The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.
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BBC
 
Wednesday, 10 April, 2002, 17:11 GMT 18:11 UK
No breakthrough at Zimbabwe talks
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai
Tsvangirai is calling for fresh elections
Talks between Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) aimed at finding a way forward after last month's disputed presidential election have been adjourned for a month.

The announcement came after a fresh round of talks in the capital, Harare, failed to produce a breakthrough.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe
Mugabe says he won fair and square
The MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, has continued to demand a fresh election, whereas Zanu-PF refuses to countenance this.

Commonwealth observers said the election, which was won by President Robert Mugabe, was marred by a climate of fear and violence against opposition supporters.

The talks are taking place under South African and Nigerian mediation. These two countries contributed to the Commonwealth decision to suspend Zimbabwe for a year.

Non negotiable

After the talks, the head of the MDC delegation, Welshman Ncube, said the legitimacy of President Mugabe remained an issue and "in our view that legitimacy flows from a free and fair election".

The Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, urged the MDC to "accept the legitimacy of the government."

Army patrol in Harare
The army is determined to thwart disturbances
"We are the government, we are the ruling party," he said. "That position is non-negotiable, non-reversible."

The talks began against a backdrop of rising tension in Zimbabwe.

Last weekend police broke up anti-government demonstrations in Harare and other parts of the country.

Discussions are now due to resume on 13 May.

The agenda will cover "conditions for normal political activity" and the legitimacy of last month's election.

Other topics are expected to include confidence-building measures, politically-motivated violence and Zimbabwe's constitution.

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Situation Update

26 March 2002


Recently Mr David Coltart issued the following address :



He said that Morgan Tsvangirai had won the presidential election and that it
had been a landslide victory.  He had predicted before the election that if
ZANU PF “won” it would only be if they “rigged big”.  This they had
certainly done, so much so, that they had made their fraudulent victory easy
for us to expose.   Evidence was flooding in from all over the country, and
this evidence was overwhelming.  Within two days President Bush had declared
that “this” was an illegitimate government.  As such, it would not be
recognised by the United States.



Mr Coltart asked his guests to consider whether he had been overconfident.
He did not feel that he had been.  He said that he had felt that it had been
critically important to mobilise as many people as possible to force the
opposition’s hand.  This had been achieved.  Mugabe could no longer claim
legitimacy.



How was the rigging done?  In urban areas he needed the youth brigades and
the manners of the fluorescent light machines.  This was not easy to achieve
in Harare, however, as the queues were too long. In Harare and Chitungwiza
thousands of people were unable to vote and many voters were deliberately
disenfranchised.  In the rural areas hundreds of polling agents and election
agents were abducted or detained.  Only 40% of rural polling stations had
MDC polling agents present.  Rigging was therefore very easy.  Had the
Harare people been able to vote, our landslide would have been even bigger.



At an emergency cabinet meeting held on the Sunday morning, Mugabe was told
that he had lost.  That was when their plan was implemented to rig the rural
vote.  Mugabe was not seen for five days after the election.  This was
because they knew it had been stolen and that they had lost the support of
the people.



Mr Coltart acknowledged that there were difficult months ahead.  The farmers
were under attack.  Many businesses would not be able to survive inflation.
What could we do and what was being done?



All reasonable people had acknowledged that the election had been stolen.
There had been very vigorous debate in the South African parliament on the
subject.  A consensus was building in the international community that did
not simply mean talk.  Action was coming.  President Obasanjo had called for
fresh elections.  The EU and the Commonwealth had called for new elections
within the year.  Vice president Zuma of South Africa had complained that
South Africa and the rest of Africa were being punished collectively for the
sins of one nation.  NEPAD had been put on ice.  Countries like the US would
not put one cent towards the NEPAD programme unless African countries, and
especially South Africa, condemned the Zimbabwean election.  They could not
have NEPAD and allow Mugabe to get away with theft.



Mr Coltart had recently had meetings with high-ranking diplomats.  All had
agreed that there should be fresh elections and that Mugabe was not the
legitimate leader.  It was apparent that the rest of the world was not going
to forget about Zimbabwe.  The issue was not Zimbabwe alone, the attitudes
of South Africa and the rest of Africa were under scrutiny.



The MDC was NOT going to enter into a Government of National Unity. The
leaders of both South Africa and Nigeria had met with Robert Mugabe and
Morgan Tsvangirai with the purpose of promoting this.  The MDC was, however,
prepared to enter into a transitional government to assist in governing the
country until a new election took place in accordance with laws that
complied with SADC norms and standards.  Other measures were also being
considered.  The ZCTU stay-away had been a disaster.  The MDC was looking at
peaceful and lawful methods for Zimbabweans to signal to Robert Mugabe and
to the international community that the people of the country demanded a
fresh election.  One of these possibilities was legal action.  The problem,
obviously, was that if the action went to the Supreme Court, it would be
likely to be dismissed.  The advantage would be that through a legal
challenge the MDC would be able to make a powerful political statement.



What could we, the people of the country, do?  Mr Coltart advised that
everyone should, if possible, avoid making hasty decisions.  Many people
were depressed and were considering leaving.  People should wait and see how
things unfolded in the course of the next few months.  Strong international
pressure was building.  We should constantly remind ourselves of the fact
that we had won.  It was necessary to encourage each other.  Mr Coltart
reminded his constituents that they had elected him to parliament in June
2000.  He still had another three years to serve, and, therefore, needed
their support for the remainder of his term of office.  We needed to ask
ourselves whether we had lost our fighting spirit and whether we were going
to let evil men like Jonathan Moyo and Obert Mpofu defeat us.   Our polling
agents had been brutalised countrywide.  We owed it to people like them to
continue to fight for what was right.



 He reaffirmed that GOOD would, in his opinion, prevail.  His belief that
all of us had been on the side of “good” was unwavering.  History had showed
that, time and again, good had prevailed over evil.  Mr Coltart implored
everyone to stay the course so that, ultimately, the MDC would prevail, and
we WOULD complete the change for a better life for all.



Mr Mugabe had to feed the nation and find fuel and foreign exchange.
Enormous pressure was building up in South Africa, and this was the key.  Mr
Mugabe would have to listen to those who had the power to assist him.
Otherwise the nation faced starvation and the collapse of the economy.  We
were seeing the Stalinisation of our society.  There was likely to be a
clamp down on the independent press, and specifically on “The Daily News”.
It was evident that Mr Mugabe’s intention was to become even more
repressive.



President Mbeki’s attitude during the last two years had been perplexing.
Part of the reason for this was his fear of COSATU.  Cyril Ramaposa was
accused of a plot against Mbeki.  Ramaposa was close to Morgan Tsvangirai,
since they were both trade unionists.  To a certain extent, Jonathan Moyo’s
propaganda had been successful, in presenting the MDC as the Rhodesia Front
in disguise.  But things were becoming increasingly difficult for President
Mbeki.  He had been given a very clear choice – to choose between NEPAD and
Mugabe.  He needed US$6 billion to come to South Africa.  The first
indication of his change in attitude had come in the Commonwealth decision
to suspend Zimbabwe.



Mr Coltart made the following comments in answer to questions:



1.      The role of the international community.  The international
community would do part of the job, but unless we ourselves showed that we
were unhappy with the situation, nothing would be done.  Unless we ourselves
acted peacefully and lawfully to show our displeasure, nothing would happen.

2.      The Treason Allegation.  The MDC, in the course of the last two
years, had engaged in a programme to speak to the international community.
Tendai Biti had travelled all over the world to counteract the allegations
that the MDC was a British-sponsored company.  This included Canada, where a
company was to be engaged to promote the MDC. Three meetings were held, and
then during the fourth meeting Ben Menashe started speaking about Robert
Mugabe.  He phrased his questions in a series of “What if…?” scenarios.
There was absolutely no way that Morgan Tsvangirai would become involved in
plotting an assassination attempt.   The timing of the so-called
 “revelation” was ridiculous.  Everyone agreed that the meeting took place
in Montreal in early December.  Menashe admitted to being Mugabe’s friend
and that he was being paid by ZANU PF.  Why would a friend wait until
shortly before the election to blow the whistle, if his “friend” was in
danger, and why would he do so in Australia?  Tsvangirai was not arrested.
Surely if he had genuinely been plotting, he would have been arrested
straight away ?



Mr Coltart reminded everyone of what had happened in Matabeleland to Joshua
Nkomo and the Sidney Malunga and also to Ndabaningi Sithole.  Ironically,
there was a real danger that Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai would be
forgotten about.  The treason charges would keep the TV cameras in this
country.  Nelson Mandela had also faced treason in the 1960’s.  The MDC
would be attempting to engage Mr Mandela’s lawyer to represent Morgan
Tsvangirai.  Morgan was angry but determined.



3.      The Rural Areas

Robert Mugabe had effectively closed off some of the rural areas.  The low
voter turnout in some of these areas indicated that some people were very
disillusioned.  We should not underestimate the political savvy of these
people.  The election was stolen.  Unfortunately, in this police state,
matters under discussion could not be aired openly.



4.      The Welfare of the Polling Agents

Polling agents were being looked after as far as possible within the limited
resources of the party.  Our party was committed to non-violence and to
working within the law, even though the law had been subverted.  There had
been an unrelenting attack against the party : leaders had been detailed and
people brutalised.  We has got this far and had achieved recognition and
respect for standing by our principles.  This would be how the MDC would
maintain the respect of the world, when the party came to power.



5.      The Problem of Food Aid

The MDC had a plan, and had spoken to the countries that had the means, but
since we were not the Government, we had no authority.  The MDC had
requested humanitarian aid, but had insisted that it needed to be
distributed fairly.



6.      Everyone had a role to play.  Everyone had the ability to take
statements and to besiege embassies with information.  The MDC acknowledged
that it needed to prepare better.  The role of the MDC had not ended; it did
not end on the weekend of the election.

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MSNBC

Zimbabwe political foes deadlock over new election



HARARE, April 10 — Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's party and its chief
opposition remained at odds on Wednesday over what to do about a contentious
March presidential election condemned as fraudulent by international
observers.
       They agreed to discuss it again on May 13.


       ''We still have very divergent views...and those differences remain.
I do not anticipate whether we will make progress,'' Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa and team leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party at the talks,
told reporters.
       ''Our position is very clear. We are saying that the MDC must accept
the legitimacy of the elections, they must accept the legitimacy of the
government. That position is non-negotiable,'' he said at the end of a
second day of talks.
       But Welshman Ncube, secretary-general of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) and his party's team leader, said his party also would not
budge over its demands for a rerun of the poll, which it says Mugabe stole.
       ''As far as we are concerned...the question of the legitimacy of the
government...remains an issue...and in our view that legitimacy flows from a
fair and free election,'' Ncube told journalists.
       The 54-nation Commonwealth suspended the southern African country for
a year on March 19 after its election observers branded the poll as
fraudulent.
       ZANU-PF insists the poll, which gave Mugabe, 78, another six-year
term in office, was fair and says opposite views are being orchestrated by
Western powers keen to see Mugabe ousted over his seizure of white-owned
farms for landless blacks.
       The agenda for the talks in May will also include political violence.
The opposition says more than 120 MDC supporters have been killed in
state-sponsored unrest in the last two years.
       The talks are being chaired by mediators from South Africa and
Nigeria who have led efforts to launch dialogue between the former British
colony's bitterly divided parties and urged a government of national unity.
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Irish Times

Mugabe's legitimacy tops agenda in Zimbabwe talks

 Last updated: 10-04-02, 20:28


Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties have agreed an agenda for talks
aimed at resolving the country's political crisis, with President Robert
Mugabe's legitimacy at the top of the list.

The talks will begin May 13 after the two sides prepare their arguments for
"substantive discussions of the agenda items," said a statement released
today.

The agenda will cover "conditions for normal political activity" and include
debate on the legitimacy of elections last month that returned Mr Mugabe to
power but have been rejected by the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), charging massive vote rigging.

Topics also include confidence-building measures, politically motivated
violence and the southern African country's constitution and laws.

Mr Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)
has insisted that it will not even consider fresh elections as demanded by
the MDC.

But Mr Welshman Ncube, the head of the MDC delegation to the talks, said the
agenda had been adopted by consensus.

"It wasn't difficult," he told reporters after the negotiations. "That is a
consensus agenda representing what all the parties want to be on the
agenda."

While the agenda allows for discussion of the March 9-11 election, the
ruling party delegation stressed that the two sides remained poles apart.

"We are saying the MDC must accept the legitimacy of the election, they must
accept the legitimacy of the government. we are the government, we are the
ruling party, and ... that position is non-negotiable, non reversible," said
the ZANU-PF team leader, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

The MDC, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai was defeated by Mugabe in the March
polls, has refused to recognise the result of the vote and called for fresh
elections under international supervision.

The talks next month are expected to last six days. A final phase of talks
will be agreed at the end of that round.

AFP

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ZIMBABWE: MDC set to challenge election result

JOHANNESBURG, 10 April (IRIN) - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will on Friday launch a court challenge against President Robert Mugabe's election victory, its legal affairs director, David Coltart, told IRIN on Wednesday

"Our legal team is finalising the petition," he said. "We are basing the challenge on everything from the violence, the abduction of polling agents, manipulation of the voters' roll, disenfranchising of people, non compliance with court orders and fraud."

One of the points in the petition would be that despite repeated attempts, the MDC had still not received a copy of the voters' roll from the registrar general.

"In contrast, we were told the voters' roll had closed on 19 January, but discovered that unbeknown to us certain areas were open until 3 March," he said.

After papers were filed on Friday, Mugabe would be given a chance to respond, after which an electoral trial would be declared and a trial date set, Coltart said. Ultimately, the MDC would seek court sanction for fresh elections, he added.

The court challenge is to run parallel to post-election talks between MDC and ZANU-PF, in which the MDC is seeking fresh elections, a demand already rejected by Mugabe.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who received 41,9 percent of the vote against Mugabe's 56,2 percent, has called the 9-11 March elections "massively rigged" and described the re-elected government as a junta.

The Electoral Services Commission's chief electoral officer, Douglas Nyikayaramba, said the deadline for objections was 30 days after the announcement of the result on 13 March. The MDC's court challenge would be the first, he said.

Friday's planned court action will be the latest in a series involving the MDC. Shortly after the election, Tsvangirai and shadow land and agriculture minister, Renson Gasela, were charged with treason relating to a secretly recorded video of Tsvangirai allegedly plotting to kill Mugabe. Treason carries a maximum penalty of death in Zimbabwe. Four other MDC officials have also been implicated.

Coltart himself will return to court in June on a firearm charge. All the charges have been denied.

The MDC also launched a successful court application to have voting extended when it became clear polling stations weren't coping with the number of voters in March.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the inter-party talks were postponed to 13 May. The talks are facilitated by Nigerian diplomat Adebayo Adedeji and Kgalema Motlanthe, secretary general of South Africa's ruling African National Congress.

They were appointed by South African President Thabo Mbeki and Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, who were part of a troika (with Australian Prime Minister John Howard) which recommended Zimbabwe's suspension for a year from the Commonwealth.


[ENDS]

IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za
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'Harare's Suspension Saved Nepad At G-8'

Business Day (Johannesburg)

April 10, 2002
Posted to the web April 10, 2002

Jonathan Katzenellenbogen
Johannesburg

WALTER Kansteiner, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs,
said yesterday Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth had saved the
position of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Nepad, on the
agenda at the Group of Eight (G-8) summit in June.

G-8 governments are due to come up with a plan of action for Africa at their
summit in Canada in response to Nepad. Kansteiner said that the suspension
of Zimbabwe "was very important and sent some strong signals, and there was
a real sense that Nepad principles were behind that decision".

He said the decision reinforced Nepad's stress on good governance. When good
governance was not followed, "people had to speak out".

"Philosophically and theologically Nepad is something we strongly support.
Nepad's principles of good governance and good delivery systems and economic
freedoms are the very essence of US foreign policy toward Africa," he said.

Kansteiner said that subsequent diplomacy led by SA and Nigeria to bring
about a settlement in Zimbabwe had also reinforced those principles.

The decision to suspend Zimbabwe for a year from the Commonwealth required
unanimous agreement among the three members of the panel that included
President Thabo Mbeki, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Australian
Prime Minister John Howard.

Senior representatives from the 15 member states of Nepad's implementation
committee and G-8 countries are to meet in Dakar this weekend to prepare for
talks at the G-8 summit in June.

Last weekend Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, the summit's host, said
Africa's place was secure on the agenda, and would not be eclipsed by talks
on the Middle East conflict.

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National Parks Auction Raises Over $400m


The Herald (Harare)

April 10, 2002
Posted to the web April 10, 2002

Herald Reporter


THE National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last week raised over
$400 million from the auction of wildlife concessions in Nyakasanga, Sapi
and Chete Safari areas in Zambezi Valley.

Big game such as elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard, among others, were
sold at prices ranging between $1,2 million per head to about $2,5 million
at a local hotel.

One safari operator bought an elephant for nearly $2,5 million while a male
lion fetched above $2 million at the auction which was attended by hundreds
of safari and tourism operators.

Buoyed by the support Zimbabwe received at the just-ended Safari Club
International hunting convention in the United States, the safari operators
jostled to outdo each other especially for the lion.

The lion is a major draw card. At Nyakasanga hunting camps a male lion
attracted the highest bid of $2 million while the lowest price for the lion
was about $800 000 in Sapi hunting area compared to a bull elephant which
fetched $2,1 million.

A leopard fetched about $650 000 on average, a buffalo was sold for $475 000
and zebra $110 000 while crocodile fetched $300 000.

Other game such as warthog ($100 000), waterbuck ($120 000), impala ($46
000), bushbuck ($42 000), spotted hyena ($75 000), baboon ($1 000), guinea
fowl ($7 000), francolin ($8 000), doves/pigeons ($1 000), hippo ($180 000)
and kudu ($160 000).

Sport hunting, which has become one of the fastest growing tourism
industries, has earned the country nearly $4 billion in foreign currency
bringing bright prospects for this year's hunting season.

Zimbabwe has raked, on average, $2 billion per year from sport hunting
during the past four years, but the 2000 figures showed that the industry
realised about $4 billion (US$70 million) as revenue from shooting animals
in safari areas.

According to the hunting industry, shooting of animals raised US$19 million
(about $1 billion) from the 1 874 hunts conducted in an average of 20
hunting days per each hunt.

At least US$51 million) ($2,805 billion) was raised through the sale of
trophies and hunts in the country's vast safari areas.

The chief executive of the Zimbabwe Association of Tour and Safari
Operators, Mr George Pangeti said that the hunting industry had a bright
future and that the country could rake in several billions this year.

Key species hunted during the 2000 season, which began in April to November,
were elephant, buffalo, sable, leopard, kudu and zebra.

Most hunters came from Zimbabwe's niche markets such as the United States,
Germany, Spain, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Britain, South Africa and
others.

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Zimbabwe's Ruling, Opposition Parties Agree on Agenda

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xinhuanet 2002-04-11 02:25:17

HARARE, April 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Zimbabwe's two major political parties
adjourned their first ever formal talks on Wednesday to May 13 after setting
an agenda and a mechanism of conducting the dialogue, a local media report
said here Wednesday.

The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and
the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) agreed that the dialogue
should take place in three phases from April 8 to April 10, May 13 to May 18
and the last one would be decided after the two phases.

"The third and final part will take place on dates to be agreedby both
parties at the end of the second part," the parties said in a press release.

The agenda of the meeting which was adopted by both parties would
include legitimacy of the recent presidential election and the government,
sovereignty, multi-partyism and confidence building measures.

Politically motivated violence, constitution and the law, and the
consensus on the land reform program would also be part of theagenda.

The meeting started on Monday at Parliament Building in Harare was aimed
at achieving tolerance of divergent views between the two parties to solve
problems facing the country.

The talks were initiated by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and his
South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki following their meetings with
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe of the ruling ZANU-PF and MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai in Zimbabwe last month.

Tsvangirai disputed the election result after he lost to Mugabeby more
than 400,000 votes in the March 9-11 presidential election.ZANU-PF
delegation leader Patrick Chinamasa said he did not foresee the talks
succeeding as the parties continued to show divergent views.

"I do not anticipate whether we will make any progress. Our position
that the election was legitimate is non-reversible," Chinamasa told
journalists.

MDC leader of delegation Welshman Ncube said they would continue to
press for a re-run of the election as they viewed it as stolen.

"The agenda means the question of re-run remains an issue that is for
discussing. But I do not want to speculate on what will happen," Ncube said.

The ZANU-PF had opposed a re-run, while the MDC had supported it in
their initial presentations to the meeting on Monday.

South African special envoy Kgalema Motlanthe, who was facilitating the
talks together with his Nigerian counterpart Adebayo Adedeji, said he was
optimistic an agreement would be reached.

The talks were adjourned to May 13 to accommodate the Independence Day
next week, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on April 23-28 and the
Workers' Day on May 1. Enditem

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Letter sent to the IOL website - letters page editor 26/3/02
 
Link provided for your reference only in regard to the letter below:http://allafrica.com/stories/200203250691.html

 

Nana Zenani, the official spokesperson for the South African Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs is reported to have recently said; “We answer to Southern African Development Community (SADC) if we can export (maize) to Zimbabwe.  We do not just resume exports as a government.  We will resume depending on what SADC will have ordered us to do.”

Perhaps someone ought to let Nana know that the cruel irony is that SADC’s Food Security Programme is headed by none other than Zimbabwe – a country now teetering on the brink of starvation. 

It just blows my mind knowing that approximately 60% of the world’s gold reserves, 75% of its rare earths, 75% of its manganese, 65% of its phosphate, 55% of its cobalt, 90% of its chromium, and 60% of its diamonds are located, mostly, in Southern Africa … yet SADC countries are increasingly having problems feeding their populations.

Oh, the misery of the loss of human life through starvation.  What a price to pay for the perverted preservation of political power.

L Mylie / New Zealand

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Zimbabwe Human Rights Protests
 
Venue: South African Embassy, London
Date: Saturday, 20th April 2002
Time: 12.00hrs to 14.00hrs
 
Venue: Zimbabwe Embassy, London
Date: Saturday, 20th April 2002 
Time 13.30hrs to 15.30hrs
Nearest tube for both events Charring Cross
 
Venue: The Stratford Rex, 361 - 375 High Street, Stratford E15
 
Date: Saturday, 20th April 2002
 
Time: 21.00hrs till late
 
Name: Oliver ''Tuku'' Mtukudzi Concert - Album release ''Vhunze Moto''
 
President Morgan Tsvangirai said his party's main agenda for talks with the ''Troika'' would be a re-run of last month's presidential election. "The critical question is restoration of legitimacy to government and we have to go back to the people," he said. He again rejected the idea of joining a government of national unity with Mr Mugabe. He said that if Mr Mugabe did not want an immediate re-run of the elections, he should allow an international commission of inquiry to investigate the entire electoral process.

On Monday, 26 March, 15 African heads of state were meeting in Nigeria to endorse a draft document committing their countries to uphold the principles of democracy and good governance. In particular, they are pledging themselves to:

  • The rule of law.

  • The strict separation of powers between the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Executive;

  • An active and independent civil society to which the government will be accountable;

  • Transparent government and the eradication of corruption;

  • A free and independent Press; and

  • Respect for human rights.

Yet New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad). Have endorsed the most flagrant disregards, by Robert Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe, of all six principles.

The sorry truth is that these African leaders, led by South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, are committed to these fine principles, but only if it will not entail, for instance, turning their backs on the so-called African Solidarity. What silly nonsense is this? Of course, Mbeki and Obasanjo try to brush aside this ugly truth by arguing, amazingly, that the gross excesses committed by Mugabe to ensure his re-election are acceptable by "African standards". This is not only astonishing; it also is hypocrisy at its worst considering that we have Mbeki whining on about Western double standards, arguing, or at least implying, that the application of Western standards of civilisation is "inappropriate" to developing countries in Africa!

Zimbabweans are suffering daily of hunger, persecution, harassment, rape, abduction and torture by so-called war veterans by state sponsored militia. The illegal farm occupation and seizure's are unacceptable and UN-lawful. Zimbabwe's demise politically,economically and socially is a direct result of Mr Mugabe's and Zanu-PF's continued oppressive procedures and policies.

For further Information please contact:

Albert Weidemann 01765 607900 (UK) - albert@weidemann.fsnet.co.uk

Duran Rapozo 07740437667 (UK)

Washington Ali 07967182532 (UK)

Free Zimbabwe: freezimbabwe@yahoogroups.com

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