Mbeki will visit Harare to revive power-sharing talks: minister

Yahoo News

Fri Sep 5, 10:39 AM ET

HARARE (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki is expected in Harare
next week to help revive stalled power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's
ruling party and the opposition MDC, a minister said Friday.

"President Mbeki is expected here next week for the resumption of the
ongoing negotiations facilitated by SADC (Southern African Development
Community)," deputy information minister Bright Matonga told AFP.

He did not give any further details or a precise date.

Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, told AFP that he was unware of the
visit.

Earlier Friday, Zimbabwe's main opposition party appealed for help from the
regional bloc SADC to re-start the talks as President Robert Mugabe
threatened to form a new cabinet.

Talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose MDC holds a parliamentary
majority, were deadlocked in mid-August over Mugabe's desire to retain
control of the country's security forces, according to the opposition.

Last ditch attempts to revive the negotiations by Mbeki, who is mediating in
the crisis on behalf of SADC, failed last week.

Tsvangirai rejected a power-sharing deal that would have seen security
ministries reporting to Mugabe and economic and social ministries to
himself, the MDC leader told South African radio on Wednesday.

U.S.: Mugabe-named Cabinet would be 'sham'

http://www.signonsandiego.com



By Thulani Mthethwa
ASSOCIATED PRESS

8:55 a.m. September 5, 2008

MBABANE, Swaziland - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe should focus
on power-sharing talks, not appointing a Cabinet unilaterally, the top U.S.
envoy to Africa said Friday.
Jendayi Frazer, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for African
affairs, was asked by reporters during a visit to southern Africa about
reports in Zimbabwe's state media that Mugabe was prepared to name a Cabinet
without input from the opposition. The oppositions says that would undermine
talks aimed at forming a coalition government.

A Mugabe Cabinet would be seen by the U.S. government as a "sham,"
Frazer said, adding that members of such a Cabinet could be subject to U.S.
sanctions. Washington has been among Mugabe's sharpest critics, accusing him
of trampling on democracy and ruining his country's economy.
"We believe that instead of trying to appoint a Cabinet, they should
negotiate on the basis of the will of the people that was expressed in the
March elections," Frazer said.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai came in first in a field of four
in the first round of presidential voting in March, and has based his claim
to a senior position in any coalition on that result.

The official count did not give Tsvangirai the majority needed to
avoid a runoff against second-place finisher Mugabe. Tsvangirai withdrew
from the runoff citing state-sponsored violence against his supporters.
Mugabe went ahead with the vote and was declared the overwhelming winner,
though the election was widely denounced.

Power-sharing talks mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki
have stalled over the question of who should lead any coalition. Mugabe
appears reluctant to surrender much of the power he has wielded since
independence from Britain in 1980.

While his media has reported for more than a week that he was prepared
to name his own Cabinet, he has yet to take that step.

Friday, the Zimbabwean government mouthpiece The Herald quoted
Mugabe's chief negotiator, Patrick Chinamasa, as saying Mbeki was scheduled
to visit Zimbabwe next week "to make ... Tsvangirai sign a power-sharing
deal."

Mbeki's spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga had dismissed reports a day
earlier that Mbeki planned a trip to Zimbabwe. Friday, Ratshitanga said he
knew of no plans, but added: "if he's going to go anywhere, we will issue a
statement."

Mbeki has been accused of appeasing Mugabe, but insists his policy of
quiet diplomacy is the only way to ensure the negotiations produce results.

Also Friday, Frazer addressed another controversy brewing in the
region. She was in Swaziland for the southern African kingdom's weekend
independence celebrations, which have been denounced as extravagant in a
country with high unemployment, poverty and AIDS rates.

Frazer said it was not for the U.S. government to set spending
priorities for Swaziland, but "we want to see significant resources
allocated on health, education and economic development."

Saturday's festivities in Swaziland mark King Mswati III's birthday
and the anniversary of Swaziland's independence from Britain. Swazis have
demonstrated this week to protest the cost of the celebrations, officially
put at US$2.5 million though widely believed to be five times higher.

Zim opposition appeals for talks to be 'unlocked'

http://www.mg.co.za

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Sep 05 2008 09:06

Zimbabwe's main opposition party appealed on Friday for help from regional
bloc SADC to unlock stalled power-sharing talks as President Robert Mugabe
threatened to form a new Cabinet.

"It is very clear that the deadlock in the current dialogue has to be
unlocked," Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson for Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change, told SAfm radio.

"And to be unlocked we need the help of SADC [Southern African Development
Community] and the helping hand of the mediator, [South African] President
Thabo Mbeki," he said.

"It is better to be talking than fighting. Our country is so important, so
precious. We need to resolve all our differences through dialogue for
prosperity and stability in the country," he added.

Mugabe was quoted in state media on Thursday as saying that he would move
ahead and form a government if Tvsangirai did not sign a power-sharing deal
on Thursday.

"If after tomorrow [Thursday], Tsvangirai does not want to sign, we will
certainly put together a Cabinet. We feel frozen at the moment", Mugabe had
told the Herald.

Chamisa said on Friday it would be "tragic" if Mugabe proceeded to form a
Cabinet without the power-sharing talks being concluded.

"In fact, he will be committing a political suicide because there is no way
that that Cabinet is going to be functional because it does not have a
legitimacy, the endorsement and the support of the people as well as the
MDC," he said.

Talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose MDC holds a parliamentary
majority, were deadlocked in mid-August over Mugabe's desire to retain
control of the country's security forces, according to the opposition.

Last ditch attempts to revive the negotiations by Mbeki, who is mediating in
the crisis on behalf of SADC, failed last week.

Tsvangirai rejected a power-sharing deal that would have seen security
ministries reporting to Mugabe and economic and social ministries to
himself, the MDC leader told South African radio on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe's crisis intensified after Mugabe's re-election in a widely
condemned June presidential run-off in which he was the only candidate. -
AFP

Death toll rises as Cholera fears sweep across the country

By Alex Bell
05 September 2008

At least nine residents of Harare's Chitungwiza Township are believed to
have died this week after a deadly cholera outbreak in the community - with
unconfirmed reports claiming the death toll is closer to 20 people.

The outbreak, which is believed to have first struck on Monday, comes after
weeks of increasing numbers of cases of serious diarrhoea reports across the
city, as a result of a failing clean water system and numerous sewage spills
that have contaminated Harare's water reservoirs.

The deaths have prompted the Combined Harare Residents Association to lash
out at the government as well as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority
(ZINWA). The Association has also demanded that the city's water and sewer
reticulation services be handed over to the Harare council, saying ZINWA has
failed to address the crisis. In a statement released by the Harare
Residents Association on Friday, the group said, 'the decision by the
previous cabinet to authorise ZINWA to take over water and sewer
reticulation services from the city councils was not only irresponsible, but
also reckless.'

The country's ongoing political and economic crisis has seen the almost
total collapse of infrastructure in the once thriving Zimbabwean cities. The
deteriorating water and sewerage systems have led to a number of cholera
outbreaks in recent years. ZINWA officials have said the situation is
constrained by costs, poor funding and frequent power cuts, which mean that
water cannot be properly purified, if at all.

The deaths in Chitungwiza come amid growing concerns that a health crisis in
the form of another cholera outbreak is looming in Beitbridge. Residents
have reportedly urged ZINWA to address the serious problems of burst sewer
pipes, which has seen raw sewage gushing down busy streets and into houses.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Residents hold Government accountable for Cholera related deaths and illnesses

05 September 2008

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) holds the “Government” responsible for the innocent lives that are being lost as a result of the cholera outbreaks in and around the city of Harare. The residents maintain that the decision by the previous cabinet to authorize ZINWA take over water and sewer reticulation services from the city councils was not only irresponsible but also reckless. ZINWA lacks technical capacity to provide adequate and clean water supply to the residents as well as manage the sewer reticulation system, hence the water and sewer crisis. The water and sewer crisis has resulted in several outbreaks of cholera in and around Harare. Areas that have been hard hit by Cholera outbreaks include Mabvuku, Tafara, Masasa Park and Letombo Park.    

Recently cholera outbreaks have been recorded in Chitungwiza at the backdrop of a deepening water and sewer crisis. Although official statistics indicate that three (3) lives have been lost, residents claim that so far ten (10) lives have been lost as a result of the water and sewer crisis triggered cholera outbreaks.  In a shallow statement published by the Herald newspaper (3 September 2008), ZINWA claims that the water crisis is due to the erratic supply of water treatment chemicals as well as power interruptions. CHRA reminds ZINWA and the Ministry of water and infrastructural development that procuring water treatment chemicals is the responsibility of ZINWA and therefore, by virtue of failing to secure the water treatment chemicals, ZINWA remains responsible for the water and sewer crisis and all the consequences connected therewith.

The residents remain baffled by the Government stance on the water crisis and ZINWA. Instead of reversing the ZINWA takeover and allow the city council manage the water supply and sewer reticulation, Government remains adamant. Meanwhile CHRA expresses and passes its condolences to the families of the victims of the water and sewer crisis. May their dear souls rest in peace.

The residents of Harare remind the Ministry of Water Resources and infrastructural development as well as ZINWA that, it is their right to have adequate and clean water supply as well as physical environment. CHRA is working on both legal and mass mobilization strategies as a response to the prevailing water and sewer crisis.

Chief Executive Officer

Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)

145 Robert Mugabe Way

Exploration House, Third Floor

Harare

ceo@chra.co.zw

www.chra.co.zw

Landline: 00263- 4- 705114

Canada imposes targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe

Yahoo News

1 hour, 3 minutes ago

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada has imposed targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe to
protest against "intimidation and state-sponsored violence" against
opposition supporters, Foreign Minister David Emerson said on Friday.

The government is banning arms exports, freezing the assets of top
Zimbabwean officials and banning Zimbabwean aircraft from flying over or
landing in Canada. Trade between the two nations totaled just C$11 million
($10.4 million) in 2006.

Zimbabwe's main opposition party said this week it had lost faith in
power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe, who is under strong
international pressure to step down.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in a March 29 election but
fell short of enough votes to avoid a June run-off election, which was won
by Mugabe after Tsvangirai pulled out, citing violence and intimidation
against his supporters.

"Canada's targeted sanctions send a clear message that we abhor the current
Zimbabwe regime's perversion of a legitimate democratic process and the
continuing human rights violations," Emerson said in a statement.

The election was condemned around the world and drew toughened sanctions
from Western countries whose support is vital for reviving Zimbabwe's ruined
economy.

($1=$1.06)

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Rob Wilson)

Zimbabwe army jet crashes, 2 pilots said killed

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

By Lebo Nkatazo
Last updated: 09/06/2008 20:03:50
A ZIMBABWEAN military jet crashed early Friday killing two pilots during a
training exercise over the Midlands town of Gweru, local residents reported.

There was no official word from the military on the accident - a rarity in
Zimbabwe's skies.

The Air Force of Zimbabwe has its main base in Thornhill, just outside
Gweru.

It was impossible to establish details of the aircraft involved, but a local
news reporter said army sources were indicating there were no survivors from
the crash.

"Our understanding is that the jet crashed away from residential areas. It's
difficult to get the full data of what's gone on, but we understand two
pilots onboard the jet died on impact," said the journalist, declining to be
identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Local residents reported hearing a "loud bang".

"Everyone here knows a military jet crashed. It was a very loud bang, but
no-one can get there because the place is now guarded by soldiers," said one
Gweru resident, speaking by telephone.

It was not immediately possible to obtain comment from the Air Force last
night.

Zimbabwe's ageing military hardware has not been spared by the economic
downturn. The Air Force is hard hit as it struggles to get spare parts for
its jets - some of which were manufactured by Britain which has imposed an
arms embargo on Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is believed to have, among its fleet, around 10 Hawk jets, bought
from the UK in the early 1980s.

In 2006, President Robert Mugabe's government splashed on 12 K-8 fighter
jets bought from China at an estimated cost of US$200 million.

4 000 to be evicted from diamond fields

Disgruntled soldiers heckle army commander

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 September 2008

The head of the Zimbabwe National Army, Lieutenant General Phillip Sibanda
was on Wednesday reportedly heckled by soldiers from the Presidential Guard
over the regime's failure to pay them top-up salaries.

The army commander reportedly went around army barracks in a bid to quell
soldiers' expectations of a second salary, citing lack of funds by
government. The independent radio station, the Voice of the People reported
that Sibanda visited One Presidential Guard in Harare on Wednesday to brief
them on how government was struggling to pay their salaries.

'Sibanda's address was in response to rumours that soldiers were supposed to
be given another salary this week so that they could settle their children's
school fees. The army commander said there was no money to give soldiers
this week, and that the soldiers would only get paid on the 15th,' according
to RadioVOP.

The station quotes a soldier saying junior and senior soldiers, some of them
war veterans could not hide their anger during the address and went as far
as to say 'Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader was better.' It's an open
secret that the Commander-In-Chief of the defence forces, Robert Mugabe is
unpopular among the rank and file of the country's security forces. In
February he was forced to award huge pay rises to the army ahead of the
harmonised elections in a bid to calm the restless military members.

Isaac Dziya a retired assistant police commissioner said the regime, which
has a regular army of 35 000, is facing massive food shortages in military
barracks.

"Soldiers are human beings just like you and me. They need to eat. They need
money for school fees and they also need to lead ordinary lives like
everyone else. But the problem is, only the senior officers are benefiting
from the patronage system that has been used to great effect by Mugabe,"
Dziya said.
He said Mugabe is known to pacify soldiers whenever they become agitated by
poor working conditions and low salaries. The army is a pillar of strength
in Mugabe's embattled regime. Last month, the commanders who led his violent
re-election campaign took delivery of all-terrain luxury vehicles, at a time
when millions of Zimbabweans face starvation.

Top security chiefs have pledged their undying loyalty to Mugabe, and have
prevented Tsvangirai from taking power after being cheated out of victory
over ZANU PF on at least two occasions. There is a public perception that
Zimbabwe is now effectively under the control of the army, which
masterminded his political survival after his shock defeat in March this
year. Mugabe lost the ballot to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai during the
first round of elections on March 29 this year.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Forex Dealers Strike It Big in Zimbabwe

http://english.ohmynews.com

      
      It's the only way to survive; if you don't deal, you will die

      Masimba Biriwasha

     Published 2008-09-06 03:30 (KST)

It is midday in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, as Edwin Mafure furtively
hisses at a passerby and robotically whispers that he is exchanging US
dollars and South Africa rands.

He constantly looks over his shoulder to make sure that there is no
police officer in sight before he can strike a deal. A stone's throw away
from him, hordes of men and women dressed in garish clothes mill about
talking loudly on mobile phones and flashing wads of hard-to-find Zimbabwean
currency.

Like Edwin, many people in Zimbabwe's urban centers have taken to the
lucrative black market in foreign currency trade. Foreign currency trading
has seen the explosion of a clique of nouveau riche in the country.

"It's the only way to survive; if you don't deal, you will die -- tell
me about who is not dealing in this country, and I will give you a million
dollars," says Edwin gesturing at a motorist.

Throughout the country, the black market foreign exchange deals are
done anywhere convenient -- in alleys, on the streets, in office buildings
and houses, etc.

"It is the way it works; if I do not do it, I will not be able to put
food on the table for my family," says Edwin.

The forex black market trade has been in existence for the past five
years, and took off on the back of the government's decision to close
bureaux de change as a means to stem inflation. Zimbabwe's formal banking
system offers low exchange rates, pegged by the government, leaving people
with little choice but to deal on the streets.

As government pegged the Zimbabwean dollar at very low rates to the US
dollar, much of the currency flowing in the country from the country's
emigres has ended up on the black market.

Although the police periodically arrest roadside dealers, they have
never been able to stem the problem of unregulated forex dealing.

Today, much of the country's local currency is outside the formal
market. In fact, the banks issue a negligible amount of 500 Zimbabwean
dollars per transaction, which is enough for only three bus rides.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe cannot account for the majority of the
money as it is hidden in the black market.

In order to cope with the currency shortages, many Zimbabweans now
turn to street dealers where the Zimbabwean dollar is surprisingly in
abundance.

"Foreign currency dealing is the only viable source of livelihood in
Zimbabwe that's why many people are turning to it en masse," said Mbonisi
Zikhali, a professional worker who frequently trades at the black market.

Forex dealers in the country have been blamed for the disappearance of
the local currency from the formal market.

Despite the fact that the Zimbabwean currency has little value, forex
dealers horde it and use it to purchase US dollars, UK pounds and South
African rands.

With inflation rates hovering above 11.5 million percent, the local
currency is losing value on a daily basis. Yet, in the eyes of the forex
dealers, that very currency is like gold.

Many Zimbabweans today receive foreign currency from friends and
family in the diaspora. It is estimated that four million Zimbabweans are
living in the diaspora and send millions of dollars that often end up on the
streets with the forex dealers.

Today, the formal market is dry of the local currency, hence the daily
withdrawal limits that have been imposed by the central bank.

"In Zimbabwe, you can have millions in the bank and starve to death,"
said Michael Jechera, a businessman in Harare. "It's ridiculous."

Whatever the case, illegal foreign currency dealing in the country has
resulted in the emergence of a new class of rich people that own no means of
production.

Businesses Panic As Talks Collapse

http://www.radiovop.com


MASVINGO, September 5 2008 - A new wave of price increases has been
the response by businesses to the failed talks between the country's two
main political parties meant to bring an end to the country's decade long
political and economic crisis.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) meant to kick start
talks last month, President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF party engaged in
dialogue with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the
hope of striking a power sharing deal.

MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai, who was tipped to become a ceremonial
Prime Minister, refused to sign the document saying his powers were limited
and Mugabe would take advantage of that and fail to honour some of his
promises.

As a result, the inter-party dialogue being mediated by South African
president Thabo Mbeki has been stalled amid fears they will never bear
fruit. But Mbeki, who has been flying to Harare regularly, is reportedly
keen to see Tsvangirai endorsing the power brokering talks.

But the aborted talks-which have brought almost everything to a
temporary standstill due to a serious policy paralysis-have resulted in a
sharp increase in the prices of most goods and services.

From clothing, pharmaceuticals, transport, rents and food, the prices
shot up by more than 100 percent.

A suit which was going for ZW$20 000 (revalued), shot up to ZW$54 000,
while a small bottle of Vaseline now costs ZW$2 000. A two-litre bottle of
cooking oil shot up to ZW$4 000.

Residential and office rentals that were being charged in foreign
currency, with a room going for South African Rand 100, are now pegged at
R180.

Economic analysts said the recent rise in inflation has been triggered
by the outcome of the talks as the businesses were taking a wait-and-see
approach.

"Everyone was pinning hopes on the success of the talks. But as the
talks hang in the balance, producers have panicked and increased the prices
of goods and services," said an economist.

He said Zimbabweans should brace for worse days to come owing to the
rate at which salaries were being eclipsed by inflation.

An ex-policeman's lot - harassment, fear, torture

http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk

One man's journey from official lawman to hunted fugitive

I wondered what had happened to Joe. I'd known him for years, first when he
was a member of the Zimbabwean police, then early this year when, after 15
years as a police officer, he became a civilian again. Joe had left the
force for the usual reasons - low pay, wanting to better himself, etc. Then
suddenly he disappeared from view, and no-one knew where he was.

This week, during a quick visit to Johannesburg, and quite by chance, I met
Joe again. I naturally asked him where he had been, and why he was now
apparently in exile in South Africa. This is his story.

"When I left the police I thought everything was okay...then, at the
beginning of April, when Mugabe had just lost the March 29 election, I
realised that I was being watched. Strange men began appearing at my house
at all hours of the day and night, demanding to know where I had been, who I
had visited. They interrogated my friends, my neighbours, even my little
six-year-old girl.

"Several times I was taken to different police stations in Bulawayo, and
accused of a variety of crimes - selling police information to the MDC,
being an opposition spy, having contact with the foreign press, that sort of
thing. Sometimes I was there for hours. It was frightening. And then it got
much worse.

"One night I was at my home in Pumula, Bulawayo. It was two in the morning.
Some men arrived, saying I was to go with them to Pumula police station. But
as we left I was blindfolded, and instead of going to the police station, I
was driven out of town to some rough land.

"There my hands and feet were tied, I was soaked with water, and my captors
demanded to know the names of the MDC people who had recruited me, how much
I was paid, who were my fellow traitors, and similar questions. I could tell
them nothing for I have never ever had any contact with the MDC.

"They didn't listen to my denials. Instead they beat me with batons, and
used a pair of pliers to torture me, until I passed out.

"I was rescued by two people who were looking for firewood. They untied me
and took me to a private clinic in town. As soon as I was well enough to
travel, I collected my wife and daughter, and we all managed to reach South
Africa. It will be a long time before I go back."

Joe's story tell us this much - the Zimbabwe police service is like that
famous hotel in California. You can check out any time you want, but you can
never leave.

Posted on Friday, 05 September 2008 at 17:43

Pupils sent home as teachers strike continues

By Violet Gonda
5 September 2008

Several boarding schools have been forced to send students back home because
of the continuing teachers' strike. Teachers embarked on a 'work boycott'
when schools opened on Tuesday, demanding salary increases that are
commensurate with the hyper-inflationary environment.

As a result of the unstable Zimbabwean dollar, the teachers are asking for a
salary equivalent to US$800. Some have said this is too high and is not
likely to be met by the bankrupt Mugabe regime. On Thursday authorities
suggested an increase from 3044% to about 7000% for the July salaries.

However, Takavafira Zhou, President of the Progressive Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe described this as 'pathetic,' saying teachers are 'simmering in
poverty,' and the increase is 'simply not enough.' He added: "The tragic
situation is that they (authorities) are interested in percentages but not
looking at the basic salary. So when the basic salary is defective, even if
you bring in a million percent, it remains a problem."

He said the educational system is under serious threat as more and more
teachers are leaving the country because of the economic crisis. Many
teachers, especially those working in the rural areas, failed to collect
their July and August salaries because it was simply too expensive for them
to go to the bank. The average teacher earned Z$1.6 trillion in July, but
the transport cost to travel to the bank was Z$8 trillion for a return
ticket.

The PTUZ President said 8 000 teachers left Zimbabwe last year, and so far
this year 25 000 have gone. Zhou said Zimbabwe should have a complement of
about 150 000 teachers by now, but because of the economic and political
hardships there were now less than 70 000.

He said the brain drain is affecting the education system and the children
are bearing the brunt of this. According to the teachers union, the pass
rate in the mid 1990s was more than 72% but last year it went down to 12%.

As the situation worsens the teachers are calling for a speedy conclusion to
the inter-party talks, because their problems emanate from the political
crisis.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Plight of refugees on SA border at crisis point

SABC

September 05, 2008, 20:45

Police in Musina say the plight of refugees in the town on the border with
Zimbabwe has reached crisis proportions.

Hundreds of foreigners seeking asylum status are camped at the refugee
reception centre where they are applying for asylum. Last week the
municipality dismantled temporary shelters for foreigners set around
churches, saying they posed a health hazard. Asylum seekers including women
and children now sleep in bushes near the town centre without running water
or ablution facilities.
Spokesperson for the Musina municipality in Limpopo, Wilson Dzebu says the
municipality is in consultation with the provincial government to assist in
the challenges of the huge influx of asylum seekers in the area. He was
responding to a statement made by Jacob Matakanye of the Musina Legal Advice
Centre who said civic organizations want national government to intervene in
resolving the crisis.

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town says it's ready to continue with the
relocation of refugees this weekend. More than 100 foreigners still have to
be relocated to Youngsfield and Blue Waters after heavy rains delayed the
process. The refugees have been accommodated at Soetwater and Silverstroom.
City spokesperson Pieter Cronje, says they have erected more tents and have
stablized the sites.

Regular talks key to avoid Zimbabwe crisis: Zuma

SABC

September 05, 2008, 07:00

ANC President Jacob Zuma says the Zimbabwean political crisis could have
been avoided if Africa's liberation movements and political parties had met
regularly to discuss challenges facing their respective countries. He was
speaking after talks with Tanzania's President, Jakaya Kikwete, in Dar es
Salaam.

The two discussed Zimbabwe's quest for a political solution, the economic
integration of SADC and ways to strengthen party political ties between the
ANC and the Chama Cha Mapindozi. Zuma says dialogue is an effective tool
against challenges such as poverty and underdevelopment.

Mugabe threatens to form new govt
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is expected to unilaterally form a new
government, mainly or entirely from his Zanu-PF party, today. Mugabe was
quoted in state media yesterday saying that he would move ahead and form a
cabinet if Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tvsangirai did
not sign a power-sharing deal by yesterday.

The MDC has re-iterated that it won't sign the deal currently on the table
in talks mediated by President Thabo Mbeki. Mugabe and Tsvangirai have
failed to agree over the division of executive powers. It remains unclear
whether Mbeki will go to Zimbabwe to try to break the deadlock after the
Presidency denied earlier reports that he would go this week.

A letter from the diaspora

5 September, 2008

Dear Friends.

Sometimes, not often, but occasionally, I almost give up on Zimbabwe. It
would be so much easier, I think, just to sit quietly at my desk overlooking
an ancient cathedral and a pleasant canal where long boats drift by, write
my books and not worry anymore about a situation which I cannot change. But
the pull of Africa is too strong. Even now four years after I left Zimbabwe,
I cannot break the ties that bind me to the people and country I love. It is
the same for all exiles, we watch and listen to the accounts of suffering
and heartbreak as the motherland tears itself apart and know that we are
powerless to change anything. 'Eternal Suffering for African People' I
remember seeing that written on the back of a country bus travelling along
the Nyamapanda Road in the late eighties and it is true now as it was then.
As Robert Mugabe approaches his 85th birthday after twenty-eight years in
power, nothing has changed except for the worse. Still he blames everyone
else for Zimbabwe's problems, the collapsing economy is the fault of western
sanctions, the food shortages are caused by the west's refusal to give aid,
the failure in agricultural production is nothing to do with his disastrous
agricultural policies, it is all the fault of the perfidious white farmers
who have sabotaged the 'land reform' programme, aided and abetted by the
British backed opposition. He surrounds himself with self-serving parasites
and praise singers while Africa stands by and looks on as he ruins a once
prosperous country. 'Share power, fifty fifty' advises the Chair of the AU
in response to the current stalemate - for stalemate read collapse - of the
talks between the two sides. And how does Mugabe respond? He tells the MDC
leader sign the agreement or else "I will form a government without you. My
government is empowered by elections" he claims but is careful not to
acknowledge the result of the March elections which clearly demonstrated the
will of the people in favour of the MDC. His unelected Minister of Justice
Patrick Chinamsa adds his voice and declares, " It was left to the people of
Zimbabwe to decide and they have done."

Where is their honesty? Where is their humanity? As the nation collapses
under the burden of unprecedented hardship and suffering how is it that
Mugabe who constantly trumpets the virtues of African culture has forgotten
the honoured maxims of Ubuntu/ Unhu which underpin African culture? Writing
in 1980 the respected Zimbabwean historian Stanlake Samkange defined the
concept of Unhu as incorporating three basic maxims. One: to be human is to
affirm one's humanity by respecting the humanity of others and on that
basis, establish respectful human relations with them. Two: when faced with
a decisive choice between wealth and the preservation of life of another
human being - then one should opt for the preservation of life and Three;
that the king ( for 'king' read Mugabe!) owes his status including all the
powers associated with it, to the will of the people under him. Speaking
about the concept of Ubuntu/ Unhu in Shona, Nelson Mandela said that above
all it represents tolerance, humanity and respect for others. It is a
universal truth, the very basis of an open society because it ties each
member of the community to all the others. We are dependent on each other;
we owe our very humanity to the existence of other humans. Our humanity is
defined by Unhu.(In Shona, Munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu)and the whole
community is enriched by it. That is the basis of African democracy.

How is it that Robert Mugabe, the self-proclaimed nationalist and pan
Africanist, has forgotten this noble African concept? As he clings ever more
desperately to power and Zimbabwe, the House of Stones collapses round him
burying the people, Mugabe forgets - or chooses not to remember - that he
owes his power to the people he governs. I read that analysts inside the
country say he is no longer in control, that it is the army generals who
will not let him cede power to Morgan Tsvangirai, fearful that they will
face prosecution for their dreadful misdeeds, from the Gukuruhundi massacres
right through to Murambatsvina and the recent pre and post-election
violence. If that is intended to excuse the Old Man's failure to accept
defeat, I for one do not buy it. I read also that some Zimbabweans have
resigned themselves to another five years of Mugabe's misrule. "The people
are so angry," said a good friend when he phoned me recently to tell me of
the hunger and shortages making life a misery, " but they are so passive."
Anger needs to be channelled if it is to be an agent for change. And change
is what Zimbabwe desperately needs but not change at any price. We need a
change which reflects the genuine will of the people, anything less is a
denial of basic democratic rights as enshrined in the concept of Ubuntu/Unhu
which as Mandela points out is central to the well-being of the community
and improves life for everyone, " if you can do that you have done something
very important," said the great man. The tragedy for Zimbabwe is that it is
ruled by a man and a party whose only interest is holding on to power. They
have forgotten that their job is to serve the people; Zimbabweans should
pray that newly elected MDC members will not fall into the same trap.

Yours in the (continuing) struggle. PH. aka Pauline Henson author of
Countdown, a political detective story set in Zimbabwe and available on
lulu.com.

Mugabe's malice has gone too far

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=3495

September 5, 2008
Tanonoka Whande

ALWAYS for one reason or other, the world is a very troubled place. Every
corner of the world is faced with one major problem or another.

Countries are groaning under the onslaught of disasters, famine, terrorism,
hunger, poverty, diseases, wars and a host of other ills afflicting the
world today.

And countries that may be facing less threatening disasters always try to
jump to the aid of the distressed ones. The latest is the former Soviet
republic of Georgia which is in a man-made internal crisis, worsened by
outsider Russia.

On Wednesday US President George W Bush announced that he was sending "an
extra" billion dollars to Georgia.

Meanwhile, the US itself is, once again, being lambasted by hurricanes,
hardly three years after the infamous Hurricane Katrina, which claimed 1836
lives with more than 700 missing.

Although most aid from overseas went unclaimed, many countries and
international organizations from around the world did offer donations to the
US as relief aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The lesson to be drawn from this is that, in most times, the people of the
world do try to alleviate the suffering of fellow human beings who might
have been victims of some natural or man-made disasters and those caught up
in a miserable cycle of death and destruction.

It has nothing to do with being rich but has everything to do with
compassion.

Famine has wreaked havoc in Africa and the international community continues
to try and assist in one way or other. Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and several
countries in southern Africa are recipients and beneficiaries of such
humanitarian assistance.

When disease threatens populations, I have seen presidents go on whirlwind
tours around the world asking for help to save their citizens. I have seen
ordinary people turning into "activists" because they cannot stand by
without trying to drum up support, draw attention or otherwise seek help for
victims.

The world cares. All one has to do is to look at how presidents and heads of
state run around seeking help and relief on behalf of their besieged
citizens.

But what I have failed to understand or to rationalize to myself is when, as
the world tries to save humanity, a president deliberately causes major
humanitarian disasters in his own country at the same time that foreign
governments, people and international organizations are trying to assist him
in taking care of his own people.

"Evil is neither suffering nor sin; it is both at the same time; it is
something common to them both," said Simone Weil. "For they are linked
together; sin makes us suffer and suffering makes us evil, and this
indissoluble complex of suffering and sin is the evil in which we are
submerged against our will, and to our horror."

African countries have the uncanny ability to turn draught into famine. Bad
planning, shortsightedness and selfish intentions contributed to Zimbabwe's
dissipation, especially in the early 2000s.

The farm invasions followed. They totally destroyed the once robust
agricultural base that ensured that Zimbabwe more than fed itself, with
surplus for export.

Am I to understand that Robert Mugabe, with all the intelligence at his
disposal, was not aware that his ill-advised policy would hurt Zimbabweans
more than hurting the farmers from whom he was robbing the farms?

Yes, there was need to correct the land imbalances but his effort cannot be
regarded as an attempt to do this, especially if we consider that he had had
more than twenty years in which to correct the land imbalances.

People supported him then and his power base was not threatened.
Capitulation, on the part of landholders, was easy, especially if done
through legal channels. And we had a good judiciary as evidenced by the
presence, on the bench, of these same judges now in Botswana, UK, Australia,
South Africa, US and other countries.

Grumblings started and culminated in the birth of the Movement for
Democratic Change.

Mugabe then acted irrationally to punish the white commercial farmers who,
like their African compatriots, had also shown an interest in the need for a
change of government.

The white farmers lost the farms that were not very much theirs in the first
place for there are neither property rights nor human rights in Zimbabwe.

So the farms were taken but why are the Africans in Zimbabwe the ones
starving now? Why did Mugabe try to turn every Zimbabwean into a farmer,
dishing out farms to colleagues who had no real use for them?

Now the agricultural base is dead because Mugabe used state assets to settle
the personal score of being rejected by the electorate.

Land redistribution could have been handled in a much better way by first
identifying those able to use the land so that they could enjoy their
professional pastime while feeding the nation. Now Zimbabwe starves because
of spite, ego and a deliberate destruction of the nation.

For this, Mugabe must be charged with treason.

Mugabe was not through with the deliberate destruction of the country.

Again, reacting to his own paranoia that the less privileged would swing the
vote heavily away from him, Mugabe set out on a spree to destroy houses
occupied by citizens under the pretext of cleaning up the cities and towns.

Families were cruelly uprooted with thousands sustaining injury and people
dying in the process.

And I felt it personally too. My son is now permanently disabled as a result
of Operation Murambatsvina.

With the shortage of housing worldwide, one would have thought that Mugabe
would encourage people to be home owners rather than to destroy what they
had legally erected to provide themselves and others with shelter.

Meanwhile, the United Nations offered to build cheap affordable homes for
people and Mugabe sent his people to destroy the prototypes being erected by
the UN. Can you imagine a government cleaning up the cities by deliberately
destroying people's homes and exposing infants, the elderly, the infirm and
women to the elements?

If this does not call for treason, I do not know what does.

With all the intelligence services at his disposal, Mugabe knows fully well
how the country has just about collapsed; it's just that he does not care.
How can he not know that there is no food in the country?

Because he knows that, he, once again, in response to fear of rejection at
the polls, started using food as a tool to entice people to vote for him and
his merciless and greedy lieutenants.

This went on for several years with people, who were suffering heavily from
the fallout of the farm invasions, starving to death in some parts of the
country.

But the president we had was a merciless, selfish destroyer, not a builder
or protector of the nation and the people. He would continue to blackmail
the people he was supposed to care for. He would continue to demand their
vote in exchange for food.

Children started do die and those of our citizens who needed food so as to
take their ARV drugs started to regress, with some dying, not to mention
children, the infirm, nursing mothers and the elderly. All this happened
before 2008.

Starvation offers only two alternatives: eat or eat.

Just four months ago, "The President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF and
President of the Republic of Zimbabwe" ordered that international
organizations that were operating in his country, helping him to take care
of his citizens, be stopped from distributing food to the starving citizens.
He would not allow someone else feed the people he is supposed to be feeding
unless those people sold their vote to him for food that is not even his.

Evil is considered a broad term used to indicate a negative moral or ethical
judgment; it is often used to describe intentional acts that are cruel,
unjust, or selfish. Evil is usually contrasted with good, which describes
intentional acts that are kind, just, or unselfish.

Accepting this definition and having considered all that we discussed above,
can we justly deny Mugabe the description or title of "evil"? He has worked
so hard for it and continues to do so.

It was Voltaire who said that as long as people believe in absurdities they
will continue to commit atrocities. Zimbabweans, don't believe in
absurdities; we are in distress and we duly give Mugabe the title.

He deserves it. His malice has gone too far.

Diplomatic Shops Ideal

The Herald (Harare)  Published by the government of Zimbabwe

OPINION
5 September 2008
Posted to the web 5 September 2008

Harare

TWO Zimbabwean women passed through South Africa's Oliver Tambo airport
security check points on their way back home and were asked to step aside
and open their bags after the machines had detected unusual items in their
luggage.

What came out were items such as bread, powdered milk, eggs, candles and
matches.

Officials at the check point said something in their vernacular language
which I managed to translate as referring to the fact that these women were
obviously Zimbabweans going by the contents in their bags for no other
travellers would carry back home eggs or bread rolls in place of the usual
souvenirs.

I did not understand every word of what they said but the talk was to the
effect that Zimbabwe was a country going through serious challenges as
reflected by the amount of groceries that travellers from this country were
bringing back home. It had become easy in recent years to discern a
Zimbabwean traveller going by the nature of their luggage while in wholesale
shops those with the fullest trolleys had to be Zimbabwean.

The tax refund queue in the departure lounge a few metres away comprised
more of Zimbabweans than any other nationality, reflecting the huge amounts
of money that people from this country were spending outside because of the
shortages back home.

A visit to Roadport would indeed attest to the fact that on a daily basis
large amounts of groceries, clothing, electricals and other items are being
imported for consumption and for resale.

In most instances these are being sold in rand or US dollars. By the way it
is now commonplace that even such items as chicken, pork, chocolates, sugar
beans, cement and other building materials are being sold in foreign
currency as many seek to maintain the value of their wares given the
hyper-inflationary environment. It is illegal but it is happening big time.

Most people in the diaspora are sustaining their families by sending foreign
currency back home and these funds are then used for shopping trips in other
countries.

Only recently SA released statistics to the effect that Zimbabwe was
importing consumables worth billions of rand per year. Other regional
countries such as Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi have also
benefited in the process.

Investigations would show that the bulk of the money sent back home through
Homelink and other Money Transfer Agencies is being "externalised" through
the shopping trips.

The said shoppers may not really be to blame in this instance. They have
been left with little choice going by the almost empty shelves in
supermarkets and other shops countrywide. In instances where products are
available, they are selling at exorbitant prices, making it cheaper to do
groceries in neighbouring countries.

While such escapades have sustained the majority of families in this
country, the externalisation of large amounts of foreign currency, have, on
the other hand, compromised the country's ability to purchase other critical
imports.

It is in this regard that we feel the introduction of diplomatic shops as
proposed by diplomats and this week by the Confederation of Zimbabwe
Industries holds water. These shops would have to be well-stocked, affording
those with foreign currency, the opportunity to stock their pantries without
having to travel abroad.

Presently foreign currency is no longer a preserve of the nouvre-rich but a
lot of diaspora money, much of it unrecorded, is floating around. These
funds could benefit the country more if captured through such avenues as the
proposed diplomatic shops. The parallel market has proved difficult to crack
but some of the foreign currency in the informal market can find its way
into the official system through these shops.

One may not necessarily need to plan trips to purchase flour, soap and
cooking oil if these are readily available in the diplomatic shops at a fair
price.

As correctly pointed out by CZI president Mr Callisto Jokonya, Zimbabweans
have been allowed to receive money from the diaspora legally but have been
unable to use their free funds legally to purchase goods in foreign
currency.

"Instead they embark on expensive trips to neighbouring countries such as
Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia to buy goods that would
sometimes have been exported from Zimbabwe, using the foreign currency
accessed through our local transfer facilities," he said.

I have noticed shoppers going to Zambia or South Africa to buy Schweppes
orange crush which is produced here, among other products.

The responsible authorities should stand guided and move fast in setting up
the diplomatic shops, a phenomenon that has been adopted in other countries
before.

When the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono met diplomats for
the traditional monetary policy briefing in May, the issue of setting up
such shops was raised as a strategy that could meet the shopping
requirements for diplomats, NGOs and the generality of Zimbabweans with
access to foreign currency.

Dr Gono promised to deliberate on the issue with the Minister of Finance Dr
Samuel Mumbengegwi. We hope Government will buy into the proposal.

Only last week Dr Gono told exporters that lack of foreign currency was the
root cause of most of the country's economic ills. It, follows therefore,
that Zimbabwe should implement strategies that ensure it does not lose
unnecessarily, any foreign currency that comes into the country. The
generation and management of foreign currency allocations is, therefore,
central to economic turnaround efforts.

Free funds in the hands of many should end up in the formal purse in one way
or the other to fund critical purchases and strategies to recapitalise
industry, among other needs.

FERTILIZER PRODUCTION

Reports coming from the fertilizer industry are that production has
intensified as producers race against time to meet critical deadlines.

So far 13 500 tonnes have been produced out of a possible 32 500 based on
funds allocated so far by the central bank. While the efforts by the sector
are commendable (albeit after stern warning from President Mugabe), this
sector should be the first to realise that there is still a huge deficit
given that national requirements per season stand at about 560 000.

We understand that imports are being made parallel to local production but
it is time we reminded all companies that feed into the agricultural sector,
particularly input providers, that time is now running out.

We hope this time around the story of late disbursements of inputs will not
be repeated.

Most subsectors that include tobacco, soya beans, maize, cotton,
horticulture and others have pledged to give their best short this season
stressing though that this will depend on timeous provision of inputs,
critical among which is fertilizer.

We, therefore, expect fertiliser producers to redouble their efforts. Of
course this sector has not been spared by challenges in the economy but we
hope most of these have been dealt with following the provision of foreign
currency, which fertilizer producers are now receiving on a monthly basis
from the central bank.

Seed producers and chemical suppliers should have their matrix in place by
now to ensure that the 2008/2009 season does not experience another false
start. Zimbabwe Farmers Union president Mr Silas Hungwe said communal
farmers were ready to produce a minimum two million tonnes, enough to feed
the nation, if they receive inputs on time hence the need to do so can never
be overemphasised.

Lets learn from past mistakes as stakeholders and demonstrate that we have
emerged wiser.

In God I trust!