http://www.ft.com
By Tony Hawkins in Harare
Published:
September 7 2010 17:04 | Last updated: September 7 2010 17:04
The
Zimbabwe High Court has formally revoked an earlier judgment that
restored
mining rights to part of the disputed Marange diamond field to a
UK-registered company, African Consolidated Resources.
The Marange
field, where human rights groups say that smuggling is rife and
villagers
have been coerced into working, is now controlled by the
Zimbabwean
government through the state-owned Mining Development
Corporation.
Last September, Mr Justice Charles Hungwe declared ACR
the rightful owner of
the mining claims and said their appropriation by the
state-owned company
had been unlawful. On Tuesday, however, the same judge
reversed his position
supposedly in the light of new evidence.
Mr
Justice Hungwe said that ACR had concealed important information in its
application to the court last year. "I find that applicants have no locus
standi in judicio (no standing at law) to seek the order that they seek in
the counter application on the basis that they do not have any title to any
claims in the Marange diamond fields."
He added: "It seems to me now
that quite a lot of information was kept away
from the court."
But
Andrew Cranswick, chief executive of ACR, responded by saying that the
company would appeal to the Supreme Court. "ACR as a company remains ready
and willing to reach a compromise settlement with government on the issue,"
he added.
ACR's Marange mining licence was cancelled by the
government in 2006. The
diamond field may allow Zimbabwe to export gems
worth as much as $2bn a
year, according to Filip van Loere, an Antwerp-based
expert. This would
double the country's existing level of
exports.
Diamond exports from Marange were suspended by the Kimberley
Process, the
industry regulator, last year amid concerns about human rights
abuses.
However, permission for the resumption of exports was given last
month and
Zimbabwe has subsequently sold 900,000 carats from its 6m-carat
stockpile
for $56m.
Mr van Loere said Zimbabwe could produce 40m
carats a year and become a
bigger diamond producer than Botswana, South
Africa and Russia. But he
cautioned that a rapid expansion of production
would force diamond prices
down.
Zimbabwe could add 20 per cent to
the global diamond trade, he said, but
then prices might fall by as much as
60 to 70 per cent.
Analysts believe that Zimbabwe's government under
Robert Mugabe, the
president, would never allow such a valuable asset to be
in the hands of a
foreign-listed company. They argue that, regardless of the
legal position,
ACR would not get its mining rights back. Indeed, industry
analysts believe
that even if the company were to win its appeal in the
Supreme Court, it
would still be forced to give up its rights, leaving it
with little choice
but to launch another legal battle for compensation
http://www.voanews.com
Sources in court
Monday said Hungwe seemed ill at ease delivering the
ruling, noting that he
made a number of mistakes reading it, leading some
critics to speculate that
he had not drafted the opinion
Sandra Nyaira | Washington 07 September
2010
London-listed mining company African Consolidated Resources
expressed
surprise Tuesday at the ruling this week by Zimbabwean High Court
Judge
Charles Hungwe reversing his own September decision in favor of the
company
in a diamond mining rights dispute with the Harare
government.
Hungwe's decision drew harsh criticism, some alleging he had
caved in to
pressure from the government to make a 180-degree turn in the
case to secure
Harare's interest in the rich alluvial deposits. ACR won
concessions in the
field but the government pulled them in 2006 and took
over Marange.
ACR shares quoted on the London Stock Exchange's
Alternative Investment
Market fell another 16 percent on Tuesday after
sliding as much as 20
percent on Monday on the news. The stock was quoted at
9.25 pence late
Tuesday, well off its 52-week high of 16.96
pence.
Justice Hungwe said he reversed his ruling because the license
first issued
to African Consolidated Resources was granted in error because
its Zimbabwe
subsidiaries were not registered.
Sources present in
court Monday said Hungwe seemed ill at ease delivering
the ruling, noting he
made a number of mistakes reading it and had to repeat
himself a number of
times. Some critics inferred from this that he had not
drafted the ruling
himself. Hungwe could not be reached for comment.
Speaking from the
United Kingdom, ACR Chief Executive Andrew Cranswick said
his firm intends
to appeal to the Supreme Court - though he added that the
company is
prepared to settle with the Harare government on the long-running
and
tangled case.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional Coordinator Dewa
Mavhinga, who has
followed the Marange situation closely, said the latest
decision from Hungwe
was simply shocking.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Published: 4:31PM BST 07 Sep 2010
Zimbabwe's
Movement for Democratic Change has appealed to the South African
government
to delay a plan to send undocumented refugees back to the country
amid fears
they face increased poverty and persecution.
South Africa’s Home
Affairs department announced last week that it was
revoking a special
dispensation it had afforded Zimbabweans fleeing Robert
Mugabe’s shattered
country to live, work, study and access basic healthcare
over the border for
six months.
Amid claims that the situation in Zimbabwe is improving with
an
international ban on its diamond sales lifted and agricultural production
on
the up, the government will renew deportations of Zimbabweans who fail to
legalise their presence by December 31.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the
South African Home Affairs minister, said
Zimbabweans would be treated
leniently when they came to apply for permits
to remain.
She insisted
that South Africa - which is the region’s chief mediator
nudging the fragile
MDC/Zanu-PF coalition government towards possible
elections in the country
next year - was making no judgement about the
situation in
Zimbabwe.
“All that we are saying is that the Zimbabweans who are in
South Africa must
present themselves to the authorities and say who they are
and what they are
doing,” she said.
The MDC and civil rights groups
have warned however there was no way the
authorities could regularise all
Zimbabweans in time, meaning they would
either be forced home to risk attack
by Zanu-PF activists or face an
increased threat of xenophobia and police
harrassment in South Africa.
Although there are no official figures for
the number of Zimbabweans living
in South Africa, the International
Organisation for Migration estimates it
is between 1.5 and two
million.
Austin Moyo, the MDC chairman in South Africa, claimed there was
already a
backlog of 200,000 asylum applications to be processed.
“We
are appealing for patience from the South African government until at
least
the elections are held in Zimbabwe,” he said. “Then we can start to
have the
negotiations over a managed repatriation process instead of a
situation
where people are just dumped in the country.”
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
07 September
2010
The National Healing and Reconciliation Organ, set up under the
coalition
government, has been described as a failure by participants who
attended a
workshop in Bulawayo over the weekend.
One of the three
Ministers in the 'Organ,' Sekai Holland, came in for some
harsh criticism
from war veterans previously in the Zimbabwe People's
Revolutionary Army
(ZIPRA). Reports say there was a heated exchange between
some of the
veterans and Minister Holland, who was officiating at the launch
of a new
non-governmental trust meant to assist victims of political
violence.
The Newsday newspaper quotes ZIPRA war veterans'
association deputy chairman
Buster Magwizi telling Holland; "This thing
called National Healing Organ is
just useless because of your incompetence.
You guys in the National Healing
Organ have done absolutely nothing since
its formation because you are
incompetent."
On Tuesday Holland told
SW Radio Africa 'our role is advisory'. She said
they were consulting
various stakeholders, including traditional leaders,
churches, civil society
and the political parties, and this would culminate
in an all-stakeholders
conference next year. Holland said this conference
'will come up with a
national code of conduct which then goes to Parliament
where we then get the
mechanism that will create an infrastructure of peace
in
Zimbabwe.'
Critics say the formation of the Zimbabwe Victims of Organized
Violence
Trust shows the frustration with the government process. The
organization is
led by 54 year old Patience Nabanyama, whose husband Patrick
Nabanyama was
abducted in 2000 by 10 armed state operatives and never seen
again. Holland
however told us; 'What those NGO's are doing is precisely
what Zimbabweans
are supposed to do. The job of the Organ is to facilitate
the process and
arrive at a peaceful culture.'
Holland and Vice
President John Nkomo are leading the National Healing
Organ, following the
death of its third minister Gibson Sibanda last month.
While the focus has
been on the alleged 'incompetence' of the ministers some
commentators say
the major issue is Mugabe's relentless hold on power and
continued
protection of ZANU PF thugs who masterminded the political
violence and
murder.
Newsreel pressed Holland on whether the Organ was tip-toeing
around
confronting the real problem of continued ZANU PF impunity. She told
us;
'The GPA is a compromise agreement and we can't work to produce what one
party wants. So we have to use strategies that allow us to have common
ground to build together.'
Meanwhile, as the constitutional outreach
exercise has shown, ZANU PF will
not hesitate to use abductions, torture and
other forms of intimidation to
drive their political agenda while the MDC
cry foul.
NB: For the full interview between Lance Guma and National Healing
and
Reconciliation Minister Sekai Holland, tune it to Behind the Headlines
this
week Thursday.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
07 September
2010
Nyanga North MP Douglas Mwonzora managed to evade arrest on Monday
evening,
in connection with charges against him of ‘insulting’ Robert
Mugabe.
Mutare lawyer Tinoziva Bere intervened when an arrest warrant was
about to
be served on Mwonzora, who missed his court date on Monday.
Mwonzora, who is
chairperson for the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee
(COPAC), had
refused to attend the court hearing because of his COPAC
duties. Bere said
that the matter was resolved “amicably” with the state
prosecutor and the
case will instead be heard in October.
Mwonzora faces
charges of insulting and undermining the authority of Mugabe
at a political
rally at Ruwangwe in March 2009. The MP also faces another
count of
undermining the authority of the police.
It is alleged that Mwonzora said:
“President Mugabe Chikwambo uye
achamhanya…Ndaona Mugabe achigeza, tauro
muchiuno, sipo muhapwa,uye ndebvu
hwapepe. Pamberi neMDC; Pasi
nechihurumende chembavha chinosunga vanhu
vasina mhosva chichitora zvinhu
zvavo.”
Literally, this means: “President Mugabe is a goblin and will
run…I saw
Mugabe bathing, towel on his waist, soap under his armpit and big
beard.
Forward with MDC and down with a bad government of thieves which
arrests
innocent people taking away their property.”
The charges come
with a stiff sentence if Mwonzora is found guilty. Last
week a 23 year old
man was sentenced to just under a year behind bars with
hard labour, for
‘insulting’ Mugabe. Gift Mafuka was accused of making an
“insulting” remark
to two children wearing pro-Mugabe T-shirts, apparently
asking the boys why
they were wearing T-shirts picturing an old person with
wrinkles. Mafuka was
found guilty of contravening the Criminal Codification
and Reform Act, by
“insulting the office of the President.” However, his
sentence was reduced
by two months on condition he does not call Mugabe ‘old’
again in the next
five years.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Sidney Saize
Tuesday, 07
September 2010 15:56
NYANGA - Fresh violence continues to mar Copac
meetings in Nyanga.
The MDC-T Manicaland chairperson Patrick Chitaka said
soldiers clad in
civilian attire and suspected Zanu PF activists yesterday
chased away
Manicaland province's COPAC teams belonging to the
MDC.
Chitaka said there was a fight between the party supporters at
Bumhira
following a misunderstanding, but the police allegedly arrested only
MDC
members. He said at least 10 MDC members were arrested and are detained
at
Nyanga police station.
"Only our members were arrested after the
mayhem but we know it takes two to
tango. It is shocking the police are
still behaving like in the olden days,"
said Chitaka.
Chitaka, who is
also the senator for Mutasa-Nyanga said the 10 are yet to be
charged.
He said at least three meetings in Nyanga's Manjoro's and
Bumhira
village,about 150km north-east of Mutare were aborted as officials
from the
MDC had to flee fearing for their lives.
"At another centre,
COPAC officials from the MDC had to run for dear life as
known soldiers in
civilian clothes and Zanu PF activists charged at them
intending to harm
them. We made a hasty escape from the centre and abandoned
the meeting,"
Chitaka said.
But the Senator for Chimanimani constituency, Monica
Mutsvangwa, who is also
the co-chairperson for the Manicaland COPAC teams,
dismissed the reports of
violence and intimidation saying she and her
co-chairperson, Senator for
Mvurachena Cephas Makuyana had not received such
a report.
"No violence has been reported to us or which we have
witnessed. The police
are in full control they are all over the place; we
have police in uniform
and others in civilian and we have not had any
serious problem. There were a
few altercations here and there but we cannot
call that violence," said
Mutsvangwa.
Meanwhile, the teams are off to
Chimanimani and Chipinge districts to make
up for lost time when the teams
last visited the districts and the meetings
were marred by protests and
violence. At least two centres in Chipinge,
Ratelshoek and Checheche have
been singled out as not fit for re-visits
because there could be
violence.
The last time the teams left in a huff following fierce
violence that broke
out between party supporters.
http://news.radiovop.com
07/09/2010 10:57:00
THE
Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) outreach team that was
kicked
outof Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo because of non-payment of bills has
been
booked at some hotels around Bulawayo.
COPAC co-chairperson, Mr Edward
Mkhosi said that they have managed to book
the outreach team at various
hotels dotted around Bulawayo though he denied
to name the hotels. "WE have
managed to get themm booked in some hotels
around Bulawayo but the sad story
is that the outreach team in Masvingo is
threatening to go on strike over
non-payment of their allowances for the
past four weeks," said mr mkhosi. He
said that they will start paying all
the dues to the taem though the money
was not enough to pay them in advance.
"We cannot pay them in advance
because some of the outreach team members
have developed a tendancy of
missing out outreach meetings and attending to
their personal
business.
"l am informed that the outreach team at Chevron Hotel in
Masvingo wants to
go on stike due to non-payment of their allowances. They
have no money to
buy food and very soon they might also be kicked out the
facility," said Mr
Mkosi. The Copac outreach teams have not been paid for
some time now due to
lack of funds to meet the programme. The Ministry of
Finance and United
Nations Development Programme have failed to release
funding to the teams.
Meanwhile, at a media workshop held in Mutare,
Copac co-chairperson, Mr
Douglas Mwonzora has blamed the media for covering
negative issues taking
place at copac instead of giving positive
coverage."The media is bent on
giving us bab publicity and this is a big
task we are bound to have negative
issues but dont blow them out of
proportion," said Mr Mwonzora. According to
COPAC, Bulawayo and Harare will
be covered next week and
it would be a one day excercise depending with
resources.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Irene Madongo
07 September
2010
Reports that 19 security officers have been dismissed by
the
MDC-T reflects that the organisation has a need for 'cleansing' and
further
highlights the existence of a power struggle in the party, a
political
analyst has said.
On Sunday the Standard newspaper reported
that the MDC-T had fired 19 senior
security officers from its Harvest House
headquarters, on allegations that
they were supplying vital party
information to state security agents. The
newspaper also linked their dismal
to a power struggle between party
secretary-general and Finance Minister
Tendai Biti and Tsvangirai's advisor,
Ian Makone.
The Standard said
it has seen the letters of termination of employment,
signed by the MDC-T
human resources and administration director Kudakwashe
Matibiri. However a
senior MDC-T party official told SW Radio Africa that
the newspaper report
was false, saying the officers have not been dismissed
but were on
suspension and the case was being dealt with.
But on Tuesday political
analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW Radio Africa
that he believes that
the report that the security staff were dismissed is
true as ZANU PF and
state agents have infiltrated the MDC-T. He also said
that the staff
shake-up is part of a power struggle between Biti and Makone.
According
to the Standard, Tsvangirai wanted the officers reinstated but
some members
in the Biti faction were blocking the move as they had already
employed
people who are allegedly loyal to the Finance Minister. The paper
claimed
that the ongoing reshuffles, including the first one this year in
June, were
an attempt by Makone to counter Biti's growing influence in the
party.
Makumbe said: "There is usually fire when you see smoke. I am
aware that
there is a tussle between the two, and I know that there are
people in the
MDC who think Ian Makone is getting unduly close to Morgan
Tsvangirai and
they would like to clip his wings.
"There are
underlying machinations between the two groups. The first
reshuffle was
aimed clearly at diffusing some of those machinations. This
second one is
aimed at diffusing and neutralizing one corner for the benefit
of the
other."
Makumbe added that reports that the dismissed workers were
neither brought
before a disciplinary committee nor given terminal benefits,
some after
working for the party for nearly a decade, shows the MDC-T is now
using
Robert Mugabe's antics to deal with people.
"It says even the
democratic change we are looking for may have to start
with the MDC itself.
Internal democracy, internal discipline, is really
still lax within the MDC
itself, and that needs to be tightened up. There is
no excuse for dismissing
without following due process, a democratic party
would follow due process,"
he said.
He added that: "We are all damaged by Mugabe, we are all victims
of Mugabe's
style of leadership. Even when we form our own political parties
sometimes
we still copy from how Mugabe would have handled things; Tekere
was never
placed before a disciplinary committee."
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
7 September
2010
Analysts have predicted that Zimbabwe would be thrown into serious
political
turmoil if long time President Robert Mugabe dies in
office.
In recent weeks news of Mugabe's allegedly failing health has
dominated many
newspaper columns around the world because recent pictures of
Mugabe showed
him walking unsteadily and requiring the assistance of aides
to negotiate
stairs. But the 86 year-old ZANU PF leader's health has been a
closely
guarded secret for decades.
Notwithstanding his advanced age
and 'deteriorating' health Mugabe,
nevertheless appears determined to seek
re-election in the next poll, once
the redrafting of a new constitution is
complete next year.
Academic and political researcher Clifford Mashiri
told us this scenario
increases the chances that he might die in office, or
due to old age will
become incapable of performing the duties of his office,
by reason of mental
or physical incapacity.
'There is a danger that
if he (Mugabe) dies while still in power, there are
chances the country will
be left in disarray as factions in ZANU PF fight to
gain control of power.
What is clear after 30 years of Mugabe at the helm of
ZANU PF is that the
party is incapable of resolving the succession issue,'
Mashiri
said.
He added; 'The possibility of a military coup cannot be ruled out
but it is
less likely if a person from ZANU PF takes over through an act of
Parliament. It would be a different case if someone not from ZANU PF takes
over or if there is a mass rising against anyone from ZANU PF taking
over.'
Mashiri said people should always look at the powerful generals as
'dirty
rich soldiers' who will do anything to protect their wealth, and the
situation can only get worse if ZANU PF loyalists in the military split over
their choice of leader.
Derek Matyszak has written a paper for the
Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU)
titled 'Drop dead beautiful? Legal notes on
death and the President.' It
looks at the legal position and what ought to
happen in terms of the current
constitution if Mugabe were to die
today.
He writes that Section 29 of the Constitution provides that if the
president
becomes incapable of performing his duties, he will cease to hold
office if
a joint committee of the Senate and House of Assembly formed at
the request
of a two thirds majority of Parliament recommends
this.
Another analyst said by law, this was the only plausible way of
replacing
Mugabe democratically if he fails to complete his presidential
term but
doubted this would happen under a military that supports ZANU
PF.
'As long as you have these generals who rose through ZANLA ranks
forget
about power transfer when there are no security sector reforms in
Zimbabwe.
Look back at a series of recent events where power transfer was
impossible
even when it was clear Mugabe and ZANU PF lost the elections,'
the analyst
said.
Writing in the British Guardian newspaper last
week, Blessing-Miles Tendi,
the author of 'Making History in Mugabe's
Zimbabwe: Politics, Intellectuals
and the Media' said it is time people
started thinking seriously about a
post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.
'The great
leader seemingly appears healthy and unflappable in public. But
all is not
well with Mugabe, and we must ready ourselves for his departure.
'It is
unlikely though that he will be able to unilaterally hand-pick and
impose a
successor in his party, it is rife with factionalism surrounding
two
powerful party figures; Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and the most
senior living guerrilla figure from the liberation war, retired military
general Solomon Mujuru,' Tendi said.
Tendi is of the view that Mugabe
has to negotiate a compromise successor
with these factions, lest his party
falls apart.
'But after years of avoiding the succession issue while
internal fissures
have deepened, Mugabe may be unable to manage and settle
the matter
effectively in his lifetime. If this happens, military generals
are likely
to have the most influence over Zimbabwe's future,' he said.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Peter Matambanadzo
Tuesday, 07 September
2010 17:41
HARARE - Two senior police officers have been arrested for
allegedly
conniving with owners of a bogus company to facilitate the
fraudulent sale
of vehicles worth over US$40 000.
Dzingirai
Cheche, an Inspector and Officer in Charge (Crime) at Highlands
police
station, and Ostern Takawira Pasi, a Chief Inspector and Officer in
Charge
at Mbare police station were Tuesday brought before a Harare
Magistrate's
Court on charges of fraud.
The pair is charged together with well known
Harare businesswoman Christine
Mavros of Highlands.
Cheche first
appeared before magistrate Olivia Mariga jointly charged with
Mavros on
three counts of fraud.
The charges arose between June and July this year
after Mavros and one Power
Musvosveri, alias David Mutakanya, who is still
at large, advertised in the
Press that their company Morgan Finance Pvt Ltd
was offering loans at an
interest rate of 15 percent to the
public.
They would require beneficiaries to surrender security in the
form of cars,
registration books, title deeds and electrical
gadgets.
According to the State, the other condition of getting the loans
was that
the beneficiaries would repay the company in three months at an
interest
rate of 15 percent after which they would be given back their
assets.
However, it is alleged that on June 23 this year, Mavros and
Musvosveri
fraudulently sold a Mercedes Benz owned by Clever Mudambo of
Chisipite to
Sylvester Tichivanga without the consent of the
owner.
The two would then go to Cheche, who used his office to process
fake
affidavits claiming that the owners of the cars decided to
sell.
On July 3 this year, it is alleged that the pair misrepresented to
one
Margret Chigwamba that Rutendo Nyatanga had sold her Toyota
Corolla.
The third count arose on July 21, 2010 after they allegedly sold
yet another
Toyota Camry belonging to one Langton Nhamburo who had
approached them
seeking a loan.
Using the same method, Mavros
and Pasi, allegedly conned two other loan
seekers and sold their vehicles, a
Toyota Chaser and a Toyota Mark II.
Mavros was remanded in custody while
the two police officers were granted
US$2000 bail each.
http://news.radiovop.com
07/09/2010 10:55:00
MUTARE,
7 September - Oppah Muchinguri, a powerful Zanu PF politician
instigated the
arrest of members of an untouchable syndicate involving a
former beauty
queen, a CIO operative and several police details who moved
around the
eastern border city extorting and robbing illegal diamond
buyers.
Muchinguri ordered senior police officers in Mutare to ensure
members of the
notorious syndicate were arrested after they had pounced on
her
close relative, also involved in illegal diamond buying. Former Miss
Mutare
Derleen Soma and a well known CIO operative Walter
Mupira
teamed up police officers to extort and rob illegal foreign diamond
buyers
of cash.
The eight have appeared at the Mutare Magistrates' Court and
granted bail.
The police officers who were arrested are Munyaradzi Muza,
Ernest
Kariwo, Gift Msipa and Tichawona Joseph. The operation was led by a
well-known diamond dealer, Trymore Gata and his friends Booker
Chinamasa,
Trevor Magirazi, Simo Korera and Blessing Tauro.
Police are hunting for
the other three police officers who are now on the
run. The three are Mike
Masenda, Terrence Mashaire and DumisaniNdlovu.
It is alleged the group on
eight different occasions robbed or extorted
money from 16 complainants from
June this year. They would go
to an illegal diamond buyer pretending to be
selling diamonds. They would
threaten the illegal buyers with arrest if they
did not buy
their diamonds. In the process they took varying amounts from the
illegal
diamond buyers.
Police sources said the syndicate's free
reign came to an end after they
approached a close relative of Muchinguri
and robbed her of US$1000.
Muchinguri's relative is also actively
involved in the buying of diamonds,
the police sources said. When
Muchinguri's relative was robbed by the gang
she immediately reported to her
and she instructed our bosses to make
arrests," said one senior police
officer based at Mutare Central Police
Station.
The source said if
the gang had not robbed a relative of a senior Zanu PF
official they could
not have been arrested because they appeared to
enjoy immunity. "The police
knew about their activities but for some reasons
they kept quiet. I am sure
if they had not hit the wrong person they would
not have been arrested,"
said another source.
http://www.voanews.com/
MDC
sources said the charges reflect an effort by ZANU-PF hardliners to
frustrate the former opposition party, sabotage the constitutional revision
process and undermine the unity government
Studio 7 reporters |
Washington 07 September 2010
Zimbabwe's troubled constitutional
revision process and the fractious
national unity government faced the risk
of further turmoil after word from
police that they intend to charge a
chairmen of Parliament's select
committee on constitutional revision with
insulting President Robert Mugabe
two years ago.
Select Committee
Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora of the Movement for Democratic
Change wing led
by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was supposed to appear
in court on
Monday on charges he called Mr. Mugabe a "goblin" during a 2008
rally,
warning the president he would soon be on the run.
Mwonzora, House member
for Nyanga North, was said to have refused to take a
summons from police in
August, but his lawyer and authorities have agreed
that he will stand trial
on October 29.
MDC sources said the charges reflect an effort by ZANU-PF
hardliners to
frustrate the former opposition party, sabotage the
constitutional revision
process and undermine the unity
government.
Mwonzora told VOA Studio 7 reporter Blessing Zulu the move by
police was
disturbing.
The constitutional outreach process continued,
meanwhile, with about 75
percent of meetings scheduled in the provinces now
held and the exercise in
Harare, the capital, and Bulawayo, the country's
second-largest city, slated
to unfold on the weekend of September
18-19.
Parliamentary and Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga
told VOA
Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere that outreach teams were mopping
up around
the country with only one or two districts each to complete at
this point,
while looking to cap the exercise in the two largest
cities.
In Mashonaland West province, sources said ZANU-PF constitutional
outreach
rapporteur Beauty Lilly Zhuwawo, wife of Patrick Zhuwawo, nephew of
President Mugabe, attacked outreach team leader Bednock Nyaude, lawmaker for
the Tsvangirai MDC for Bindura South, in a dispute said to have arisen over
the replacement of an absent ZANU-PF team member.
Sources said the
alleged attack occurred at the district administrator's
offices in Kadoma in
full public view as outreach teams were preparing to
leave for their
meetings in the district.
Provincial outreach team leader Editor Matamisa
told reporter Jonga
Kandemiiri that she had compiled a report and would be
sending it to the
committee's three co-chairmen for action.
http://www.apanews.net/
APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) A group
of Indian diamond executives is due to visit
Zimbabwe at the end of
September to explore rough diamond sourcing
opportunities in the southern
African nation, believed to sitting on more
than a quarter of the world's
diamonds, APA learns here Tuesday.
The 30-member delegation from Surat
Diamond Sourcing Limited (SDSL), the
Confederation of Indian Industries and
the banking sector are expected in
Zimbabwe between September 27 and 30 on a
mission to establish a long-term
relationship with the southern African
country.
An SDSL official Tuesday described Zimbabwe as the new frontier
for diamond
mining, describing the country as a key producer of rough gems
in the
future.
A Zimbabwe Mines Ministry official confirmed the visit
and said the mission
was at the request of the Indian diamond merchants who
are keen on
establishing a foothold on Zimbabwe's newly-discovered diamond
industry.
"The Indians are using the visit to strategically position
themselves ahead
of everyone else upon realizing that Zimbabwe is where the
future lies in
terms of diamond mining," the mines official told
APA.
The delegation is expected to meet Zimbabwe government officials and
representatives of the diamond industry during its stay in the
country.
SDSL was formed last month, grouping together around 1,500
small, medium and
large diamond merchants to float a company to directly
source rough diamonds
from mining companies across the globe.
The
company sources raw material from across the globe and sells to its
members
through a tender system.
This would not be the first time Indian diamond
merchants have targeted
Zimbabwean diamonds after buyers from the Asian
country snapped up more than
half of the 900,000 carats of gems auctioned by
Zimbabwe last month.
Zimbabwe is believed to be sitting on one of the
world's largest diamond
reserves that are estimated to be around 25 percent
of the world's total
resources.
The country's diamond sector has
however been mired in controversy over
human rights issues at fields near
the border with Mozambique, resulting in
most buyers from Western countries
ordering a boycott of stones from
Zimbabwe.
JN/daj/APA
2010-09-07
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Tobias Manyuchi Tuesday 07 September
2010
HARARE -- Zimbabwe's food security has been stable
throughout the year but
humanitarian assistance is needed in October when
the current food stocks
run out, the Famine Early Warning System (Fewsnet)
has said.
"Food security at the national level is stable with
contributions coming
from own cereal production and an improvement in the
private sector cereal
supply through imports," Fewsnet said in its August
and September report.
"Supply of basic commodities on the market has
remained constant, though
access to these goods remains a great challenge
for poor and very poor
households in both rural and urban areas."
The
hunger warning agency said most parts will have adequate food supplies
throughout this month but said drier and grain deficit areas in the
southern, western and northern parts of the country will need food aid in
October saying households will embark on coping strategies which include
livestock sales and limiting of food portions.
"Supplies from own
production are expected to have run out at the beginning
of the lean season
in October for most parts of the country, especially the
drier and grain
deficit areas covering the southern, western, and northern
parts of the
country," Fewsnet said.
"As stocks for most poor households start
diminishing, income generation and
common coping strategies employed across
the four livelihood zones of
concern may include: vegetable production
(gardening), brick molding,
livestock sales, consumption of wild foods,
firewood sales, thatch grass
sales, craft sales, reduction of meals, and
limiting of meal portions."
The southern African country, which was once
a breadbasket of the region,
has since 2001 experienced acute food shortages
chiefly blamed on President
Robert Mugabe's chaotic and often violent drive
to seize land from
experienced white farmers for redistribution to
blacks.
The farm seizures saw farm production tumbling by more than 60
percent after
Mugabe failed to provide funding inputs and skills training to
black
villagers resettled on former white farms to maintain
production.
But agriculture is showing signs of recovery with maize
production rising to
1.3 million tonnes in the 2009/10 season up from 1.2
million tones in the
2008/09 season.
Production of tobacco -
Zimbabwe's biggest single foreign currency earner
before farm seizures - has
also risen to 120 million kilogrammes or more
than double the 58 million
kilogrammes produced last season. - ZimOnline.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Own Corespondent Monday 06 September
2010
HARARE - Animal conservationists may have finally found the
elusive solution
to the age-old problem of rhino poaching - and the results
are as deadly as
the poachers' ruthless methods.
The fight against
rhino - and elephant - poachers has hitherto been a losing
battle, with the
ruthless criminal syndicates always appearing to be ahead
of the usually
under-funded and seemingly hapless game rangers in South
Africa and
Zimbabwe.
But the tables may be turning as game rangers and conservancy
owners hit
back targeting the very source of the problem - the end user of
the
illegally acquired rhino horn, in a move that is both ethically and
legally
questionable.
Just a few weeks after South African rhino
owners started poisoning the
horns in a move to deter poaching, the results
are beginning to show.
An alleged rhino horn customer in Thailand died
last month after he
purchased purposely contaminated rhino horn on the open
market in Bangkok.
Officials in Thailand are said to be frantically
trying to identify the
source as the powdered horn is sold in miniscule
amounts and they have no
idea how much has already been distributed
throughout Bangkok.
Bangkok hospitals have been put on standby for an
unprecedented influx of
new cases.
Officials are unable get
information as the rhino horn dealers in Bangkok
are being
uncooperative.
They neither want to be fingered as being the provider of
the poisoned horn
nor do they want to reveal their illegal international
sources.
The horn is believed to have come from a private game reserve in
South
Africa where have decided to inject an effective poison that is
harmless to
the animals but harmful - or even fatal - to those that ingest
the
contaminated horn.
South African rhino owners are becoming
increasingly desperate as the
country is being targeted by hi-tech rhino
poaching syndicates, believed to
be working with industry insiders to feed
the demand for traditional
medicine made from rhino horn in Vietnam and
China.
Four Zimbabweans were last week arrested while trying to kill
rhinos at a
conservancy in South Africa's Limpopo province.
South
African Police Service (SAPS)'s Colonel Alpeheus Mokale said the four
men
were nabbed following a tip-off from members of the public who spotted
them
trying to kill rhinos at Lephalale Game Reserve in the province close
to the
Zimbabwean border.
"We received information that people were hunting
rhinos at a certain farm
in Lephalale. We also seized a 0.30 rifle," Mokale
said.
The poachers are believed to be part of a rhino poaching syndicate
and the
police are hopeful the arrest would shed additional light on the
poaching
spree that has gripped South Africa.
Rhino poaching has
reached epidemic proportions in South Africa, with at
least 182 rhinos lost
so far this year.
South Africa's rhino population is being besieged by
well-organized and
well-armed rhino poaching syndicates that are believed to
be colluding with
industry insiders.
The poaching has increased in
recent months despite attempts by the South
African military to intensify
patrols within the park.
South African National Parks says the poachers
have become more
sophisticated and are often armed with the latest guns and
ammunition,
night-vision equipment and use small helicopters that can be
"loaded on the
back of a small pickup truck".
http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/
Opinionista
Brendah
Nyakudya
Dear Robert,
Through
the insanity that has been your reign there have been times when I
seriously
started to believe you were immortal and would live forever, but
just
recently your sister died and now I hear you are slowly losing your
battle
against cancer. It would seem all men die sometime.
It's with this in
mind that I felt the need to write this letter and say
things that have been
on my heart for a while, but never had a chance to
say. People fail to
understand my underlying loyalty to you which has often
been seen as some
insane allegiance to what they perceive to be a monster or
likened to the
warped sense of loyalty of a child to an alcoholic and
abusive father. I
hope from this piece they will see what I saw and get a
glimpse of what I
feel.
First of all, I want to say thank you. It was because of your
efforts that I
was born into a country that was indeed free and embodied the
very traits of
the rainbow nation that South Africa seeks to be today. I
have freely
enjoyed and taken advantage of the first fruits of liberation
that you
fought to give every person that called themselves Zimbabwean,
regardless of
their race. Post-war healthcare made tremendous advances and
black and white
sincerely lived side by side in harmony without the need for
constant
reminding to play nicely. We had the luxury of living in a country
where we
felt safe at all times and petty theft was the extent of our crime
worries.
There is a reason why the majority of displaced Zimbabweans would
go back
home in a heartbeat should things become tenable again and for this
I thank
you. It was because of the Zimbabwe you built for us.
Thank
you for emphasizing the importance of and giving so many resources to
education. When you observe countries with a lack of it you truly understand
the desperate need for it. Because of your belief in the need for every
child to have education of the highest standard, we proudly grew up to be
the country with the highest literacy on the continent. We are not who we
are by chance, it was because of your high standards that we developed a
work ethic that appreciates the need to labour hard to achieve one's goals
and this has held us in good stead when we had to survive in countries far
from home, it's given us an advantage over others because we get things
done. You never gave us BEE on a plate, thereby ensuring a culture of
entitlement never crept in.
While I am grateful for what you did for
us, there is a part of me that
feels extremely angry and betrayed by you. At
some point things went very
wrong, and I believe it all began when Sally
died. In your grief you forgot
that, though you lost a wife, we had also
lost a mother. You withdrew,
became angry and turned your back on us. This
rage was further fuelled by
what you perceived to be treachery by the Blair
administration with regards
to the land reform programme and Britain's
refusal to fund it. Your
obsession in righting this wrong destroyed us.
While I understand and fully
appreciate the principles behind your land
reform policies, the fact that
they were fuelled by fury made it a total
shambles. You didn't even see what
was happening around you. You were so
caught up in this one personal
vendetta, you single-handedly nearly ruined
my future and the future of all
the other millions of Zimbabweans that now
have to live as second-class
citizens in places so far from home in an
attempt to feed their families.
You stood by, watched us pack and go, all
the while calling us names, but
never once initiating dialogue to find out
why we were leaving.
Do you have any idea how bad it's become for those
of us not fortunate
enough to land on our feet? The pathetic lows we have
had to sink to - from
crime to prostitution - just to put food on our
tables, qualified teachers
and nurses having to settle for being maids and
security guards. You built
us up only to let us be torn down and persecuted
daily just for being
foreign; with some of us having to die for it. You
allowed the world to
strip us of our dignity while you turned a blind eye as
we became the
laughing stock of the world. You betrayed us by standing by
and allowing
greedy ministers in your cabinet to literally rape our country
for their own
gain, leaving nothing for anyone else. Hungry children
resorted to eating
bark from trees just to survive while
"she-devil-we-do-not-speak-of-who-you-married-in-a-moment-of-insanity"
shopped up a storm around the world.
Not once did you ever stop to
acknowledge or try to contain the imploding
mess around you. There was never
a time when you showed concern for us who
have to inherit this mess that you
created and are burdened with having to
work twice as hard in an attempt to
turn the country into anything
worthwhile for our children to
inherit.
You are dying now and the hyenas are baying at your door. As I
see it, you
have two options: You can either give in to the sharks and hand
over the
reins to the Mujuru's/Shiri's and plunge us into further darkness
giving the
world the right to remember you as a despot, or you can finally
right the
wrongs of the past years and handover to someone we can trust.
It's not too
late and you owe it to us. You owe it to me! I am praying
that in your
final moments your heart is filled with remorse and that when
you choose
your successor, you take time to remember the Zimbabwe you always
dreamed
of, think of Sally and what she would have wanted and, please sir,
just this
one time, think of us. May your final gesture be of you finding a
way to
somehow start to give us back the country you have held to ransom for
15
years.
I will mourn deeply when you are gone and I will take time
to remember the
fond memories. But I will also keep the bad memories close
at hand for one
day soon I will be in a position to make change and I want
to make sure I
don't make the same mistakes you did.
Until we meet
again,
Brendah
Public Affairs
Section
U.S. Embassy
Harare
The United
States government strongly supports the constitutional outreach process
currently underway in Zimbabwe. This consultative process is an important step
in the development and implementation of an inclusive, forward-looking
constitution that will contribute towards the establishment of democratic norms
and institutions in Zimbabwe. The United States is a contributor to the
UNDP-led funding mechanism for COPAC and remains committed to the overall
process of transition and the full and transparent implementation of the Global
Political Agreement. As future funding needs for the process become known and
are evaluated, the United States will work with other donors and the Government
of Zimbabwe to develop strategies for addressing these needs. The United States
is committed to helping build a better future for the Zimbabwean people.
Issued by Sharon
Hudson- Dean, Public Affairs Officer
September 3,
2010
PEACE WATCH 10/2010
[5th September 2010]
Monthly Roundup
Once a month Peace Watch will be sending out a summary of events and
issues of interest to peace workers highlighting reports of political violence,
reports on Zimbabwe that have been launched, examples of peace initiatives from
Zimbabwe and from other countries, training, workshops and other peace-related
news. Information sources are given and where full reports can be
obtained.
Constitution Related Violence
ZZZICOMP [the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the Zimbabwe Peace Project
and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights joint Constitution Monitoring Project] has
observers attending the constitution-making process outreach meetings, reporting
on proceedings including incidents of violence or intimidation. [electronic version of report available from: zzzicomp@gmail.com]
End of July weekly report: presents outreach-related experiences between 26 July and 1 August
particularly focusing on incidents that either enabled or disabled the
consultation process. Topics that are covered are: Constituencies covered,
Meetings held, Profile of Outreach Meetings: e.g. Highly, lowly
attended meetings, statistics of who attended, age, gender, etc. Furthermore
the report characterises the operational environment of many provinces as having
a climate of fear, with outreach consultations remaining stressed and prone to
incidents of intimidation, coaching, political interference and breaches of
freedom of speech.
Baseline report: released on June 16 gives an overview of what they have observed so
far of the Constitutional Outreach Programme. The report traces the process so
far, criticising the massive delays in the roll-out, lack of inclusion and
consultation of and with civil society. The report highlights that the
conditions for people to participate freely and fairly have been marred by
recurring violence. Violence, human rights abuses and “coaching” of peasants on
how to vote in the anticipated constitutional referendum is underway in most
parts of the country. Cases of torture, assault and other forms of intimidation
in which ZANU-PF youths, the police and the army are implicated have been
reported. A graph shows the widespread prevalence of constitution-related
violence in Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces between January and March this year. Of the
251 incidents of violence documented, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central had the
highest combined total of 73.
Intimidation of farm workers attending outreach meetings:
General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe
(GAPWUZ) said farm workers, especially those from Mashonaland Central and West,
have been forced to voice certain positions at outreach meetings and are being
silenced on issues related to land. [report available at http://www1.voanews.com]
Crisis Coalition Daily Catalyst Reports on Outreach: [24th August] Political differences caused temporary
disruption at an outreach meeting held at Chengeta Primary School in Chegutu,
Mashonaland West. The crisis coalition observer reported that a brawl started
when the ZANU-PF team leader refused to capture a contribution and the MDC team
member said their mandate was to capture the contributions of the people and not
to qualify them. The ZANU-PF team leader proceeded to insult the MDC team
member. The disruption caused some participants to abandon the
meeting. [Crisis reports available from:
publications@crisis.co.zw].
Sokwenele Constitution Roundup: gives comments from independent radio reports on violence connected
with the constitution-making process and sums up with the opinion that
“Characteristic to the 2008 election period ZANU-PF has engaged the use of
chiefs, war vets and militia to attack MDC and effectively undermine the
constitution making process. Reports of assaults,
displacements, arrests and harassments continue to be received and many people
are now too afraid to contribute freely at the outreach
meetings.” [available on: newsletter@sokwanele.com]
·
SW Radio Africa list violent incidents reported from Zvimba West, Headlands,
Hurungwe, Uzumba and Guruve South
·
VOA News reported that Zimbabwean teachers unions said their members have
again, as in 2008, become targets of political violence intended to silence them
in the constitution public outreach process. The Progressive Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe charged that a new wave of violence is rising against teachers under an
operation alleged to be mounted by ZANU-PF called “Operation Vharamuromo”
[Shona for “Operation Close Your Mouth”], intended to suppress
non-ZANU-PF views.
Reports of Politically Motivated Violence and
Arrests
Most of these incidents are also related to the constitution-making
process outreach meetings.
Arrests and abduction of MDC members in Manicaland and Masvingo:
During the month of August, war veterans and ZANU PF militia were
reported to be terrorising locals in Chipinge and Masvingo province, beating up
MDC members and those believed to be opposed to President Mugabe.
[sources: http://news.radiovop.com / http://www.swradioafrica.com]
Masvingo: Masvingo Ward 4 councillor and the director of elections were
arrested on August 18, accused of disrupting a ZANU PF meeting related to the
constitution outreach programme. Police were reported to be hunting down five
more MDC officials who they claim were involved in the same incident. MDC-T
Deputy Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment and three party legislators
were arrested by police in Masvingo on allegations of public violence. COPAC
was forced to suspend outreach meetings in Masvingo after. MDCT- T youth
chairman for Bikita David Hollman’s homestead was burnt after war veterans
leader Jabulani Sibanda addressed a rally in the area. Sibanda allegedly warned
MDC-T supporters that war veterans would repeat what they did in June 2008. At
least 10 meetings had been scheduled for Masvingo the following day and they
were all cancelled. COPAC co-chairperson, Douglas Mwonzora confirmed the
developments, revealing that Sibanda had been ordered to leave Masvingo in order
to make the environment conducive for villagers to give free and voluntary
comments. [Note There have been several press reports alleging war veterans
leader Jabulani Sibanda to be a key figure in targeting people who wanted to
speak freely during the ongoing constitutional outreach.]
Manicaland: 7 MDC-T Members were abducted at gunpoint in Ward 7, Chimanimani
East by state security agents and a ZANU (PF) Manicaland provincial member. The
State security agents accused the seven of being too vocal at a
constitution-making outreach meeting held in the area.
Zimbabwe Peace Project [June Report]
The month of June witnessed cases of assaults, harassment and
intimidation throughout the country. Seven out of the country’s ten provinces
recorded an increase in incidents of politically motivated violations and the
majority of these have been tied to the ongoing constitution-making process.
Cases of intimidation and harassment remained high in Mashonaland Central,
Midlands, Masvingo, Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces. The violations
were perpetrated by war veterans, ZANU PF youths and members of the State
security agencies, including the police, soldiers and Central Intelligence
Organisation [CIO] operatives. Threats to civil society work have continued
unabated with arrests and threats to arrest human rights defenders from the
police and political party leaders having been recorded during the month under
review. [Full report available from: zppinfo@gmail.com]
Other Incidents of Concern
State prosecutors tortured: Two State prosecutors who were based in Matobo in Matabeleland South
province fled the country earlier this month, after they were severely tortured
for their role in sending three war veterans to prison for stock theft. In
July, the State eventually convicted the war veterans were sentenced to 15 year
jail terms for stealing cattle from a farm that belonged to the late
Matabeleland South Governor, Stephen Nkomo. But mystery surrounds the release of
the three war vets from incarceration barely three weeks into their long prison
terms. When they were released they reportedly teamed up with CIO operatives in
Matobo to crack down on the prosecutors. The two prosecutors are now safe in
Johannesburg, South Africa.
Police torch shacks and arrest settlers: Police torched more than 100 shacks at an informal settlement in
Borrowdale. The police ordered the settlers to remove their possessions from the
shacks and go and build homes in their rural areas. After 10 minutes elapsed,
the police details ordered all the settlers to get into the police vehicle and
proceeded to torch at least a hundred shacks. The settlers were then detained in
the cold weather until the early hours of the morning when they were taken to
Harare Central Police Station. Lawyers were denied access to the settlers by
the Criminal Investigation Department section represented by one Superintendent
Muchengwa, who advised them that their clients would only be allowed legal
representation once they have been formally charged.
Reports Launched
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: “Taking transitional justice to the people – Outreach Report
Volume 2”. This report sets out the experiences of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum, its members and associates, who conducted outreach meetings in fifty-one
constituencies in its community-based programme to take the concept of
transitional justice to the community. The overriding plea of all the
participants was for truth recovery and truth disclosure to redress the human
rights abuses of the past and in so doing foster true national
reconciliation. [report available from: www.hrforumzim.com]
ZimRights has produced a national healing documentary
titled “Article VII
Voices for Healing” giving people in
grassroots communities a chance to speak out on the direction the national
healing process should take, on who should lead the process and what should be
done to bring about true healing in the country. It emerged that most
communities would like the process to be decentralised so that they can dictate
the pace of healing and reconciliation for themselves. People have indicated
that the national healing organ must not prescribe solutions, but should carry
out consultations on how communities want the process to be done. [available from: cmanjoro@ZimRights.co.zw]
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition report “Cries from Goromonzi - Inside Zimbabwe's Torture
Chambers” seeks to expose torture camps, the prevalence of the use of torture and act as a catalyst for security sector
reforms in Zimbabwe. [available from: info@crisis.co.zw] [Extracts from this report were in Peace Watch 4/2010].
Training, Workshops and Conferences
“Movies That Matter” supports Human Rights Film Screenings Worldwide:
Deadline: 15 September 2010. Movies that Matter offers modest
financial assistance and advice. It supports human rights film projects like
mobile cinemas, human rights film festivals, travelling film festivals, outreach
programmes, translation and subtitling of relevant human rights films and
educational activities at schools and universities. [find out more from: http://www.moviesthatmatter.nl/international]
Course on African Transitional Justice: The Institute for African Transitional Justice (IATJ) is hosting a
short course on African Transitional Justice in Kampala, Uganda from 21 – 27
November 2010. This residential course will consist of a series of interactive
lectures, workshops, and round table discussions focusing on the theme
“Addressing Transitional Justice in the Context of African
Challenges”.
[for details see: http://www.refugeelawproject.org]
On-line Peace and Conflict Course: The University for Peace (UPEACE) is offering an online course on
“Peace and Conflict Studies; The Foundation Course”. This is a 10-week
course, from 4 October to 10 December 2010. The course will be delivered by
UPEACE faculty members: Dr. Amr Abdalla and Dr. Victoria Fontan. It focuses on
understanding the complex and interconnected challenges to peace, as well as the
need for different approaches to meeting these challenges. [for more information see: http://www.upeace.org/elearning/courses]
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot
take legal responsibility for information supplied.