Zimbabwe Should Brace For More Power Outages

http://news.radiovop.com

10/04/2010 11:42:00

Bulawayo - Zimbabwe will face serious power shortages in the next six weeks
as the country's power utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority
(ZESA), carries out maintenance at Kariba.

This is coming at a time when Hwange Power Station is facing a generation
problem.

"The Kariba plant will be undergoing a maintenance programme and as a result
we will have a reduced output from Kariba power station and all this is in
preparation of the World Cup," ZESA spokesman Fullard Gwasira told Radio
VOP.

"The maintenance programme will be done starting on April 16 and ending of
May 21".

Gwasira said the maintenance is done in preparation for the June, Soccer
World Cup in South Africa .

ZESA is understood to be in need of  US$383 million to import power and
improve electricity generation amid reports that the utility is owed US$347
million in unpaid bills. The debt has ballooned from US$230 million reported
last year.

In 2008 ZESA entered into a US$15 million deal with ZIMASCO a local mining
firm to refurbish Hwange Power Station unit number five and six.

At the same time when Zimbabwean households and industry are experiencing
persistent power cuts of up to 20 hours daily, Zimbabwe is exporting power
to Namibia at a discounted tariff to meet requirements of a US$50 million
deal which has worsened the power crisis.

Under the deal signed in March 2007, Namibia , which provided Zimbabwe with
loan of US$50 million, is supposed to receive 180 megawatts for a minimum of
five years as part of a power purchasing agreement between Zesa and Namibia
's power utility, Nampower.

The US$50 million was meant to refurbish and expand Hwange Power Station to
levels that would have resulted in a "significant" reduction in power-cuts
throughout energy-crisis-hit Zimbabwe.
 

Red tape stalls Byo power project

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by The Zimbabwean
Friday, 09 April 2010 16:15

HARARE - The joint venture project between the Zimbabwe Electricity
Authority (ZESA) and Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to revive Bulawayo's
thermal power station is hanging in the balance amid reports that Harare is
yet to give the nod for the development.

With less than two months to go before the June deadline for work to
commence as agreed when the deal was signed last October, ZESA sources say
bureaucracy within the Harare establishment is stalling progress.
The sources said Power Development Minister Elias Mudzuri was becoming
impatient about the lack of progress on the project which was expected to
see the mothballed 90 megawatt Bulawayo thermal power plant restarted by the
end of June with help from BPC.

Refurbishment of the power station should have commenced in November last
year but has been delayed by red tape by the Zimbabwean government.

"Work should have started long back but government bureaucracy is stalling
progress. We were told by the minister that he was still waiting for Cabinet
go-ahead before we can proceed with the implementation of the deal," said a
source privy to developments at ZESA.

He said the agreement was currently being scrutinised by the Cabinet
committee on legislation.

Mudzuri could not be reached for comment last week.

Under the deal, BPC is supposed to finance the revival of the generation
units, in return for 50 percent of the power produced over a period of time.

BPC agreed to inject US$8 million to revive the mothballed Bulawayo thermal
power station, which has not produced electricity for nearly a decade.

The deal is similar to one agreed in 2008 with Namibia's utility NamPower,
which allowed the Windhoek-based company to invest US$45 million to
rehabilitate Hwange in exchange for electricity.

Zimbabwe is currently producing 1 100MW against a peak demand of 2 000MW and
imports between 300-500MW, mostly from Mozambique and Zambia.

Zimbabwe has over the years failed to attract independent power producers
despite having several power projects on the cards, which if implemented
would make the country a net exporter of electricity.

But an unstable political environment and lack of policies that encourage
private sector investment in the sector has kept potential investors away.

A unity coalition formed last year between rivals President Robert Mugabe
and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has raised investors' hopes.

ZESA has struggled to raise revenue from customers since the introduction of
multi-currencies last year as part of reforms to lift the southern African
country from a deep economic crisis.

S.Africa's Zuma slams firebrand youth leader

http://af.reuters.com

Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:59pm GMT

JOHANNESBURG, April 10 (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma on
Saturday told the head of the ANC youth wing, who has stirred controversy
with a series of racially tinged outbursts, that he must obey the ruling
party's discipline.

Youth leader Julius Malema has angered critics with his calls for
nationalisation of South Africa's mines and backing for Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe. This week he ejected a white journalist from a news
conference with a barrage a racial abuse.

Zuma castigated Malema on issues ranging from Zimbabwe, treatment of the
media and his refusal to stop singing a song containing the words "Kill the
Boer" that has been banned by the courts.

Zuma said Malema's conduct and statements were totally alien to the culture
of the African National Congress.

"The ANC Youth League is not an independent body. It exists within the
umbrella policy and discipline of the ANC," Zuma told a media briefing in
Durban.

Malema has no policy-making role but has become prominent through his racial
rhetoric and has a loyal following within the ANC Youth League and among
some black South Africans who feel the end of apartheid should have
delivered more.

Zuma rejected Malema's comments that the Youth League would support
President Robert Mugabe to win the next elections in Zimbabwe, where Zuma
has been trying to mediate an end to a ruinous political crisis.

"We cannot and will not side with any one of the parties to the exclusion of
others," Zuma said, adding that he would continue to facilitate a resolution
in Zimbabwe and to treat all parties with respect.

The ANC had already told Malema, 29, to avoid inflammatory language after
the murder of white supremacist Eugene Terre'blanche stoked racial tensions.
But Malema made clear on Thursday he would not be silenced. [ID:nLDE63804I]

"We reiterate that leaders should think before they speak, as their
utterances have wider implications for the country," Zuma said, adding that
Malema should respect the high court ruling banning the "Kill the Boer"
song.

"The dignity and decorum of the institution (court) must always be protected
and defended," he said.

Zuma also criticised Malema for expelling a British Broadcasting Corporation
journalist from a news conference on Thursday. On camera, Malema called the
reporter a bastard and "bloody agent" with a "white tendency".

Zuma said the manner in which the BBC journalist was treated was regrettable
and unacceptable, regardless of any provocation on his part.

ANC Disassociates Itself Form Malema's Views On Zimbabwe

http://news.radiovop.com/index.php/national-news/3618.html

10/04/2010 11:52:00

Harare, April 10, 2010 - South Africa's ruling African National Congress
(ANC)says it does not support President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party
saying they would rather remain neutral in Zimbabwe's cagey political
affairs.

 statement slamming ANC Youth President Julius Malema, for abusing a
journalist at a press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday and for
attacking the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main ANC wing said
Malema's outbursts were unfortunate and had tarnished the name of the ANC.

Malema abused a BBC journalist in front of the cameras and called him a
bastard soon after he pointed out to the fiery ANC youth leader that he also
stayed in the plush Sandton area. He had accused the MDC of being a
 "popcorn" party which was making noise from the luxury of Sandton.

Malema then ejected the BBC reporter.

He then went on to say the ANC supported Mugabe and his Zanu PF party and
said they would help them win elections next year. This statement is said to
have sent panic in the ANC leadership who are supposed to be neutral in
Zimbabwe's political affairs as they are mediating in the country's
political impasse brought about by Mugabe's refusal to fully implement the
Global Political Agreement (GPA).

During his Easter visit to Zimbabwe, Malema also repeatedly said the ANC
would make sure they supported and assisted Zanu PF to win the next
elections. He described the MDC as agents of imperialism and shouted "down
with MDC and Morgan Tsvangirai" slogans.

"The ANC would also like to strongly disagree and distance itself from
utterances by the ANC YL at their press conference yesterday (Thursday) that
they will support President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF to win the
forthcoming general elections in Zimbabwe.

"The ANC stance on the Zimbabwe issue is that we fully support the mediation
process that is currently underway, which is led and facilitated by
President Jacob Zuma.

"The ANC together with its government would like to see all political
parties in Zimbabwe (the two MDC's and Zanu PF) implementing the spirit and
the letter of the Global Political Agreement. It is therefore our view that
the ANC YL's expression of support for one party in Zimbabwe goes against
our country's and President Zuma's mediation efforts in that country," read
part of the statement.

The ANC went on to say that the outbursts by Malema did not only reflect
negatively on him, but also reflected negatively on the ANC YL, the entire
ANC family, their alliance partners as well as South Africa in the eyes of
the international community.

The MDC has expressed anger with Malema not only for his outbursts at the
Johannesburg press conference but for his attacks on the party during his
Easter weekend meetings with his colleagues in Zanu PF and a group of
business sharks in Harare.

The MDC will officially complain to Zuma next week about Malema's conduct.
Radio VOP has it on good authority that Malema's trip to Zimbabwe had
already caused tensions within the ANC before he even left that Zuma had to
hold a meeting with the controversial youth leader to try and reign him in.

Malema is loose cannon in the ANC and they were fears that his raw speeches
would inflame divisions in Zimbabwe's already shaky unity government and
would compromise Zuma's mediation efforts.

While Malema might have declared his love for Zanu PF it is generally
believed that the main ANC has never been friends with Mugabe and his party.
During their liberation struggle ANC was closer to the late Joshua Nkomo's
ZAPU while Zanu PF was close to the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

When Mugabe lost presidential elections in March 2008, the ANC was the most
vocal of the ruling political parties in the region demanding through Zuma
that the Zimbabwean strongman had to hand over power to the winner.

Zuma, who was not president of South Africa then also, put pressure on
Mugabe to release the presidential elections which had been delayed for a
month.
 

Ahmadinejad invitation sparks protests

http://www.thedailynewszw.com/?p=28768

April 9, 2010

By Raymond Maingire

HARARE - President Robert Mugabe has invited controversial Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to come and officially open this year's Zimbabwe
International Trade Fair in Bulawayo on April 23.

"President Ahmadinejad will open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair this
year on April 23," Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba told the state
media on Thursday.

It would be the first time that a leader from both the Persian Gulf and
outside Africa has been to Zimbabwe to officially open the annual premier
trade showcase.

Meanwhile, local human rights and journalist organisations have expressed
strong resentment over the impending visit by the Islamic leader who is know
for rights abuses and muzzling the press in his own country.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) condemned the decision by
Mugabe's government to invite Ahmadinejad, who viewed worldwide as an
incorrigible dictator.

"We see the visit by the Iranian leader as part of the exchange of notes
between the Zimbabwean government and the Iranian dictator," ZLHR
spokesperson Kumbirai Mafunda said.

"We are really worried that our government is still interested in making
friendships with repressive regime at a time it should be closing ranks with
progressive governments."

Similarly, ZimRights director Okay Machisa said his organization would not
recognize Ahmadinejad saying his track record of rights abuses was well
documented and unacceptable.

"The big question is who invited him?" said Machisa, "Was there any
consensus within the coalition government? Ahmadinejad continues to
see issues of human rights as minor and peripheral.

"We have more credible people who have been denied entry into Zimbabwe
and these are the likes of The Elders and the visitors from the UN Human
Rights Commission.

"If we had our own choice, we should have denied this person entry
into Zimbabwe."

Just like President Mugabe's re-election in 2008, Ahmadinejad was re-elected
in June last year in an election marred by massive political violence.

The two leaders have largely been ostracised by the progressive world for
their authoritarian leadership.

"Birds of the same further fly together," said Machisa, when asked what
could have occasioned the invitation of the Iranian leader by Mugabe.

Thousands were arrested and dozens killed after Ahmadinejad's disputed
re-election.

The violence was said to be the largest street protests since the 1979
Islamic Revolution.

Dozens were given jail terms while many as five people were slapped with
death sentences over their alleged role in the demonstrations.

Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders has also reported that the
situation for journalists in Iran was "getting worse by the day.

Journalists who have chosen not to the leave the country are being
constantly threatened or summoned by the intelligence services, including
the intelligence service of the Revolutionary Guards.

Some have been given long prison sentences at the end of completely illegal
judicial proceedings.

Ahmadinejad's Islamic government has also opened a new front in its drive to
stifle domestic political dissent and combat the influence of western
culture - by banning high-speed internet links while mobile phone
connections have routinely been disabled.

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) also condemned Ahmadinejad's
invitation to Zimbabwe.

"His visit from a journalism perspective is no cause for journalists
especially in Zimbabwe to celebrate especially as his country and Zimbabwe
are viewed as serious violators of press freedom," said ZUJ secretary
general Foster Dongozi.

MDC-M Harare Province distances itself from its leader

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

10 April, 2010 02:13:00

STATEMENT - The heaping of praises on President Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF by
our president Professor Arthur Mutambara at the recent Women's World Day
Commemorations does not represent the view of the party.

The statements which he is reported to have said are his personal views.

We are a party that endeavours to provide alternative leadership compared to
the ZANU-PF one, which has ruined our economy and certainly we see no reason
of hero-worshipping someone who has presided over the destruction of our
country.

Kurauone Chihwayi

MDC-M information and publicity secretary, Harare province

SA envoy: US must 'engage, assist' in Zimbabwe

Province Bars Zimbabwe NGO From Organizing Meetings on New Constitution

http://www1.voanews.com

Mashonaland Central Governor Martin Ndinha was said to have told local
officials to prohibit meetings called by the Zimbabwe Election Support
Network related to the ongoing national process of constitutional revision

Sandra Nyaira | Washington 09 April 2010

Zimbabwe's on-again, off-again constitutional revision took a step forward
on Friday as 210 rapporteurs for the public outreach phase that might begin
later this month completed two days of training in Harare.

But a new controversy cropped up in Mashonaland Central province whose
governor was said to have told local officials to prohibit meetings on the
constitution called by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network.

Meetings scheduled this week in the province were canceled though police had
earlier cleared them.

Provincial Governor Martin Dinha was said to have instructed local officials
to bar such programs, which the election support group had organized ahead
of the official outreach drive yet to begin. VOA could not reach Dinha for
comment on those reports.

ZESN says some of those who were intending to take part in the meetings were
threatened.

ZESN Outreach Officer Emma Chiseya in Bindura said the governor's action
reflected the level of intolerance that still prevails in some parts of
Zimbabwe and also violates the 2008 Global Political Agreement under which
the unity government operates.

The man playing South Africa's death card

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

As white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche is buried, the dangerously
charismatic Julius Malema threatens the country's future, says Rian Malan.

By Rian Malan
Published: 11:41PM BST 09 Apr 2010

We are not here to mourn the white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche, whose
funeral took place yesterday, but since his name is on the world's lips,
let's face the truth: the saddest thing about his murder last weekend is
that it obscured an event that casts an infinitely darker shadow.

The event took place in Zimbabwe, and involved, as fate would have it,
Julius Malema, the ANC Youth League leader whose repeated singing of an old
struggle song about shooting Boers is viewed by many Afrikaners as an
incitement towards precisely the sort of violence that claimed
Terreblanche's life. Even as an iron bar shattered the old right-winger's
skull, Malema was in Harare, feasting with Robert Mugabe and picking up tips
on how best to destroy the teetering remnants of Western influence here in
South Africa. Terreblanche's murder was an individual tragedy. Malema's
actions threaten to destroy an entire subcontinent.

Julius Malema is a chubby man-child who rose to prominence as Jacob Zuma's
attack dog, threatening violence against anyone who sought to block the Zulu
patriarch's rise to the state presidency. When Zuma emerged triumphant,
Malema found himself in the pound seats. A poorly educated 28-year-old, he
mysteriously acquired two posh houses, a fleet of cars and an obscenely
expensive Breitling watch - curious accessories for a man who positions
himself as champion of the poor.

Malema openly professes dislike for "children of the colonialists", a term
he insists is not synonymous with white people. At other times, he says he
doesn't hate white people, just the quality of "whiteness". In Malema's
circle, this sort of juvenile wordplay passes as intellectuality. His
utterances are often buffoonish, his politics a mix of crude populism and
sinister racial demagoguery.

Malema is the vulgarian who dismissed the woman who laid a rape charge
against Zuma as a slut, arguing that any female who stays for breakfast in
rape's aftermath "clearly enjoyed herself". He levelled similar slurs at
Opposition leader Helen Zille, calling her "a racist little girl" who slept
with all her male colleagues. In every case, he seemed to relish the
resulting outrage, especially if it came from whites. But this was a
sideshow. In South Africa, the real struggle is the struggle between rival
ANC factions, eager for power and its spoils. It is in this arena that
Malema's behaviour acquires a disturbing cast.

When Jacob Zuma came to power a year ago, most observers were expecting a
sharp turn Leftward, but the Zulu patriarch was at pains to allay such
concerns. He toured the UK and Europe, assuring financiers that their
investments were safe in South Africa. A few months later, Malema begged to
differ: nationalisation is very much on the cards, he said. Zuma's minister
of mines, Susan Shabangu, issued a stern reprimand, saying that South
Africa's minerals would never be nationalised "in my lifetime". Malema just
laughed, accusing Shabangu of "sucking up to monopoly capital" and hinting
she would soon be out of a job.

In African culture, it is shameful to address one's elders in this manner,
but Malema got away with it. Emboldened, he took to excoriating his
superiors for placing key economic ministries in the hands of whites and
Indians. Then he picked a fight with cabinet minister Jeremy Cronin, South
Africa's most visible white Communist, who had dared to opine that his
enthusiasm for nationalisation had much to do with a fondness for bling and
nothing to do with the plight of the poor. In response, Malema reportedly
sent Cronin a threatening SMS: "Wait to see what's coming to you."

Alarm was mounting, but Malema appeared untouchable. Two weeks ago, he made
an extraordinary speech at the wedding of Robert Gumede, an IT entrepreneur
grown rich off government contracts. Grinning malevolently, Malema warned
Gumede that the masses were coming to take his money away. Billionaire
Patrice Motsepe and ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa were told to expect a
similar fate. Zola Skweyiya, South Africa's high commissioner in the UK, was
mocked as a coward who had become "scared" of foreign capitalists. "Skweyiya
is telling investors in London that nationalisation of mines will not
happen," said Malema. The youth leader clearly had other ideas.

Insulting a man of Skweyiya's stature is an unspeakable violation of African
etiquette. Malema's utterances were also an outrageous violation of his
party's standing policy on nationalisation. I assumed the ANC's elders now
had no choice other than to put him firmly in his place. I was wrong. No one
said a word.

It was against this backdrop that Malema set forth for Zimbabwe last
weekend. In the past, he has always hewed to the ANC line: Mugabe's
disastrous policies will not be emulated in South Africa. The rule of law
will be upheld, the constitution respected. There will be no land invasions,
no nationalisation of mines or businesses.

But something has clearly changed. On his trip to Harare, Malema was met at
the airport by a clutch of notorious profiteers whose connection to the
great dictator enabled them to grow rich even as their country died. These
"vultures" are said to be slavering at the prospect of another killing as
Mugabe moves to dismember Zimbabwe's last surviving businesses and mines in
the name of "indigenisation".

By all accounts, Malema was thrilled to make their acquaintance. They
organised a crowd to sing his controversial song about shooting Boers. Then
they whisked him off in a presidential Mercedes Benz and put him up in
Harare's most expensive hotel. In return, Malema expressed his unqualified
admiration for the policies that have ruined Zimbabwe and vowed to press for
their adoption south of the Limpopo River.

"In South Africa, we are just starting," said Malema. "Here you are already
very far. We are very happy today that you can account for more than 300,000
new farmers, against the 4,000 who used to dominate agriculture. We hear you
are now going straight to the mines. That's what we are going to be doing in
South Africa. We want the mines. They have been exploiting our minerals for
a long time. Now it's our turn also to enjoy from those minerals."

On Thursday, Malema reiterated these sentiments at a press conference marked
by an ugly racial attack on a BBC reporter. There has been no repudiation.
The silence says something truly ominous: Malema has protection. Someone in
the ANC - either the president himself, or an awesomely powerful faction
inside the party - is encouraging him to rally the masses for a
Zimbabwe-style obliteration of Africa's only viable economy and last
surviving hope.

I thought that only the South African Communist Party (SACP) was capable of
irrationality on such a dumbfounding scale. I was wrong. Malema is not a
tool of the SACP. In fact, he's at constant odds with the SACP's leadership.
The other day he even resurrected Pretoria's old Red Menace theory, accusing
"yellow Communists" - a veiled reference to Indians in the party's
leadership - of plotting to control the ANC by secret means. Anyone who
voices such painful truths cannot possibly be an ally of the SACP.

Besides, the Reds are fairly sophisticated, whereas Malema's every utterance
is a cringe-inducing embarrassment. Listen to him in Harare last Saturday:
"They are so bright, so colourful, we refer to them as white people. Maybe
their colour came as a result of exploiting our minerals and perhaps if some
of us get opportunities in these minerals we can develop a nice colour like
them." This is not a coldly scientific Marxist-Leninist. It's Pere Ubu or
Idi Amin.

It could be that President Zuma has simply lost control of the ANC, or that
Malema is the puppet he uses to mouth ideas too radical to emerge from the
presidency. If you ask me, Malema is the point-man for a powerful ANC
faction whose motive is greed and whose chosen weapon is racial demagoguery
of the most primitive kind.

The trouble is that this card trumps all others. Our underclass is huge,
poorly educated and desperately poor. They know what happened in Zimbabwe,
but even so, the prospect of loot is irresistible, and that's Malema's bait.
Mandela gave them free houses. Mbeki gave them welfare grants, leading to a
situation where five million taxpayers support 13 million indigents, with
the total rising far more rapidly than our ability to pay. Now Malema and
the faceless vultures behind him are offering them the rest. They are
playing the death card, the Ace of Spades.

Te morituri salutant.

Marine helps save couple after hippo attack

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com

Corporal: 'Any Marine would have done the same thing'
By James K. Sanborn - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Apr 10, 2010 9:03:00 EDT

Hippopotamus attacks aren't covered during standard Marine training, but
that didn't stop one corporal from rushing to the aid of a married couple
while on safari in Zimbabwe after their inflatable canoe was flipped and the
husband mauled.

Cpl. Justin Trinidad, 24, a Marine security guard at the U.S. embassy in
Zimbabwe, was with his girlfriend, Kaylynn Hankey, when the hippo attacked
their tour group on the Zambezi River in mid-March. About 30 minutes into
the trip, the group - which included four canoes - asked for a break. As
they headed for shore, tour guides spotted the hippo and yelled for the
canoes to move away, but Javier and Patricia Franco didn't hear the warning.

"I look back and all I see is Mr. and Mrs. Franco thrown up in the air a few
meters," Trinidad told Marine Corps Times in a telephone interview from
Africa.

Patricia Franco was thrown clear of the hippo, but her husband came down
almost on top of it. That's when the animal chomped down on his leg, nearly
severing his foot, Trinidad said.

"She was screaming 'Help us; he has no leg,' " he said.

Despite his girlfriend's initial reluctance, Trinidad started to paddle
toward the couple.

"All I could think of was just, 'God watch over us, help us.' . We were
expecting any time for the hippo to come under us and just launch us into
the air," he said.

Eventually, they reached the distraught couple, who clung to the canoe as
Trinidad began rowing for land. However, a swift current threatened to carry
them downstream into rapids.

Hankey tried to stop them by grabbing a tree branch, but she was pulled from
the canoe. Fortunately, with the help of a guide, she made it safely to
shore.

Trinidad continued to fight the current and found a shallow spot where
Patricia Franco was able wade to shore, but her husband was unable to stand
and the canoe again spun out of control. It finally snagged on a rock, and
Trinidad was able to pull Javier Franco into the craft and get him to shore.

"That's when I realized his foot was hanging by a piece of skin. He started
bleeding a lot and I could see bone. It was pretty gruesome," he said.

Using a makeshift tourniquet, Trinidad stemmed the bleeding, but Franco was
screaming in pain.

"I was talking to him, trying to keep him from going into shock," he said.
". Then I remembered from the safety brief [the guides] said not to make
loud crying noises because wildlife might think you are wounded prey and
come over and eat you."

A family fishing nearby transported them by truck to a nearby hospital where
conditions were crude at best. Knowing that Franco's wounds required better
medical attention, Trinidad called the U.S. embassy and arranged for air
transport to Johannesburg, South Africa, more than 500 miles away.

"He is still undergoing many surgeries," Trinidad said. "Doctors weren't
able to save his foot, but his kids and wife are grateful that he is still
alive, because he could have bled to death. They said he is very positive,
and that he is going to get an artificial limb."

Trinidad, whose father died when he was young, said he was happy to save
somebody's mom and dad.

"I was just in the right place at the right time," he said. "I'm no hero.
Any Marine would have done the same thing."

Food insecurity threatens rural villages

Skip the South of France. Try Zimbabwe

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com

 April 7, 2010, 8:44 pm

By NICHOLAS KRISTOF

So what are the great places to visit in Africa? It surprises people to hear
it, but Zimbabwe is very high on the list - and now that I've just returned
from a week there with my family, I feel that more strongly than ever.

True, President Robert Mugabe is a tyrant who has mismanaged the country,
and his relations with the United States are deeply strained. But Zimbabwe
has little crime and people are friendly, and the sights are simply
astounding - with hardly any tourists around to admire them. It's also
cheaper than other countries in the region. Especially if you're going to
South Africa for the World Cup, make a side trip to Zimbabwe.

My suggestion would be to start at Victoria Falls (you can fly to Vic Falls
from Johannesburg, South Africa), where there are plenty of hotels begging
for guests. The Victoria Falls Hotel is one of the legendary hotels of
Africa, where the British royal family once stayed; you must at least have
tea on the terrace. And the waterfalls are one of the world's most
extraordinary natural sights. Think of Niagara Falls, cubed, and you begin
to get the idea. Just be sure to see them from the Zambian side as well. You
can walk over to the Zambian side without a visa to see them from that side.
Or you can stay a day on the Zambian side, in a hotel like the Zambezi Sun
(which is much more expensive than the Zimbabwe hotels).

Then I would recommend renting a car and exploring a bit of Zimbabwe. There
are so few cars that driving is pretty safe. Just don't hit an elephant, and
be polite at police checkpoints. The roads tend to be pretty good, and
gasoline is readily available. On my previous trip, everything had to be
purchased on the black market, but now Zimbabwe has effectively switched to
the United States dollar as currency, and so inflation has ended and goods
are available if you have the dollars. Of course, nobody takes credit cards,
so bring lots of cash.

One itinerary would take you to the Hwange National Park, where you can stay
at a place like the Hwange Safari Lodge or the Hwange Main Camp. The park is
an incredible place, teeming with elephants and zebras and giraffes and
other animals. Last year a lion was chasing a deer-like creature right in
front of the safari lodge when the deer jumped for safety into the lodge
garden where guests were having lunch. The lion jumped right after it.
Guests scattered, suddenly realizing that the lion was between them and the
hotel building. But the lion was more alarmed than the people, and quickly
fled.

You might also drive over to Binga, where there are some lodges and plenty
of wildlife. And of course, stop at villages and schools. If you bring pens
and notebooks, schools will treat you as a hero. And teachers speak English,
so you have a ready-provided interpreter. (Lots of Zimbabweans speak some
English, but in the villages it can be hard to find someone who speaks well
enough to have a real conversation).

So don't be scared away by Zimbabwe's political problems. Yes, it's a mess,
and Robert Mugabe is a thug. But it's still a lovely country, and a terrific
place to visit.

    *

Readers' Comments
1.
Paddy07
New York, NY
April 9th, 2010
1:38 am
Mugabe is a brutal, racist dictator whose blood thirsty army murdered or
drove out most all of the white farmers in Zimbabwe. The country is starving
(the country, not the friendly people in your tour book happily spending
your money). Funny, if you are a country under a tyrannical dictator who
murders Jews that would not rate high on the list of places to visit for Mr.
Kristof, no matter how friendly the Third Reich was to him and his family.
Sudan? Chad? Eh, maybe skip that. But a brutal regime that massacres white
families? Book your flights now! How disgusting.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers
2.
Chris H
Sydney, Australia
April 9th, 2010
1:38 am
Where's the punchline?

This is like writing an article in the 1980's "Visit South Africa! Sure,
don't go if you're black and apartheid is a bit thuggish, but it's a
beautiful country!"

Where's the 2008 Nicholas? I want him back.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
3.
Ishe Komborera
Berthoud,Colorado
April 9th, 2010
1:39 am
What an accurate depiction tourism in Zimbabwe. Yes it is a beautiful
country that I miss. Sadly I am in exile in Colorado but yearn to go home to
rebuild my country. Just waiting for some relief from the never-ending talks
between MDC and ZANU-PF. Nicholas in your travels in Zimbabwe did you come
across the CAMPFIRE project? Please look that up as I remember it to be a
remarkable way for the indigenous people to conserve the environment and
benefit from it. I am trying to organise a fundraising event and would love
to know what became of it as I feel it is a worthy cause...that's if it is
not corrupted by ZANU-PF officials etc.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
4.
Steve Garrison
Bellingham, Wa
April 9th, 2010
1:39 am
Mr Kristoff

I, and many others (including Western Governments) have been lamenting the
criminal Mugabe for years w/ nary a mention of all those "poor white
farmers." Were you totally out to lunch during the last election when the
primary challenger was forces to flee the country? Due to Western pressure
(So Africa and other African States refuse to condemn a hero of the anti
colonial movement) a worthless power sharing deal was struck--in effect
Mugabe's right hand ended up sharing some power w/ his left.

Zimbabwe could have been one of the jewels of Africa--maybe someday it will
be. Your reporting in this article was one of the worst I've ever seen you
do from Africa. Next article, instead of making an inaccurate statement
about Western Powers focusing on those poor white folks (true, maybe 10
years ago), perhaps you could focus on the sin of silence echoing across
Africa from African States. And if you really must lament the non-blacks
ousted by Mugabe's criminal regime, the asian professional, and small
business class would not be a bad place to start.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
5.
Niclea
Seattle
April 9th, 2010
1:39 am
Thanks so much for this post. Zimbabwe is such an amazing country with so
much potential. I am actually moving there later this summer, so I'm glad to
hear a positive report from you! Thanks always for your posts.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers
6.
Robert Henry Eller
Milan, Italy
April 9th, 2010
1:39 am
Mr. Kristof: Until you can be honest with yourself, and your readers, and
say what must be said: "Robert Mugabe, and his henchmen, must die. If the
United States is a moral country, it must kill him, and them." Until then,
you, and the rest of us, regardless of our "beautiful" thoughts, are
garbage. We Americans allow the murder of innocent people in our name, while
we refuse to save the lives of innocents killed by the most despicable
murderers. At the moment, we Americans, as a people, are morally bankrupt.
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers
7.
Jon Songwe
Lilongwe, Malawi
April 9th, 2010
1:39 am
Well, maybe Mr. Kristof has just discovered what we black Africans had known
for years .. that the western press has grossly exaggerated the Zimbabwe
situation. The exaggeration is so deep that even at the time when all
Zimbabweans across the political divide are calling for lifting of sanction,
the west still insists on them.

So why has the Zimbabwe case been exaggerated? The main problem is that the
western press has chosen to embed itself within the minority whites of South
Africa. As a result the views and reports we normally see in the western
press as those of white South Africans. As such news of Africa always tend
to be negative. Studies have suggested that white South Africans generally
hold a negative view of Africa.

The western press usually prefer white South Africans as reporters or
commentators on African affairs.

So, its good that you finally took that trip to see for yourself. Most of
Africa is not as reported in the press.
Recommend Recommended by 4 Readers
8.
Bud
Montgomery, Alabama
April 9th, 2010
1:40 am
Zim is an embarrassment to the entire Anglo-Saxon world, which led the
imposition of sanctions which forced out the white minority government to be
replaced by one more suitably "democratic".

When Ian Smith stepped down as PM, he predicted disaster, which has come to
pass. While the predations of the replacement regime are lamented, it will
be a cold day in hell before any of those who agitated for "change" will
take aboard any responsibility for their unswerving, blind faith in a
principle of governance which cannot succeed in cultures where the tribe -- 
not the state -- remains the traditional object of loyalty. Transitioning
from one to the other is not simply a matter of holding "free and fair"
elections, with peace and prosperity soon to follow as an inevitable result.

It requires generations of direct experience with the peculiar tools of
governance required for a nation state to operate effectively and to the
benefit of its citizens. That experience does not immediately take effect by
installing ballot boxes.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
9.
Sophie G.
Paris, France
April 9th, 2010
1:40 am
Thank you Nick, for your excellent article. Always enjoy reading what you
have written even if the topic is sometimes hard to stomach.

I found it really interesting that you suggest Zimbabwe as a place to
travel. I have a friend who works there periodically and says that the
country is increasingly difficult to travel in. Do you find that this was
not your experience? How safe would you say it is for a woman to travel
there? Did your kids feel safe?

I've always been fascinated by the country but assumed that it was
effectively off limits for tourists. Would you say that it is as safe as
Vietnam for a woman to travel there?
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
10.
Robert
Ls Vegas
April 9th, 2010
1:40 am

Zimbabwe is another Jimmy Carter mess. What did we expect to happen when
Ambassador Andrew Jackson shows up with a blank check. There are accounts of
Zanu villagers burning there own school in order to get US money to build
another. Zimbabwe has been a one party state since Mugabe beat Joshua Nkomo.
The simple fact of the matter is that unqualified people were brought in to
run trains, electrical power grids, water purification systems and a million
other jobs in the name of political correctness. Zimbabweans....you made
your bed, now sleep in it!!
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
11.
Yao S. Kudayah
Harrison, NY
April 9th, 2010
1:41 am
I applaud you for taking the trip to Zimbabwe with your family to see for
yourselves the delporable living condition of the people in a once triving
country. Most Western Journalists always describe what is gone wrong but
never ask the question why. FACT: At the Lancaster Conference in 1989, the
DEMAND of President Robert Mugabe and the liberation movement was that all
farmers who were settled on Zimbabwe lands illegally should vacate such
immediately. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher appealed that the economy of
Great Britain at that was too weak to absorb the repatriates. She asked for
ten year grace period to allow for a gradual buy off of the farmers with
money provided by the British Government. After she left office, Prime
Minister John Major reneged on the agreement; so did Prime Minister Tony
Blair. To add insult to injury, Tony Blair blamed Robert Mugabe for the
disagreement between Great Britain and Zimbabwe and convinced the
international community to put economic embargo on Zimbabwe to break the
will of the people. The Liberation War was fought for the land and people in
the developed world refuse to understand that. Starving the people of
Zimbabwe through economic embargo and sabotage is the means through which
the so-called international community wants to reverse history.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
12.
RT
USA
April 9th, 2010
1:41 am
Zimbabwe, even a few years ago, is the most stunning place I have ever
visited. I would go back in a second. Also, the Mana Pools National Park is
one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
13.
News Hound
New York, NY
April 9th, 2010
3:20 am
Kristof should have addressed the concerns that his stories inevitably
raise: is there a contradiction between pleasure-seeking tourism and the
needs of a country struggling against fierce government repression? And why
does Kristof identify only Mugabe? Is it the power of only one man keeping
an entire country in chains? What about his party? What about his
international supporters? What about the Zimbabwean elites? The so-called
veterans occupying farms? If Zimbabwe is a successful tourist destination,
will it make the country more free?
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
14.
RVB
New York
April 9th, 2010
3:20 am

Good article! I've followed the Zimbabwe story for 20 years and took it upon
myself to visit the country in 2009. I concluded that it is definitely a top
notch tourist destination. The combination of friendly people, unparalleled
weather conditions and sites that couldn't possibly be replicated anywhere
makes this country truly unique. I went back there again in February of 2010
to see the rest of the country. The people alone were worth the trip. It's
undeniable that Mugabe has been an embarrassment to Africa. A tyrant of the
worst kind. One who oppresses his own people just to stay in power. But I
don't think we should punish the wonderful and already oppressed people of
Zimbabwe for Mugabe's actions (The people of Zimbabwe have voted him out
twice, but he has resorted to violence in order to stay in power)

I would strongly recommend, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Mana Pools,Inyanga
Mountains, Great Zimbabwe and Matopos. I promise you that you won't regret
the trip. In Sub-Saharan Africa , Zimbabwe's accommodation and hospitality
is comparable only to South Africa. And it's probably the safest country in
Africa. See it for yourself!

Recommend Recommended by 4 Readers
15.
Fight or Flight
No longer in South Africa
April 9th, 2010
3:20 am
Yes, Zimbabwe is a beautiful country and I enjoyed doing river rafting on
the Zambezi, and is probably safer than South Africa to travel to at the
moment.

To Jon Songwe, the article is about Zimbabwe being a beautiful country to
visit and they still agree that the country is in a mess because of Robert
Mugabe. South Africa was at it strongest during times of sanctions and is
now hiding behind an Afrikaans word "Aprtheid" that means to be seperateness
and has nothing to do with hate. Zimbabwe is hiding behind "sanctions".
Forcing people of land that were formerly rich with crops are now just rural
areas. Maybe you should visit Zimbabwe. Also keep your racial comments for
yourself.

The American dollar is used as currency, for the Zimbabwian dollar is
basically non-existing. It is cheaper to use Zim dollar notes for toilet
paper than to use it to buy toilet paper.

If you really need to see a country in Southern Africa and explore wildlife
etc., rather visit Botswana.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
16.
marc
portland, oregon
April 9th, 2010
5:57 am
nick,
I think some computer hacker from Onion magazine has gotten control of your
column's website. You could have at least had the decency to place this "Try
Zimbabwe" piece in the Travel section of the Times where it belongs.
I realize a lot of hardworking Americans feel they deserve a socially
unconscious screw the politics and human rights...go anwhere that is cheap
and beautiful vacation.
But there are also a lot of hardworking Americans who forsake a regular
vacation in order to spend their time on antipoverty and social justice
projects around the world. These are the people that come to you for advice.
After this column they will probably go to someone else for direction

Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers
17.
Bluemold
Winston-Salem,NC
April 9th, 2010
11:57 am
I lived in Zimbabwe for three years in the late 90's and can attest to the
friendliness of the people and the beauty of the country. During our first
year there in 1997, Zimbabwe was a net exporter of food. By 1999 it was
already a net importer of food. The past ten years of Mugabe have been
devastating as you pointed out. Zim can, once again, be Africa's breadbasket
with the political change so many citizens desire but are fearful of the
Zanu-PF thugs protecting their power and status.

In 1998 I saw Ian Smith at a grocery store in Borrowdale and was amazed at
the number of indigenous Zimbabweans that flocked around him in obvious
admiration. That was an eye opening experience for me. Even then (a pretty
good period) blacks were saying things were far better under Smith.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
18.
MrBlack
Utah
April 9th, 2010
11:57 am
I had the honor of living in Zimbabwe for 8 months and while there I lived
with whites and blacks while I worked with schools, orphaneges, and the
Zimbabwe Outward Bound school. That was in 1999, things were on the decline
then. It is a terrible tragedy what has occured since then. I cannot speak
for anyone but myself, but Mugabe and his party have ruined the country and
killed millions - through terrible government. Anyone who could has left and
those that are left are saints trying to save lives. What can be done? Could
someone please trip Mugabe down a long flight of stairs.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
19.
Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine
April 9th, 2010
11:57 am
Nick, since my comment was censored from posts on your column today, I
thought I would give the NYT censors another try here on your own personal
blog --- which I assumed that you might have some direct control over.

"Kristof reports awful conditions for the vast majority of the population,
which augers for social unrest in the absence of repressive control
measures.

However, the gross level of economic oppression is not the most accurate
measure of civil oppression and angst.

The CIA warns that it is rather the relative measure of economic inequality
which most oppresses people and which is most enflaming of civil unrest.

Economists 'gold standard' for measuring relative economic inequality in a
society is the GINI Coefficient of Income Inequality, which is simple scale
from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates totally egalitarian distribution of inomce
and 1 indicates all income held by one person.

Ironically, Kristof does not report that the US GINI Coefficient of Income
Inequality (at 0.49 and growing fast) is closer to Zimbabwe's (0.53), and is
off the charts compared to all other European and Japanese advanced (real)
social democracies ranging from 0.23 to 0.32.

Perhaps this year or next we can exceed Zimbabwe and proudly shout out that
"We're #1" (IN INCOME INEQUALITY).

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers
20.
Elliot E.
Michigan
April 9th, 2010
11:58 am
Thanks for the article on Zimbabwe. FYI, I found the recorded course African
Experience from Lucy to Mandela by Kenneth Vickery of NC State particularly
instructive re Rhodesian history. Including the similarities with North
Carolina (both had cities known as Salisbury).

Vickery reviews the long march of colonialism and makes the distinction
between nations where Europeans came to trade, and those (SA and Rhodesia)
where they came to settle.

It is too simple to dismiss the European effects on Africa as evil, and
emergence from colonialism as good. Life is never that simple. So sad that
Rhodesia once the breadbasket of Africa and how obligated to import
foodstuffs.

Life is not that simple. The course is here http://www.teach12.com...
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers
21.
EH
Vancouver BC
April 10th, 2010
6:31 am
Mr Kristof, having been raised in Rhodesia (it was not Zimbabwe till a
decade after I left), I have a couple of comments about your article. Of
course it's evident that the tragedy has struck the poor the worst, but you
strain your credibility (to understate the matter considerably) by
dismissing the travails of white farmers as 'white tribalism'. The violence
against the enormously productive white farmers and seizures of their farms
are a prime cause of the poverty and starvation in Zimbabwe. The seizures
were not so as to allow black farmers to till the soil and feed the
country - they were racist attacks, and the violence horrific! It was
encouraged and permitted by the Mugabe regime to distract from their own
corruption and incompetence, and as a sop to the so-called war veterans. The
Mugabe regime is racist, corrupt, greedy, and cares nothing for the people
of Zimbabwe, black or white. Why are you advocating visiting the country?
The country is wracked with violence, racism, corruption, fear, and the
press is gagged.. It's not only rural blacks who are suffering. Middle
classes of all races have become poor. You should be advocating change, not
tourism.

How tragic that people long for the days of Ian Smith - on the other hand,
as they said, there was food on the table...
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers
22.
T. Yossef
San Francisco, CA
April 10th, 2010
6:31 am
WOW!! Don't know where to start. First off, for the record, I am not a
Mugabe apologist: he is a dictator, happens to be black and his country's
liberation hero. But this blog entry, the Op-Ed piece and the many comments
show clearly why Africa will end up being much closer to China than to the
West.

I am a black African, have lived in many parts of the World including many
parts of Africa. True, we have not been endowed with many good leaders but
Mugabe is no worse than many other African leaders today. It is just that
the ones who are being oppressed in this case are white: the chosen race.
One thing that Africans hate more than dictatorship is being lectured. So go
on, get on your pedestal and preach but don't be surprised if we don't
listen to you.

Next trip for Mr. Kristof: reminiscing of the Apartheid years in South
Africa followed by a bus tour of the deep South in the US, where slaves had
it made.
 

Mugabe’s handiwork
Written by Editor

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Friday, 09 April 2010 14:56

The results of President Robert Mugabe’s handiwork were again on display
last week, with two reports released by a United Nations agency and the
US-based Food Early Warning System and Network (FEWSNET) detailing how the
Zanu (PF) leader has driven to the ground a nation that was once one of the
jewels in Africa’s crown. (Pictured: President Robert Mugabe)
According to the UNICEF’s Child-Sensitive Social Protection in Zimbabwe
report, an estimated 78 percent of Zimbabweans live in absolute poverty,
while a burgeoning HIV/AIDS pandemic has killed many breadwinners to leave
large numbers of child-headed families, most of who cannot meet any of their
basic needs and suffer from chronic hunger.
In a food security report, the FEWSNET said that more than three million
Zimbabweans were in need of food aid between January and March and
projections are that the 2009/10 agriculture harvest will again fall short
of the country’s consumption needs.
The Zanu (PF) merchants of hunger will no doubt be quick to remind us that
Zimbabwe and southern Africa have suffered erratic rains for much of the
past decade. They will hasten to refresh our memories about how the world
financial crisis has hit every country hard. Hypocrites and liars! The
undeniable truth is that Zimbabwe is in this sorry state solely because of
the actions and policies of Mugabe and Zanu (PF). God is our witness.
Their so-called land reforms and every call from them for black economic
empowerment are nothing but cheap lies to cover their tracks and justify
looting property from fellow citizens, starving innocent orphans and
torturing those who oppose their vile ways. Just see how in the midst of all
this poverty and suffering all we hear from them is endless moaning that
Western countries should lift the travel and financial bans on Mugabe, his
wife, family and close associates.
How will a visa for Jocelyn Chiwenga or Grace Mugabe to go shopping in
London or New York bring food to the thousands of child-headed families
recorded by UNICEF? Of course, the vampires are too busy looting the riches
of Marange to hear the cries of the poor and hungry.
But what must be has to be. Justice is a must and every one of the looters
and torturers shall one day have to account for their deeds. And let no one
among them say they were never warned!

Generators

 
Dear Family and Friends,

When you ask people how they've survived this dreadful decade in
Zimbabwe, almost everyone mentions the name Gideon Gono (Governor of
the Reserve Bank.) People say they would have been able to salvage
something if it hadn't been for Gono's incessant printing of money -
and bragging about it; for his inability and unwillingness to control
government spending; for his looting of foreign currency from private
bank accounts, and for his removal of zeroes from the currency: 3
were taken off in 2006 and 10 in 2008. It's hard to understand how
any of us survived really and inevitable that we will feel the
repercussions for a very long time to come.

For the first time in most people's lives we do not have savings to
fall back on in case of accidents, illness or unemployment. Savings
accounts we had in banks, post offices and investment centres have
disappeared as each removal of zeroes literally stole our money away
in front of our very eyes. You have to look at your bank balance,
remove thirteen digits and then understand the state we are in here.
Life insurance policies and pension funds have been similarly looted.

Anyone who held their assets in cash and savings and not in immovable
property, has lost everything. Anyone who held their assets in land,
livestock, crops or anything to do with farms and agriculture, has
lost everything.

Trust funds established for disabled, sick and disadvantaged people
have evaporated in the last decade. One friend told me how her
parents had established a trust fund for their mentally handicapped
son and built it up every month throughout their lives. When her
parents died their assets were sold and also put into the Trust
leaving enough money in the fund to support the disadvantaged man for
the rest of his life. Thanks to the gross economic mismanagement of
Zimbabwe, there is nothing left in the Trust Fund, in fact it ran dry
four years ago and the handicapped man now lives entirely on charity
in a dilapidated state institution.

Pensioners are in an equally perilous position, life savings lost in
hyperinflation, assets sold and cash lost in repeated currency
devaluations and no way to replace anything as their age forces them
into a retirement of virtual penury.

Facing a future in such perilous conditions it brings little comfort
to follow the ongoing seizure and auctioning of Reserve Bank assets.
The Reserve Bank ordered and took possession of 60 tractors from
Farmtec which they gave out to farmers in an attempt to persuade them
to grow food on the farms seized by Zanu PF. Well, the food never got
grown and the tractors never got paid for and now Farmtec want their
money back - US 1,2 million dollars in fact! We follow the saga with
interest as Reserve Bank assets get taken by Sherrifs and put up for
auction. So far we've heard that some tractors have been repossessed
along with chains, hoes, wheelbarrows, furniture, fridges and
hundreds of generators. Hearing about the generators being auctioned
brings back memories of Mr Mugabe dishing them out at every election
rally in 2008 saying that every town would be electrified thanks to
this Reserve Bank programme. Writing this letter by hand during
another 16 hour power cut all I can say is : I don't think so!

Now we wait, holding our breath, to see if enough money will be
raised through the sale of these movable assets to pay the Farmtec
debt or if some of the lavish properties we've heard so much about
will be next. Maybe it is true that what goes around comes around
after all, albeit very slowly.

Until next time, thanks for reading, love Cathy � Copyright cathy
buckle 10th April 2010 www.cathybuckle.com