Zimbabwe army and
police chiefs want immunity from prosecution before
backing regime
change
Tracy McVeigh, chief reporter
The Observer,
Sunday September 7
2008
Some of President Robert Mugabe's senior aides have had
secret negotiations
with South African mediators in an effort to secure
amnesties from any
future prosecution in return for supporting regime change
in Zimbabwe.
Army, police and secret service chiefs have repeatedly
pledged loyalty to
Mugabe in public and insisted that they would never
'salute' or support a
government led by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai,
the head of the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who secured most votes
in the
presidential election that took place in March this year. But
government
sources in both Zimbabwe and South Africa have told The Observer
that a
senior army general and a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
chief
visited Pretoria last weekend to seek assurances from South Africa's
President Thabo Mbeki that they would not be prosecuted in the event of
Tsvangirai taking over.
Mbeki is mediating in the power-sharing talks
between Mugabe's ruling
Zanu-PF party and the MDC, negotiations which
appeared to be hanging by a
thread last week with the MDC threatening to
pull out and accusing Zanu-PF
of a lack of commitment to
dialogue.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said his party's patience was
being stretched
to the limit after Mugabe told journalists in Zambia on
Wednesday at the
funeral of President Levy Mwanawasa that he would form a
new government of
national unity if Tsvangirai did not sign the document
already agreed to
during the talks.
'We feel frozen at the moment and
if the MDC does not want to see the
country move, then we will be left with
no choice than to form a new
government without them,' said Mugabe.
Yesterday, however, the MDC backed
away from its threat, insisting that it
was still fully committed to
dialogue.
Robert Mugabe relies heavily
on Zimbabwe's defence force chiefs, most of
whom have been supporters of the
ageing dictator since the 1970s war of
independence and were heavily
involved in conducting the murderous campaign
of violence against MDC
supporters and activists that erupted after the
March election results were
announced.
Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, said he knew nothing of
any secret
meetings and insisted power-sharing talks were continuing. 'You
know quite
well that we will never ever announce the contents of the talks
through the
press before making a feedback to the Zimbabwean community,
Southern African
Development Community and the African Union,' Ratshitanga
told The Observer
Sources close to the talks said the Zimbabwe defence
forces'
Lieutenant-General Constantine Chiwenga, police commissioner-general
Augustine Chihuri, and CIO director-general Happyton Bonyongwe were at a
private meeting in Pretoria. Behind the scenes, Zanu-PF'S politburo,
including Mugabe, is said to be distancing itself from the violence that
killed more than 120 people between the first round of voting and June's
one-man presidential run-off poll, laying the blame on the army and the
CIO.
It is widely expected that, if there are any future trials for
crimes
against humanity, Mugabe will escape prosecution due to old age.
Tsvangirai,
who will tomorrow address the largest MDC rally to be held in
Zimbabwe since
the outbreak of violence to mark the ninth anniversary of his
party, said in
the course of an interview with The Observer earlier this
year that he had
no thirst for vengeance against the 'old man'.
But
Mugabe's powerful backers would need strong guarantees that an amnesty
from
prosecution, and even a possible future refuge outside Zimbawe, would
be
available to them if they are to distance themselves from the country's
leader.
Reuters
Sun 7 Sep 2008,
14:38 GMT
By Mike Saburi
GWERU, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Zimbabwean
opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
said on Sunday his party would rather
quit power-sharing talks than sign an
unsatisfactory deal and challenged
President Robert Mugabe to call a new
election.
"We are saying to him
you can call another election under international
supervision and let's see
who is going to win that race," he told a rally to
celebrate the ninth
anniversary of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Tsvangirai
beat Mugabe in a March 29 election but fell short of enough votes
to avoid a
June run-off, which was won by Mugabe unopposed after Tsvangirai
pulled out,
citing violence and intimidation against his supporters.
"We would rather
have no deal than a bad deal," Tsvangirai said.
The post-election talks
are deadlocked over how to share executive power
between Mugabe and
Tsvangirai, putting off any chance of rescuing Zimbabwe
from its economic
collapse.
Mugabe has said he will form a cabinet with or without
Tsvangirai.
MEDIATION STRUGGLE
South African President Thabo
Mbeki, mandated by regional countries to
mediate in the Zimbabwe talks, was
expected to arrive in Harare on Monday.
He has come under repeated fire for
not being tough enough with Mugabe.
Other southern African leaders have
taken a hard line against Mugabe. But he
has refused to budge, and the MDC
has made it clear it has little faith in
Mbeki as a
mediator.
"President Mbeki is coming, but don't worry about him. He is
not the one who
is going to sign the agreement. He is going to have to
persuade me to shift
my position," Tsvangirai told the rally in the city of
Gweru in central
Zimbabwe.
"But don't worry. One thing I will not do
is to sell you out."
Zimbabweans hoped the election would usher in a new
era of economic
prosperity. Instead, there is no relief in sight from the
world's highest
annual inflation rate of over 11 million percent and severe
shortages of
basic goods.
The election run-off was condemned around
the world and drew toughened
sanctions from Western countries whose support
is vital for reviving
Zimbabwe's ruined economy.
A smaller, breakaway
faction of the MDC, led by Arthur Mutambara, is the
third party in
negotiations aimed at forming a national unity government.
Tsvangirai
told the rally an agreement was out of the question unless
Mugabe, in power
since independence from Britain in 1980, was prepared to
compromise.
"The issue that we are facing here is that Mugabe must
accept to surrender
some of his powers for the power-sharing arrangement to
work. If that
doesn't happen there is no deal," he said, speaking in both
English and the
local Shona language.
Tsvangirai has stood his
ground, despite mounting pressure for an end to a
political crisis that has
driven millions of Zimbabweans over the country's
borders, straining
regional economies.
"We have time on our side. And we have people behind
us," he said.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=3576#more-3576
September 7, 2008
Morgan
GWERU (AFP) - Movement for
democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai
called Sunday for fresh
elections, supervised by international observers, if
problems in
power-sharing talks persist.
"If there are continued problems over the
presidency, then we go for
national elections supervised by the
international community," he told
thousands of supporters at a rally marking
the ninth anniversary of his
party.
Talks between President Robert
Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose MDC holds a
parliamentary majority, were
deadlocked in mid-August over Mugabe's desire
to retain control of the
security forces, according to the opposition.
The talks are being
brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki on
behalf of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC).
Mbeki is expected in Harare this
week to revive the talks after Mugabe
threatened to form a cabinet if
Tsvangirai delayed signing a document to
pave way for the power-sharing
deal.
Tsvangirai reiterated at the rally that he would not sign up to
power-sharing with Mugabe unless he was given "sufficient"
powers.
"Mugabe should be head of state and I (should be) head of
government," he
said.
"If he does not accept that, let it be. We have
time on our hands and we
have the people on our side. We would rather have
no deal than a bad deal."
Speaking at the same rally, the MDC's second in
command, Tendai Biti,
recalled that the talks had stalled over powers
invested in the president by
the current constitution.
"The president
created in this constitution is a monarch, an imperial
president," said
Biti, the MDC's secretary-general.
"That's the sticking point," he said.
"It's the issue of the powers of the
president as enshrined in this
constitution that is making these talks not
to move forward."
"We are
in God's hands, but we will not let the people of Zimbabwe down."
A
protracted power struggle between iron-fisted Mugabe and the opposition -
which shows few signs of being resolved after the president's widely
condemned one-man re-election in June - has added to the country's
woes.
Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence from Britain in
1980.
Reuters
Sun 7 Sep 2008,
13:22 GMT
GWERU, Zimbabwe, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean opposition
leader Morgan
Tsvangirai said on Sunday he would not change his possition in
power-sharing
negotiations if pressured by South African President Thabo
Mbeki, who is
mediating.
"President Mbeki is coming but don't worry
about him. He is not the one who
is going to sign the agreement. He is going
to have to persuade me to shift
my position. But don't worry. One thing I
will not do is to sell you out,"
he told a rally marking the ninth
anniversary of his party.
In Summary
HARARE, Sunday - When South African President Thabo Mbeki was tasked with leading negotiations to a find a solution to Zimbabwe’s devastating political and economic crises by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) two months ago, few people gave him a chance to extract any meaningful concessions from President Robert Mugabe.
Others were of the view that Mr Mugabe did not wage a bloody re-election campaign that left more than 100 opposition supporters dead and thousands displaced to simply hand over power to a sworn enemy.
There is every chance
Now there is every chance Mr Mbeki, battling to revive his own legacy before stepping down as the South African leader early next year will prove these doubting Thomases right when he visits Harare this week in a last ditch effort to revive the inter-party dialogue.
His visit originally planned for last week but cancelled at the last minute after opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai refused to sign the deal will come at a time when the protagonists in Zimbabwe’s deadly political crisis have seemingly lost confidence in the dialogue.
Sources say the South African leader might jet into Zimbabwe on Monday for what could be the last meeting for the parties under his supervision.
The expectation among those following the developments is that Mr Mbeki would throw the towel rather than announce a long awaited deal between the ruling Zanu PF and the MDC.
This, they believe would allow other bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union (AU) to step in and rescue the situation before it spirals out of control.
Coming to a resolution
“Mbeki should know that the first step in coming to a resolution on the Zimbabwe crisis, at this stage, is accepting that the talks, powered by SADC, have failed,” the Zimbabwe Tribune, an online publication said.
“It is only with that recognition that probably the AU can take over as main mediator.“Once the government of national unity talks are in the hands of the AU, we believe that Mbeki will relinquish his role, for he has failed, paving the way for effective deal brokers like former United Nations (UN) secretary general, Mr Kofi Annan, to take over.”
In July, China and Russia blocked a British and American sponsored resolution at the United Nations Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Harare as a way of pressuring Mr Mugabe’s regime to respect the will of the people in the hope that the political parties will agree to form a unity government.
However, the Zimbabwe crisis will return to the Security Council this month with nothing tangible having been achieved under Mr Mbeki’s led mediation, originally planned to take two weeks.
The Security Council has now asked the UN Special Envoy to Zimbabwe, Mr Haile Menkerios to present a detailed report on the status of the talks, which might guide them in the new search for a solution.
Last week, the AU said a 50-50 power sharing arrangement in Zimbabwe was the only solution that could rescue the southern African country, which has been running without a substantive government since the March elections.
Political analysts said the AU’s call was an indication that it viewed the SADC initiative as dead.
President Mugabe’s Zanu PF lost its majority in parliament for the first time since independence to the opposition.
The veteran leader also lost the first round of the presidential election to Mr Tsvangirai but ran alone in the subsequent run-off poll after his opponent was forced to pull out because of electoral violence.
“Mbeki needs more muscle in dealing with the talks,” said Professor Eldred Masunungure, a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe. “He has been engaged in these talks since 2002 and doing something over and over again can lead to one running out of steam.”
The ruling Zanu PF has refused to compromise on the president’s sweeping executive powers and is offering Mr Tsvangirai the post of a ceremonial prime minister.
“Zanu PF can’t pretend that it is business as usual as the economy is in shambles and the country is suffering and the diplomatic front has not been spared either,” Prof Masunungure said.
The failure of the SADC initiative would dampen the spirits of crisis weary Zimbabweans who had pinned their hopes for an economic revival on the success of the dialogue.
However, Mr Eddie Cross, a senior MDC executive member says Mr Mbeki does not have an option but to deliver a deal acceptable to all the parties.
“I personally am convinced that he simply has no alternative now but to do what is needed to get Mugabe to agree to a deal that will essentially lead to his eventual political demise,” Mr Cross said.“The consequences of failure are too horrific to contemplate and at stake is the (2010) soccer World Cup into which South Africa has already poured five billion rands, the social and political stability of South Africa and the continued growth and expansion of regional economies.”
South Africans fear a failed state on their doorstep would harm their chances of hosting a successful World Cup, the first to be held on African soil because they blame Zimbabwean immigrants for soaring crime rates.
An estimated three million Zimbabweans have settled in South Africa most of them illegally as they escape mounting poverty and political instability.
“Failure will plunge not only Zimbabwe, but also the entire region into a crisis that will be very costly in the long run,” Mr Cross said.
In the past, President Mugabe has rebuffed offers by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and Mr Annan to mediate in the Zimbabwean crisis and it remains to be seen if he would accept any new initiative if Mr Mbeki throws in the towel.
Yahoo News
Sun Sep 7,
12:13 PM ET
MAPUTO (AFP) - Former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, one
of Africa's
senior statesmen and a close friend of President Robert Mugabe,
on Sunday
urged Zimbabwe's political rivals to bury their
differences.
"Mugabe and (Morgan) Tsvangirai need to bury their
political differences
thinking what is right for the people of Zimbabwe,"
said Kaunda, in
Mozambique's capital Maputo for Victory Day
celebrations.
Talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose Movement for
Democratic Change
(MDC) holds a parliamentary majority, became deadlocked in
mid-August over
Mugabe's desire to retain control of security forces, the
opposition says.
Tsvangirai has 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 this past
week.
South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediating the talks on
behalf of
Southern African Development Community.
A miracle Vigil. There have
been floods all over the country and it rained
steadily in London until we
started the Vigil, when the rain unexpectedly
stopped. We couldn't believe
our luck at having a dry spell to put up our
tarpaulin and banners. Forced
to huddle under the tarpaulin when the rain
returned for a spell, we
discussed the impasse in Zimbabwe. The general view
was that the MDC is
right to hold out for real power. The feeling we have -
based on input by
our families in Zimbabwe - is that the economic situation
is now in freefall
and is doing Morgan's work for him.
At this crucial time we were glad to
have Salome Sakala's prayers. The drums
fell silent and singing and dancing
stopped as we all prayed for our country
and its suffering people.
We
were joined by Caroline from Devon selling her handsome hessian shopping
bags inscribed "Working for a new Zimbabwe". She brought the good news that
Devon County Council is to promote the bags and mention the Vigil on its
website.
As we approach our sixth anniversary, the Vigil has become a
feature of
London life. We get many students asking for our help to write
dissertations on Zimbabwean matters: the situation back home and the life of
asylum seekers here. Today a student was interviewing asylum seekers about
their use of the internet.
Ephraim Tapa reported back on his visit to
Glasgow in support of the Vigil
there. He said he was impressed by the
dedication of the Glasgow supporters
and they were glad to have the
opportunity to discuss the background and
rationale of the Vigil. Two new
Vigil co-ordinators were appointed to
assist Patrick Dzimba.
Our
partner organisation Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR Zim)
are
holding two important meetings in the UK next weekend - in Birmingham on
Saturday and Ashford, Kent on Sunday. Please see "For Your Diary" below for
details.
Vigil founder member Patson Muzuwa, who drives down from
Leicester to be
with us, celebrated his birthday today. It was good to have
his sons
Wilfred and David with us. Patson has been an inspiration to us all
and his
singing has spurred us to new heights.
For latest Vigil
pictures check:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
.
FOR THE RECORD: 130 signed the register.
FOR YOUR
DIARY:
· Next Glasgow Vigil. Saturday 13th September 2008, 2 - 6 pm.
Venue:
Argyle Street Precinct. For more information contact: Patrick Dzimba,
07990
724 137.
· ROHR launch meeting in Birmingham. Saturday 13th
September 2008,
1.30 - 5 pm. Venue: the Bengali Association Midlands,
Cuthbert Road, Winson
Green, Birmingham, B18 4EE. For further information
contact: Emnah Zibgowa -
07846 005 120, Paradzai Mapfumo - 07932 216 070,
Des Parayiwa - 07815 565
335.
· ROHR launch meeting in Ashford.
Sunday, 14th September 2008,
1.30 --5 pm, Venue: 61 Bryony Drive, Ashford,
Kent TN23 3RF. For further
information contact: W Munyemweri - 07915 201
211, L Munyemweri - 07932 330
166, Paradzai Mapfumo - 07932 216
070.
· Zimbabwe Association's Women's Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays
10.30
am - 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton
Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury
Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355
(open Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Vigil co-ordinators
The Vigil,
outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place
every Saturday
from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of
human rights by
the current regime in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in
October 2002 will
continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair
elections are held
in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
Yahoo News
Sun Sep 7,
8:02 AM ET
HARARE (AFP) - Teachers in Zimbabwe's public schools have gone
on strike to
press for higher pay, a union spokesman on Sunday, despite a
pay rise for
civil servants announced by the
government.
"Teachers are staying at home. They want a decent salary
which can enable
them to look after themselves and fulfil their
responsibility to their
families," Raymond Majongwe, secretary-general of
the Progressive Teachers'
Union of Zimbabwe, one of the two main teachers'
unions, told AFP.
The state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper said the
government agreed to a pay
rise for civil servants backdated to August to
cushion the effect of the
country's run-away inflation.
"Negotiators
reached an agreement with transport and housing allowances
emerging as major
points," the newspaper said.
But Majongwe denounced the measure as
"piecemeal".
"The strike is not about housing and transport allowances.
It is about the
general welfare of the teachers and their families including
their parents
who need to be looked after," he said.
Majongwe said
the strike, which began on Thursday, a day after schools
resumed, "will
continue until we get a wholesale solution to our grievances.
Teachers ...
can't continue to borrow money to go to work."
"In the 1980s a teacher
could buy a house, in the 1990s a teacher could buy
a car, but as things
stand today, a teacher is so impoverished he cannot
afford to buy even a
pair of shoes," he said.
Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate zoomed to 11.2
million percent in June,
official figures said last month, amid a ruinous
political crisis which is
exacerbating the southern African nation's
meltdown.
Some teachers in Zimbabwe supplement their incomes by selling
sweets and
stationery to their pupils while others practise what has been
dubbed
"remote-control teaching", where they leave a senior pupil in charge
of
their class while they look for a second job or ways to supplement their
income.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=3568
September 7, 2008
By Our
Correspondent
HARARE - Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan
Tsvangirai
failed to attend a preparatory discussion held on Saturday in
Mbabane,
Swaziland, ahead of the final round of inter-party power-sharing
talks
scheduled for Monday in Harare.
Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe in
Mbabane to witness King Mswati's 40th
birthday bash, attended.
MDC
officials said Tsvangirai had not attended Saturday's meeting believing
it
would only be of a technical nature to appraise the newly sworn-in chair
of
the SADC troika on Politics, Defence and Security, Mswati III, on the
status
of the Zimbabwean talks.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Tsvangirai was
unable to attend, adding he
had sent his apologies to King Mswati III. He
said the party was preparing
for a historic celebration of the 9th
anniversary of the MDC, which is
scheduled for Mkoba Stadium in Gweru
Sunday.
On Thursday Tsvangirai, who now appears to be dictating the pace
of the
talks, refused to sign what the MDC says it regards as a defective
power-sharing deal. Mugabe had given the MDC leader up to Thursday to sign
the power-sharing agreement; threatening to name a Cabinet if he did not
append his signature to the deal that day.
President Thabo Mbeki had
been expected in Harare Thursday to witness the
signing but cancelled the
trip after Tsvangirai informed him that he would
be available to
sign.
The meeting was re-scheduled to Monday.
King Mswati had
hoped to bring the negotiating parties to a roundtable
during Saturday's
Swaziland 40th independence anniversary, which coincided
with his 40th
birthday - to try and finalise what has remained an elusive
deal. But the
plan flopped after Tsvangirai stayed away from the
celebrations - attended
by 14 heads of state.
US deputy secretary of State for African Affairs
Jendayi Fraser also
attended the celebrations. She told reporters in Mbabane
Friday that if
Mugabe followed through on his threat to install Cabinet
without Tsvangirai,
such a cabinet would be "a sham".
She added that
any deal arising from the power-sharing dialogue should
reflect the will of
the people of Zimbabwe, as expressed in the March 29
general
election.
Mugabe joined Mswati for the traditional independence
celebrations held at
Somhlolo Stadium outside the capital Mbabane, where he
received a standing
ovation on arrival. He reciprocated by raising his
familiar clenched fist
salute.
The celebrations were held amid
widespread protests by civic groups and
trade unions in Swaziland. They
raised concerns about official extravagance
amid grinding poverty and a
ravaging HIV/AIDS crisis.
Thousands of bare-breasted Swazi maidens formed
a guard of honour for the
king as he drove around the stadium waving from an
open-top BMW 4×4 vehicle.
State television here announced that Mugabe
arrived back in Harare Saturday
night with a full day before the final round
of power-sharing talks on
Monday morning.
It was not clear if
Tsvangirai, who has said he is wasting his time
attending the talks, would
attend.
Tsvangirai said Friday he did not believe that Mugabe was serious
about
sharing power with him, adding he had tried everything to make
significant
concessions but Mugabe was digging in and refusing to make
amends.
Former information minister Bright Matonga said that the
forthcoming leg of
the dialogue that starts on Monday under the facilitation
of Mbeki would
bring together all representatives from Zanu-PF and the two
MDC factions in
order to work on the details of power-sharing.
Plans
to name a new Cabinet had been held in abeyance.
Chamisa said all was set
for the "crucial" 9th anniversary celebrations
Sunday. He said the party was
looking forward to Tsvangirai's key note
address in which he is expected to
chart the way forward for the party.
"We are looking forward to the
president outlining the journey we have
traveled," Chamisa told The Zimbabwe
Times. "He will outline the direction
in which we are heading, the
challenges we are facing, the opportunities,
and the threats; how do we
ready and prepare ourselves for the great task
ahead.
"It's an
important meeting. It's the only rally we have ever had since the
people's
historic victory on March 29. It's a crucial anniversary, coming at
a
crucial time."
Associated Press
24
minutes ago
NEW YORK (AP) - Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of
the United States
beat Lisa Raymond of the United States and Samantha Stosur
of Australia 6-3,
7-6 (6) Sunday to win the U.S. Open women's doubles
championship for the
first time.
It's the fourth Grand Slam
tournament title as a team for the top-seeded
Black and Huber. They also won
Wimbledon in 2005 and 2007, and the
Australian Open in 2007.
They
didn't drop a set at Flushing Meadows.
Black also won this year's U.S.
Open mixed doubles title, pairing with
Leander Paes to beat Huber and Jamie
Murray.
The 10th-seeded Raymond and Stosur, the 2005 U.S. Open champions,
also were
the runners-up at Wimbledon this year, losing to Venus and Serena
Williams
in that final.
The Williams sisters didn't enter the U.S.
Open doubles event.