the UN Security Council.

Calls for changes and reforms for the UN Security Council are becoming
louder and yesterday the President said Africa still demands two permanent
and five non-permanent positions on the UN Security Council.

Namibia also participated in the high-level meeting that evaluated Africa's
status and implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"The aim was to take stock of Africa's developmental needs and constraints
and how to improve on them," the President said.

A declaration on how to improve the African situation was signed and the UN
Secretary General and the President of the General Assembly are expected to
draw up a summary on the way forward.

Namibia also assured its support on all endeavours especially on peace and
security and global economic development.

According to Pohamba, the country is committed to peacekeeping activities
whenever required, particularly in the region of Darfur in Sudan.

"We informed him (the UN Secretary General) of Namibia's readiness to sign
the Generic Memorandum of Understanding on peacekeeping in Darfur," he said.

The Namibian delegation to the UN General Assembly further participated in
the Commonwealth deliberations that looked into the implementation of
resolutions passed in Kampala last year.

Generally, the UN General Assembly meeting that took place from September 23
to 26 discussed what Pohamba termed as "highly burning challenges" facing
mankind especially the African people.

Some of the challenges include financial constraints, global energy, and
devastating impact of climate change, high food and fuel prices, HIV/AIDS
and abject poverty.

The assembly discussed the need for collective efforts in responding to the
identified challenges and how development and cooperating partners can be
engaged in rescuing the situation.

Minimum Qualifications for the role of Governor for the RBZ

Could someone please explain to me how Mr Gideon Gono got the job as the head of the RBZ? An interesting IMF report on the economic crisis and hyperinflation afflicting Zimbabwe clearly puts the blame firmly and squarely on his shoulders (see the link http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=20630.0 where you can download the IMF report).

Whereas the minimum prerequisites for most personnel vying to be in charge of Central Banks in any developed country would logically require the highest level of education, well proven track record and past experience in monetary management, it appears that as Zimbabweans (Zanu –PF in particular) we do not understand such a simple concept. As Zimbabweans we often boast of how well educated and intelligent we are, so can someone please give me a well educated answer as to why Gideon got the job?

Although credited with turning around the fortunes of the CBZ, I don’t believe that this alone should have qualified him to run the RBZ?

Let’s take Alan Greenspan as example, former chairman of the Federal Reserve of the USA.

In brief, his record speaks for itself - received B.S in Economics (summa cum laude – with supreme honour) 1948, an M.A in Economics in 1950, awarded a PhD in economics in 1977, and in 2005 was awarded honorary Doctoral of Commercial Science from NYU.

His work experience is similarly as impressive. Stating the obvious, that Zimbabwe of course is not the USA, the simple point I’m trying to make is all of this could have been avoided if the right person had been chosen for the job. Despite journalists peddling the same land reform thesis being the main reason behind Zimbabwe’s economic decline, the IMF (the expert on this matter) has clearly pointed out that the economic decline could have been arrested or even reversed by implementing the correct economic and fiscal (government spending) policies; and does not regard the land reform as being the major reason to Zimbabwe’s economic decline.

You might also be interested to know that Zimbabwe's voting rights in the IMF were suspended effective June 6, 2003 pursuant to Article XXVI, Section 2(b) of the Articles of Agreement, (see the link http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.htm) in laymen’s terms this means that Zimbabwe could not borrow any money from the IMF and would not receive any economical/financial technical assistance, which is effectively the nail in the coffin for any economy in the world. So, although there are no “sanctions” per say on Zimbabwe as a whole, it is interesting to note that Zimbabwe is the only country on this list that has been suspended from the IMF? Surely Zimbabwe has a better credit history than a large number of other countries. We were neither the poorest country in the world (Malawi, Somalia, DRC etc), nor did we have worst human rights records (North Korea, Burma, Iran, Syria, Colombia, Cuba, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Eritrea and Sudan) so why the heavy handed approach in dealing with Zimbabwe. Can someone just be honest and come out in the open and tell us what we already know?

Before I go off on a tangent, I have to go back to the reason for this article i.e. quite simply that Mr Gideon Gono is not qualified for the job Governor of our central bank, the RBZ and his record definitely speaks for itself. He never has been and never will be the right person for the job. At this point in time, Zimbabwe needs the right man/woman for the job because this will be the cornerstone to the almost insurmountable task of rebuilding the economy. I myself am not an economist, just an engineer. But I do know that in every field, the right man/woman for the job will always gets the job done, even if the most difficult circumstances. I would suggest the current government place an ad in all Medias of communication for the vacancy of this position. Although I am totally in support of choosing a Zimbabwean who is in touch with the people, I believe that if need be we should also seriously consider other non-Zimbabweans for the post, who are suitably qualified for the job. Below is a template which can be tailored to suit the ad to be placed for the post of governor of the RBZ:

Qualifications

Experience

10-15 years professional leadership and economic, financial and accounting experience in Business, Economics, Finance, Operations, Business Management or related fields. Extensive experience with financial modelling and proven experience in advanced Macroeconomics. Proven experience working with the IMF and World Bank would be a bonus.

Education

Minimum M.BA in Economics (Macroeconomics), with previous Bachelors in Economics/Finance, however a Ph.D is strongly preferred.

Functional and Technical Skills

Excellent analytical skills.
Well-honed problem solving skills.
Strong planning, people management, organizational and project management skills.
Ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to leverage these skills to successfully present cases.
This position requires the ability to work under extreme time pressure to meet deadlines, be able to work from general guidelines, and be able to make the majority of decisions needed to successfully carry out assigned duties and projects.

Leadership

Extensive experience managing financial aspects of the organizational vision and strategy. We are seeking strong ability to process information and make necessary connections when limited data is available.
Strong partnership with the Leadership Team. Whilst extensive experience building, modelling and analyzing financial performance is important, it is the influencing direction of the central bank toward profitable work that provides the “value-add” of this job.
We are seeking a “simplifier”, an individual who can help integrate the business, management and accounting processes to establish clarity and to create a platform for a complete turn around and continued economic growth within the country.
In-depth knowledge of the activities and processes of the financial team. Previous experience with financial teams that partnered with all aspects of business operations management. This job can not be done by sitting at a desk running spreadsheets.
Intelligent and articulate individual who can relate to people at all levels of the organization.

Management

Experience in managing people. Demonstrated experience in developing team members to realize their potential via mentoring, targeted skills training and other.
Can build self-reliant, high performing, engaged teams. Must bring a “can do” mindset and raise the bar for others.
Can lead with integrity and exemplary ethical standards.

Other

Should enjoy a challenge and have a desire to help rebuild a country.
*Please note that this is not a position for anyone looking for financial gain, but is more of a challenge for someone looking for world recognition in turning around the worst performing economy in the world.

If anyone fits the profile, please send your CV’s to the government and canvass for any vacancies that they should have once the current governor when it dawns on them where the problem lies.

Written by

Clive Samvura Jnr

E-mail: clivesamx@yahoo.co.uk

Zimbabwe faces Battle for Economic Revival - PART 1 of 5

VOA

By Darren Taylor
Washington
29 September 2008

In terms of Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal, the parties have agreed to
prioritize the restoration of economic stability and growth in the country.
The southern African nation's financial sector is ravaged. Its official
inflation rate is the highest in the world at 11 million per cent, with
unemployment estimated at 80 per cent. Most Zimbabweans are mired in
poverty. Shortages of food, fuel, electricity and foreign currency persist.
Economists agree that a vibrant economy is non-negotiable for a lasting
peace in the country.

Dr. Raymond Gilpin, an economist at the United States Institute of Peace -
the USIP - who's originally from Sierra Leone, has conducted intensive
research into Zimbabwe's economy, and the consequences of the country's
"mind boggling" inflation rate.

"The people of Zimbabwe have to contend with prices that rise practically
every minute. You have the curious circumstance there where the moment you
make a purchase, it devalues almost immediately. People's money also loses
value every minute. If you have savings in Zimbabwe, they're practically
worthless," says the Cambridge and Georgetown University-educated financial
expert, who's also served as an economist at the World Bank and African
Development Bank Group.

Gilpin attributes the sad state of Zimbabwe's economy first and foremost to
"two decades of bad economic policies" by President Robert Mugabe's
government, which instituted "catastrophic" price controls, fixed exchange
rates and harmed mainstays of Zimbabwe's economy, such as agriculture.

Gilpin says the ZANU-PF administration simply spent too much on the wrong
things.

A clause in the power-sharing agreement reads, "the parties are committed to
working together on a full and comprehensive economic programme to
resuscitate Zimbabwe's economy, which will urgently address the issues of
production, food security, poverty and unemployment and the challenges of
high inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate."

As a result of the deal, the Movement for Democratic Change - MDC - led by
Morgan Tsvangirai wants to assume responsibility for reviving Zimbabwe's
economy. However, some analysts have concluded that this will be a poisoned
chalice for the country's new Prime Minister, given the massive scale of the
task ahead.

"It's daunting, to say the least," Gilpin told VOA. "There are problems
everywhere."

Mr. Mugabe's government though is balking at permitting Tsvangirai's MDC to
take control of key ministries, including that of finance, even though
observers are in agreement that ZANU-PF has in recent years presided over
economic degradation on a grand scale.

A recent USIP briefing moderated by Gilpin concluded that the Mugabe
government's "failure to uphold the rule of law created chaos and
uncertainty, which eroded business confidence, led to the misallocation of
resources and depressed economic output."

Corruption burgeoned under Mugabe, says Gilpin, and was evident for example
in allocation of prime crop land confiscated from white farmers to ruling
party members and allies with little or no experience in agriculture.

Rampant cronyism

The USIP briefing found that politics and economics were "very closely
intertwined in Zimbabwe.. Bad governance has fostered a culture of impunity
and helped reinforce the political and economic muscle of the regime's
leadership. This group has become deeply vested in the status quo. They have
demonstrated a capacity to do whatever it takes to maintain their privileged
positions, which guarantee unfettered access to wealth and power - at the
expense of the vast majority of Zimbabweans."

Gilpin says president Mugabe's "very close relationship" with Zimbabwe's
armed forces has "exacerbated the fiscal pressures" in the country, as it's
resulted in the state spending a lot of money on the security sectors, and
reducing spending on sectors such as health, education and job creation.

According to Bernard Harborne, Lead Conflict Specialist at the World Bank,
Zimbabwe's military and its leaders have been "major beneficiaries" of
government "quasi-fiscal excesses."

"Substantial transfers and subsidies are made to keep them loyal and in
check. This fiscal drain has reinforced the regime-focused nature of the
military and cultivated a culture of entitlement," Harborne says.

He adds that fiscal reform in Zimbabwe will have "profound ramifications"
for the country's armed forces.

Gilpin says the "paradox" in Zimbabwe presently is that certain people in
the country are getting rich directly as a result of the chaotic state of
the economy.

"Wherever you have economic policies that impose controls on currency and
trade, those with access to the levers of power are able to use that for
their benefit. They control trade; they impose premiums on currency
transactions. Those are the people who are making the most money. The few
who have access to political power use that to derive vast economic
benefit."

The effect of this, Gilpin explains, is that Zimbabwe's dollar continues to
weaken and inflation rises, "meaning that the ordinary Zimbabwean earns less
every day for the same amount of work, and their savings - particularly if
it's in local currency - is devalued on an ongoing basis."

Foreign investments still pouring in

Yet as the economic situation has progressively worsened for Zimbabwe's
citizens, large investments have continued to flow into the country.

"The Zimbabwean economy, back into the mid-1980s, had always been a strong
economic regional anchor. As such, a number of large companies have ongoing
investment programs in Zimbabwe. A number of the more recent investments are
continuation plans by these large companies," Gilpin comments.

In June, Anglo American, one of the largest mining conglomerates in the
world, decided to invest a further $400 million in Zimbabwe's platinum
mines. The London-based Lonhro mining group is also planning to invest about
$66 million in the country this year. But economic observers say it's mainly
South African mining operations that have been injecting investments into
Zimbabwe.

Gilpin says it's "very difficult to say" if this foreign money has benefited
"ordinary" Zimbabweans. "One could hypothesize that at the household level
there might be some benefit in terms of employment, in terms of availability
to some services provided by large companies."

MDC officials have previously blamed some big international companies for
"propping up" the ZANU-PF government with cash, and have said that many of
the Mugabe administration's abuses wouldn't have happened without the money
provided to it by certain foreign enterprises. The opposition members warned
that such firms would suffer consequences in the event of the MDC wielding
executive power in Zimbabwe.

But Gilpin says it is "important to distinguish between the excesses of the
Mugabe regime and their mismanagement of the economy, and private sector
enterprise."

The economist says it's the ZANU-PF administration, and not international
big business, that's ultimately to blame for human rights and financial
abuses in Zimbabwe.

In addition, he says, "A number of the companies doing business in and
business with Zimbabwe do not do business directly with the Zimbabwe regime.
To that degree, there has been some degree of welfare benefit to the
people."

Innovative methods used to circumvent inflation rate

Gilpin says an informal economy that's sprung up in Zimbabwe as a result of
the poor economy has in effect saved the country from complete economic
devastation.

"Households and firms have developed mechanisms to go around the frightening
inflation rate."

At the USIP briefing, Frank Young, the vice-president of one of the largest
international for-profit government and business research and consulting
firms, Abt Associates, explained how citizens and businesses had developed
"imaginative and extremely agile strategies" to survive because "the
Zimbabwean currency has lost value as a medium of exchange."

The barter system has re-emerged in the country, for example.

The briefing concluded: "The failure of financial institutions to attract
deposits and provide credit has forced Zimbabweans to adopt mechanisms to
avoid the costs and perils of doing business via official channels. The
practically worthless currency has been replaced with innovative means of
exchange, like petrol coupons and non-perishable groceries. Savings are
widely held in US dollars and South African rand. The 'official' economy is
irrelevant and a number of informal, barter systems have developed, based on
strong community networks. They allow groups to purchase and barter
essential commodities (like food and fuel) while hedging against inflation
and currency depreciation."

Solutions?

The agreement proposes the creation of a National Economic Council,
comprised of members of the different parties, with members of major sectors
of the economy, such as manufacturing and mining, to advise government on
policy.

However, some economists estimate that, if there's true political and
economic reform in Zimbabwe as a result of the power-sharing agreement, it'll
take at least 15 years for the country's economy to reach a favorable level.

Gilpin says there are certain steps that need to be taken as soon as
possible for this to happen.

"The necessary first step is an answer to the political situation. Policy
frameworks have to be completely changed, controls have to be removed;
institutions have to be depoliticized."

He points out that the Mugabe government "ran ongoing budget deficits" and
that these were primarily financed by Zimbabwe's Central Bank, which
injected money at extraordinary rates. This action by the Central Bank, he
states, must end, as must control of certain sectors of the economy by the
top brass of Zimbabwe's security forces.

"Funds need to be channeled to more needy sectors of the economy, not the
army and Mugabe's political allies," Gilpin comments.

He says Zimbabwe's economy can eventually be stabilized if inflation is
controlled.

"We also have to make sense of the currency to stop the wide gap between the
official exchange rate and the market exchange rate. To do that, firstly -
and very, very simply but politically it has been difficult to do - the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe needs to stop printing money. The main impetus for
the printing of money is the fact that the Reserve Bank has been lumped with
a number of quasi-fiscal responsibilities, like paying subsidies, paying
government debt and providing export credits to the favored few. That has to
stop. Once we stanch the flow of money into the economy, inflation will come
down."

Confidence in Zimbabwe's economy and its currency are also essential to
economic recovery, Gilpin says.

"Confidence in the economy will only come once people recognize that there
are focused and transparent policies, and that the key institutions -
primarily the Reserve Bank - are doing the right things.

According to the USIP briefing, the massive debt amassed by the ZANU-PF
administration must be addressed, and "external resources" and international
assistance must be mobilized to "help finance reform and provide social
safety nets."

Keith Campbell, whose South Africa-based risk analysis firm, Executive
Research Associates, has been closely monitoring the situation in Zimbabwe,
is convinced that "in the end, there's only one way" to ensure economic
rehabilitation in the country.

"There must be a political solution that takes the economy away from
ZANU-PF. Then, the failed policies of the past can be corrected, and this
network of people around Mugabe that have been monopolizing government
contracts and subsidies can be broken down."

Zimbabwe's evil genie is still zapping the system

http://www.busrep.co.za

September 29, 2008

By Ethel Hazelhurst

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has sent a loud, clear message to the
world: subvert market forces at your peril. Though it was not his intention,
the man who has run Zimbabwe since 1980 has demonstrated the danger of
replacing reality with fantasy and the folly of fiddling with a working
economy.

He has shown that, if a government messes with a country's productive
capacity it ends up with hyperinflation. If the government imposes price
controls the people will face famine.

And if, while the government systematically destroys the country's
industries and plunders its currency reserves, the man at the top gives a
finger to the international community, the country ends up with nothing but
an empty begging bowl.

And so it's come to pass.

Zimbabweans have been allowed to draw only Z$1000 (R20 on the informal
market) a day - not enough to buy a loaf of bread. On Friday they were given
the go-ahead to buy and sell goods in foreign currency, because their own is
worthless.

The official exchange rate on Zimbabwe's interbank market is US$1 to Z$116.
However, news agency Bloomberg says that on the black market, where most
residents buy foreign exchange, it takes Z$1 million to buy US$1.

There is no accurate figure for the country's inflation, partly because it's
moving so quickly that each calculation is rapidly overtaken.

However, Sapa-AP said on Friday that inflation was estimated at 15 percent a
day, which made Zimbabwe's currency almost worthless, at one-billionth of
the value it held at the beginning of the year.

Unemployment is running at 90 percent. But even the employed can't eat
because the country is running out of food.

Bloomberg reported that the US-funded famine early warning systems network,
saying Zimbabwe may run out of cereals by November and must triple food
imports between now and March to meet demand.

The country that only a few years ago was the bread basket of southern
Africa can't even feed its own.This is a measure of Mugabe's achievements.

He, of course, has ended up with plenty and is still riding high. He and his
accomplices have benefited hugely from the episode, while Zimbabweans have
become impoverished. And with the alleged settlement achieved, but the
process of choosing a cabinet deadlocked, they are still battling to feed
their families.

The impasse has to be resolved before the country can move out of its
poverty trap and start rebuilding the economy.

What role will South Africa play, now it has a new government? More of the
same, it seems.

Former president Thabo Mbeki is to continue as mediator. And Jakkie
Cilliers, the executive director of the Institute for Security Studies,
expects continuity as foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma remains in
place.

There are, of course, limits to what South Africa can do. Sanctions would
only increase Zimbabweans' misery. But South Africa could stop running
interference between Mugabe and the rest of the world.

Cilliers says that so far South Africa has shielded Mugabe from pressure
from the international community and critics in Africa. In that case, one
productive move would be to stop insulating Mugabe from the real world and
let events take their course.

There's another message in this tale for voters who ignore policies and
focus on traditional loyalties: when you let an evil genie out of the
bottle, it is very difficult to put him back in.

SA withdraws asylum for Zim exiles

By Alex Bell
29 September 2008

The security of Zimbabwean refugees of politically motivated violence in
South Africa is under threat, following a decision by the department of Home
Affairs to withdraw asylum because of the power sharing accord in Zimbabwe.

South Africa has been the landing ground for millions of Zimbabweans who
fled their homes to seek safety, in the midst of brutal attacks orchestrated
by ZANU PF. The flood of exiles and the turbulent nature of Zimbabwe's
political crisis forced the South African government to review its refugee
policies - a change that ensured asylum and safety from deportation for
thousands of Zimbabweans while the situation in their country remained
volatile.

However, despite ongoing reports of violence, starvation and political
unrest, Zimbabweans seeking asylum, including those who applied for
extensions on their asylum papers, are now being turned down by home
affairs, with officials citing the power sharing deal that was signed
between the leaders of the MDC and ZANU PF.

The signing of the deal has done nothing to change the situation on the
ground, a situation that forced so many to flee. The desperate humanitarian
crisis has left millions facing starvation, while the breakdown of the
country's sanitation services has prompted fears of an outbreak of serious
diseases. At the same time the number of farm invasions has risen and ZANU
PF torture camps have remained fully operational, all while the impasse over
cabinet posts continues.

Human rights lawyer for the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, Anna Moyo, told Newsreel
on Monday the sudden 'hostility' from the South African government was
putting 'the lives of Zimbabweans at risk'. She explained that there are
serious concerns about the ongoing violence in Zimbabwe, saying the 'human
rights situation is still desperate'. Moyo added that there are rumours that
many Zimbabweans have already been deported, and expressed her own fears for
the safety of new refugees. "Its difficult now for new exiles, because so
many are still crossing the border, and their safety is at risk," Moyo said.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Lions were supposed to protect them

http://www.iol.co.za

September 29 2008 at 06:28AM

By Kanina Foss

An eight-year-old Zimbabwean girl has been mauled by two lions that
were supposed to protect her from war veterans intent on claiming her
family's farm.

Rapport newspaper stated that one of the lions spotted Courtney
Sparrow through a window and dragged her out of the house.

Courtney's mother Margaret had secured the lions in front of the house
after surviving the farm's fourth war veteran attack in three months, during
which she single-handedly chased away the invaders with a firearm.

Courtney's father Ron, who breeds lions, was in Mozambique.

Ron told Rapport that Margaret had kept windows latched, but that on
the evening of September 16, the lioness had sprung through a window that
had a weak spot.

A domestic worker tried to pull Courtney back, but was injured, and
the lioness dragged the screaming little girl's 24kg body outside.

A farmworker beat off the lioness with a stick, and Courtney
immediately stood up and tried to run away, but she was knocked down again
by the male lion.

Courtney sustained serious injuries on her arm, face and head.
According to Rapport, there was also a hole in her oesophagus.

She was taken from her farm in the south-eastern province of Masvingo
to a clinic, where her condition was stabilised, and thereafter she was
airlifted to Harare.

Courtney's parents told Rapport that the medical care at the hospital
was so poor, they didn't even have painkillers. They then decided to airlift
their daughter to Joburg.

Courtney arrived at Joburg's Netcare Milpark hospital a day after the
attack and went straight into theatre for 10 hours.

On Sunday night she had been moved to a general ward awaiting further
surgery.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on
September 29, 2008

Zimbabwe unity government by week's end -- Mugabe