The Zimbabwe Situation

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
18 September 2012

Pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) has slammed what it calls a
“disturbing trend” of police intimidation in Bulawayo, after the arrest of
another member on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning saw a group of more than fifty WOZA members march together
to the Bulawayo offices of the Joint Operating and Monitoring Committee
(JOMIC) to deliver letters of complaint about their treatment at the hands
of the police. This followed the indiscriminate arrest of WOZA’s leaders,
Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu last week.

The pair was arrested after riot police were called in to disrupt a peaceful
protest. They were detained at the Bulawayo Central Police Station for the
afternoon before being released without charge. Their letter of complaint
now threatens to make a ‘citizen’s arrest’ of any riot police officers who
violate their commitments by disrupting peaceful protests.

Williams and Mahlangu had attempted to deliver this letter to the Police
General Headquarters in Southampton House on Tuesday morning, but officials
there refused to accept it. They were then joined by their members to march
to JOMIC, who advised them to deliver their letter to the Ross Camp police
station.

Mahlangu told SW Radio Africa that when they arrived there, only she and her
co-leader Williams were allowed into the building. Once again their attempt
to lodge an official complaint was in vain when an official referred the
activists back to Southampton House.

It was when they were leaving that WOZA member Christine Ndlovu was arrested
by the police officer manning the gate, on allegations that she had
trespassed. By Tuesday evening, Ndlovu remained in police custody.

“Her arrest was facilitated by notorious Law and Order Detective Sergeant
George Levison Ngwenya, who has been responsible for the torture and
harassment of our members. This is why we are saying this is intimidation
and harassment and it is a disturbing trend in Bulawayo,” Mahlangu said.

She added that she believes this is a “tribal issue,” because this worsening
situation is only happening in Bulawayo and not in Harare. She added that
the police in Bulawayo are becoming increasingly aggressive and have
threatened to beat and kill the WOZA members.

Brother of slain Glen View cop accuses ZANU PF of murder

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
18 September 2012

The brother of a Glen View cop, alleged to have been killed by MDC-T
activists last year, has instead blamed ZANU PF and the police for the
murder, saying they used his brother’s death to campaign against the MDC-T.

Tichaona Mutedza told a shocked court room on Monday that he was the MDC-T
ward 2 chairperson for Mt Darwin, and there had been threats made to him by
ZANU PF elements who talked of killing policeman Petros Mutedza as a way to
“fix him”.

Mutedza was testifying at the High Court in a bail application hearing for
29 MDC-T activists accused of killing his brother, police officer Petros
Mutedza, at local pub in Glen View last year. Some of the accused have been
in police custody for over a year, having been denied bail several times as
‘flight risks’.

Mutedza’s testimony is new evidence that has been submitted by defence
lawyers to justify a fresh bail hearing by Justice Chinembiri Bhunu.

Mutedza told the court: “Yes, I said ZANU PF killed him and was using my
brother’s body for campaigning and gaining support even in countries like
South Africa where they claimed that MDC activists killed a police officer.”

Mutedza said a source named only as Gombiro told him back in 2003 that the
officer-in-charge at Mukumbura police station, identified as Scot, and a
secret agent named Victor Jaravaza, had plotted the murder nine years ago.
Their motive was to get a tractor and a motor vehicle respectively.

“On the day in question, ZANU PF activists dressed themselves in MDC
T-shirts in a well-orchestrated move and my brother was killed because he
was supporting me every time I was under attack by ZANU PF supporters,”
Tichaona is quoted as saying. He added that Jaravaza told him they would
also deal with Lovemore Madhuku and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The new evidence has also focused on the condition of the slain cop’s body
when he was buried. Tichaona claims his brother was mutilated and his
genitals were missing, which is contrary to what the state claims.
Tichaona urged the court to release the 29 activists from custody, insisting
they played no part in his brother’s murder. Among the accused are several
MDC-T top officials, including the chairman of the National Youth Assembly,
Solomon Madzore.

The bail hearing continued on Tuesday.

AG wants tough action against white farmers

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 12:25
HARARE - Zimbabwe's Attorney General Johannes Tomana has urged tough action
against white commercial farmers defying orders to stop working their
fields, and warned provincial courts against referring the evicted farmers’
appeals to the Supreme Court.

The government’s top lawyer said Zimbabwe’s highest court was clogged with
“frivolous appeals” by defiant white farmers, and warned that he will be
taking swift action to ensure noone continues to break the law.

About 300 evicted white farmers remain on their properties, resisting
eviction orders and intimidation by armed militants occupying their land,
awaiting the appeal process.

Mugabe has earmarked 95 percent of white-owned farms for redistribution to
landless blacks.

“If you do not have an offer letter coming from that ministry which is
government’s arm for authorising occupation, you will be committing an
offence in terms of Section 3 of the Gazetted Land Consequential Provisions
Act which makes it an offence and attracts a penalty that is up to two
years.

But quite strangely we have had land acquired for quite a long time now and
continue to have people, white commercial farmers who lost those farms,
continuing to occupy against that provision,” Tomana told state television.

“We could actually accept that it is strange that people continue to violate
and break the law in open day and nothing is done. But of course that is the
point where it becomes clear that we have a problem with the Land Reform
Act.”

The Land Acquisition Act gives government the power to take any land it
chooses without compensation.

Tomana said there seemed to be reluctance to enforce the law.

“So it means there is no clear or rather lack of will power to roll it out
where it should because the issue should be straight forward. Prosecution
should have been the easiest route to deal with the issue,” he said.

The land seizures have decimated the nation’s commercial farming industry
and the latest evictions come amid a potentially devastating food crisis in
Zimbabwe.

The World Food Program estimates that nearly a fifth of the 12,5 million
Zimbabweans are at risk of starvation in the coming year.

Despite promises to redistribute the confiscated land to have-nots, many of
the farms have been given to confidantes of President Robert Mugabe and Zanu
PF leaders.

Mugabe has already warned his party leaders, some of whom are leasing the
expropriated farms to previous white owners, to stop colluding with white
farmers, an action he says is tantamount to reversing the land reform.

Mugabe accuses the white farmers of attempting to perpetuate a racist and
fascist approach of wanting to continue white dominance in the country.

Tomana said the provincial courts were precipitating chaos.

“You find that even frivolous applications that challenge even that which is
not challeangable if you look at the Constitution it says the acquisition
itself is not a justifiable issue so you cannot challenge the acquisition of
land. But if you go to all our courts in the provinces most of them are
culpable for having referred these matters to the Supreme Court on a
challenge that is clearly excluded by the constitution,” Tomana said.

A constitutional amendment, passed in 2005, removed the right of the courts
to adjudicate in land acquisition matters.

Tomana said: “In short those that are in the line of enforcing the law
around the acquisition of land are not effectively upholding that law. The
arm of government which is responsible for acquiring land and resettling
people is the ministry of Lands, it has the authority.”

Mugabe’s critics have accused him of trying to stir up racial tensions ahead
of elections. With thousands of other farms already seized — more than 4 000
of the nation’s 4 500 white farmers have been pushed out of business — the
latest expropriation push will effectively leave Zimbabwe with no white
farmers. - Gift Phiri

Zanu PF Mobilizes Party Base For Constitution Indaba

http://www.voazimbabwe.com/

Jonga Kandemiiri, Ntungamili Nkomo
17.09.2012

Zanu PF political commissar Webster Shamu over the weekend summoned party
district political commissars, youth and women leaders to a workshop where
he ordered them to start mobilizing people for endorsing the party’s
position at the crucial second all-stakeholders conference expected soon.

Some analysts said Zanu PF is preparing for the worst at the conference in
the event that its demands are rejected by delegates.

The party has strongly opposed Zimbabwe’s draft constitution compiled by the
parliamentary constitution committee (COPAC) and signed recently by the
three parties in the unity government.

The committee was expected to meet this week to agree on the dates of the
second all-stakeholders conference.

The two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have endorsed
the draft which dilutes the powers of the president and embraces devolution,
among other issues.

President Robert Mugabe’s party has rejected some of these provisions and
compiled its own document which trashes most contents of the draft charter.

The two MDC formations have rejected these proposals saying the draft
constitution adopted by the parties is no longer negotiable.

Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said his party is preparing for the
conference "so that we will speak with one voice".

Meanwhile, the Christian Alliance of Zimbabwe (CAZ) has distanced itself
from some church groups linked with Zanu PF that are campaigning against the
Copac draft.

Expelled Anglican Archbishop Nolbert Kunonga, who heads a faction of the
church in Mabvuku and the church group with Zanu PF links, said they do not
accept the current draft charter, arguing that it embraces non-Christian
beliefs such as homosexuality.

But CAZ director Useni Sibanda said charges by Kunonga and his associates
are not true.

Corrupt party leaders face probe

http://www.herald.co.zw

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 00:00

Herald Reporter
Zanu-PF’S Mashonaland East provincial leadership has resolved to investigate
members engaging in corrupt activities. Those found on the wrong side of the
law would be brought to book. This follows allegations that some party
officials were extorting donations from white commercial farmers in the
province saying they would be forwarded to Zanu-PF.
The party’s provincial co-ordinating committee met on Saturday and
instructed the police Officer Commanding Mashonaland East Province to
investigate the allegations.
Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde yesterday said the
provincial leadership did not condone corruption in its rank and file.
“No one is going to be spared because we don’t want people who bring the
name of the party into disrepute,” said Mr Kaukonde.
“Mashonaland East is going to take the lead in fighting corruption in our
structures.
“We are going to discipline people who do bad things in the name of the
party regardless of their position in the party.
“We cannot sacrifice the party for individuals. We resolved that those who
have been going to the white farmers soliciting for donations in the name of
the party will have to be disciplined.
“We agreed that no one should go to those white farmers asking them to
donate to the party.
“We are saying let us as black farmers finance our party.”
Zanu-PF and President Mugabe in particular, he said, proved that they did
not condone corruption as evidenced by the creation of the Sandura
Commission.
He said whoever engaged in corrupt activities should be disciplined.
“ANC recalls its people if they are corrupt, why not us? As the provincial
leadership, we have agreed that we will fight corruption at whatever level.
“There is too much talk about Zanu-PF not dealing decisively with the
corruption but we are saying if there is evidence, people should bring it
forward so that they can be dealt with.
“We are heading for elections so we want to clean the party. Those who are
corrupt, the day of reckoning will come.
“Even those in the top echelons of the party will be dealt with.
“We have already proved that we don’t condone corruption. If one looks at
the Sandura Commission, the President acted and those people were dealt
with.
“We had the likes of Enos Nkala and Maurice Nyagumbo, among others, who were
implicated and they were dealt with,” said Cde Kaukonde.
He said the provincial leadership also backed Zanu-PF’s position on the
constitution-making process.
“We agreed that what Copac produced was just a Draft and honestly no one in
their right senses would call a draft a final draft.
“The leadership also raised concerns with the way our industries are
closing, which makes people believe that this inclusive Government has
failed,” Cde Kaukonde said.

Chinese firm plans $3.5 bln Zimbabwe power plant -report

http://www.reuters.com

Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:24am EDT
* Zimbabwe power sector draws Chinese interest

* Southern African country battling acute shortages

(Reuters) - China's Guangdong Bureau of Coal Geology plans to invest $3.5
billion to build a 1,200 megawatt thermal power plant in Zimbabwe, local
media reported on Tuesday.

The southern African country currently generates about 1,000 MW of
electricity, half of its peak demand, and is battling frequent power cuts
which have affected industry and mines.

A delegation from the Chinese company is currently visiting Zimbabwe to
explore opportunities in the power sector, the state-controlled Herald
newspaper reported.

"We came here to observe and study the possibility of building a thermal
power plant," Mu Yong, a director at the Chinese firm, was quoted as saying.
"Our proposed budget is about $3.5 billion for a 120 million watts plant."

In July, Energy Minister Elton Mangoma told parliament that China Railway
International, a subsidiary of China Railway Group and Zimbabwe's state
power utility ZESA were planning to jointly run a coal mine that would
supply a proposed 1,000 MW thermal power station.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said Harare was negotiating with Beijing
for a $350 million loan to expand its Kariba South power station to provide
an additional 300 MW of power to the current 750 MW, as Chinese interest in
Zimbabwe's power sector grows.

China's Sino Hydro is the sole bidder for the Kariba South project.

Teachers forced to join ZANU PF structures in Mutasa South

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
18 September 2012

Teachers from three schools in Mutasa South are being forced against their
will to take positions within ZANU PF structures in the area, SW Radio
Africa learned on Tuesday.

On Friday, a war vet identified as Masikati and accompanied by the ZANU PF
ward 25 chairman JB Bonde, summoned about 45 teachers from schools that
surround Purplow farm (there is one secondary and two primary schools in the
area).

The constituency is held by the MDC-T’s former Mutare Mayor, Misheck
Kagurabadza and the party’s provincial spokesman Pishai Mucharaya confirmed
the incident, and deplored the action by the war vets to force teachers to
join ZANU PF.

‘A number of the teachers visited our provincial offices in Mutare and told
us what happened in Mutasa South. After they were force-marched to a ZANU PF
meeting, they were literally being forced to become branch and cell
secretaries and chairmen.

‘As the MDC-T we believe in freedom of association, freedom of assembly and
deplore in the strongest of terms such barbaric acts by war vets in Mutasa
South to arm twist the teachers to join their party,’ Muchauraya said.

The Makoni South MP said some of teachers told them they declined to accept
the positions.

‘They told us they now live in fear and only take comfort in the fact that
they don’t reside in the area. Most of them live in Mutare and commute to
work every day,’ Muchauraya added.

‘Hurt’ Locardia pursues Tsvangirai

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

18/09/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

LOCARDIA Karimatsenga has insisted she will not divorce Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai despite his customary marriage to a new flame last weekend
while her lawyers said they would seek to have the MDC-T leader arrested for
possible perjury.

Karimatsenga – who says she is still legally married to Tsvangirai -
successfully challenged, in the courts, his bid to marry new love, Elizabeth
Macheka, forcing the MDC-T leader to stage the lavish ceremony under the
country’s customary law which allows a man to have multiple wives.

But despite conceding she was hurt by the development, Karimatsenga said she
would not divorce the MDC-T leader and was comfortable with being in a
polygamous marriage since she is the first wife.

“She (Karimatsenga) is nowhere near divorcing the PM or giving him gupuro
because of his marriage to Macheka. It is his problem and he has to sort it
out himself,” Karimatsenga’s lawyer Jonathan Samukanga told state media
Tuesday.

“(But) we are not yet done with him until he has done the right thing. We
have our custom, tradition and the rule of law, which the PM was sworn to
safeguard jealously. The rule of law requires that he obeys it as enunciated
by the legislature.”

Samukange also said they would approach the Attorney General to have
Tsvangirai charged with perjury after he alleged misled the courts about his
relationship to Karimatsenga.

The MDC-T leader denies Karimatsenga’s claims that he paid bride price for
her last November, claiming he only paid damages for making her pregnant.

But Samukange said: “He (Tsvangirai) made an affidavit in which he lied that
he only paid damages. The same affidavit was used by the judge to dismiss
our application.

“We spent three days going to the court striving to convince the court of
the existence of a customary marriage when he knew he had paid lobola.”

Samukanga also dismissed as “rubbish” claims by the MDC-T that the saga had
been planned Zanu PF and state security agents keen to embarrass the
Premier.

“This is utter rubbish. It is nonsensical. All those organisations (CIO and
Zanu PF) are not involved in the cases,” Samukange said

“We had no intention to wash this matter in the public. Locardia is
personally hurt. He impregnated her, marries and just dumps her.

“Worse still, the same person goes to the next village and marries another
one.”

Tsvangirai to contest cancellation of marriage license

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
18 September 2012

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his new wife Elizabeth Macheka are
preparing to challenge the cancellation of their marriage licence by a
Harare magistrate last Friday, as the saga over his previous relationships
continues.

Through their lawyer, Innocent Chagonda, the couple will also appeal against
a High Court decision to dismiss their urgent chamber application, which
sought to suspend the magistrate’s ruling and allow the wedding to proceed.

Tsvangirai married his fiancée on Saturday, despite the cancellation of the
license on August 27th by Harare provincial magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi,
who had issued the document in the first place.

The license was revoked following an application by Tsvangirai’s former
girlfriend, Locadia Karimatsenga, who claimed the two were already in a
customary marriage. The Prime Minister has denied marrying her, saying he
only paid damages.

Tsvangirai still has 15 days to file the appeal and his lawyer said the
paperwork is being finalized. According to the state controlled Herald
newspaper, the defense will cite “gross irregularity” in both the
proceedings and the ruling, as well as “bias and malice” on the part of the
magistrate.

We were unable to contact Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka for
comment but Locadia’s lawyer, Everson Samkange, told SW Radio Africa that
Zimbabwe has a dual legal system which recognizes both customary law and
general law.

Samkange insisted there is plenty of evidence, including a DVD, showing that
Tsvangirai paid “roora” and “rusambo” (bride price) to the Karimatsenga
family. He said there is also a list of the payment that was paid by his
emissary.

“In fact in terms of the Criminal Law and Codification Act of Zimbabwe, it
has actually been made a criminal offence for a person who is married under
customary law to proceed to consummate a marriage under general law,”
Samkange explained.

The lawyer dismissed allegations by the MDC-T that the whole affair is a
ZANU PF campaign to tarnish the image of the Prime Minister. “That is poorly
thought-out. We don’t get our instructions from ZANU PF or the MDC. We get
instructions from our clients,” Samkange said.

The Herald also reported that lawyers for Locadia had written a letter to
Attorney-General Johannes Tomana last week urging him to arrest the Prime
Minister. The lawyers now intend to meet Tomana to push for Tsvangirai’s
arrest.

Samkange admitted the letter seeking Tsvangirai’s arrest had already been
sent, saying this was because Tsvangirai committed a crime when he testified
under oath that he had not married Locadia, and had therefore committed
perjury.

There has been no response yet from the Attorney General.

Zim Offers Reward For Rwanda Genocide Fugitive

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, September 18, 2012 - After years of denial, the Zimbabwe government
is finally convinced that the long-time Rwanda genocide fugitive, Prorais
Mpiranya, could be hiding in the country and has offered a $5 million reward
for information that may lead to his arrest.
Mpiranya, a former Commander of the Rwanda Presidential Guard, is wanted by
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in connection with the 1994
genocide.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police Officer Commanding CID Homicide, Chief
Superintendent Peter Magwenzi, on Monday said Mpiranya was believed to be
using various names that include Theophase Mahuku and James Kakule to evade
arrest.

Mpiranya is alleged to have participated in the mass killings of 600 000
civilians in Rwanda in 1994 during the time of former President, Juvenal
Habyarimana.

Last year the tribunal trying suspects of the 1994 Rwandan genocide
complained to the United Nations (UN) Security Council that it was
encountering difficulties in tracking a top fugitive believed to be holed up
in Zimbabwe.

Justice Hassan Jallow, prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for
Rwanda (ICTR), wrote to the UN Security Council last week saying there were
difficulties in apprehending Protais Mpiranya, a former commander of the
presidential guard during the genocide.

Jallow said Zimbabwe should prevent the genocide fugitive from evading
justice.

The prosecutor said they had requested for cooperation and assistance from
the Zimbabwean government in bringing Mpiranya to justice.

Zimbabwe has distanced itself from claims of harbouring Mpiranya.

Zimbabwe’s Immigration Principal Director Clemence Masango earlier this year
told the Parliamentary portfolio committee for Defence and Home Affairs:
“Yes this has been topical in the local and international media. All efforts
have been made to check on this allegation. We have no record within our
systems of this person whether on a permit or refugee. The only refugee camp
we have is Tongogara and everyone there is documented."

"Interpol has written to us and enquired officially through local police
structures. Investigations have been carried out and this person has not
been found and police are on record saying they have not been able to find
that person in Zimbabwe but their investigations are still underway. That is
what I can say on that.”

Mpiranya is being accused of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide,
complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Mpiranya
remains at large and is one of the most wanted men by the Tribunal.

During the genocide in 1994, he was Commander of the Presidential Guard
Battalion within the Rwandan Army and exercised authority over various units
of this Battalion.

Forces under his command are alleged to have been responsible for the sexual
assault and murder of Agathe Uwilingiyimana, former Rwandan Prime Minister,
as well as the brutal murder of 10 Belgian UNAMIR soldiers.

Alongside powerful figures such as convicted génocidaire, Theoneste
Bagosora, Mpiranya is accused of participating in the planning, preparation
and execution of a plan to exterminate the Tutsi population of Rwanda. He is
charged by way of his personal and superior responsibility for the crimes
alleged.

UN urged to close the door on ‘illegitimate’ Mugabe

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
18 September 2012

The United Nations headquarters will this weekend be the site of a mass
protest by Zimbabweans in the US, who are urging the world body to take a
tough stance with Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe is set to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, an event which
allows him to travel to the US despite international targeted sanctions
against him and his regime.

Zimbabweans in the US are now being urged to join the planned protest at the
UN headquarters in New York on Saturday, to “demonstrate to the world that
Robert Mugabe is now an illegitimate leader who should not be welcomed by
the United Nations for the General Assembly.”

The protest, dubbed ‘Operation Take Back Zimbabwe,’ forms part of the
monthly 21st Movement global protests that have been taking place across the
world every month. The coordinator of the protests, Den Moyo, told SW Radio
Africa that Mugabe is an “illegitimate leader and his views are not
representative of Zimbabweans.”

“His legitimacy has now expired since he was only President because of the
SADC-sponsored Global Political Agreement (GPA) which he has not honoured,”
Moyo said.

He added: “Mugabe is not wanted at the UN, who we believe has a role to play
in Zimbabwe’s future. We would like to see the UN not wait until a bloodbath
like we saw in 2008. We want them to act now and provide monitors and
peacekeepers before and during elections.”

More protests have been planned to take place on the day, including
demonstrations in London and South Africa. Details of the protests can be
found on the Facebook page for the 21st Movement:
https://www.facebook.com/events/142435845900283/

Moyo meanwhile said that the US movement plans to “hound” Mugabe during his
stay in the US “to let him know that the people of Zimbabwe are sick and
tired of his tyrannical rule and we want freedom now.”

Ncube gives BBC reporter a HARDtime

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

18/09/2012 00:00:00
by Mthulisi Mathuthu

ONE reason why an African leader is much more likely going to give an
interview to Western journalists than to local ones is that the former will
always play into the leader’s hands by asking precisely the questions which
suspiciously come out as though they were crafted by some mandarin or a
chief government spook with the central aim of getting information that
would help them shape government foreign policy.

Given that Western foreign policy is inherently incapable of moral
uprightness, meaning that the journalist’s questions will naturally be
prejudiced, that always comes in handy for the African leaders.

Perhaps nowhere is this apparent than in the September 18 BBC HARDtalk
programme where Zeinabi Badawi’s questions to the MDC leader Welshman Ncube
were so partisan that they brazenly exhibited the prejudices and fantasies
of the Western mandarins on behalf of Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the
other MDC faction.

Listening through the interview, one can’t help feeling that the central aim
of the questioning was to project Ncube as the main problem and cause of the
opposition’s failure to wrest power from Robert Mugabe. Indeed, the
interviewee said she was aware of the details of the 2005 split but was,
interestingly, not going to go into details about that. In the end it was as
if the MDC split not because of Tsvangirai’s refusal to accede to internal
‘democratic outcomes’ but because Welshman Ncube was himself a problem.

Badawi asks Ncube to justify his opinion about MDC-T not being as democratic
as it claims to be. In an attempt to load the dice against Ncube, Badawi
rests her line of questioning on the opinions of people who she calls
‘various international figures’ whom she collectively refers to as the
‘international community’; and whose views should, therefore, translate to
‘international opinion’.

These people are US diplomat and former Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Christopher
Dell, who, according to the WikiLeaks, said Ncube was a ‘divisive’ figure
who should be removed from the political stage; and Australian Prime
Minister, Julia Gillard, who likened Tsvangirai to Nelson Mandela and Aung
San Suu Kyi – both Nobel Peace Prize winners. Dell, the interviewee says,
can be relied on more because he spent ‘many years’ in Zimbabwe.

In reminding Ncube of Dell’s opinion, Badawi’s body language betrays her as
she comes out as an excited junior detective putting her killer question to
a suspect. In bringing in all these things together, the idea is to present
Ncube as indeed a ‘divisive’ person going against the supposedly credible
people of international stature like Mandela.

To a viewer who is not familiar with the goings on in Zimbabwe, anybody
whose view is against that of a Mandela equivalent must surely be crazy and
worth ‘removing’ from the political stage.

The same applies with citing of the French Knighthood as an indicator to
Tsvangirai’s moral uprightness and credibility – when we know all too well
that that award has previously been awarded to savages.

Moreover, Dell cannot be one to rely on because his confident predictions
have been previously disastrous. For example, prior to his departure he
predicted a total economic implosion within a space of a few months in
Zimbabwe, and that never came to pass.

At the end of the day, the HARDtalk interview comes out as one which was
designed to lead Ncube into giving answers that would in turn confirm him as
a Zanu PF agent. One such question was the last one where he is asked if he
would contest against Mugabe in the event of Tsvangirai staging another
boycott. If he had said yes, that would have, at least in the scheme of the
people who planned the interview, confirmed him as a Zanu PF lackey. Ncube,
as before, saw through the trick and survived.

One can’t help thinking that there is indeed fear that Ncube’s whirlwind
campaign trail across the country is paying dividends and in a way that
stands to reverse the fortunes of both the MDC-T and Zanu PF considerably.
Spanners must, therefore, be thrown in his works. The idea, so it seems, is
to indeed ‘remove Ncube from the political stage’ by all means necessary.

Strangely Dell, Zedawi and others like them seem to be oblivious to one
vivid question: why is it that Tsvangirai, whom Mugabe so much resents to
the extent that he has even tried to assassinate him, is vocally in
disagreement with Mugabe in almost everything but is silently but willingly
in agreement with him on Welshman Ncube’s isolation? What is it which Ncube
represents that makes these two enemies forget their differences?

It will be helpful if Dell and his think-a-likes were to keep one thing in
mind: it is easy for diplomats from powerful nations to activate the ancient
habit of perpetuating prejudices of a particular section of a country they
operate in knowing that they can always blame the victims of their actions.
And yet it is true that policies grounded on narrow interests will often
yield the opposite of what they are meant to achieve. Mugabe’s 32 year rule
provides a clear and ongoing example.

Last but not least it would be helpful if journalists like Zedawi try and
keep away from the habit of taking questions from mandarins because by so
doing a journalist runs the risk of not just sounding shallow but of
shunning basic research to the extent of getting many things wrong and
thereby giving themselves a hard time such as happened in her interview with
Ncube. One example in this case is the fact that Ncube is presented as the
secretary general of the MDC, when he is actually the President.

Mthulisi Mathuthu is a New Zimbabwe.com blogger. E-mail him:
thuthuma@yahoo.com

Census payments doubtful, says finance ministry

http://www.herald.co.zw

Tuesday, 18 September
2012 00:00

Felex Share Herald Reporter
THE payment of full allowances for 2012 census enumerators is now in doubt
as Government is concentrating on raising salaries for civil servants.
Finance Ministry principal director Mr Pfungwa Kunaka said Treasury was
trying to strike a balance between raising money for salaries and paying the
enumerators.

He described the delay in paying enumerators as a “cash-flow management
issue”.
“We also have salaries to pay and this means we have to strike a balance
between paying the salaries and paying their allowances. We are looking for
the money to pay them.”

Mr Kunaka however, said the enumerators were likely to be paid “something”
this month.
“We gave them the first payment through the US$8 million we released to
Zimstats and we will make another payment this month once we strike the
balance.”

Government released US$8 million soon after the 10-day exercise, with the
enumerators being paid US$150 each. They were reportedly promised US$500
each.

About US$10 million is needed to pay the 31 000 enumerators and 10 450
supervisors.
The enumerators have since raised complaints over delays in the payments.
They claim that they used their own money for transport and other expenses
thinking Government would pay them on time.
Most enumerators were drawn from the education sector.

Population Census director Mr Washington Mapeta yesterday said Zimstats was
still receiving material from various centres.
“We are still getting the papers from the field and once we finalise that we
will move to the next stage,” he said.

The United Nations Population Fund released US$12 million for administration
of the census.
The census was riddled with problems from the start.

The exercise, which was scheduled to start on August 17, only got underway
the following day in some areas due to logistical challenges.
The process was also affected by late disbursement of materials, while
transport shortages had a bearing on the deployment of officers in remote
areas.

The population census will provide data on the demographic and related
socio-economic characteristics of the population at national and
sub-national levels.

It is also used for planning and implementing development programmes such as
housing, provision of water and sanitation.
Zimbabwe holds a census after every 10 years and the first census was held
in 1982.

Zanu PF ‘funder’ in trouble over Mugabe slur

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 12:18
HARARE - Harare businessman and self-styled Zanu PF financier Hanif Allana
could be in hot soup after taking a jibe at President Robert Mugabe, and his
leadership qualities.

The Indian merchant, who owns Elite Car Hire and other businesses, has also
been in the news for orchestrating the eviction of his 37-year-old ex-lover
Audrey James from her Avondale house and is equally entangled in another
legal scrap with a group of Harare families facing eviction from their
downtown properties.

Although Allana has flatly refused to comment on the issues — threatening
this newspaper “be careful what you write” — his legal troubles emanate from
two reports made by Belvedere resident and community leader Abraham
Samushonga.

The two had clashed over the former’s takeover and domination of ventilation
gaps in several western suburbs, including Milton Park and Monavale, thus
resulting in the two cases at the Harare Central Police Station.

In his complaints against the controversial businessman, Samushonga says
Allana hurled insults at Mugabe and his party after he had sought to enquire
about how some youths in his area could also access, and use some of the
open spaces owned by council.

“Allana has a big problem and (this maybe coming from a view that) he is
also well-connected. He is everywhere and after he had called me to his
offices one day... he exploded and hurled insults at the President (Mugabe)
and also locked me in his office,” he said.

“He said the President should have left power 15 years ago, he does not
think and is out of sync with reality,” Samushonga said, adding the
octogenarian leader was also in a quandary about who could succeed him now
when he could have solved it decades ago.

With the first case of undermining Mugabe’s authority registered under CR
37/08/12 and the other one on threats of violence under CR 1035/08/12, the
complainant has followed up his reports with a dispatch to several top Zanu
PF and government officials, including Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa,
State Security minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Information and Publicity chief
Webster Shamu and other key state functionaries.

Police provincial spokesperson James Sabau could neither deny not confirm
the cases.

Apart from insulting Mugabe, Allana — whose son Musa is a special interest
councillor in the capital and appointed by Local Government minister
Ignatius Chombo — also stands accused of being the hand behind the eviction
of a group of Zanu PF supporters from their Kaguvi Street properties.

The case — at 76 Kaguvi Street and owned by Kopje Properties (Kopje) — has
been raging at the Harare Magistrates’ Court for years, with six of the
alleged victims arguing that a local estate agency Amazon Real Estate
(Amazon) has no right to chuck them out.

“The plaintiff (Amazon) brought an action against the defendants for
eviction and ejectment.

“The defendant(s) defended the action stating the applicant had no mandate
to deal with the property on behalf of property owners,” the group said.

However, the High Court in August granted an interim relief and judgment in
favour of Amazon.

Allana is alleged to be the mastermind behind the eviction plan after buying
Kopje — a charge he vehemently denies.

So powerful and influential is the Harare businessman that Samushonga’s
cases almost collapsed — like the proverbial deck of cards — even before
they took off after the latter was threatened by some senior police officers
(names supplied) for taking on the controversial figure.

“I was intimidated by some senior police officers, who said l must withdraw
the charges. However, l would like to prove that not everyone who shouts
Zanu PF is Zanu PF. Some of these people associate with the party… only for
protection. He claims he is Zanu PF, but from my point of view he is not,”
the complainant said.

In recent years, the Indian tycoon’s car hire business has also been subject
to a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority probe or enquiry after he imported a fleet
of 200 luxury cars allegedly for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Although it is yet unknown how the case ended, sources said some of those
cars — including Mercedes Benzes and Toyota Prados — have been hired out to
various government departments, including the RBZ and defence headquarters.

According to other independent sources, Allana has also been a key
government and Zanu PF supplier since the 1980s.

Amid claims that he even brought or introduced the Steyr trucks and brand to
the army, the swaggering businessman has also made donations to several Zanu
PF officials and constituencies, and is on the cusp of a major technological
project owing to his close party associates. — Weekend Post

WFP: Food Crisis Deteriorating in Zimbabwe

http://www.voazimbabwe.com

Tatenda Gumbo
17.09.2012

The United Nations World Food Program says it is closely monitoring the
crippling drought situation in Zimbabwe and lobbying stakeholders for the
provision of food and other resources to the affected families.

Officials said Zimbabwe has pledged 35,000 tonnes of maize and the WFP is
working with other organizations to secure additional aid.

Close to 1.6 million people will need food aid by March next year.

The food aid ogranization reported the dire situation in late July saying
the drought was and will continue to cripple the most vulnerable.

The assessment indicated that the number of people in need of food aid is 60
percent higher than the one million that needed assistance during the last
lean season.

WFP pinpointed erratic rainfall and dry spells, limited access to
agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilizer, a reduction in the planted
hectarage, poor farming practices and inadequate crop diversification as key
reasons hunger would peak this season.

The worst affected regions are Matabeleland, Midlands, Masvingo and
Manicaland.

United Nations WFP Zimbabwe country director Felix Bamezon told VOA the
food situation is deteriorating.

UZ’s 14-year old wonder kid ‘enjoying it’

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

Support ... Maud gets cheque from ZIMRA boss Geshem Pasi

18/09/2012 00:00:00
	by CNN

Making history ... Maud Chifamba

SHE grew up in grinding poverty, losing both her parents at a tender age but 14-year-old whizz-kid Maud Chifamba has defied adversity and hardship to break academic records.

Against all odds, the extremely bright teenager has written history as last week she became the youngest ever university student in Zimbabwe -- as well as the whole of southern Africa, according to education officials.

Maud, who was born on November 19, 1997, has just started her studies toward a Bachelor of Accountancy Honors Degree at the University of Zimbabwe, the country's oldest and most esteemed educational institution.

Her intellectual prowess and hard work have earned her a four-year scholarship of nearly $10,000 after she excelled at last year's Advanced Level exams.

Now, one week into her new life at the university, softly-spoken Maud already feels settled.

"I'm really enjoying it," she says with striking modesty. "It's better than what I expected. I'm just enjoying all the lectures."

It really motivated me to work harder because there was no one to take care of me except myself.

But before deservedly claiming a spot inside the university's vast lecture halls, finding herself amongst much older students, Zimbabwe's wunderkind had to overcome tremendous financial and social challenges.

Social challenges

Born to a poor family in the Hunters resettlement community in Chegutu, central Zimbabwe, Maud lost her father when she was just five years old. Her mother also passed away last year. Her two brothers, who are general workers at a farm, were unable to pay the fees required to keep her at formal school so Maud started studying vigorously at home all by herself.

Armed with determination, Maud put all her efforts into studying, embarking on a disciplined reading routine that lasted for several hours each day. "I studied very hard," she remembers. "For the biggest part of the day and even into the night," adds Maud.

Maud says the death of her parents made her realize that she would have to take her destiny into her own hands.

"It really motivated me to work harder because there was no one to take care of me except myself in the future," says Maud. "That was ... a motivator for me to have something to do with my life."

Gifted with natural intelligence, Maud's promising future was apparent from an early age. Her remarkable aptitude impressed her primary school teachers who decided to move her up from Grade 3 to Grade 6.

Aged nine, she took her final primary school examinations, where she obtained top marks for all of her subjects. Lacking financial support to undertake her high school education, Maud studied on her own and completed her Ordinary Level in just two years after skipping two forms.

Her hard work paid off last December when she scored 12 points at her A-Level exams, an astonishing feat that earned the 14-year-old girl a place at the Harare-based University of Zimbabwe.

"It's phenomenal, especially if you consider that for her A-Levels she was not in formal school," says Gershem Pasi, the commissioner general of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the body that's now sponsoring Maud's university education. "She was just reading by herself at home and her brothers only managed to pay the examination fee."

Hard work

Munyaradzi Madambi, dean of students at the University of Zimbabwe, describes Maud as a "very warm and polite young woman," whose intelligence and maturity shines through.

"(She is) confident, efficacious and unique in the sense that you don't normally expect this position among kids from underprivileged backgrounds," he says.

Madambi says the university is committed to helping its wonder student develop into a balanced individual while fulfilling her dreams.

Maud is an exceptional case in terms of intellectual prowess.

Munyaradzi Madambi, dean of students at the University of Zimbabwe

"We are making sure that she grows up to be a well-moulded, mature adult but of course without really suffocating her or putting her under any pressure," he says.

Zimbabwe has an adult literacy rate of 92%, which is one of the highest in Africa, according to UNICEF. Madambi says people in the country have an "incredible and insatiable appetite for education."

"Normally those that come from underprivileged backgrounds, their desire is really to work hard and excel and of course Maud is an exceptional case in terms of intellectual prowess," he says.

Maud is now on course to conquer even greater heights, becoming Zimbabwe's youngest ever accountant when she graduates in four years time.

"My dream job is to become an accountant," she says.

African Commissioners and UN Special Rapporteur defend right to protest

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/8086

September 18th, 2012
WOZA Press Release: On 6 to 8th June 2012, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
national coordinator Jenni Williams attended international human rights
experts meeting is Oslo, Norway hosted by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
Williams presented the story of WOZA and its mandate of peaceful protest and
the brutality of the state in trampling upon the right to peaceful protest.

Amongst those attending were Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders of
the Africa commission on human and people rights, Reine Alapini-Gansou; the
United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association,
Maina Kai; on freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue; and on human
rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya.

The African Commission Special Rapporteur Reine Alapini-Gansou and the two
United Nations Special Rapporteurs have since released statements as a
result of the meeting.

The statement reads in part “everyone without discrimination should be free
to participate in peaceful protests and no one should be subjected to
threats or acts of violence for addressing human rights issues through
peaceful protest.”

This entry was posted by Sokwanele on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 at 8:57
am

Hospital, cluster homes for Mall of Zim project

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Taurai Mangudhla, Business Writer
Tuesday, 18 September 2012 13:13
HARARE - The multi-million dollar property development by West Properties,
initially supposed to be a shopping mall, will also include a hospital,
office park and cluster homes, businessdaily can reveal.

Despite environmental concerns and resistance from surrounding residential
areas and city fathers, Ken Sharpe’s West Properties says it’s going ahead
with building its $100 million Mall of Zimbabwe on the wetlands situated
between Dandaro and Borrowdale West.

“We have a lot of new developments in the pipeline; just on the property
side alone we obviously have our current projects plus a 13-hectare office
site and 37 hectares of high-end residential properties adjacent to the Mall
of Zimbabwe.

“We have also been working on another office site close by and a
middle-to-high income residential development, as well as several other
exciting projects,” West Properties chief executive Mike van Blerk said in a
statement on its website.

He said construction of Zimbabwe’s biggest shopping mall and the largest in
Africa, outside South Africa, is set to take off soon after completion of
planning and architectural work.

“We are still to break ground in terms of construction, but we’ve completed
a great deal of the planning and architectural designs behind it, which is
almost always equal in timescale to the actual building,” van Blerk said.

He said the 68 000sqm closed mall set to be completed by 2014, already had a
complement of 172 tenants.
According to Sharpe, the company had secured the land through a PPP (Private
Public Partnership) with the City of Harare.

Essentially the partnership entailed the City putting in the land for
development and West Group, the holding company for West Properties, West
Bev and West Star, contributing the working capital, management and skills
to develop the raw land.

The partnership was finalised in 2007 and encompassed three key project
development areas, the Warren Hills residential suburb, part of an existing
golf course, the Mukuvisi commercial and industrial area and Tariro Park, a
10 000sqm cash and carry warehousing structure, service station, bus
terminal and people’s market currently under development.

“In 2008 we were approached by the City to construct a new highway project,
linking the main central business district with Harare International
Airport.

Originally only a $5 million extension of the existing road, we agreed to
take it on in return for being paid with ring-fenced land which we would
later develop,” Sharpe said.

Van Blerk said the final land barter agreement will be worth almost $68
million before taxes and the four-lane, double-highway will feature seven
elevated bridge structures, one of which spans 450m and covers a railway
marshalling yard.

Zimbabwe thrashed by Sri Lanka in Hambantota

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz

By: Matt Brown | Latest Cricket News | Wednesday September 19 2012 6:47

Hosts Sri Lanka has thrashed Zimbabwe by 82 runs in the opening match of the
World Twenty20 in Hambantota.

Spinner Ajantha Mendis recorded the best ever international Twenty20 figures
of 6-8 from his four overs as Zimbabwe were shot out for 100 chasing 183 to
win.

Sri Lanka had posted a formidable 182 for 4.

Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor's lamenting a 13th straight Twenty/20 loss.

"A tough pill to swallow today, we're a far better side than the way we
performed today. It's tough, credit goes to Sri Lanka, they've showed why
they're probably a team that's favourite to win the World Cup."

Australia play Ireland and Afghanistan meet India tonight.

The love scandals that rocked Zanu PF: Part 5

http://nehandaradio.com

Headlines, Lest We Forget, News, Relationships, Scandal — By admin on September 17, 2012 5:19 am

By Lance Guma

Apologies for the delay in completing Part 5 of this series, which was due last Friday, but certain sections had to be researched further for accuracy. In this series I have deliberately focused on the love scandals within Zanu PF to provide context and expose the hypocrisy of them ‘casting the first stones’.

Drama fell over the past weekend like confetti at, or is it from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s wedding to fiancée Locardia Karimatsenga Tembo. The PM says he found the woman he loves after three years of searching. This involved breaking up with about three women along the way.

His critics among them Zanu PF MP and ‘strategist’ Jonathan Moyo seized on those relationships to claim Tsvangirai had an “open zip and shut mind”. Wife bashing and prostitute loving black belt holder George Charamba who writes as Nathaniel Manheru also joined the criticism of Tsvangirai as a womanizer.

Jonathan Moyo (Tsholotsho North MP)

Several reports including one January 2010 article by veteran journalist and editor of The Zimbabwean newspaper Wilf Mbanga state that “Moyo is a man whose wife has taken him to court for beating her. He kidnapped his children and took them to Kenya in defiance of a High Court order.”

Jonathan Moyo (Centre) in Parliament

In January of 2003, Beatrice Moyo, (Jonathan’s wife) instructed her lawyers to sue The Daily News for Z$10 million (US$182 000) for damages allegedly caused by an article republished by the paper in Zimbabwe but which had initially been written by the Sunday Times newspaper of South Africa.

The article claimed Moyo beat up his wife while they were on holiday in South Africa. The paper also said that Moyo went on a shopping spree while in South Africa while millions of his countrymen faced starvation in Zimbabwe. Mrs. Moyo however claimed that the story was not true.

Mrs Moyo claimed there were disturbances among some guests who were in their hotel room on that new year’s eve, but denied that she called for the police to intervene nor that her husband beat her up. Sources close to the case claim the two had reconciled and the law suit was part of a damage control exercise.

Meanwhile the article by Mbanga says Moyo “has been accused of fraud not once but twice by the Ford Foundation in Kenya and at Wits University in South Africa. He left both reputable institutions under a cloud that has never been dispersed.” Mbanga also reminds us that:

“In the 1970s the cowardly Moyo fled from a Zanla training camp in Tanzania and sought refuge in the USA – a country he now purports to hate. He is nothing but a political prostitute who made his name as an arch critic of Robert Mugabe in the 1990s, and morphed into a craven acolyte of the aging dictator.”

Moyo was also sucked into a huge scandal involving the former Director General of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Alum Mpofu. Moyo recruited Mpofu into the position but the ZBC boss left in a huff after it was alleged he was having an affair with Moyo.

The resignation, citing ‘personal reasons’, was submitted to stop an inquiry after Mpofu was caught in a homosexual act in a Harare night club owned by a Zanu PF MP. Moyo’s alleged affair with Mpofu is said to have started in 1999 when the propaganda chief was at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Several male journalists who worked for the state media during Moyo’s reign also alleged that they had to resist his sexual advances. Responding to the allegations of an affair with Mpofu, Moyo used his participation on the New Zimbabwe.com forums several years ago to give this reaction:

“As a probable pervert,” Moyo snapped back, “you wish I had a sexual relationship with him. No, I did not and could not because I am not a homosexual like he allegedly is, never have been, never will be….I have made it clear I don’t wish to be a bedroom policeman.”

Simon Khaya Moyo (Zanu PF national chairman)

Still sticking with the Moyo’s, former ambassador to South Africa and now Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo filed for divorce from his wife of 30 years, Sibonokuhle Getrude Moyo (nee Ngwenya).

Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo

On the 23^rd of August this year, Moyo filed divorce summons at the High Court claiming there was no ‘love and affection’ and the marriage had irretrievably broken down and there were “no conjugal rights enjoyed between the parties.”

It was left to the Daily News newspaper who managed to get hold of the affidavit to report that Moyo’s wife was bedding another man and the marriage is broken beyond repair because of this “infidelity” among other reasons.

“The defendant (Gertrude) has committed infidelity with another man,” Khaya Moyo reveals in the court papers. Although the other man in the love triangle is not mentioned, sources familiar with the case say he is a farmer known as Machemedze.

Khaya Moyo, married Getrude at independence in 1980 and they have two adult children, Khanyisa Khaya Mduduzi Moyo (born on 7 July1982) and Langa Mandlenkosi Khaya Moyo (born 4 April 1986). Khaya Moyo says he cannot pay maintenance to Getrude since their two sons are now adults.

Grace Mugabe and Gideon Gono

In October of 2010 the South African Sunday Times newspaper ran a story claiming Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono was bedding Robert Mugabe’s wife, the First Lady Grace Mugabe over a 5 year period.

Gideon Gono and Grace Mugabe

The two allegedly met as often as three times a month at Grace’s Gushungo Dairy Estate, at expensive hotels in South Africa and on foreign trips to Asia. It was claimed Sabina Mugabe, 75, warned her brother before she died that he was being betrayed by two important people in his personal and political life.

The story claimed Mugabe’s 36 year old bodyguard Cain Chademana was poisoned because he admitted to the Zanu PF leader upon questioning that he knew about the affair but had decided to keep quiet about it. The newspaper claims officials had hoped the secret affair would be buried with Chademana.

However Chademana’s death certificate, swiftly leaked to online media along with an accompanying letter from a hospital where he was treated , said he suffered cardiorespiratory arrest, disseminated tuberculosis, pneumonia and ‘retroviral infection’ — a medical euphemism for HIV.

Both Grace and Gono denied the affair and claimed they are partners in a number of business enterprises and this explained their close working relationship. The fact that Gono managed to retain his job as central bank chief suggests to many that Mugabe believed his side of the story.

Transcript: Ncube's BBC HARDtalk interview

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

18/09/2012 00:00:00
	by New Zimbabwe.com

MDC leader and Industry Minister Welshman Ncube was a guest on the BBC’s HARDtalk programme aired on Tuesday [UK residents watch HERE].

This is the full transcript of his interview with HARDtalk host Zeinab Badawi:

ZEINAB BADAWI (ZB): Have opposition politicians in Zimbabwe learnt the lessons of the violence and disputed elections of 2008 in which Robert Mugabe and his party Zanu PF outmanoeuvred the Movement for Democratic Change and held on to power?

The MDC has since been in an uneasy power sharing government in which its main leader Morgan Tsvangirai is Prime Minister, but a breakaway MDC faction led by the Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube is splintering the opposition ahead of elections due by next June.

My guest today on HARDtalk is Welshman Ncube. Shouldn’t the opposition be united to better oppose Zanu PF?

Welshman Ncube welcome to HARDtalk.

WELSHMAN NCUBE (WN): Thank you.

ZB: It’s a general rule in politics isn’t it not just in Zimbabwe: weaken the opposition by splitting it. That’s what you’ve done.

WN: Well, it is of course correct that if the parties that are opposed to Zanu PF it would be that much easier to win the elections than when we are all fighting from our different corners. But there are things which are fundamental and matters of principle, matters of policy that divide us and have made that very, very difficult.

ZB: And is that much more important in your view to you than forming a credible opposition to Zanu PF?

WN: Well, what is important is that when we oppose Zanu PF and when we seek to remove Zanu PF we must all be clear and united in that the alternative government we want to establish will in fact, not just in deeds, will in fact be different from the Zanu PF government either by reference to corruption, by reference to mismanagement, by reference to non-violence – all of those things.

So when the things which divide us make some of us doubt that that government will be different from Zanu PF, that is why it is so important that we must be opposed to Zanu PF in both words and in deeds. There is no point in removing Zanu PF only to replace it with exactly the same entity.

ZB: Are you equating Morgan Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister, with President Robert Mugabe who has been in power for 32 years?

WN: I’m not equating anyone. I’m simply saying those things that divide us go to the heart of our opposition to Zanu PF. When we say we must be non-violent we must mean it and we must live it. So when our colleagues practise violence against others and also against themselves we say, eh [interrupted].

ZB: So which colleagues are you talking about here because you are being a little bit indirect. Just spell it out for us. Are you accusing the MDC faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of waging some kind of campaign against your faction?

WN: No. I’m saying the things which divide us, the things which divided us at the time of the split are essentially to do with the things I’m talking about. If we begin to act violently against each other and against ourselves; if we begin to defy collective decisions that we would have made; if during for instance the currency of the inclusive government we have local government structures which act as corruptly as Zanu PF has done over the last 32 years, those are the things which divide us, and they are genuine differences.

ZB: Let me just fill people in of course that the MDC split back in 2005 when Morgan Tsvangirai didn’t want to contest the [senate] elections. I’m not going to go into the ins and outs of it but there was a breakaway faction led by Arthur Mutambara but you now lead that breakaway faction.

I want to ask you very, very clearly, and I would like a clear answer, should the MDC not just remain united under the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who after all is highly acclaimed in international circles. Very simple question, what’s you answer?

WN: Well, the answer is simple. The things that divide us now make it impossible for us to work together.

ZB: What have you got against Morgan Tsvangirai?

WN: Absolutely nothing against the person of Morgan Tsvangirai. Our differences are about our political behaviours and the things we do as politicians. I keep underlining, it is on record that our colleagues in the MDC-T often practise violence; it is on record that Morgan Tsvangirai himself has reversed collectively made decisions and it is also on record that the local government structures that they control have acted as corruptly if not more corruptly than the Zanu PF ones. Those are the things which divide us.

ZB: You refer to MDC-T which stands for the faction led by MDC Morgan Tsvangirai. But what you say is clearly at odds with what the international community believes. For example the French government has this summer conferred on Morgan Tsvangirai the Legion of Honour, the highest order it can because it says he upholds universal aspirations, morals and the spirit of progress.

The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said he is like Nelson Mandela, like Aung San Suu Kyi– a remarkable figure of our times, she has said.

The former American ambassador in Zimbabwe Christopher Dell has described Morgan Tsvangirai as brave, committed, by and large a democrat. He is also the only player on the scene right now with real star quality and the ability to rally the masses.

I reel off all that, minister, because it is at odds with what you say.

WN: Well, I’m a Zimbabwean, I live in Zimbabwe. I worked within the united MDC, I worked outside the united MDC and I can tell you the things on which we differ are fundamental, they go to the very heart of the struggle against Zanu PF. I repeat, we don’t want to replace Zanu PF in name, and not also in terms of the things it does.

ZB: You’ve made that point, but just address the fact that there is lavish praise heaped upon Morgan Tsvangirai by various international figures and it doesn’t really... it’s not consistent with the kind of picture you are now portraying of the MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai. So just explain that to us.

WN: All I can say is that those who might be somewhere in Australia, those who might be in Paris, in Washington are entitled to have their opinions about any of the leaders in Zimbabwe, just as much as we are entitled as Zimbabweans to have our own opinions about ourselves and our leaders. And respectfully [interrupted].

ZB: Christopher Dell, the former American ambassador, highly regarded, spent many years in Zimbabwe and what I quoted was what he said in WikiLeaks which were revealed in 2010. But you know what he said about you, you know what he said about you?

WN: I’ve read about what he said about me, but the point [interrupted].

ZB: Let me remind you, let me remind you, well let me remind you.

WN: Go ahead.

ZB: He described you, if I may, as highly divisive and says you should be taken off the political stage.

WN: Yes, and what’s the question around that?

ZB: So what do you answer to that quote ‘highly divisive and should be taken off the political stage’?

WN: Well, again that is Dell’s opinion, as democrats we respect it but we disagree with it. I don’t know what it means when an ambassador of one of the biggest democracies in the world speaks of taking leaders off the political stage, I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. And I think it is unfortunate and it cannot be consistent with the values and principles the United States wants to defend around the world.

ZB: When we look at the Global Political Agreement, the GPA, which came into force after those elections in 2008, disputed, and we saw what the French called “cohabitation” whereby the MDC joined the government under President Robert Mugabe. But you are stating quite clearly that that has been a failure, not only because of the difficulties with Robert Mugabe, but within the MDC itself, it’s been a failure.

WN: Well, the inclusive government has not been a total failure, but it could have done better. In terms of political reforms clearly, clearly we have failed. We have not done the things that we should have done by now, we should have created the necessary conditions for free and fair elections, that has not happened. There are many parts of the GPA on media reforms, on provincial governors that we have not implemented.

However, in terms of where Zimbabwe was in 2008 or beginning of 2009 in economic terms we have made a lot of progress. We have a country which was virtually on the verge of collapse if not completely collapsed, that economy we have managed to resuscitate it, it’s now working. Yes it could do better, and yes people are still poor but you don’t have an economy which is basically on its knees anymore, it’s an economy which its way to recovery. Whether or not it recovers now depends on what happens at the next election.

ZB: Alright. I will just [inaudible] economy since you have raised it. You have a $400 million budget deficit, and growth has now been downgraded from more than 9 percent, which was admittedly very high, down to 5.6 percent. Even though progress has been made, and let’s face it that was from a very low base, things are going backwards now.

WN: Yes of course some of the gains that we have made over the last three years are threatened now with reversal, in particular as we move towards an election and as we begin to grandstand around election rhetoric.

In terms of the economy as minister of industry for instance, industry recovered from capacity utilisation of 10 percent when we came in to 57 percent by the end of last year. It sort of plateaued, it’s not going anywhere now largely because of our failure to stabilise the political environment so as to bring in confidence to have access to lines of credit. That has not happened.

So we are beginning to see reversal yes, but we need to move as quickly as we can... to continue with the recovery which we have started.

ZB: It’s not just political instability because people don’t know when the elections are going to be happening and so on but it’s also because of the so-called indigenisation policy that came into effect in Zimbabwe in 2011 whereby foreign companies have got to hand over 51 percent of their controlling share to local companies and that has scared a lot of foreign investors, frankly?

WN: Well, that’s absolutely true. As minister responsible for trade I spend a lot of my time talking to investors, talking to business leaders in and outside Zimbabwe and there is no doubt that the elephant in the living room is our indigenisation laws. Clearly, clearly a lot of investors are unhappy with them and find it difficult to come and invest in Zimbabwe.

Whereas we all agree that we must do some form of empowerment, the manner in which we are doing it and the thresholds that we have set are clearly unrealistic and unreasonable in our circumstances.

ZB: So when you talk about some form of empowerment the idea is that you indigenise these interests so that the whole Zimbabwean population can benefit from it. What’s the evidence then that any benefits will trickle down to the ordinary Zimbabwean, because there isn’t plenty of that, is there? Not much evidence of that.

WN: I personally don’t like the word indigenisation because I don’t think it has any precise meaning. I prefer the term empowerment. Empowerment is broader and perhaps more accurate in terms of what some of us would want to achieve. If we are talking about empowerment, we should be talking about encouraging investment so that we can create jobs and employment for people, we can create the necessary business environment for indigenous Zimbabweans to form their own businesses to compete with others. Empowerment must not necessarily mean taking over someone else’s business.

ZB: But have you achieved that? You are the minister for commerce and industry, trade and so on and you look at Zimbabwe and the state of the people, one and half million people on the verge of starvation according to the United Nations World Food Programme, or will need food assistance rather.

WN: Zimbabwe is one of the richest countries in Africa, its mineral wealth is second to none, its climate, weather conditions, its land is also among the best in the world in terms of what we can do to our agriculture. If we can fix our politics, and fix our economic policies we will be able to deliver to our people by actually delivering on a stronger economy, on strong and successful businesses. That is the only way to do it.

ZB: Sure, but if you look at the realities the Minister of Finance Tendai Biti said this year that for instance when he looks at the Marange diamond field he was expecting something like US$600 million to go into the state coffers, from the Marange diamond fields he has only received US$19 million. He said there were 230,000 [Editor’s note: Biti’s figure was 75,000 ‘ghost workers’, the figure stated is for entire civil service] fictitious government employees who somehow are drawing salaries and that 10,000 new jobs have been created in the past few weeks or so in government.

That’s the reality of Zimbabwe and yet you talk about ‘oh a new business climate’ and that kind of thing, that’s not happening is it?

WN: All of what you have just summarised and attributed to the Finance Minister is absolutely correct. If you look at the diamond wealth, the diamonds we are mining, if we were actually administering them and managing them properly we should be getting the sort of money that the Minister of Finance has been mentioning. We are not doing it, that’s why at the beginning we said the inclusive government has not functioned as we expected to do, there is a complete lack of transparency for instance around Marange diamonds.

So all of those things cannot be fixed, in my opinion, unless and until we have free and fair elections and we have a government which is properly elected by people.

ZB: So you just accepted or you just at least stated that you basically have no power?

WN: Well, it is correct that’s why we keep saying there is a parallel government in many respects; that is why the Minister of Finance says there is no authority over Marange and there is no-one who is accountable to him when in fact they are supposed to be accountable to him.

ZB: So do you have power? Do you have any power as minister of commerce and industry to do what you would like to do to encourage investment, empowerment and all that kind of thing? Do you have power?

WN: Yes and no. We have the power and authority to do those things that are within our power, within our mandate as a ministry where we do not need the cooperation of anyone else; we have the power to do those things. But there are things as the ministry of industry where we would require the cooperation of other arms of government and other ministries and clearly therefore we would not have the power.

ZB: OK, you’re talking about those ministries controlled by Zanu PF perhaps. But let me ask you, you talk about the elections, free and fair elections are vital to bring some kind of stability. But these elections, no date, they should be held by June but you’re all squabbling about what should be in the draft constitution.

WN: Correct, we should have the elections, or at least parliament will stand automatically dissolved on June 29 next year. The elections must then be held no later than the end of October next year as an outer limit which is permissible under the current constitution.

Clearly, we had expected to be able to have done the constitution earlier than now, we have not done so [because] there are new disagreements around the constitution and we hope we can overcome those differences with the assistance of SADC [interrupted].

ZB: OK, just spell those out. You are talking there about the Southern African Development Cooperation who are trying to mediate in all this. But just spell out for us, what are the disagreements? In essence it looks like the MDC are concerned about powers in the constitution for the president being enshrined in the new constitution, and also control over the armed forces and so on. But you’ve also got disagreements about same sex marriage, dual citizenship, that kind of thing. So what are the stumbling blocks?

WN: Let me start by saying that firstly, there actually is an agreement. The structures that we had set, what is called the COPAC committee, the constitutional parliamentary committee, has actually agreed on a draft constitution signed by representatives of all the three parties in the inclusive government and formally handed over to the Speaker of Parliament by the co-chairpersons of that parliamentary committee. So there is an agreement, we must underline that.

What is now happening is an attempt by Zanu PF to renege from that agreement by rewriting the agreed draft to include all those things that you have mentioned. For instance, they are attempting to turn the Bill of Rights into what you may call a declaration of non-rights when in fact it’s supposed to be a declaration of rights; they are going back to try and recreate an imperial presidency; they are re-introducing certain clauses that will undermine the judiciary and so forth and so on. Altogether, there are over 200 amendments that they have attempted to make to an already agreed draft constitution.

ZB: Alright, so there is a deadlock. Is it worth delaying these elections that you yourself says Zimbabwe so badly needs because of disagreements or inability to put the draft constitution to a referendum?

WN: Ye sit is worth delaying the elections because there is no point in rushing to an election whose outcome will be disputed and will create another political deadlock which will be with us for a long time. It is better to delay the election whether it’s by five months, six months and then do the elections properly under a constitution which will guarantee our liberties, our freedoms; which will curtail executive power in a manner which protects the citizens.

ZB: But you know Lovemore Madhuku who runs an NGO, the National Constitutional Assembly – very broad based there is lots of labour, student, women’s groups, churches, human rights organisations – says even if there were a new constitution agreed, he says there is no basis to support this document because it’s being supported by politicians including you obviously. So where are the people in all this?

WN: Well, Lovemore, Dr Madhuku or Professor Madhuku, is entitled to his opinion but some of us respectfully disagree [interrupted].

ZB: Well it’s not just his as I said, he represents quite a wide body of opinion.

WN: I think the three political parties in the inclusive government represent a wider body of political opinion in Zimbabwe than any single civil society organisation. But the point I want to make is that the constitution has to have political leadership, there is no constitution anywhere in the world that was ever made by civil society without the political structures, without the elected people participating. I know not, I’m a constitutional lawyer myself.

ZB: I want to ask you something very important which is, let’s just assume that elections happen and you overcome these problems. One Major General Trust Mugoba was quoted in May 2012 in AllAfrica magazine saying the army would not allow the MDC to take over power if it wins an election because it doesn’t represent the ideology of liberation struggle. So whatever happens you have opposition from the army clearly, what do you say to that?

WN: I think of course it is true that the higher levels, the higher echelons of the military have made the statements which capture what you’ve just said. But it is also true that the rank and file in the military does not necessarily come from that school of thought.

But what is important in our case is that both the two formations of the MDC have raised this issue squarely with the facilitator, with SADC, to say there is no point in having an election unless the roadmap to that election includes guarantees and undertakings from the military, and with SADC guarantees as well, that the military will accept the verdict of the people and that they must accept in advance of an election that the sovereignty of Zimbabwe lies in the people and not in the military.

ZB: Very quickly, a few seconds, if Morgan Tsvangirai says he will not contest elections if Robert Mugabe was the candidate for Zanu PF would you? In a word?

WN: Well, look, we cannot determine for other parties who their candidates are. It is up to Zanu PF to field its candidate, all we ask of that candidate is to be bound by the democratic traditions and to accept the will of the people and to refrain from violence.

ZB: Minister Welshman Ncube, thank you very much indeed for coming on HARDtalk.

WN: Thank you.

[Transcript by New Zimbabwe.com]

Zanu-PF is no longer relevant

http://www.politicsweb.co.za

Vince Musewe
18 September 2012

Vince Musewe says Zimbabwe must make transition from a liberation struggle
psychology to a technocratic one

Understanding Zimbabwe's political economy: Most Zimbabweans know what is
now necessary: they know that ZANU (PF) is no longer relevant as the country
needs a second transition

All is not as it seems on the surface. I have had the opportunity of
engaging several individuals on the political economy of Zimbabwe, and am
beginning to have a deeper understanding on what is the root cause of our
pedestrian movement towards the logical establishment of a new democracy. It
is as if everyone knows what must be done and yet somehow, we remain
backward and living in the past.

My observations are simply that we have a fundamental problem of war
psychology especially within the army the police force and, to limited
extent, within ZANU (PF) leadership. This war psychology is based on the
belief that those who "participated' in the war and are in leadership cannot
be challenged and must have unfettered access to national resources. That,
if challenged by better ideas or smarter Zimbabweans, as is the case now,
they must refer to the past and if necessary, to the AK 47 as that is the
only tool that they have in order to retain their advantageous positions.

This war psychology has remained dormant in the minds of those that wield
power today in Zimbabwe, because they do not know better and more important,
were never counseled after the trauma of the bush war. After all, their life
experience has been from poverty and herding cattle in the rural areas, to
the bush and to power and material accumulation.

In our political leadership today, are opportunists, who have taken full
advantage of their so called war credentials as their right to govern. These
are the individuals who are neither necessarily highly educated nor
articulate. They are not exposed to modern democracy nor do they under stand
economics and can only rely on past violence and threats in order to protect
whatever wealth the may have acquired since our independence. They do not
count many, but have usurped political power and are unfortunately the very
individuals who are arresting progress in Zimbabwe

I have had some fascinating conversations with those who were directly
involved in the liberation struggle, not the technocrats who rule today,
give fiery political speeches but never fired a gun during the liberation
struggle but claim that they liberated us. You see, a significant number of
patriotic Zimbabweans who voluntarily participated in the armed struggle
never anticipated that our country would deteriorate to this level. They are
truly forgotten heroes and heroines who risked everything they had in order
to liberate all Zimbabweans and are today still traumatized by their war
experience.

They would never wish their experience on anyone, nor would they go back to
the bush. These heroes and heroines truly feel that the ZANU (PF) we see
today has lost relevance in what they sought to achieve by going to war. The
tragedy is that, they have been sidelined by street smart opportunist who
really never sacrificed much for this country but came up the ranks of ZANU
(PF) in the post liberation phase. They have no context of the past nor do
they have the genuine interests of the country.

Most Zimbabweans know what is now necessary; they know that ZANU (PF) is no
longer relevant as the country needs a second transition. A transition from
a liberation struggle psychology to a modern economy driven by professionals
and managed using modern ideas and technology.

Unfortunately today we suffer a few fools who cannot see that change is
inevitable. They will stall the inevitable as much as possible; they will
pretend that there is nothing wrong with Zimbabwe and yet deep down they are
driven by fear. Until we can isolate them and expose them, and thereby
weaken their hold on the minds of ZANU (PF) we are bound to have a political
economy full of uncertainty, characterized by the illogical expedient
politics that continue to delay us in modernizing Zimbabwe.

The few terrible men and women holding us back cannot see a successful
dispensation in Zimbabwe without them and would be happy to eradicate all
opportunity and hope, as long as they can hold onto the past and the
material wealth that they have achieved beyond their wildest dreams. In my
opinion, these degenerates are suffering mentally and emotionally and need
professional help.

We must plod on and continue to challenge the status quo simply because we
have no choice, Zimbabweans deserve better.

Vince Musewe is an independent economist and you may contact him on
vtmusewe@gmail.com

Learning from Zimbabwe: the Failure of Liberation Politics

http://www.news24.com/

18 September 2012, 10:42

Thabo Mbeki was inaugurated for a second term as South Africa’s president in
2004. I remember seeing the televised spectacle on my first visit to the
republic after ten years abroad. There were cheering crowds at the Union
Buildings as the dignitaries arrived. The adoring multitudes roared as
Madiba made his entrance, but the most rapturous applause was reserved for
one Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his entourage.
Later on, I asked an acquaintance from Mutare (in Manicaland Province near
the Mozambique border) about the apparent strength of support for Zimbabwe’s
president from South Africa’s youth, despite him being a figure of derision
and contempt in much of the world. He replied that no matter what cruelties
Mugabe visited on his people, he would forever be seen as the champion of
Black Africa. This is central to understanding how the overwhelming majority
of people in Zimbabwe and South Africa think, regardless of their level of
education. Post-colonial politics in both countries does not mean that we
have entered an era of post-racial reconciliation. The ruling parties in
both countries have a vested interest in maintaining a racially polarised
atmosphere, something that they have managed to do quite successfully.
There is a fear among Black South Africans that White people will bring back
some version of apartheid if given half a chance to do so. I do not believe
that this fear is justified. Most South Africans just want an opportunity to
live decent lives and secure the future of their children. However, the
dream of a rainbow nation was short-lived, and as a consequence, there are
many angry and fearful people out there. It thus becomes easy to resort to
stereotypes and finger-pointing on all sides. White people are exasperated
by the continued strong support for the ANC despite its obvious failures. In
feeling so, they are unable to grasp the significance of the party as a
liberation movement for their Black compatriots. Recently there have been a
number of articles by prominent Black commentators lamenting the state of
their communities so many years after liberation. So one can argue that the
issues have nothing to do with race; rather they are the consequence of
those age-old human failings of greed and vanity.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. In order to hold
themselves together, people deny the reality of what is happening. We can
lie to other people and sometimes even get away with it. When we lie to
ourselves, it always leads to disaster. There are many Zimbabweans who today
cling to the mythology of a post-liberation paradise, despite the ugly truth
before them. Likewise, there are many South Africans who desperately grasp
for the threads of a torn and shredded dream. These are the people who
become very angry when reality presents itself, as it must do. They look for
scapegoats, who could be anything from foreigners, farmers, White people,
poor people (mostly Black), artists, Coloured and Indian people, gays and
lesbians, crime victims to innocent women and children. The result is the
normalisation and acceptance of the most appalling acts of violence and
cruelty.
Will South Africa become another Zimbabwe? I doubt it. This tragedy will
have a unique and distinct character all of its own. Moeletsi Mbeki, the
Arch, and columnists Simphiwe Dana and Thabo Seroke, are just a few
prominent people who have spoken out recently. There are many more (Black
and White) who have courageously given voice to what is happening in the
country. However, the louder and more powerful voices belong to the
politicians, and in the end they know how to manipulate a desperate and
angry population. There are no heroes anymore to save South Africa. When
Mandela dies, his dream will die with him.

New group begins campaign of terror in KweKwe

Zanu PF terror groups revived around Zimbabwe

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