Zimbabwe mass grave becomes political propaganda

Associated Press

(AP) – 9 hours ago

CHIBONDO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Hundreds of skeletons found in a remote mine shaft
have brought a macabre thrust to election campaigning in Zimbabwe — but the
presence of some corpses still with skin, hair and body fluids has raised
doubts over claims white colonial-era troops committed the massacres more
than 30 years ago.

Pathologists say visual evidence may point to more recent killings in a
nation plagued by election violence and politically motivated murders.

Since President Robert Mugabe called for elections later this year to end a
troubled two-year power-sharing coalition with the former opposition, his
party and state media have mounted an intense campaign to discredit
political rivals and Western critics of his authoritarian rule.

The Fallen Heroes of Zimbabwe Trust, a previously little known group of
Mugabe party loyalists, last month launched a program to exhume skeletons in
the mine shaft in northeastern Zimbabwe, saying the country's former rulers
were guilty of human rights violations that far outweigh any accusations of
rights abuses leveled against Mugabe's party and his police and military.

Zimbabwe's sole broadcaster, in news bulletins and repeated interruptions to
regular programs, has urged ordinary citizens to visit the disused Chibondo
gold mine near the provincial center of Mount Darwin, 160 kilometers (110
miles) from Harare, to witness the horror of colonial atrocities.

Reporters taken to Monkey William Mine at Chibondo on a trip organized by
Mugabe's Ministry of Information said school children were bused there.
Militants sang revolutionary songs, shouted slogans and denounced whites and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's pro-Western party for its links with
Britain, the former colonial power.

"Down with whites. Not even one white man should remain in the country,"
villagers, evidently carefully choreographed, proclaimed. They danced at the
site in what was said to be an ancient ritual to appease the spirits of
those killed by white troops before independence in 1980.

Villagers appeared to go into trances and others wept and simulated firing
guns.

Exhumed skeletons, bones and remains lay in random heaps, some covered by
sheets and blankets, near a pile of coffins. Hair and clothes were clearly
visible; one corpse wore black tennis shoes. The mine shaft emitted an
overwhelming stench.

Journalists who descended a 40-meter shaft found a body with what appeared
to be blood and fluids dripping onto the skulls below.

Jimmy Motsi, a leader of the trust group, told reporters the remains of more
than 640 bodies have already been removed. Four other mine shafts in the
district contain human remains, he said.

The Mount Darwin district saw some of the fiercest fighting in the
seven-year bush war waged by Mugabe's guerrillas that ended white rule and
swept him to power.

Former colonial soldiers say guerrilla dead were disposed of in mass graves
often doused with gasoline or acid.

Forensic tests and DNA analysis of the remains won't be carried out, said
Saviour Kasukuwere, the government minister of black empowerment. Instead,
traditional African religious figures will perform rites to invoke spirits
that will identify the dead, he said.

Kasukuwere said the Chibondo remains were discovered in 2008 by a gold
panner who crawled into the shaft. But spirits of war dead had long
"possessed" villagers and children in the district, he said.

"The spirits have refused to lie still. They want the world to see what
Smith did to our people. These spirits will show the way it's to be done,"
he said, referring to Ian Smith, the last white prime minister of the former
colony of Rhodesia. "This is the extent of atrocities committed by the Smith
regime. They loot our resources and they close up the mine with our bodies."

The prime minister's party has criticized the exhumations for stoking hatred
at a time the nation still seeks healing not only from the pre-independence
war but also from political violence that has left hundreds dead over the
past decade and tens of thousands of documented cases of torture and
abduction.

After independence an estimated 20,000 civilians were killed by Mugabe's
soldiers when they crushed an armed uprising in the western Matabeleland
province. Many of those victims still lie in unmarked mass graves in the
arid bush.

In a sweeping crackdown ahead of elections proposed this year, police and
security officials have banned rallies of Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change, arrested its lawmakers on what the party describes as
trumped up charges and have hounded human rights activists.

Tsvangiria's party has called for scientific research and "informed debate
and reflection" on all violence that included killings of its supporters
surrounding disputed elections in 2008. The party stopped short of alleging
that the corpses at Chibondo could include its supporters who have
disappeared and remain unaccounted for in years of political and economic
turmoil.

Zimbabwe's own pathology and autopsy facilities have been crippled by the
country's economic meltdown under Mugabe's rule. No DNA testing is available
locally.

Maryna Steyn, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Pretoria in
South Africa, said human remains should not retain a strong stench after 30
years.

"Usually, when we have remains that are lying around for more than a few
years, the bones are no longer odorous," she said.

Steve Naidoo, a pathologist at South Africa's University of KwaZulu-Natal,
said it "seemed strange" that bodies from three decades ago would still have
some skin.

"Bearing in mind that the bodies are exposed to an open environment, albeit
in a mine shaft, scavengers can access them quite easily. In 30 years, one
would expect complete and advanced skeletonization," he said.

But Shari Eppel, a Zimbabwean activist of the Solidarity Peace Trust, said
in the group's latest Zimbabwe bulletin that the presence of soft tissues
"is not necessarily an indicator that these bones entered the grave more
recently, although it could be."

A process of mummification can occur when bodies are piled on top of each
other in large numbers and to all but the most expert eye "mummified flesh
will look the same as rotting soft tissues from a more recent era," Eppel
said.

Only expert forensic anthropologists can establish ages, the sex and causes
and dates of death from a complete set of skeletal remains of one individual
and therefore "return identity and life experiences" to the dead.

The era of the manufacture of clothing, coins, belt buckles and other items
would also be taken into account.

Eppel said the human remains are being indiscriminately hauled from the
Chibondo mine shaft without decency, respect or any regard for traditional
African customary beliefs on reverence for the deceased.

"What is happening ... is a travesty. Bones speak quietly and in a language
only an expert can hear. Let's not silence them forever, but bring them the
help they need to be heard," she said.

Who filled Zim mass grave?

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

Mar 31, 2011 11:42 AM | By Sapa-AP

Hundreds of skeletons found in a mine shaft have brought a macabre thrust to
election campaigning in Zimbabwe - but Pathologists say visual evidence may
point to more recent killings.

The presence of some corpses still with skin, hair and body fluids has
raised doubts over claims white colonial-era troops committed the massacres
more than 30 years ago.

Since President Robert Mugabe called for elections later this year, his
party and state media have mounted a campaign to discredit rivals and
Western critics of his authoritarian rule.

Mugabe party loyalists last month launched a program to exhume skeletons in
the mine shaft in northeastern Zimbabwe, saying the country's former rulers
were guilty of human rights violations far outweighing any accusations of
rights abuses leveled against Mugabe.

The Fallen Heroes of Zimbabwe Trust, a previously little known group of
Mugabe party loyalists, last month launched a program to exhume skeletons in
the mine shaft in northeastern Zimbabwe, saying the country's former rulers
were guilty of human rights violations that far outweigh any accusations of
rights abuses leveled against Mugabe's party and his police and military.

Zimbabwe's sole broadcaster, in news bulletins and repeated interruptions to
regular programs, has urged ordinary citizens to visit the disused Chibondo
gold mine near the provincial center of Mount Darwin, 160 kilometers (110
miles) from Harare, to witness the horror of colonial atrocities.

Reporters taken to Monkey William Mine at Chibondo on a trip organized by
Mugabe's Ministry of Information said school children were bused there.
Militants sang revolutionary songs, shouted slogans and denounced whites and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's pro-Western party for its links with
Britain, the former colonial power.

"Down with whites. Not even one white man should remain in the country,"
villagers, evidently carefully choreographed, proclaimed. They danced at the
site in what was said to be an ancient ritual to appease the spirits of
those killed by white troops before independence in 1980.

Villagers appeared to go into trances and others wept and simulated firing
guns.

Exhumed skeletons, bones and remains lay in random heaps, some covered by
sheets and blankets, near a pile of coffins. Hair and clothes were clearly
visible; one corpse wore black tennis shoes. The mine shaft emitted an
overwhelming stench.

Journalists who descended a 40-meter shaft found a body with what appeared
to be blood and fluids dripping onto the skulls below.

Jimmy Motsi, a leader of the trust group, told reporters the remains of more
than 640 bodies have already been removed. Four other mine shafts in the
district contain human remains, he said.

The Mount Darwin district saw some of the fiercest fighting in the
seven-year bush war waged by Mugabe's guerrillas that ended white rule and
swept him to power.

Former colonial soldiers say guerrilla dead were disposed of in mass graves
often doused with gasoline or acid.

Forensic tests and DNA analysis of the remains won't be carried out, said
Saviour Kasukuwere, the government minister of black empowerment. Instead,
traditional African religious figures will perform rites to invoke spirits
that will identify the dead, he said.

Kasukuwere said the Chibondo remains were discovered in 2008 by a gold
panner who crawled into the shaft. But spirits of war dead had long
"possessed" villagers and children in the district, he said.

"The spirits have refused to lie still. They want the world to see what
Smith did to our people. These spirits will show the way it's to be done,"
he said, referring to Ian Smith, the last white prime minister of the former
colony of Rhodesia. "This is the extent of atrocities committed by the Smith
regime. They loot our resources and they close up the mine with our bodies."

The prime minister's party has criticized the exhumations for stoking hatred
at a time the nation still seeks healing not only from the pre-independence
war but also from political violence that has left hundreds dead over the
past decade and tens of thousands of documented cases of torture and
abduction.

After independence an estimated 20,000 civilians were killed by Mugabe's
soldiers when they crushed an armed uprising in the western Matabeleland
province. Many of those victims still lie in unmarked mass graves in the
arid bush.

In a sweeping crackdown ahead of elections proposed this year, police and
security officials have banned rallies of Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change, arrested its lawmakers on what the party describes as
trumped up charges and have hounded human rights activists.

Tsvangiria's party has called for scientific research and "informed debate
and reflection" on all violence that included killings of its supporters
surrounding disputed elections in 2008. The party stopped short of alleging
that the corpses at Chibondo could include its supporters who have
disappeared and remain unaccounted for in years of political and economic
turmoil.

Zimbabwe's own pathology and autopsy facilities have been crippled by the
country's economic meltdown under Mugabe's rule. No DNA testing is available
locally.

Maryna Steyn, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Pretoria in
South Africa, said human remains should not retain a strong stench after 30
years.

"Usually, when we have remains that are lying around for more than a few
years, the bones are no longer odorous," she said.

Steve Naidoo, a pathologist at South Africa's University of KwaZulu-Natal,
said it "seemed strange" that bodies from three decades ago would still have
some skin.

"Bearing in mind that the bodies are exposed to an open environment, albeit
in a mine shaft, scavengers can access them quite easily. In 30 years, one
would expect complete and advanced skeletonization," he said.

But Shari Eppel, a Zimbabwean activist of the Solidarity Peace Trust, said
in the group's latest Zimbabwe bulletin that the presence of soft tissues
"is not necessarily an indicator that these bones entered the grave more
recently, although it could be."

A process of mummification can occur when bodies are piled on top of each
other in large numbers and to all but the most expert eye "mummified flesh
will look the same as rotting soft tissues from a more recent era," Eppel
said.

Only expert forensic anthropologists can establish ages, the sex and causes
and dates of death from a complete set of skeletal remains of one individual
and therefore "return identity and life experiences" to the dead.

The era of the manufacture of clothing, coins, belt buckles and other items
would also be taken into account.

Eppel said the human remains are being indiscriminately hauled from the
Chibondo mine shaft without decency, respect or any regard for traditional
African customary beliefs on reverence for the deceased.

"What is happening ... is a travesty. Bones speak quietly and in a language
only an expert can hear. Let's not silence them forever, but bring them the
help they need to be heard," she said.

Another Sadc bid to save GNU

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Reagan Mashavave, Staff Writer
Thursday, 31 March 2011 14:20

HARARE - All eyes will be on the Zambian resort town of Livingstone today
where the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) troika on Defence and
Security is meeting in yet another desperate attempt to resolve the
Zimbabwean crisis.

While expectations are generally low, Zimbabweans are still hoping that the
meeting will at least manage to steady the country’s increasingly shaky
inclusive government - and lay the groundwork for real progress.

The meeting is being held at a time that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
has just concluded a regional tour, meeting and appraising heads of states
about Zimbabwe’s worsening political environment.

Before he met Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar-es-Salaam yesterday, Tsvangirai
met the presidents of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia
earlier in the week.

South African President Jacob Zuma, the facilitator of the Global Political
Agreement (GPA), has said he wants to see in place a roadmap to fresh
elections in the country.

His facilitators will be coming to Zimbabwe early next month to review the
GPA and to pave the way for fresh elections in the country.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office - Jameson Timba who has
been travelling with the premier on his diplomatic tour in the region, said
Sadc leaders appreciated the extent of the problems bedevilling the unity
government.

“There is also an appreciation by Sadc leaders of the importance of all the
parties within the inclusive government to respect their signatures by
ensuring that those commitments that were made are implemented,” Timba said.

“There are serious concerns about the non-implementation of the 24 out of 27
issues which the parties agreed to and the overall implementation of the
Global Political Agreement itself.”

Timba said the Sadc troika on Defence and Security will report its findings
and impressions to a full Sadc summit later.

The unity government has been haggling over the implementation of
outstanding issues that, including senior government appointments and
reforming of electoral processes.

SADC unlikely to break Zim impasse

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Edward Jones     Thursday 31 March 2011

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s bickering political rivals meet with regional leaders in
Zambia today hoping to resolve power-sharing disputes that have strained
ties in a fragile inclusive government but analysts said the SADC was
unlikely to resolve the impasse as the country readies for possible fresh
elections this year.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) troika summit comes at a
time of great tension in the coalition of President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, with the premier’s Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) party charging that security agencies allied to Mugabe have
increased a crackdown on its members.

Any hopes the regional security organ will read the riot act to Harare’s
warring partners was immediately dashed by Zambian Foreign Minister Kabinga
Pande who said regional leaders would likely stick to their past resolutions
pressing the two sides to find a solution.

"The desire of SADC is to see that there is unity in the government of
Zimbabwe and we are certain that at the end of the summit, the parties will
have resolved the differences," Pande said.

Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party are pushing for elections this year even
without a referendum on a new constitution expected in September, which has
seen Tsvangirai warning of a boycott if his coalition partners unilateral
call for parliamentary and presidential elections.

Tsvangirai has repeatedly urged SADC to craft a "road map" that will set
benchmarks for credible free and fair elections to end the tenure of the
unity government, while avoiding the bloodbath of 2008 when more than 200
opposition members were killed in political violence.

Political analysts said SADC would at best urge Mugabe and Tsvangirai to
work together towards fresh elections and would not want to be seen to side
with one political party.

“This will allow Mugabe to continue with his utter contempt of SADC leaders
and in any case most SADC leaders have consistently shown that they are
averse to any action that may loosen Mugabe’s grip on power,” John Makumbe,
a political commentator and longtime Mugabe critic said.

The SADC troika is made up of leaders of Zambia, Mozambique and Namibia,
while South African President Jacob Zuma who is the facilitator in Zimbabwe’s
political dialogue will join them. Zuma will table a report on Zimbabwe.

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza and Namibian leader Hifikepunye Pohamba
are strong allies of Mugabe, who at 87 years is one of the oldest leaders in
Africa.

The MDC says Mugabe has repeatedly violated the global political agreement
that formed the basis of the inclusive government and the party is
frustrated by SADC’s apparent reticence towards Mugabe’s excesses.

A special cabinet sitting last week did not resolve the power-sharing
dispute between the rival coalition partners as had been expected.

Relations have soured in recent weeks over the arrest of MDC’s Energy
Minister Elton Mangoma on two separate charges of fraud over a fuel deal and
the cancellation of a tender on the supply of electricity metres and a
Supreme Court decision to nullify the election of Lovemore Moyo as Speaker
of Parliament.

Moyo was, however, re-elected on Tuesday in a fresh election marred by
charges of vote buying.

Police have angered the MDC by banning several of the party’s rallies while
allowing ZANU-PF meetings. Tsvangirai has said a cabal of security chiefs
loyal to Mugabe was subverting the constitutional civilian government.

“This should ordinarily be an easy summit for the SADC troika because they
only need to enforce the implementation of agreed outstanding issues. These
issues were agreed to by Mugabe himself and there should be a clear
timetable for the implementation,” Makumbe said.

“It is time for SADC to act like the guarantor it is supposed to be to this
political agreement.”

The MDC says Mugabe has refused to swear-in former white commercial farmer
Roy Bennett as deputy agriculture minister and five of its officials as
provincial governors and is resisting agreed security and broadcasting
reforms among other issues

But the veteran Zimbabwe leader says he has met all terms of the political
agreement and that it is the MDC which has failed to persuade Western
countries to lift financial and travel sanctions imposed on ZANU-PF.

The unity government is credited with halting a decade of economic collapse
and ending hyper-inflation and reducing political tension, but the coalition
partners remain deeply divided over economic policy such as indigenisation
of foreign companies and on how to equally share power.

Mugabe has rankled the MDC further with regulations giving mining firms up
to September to transfer at least 51 percent of their shares to blacks,
which the MDC fears will reverse economic gains in the last two years and
benefit those close to Mugabe. -- ZimOnline

Malawi: Tsvangirai briefs Mutharika on Zim Government 'discord'

http://www.afriquejet.com/

Blantyre, Malawi - Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai paid a
day-long visit to Malawi Wednesday where he briefed President Bingu wa
Mutharika on the shaky coalition government. 'I'm engaging all SADC
(Southern African Development Community) leaders because I'm concerned with
the discord in our shared government,' Tsvangirai told journalists after the
closed-door meeting at Mutharika's New State House. The visit comes at a
time when his relationship with President Robert Mugabe are strained. There
have been public mud-slinging between Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) and Mugabe’s ZANU PF.

Tsvangirai said SADC leaders and the international community must work
towards ensuring free and fair polls in Zimbabwe .

'We should not be an exception in SADC,' he said.

The dampened spirits of Zimbabwe were lifted when Tsvangirai declared his
party would enter a unity government under terms negotiated at a special
regional summit.

Following an extraordinary meeting of SADC leaders in Pretoria, South Africa
, in January 2009, they announced Zimbabwe’s political rivals would form a
power-sharing government as initially agreed in September 2008.

Pana 31/03/2011

Plea to stop army brutality    

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Stanley Gama in Zambia
Thursday, 31 March 2011 14:39

LIVINGSTONE - Zimbabwe's civic society groups have pleaded with regional
leaders  to intervene immediately to stop the country’s security forces from
intimidating and coercing people to support President Robert Mugabe and Zanu
PF.

Speaking on the sidelines of the SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and
Security meeting here yesterday, civic society groups under the Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition banner said if the security structures, including the
military, were not stopped, there was a likelihood that the country would
slide into anarchy.

They especially appealed to SADC facilitator to the Zimbabwe political
crisis, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, to ensure that the latest
Troika meeting comes up with a lasting solution.

Crisis spokesperson, Phillip Pasirayi said: “SADC should stop the deployment
of soldiers who are brutalising and torturing people. We do not have guns to
protect the people and that is why we want SADC to intervene.

“We reiterate that Zimbabwe is not ready for elections in 2011 and that on
her own, without assistance from SADC and the African Union, Zimbabwe cannot
deliver a credible election.

“We state unequivocally that the conditions obtaining in Zimbabwe such as
widespread state-sponsored violence, partisan application of the law,
increased deployment of soldiers across the country openly intimidating
citizens and campaigning for Zanu PF, and increased arrests and harassment
of rights activists and MDC leaders all confirm that state institutions
remain unreformed and unrepentant,” said Pasirayi.

He further urged SADC and the AU, to deploy peace-keeping monitors at least
three months ahead of elections to prevent state sponsored violence and
intimidation and to guarantee peaceful transfer of power to the eventual
winner of the elections.

Crisis also implored SADC to make sure that a democratic constitution, which
guarantees freedom of expression and an updated voters’ roll was in place
before the elections.

Zimbabwe has in the past few months been experiencing widespread
intimidation with hundreds of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters arrested or displaced from their
homes.

Already, Tsvangirai has alleged that Mugabe is no longer in charge claiming
that all the power was now with the military.

Tsvangirai told the Daily News last week that he came to the conclusion that
Mugabe had lost grip of the country because whenever they agreed on
something, the 87-year-old leader would change that position after meeting
hardliners in the security structures of government.

The civic society organizations have also documented statistics of MDC
supporters that have been arrested, beaten up and intimidated by Zanu PF
activists and the police.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) executive director Irene Petras
said there has been an upsurge in the number of cases they had handled
saying the figures were now so alarming that SADC needed to come in.

“Since February, our lawyers on the ground have recorded 576 people directly
affected by violence and intimidation by politicians and government
structures. The cases include unlawful detentions, selective application of
the law and malicious prosecutions.

“We have seen MDC supporters and officials being charged with public
violence, criminal insults – some against President Mugabe, treason,
subverting constitutional government and revival of old cases. This is what
lawyers have gathered and, we do not even know the extent of other cases,”
said Petras.

Zimrights director, Okay Machisa who is also part of the Crisis group which
wants to petition the SADC leaders also expressed alarm at the level of
intimidation and harassment in Zimbabwe and urged the Troika to come up with
a solution this time around.

“SADC has been holding meetings on Zimbabwe for the past three years and we
hope that this time around, they will come up with a concrete solution.

SADC cannot be discussing Zimba-    bwe only for three years and now they
should push for a commitment from President Mugabe to implement the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) in full,” said Machisa.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara were due to
arrive in Livingstone late yesterday for the Troika meeting to try and find
a peaceful solution to the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

President Rupiah Banda of Zambia arrived in this resort town on Tuesday
while Zuma was also expected late yesterday.

Zuma, as the facilitator is under pressure to ensure that he comes up with a
solution to the crisis including an acceptable road map which will lead to
credible and acceptable elections.

Military summoned

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Chengetayi Zvauya, Staff Writer
Thursday, 31 March 2011 09:47

HARARE - A showdown is looming between the military and the organ on
national healing after the national reconcialiation body ordered the
military top brass to explain the deployment of soldiers in the provinces
where they are accused of terrorising civillians.

Moses Mzila–Ndlovu, the Minister of National Healing, Reconciliation and
Integration, told the Daily News yesterday that he and his team had served
notice on service chiefs to meet with them so that a concrete process could
be triggered to rein in the military.

Other prominent members of the organ on National Healing, Reconcilliation
and Integration include Sekai Holland and Vice President John Nkomo.
This would be the first time that the feared military top brass has been
robustly engaged  by the inclusive government, following accusations that
uniformed forces are masterminding human rights violations across the
country.

“We have reports that the soldiers are beating up people for reasons that
the civilians don’t understand.  The people are claiming that the actions of
the soldiers are politically influenced as they are siding up with one
political party,” said Ndlovu.

“The members of the defence forces are failing to co-exist with the
civilians, and we want the army generals to explain what is taking place.
This is a very dangerous situation we are having.

“There is massive deployment of soldiers in the rural areas and is a cause
of concern to us. We want to know what is going on as the people are not
comfortable with the deployment of soldiers during times of peace,’’ he told
the Daily News.

Ndlovu added: “We have informed the ministry of defence our intention of
seeing these service chiefs because we are failing to carry out our work of
meeting people as they are afraid to come and meet with us for fear of being
beaten up by the army”.

He said the actions of the security forces left a lot to be desired and no
one was safe with them.

“We cannot talk of another election without healing and reconciling the
nation after the brutality people have suffered at the hands of the security
forces,” said Ndlovu.

As reported by the Daily News last week, the army has allegedly deployed
Brigadiers and other highly skilled military personnel to try and help
resuscitate floundering Zanu PF structures in seven provinces.

Zanu PF has also already tasked retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena and former
CIO director Sydney Nyanungo to lead a crack team specialising in planning a
strategy to regenerate the party’s flagging spirits in all provinces.

No one has been prosecuted since the organ on national healing was formed
and no meaningful action or recommendations have been made since then by the
body.

The organ’s biggest weakness, according to its sceptics, has been its
failure to successfully command police to testify on the murder cases
reported in 2008, in which, hundreds of opposition supporters were killed in
violent clashes with Zanu PF loyalists.

Zanu PF supporters went on a campaign of anarchy and flooded the provinces
when President Robert Mugabe was stunningly rejected by the electorate in
2008.

Grieving communities who lost their loved ones in that mayhem have demanded
that the inclusive government lead in healing the nation by taking
corrective measures and bringing to book perpetrators of that senseless
violence.Healing organ summons military

China’s Anjin wants Marange gems certified

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Tobias Manyuchi     Thursday 31 March 2011

HARARE – A Chinese firm mining Zimbabwe’s controversial Marange deposits is
waiting for Kimberley Process (KP) permission to export a huge stockpile of
rough diamonds, a senior government official said Wednesday.

Deputy Mines Minister Gift Chimanikire did not say how much diamonds Anjin
Zimbabwe has stockpiled but industry sources said the miner could be holding
as much as 1.5 million carats of rough diamonds.

"Anjin is now awaiting certification from the KP," Chimanikire said. "It has
stockpiled diamonds (that) cannot be exported until the KP certifies them.”

Anjin is one of five companies working at the Marange diamond field that is
also known as Chiadzwa and is said to hold enough deposits to generate up to
US$2 billion annually.

The other firms working at Marange are Mbada Diamonds; Marange Mineral
Resources (formerly Canadile); Pure Diamonds, a Lebanese firm and Sino Zim,
a joint commercial entity between the Chinese government and Zimbabwe with
business interests in various sectors of the economy.

But the status of diamonds from Marange – banned by the KP in 2009 because
of concerns over human rights abuses at the mines -- remains hazy, with KP
chairman Mathieu Zamba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said to have
unilaterally given Zimbabwe permission to export the stones.

The KP – which allowed Zimbabwe to conduct two supervised sales in August
and September last year following a report by its monitor Abbey Chikane that
said Harare had met all the regulator’s conditions – takes decisions by
consensus.

Zamba’s unilateral action has angered many KP members,  while several
international diamond trade groups said last week they would block trade in
any gems originating from Marange.

The World Diamond Council (WDC), Jewelers of America (JA), the Diamond
Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA), the Gems &
Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and Rapaport Diamond Trading
Network have told members to stay away from Marange stones.

Meanwhile Chikane has reportedly said he was unwilling to continue as the KP’s
monitor in Zimbabwe. But officials in Harare claimed they were not aware of
Chikane stepping down, and said they expected him to certify Anjin’s
production.

The issue of Zimbabwe exporting the Marange diamonds has long divided the KP
along political lines, with Western countries led by the United States,
Germany and Australia as well as civil society groups that are members of
the organisation calling for the stones to be banned.

African and other countries, including Russia, have however opposed the
calls to ban the diamonds. -- ZimOnline

Human Rights Forum director charged by police

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
31 March, 2011

After almost 2 months of interrogation and harassment, the executive
director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Abel Chikomo, was formally
charged by police on Wednesday, for allegedly running an illegal
organization. Chikomo was not detained but was ordered to report to the Law
and Order section at Harare Central police station Thursday morning.

The Forum director told SW Radio Africa that he did not comply with the
order, because he had already given the police a statement on Wednesday.

The police accuse Chikomo of failing to register the Forum under the Private
Voluntary Organizations (PVO) Act before conducting any of their activities.
They say by instructing staff to perform duties for the Forum, Chikomo is
knowingly controlling an illegal organization, and therefore contravening
the PVO Act.

“That is a ridiculous allegation which is flawed,” Chikomo said. The Forum
director was made to sign a “warned and cautioned statement” in which he
denied all the charges by the police. He argued that the Forum is not a PVO
and is therefore not required to register as such.

Chikomo further explained that the Forum is what is known as a Common Law
Association, which is made legal by its constitution and members that belong
to it. It’s legally recognized by the Constitution and the Courts of
Zimbabwe, including the Supreme Court.

Chikomo described the charges as “part of a very well planned campaign”
against human rights defenders or anyone perceived as a threat. “For some
reason they see us as opposition when we should be working together to
protect human rights.”

He explained that ZANU PF wants to silence all civic society and close
democratic space ahead of elections due in Zimbabwe. “Even though we have no
date for elections they are doing the dirty work now so they can pretend
there is peace during elections,” he added.

A statement released by the Forum said: “The courts would not entertain
legal suits lodged by the Forum if the Forum was not legally constituted.
In addition, the Forum works and collaborates with different government
departments including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministerial Organ on
National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration.

Meanwhile, the MDC was not able to confirm the status of the group of party
youths who were abducted by police in the Trenance area of Bulawayo Central
on Monday. The MDC-T confirmed Wednesday that the youths were being held at
Saucertown police station, facing trumped-up charges that include violence
and cattle rustling.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel Saungweme explained that the arrests
are related to squabbles between ZANU PF and MDC youths in the Trenance
area. But the police arrested only the MDC youths, as a warning to them not
to report political attacks to the local press.

The Bulawayo police have not released any information regarding the case and
it is not clear how many remain in custody.

The harassment and arrests of human rights activists and MDC officials by
ZANU PF has intensified in recent months, with the security forces playing a
key role in the crackdown.

Politics overrides law in court

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Stephen Chadenga in Gweru
Thursday, 31 March 2011 09:20

HARARE - A high ranking police officer based in Gweru stunned the
magistrates’ court on Tuesday when he opposed the granting of bail to the
Job Sikhala led, MDC 99’s senior official on the grounds that his party gets
sympathy from Western countries hence he could abscond there.

Detective Inspector Livingstone Tsango, the investigating officer in the
fraud case involving David Sabola, the MDC 99 Secretary for International
Relations told the court during cross examination that the accused should
not be granted bail on the basis that Western nations, which he said,
support MDC would provide the accused with a sanctuary to hide.

“Your worship besides that, we are dealing with a high profile case of fraud
where the accused might interfere with state witnesses. As the investigating
officer, I also oppose bail because the accused is a member of an opposition
party that gets sympathy from Western countries that are anti-Zimbabwe.

“It is likely that these countries might provide the accused with a place
where he can abscond to.

“Besides, we have a list of ministers and MPs from the opposition parties
who have absconded in the past and they misrepresent to these nations that
they are   being politically persecuted back home.

“So, granting bail to the accused might see him escaping and falsely
applying for political asylum from these countries,” said Inspector Tsango.
But Sabola’s defence counsel, led by Hillary Garikayi of Garikayi and
partners shot back at Inspector Tsango’s reference to politics in a matter
that should   be dealt within the confines of the law.

Garikayi said the state’s case of opposing bail is weak and from Inspector
Tsango’s testimony based on politics. Said Garikayi: “We have heard other
high profile cases where politicians have been accused of treason, yet the
same courts have granted them bail without making reference to political
affiliations. “Is it wrong to belong to a political party? Is there any
evidence that the accused has any links with Western countries that can
provide him with sanctuary?”

Gweru magistrate, Florence Nago postponed the bail ruling to Wednesday.

The state’s case is that, between June 2009 and March 2011, Sabola allegedly
forged the signature of a 77-year-old white lady, Patricia Anne Phillips on
a declaration by seller and power of attorney and used the forged papers to
fraudulently obtain a transfer of the title deeds of her Athlone home at
Stand number 81 Dodgergray road.

High Court orders release of Mthwakazi duo, Siwela still held

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
31 March 2011

The High Court in Bulawayo on Thursday ordered the release of two out of the
three Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) leaders, who have been detained
illegally for almost a month now while facing trumped-up treason charges.

On the 3rd March police arrested Paul Siwela, John Gazi and Charles Thomas
on allegations that the trio distributed flyers that had the message “Rise
up like the people of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Tunisia. They are people
with blood just like us.” The MLF also advocates for a separate state made
out of Matabeleland.

Last week Justice Maphios Cheda granted the trio US$2000 bail each, but the
state invoked controversial legislation to suspend the bail. On Thursday
another judge, Nicholas Mathonsi, ordered the release of Gazi and Thomas and
also rejected attempts by the state to appeal that release in the Supreme
Court.

Justice Mathonsi however allowed the state permission to appeal the bail
granted to Siwela, on the grounds that he had another case pending from
2004. In that case Siwela is being charged using the repressive Public Order
and Security Act. Siwela is expected to remain at Khami Maximum Security
Prison where the trio was being held.

It was reported elsewhere that pressure groups in the Diaspora and
Matabeleland have pledged to raise money towards the US$6 000 needed to pay
the bail for the trio. The contributions are being sent directly to the
Abameli Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) representing the Mthwakazi trio.

Meanwhile the trial of MDC-T MP and Energy Minister Elton Mangoma resumed at
the High Court on Thursday. Mangoma is also facing trumped-up charges, this
time of abuse of office after he authorized the purchase of fuel from South
Africa in an emergency, using his ministerial powers. Mugabe’s regime
claimed Mangoma had procured the fuel without going to tender, despite the
fact that he is allowed to do so in an emergency. In another case he is
alleged to have improperly cancelled a tender for the supply of electricity
meters to ZESA.

Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told SW Radio Africa that the performance of
the state’s star witness, Permanent Secretary in the Energy Ministry Justin
Mupamhanga, was dismal and the case should have been thrown out of court.

Mtetwa says in the case relating to the supply of fuel it had already been
proved that Mangoma did not benefit from the procurement and neither was
anyone prejudiced by the transaction since the cost of the fuel was the same
as previous deals.

In the case of the electricity meters Mangoma has defended himself, saying
he put a hold on the supply of the meters because he was trying to cut out
the middleman and reduce costs for ordinary consumers. Under his plan, ZESA
consumers buy their own meters and receive electricity credits in return.

On Tuesday Mangoma was granted bail by the High Court but the Attorney
General’s Office used a controversial law to suspend the bail order. On
Friday Mtetwa will go back to court challenging this suspension of bail.

Facebook User Granted Bail After Quashing Of Magistrate'S Ruling

ZANU-PF offers Khaya-Moyo ministerial post

http://www.radiovop.com

31/03/2011 12:34:00

HARARE, March 31, 2011 – ZANU-PF has offered Simon Khaya-Moyo a ministerial
post in a clear sign of appeasement after at least two party legislators
defied the whipping system and voted for rivalry candidate Lovemore Moyo.

Khaya Moyo was trounced by Lovemore Moyo of the mainstream Movement for
Democratic Change led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) 105-93 for
the post of Parliament Speaker.

There were 199 members of parlaiment who voted and of these 96 each belonged
to Zanu (PF) and MDC-T while seven belonged to the smaller MDC faction led
by Welshman Ncube. There was one spoilt paper.

On Wednesday the politburo launched a witch-hunt in desperate attempts to
sniff out legislators that voted for Moyo.
ZANU-PF sources said on Wednesday Khaya-Moyo, the former ambassador to South
Africa, was likely to be sworn on Thursday as a non-constituency
senator to fill the vacancy left by Vice President John Nkomo who was on
Tuesday sworn as a non-constituency House of Assembly member.
Khaya-Moyo is further tipped to be appointed Minister of State in the
President’s Office to become one of the three co-Ministers of National
Healing, together with Sekai Holland (MDC-T) and Moses Mzila-Ndlovu (MDC).
Vice President Nkomo is set to relinquish the portfolio in the Organ.

Another new paper for Zimbabwe

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
31 March 2011

Another new newspaper has been revealed in Zimbabwe, making a surprise
arrival on the streets on Thursday.

Dummy copies of the paper titled ‘The Mail’ were handed out free to the
public on Thursday, ahead of the paper’s official launch, set for some time
next week.

The paper, carrying a headline story that says: “Restrictions on rallies
biased,” appears to be a far cry from the state-sympathetic Herald. SW Radio
Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa explained that the story appears
critical of the offensive against the MDC, whose public rallies have been
actively banned by the police.

“So far it would appear that the paper is apolitical, but we don’t know yet
what kind of balance the paper will have,” Muchemwa explained.

He continued that this scepticism is widespread, amid rumours that the paper
has been financed by the ZANU PF led Youth and Empowerment Ministry. It is
understood that the paper is being edited by Barnabus Thondhlana, who was
previously at the recently relaunched Daily News, and before that, he was
said to be working for NewsDay.

“There is a lot of talk on the ground about who is running it and whether it
is actually ZANU PF behind this. For now though, it does seem that the
competition for newspapers is slowly increasing,” Muchemwa said.

The Mail, set to be a daily newspaper from some time next week, joins The
Daily News, NewsDay, and the state-friendly Herald and The Chronicle as the
fifth daily paper in Zimbabwe.

But there is still no sign of any independent radio stations being licensed
to broadcast in the country, despite the majority of the population being
unable to afford the comparatively expensive newspapers. The unity
government, under the Global Political Agreement (GPA), vowed to reform the
media, including the freeing of the airwaves. But more than two years later,
there is still no sign of independent broadcasts being allowed in Zimbabwe.

MDC Congress dates announced

Thursday, 31 March 2011

The MDC’s 3rd National Congress has been set for 30 April to 1 May in Bulawayo, the MDC National Organising Secretary, Hon. Elias Mudzuri has said. Addressing journalists at Harvest House today, Hon. Mudzuri said the party would from this weekend conduct provincial elections in preparation for the Congress whose theme is; “United, Winning – The People’s Covenant to Real Change”.

The theme has been chosen because the MDC is a Party of Excellence that been winning elections and fighting to bring real change to the people of Zimbabwe. Hon. Mudzuri said the party has drafted a Code of Conduct that will guide the holding of elections.  Under the Code of Conduct, vote buying, violence, defamation, intimidation, tribalism, nepotism and other misdemeanours are liable for disciplinary action.  Hon. Mudzuri said this would limit discohesion in the structures.

He said the party has set gender equality as a priority to ensure that competent female leadership is elected at every level of the party. After the provincial elections, the MDC will hold its main Congress in Bulawayo at the end of April.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to be the guest of honour at the Congress. Other political parties from across Africa, international socialist and labour organisations are expected to attend.

The MDC Youth and Women’s Assemblies will hold their separate Congresses also in Bulawayo on 29 April. The party has so far completed elections in over 12 000 branches, 1 985 wards in all and 210 districts in the 12 administrative provinces.

The provincial elections will be held this weekend in the following provinces; Chitungwiza, Midlands North, Mashonaland West, Masvingo and Harare.  Next weekend the elections will be held in Mashonaland Central, Midlands South, Bulawayo, Manicaland, Matebeleland North, Mashonaland East and Matebeleland South.

Say No Violence!! Yes to Peace!!

Together, united, winning, ready for real change!!

--
MDC Information & Publicity Department

Kenyan Premier to attend MDC congress in Zimbabwe

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

Mar 31, 2011 7:55 PM | By Sapa-dpa

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga plans to attend the upcoming congress of
Zimbabwe's MDC, the party.

Odinga, a fierce critic of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, was Kenya's
opposition leader before joining President Mwai Kibaki in a 2008
power-sharing deal following contested elections that sparked tribal
violence.

A similar deal was later agreed in Zimbabwe by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai
and his long-time rival Mugabe.

MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said Odinga would be "the guest of honour"
at party's Apri 30-May 1 congress in Bulawayo.

Other politicians from across Africa are also expected to attend.

This will be the first time that Odinga visits Zimbabwe since being
appointed prime minister.

Egypt Style Activist Narrates Ordeal At The Hands Of State Security Agents

http://www.radiovop.com

31/03/2011 09:40:00

Harare, 31 March - One of the 46 activists arrested last month and charged
of treason after organising a meeting to discuss political uprisings in
Egypt and the Arab world say his treatment at the hands of state security
agents left him convinced that Zanu PF wants to rule the country forever.

Hopewell Gumbo, a Harare-based social and economic activist says his more
than a month stint as a guest of the state at Harare Central
police station, Harare Central Prison and Harare Remand Prison left him in
no doubt that Zanu PF will use whatever means available to
retain political power.

“Zimbabweans must be ready to stomach however painful the fact that Zanu PF
regime is not in any way giving up the fight to govern this
country. It will not go to sleep and will use all its machinery to remain in
control of the state apparatus of oppression and remain in
power,” said Gumbo as he narrated his ordeal at the hands of state security
agents in a civic society briefing paper released Wednesday.

Gumbo who possesses a fiery character that first manifested itself from his
days as a student leader at the National University of
Science and Technology (NUST) where he studied engineering said his ordeal
gave him a glimpse inside Zanu PF thinking.
“I have had a personal experience of the state of play with the Zanu PF
machinery in the last month where I learnt what the rogue regime
wants, what it is afraid of, its capacity to remain in the control of
Zimbabwe and its rich resources,” Gumbo said.

In his recollections of the fateful day Gumbo said the meeting had been
organised as a commemoration of the death of a fellow AIDS
activist and to discuss the dramatic political events in Egypt and Tunisia.
Gumbo said it took the police five days to prefer a charge against them with
papers flying between the Attorney General’s office and the
police. In between they were treated to falanga (beatings under the feet)
and everywhere on their bodies by unidentified men.
Gumbo suffered a broken nose as a result of the beating. But it was the
treason charges that were finally laid before them on
their initial court appearance that shocked him most. “Until today I have
struggled to convince myself that there was any semblance of treason in the
acts, speeches and singing that
characterized the meeting on the 19th of February 2011,” said Gumbo.

In addition he said they endured severe beatings that “there was no chance
to refuse to speak as we could clearly see that we were dealing
with a rogue crew, ready to kill, as their confessions sounded. These men
made it known to us that they were not police officers and that we
were going to face more beatings at the hands of the police and soldiers.”

The starry-eyed Gumbo, a father of one and expecting his second child said
at some point he never thought he will be able to see his family
again while he was in the dungeons of the security agents. During the time
Gumbo and his colleagues who include former MDC MP and
founding member Munyaradzi Gwisai learnt to live in leg-irons and handcuffs
and the “foren” call which requires prisoners to seat in a
carefully choreographed manner for the regular head count.
More so they were forced to cram themselves into small rooms where they
would spend hours without much time for exercises. Gumbo said they got much
solidarity from fellow inmates who felt they
were suffering for a just cause. He said Zimbabweans need to organise
themselves towards a united front to fight for liberty in the country. Gumbo
and his fellow treason trialists will be back in court on April 21.

Trade Union Says Sack Air Zimbabwe Management to End Strike

http://www.voanews.com

ZCTU Deputy Secretary General Japhet Moyo said it is clear the management
board led by pig and poultry farmer Jonathan Kadzura should be replaced with
professionals

Gibbs Dube | Washington  30 March 2011

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said Wednesday that the government
should fire Air Zimbabwe's management to resolve a week-long strike by
pilots and cabin crew over unpaid salaries and allowances amounting to
around US$9 million.

ZCTU Deputy Secretary General Japhet Moyo said it is clear the management
board led by pig and poultry farmer Jonathan Kadzura should be replaced with
professionals.

Moyo said airline workers feel the management board named by President
Robert Mugabe before the formation of the present unity government is not
competent.

Pilots, engineers and cabin crew are demanding US$9 million from the airline
before returning to work.

Reached by VOA, Kadzura refused to comment. The Air Zimbabwe executive has
said that the national carrier is bankrupt and cannot come up with the money
demanded.

Moyo said airline employees will only return to work if the current board is
sacked.

“The employees are convinced that the solution lies with the board which has
to be fired in order to pave the way for a professional management board
that will take care of the operations of the airline,” Moyo told VOA Studio
7 reporter Gibbs Dube.

Bennett launches site