http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Apr 21, 2011 3:05 PM | By Sapa-AP
The pilots
reported for duty after reaching "an amicable agreement" with Air
Zimbabwe
managers and the transport ministry, chief executive Innocent
Mavhunga said.
He refused to give details of the deal.
The airline's 49 pilots were
demanding $4 million in unpaid salaries and
allowances. They grounded the
airline March 22 in the second strike in the
past six
months.
Chartered carriers were hired to fly domestic and regional
routes. Long haul
flights to London and Asia were abandoned.
Striking
pilots complained to a panel of lawmakers last week that poor
salaries made
them unable to meet their family and financial commitments and
that their
financial worries led to stresses that impaired their abilities
at the
controls, putting passenger safety at risk.
Senior captains at the
airline earn just $2,600 a month, well below salaries
of their regional
counterparts.
The airline also failed to pay most crew allowances over
the past two years
that include school fees for their children and other
benefits.
Pilots called on the airline to replace its aging fleet that
could become a
safety risk and accused executives of not honoring their
contracts and
heading up "dishonest and poor management" of all the
airline's operations.
The last strike in September cost the airline an
$3.5 million in lost
business.
Striking pilots have twice been called
up for what the airline described as
"national duty" to fly President Robert
Mugabe, 87, to Singapore where he
received medical treatment.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
21/04/2011 00:00:00
by
Staff Reporter
THE Attorney General is set to drop treason charges
against former Highfield
MP Munyaradzi Gwisai and five others, but they
could still face prosecution
for the lesser crime of holding an illegal
gathering.
At a routine remand hearing on Wednesday, Edmore Nyazamba of
the AG’s office
indicated the five men and a woman would stand trial before
a regional
magistrate on July 18.
But only the High Court can try an
individual for treason, a clear
indication, said legal observers, that
prosecutors were climbing down from
the heavy charge of treason which
carries the death penalty.
Gwisai was originally arrested and charged
with 45 others after they
attended a lecture in Harare on February 10,
organised by the International
Socialist Organisation (ISO), at which
prosecutors say they watched videos
of uprisings in Egypt and
Tunisia.
Prosecutors accused the 34 men and 11 women of “attempting to
circumvent a
sitting government” through unconstitutional means, namely by
engaging in
Egyptian-style illegal street protests.
But a magistrate
dropped charges against 39 of the group, while indicting
Gwisai, Hopewell
Gumbo, Eddison Chakuma, Antonater Choto, Tatenda
Mombeyarara and Welcome
Zimuto to stand trial for treason.
The magistrate found that there was a
prima facie case that the six had
uttered “treasonous statements”, but said
the group of 39 had committed no
crime by simply “listening to treasonous
utterances”.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
21 April
2011
ZANU PF has continued its efforts to make amends for outbursts
against
leaders in the region, with Joice Mujuru reportedly being dispatched
to
apologise to South African President Jacob Zuma.
Zuma in
particular has faced the brunt of ZANU PF’s anger, following the
surprisingly stern rebuke by the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) last month. During a meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security in Zambia, Zuma and other leaders cornered Mugabe over his
refusal to fully implement the coalition agreement that kept him in power.
The grouping later issued a statement demanding an immediate end to
violence, intimidation, hate speech and harassment, and pledged to develop a
roadmap towards credible elections.
It’s widely understood that it
was a scathing report by Zuma on the state of
Zimbabwe’s political crisis
that spurred SADC to change its tone towards the
situation. The report,
which was handed to the SADC Troika as well as the
principals in the unity
government, has not officially been made public.
But according to South
Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, which saw the
document, Zuma had harsh
warnings about the political stalemate.
Zuma reportedly admonished all three
parties in the coalition government for
not implementing the Global
Political Agreement (GPA). He also warned that
public revolts and
“unprecedented upheavals,” seen in North Africa recently,
would happen in
Zimbabwe if there weren’t major reforms. It was on the back
of this warning
that SADC then took a hard line with the unity government,
leaving ZANU PF
noticeably angry.
A furious Mugabe launched a scathing attack after the
summit, accusing SADC
of trying to interfere in Zimbabwe's internal affairs.
He claimed Zuma was
just a facilitator to the dialogue and "cannot prescribe
anything,” while
saying that SADC has no business ‘meddling’ in Zimbabwe’s
affairs.
The state owned Sunday Mail newspaper then took its cue from
Mugabe and
published an editorial branding Zuma 'erratic' and
'disaster-prone'. They
described him as a "liability, not only to South
Africa, but also to the
rest of the continent". An opinion piece by ZANU PF
spin doctor, Jonathan
Moyo, was also published in the same paper, saying:
“Zuma is now tainted
beyond recovery by the Libyan situation”, after his
country voted on the UN
Security Council in favour of imposing a no-fly
zone.
ZANU PF has since backtracked, apparently worried about being
isolated in
the region. Moyo was summoned by Mugabe’s deputy Joice Mujuru
and sharply
reprimanded for his opinion piece that blasted Zuma. Mugabe's
spokesman,
George Charamba, was also tasked with making amends, taking out a
full page
supplement in the state owned Herald newspaper, claiming the views
of the
Sunday Mail editorial did not reflect the views of the
government.
Mujuru has since reportedly been deployed to apologise to
Zuma on her party’s
behalf, and it’s understood that she traveled to South
Africa to do so. ZANU
PF’s spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, has however said he
knows nothing of such an
apology. Mugabe meanwhile has also been
back-pedaling from his attacks on
SADC. He told thousands of people during
Independence Day celebrations on
Monday, that he appreciates SADC’s role in
resolving the Zimbabwe crisis,
and that he remains ‘committed’ to the unity
government.
The apparent pandering to SADC and Zuma has coincided with
more talks by the
party negotiators in the unity government who, together
with facilitators
from South Africa and SADC, are trying to form a roadmap
towards fresh
elections. That draft roadmap is set to be delivered to SADC
leaders at
their next Heads of State Summit, scheduled for May.
ZANU
PF has been pushing for an election to take place this year, but South
Africa has now made it clear it will not endorse any election plan that is
drafted unilaterally by Mugabe’s party. A source within the South African
Presidency has reportedly said that Zuma will not give his blessing as the
regional mediator in Zimbabwe, to any poll that is not agreed to by the
entire unity government.
According to the Daily News, the source
said; “Zimbabwe’s inclusive
government is a creation of the region and South
Africa played a key role in
the crafting of that GPA, culminating in
Pretoria being asked by the region
to be the chief facilitator of the
conversations that are still taking place
in Harare. To that extent, South
Africa would never endorse an election that
is not an outcome of
negotiations within the GPA framework.”
There has been a very cautious
welcome to SADC and Zuma’s apparent change
from their usual policy of quiet
diplomacy towards the Zimbabwe situation.
But observers have pointed out
that the region is still reluctant to take
real action, after not singling
out ZANU PF as the primary reason for the
crisis in Zimbabwe.
Athol
Trollip, from South Africa’s main political opposition, the Democratic
Alliance (DA), told SW Radio Africa on Thursday that SADC’s position is
still not good enough. Trollip has been calling for a tough stance on
Zimbabwe since former President Thabo Mbeki was the regional mediator. He
said Zuma, Mbeki’s successor, has made no difference to the situation in
Zimbabwe.
“The status quo remains. There is an escalation of
violence, Mugabe
continues to ignore the GPA. What admonishments there have
been from SADC
and from Zuma have been entirely limp wristed,” Trollip
said.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
21 April
2011
The MDC-T is seeking to make changes to its constitution, ahead of
the next
election in Zimbabwe.
Informed sources told SW Radio Africa
on Thursday there is general consensus
within the top leadership that the
party needed ‘serious’ revamping.
A legal committee in the party has been
working on the proposals which will
be tabled before a national council
meeting, before the Bulawayo congress.
The congress will be held from 29th
to 30th April.
‘The MDC is teetering on the brink of winning an election
through the ballot
box and has thus decided to have a full time director of
elections who will
be a member of the standing committee. There will also be
an additional
seven portfolio secretaries who will shadow ministries that
are not directly
under the MDC in the inclusive government. These positions
are for
technocrats who will be the engine room of the party,’ the source
said.
A new position of deputy party spokesperson is to be created and
the office
bearer, to be elected at the congress, will also sit in the
expanded
standing committee. The standing committee is the highest decision
making
body of the party.
Additionally, anyone elected into office,
from the standing committee right
down to district executives, will only be
allowed to serve two five year
terms.
The legal team has floated a
proposal to keep intact a clause allowing the
party President to seek
re-election at every congress. A senior MDC insider
told us this clause was
introduced at the time of writing a new
constitution, just after the split
MDC split in two.
‘People were emotional and looked at personalities
rather than principles.
It was then agreed under that environment, that to
put limited terms would
be to victimize the already victimized Tsvangirai.
But I remember him
personally saying be mindful of creating a monster after
people had actually
suggested that he be made life president.
‘The
idea for now is to let Tsvangirai challenge Robert Mugabe in a
presidential
election and make changes once he’s in office because he’ll
only be allowed
to serve two five year terms as Head of State,’ our source
said.
Political analyst Mutsa Murenje told us another school of
thought was that
deputy party leader Thokozani Khupe and Secretary General
Tendai Biti needed
more grooming. This would enable them and others to get
to Tsvangirai’s
level of national leadership, before the party thinks of
making changes to
the top.
With an amended constitution in place the
MDC is also expected to overhaul
the way it makes policy, with reforms
expected to be announced at the end of
the congress in the hope to reverse a
steady fall in membership.
Following ZANU PF’s terror campaign in 2008,
that saw the army and police
implement a strategy of killing, torturing and
creating an atmosphere of
fear, many MDC supporters went underground. Many
Zimbabweans are still
scared to be openly associated with the MDC for fear
of reprisals from war
vets and ZANU PF militia.
Some in the party
want to give district and provincial structures greater
influence over how
policy is drafted and put them at the forefront of an
aggressive recruitment
drive to target community groups, young voters, and
students.
It is
believed these new positions will help bring in several young and new
faces
into active roles in the party. This comes as the MDC is set to roll
out a
new campaign to present a compelling, fresh vision for Zimbabwe and a
renewal of the party’s purpose.
Murenje said many Zimbabweans believe
ZANU PF is vulnerable and lacking in
new ideas and credibility.
‘It
is for this reason that the MDC has decided to radically overhaul its
political policies, its own image, and arguably its political philosophy in
order to win over the support of Zimbabweans to beat ZANU PF in an
election,’
Murenje said.
http://www.voanews.com/
SADC
and South African sources involved said they had to read President
Robert
Mugabe’s former ruling ZANU-PF party the riot act after it continued
to
stall on reforms required to hold new elections
Blessing Zulu |
Washington 20 April 2011
Negotiators for the three political parties
in Zimbabwe's national unity
government are close to completing a
long-mooted road map to the next
elections in the country amid pressure from
the Southern African Development
Community to finish the job.
SADC
and South African sources involved said they had to read President
Robert
Mugabe’s former ruling ZANU-PF party the riot act after it continued
to
stall on reforms.
ZANU-PF hawks say just three tasks must be completed
before new elections
can be held: the completion of a draft constitution, a
national referendum
on that document and reform of the electoral process as
agreed by unity
government party negotiators.
Sources close to
Wednesday's talks said issues on the agenda include
guarantees of personal
security for all Zimbabweans, an end to violence,
creation of an accurate
voters roll, redistricting along transparent and
impartial lines and
participation of SADC monitors from six months before
elections to six
months after the ballot, among others.
Particularly problematic is
proposed reform of the national security
establishment to prevent further
abuses by the military, security agencies
and youth militia. President Jacob
Zuma of South Africa, mediator for SADC
in Harare, will present the road map
to regional leaders in Namibia on May
20 at an extraordinary summit on
Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
ZANU-PF sources say the party is worried SADC
might isolate it
Furious at an unexpected rebuke at a SADC mini-summit
early this month in
Livingstone, Zambia, President Mugabe launched a sharp
attack, accusing the
regional body of trying to interfere in Zimbabwe's
internal affairs. He
contended that Mr. Zuma was just a facilitator to the
dialog in Harare and
"cannot prescribe anything.”
Such sentiments
were echoed in in a full-page opinion piece by ZANU-PF
Member of Parliament
Jonathan Moyo, who suggested that Mr. Zuma wanted to
use the road map to
overthrow Mr. Mugabe in the same way the South African
leader voted for last
month’s United Nations Security Council resolution
imposing a no-fly zone
over Libya.
ZANU-PF has now dispatched Vice President Joice Mujuru
Pretoria to apologize
to Mr. Zuma over attacks on him by party hardliners,
sources said.
Even Mr. Mugabe has been back-pedaling from his attacks on
SADC. Addressing
thousands of people in a Harare stadium during the
Independence Day
celebrations on Monday, the president said he appreciates
SADC’s role in
resolving the Zimbabwe crisis.
But ZANU-PF spokesman
Rugare Gumbo said he knew nothing of an apology to
Zuma.
Crisis in
Zimbabwe Regional coordinator Dewa Mavhinga said a great deal
remains to be
done before elections can be held in Zimbabwe.
http://www.voanews.com
Elsewhere, prospects of elections this year as demanded by Mr.
Mugabe and
ZANU-PF looked more remote following indications by the Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission that it cannot afford to revise the voter
roll
Blessing Zulu & Ntungamili Nkomo 21 April
2011
Negotiators for the three parties in Zimbabwe's troubled
national unity
government failed this week to agree on whether and how to
overhaul the
national security apparatus as a critical component of the road
map to the
next elections they are drawing up.
Sources close to the
discussions said South African President Jacob Zuma is
expected to step in
soon to break the deadlock over how to ensure the army,
police and
intelligence services do not interfere in the elections as they
have often
been accused of doing.
The sources said both formations of the former
opposition Movement for
Democratic Change said the chiefs of the military
branches and the police to
publicly declare that they will respect the
constitution and election
outcomes.
ZANU-PF negotiators responded
that this would only drag security officials
into politics - though several
top military officers and Police Commissioner
Augustine Chihuri have for
much of the past decade been publicly declaring
that they would not
recognize Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as president
if he were to be
elected.
In 2000, General Vitalis Zvinavashe, now deceased, vowed that
the country's
security organizations would only support political leaders
who "pursue
Zimbabwean values, traditions [and] beliefs for which thousands
of lives
were lost in pursuit of Zimbabwe's hard-won independence,
sovereignty,
territorial integrity and national interest."
He
continued: "We will, therefore, not accept, let alone support or salute
anyone with a different agenda that threatens (the) very existence of our
sovereignty, our country and our people." Zvinavashe made those comments on
national television flanked by Air Marshal Perence Shiri and Prison Chief
Paradzai Zimhondi.
Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa made similar
remarks this year.
The two MDC formations also wanted the Public Order
and Security Act to be
amended along with legislation governing the Central
Intelligence
Organization.
But ZANU-PF would not discuss this or a
proposal to remove army officers
allegedly deployed in all provinces to
promote the re-election of President
Robert Mugabe.
But the unity
parties noted progress on electoral reforms and the
constitution. The three
unity government principals have been given the
current draft of the road
map, which has also gone to President Zuma as
mediator in Harare for the
Southern African Development Community, which is
pressing the negotiators
for progress.
Mr. Zuma’s facilitators are expected in Harare on May 5 to
try to broaden
agreement ahead of the SADC summit on Zimbabwe May 20 in
Namibia.
Retired Zimbabwe Army Colonel Martin Rupiya, Director of the
African Public
Policy and Research Institute, told VOA reporter Blessing
Zulu that
ZANU-PF's over-reliance on the military makes it difficult for the
former
ruling party to accept reform
Elsewhere, prospects of
elections this year as demanded by Mr. Mugabe and
ZANU-PF looked more remote
following indications by the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission that it cannot
afford to revise the voter roll, or address other
important tasks at hand.
It said its own staff needs training and major
reforms are required before
elections.
Electoral Commission Chairman Simpson Mutambanengwe said his
panel will
start work on the voters roll and other logistical projects when
funds are
available.
Mutambanengwe told VOA Studio 7 reporter
Ntungamili Nkomo that the
Referendum Act also needs revision as it still
says the registrar general
presides over elections though that mandate was
shifted by the
constitutional amendment creating his panel.
Political
analyst Bhekilizwe Ndlovu commented that he does not think ZANU-PF
wants
elections any time soon despite the demands from President Mugabe.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Tobias Manyuchi Thursday 21 April
2011
HARARE -- Zimbabwe will resist attempts to appoint British
national Simon
Gilberts as the Kimberley Process (KP)’s new monitor for the
country’s
controversial Marange diamond mines, Mines Minister Obert Mpofu
said on
Wednesday.
"I have heard about him (Gilberts) but he will
never come to Zimbabwe as a
monitor …. he is welcome as a tourist," said
Mpofu, adding that as far as
Harare was concerned South African diamond
executive Abbey Chikane was still
the KP monitor because he has not formally
resigned the position.
"Chikane is a KP employee and as far as I am
concerned he is an employee of
the KP and he has not resigned as an employee
of the KP," said Mpofu.
Harare fears that should Gilbert, a former
employee of diamond giants De
Beers, become KP monitor he might come under
pressure from his home country
Britain to produce negative reports about
Marange to buttress calls by
London for a ban of gemstones from the
notorious Zimbabwean mines.
Britain is among several Western countries
that have called on the KP, that
regulates the world diamond industry, to
ban diamonds from Marange citing
human rights abuses allegedly committed by
Zimbabwe army soldiers guarding
the mines to the east of the
country.
The fate of the Marange diamonds remains uncertain with KP
chairman Mathieu
Lapfa Lambang Yamba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
said to have
last month unilaterally gave Zimbabwe permission to export the
stones. The
KP takes decision by consensus
Several countries among
them the US and Britain as well non-governmental
organisations that are KP
members have said they will not recognise Zamba’s
decision to authorise
exports of the Marange gems.
Top diamond trade groups such as the World
Diamond Council, Jewelers of
America and the Diamond Manufacturers &
Importers Association of America
have also refused to recognise Yamba’s
decision and have instructed their
members to stay away from Marange
diamonds.
The KP banned Zimbabwe from selling diamonds from Marange in
2009 over
allegations of human rights abuses in the extraction of the gems
and failure
to meet minimum requirements for trading in the precious
stones.
But the organisation allowed Zimbabwe to conduct two supervised
sales which
took place in August and September last year following a report
by Chikane
that said Harare had met all KP conditions.
However
subsequent KP meetings failed to reach agreement on whether to
permanently
lift the ban on Marange diamonds. The monitoring group had said
the stones
would remain prohibited until there was consensus on the matter –
a position
which Yamba has apparently overturned by his decision last month.
The
issue of Zimbabwe selling the Marange diamonds has divided the KP along
political lines, with Western countries led by the United States, Britain,
Germany and Australia calling for the extension of a ban.
African and
other countries, including Russia, have however opposed the
calls to ban the
diamonds. -- ZimOnline
http://www.voanews.com
Highlighting tensions inside the Kimberley Process, African
diamond
producers led by South Africa boycotted a recent Kimberley working
group on
monitoring in Dubai
Sandra Nyaira | Washington 20 April
2011
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for supervision of
diamond
markets faces mounting internal divisions following the recent
pronouncement
by new chairman Mathieu Yamba of the Democratic Republic of
Congo
authorizing Zimbabwe to sell all the diamonds from Marange it wishes
without
Kimberley supervision.
Western members of the watchdog group
dismissed the decision as illegitimate
as there was no consensus on the
question among Kimberley members. But a
fissure has opened with African
members - including most significantly South
Africa - backing
Yamba.
Highlighting Kimberley internal tensions, African producers led by
South
Africa boycotted a Kimberley working group on monitoring in Dubai last
Thursday. The working group met to draft an agreement now being circulated
among Kimberley members for approval.
But Zimbabwean Mines Minister
Obert Mpofu said any new agreement authorizing
Harare to sell is moot and
unnecessary as Yamba has already given Harare a
green light to
sell.
The draft proposes Harare be allowed to export diamonds from
Marange. Though
major diamond importing countries like the United States,
China and India
attended the meeting, sources suggest Washington is not
happy with the
draft.
Sources say controversy deepened as members
haggled over country compliance
as opposed to mine site compliance, which
would ensure more scrutiny over
new mining concerns.
Five companies
from South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and China – all
members of the
working group on monitoring – now operate in Marange in joint
ventures with
Harare.
Kimberly sources said the draft is confidential, but indicated
that a
controversial clause on the handling of complaints relating to
violence,
which Mpofu had previously dismissed as ‘nonsensical,’ has been
dropped from
the latest draft.
This has incensed Western human rights
groups. But despite the concession,
Mpofu says Harare will not bother to
look at the new agreement.
The absence of the violence clause is of
special concern to Kimberly
non-governmental organization
observers.
Executive Director Farai Maguwu of the Center for Research and
Development
in Mutare, a prominent critic of the government's Marange
policies, was in
Dubai for the meetings. He says civic groups may not back
the agreement
without the violence clause.
Though represented in
Dubai, the United States has threatened to veto the
agreement even if Harare
eventually signs off on it. The Kimberly Process in
theory works on a
consensus basis, so such turmoil threatens to continue and
potentially
paralyze the group.
Cecilia Gardner, general counsel of the U.S.
Kimberley Process Authority,
says the Marange issue has been “taking up a
lot of our time” which she says
could be put to better use to deal with more
pressing Kimberley matters.
Maguwu says that if Harare does not accept
the new proposal, this would send
things back to the drawing board meaning
more disarray within the
organization.
Mpofu dismisses the entire
process saying Harare will remain a member but
will not endure further
scrutiny by the working group on monitoring.
Sources say participant
countries will vote soon on the new agreement. Lack
of consensus could leave
Zimbabwe on the agenda at the next Kimberley
plenary meeting in
June.
Meanwhile the clashes within the respected organization seem to be
much to
the satisfaction of some in Harare.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Oscar Nkala
Thursday, 21 April 2011
11:59
BULAWAYO - President Robert Mugabe must apologise and
compensate victims of
the Gukurahundi atrocities in Matabeleland and
Midlands in the 80s, if
national healing was to be successful, a survey by
the Daily News has
revealed.
Wide ranging interviews held in
Matabeleland yesterday revealed that the
victims also want Mugabe, cabinet
ministers, security agents, and soldiers
involved in the massacres to
apologise and compensate the victims with
projects to sustain their
families.
During the deadly operation conducted by the North Korean
trained Fifth
Brigade, at least 20 000 innocent civilians were killed, some
were buried
alive while others had body parts bayoneted in acts similar to
acts in
sadistic movies. The Fifth Brigade then was headed by Air Marshall
Perence
Shiri, Emmerson Mnangagwa was State Security Minister while Enos
Nkala was
Defence Minister.
Government, then claimed that they wanted
to deal with less than 200 “Zapu
dissidents” claiming they were planning an
insurgence.
Mugabe has refused to apologise for the massacres only saying
it was “moment
of madness.”
The victims in Matabeleland have been
angered by a police crackdown on
senior government officials and rights
groups who are leading the national
healing programmes in the
provinces.
Police has launched a fresh onslaught on the church and
pro-democracy groups
in the region in a move that provoked deep seated anger
from the Gukurahundi
victims who view it as a sign to silence
them.
In interviews held in Matobo South, the victims and survivors said
it was
disheartening to note that the government of Mugabe, which fully
understands
the extent of the catastrophe and its continuing effects on
entire
communities, has chosen to make political gimmicks out of the very
wounds it
inflicted on its own people.
“We hear about the national
healing programme but it will never work here
unless it starts with Robert
Mugabe leading a delegation of his ministers
here to apologise and give our
communities the developmental redress they
need.
“While it is true
that Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, it was only in
1988 that the
people of Matobo South started to feel it," said granny
Modester
Moyo.
She said communities were struggling because the NGOs were afraid
to carry
work in the region.
"NGOs are afraid even of talking about
and let alone, helping Gukurahundi
victims. Some even remove people from
their food registers simply because
they mentioned that
word.”
“Communities, through the extended family and traditional welfare
structures
are trying to make ends meet but it is proving difficult. Most
families are
now headed by young people as both parents were killed or and
old people who
lost spouses or entire families and remained living solitary
lives."
“They need food, clothing and psycho-social support because some
of them,
especially those that endured long detentions in Bhalagwe, still
scream and
hallucinate over the gruesome events they witnessed," Moyo told
the Daily
News.
"To us, Gukurahundi never ended. It is continuing and
even those who were
not yet born when it happened are born as victims
because the destruction
Gukurahundi brought cannot be measured on any normal
scale.
“It was sheer brutality on people who died without knowing why
they were
being butchered. We have the orphans, if you look outside you will
see
hovels of homesteads and ruins where huts were razed to the ground,”
said
villager who lost his wife and two brothers when Gukurahundi set up in
Homestead in 1984.
In Gohole, community members told the Daily News
that they fear discussing
Gukurahundi because the police do not tolerate
it.
"The healing will be difficult because we are not allowed to speak
about
Gukurahundi. Many people are arrested and silently cautioned against
it at
various police posts in the affected areas.
“You can't just say
Bhalagwe; you need to check who is around first. I don't
think we can be
healed by being silenced.
“President Mugabe must apologise, not on
television but face to face with
us. From there we will demand to be allowed
to rebury the people who still
lie like dogs in mass graves and then ask the
perpetrators to pay for the
damage. Justice can come later," said Jealous
Thusi, a war veteran who
operates a shop at Gohole Number 2 business
centre.
Their concerns come amid the arrest and detention of co-home
affairs
minister Moses-Mzila Ndlovu and Catholic priest Father Marko
Mnkandla of the
Roman Catholic Church at St. Lukes over remarks they
allegedly made at a
healing and reconciliation meeting with Gukurahundi
survivors in Lupane two
weeks ago.
In the last seven days, repression
has spiked on Gukurahundi related
activists with the police in Lupane
detaining Gukurahundi activist Mbuso
Fuzwayo over a T-shirt inscribed -
Gukurahundi - a moment of madness.
Police in Hwange also detained three
members of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights (ZLHR) and four MDC
officials who were on their way to see and
represent Mzila and
Mnkandla.
Another national healing and reconciliation meeting that was
supposed to
address Gukurahundi issues were disrupted by police in Kezi.
http://www.voanews.com
Economist
James Wade says international donors have seen fit to channel
funds to
specific projects and target areas, but the underfunding has left
some
vulnerable communities at risk
Tatenda Gumbo | Washington 20 April
2011
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs in
Zimbabwe has warned that developments in health, food security,
and rising
political violence could have a negative impact on the
humanitarian
situation in the country.
The report says the UN annual
appeal to donors for around $415 million has
only brought in a total of $54
million. At the moment, UN officials say new
pledges total just
$500,000.
Food shortages in many parts of Zimbabwe and a resurgence of
cholera in some
areas signal a continued need for humanitarian
assistance.
In the OCHA monthly report, officials say the food security
situation is
alarming at a time when major donors are shifting focus from
humanitarian to
a transitional aid - the 2011 appeal is structured to
provide funds for
recovery projects as well as humanitarian
aid.
Officials say various population segments have slipped back into
humanitarian need since the agency adopted the transitional strategy in the
country.
Economist James Wade says donors have seen fit to channel
funds to specific
projects and target areas, but the underfunding has left
some vulnerable
communities at risk.
http://www.businesslive.co.za/
21
April, 2011 13:26
Tawanda Karombo
Economic analysts in Zimbabwe have expressed dismay at the
manner in which
the Chinese and their Asian cousins from India have been
allowed to take up
major businesses in the country.
Chinese companies
have also entered the property sector, where they have
reportedly been
pushing up office and other property rentals in Harare.
At it stands,
Chinese companies command a significant presence in Zimbabwe's
mining,
retail, manufacturing, construction and other sectors of the
economy, and
this trend is set to continue as the embattled country
continues to get
shunned by western and other international investors.
Zimbabwe's
relations with traditional investors from western and other
international
countries, including South Africa, have soured in recent weeks
following the
gazetting of final regulations to govern the implementation of
the
controversial economic indigenisation and empowerment law. Investor
sentiment has been dented while other firms have halted expansionary
projects in protest to the law, which analysts say is likely to benefit only
the well-connected and wealthy.
“There are growing concerns over
Chinese aggressive investments in Africa,
and Zimbabwe is no exception.
[President Robert] Mugabe has found a willing
partner to replace western
companies with Chinese investors, but he seems to
be unaware that the
Chinese are very cunning and are only interested in
growing their
businesses,” said economic commentator Jeffery Kasirori.
Other investment
analysts said China's foray into Africa had brought little
benefit to the
continent's economy in general as Chinese companies were only
interested “in
the potential for huge returns” that African economies
offered.
Last
month, Zimbabwe and China signed a loan agreement worth $585 million.
The
loan agreement, which followed similar investment packages with Botswana
and
South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation - which invested in
the
country's Agribank - showed that some investors were prepared to weather
the
storm despite a call for early elections by Mugabe and his Zanu PF
party.
The business sector is opposed to early elections, saying
early polls would
plunge the country into a crisis.
" for China
there is certainly a huge commercial potential, especially
with western
companies pulling out or being pushed out, for China and other
countries
such as Korea and India to move in instead," Africa analyst Robert
Besseling
is quoted as saying. He added that Zimbabwe might have given China
guarantees that investments from the Asian fastest growing economy would be
protected from expropriation.
China has become a major importer of
goods and products ranging from
sanitary ware, detergents, electrical goods
and appliances, power
generators, telecommunications equipment, motor
vehicles and plant and
machinery equipment. However, concerns have been
expressed over the
durability and poor quality of these products, prompting
a debate over
China's genuine interest in its investments into
Zimbabwe.
“Chinese companies now have a presence in just about all
sectors of the
economy, but what is of concern is the quality of their
products, which is
below standard and this gives us the idea that Chinese
companies are
bringing backdoor industry manufactured goods to Zimbabwe and
making a
profit at the same time,” said one local retailer whose business
has had to
fight stiff competition from cheap Chinese manufactured
products.
With Zimbabwe's unemployment levels at a high of around 70%,
Chinese
companies have become the new employers in town. But workers
employed by
Chinese and Indian businesses complain of ill treatment and poor
remuneration with those in retail and construction being the most
affected.
"Chinese employers should take people seriously. Locals are
fired any time -
there is no labour law practiced in Chinese-run projects,"
said Muchapiwa
Mazarura, secretary general for Zimbabwe Construction and
Allied Trades
Workers Union (ZCATWU).
Zimbabwe's Indigenisation
Minister, Savior Kasukuwere was not immediately
available for comment, but
he has previously said that Chinese mining
companies would be exempt from
the controversial Indigenisation law, which
seeks to force foreign owned
companies to cede majority shareholding stakes
amounting to
51%.
Sinosteel Corporation, a Chinese company, has acquired a 67% stake
in
Zimbabwe's leading ferrochrome producer Zimasco Holdings, while Chinese
state-owned firm, China International Water and Electric, has been
contracted to farm 250,000 acres in southern Zimbabwe. Chinese mining
companies have also entered into joint venture partnerships with the
Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation for the mining of platinum in the
plush Great Dyke region.
Partnerships have also been forged with
Chinese companies for the mining of
diamonds in the controversial Chiadzwa
diamond fields in the east of
Zimbabwe. This shows the growing trend in
which Chinese investors, riding on
the back of rising demand for minerals at
home, could be the new mining
sector investors in Zimbabwe should the
government stick to its plan to
expropriate majority shareholding stakes in
foreign mining companies, a move
analysts say could push out investors such
as Impala Platinum and Rio Tinto.
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Tobias Manyuchi Thursday 21
April 2011
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s largest mobile phone operator has
invested US$270
million in network infrastructure over the past year,
bringing total
investment over the previous two years to more than $400
million, it
reported on Wednesday.
In a statement accompanying its
financial results for the full year to
February 2011, Econet Wireless
Zimbabwe said the massive investment in
network infrastructure helped grow
subscriber numbers 55 percent to 5.5
million customers by
February.
Econet’s capital investment contributed the bulk of the
impressive growth in
Zimbabwe’s mobile penetration rate, which rose from 40
percent last year to
66 percent in February this year.
The major
network upgrade programme that has been a key focus at the company
over the
past two years is scheduled for completion this year. This will
allow Econet
to continue focusing on improvement and creativity in the areas
of service
quality and value added services.
“The universal access to voice
telephony services has largely been achieved.
Econet is now focused on
providing subscribers with access to pervasive data
and value added services
in line with international trends,” Econet CEO
Douglas Mboweni
said.
“The business will now focus on optimising the current capital
investments
to enhance network quality and boost its data capacity and value
added
services.”
As a result of the network expansion, Econet boasts
the widest coverage in
the country.
Of the SIM cards recently
deactivated due to regulatory requirements, over
half have already been
reactivated, the company said.
Econet declared a dividend of 12.21 US
cents per share. Earnings per share
rose 27 percent from 66 US cents last
year to 84 US cents.
Revenue grew 36 percent to US$493.5 million from
US$362.8 million, while
post tax profit rose to US$140.9 million from
US$113.2 million last year.
Total assets increased by US$243.9 million, or
62 percent, to US$636.6
million. -- ZimOnline
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Thursday, 21
April 2011 15:46
HARARE - At least 3 000 workers at the Harare City
Council, HCC, face the
axe as the council moves to implement recommendations
made by the World Bank
to restructure the local authority.
Most
of the workers joined the HCC during the tenure of Sekesai Makwavarara
who
made an inglorious exit from the municipality following an indictment on
the
competence of her commission.
The council has more than 9000 employees
and is mulling a massive lay off of
workers, especially casual and contract
employees.
Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda told the Daily News that a leaner
structure would
fire the city council to perform better.
“We can run
the city with at least 6000 workers especially if they are well
resourced
and qualified for the job,” said Masunda.
He said that most of the
workers who compose the ‘excess’ workforce in the
local authority do not
have the indispensible qualifications to be with the
City of
Harare.
“This was a dumping ground for political parties, they brought
their
supporters to work here with some even getting responsible positions
and
this has to be dealt with.
“The human resources general council
will soon be looking at the
recommendations made by the World Bank and we
are going to ensure that we
blot out all unnecessary workers from the
municipality,” Masunda told the
Daily News.
He said the city fathers
are working flat out to ensure that service
delivery is improved but warned
some pressure groups that are campaigning
against the payment of rates by
residents.
“Since we took over the management of the City of Harare, in
July 2008, we
inherited a number of serious problems chief among them the
deteriorating
infrastructure, excess work force and political polarisation
but we have
managed to tackle important issues even though we are still
far.
“We are currently producing 600 mega litres of water at the back
drop of a
demand of 1200 to 1400 mega litres a day, this is all because the
government
has in the past been focusing on the education development,
neglecting
infrastructural development,” said Masunda.
“It is
surprising that someone can tell residents not to pay rates but
expect
service delivery. This is where I differ with people like Precious
Shumba
(of The Harare Resident Trust). How can they say pay only US$15, when
they
want service delivery?”
Masunda said the city authority was not getting
any help from the central
government.
http://www.voanews.com
Freedom
House says Internet usage has grown rapidly in the country from 0,3%
of the
population in 2000 to 12% by 2009 - but the medium is still
relatively
expensive and erratic because of frequent power cuts
Jonga Kandemiiri |
Washington 20 April 2011
Washington-based think tank Freedom House
says obstacles to Internet access
in Zimbabwe make it questionable whether
the World Wide Web can be a means
for activists to mobilize the masses to
press for immediate democratic
reforms.
In a report on the Internet
and democracy in 2011, Freedom House said that
although the Internet is
nominally free from government interference, the 11
percent of Zimbabweans
with access to the Web mainly use it for social
purposes by visiting sites
like Facebook.
Titled "Freedom on the Net 2011", the report notes that
although there is no
clear evidence the Zimbabwean government blocks access
to digital media,
there were structural constraints suggesting indirect
blocking. Many
hesitate to engage in Web activism because most users
messages under their
own names so they can communicate with family and
friends.
Freedom House said the most worrisome move in Zimbabwe was the
adoption of
the Interception of Communications Act in 2007, allowing the
state to
monitor mail, phone and Internet messages, and obliging access
providers to
cooperate in this.
“Debates on the country’s political
and socio-economic issues and reactions
to Internet stories on Zimbabwe are
mostly confined to chat rooms and
feedback sections of online news sites,”
the report said.
The roles of Facebook, Twitter and other websites played
a key role in
upheavals witnessed in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere this year,
but Zimbabwe
has not followed suit.
Freedom House says Internet usage
has grown rapidly in the country from 0,3%
of the population in 2000 to 12%
by 2009 - but notes that the communications
medium is still relatively
expensive and erratic because of frequent power
cuts.
Freedom House
Program Officer for Southern Africa Megan Shaw told VOA
reporter Jonga
Kandemiiri that Internet usage will increase with the
introduction of new
technologies.
Political analyst John Makumbe disagreed with the Freedom
House report,
noting at many Zimbabwean youths spend large parts of their
day in Internet
cafes.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Pindai Dube
Thursday, 21 April 2011
17:07
BULAWAYO - Bulawayo's only HIV/Aids nursing home, run by the
First Lady
Grace Mugabe, faces closure after allegedly running out of
funds.
Thembelihle Nursing Home in Mpopoma High density-suburb of
Bulawayo is
designed to provide terminally ill HIV/Aids patients with enough
food to
regain their strength.
It was opened in October 2006 and was
adopted by Grace.
Thembelihle Nursing Home can accommodate more than 70
HIV/Aids patients at a
time, but at the moment, only six are left and no new
admissions are being
accepted.
Thembelihle board chairperson Ellen
Nzimande, confirmed that the only
HIV/Aids nursing home in Bulawayo is
facing closure, due to a shortage of
drugs and medical supplies, rising cost
of food and the growing poverty of
Zimbabwean citizens, which are making it
a lot harder for them to run it
properly.
“We don’t have funds to buy
drugs and food, we don’t have funds to pay our
workers, and we have don’t
have funds to pay our utility bills. So, the only
option left for us is to
close this nursing home,” said Nzimande.
She said “most of the donors
pulled out in February this year and since
then, we have been depending on
some well-wishers, especially churches.”
Grace has not been seen in
public for more than a month now and is believed
to be in China pursuing
studies at a Chinese university.
The First Lady also has problems with
her hip, as revealed by the Daily News
last month.
According to
research scientists, Zimbabwe used to have the highest number
of people
infected with HIV/Aids in the world, but the figures decreased
recently.
Today’s findings strongly show that people in Zimbabwe have
primarily been
motivated to change their sexual behaviour because of
improved public
awareness of Aids deaths and a subsequent fear of
contracting the virus.
The researchers found that other important drivers
have been the influence
of education programmes that have shifted people’s
attitudes towards having
multiple concurrent sexual partners in
extra-marital, commercial and casual
relations and have increased the
acceptability of using condoms for casual
sex.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Zimbabwe
Watch
Thursday, 21 April 2011 14:51
Hugo Knoppert spoke last month in
Harare with Alec Muchadehama about his
work and motivations, winning the
Laywers for Laywers Award and about how
Zimbabwe Watch can help. An
interview.
Why did you decide to study law?
When I grew up I wanted to
be a medical doctor or an engineer, but when I
went to highschool they didnt
offer sciences to provide medical or
engineering. I was in highschool in
1986 when I visited the local university
for an open day.
I saw from the
prospectus which studies were offered and how many points you
had to score
to get in. Law was the one where you needed the most points, so
I figured
that would be the most challenging. I didnt know anyone who
studied law and
I didnt know what law was, but I went for the biggest
challenge.
And
what happened then?
I went to the university and studied law, but I had no
clue what I wanted to
do when I would be finished. In the 4th year I did a
research with respect
to whether or not the 1990 elections in Zimbabwe were
free and fair. During
that research we also got to visit court cases where I
saw court officials
in action. To me there was one particular character that
was quite
interesting, it was the public prosecutor; he appeared to be the
most active
and in control of things, so I said 'I want to be that guy.' It
was a
coincidence that I was about to finish my studies and then saw this
guy, so
after I graduated I became a public prosecutor myself in
1991.
And was the position of public prosecutor as nice as you expected
it to be?
Yes very much. The courtroom is run by the public prosecutor,
if you are
organized the witnesses, the accused and the magistrator will not
have a
problem, so you can contribute positively to the judiciary
system.
It exposes you to a variety of issues. In terms of going to court,
legislation, adminstration, as well as learning how to organize yourself and
other people. It teaches you to be self reliant. I went all over the
country, and in some remote areas I would be alone. I was able to appear in
all courts of the country, and was exposed to the whole criminal
system.
After one year as a public prosecutor I went to the Attorney
Generals
Office. There I would also do reviews, handle applications, and do
misconduct enquiries; anything that involved the State. It again exposed me
to a lot of issues.
I stayed in the Attorney Generals office for
seven years, but in 1997 I was
again looking for a challenge. I said 'I
think I want to develop myself.' At
that stage I had appeared in all courts
of the country up to the highest
level, but there were still many subjects I
hadn't worked on. I wanted to
expose myself to some of these subjects, that
was the only avenue open to me
to challenges.
Prosecution was
limiting my exposure, some cases felt repetative, so I
joined an established
firm in Harare and started a private practice. There I
did labour law,
criminal law, commercial law, and all kinds of other things
I missed in
prosecution.
And how did you then get involved in defending human rights
activists?
In February 1998 we had the food riots in Zimbabwe, which were
started by
women who were protesting against the rise in price of bread.
During these
protests some shops were looted and the state responded by
massive arrests,
it was a serious crackdown. They arrested anyone who had
looted, but also
people who were just there. If you were found with a
handful of sugar and
you did not have a receipt, you were arrested. The
cells were literally
overflowed.
By chance I represented one of the
people who was arrested, it was a lady
who had been detained. I went to the
police station to take instructions and
I saw the place was overflowing with
women who were arrested. There were
even pregnant women and women with
babies.
I found the woman I was representing was innocent, as were almost
all of
these women, so I decided to appeal for bail. I then discovered that
the
police, the Attorney General and the magistrates had sat down and
contrived
to deny anyone arrested bail, everyone was supposed to be
detained.
However I had done my own investigation and still applied for
bail. I told
the magistrate that I had information that they had already
decided that no
one was going to get bail. I told him he couldnt do that, as
the judicial
office is expected to follow the law. It appeared that he
panicked and didnt
want to be associated with what I said, so he granted
bail. I was so happy,
I will never forget that day.
It opened a
floodcase of bail applications, everyone thought I had performed
a miracle.
It were no valid arrests, they had simply taken people, abused
them,
assaulted them, and denied them food. It was the first time I came
face to
face with the violent state, that was targeting innocent people.
What did
this experience do to you?
From that day I never looked back, I was convinced
that the state faced a
crisis. I decided that I in my own small way would
defend those people.
Since then, the violations of human rights has not
stopped.
After those events the opposition party MDC was formed and the
political
field became polarized. President Mugabe was staring defeat right
in the
eye, and he reacted with intimidation and violations of human rights.
Since
then every election is characterized by a lot of violence, as a way of
reacting to a possible defeat. There was violence in 2000, 2002, 2005 and
2008, and now as we see the rhetoric of elecitons, the violence is again
flaring up. In all these periods there have been a lot of arrests, in 2000
many MDC people were arrested, in 2002 MDC called for a mass stay away and
Tsvangirai was facing treason charges, and in March 2003 there was also a
lot of violence.
That was also the first time I was arrested. I was
acting as a consultant
for a newspaper, explaining the legal side of the
Tsvangirai case. A
journalist was arrested and I was called to defend him.
When I arrived his
fingers were broken. They brought in more people, which
were harassed and
assaulted in my presence.
The wife of the current
army general was there with armed soldiers. She
asked me what I was doing
there and she was very authorative. She came to
ask me who I was and all
hell broke loose when I said I was a lawyer; she
said 'you are representing
them and you want to sell the country!' I was
manhandled under a tree. I
thought 'how can this happen?' Another lawyer was
assaulted
physically.
After three hours I was released, the army generals wife said
'after what
they did to you, you can become a refugee, why dont you go?'
They said they
could help me get a visa. However, when I was released I went
to look for
the other lawyers. When I asked the police officers whether
there was a
lawyer they confirmed. They said they couldnt tell the reason,
but said they
were ordered by the army general's wife. The police detained
someone on
orders of a civilian! The army general's wife followed what was
going on and
then became very angry, but I was just not ready to leave my
colleague
there.
Do you have any idea how many people you
represented?
Oh, countless, it were so many.
Which of these cases has
had the most impact on you?
The largest number of people I ever defended were
the 384 women of NCA, I
will never forget that case. They were accused of
chanting MDC slogans
during an NCA protest march. I said 'what offence is
that?' They were
detained at Warren Park Police Station, some even with
their children. The
women didnt fit in the cells, so they were put in the
open court yard. It
was May and very cold, but they were given no
clothes.
The police was abusing them, for example by pouring water over
them despite
the cold. I have never seen such an abuse of women. Innocent
souls were kept
for two days in the open, with no food, no blankets, and no
sanitation. I
was horrified, these people were treated worse than
animals.
What do you tell colleagues from Europe about Zimbabwe's
judiciary system?
It used to be okay, but it is very slow in the protection
of human rights.
Once a person goes to court and claims that his or her
rights are violated,
they refuse to take the case in order to give a strong
message. The
judiciary is very slow, and they are generally seen as not
independent. Some
of the judges received farms, and some received money from
the Reserve Bank.
You will visit the Netherlands to receive the Lawyers
for Lawyers award,
what did you think when you heard about it?
I was
pleasantly surprised, and at the same time shocked.
Shocked?
Yes, I
thought 'what have I done to deserve an award?' Especially since this
is an
international award. In my view, the majority of the clientele that I
deal
with, are ordinary people from the street. They are the unknown, about
whom
noone want to write home about. Those are the most important to me, the
vulnerable and innocent who are exposed to arrests.
Incidentally, I also
came to defend people who some people regard 'more
people than other', but I
don't think so. I am not worried about those, I am
more worried about 'the
ordinary people'. I think the award should be for
these people; I want to
dedicate the award to the many victims of the
violent repression, to the
people who survived against all odds.
The fact that lawyers can give them
protection is something I want to be
associated with, to me there is no
greater thrill than to get an innocent
ordinary person acquitted or out on
bail, preventing false trials, false
convictions, and false imprisonments.
That is something I will do forever if
I have it my way. I don't accept
human rights violations and I dont
understand it either, and I hope the
perpetrators will also face their day
in court.
And is it special to
receive an award from colleagues?
Its such an honour, but it frightens me too
actually. Lawyers are know for
quarreling and arguing, so it means something
if there is some consensus of
some sort. It is good to know that lawyers in
the international community
value the work of lawyers here, it is an
encouragement for lawyers in
Zimbabwe. We always find comfort in their
support. Some might not even know
where Zimbabwe is. Its quite great, and I
am so appreciative. I don't know
if Zimbabwean lawyers know what Lawyers for
Lawyers is doing, but I hope
this will lead to more interaction between
Zimbabwean lawyers, not only in
Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, but also
worldwide. We lawyers should protect
each other.
This has now become
my main pre occupation; this is how I, in my own small
way, try to help the
situation in Zimbabwe. There are so many active lawyers
who are doing it,
not only here in Zimbabwe, but also in the rest of the
world. This award is
also an encouragement to all those lawyers, to not give
up under whatever
circumstances. When it comes to defending human rights
defenders, lawyers
must remain the last bastion of offence, even at risk of
their own arrest or
dead. If lawyers run away we have no-one to stand up for
the
people.
What do you expect from your visit to the Netherlands?
I have
been there before, in 2006 after being released from prison Zimbabwe
Watch
arranged a visit for me. I am now retracing my journey, but on a
happier
note than before. The Netherlands has done a great deal for this
country,
especially in the field of human rights. The former deputy
ambassador for
example was such an excellent personality. She actually gave
me refugee when
I was being pursued by Central Intelligence Officers. People
like her, in a
very big way and without realizing, give the people here in
Zimbabwe a lot
of hope. We might be oppressed here, but there are people who
care, and with
all the good intentions.
The new Dutch Government is cutting in its
development assistance, this
might also have implications for the Dutch
presence in Zimbabwe, how do you
feel about this?
That would be most
unfortunate. In terms of supporting civil society they
have done a lot,
people here know what I am talking about. The Dutch Embassy
and Dutch
organizations, like the members of Zimbabwe Watch, are
knowledgeable about
what happens in this country and their programs have
been very effective.
The fact that they are being targeted in some of the
state media, actually
means that you are doing the right thing. If some of
these programs would
have to be stopped that would be very unfortunate.
What can organizations
such as Zimbabwe Watch mean for human rights
defenders in
Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe Watch should lobby on human rights, and alert the
international
community when something happens here. They should monitor
cases and report
them, as a defense mechanism for the vulnerable in
Zimabwean society. They
could also engage with the police and the Attorney
Generals Office to demand
explanations.
Further, they should work with
progressive civil society forces in Zimbabwe
to bring to the fore issues
about human rights, so that the environment here
will become better. In my
view, there is no one solution, no one individual
or organisation that can
solve this. It requires a number of people and
organizations from in- and
outside Zimbabwe.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by SW Radio Africa
Thursday, 21
April 2011 14:40
MDC-T Treasurer General Roy Bennett is the guest on
Question Time and joins
SW Radio Africa journalist Lance Guma to answer
questions from their
listeners. He responds to questions on his call for Old
Mutual to withdraw
controversial investments in Zimpapers and Mbada
Diamonds. He also reacts to
the SADC Troika summit held in Zambia. Does he
plan on returning to Zimbabwe
anytime soon?
Interview broadcast 06
April 2011
Lance Guma: Hello Zimbabwe and welcome to the first ever live
session of the
programme Question Time. My guest this week is the exiled
MDC-T Treasurer
General Roy Bennett. Thank you for joining us
Roy.
Roy Bennett: Pleasure Lance.
Guma: Now you are currently in
the United Kingdom – business or pleasure?
Bennett: Well I’m basically
here to continue with the struggle and to
represent the MDC in London for a
global advocacy campaign Lance.
Guma: OK and we see the web site –
freezimbabwe.com – which you have
endorsed. Tell us more about
this.
Bennett: Well basically Lance if you look at all the violence and
repression
taking place in Zimbabwe, it’s driven by resources and it’s
resources that
are being illegally acquired through the natural resources of
Zimbabwe – the
diamond fields, the platinum fields.
If you look at
the totally corrupt Ministry of Mines and how it’s handled,
it is those
resources that are fuelling that violence and paying those
people to carry
out that violence. So for us as the MDC to be able to fight
an election, it
is based on resources and resources for democracy to free
Zimbabwe and so we
have launched that web site to hopefully touch the
Diaspora who want to go
home, to touch everybody across the length and
breadth of
Zimbabwe.
If each person put one dollar into that web site, to free
Zimbabwe that
would be able to assist the democratisation of
Zimbabwe.
Guma: Now talking about resources, you recently stirred
controversy at an
investment conference in Cape Town when you blasted Old
Mutual and what you
called its seedy role in the illicit diamond mining that
is occurring in the
Marange diamond fields. Let’s start off with that. Most
of our listeners
want you to explain your criticism of Old
Mutual.
Bennett: Well it’s quite simple, it’s very simple Lance – that is
a totally
shady deal with Mbada Diamonds and the Mineral Marketing Board.
You have the
community of Marange that has been displaced, that have been
killed, that
have been brutalised around those diamond fields.
Where
Marange is situated, it’s across the road from Hot Springs; Hot
Springs used
to be in my constituency Kwa Hoti and the people there live in
natural
region five, it is incredibly poor area and if anybody should
benefit from
those resources, firstly it’s the people of Marange.
Secondly that
investment has not met the standards of transparency and the
monies out of
those diamond mines basically ends up fuelling the violence
against the
people of Zimbabwe to endorse an autocratic dictatorship.
Guma: Now
another company that you pointed out that Old Mutual should not be
involved
in – Zimpapers.
Bennett: Well absolutely – if you look at Old Mutual and
why I have
mentioned Old Mutual, it’s got nothing to do with me being
against Old
Mutual; what I am against is the credibility that Old Mutual
carries as a
London-listed company and as a company that has always been
involved with
ethics and standards across the length and breadth of its
investments and
insurance investments around the world and are very well
known for that.
So for them to be involved in a seedy deal and a shady
deal like Marange
through a mixer which is their investment company, it is
questionable Lance.
At the same time, their stake in Zimpapers is seriously
questionable.
Whatever the reasons for them remaining there, Zimpapers is
basically the
Herald, it’s the Manica Post, it’s the Chronicle and if we
look at the most
hatred that is spewed out and fanning the violence and
fanning every –ism
that’s possible it is those dirty little rags.
And
basically, Old Mutual on ethics, whatever it takes, whatever they lose,
should disinvest from those particular investments. And again it’s
opportunities like this where I speak out truthfully and for the people of
Zimbabwe and for the country of Zimbabwe that should be benefiting from
those natural resources and also where a company like Old Mutual should be
with the people and with what is right.
But ZANU PF take a spin on
these things and say that I’m discouraging
investment from Zimbabwe – far
from the truth Lance. The truth is that
ethical investment is welcome, has
happened in Zimbabwe, will continue to
happen in Zimbabwe and will be there
for the long term future of Zimbabwe.
Unethical investment at the expense
of the people, at the expense of human
rights, that fuels hatred, violence
and anything against the people is very
short-lived.
Guma: I suppose
there you are touching on some reports that had given the
impression that
you were calling on investors to stay away from Zimbabwe.
Bennett: Well
absolutely, the first time you saw it was on Gideon Gono’s web
site New
Zimbabwe because Gideon Gono himself happens to be one of the major
partners
in Mbada, together with Grace Mugabe, so these are the people that
are
benefiting from the natural resources of Zimbabwe to fuel and fan the
violence against the people, not the poor people of Marange, the poor people
vekwa Hoti and the people of Zimbabwe as a whole where we’re battling to
meet fiscus.
We’re battling all across the board and those diamonds –
if they were
transparently done and done in the best interests and the
social
responsibility was there and the country benefited from them and that
the
investors that were involved in that investment had Zimbabwe at heart –
everybody would be clapping and applauding because that is what we want and
that is what we expect nothing less for Zimbabwe and for the people of
Zimbabwe.
Guma: Now we have Jimmy Malunga Chasafara who sent us a
question via
facebook and he says how can the MDC call for the withdrawal of
these
investments when they are part of the government? What do you intend
to
achieve?
Bennett: Well again I’ve explained that. We’re not
calling for any
disinvestment from any ethical company. We are exposing
unethical
investments that are benefiting people who are using those
resources to
carry out human rights against the people of Zimbabwe and I
don’t think any
government in its right mind or anybody in their right mind
would ever
endorse such investments or such abuse of the natural resources
of Zimbabwe.
Guma: A recent update by Veritas who monitor legal and
parliamentary affairs
says your seat as a senator is now at risk. They say
without the leave of
the Senate you have missed more than 21 sittings during
the current
parliamentary session. Are you aware of this?
Bennett:
Yah I am aware of it Lance and again it is very obvious of the
lengths that
ZANU PF goes to victimise and to control the process within
Zimbabwe. So
yes, that is what they do, they obviously want to victimise me,
they want to
kick me out of the Senate so that I’m not appointed as the
Minister of
Agriculture because their spurious charges of treason have
failed.
The reason I am in exile is there are two warrants for my
arrest; there’s a
warrant of arrest for me for perjury, there’s a warrant of
arrest for me for
contempt of court – so the persecution is relentless and
we must never
forget that the big picture is to deliver freedom to the
people of Zimbabwe
and to stand with the people of Zimbabwe.
It is
the people of Zimbabwe that will deliver change to Zimbabwe. Those
holding
the guns, their time is short-lived; those using and exploiting the
natural
resources of Zimbabwe to repress the people of Zimbabwe, their time
is
short-lived. The big picture is Zimbabwe, the people of Zimbabwe who will
not give up on their quest for a free and fair and a new
Zimbabwe.
Guma: We have a listener from Honde Valley who wants to know –
you in the
past have fought these charges, been acquitted while in Zimbabwe
– what has
changed that has made you decide I’ve had enough of this and I’m
going to be
in exile?
Bennett: Well it’s basically two issues: as the
Treasurer General of the
MDC, we have an election coming up. It’s a crucial
election and it is my job
to be able to use whatever ways and means I have
to raise the resources for
the party for that election.
At the same
time I am here in London, deployed by the party as a global
advocacy
coordinator, to coordinate advocacy of a representative that will
be based
in Brussels, a representative that will be based in Washington and
a
representative that will be based in South Africa and it is all towards
the
next election.
London is the financial capital of the world, it is the
media capital of the
world and with my direct line back to the leadership of
the party, I am here
for them to use and at their disposal.
Guma: OK.
From Mutare we have a text message from Samantha. Samantha says
the MDC will
be having its Congress at the end of April; will your absence
have any
impact on your position as Treasurer General?
Bennett: Well again Lance,
that is for the MDC people to decide. I’ve always
said that I’m there, I’m
available for as long as they want me. If they don’t
want me I will move
aside. I never entered into politics for myself; I
entered into to represent
and to deliver to the people of Zimbabwe so I’m
there, I’m available to
stand if the people want me; if they don’t want me,
I’ll take a back seat
and get on with my life.
Guma: But obviously your absence doesn’t affect
anything – you can still,
your name can be put forward as a candidate and
people vote on that?
Bennett: Absolutely Lance, as far as I understand,
yes.
Guma: Now the recent SADC Troika Summit held in Livingstone Zambia –
it
surprised everyone with an unprecedented robust approach to the
Zimbabwean
crisis. Mugabe’s regime responded by hurling insults at Jacob
Zuma’s
presidency and at SADC. What is your reading of the situation
particularly
given you’ve spent quite some time in South
Africa?
Bennett: Lance it’s a very clear position and I’ve always been
very clear in
line with the party message and the president has always been
very, very
clear- we won an election in 2008; because of the difficulties
and the fact
of the de facto military coup took place and a junta took
control of
Zimbabwe and used Robert Mugabe for legitimacy.
The whole
issue around that is one of democratisation, it’s one of moving
things
forward and when President Tsvangirai sacrificed his political
capital to go
into the Global Political Agreement, do you think he didn’t
know what ZANU
PF are? Do think he didn’t know that they would never agree
to
anything?
But the MDC entered in for very strong reasons – at that time and
people
have not forgotten, people in Zimbabwe, living in Zimbabwe are very
aware of
the economic state of affairs; the inflation was at trillions of
dollars,
the health system had collapsed, the schooling system had collapsed
and it
was on that basis, for the basis for the people and also for the
trust of
the guarantees of SADC that our President Tsvangirai sacrificed his
political capitol and went into this Global Political Agreement.
Have
we achieved what we went out to achieve? On the major front – yes. The
macro-economics of Zimbabwe have completely stabilised. Yes, we might have
given ZANU PF a second chance but they were going to take that chance anyway
because they are in control of the military and as I said to you, a de facto
coup has taken place but we certainly delivered a better life for the people
of Zimbabwe through the macro-economics.
The health system has
definitely improved, the education has definitely
improved – so these are
areas that have definitely delivered to the people
of Zimbabwe. Where we
have not been able to deliver and that’s where SADC
has to come in is on the
Global Political Agreement and the transfer of
power.
The military
are still fully in control; they’re still fully in charge; they
don’t
respect the will of the people; they don’t respect the fact that the
MDC are
part of the government but SADC guaranteed that process and we’ve
always
said that we will remain in there. We’ve been criticised – why haven’t
we
pulled out of this thing? Why do we remain there?
The very reason we
remain there is the fact that SADC guaranteed the
process; the facilitator
has been there to monitor this process and the
truth eventually comes out
and the process that was supposed to have ended
on the 11th of February was
when the two years of the Global Political
Agreement was up.
It’s now
very, very obvious and very, very plain to see the lengths that
ZANU PF has
gone to sabotage that Global Political Agreement, to remain in
power, to
snub SADC, to snub the facilitator and that’s all coming home to
roost now
as we sit here Lance.
Guma: We have a question, I suppose it’s a good
follow-up to that – Lindiwe
Moyo in Hwange says – in hindsight, do you think
it was a mistake to form a
coalition government with Mugabe and ZANU PF? In
hindsight?
Bennett: No I don’t think so Lance, I think it was the only
option available
at the time taking into account the suffering of the
people. Yes we could
have sat back, we could have refused to go into that,
ZANU PF would have
just turned their wrath onto the people.
Already
people were dying by their thousands to cholera, people were
suffering with
the macro-economics, more people were leaving the country, so
for the sake
of the people, I don’t think it was a bad thing to go into that
and all
these things, when you’re dealing with dictatorships and you’re
dealing with
military juntas who rule by the gun, it is a process – it takes
time.
It is not something that happens overnight and it’s to be
there, to be true
to the people, to be true to your policies as a political
party and
represent them honestly and fairly and try to move the process
forward
without violence and democratically.
Guma: Prime Minister
Tsvangirai recently said dark and sinister forces have
taken over
government. Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga from the other MDC
formation
said - a smart coup had taken place in Zimbabwe. What’s your
reading of the
situation?
Bennett: Lance I’ve always been of the opinion and very, very
solid on that
opinion was that in 2008 when the MDC won the elections, the
five weeks it
took ZANU PF to release those results, they were busy altering
the results
in order to force a run-off.
At the same time I do
believe that Mugabe was ready to retire and move aside
and that he was
approached by the junta, by the generals and chiefly
Mnangagwa being one of
the principal ones with Sekeramayi, then Chiwenga –
these are the guys that
went to Mugabe and said that there’s absolutely no
ways he can leave them,
he has to remain there, they will guarantee and
ensure that there’s a
run-off and that he wins that run-off – which the rest
is
history.
Guma: Why is Mugabe important to this regime? In a sense he is
old?
Bennett: Well basically Mugabe confers legitimacy onto ZANU PF’s
rigging,
violence to get into power. Take Mugabe away, because of his
stature and
standing within Africa and as a previous liberation hero – the
fact that he’s
gone back on everything that liberation stands for is neither
here nor
there, he is somebody, that if he’s elected as a president can
carry the
legitimacy.
Take him out the picture – there’s no way that
somebody like Mnangagwa or
Chiwenga will ever carry that legitimacy or will
ever have been able to pull
the wool over the peoples’ eyes or anybody’s
eyes in Africa or the world
that they won an election.
Guma: We all
saw pictures of Mugabe in Zambia failing to walk on his own,
using a golf
cart to travel everywhere. I’m sure you saw those also. What
did you make of
that?
Bennett: Well again Lance, if we look at the process that we are in
in
Zimbabwe and we look at all the pain and suffering the people of Zimbabwe
have gone through, from the liberation war, from colonial days through to
now – every country, God has a hand in the future and the developments of
that country and God has His hand on Zimbabwe.
He knows exactly where
we’re going and what the end result will be and
Robert Mugabe is not
immortal, he’s not there forever. He’s an old man – 87
is definitely not a
young man in anybody’s book so time is catching up with
him and his day of
judgement will come where he will stand in judgement for
all the atrocities
and violence that he has released on the people of
Zimbabwe so basically I
think basically that is what is happening – there’s
nobody who can stop the
ageing process and nobody can stop the will of God
and the plans that God
has for Zimbabwe.
Guma: From Glen Norah comes a question from Elton
Madzimure – his question
basically is why does the Mugabe regime hate you so
much? We were given
various excuses why you couldn’t be sworn in as the
deputy Agriculture
minister – first it was that you had a case that you
needed to be cleared of
first and when you were acquitted, still you are not
sworn in. Is there an
element of hatred and if so, why do they hate you so
much?
Bennett: Lance ndinobva kuvanhu, handisi munhu akazvimirira ega
(Lance I
come from the people, I don’t stand on my own). I was put where I
am by the
people of Zimbabwe, I represent those people as honestly and as
transparently and as accountably as I can.
I’ve gone the whole mile
to stand by the people in our quest for democracy
and good governance in
Zimbabwe and so therefore I have support especially
within my home area,
Chimanimani, of people who have lived side by side with
me and worked with
me and no amount of intimidation or threats from Mugabe
has been able to
silence or suppress those people and I suppose I stand for
everything that
he detests.
I’m white, I’m a farmer, I was in the Rhodesian, the British
South Africa
Police – so all these things bring hatred to him. Unlike the
rest of us in
Zimbabwe – in 1980 we embraced a new Zimbabwe, we put our
hearts into
building a country and move on.
He has remained in the
past, remains an inherent racist, is filled with
hatred and one must pity
him because all this hatred destroys a person.
Turns you into a sort of
wreck which he is today and that’s about the hatred
that’s filled inside
him.
Guma: Some have suggested Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa whom
you pushed
in parliament a few years ago is behind this campaign of
harassment. What do
you make of that?
Bennett: Well I’m not sure
Lance. That was again a very unfortunate
incident, it’s past, he never
accepted my apology. Everybody has a breaking
point, it’s not something I’m
proud of but it happened and for him to hold a
grudge and continue – you
know the biggest thing - you can tell someone from
ZANU chero anywhere –
they are filled with hatred, they are aggressive,
there’s no love in them,
it seems to be a culture within inside ZANU PF and
it’s very unfortunate
because it’s the biggest destructive force that they
have inside their own
party.
Guma: Well Zimbabwe that was the MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett
joining
us on this first ever live session of the programme Question Time.
Roy,
thank you very much for joining us.
Bennett: My pleasure Lance
thank you.
Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com
http://twitter.com/lanceguma or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
In this two part series SW Radio Africa
journalist Lance Guma speaks to
Munyaradzi Gwisai, the radical leader of the
International Socialist
Organization in Zimbabwe. The former MDC MP is one
of 6 activists facing
treason charges for addressing a meeting at which
video footage of protests
in Egypt and Tunisia was screened.
Gwisai
answers questions sent in by listeners including his treason case,
factionalism in civil society, past problems in his own organization and the
perennial question of whether he will rejoin the MDC.
Interview
broadcast 20 April 2011
Lance Guma: Hallo Zimbabwe and thank you for
joining us on the programme
Question Time. My guest this week is Munyaradzi
Gwisai, the leader of the
International Socialist Organization in
Zimbabwe.
The former MDC MP is one of 6 activists facing treason charges
for
addressing a meeting at which video footage of protests in Egypt and
Tunisia
was screened. We asked listeners to send in their questions via
Facebook,
Twitter, Skype, email and also text messages. Va Gwisai, thank you
for
joining us on the programme.
Munyaradzi Gwisai: Maita (thank you)
Comrade Lance it’s always a pleasure,
kunga tiri pamwe chete (to be together
with you).
Guma: Let’s go back to February, the meeting in Julius Nyerere
Way. A lot of
questions from our listeners centred on trying to find out
what happened,
what exactly was the meeting for?
Gwisai: Yah
obviously taking into account that this is a matter still before
the courts
so there are areas we can comment on and there are others that we
are unable
to but in general terms, in terms of the charges that we are
facing –
firstly we are facing charges for organising a treasonous meeting
or
alternatively a meeting to subvert a constitutional government.
But our
defence outline is very clear – this was a meeting called by the
International Socialist Organisation and were our members were invited along
with guests from social movements, trade unions, to discuss the implication
of the revolts in Egypt, in Tunisia and North Africa for ordinary people on
our continent including Zimbabwe, in particular the struggle for democracy
of our society as well as in Zimbabwe.
We’ve had a ten year crisis of
lack of democracy, tyranny and
authoritarianism so the question is what
lessons can we learn from other
ordinary people on our continent in terms of
fighting for democracy.
Especially taking into account the fact that we are
in a constitutional
process which is designed to create a constitutional and
democratic
government. So it was a lecture, it was a meeting, a
consciousness-raising
exercise amongst forces of ordinary people, the left
and working people.
Guma: Now in terms of the way the meeting was
disrupted, we were told
everyone in the building was arrested including
those who were just in the
building, who were not taking part in the
meeting. You were made to line up
at the Harare Central (police station) car
park and somebody was pinpointing
the alleged ring leaders and we understand
you took some rough treatment as
the alleged ring leaders of this particular
meeting. Just briefly talk us
through what you went through.
Gwisai:
Yah after watching a video which was a video made out of transmits
from Al
Jazeera, CNN, BBC and so forth – very public material – people were
discussing that, that is when police moved in. But as the magistrate pointed
out, magistrate Mutevedzi and one of the reasons why 39 of the 45 who were
originally accused, were released and the magistrate refused to place them
on remand was the reason that this was a bamba zonke exercise where any and
everyone who was in the complex at Cross Roads House was picked up and
arrested.
So that was that and then including some vendors who were
selling their
things outside but obviously what then also transpired once we
went to court
is that the police had placed a spy in, they’d placed a plant
in the meeting
who was then pointing out the people who are alleged to have
been speaking
at the meeting and these are the few people who were brutally
assaulted on
the Saturday and the Sunday that we were arrested, the 19 th
and 20 th of
February.
When there was people like Hopewell Gumbo the
former president of the
Zimbabwe National Students Union, people like
Welcome the current deputy
General Secretary of ZINASU as well as others
from the ISO including myself,
Tafadzwa Choto and Tatenda Mombeyarara. So
these were some of the people who
were picked up for severe and serious
assault once we were in police hands.
Guma: I covered this story and the
one thing that stood out was the great
lengths to which the state went
towards delaying; at one time the magistrate
didn’t show up, we were told he
had a meeting with the Chief Justice and at
every turn excuses were brought
up. While you were locked up, were you aware
this was what was happening in
terms of the regime throwing spanners in the
works?
Gwisai: Yeh, our
lawyer Alec Muchadehama gave us constant updates as well as
his team of
assistants including Mandevere and Edzai Matika from the
Zimbabwe Labour
Centre but obviously, and some of it was happening just
right in front of
our eyes. We were able to see that clearly, delaying this,
in order to
prolong pre-trial pain was one of the objectives of this. But
look, we as
people who are confident of our position and so forth, it did
not break our
spirits and our resolve.
Guma: We have a question from Edina who sent us
an email from Mutare, they
want to know from your own assessment how did you
rate the sort of
solidarity you received from the broader civil society, the
political
parties and everyone else involved in the pro-democracy
movement?
Gwisai: Well every time we were in court we had quite a lot
of people who
were coming through as well as outside the court, many
organisations, many
civic groups gave us support in Zimbabwe, including but
obviously not
limited to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights which has
provided us the
legal cover.
We’ve also had support from those who
were able to look after many of our
comrades who are positive and who needed
drugs and things like that. The
CSU, the Crisis Coalition was also quite
supportive, the ZCTU, the unions
but we are quite inspired I must say by the
support that we received
internationally, regionally I think which continues
up to this day, to the
various solidarity marches we had in South Africa,
Australia, America, the
UK.
What it shows is the struggle against
dictatorship, the struggle against
tyranny is now an international affair.
Dictators can no longer hide under
their legal perches and say this is my
country, I do what I want. It is this
spirit of international solidarity
that is going to break the resolve and
stubbornness of every dictator on
this continent.
So we would want to really commend the various working
people, the
socialists, trade unionists who have supported this struggle
because it’s a
struggle for all in the sense of building a better world and
a better
society out there and we would want to continue urging people to
make this
level of support, to continue with it as we move towards trial but
also
generally in terms.
We hear the sad news of the 82 year old
headman who was charged along with
(Douglas) Mwonzora who has died from
wounds received from his assault so we
have to continue with this solidarity
and with this fight. And indeed as we
know, events in Tunisia it was
Mohammed Bouazizi who started it but this was
able to spread regionally
precisely because the ordinary people of the world
today are able to offer
each other solidarity and move forward.
So we really wish to thank the
various individuals, organisations, I not
mentioned some, all of them here
who stood with us and we hope that they
continue standing with us because
this trial is on and the issue of lack of
democracy and dictatorship remains
a real issue in our society.
Guma: I just want to pick on one issue that
in a previous interview with
Hopewell Gumbo he raised where on one occasion
you were taken on what was
called a honeymoon drive through Rhodesville or
some other suburb and
ostensibly this was because Finance Minister Tendai
Biti had come over to
try and visit you. Can you talk us through
that?
Gwisai: Yah I wouldn’t know whether it was thing, but definitely
they were
going to move us, we were not told where but rumours were saying
they were
going to move us to Chikurubi but fortunately at that very moment
Tendai
Biti arrived and that is part of also the solidarity we received, we
appreciate the solidarity that was offered by people like Biti and Nelson
Chamisa.
So whether or not they had any nefarious plans up their
sleeves which they
were then afraid to put into action because there was a
high ranking
official of the government, we don’t know but that’s what, yah
they took us
around and eventually brought us back.
But still you
must know that two, three days later, they pushed us back into
solitary
confinement at the prison, at the Harare prison so their effort was
obviously clearly aimed at trying to break our spirits and to divide us but
luckily that did not succeed.
Guma: From Masvingo we have a listener
who calls himself Mr Dube – his
question is basically an update on what’s
the latest regarding this matter?
He’s saying are you still facing treason
charges?
Gwisai: We’ve just come from court; we were in for remand
today; we now have
been placed for trial on the 18 th of July. That’s when
the matter will come
for trial. According to the prosecutor the matter is
going to be before the
regional magistrate court but our lawyer has already
pointed out that that
doesn’t make sense because the regional magistrate
court does not have
jurisdiction under the Magistrate Court Act specifically
Section 49 thereof
to try treason matters or matters that carry a death
sentence or anything
beyond ten years because the maximum jurisdiction of a
regional magistrate
is ten years, as far as I understand the law and I don’t
really think it has
been amended.
So this could either be one of
those delaying tactics again or if it is
going to be before a regional
magistrate then it would have to mean that it
is no longer a treason matter,
but then there’s need to formally advise the
court. So given what has been
happening, we hope that’s not one of the
tricks.
We, are far as we’re
concerned and what the prosecutor said is that the
treason charges still
stand as well as the subversion of a constitutional
government charge so it
that’s an issue that still remains: 18 th July in
Harare and we hope that
all democrats and those who support real change will
come to support us at
court on that day because it is only by showing that
the people of Zimbabwe
are not intimidated and that they are not going to
cower under and go under
the carpet, that is what is going to ensure that we
bring democracy to our
society.
It is the constitutional, the legal and fundamental right of
citizens to be
governed by a democratic political authority and that is why
thousands of
people lost their lives in the liberation war, that is why we
took on the
colonial regime to ensure that our governance is based on the
true will of
the people and that people are not faced with treason for
merely watching a
video. So we are looking forward to the 18 th of July
because we believe we
have no case to answer but obviously that’s for the
courts to decide.
Guma: From Gokwe comes a text message from Noel. Noel
wants to find out,
given what you went through, what’s your attitude to the
current coalition
or unity government?
Gwisai: Well look, what we’ve
gone through is nothing in isolation. I’ve
already given the example of what
Mwonzora is facing, the co-chairperson of
COPAC and they treat him the way
they have, and an 82 year old headman, this
is what our society has come to
– no respect for the elderly, no respect for
anything.
I think we
currently have a minister in charge of Reconciliation, National
Healing
again being arrested for very similar things for holding a meeting,
so I
think what it shows is that this is not an inclusive government at
all.
This is just a dress-up for continuation of the old dictatorship and
authoritarian regime and that the struggle for democracy in this country has
to continue and that hopefully colleagues in that, indeed I think in many
ways if we’d not had this kind of thing, the struggle for democracy would
have travelled much further than what we have now.
What has allowed,
what has happened in the last two years is that this
pretence that things
are changing has in many ways delayed change but be
that as it may, the
reality is that the people are suffering; thousands of
workers have lost
their jobs, prices of basic goods have gone down, millions
of young people
do not have jobs.
This government is only really serving the interests of
the wealthy, the
rich and the business people. This is why therefore when
you talk of
government civil servants, they take their instructions from the
IMF and the
World Bank which has instructed that there should be no pay
increment for
teachers, for our nurses but what we know is that the rich are
able to
charge prices that they want, you go into the streets of Harare, you
see the
kind of vehicles that they drive, you look at the kind of salaries
that top
managers are earning and so forth.
So it’s not yet uhuru for
ordinary people, economically or politically and
what must therefore be
clear is that I think it is important for people to
accelerate, we must be
inspired by events that are happening across north
Africa, across Africa, to
move forward and now finally push for a true
democratic transformation of
our society politically as well as
economically.
So I hope that the
colleagues in the GNU must not fool themselves to think
that they’ve got
real change. They must be ready to be at the forefront of
the struggle, they
must be ready to go into the trenches. If it means that
people are being
arrested and being taken, filling the jails – so be it –
because democracy
and true independence for working people is a costly
thing, it’s not going
to come on a silver platter.
So as we move to the new constitution, if it
does not bring about provisions
that allow real change, that bring an end to
a dictatorial executive
president, that does not bring about socio-economic
rights, labour rights,
living wage for workers, the right to strike, inputs
and land for farmers
and so forth, we must have the guts and courage to be
able to fight for
that.
And as we move to elections we must be ready
to defend the people’s right in
elections, the people’s will and not just
accept the imposition of a leader.
So it is a very important time for our
people, the major political party in
this country, the MDC-T will be holding
a Congress very soon and we hope
that they use that as an occasion to build
their forces and that the
ordinary people use it as a basis for ensuring
that we fight for real change
in our society.
So it’s a very crucial
critical time for our society. Dictators across
Africa and the world are on
notice now that they will not be able to get
away with butchering their
people, with imposing their will. So we hope that
the struggle for change
can only move forward. Its aluta continua as far we’re
concerned in the
ISO.
Guma: Well Zimbabwe that concludes part one of our interview with
Munyaradzi
Gwisai, the leader of the International Socialist Organization in
Zimbabwe.
The former MDC MP is one of six activists facing treason charges
for
addressing a meeting at which video footage of protests in Egypt and
Tunisia
was screened.
Don’t forget to join me next week for part two
of this interview.
Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com http://twitter.com/lanceguma
or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma
SW
Radio Africa is Zimbabwe’s Independent Voice and broadcasts on Short Wave
4880 KHz in the 60m band.
Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 21/04/11
Britain would be justified to withdraw
the Royal wedding invitation that has
been extended to a representative of
Robert Mugabe’s regime as the Evening
Standard has revealed. One does not
need to be a rocket scientist to know
that rights abuses are continuing in
Zimbabwe in the wake of distressing
press reports that despite SADC rebuke,
Zanu-pf violence against opposition
supporters has not stopped.
Of
particular concern is the tragic death on Saturday 16th April of Rwisai
Nyakauru, the 82 year-old headman of Nyamaropa who was arrested, brutally
assaulted, tortured and incarcerated for 25 days by Zanu-pf youth militia
and war veterans. His attackers allegedly kicked him all over the body
especially the chest area and when he got to prison he was very sick and at
one time collapsed vomiting blood, according to Douglas Mwonzora, MDC-T MP
for Nyanga North who was imprisoned alongside him and 23 other villagers
(Swradioafrica, 18/04/11). As if that is not enough, the thugs who assaulted
Nyakauru are allegedly taunting villagers in Nyanga about his death and the
assailants are roaming free in accordance with the culture of
impunity.
It would be in very bad taste for Britain to ignore protest
voices of
Zimbabwe’s human rights activists and civil society. International
isolation
of Mugabe’s regime has proved effective in getting political
reforms albeit
a case of too little, too late.
It could be argued
that the justification of the invitation by Britain that
it has diplomatic
relations with Zimbabwe is a lame excuse for wanting to
warm up to dictator
Robert Mugabe who has threatened to seize UK businesses
in retaliation to
targeted sanctions slapped on him and his inner circle for
rights
abuses.
Another disturbing development suggesting a thawing of relations
with the
Mugabe regime is the curving in of the UK and the US on the ban of
the sale
of Marange ‘blood’ diamonds. It remains to be seen whether the West
lifted
the KPC ban as a concession to the threatened company seizures or to
catch-up with China which has launched a massive ‘investment’ campaign in
the country before it’s too late.
One hopes Western countries will
not use the excuse of Mugabe's
anti-sanctions petition as another convenient
opportunity to appease the
regime by lifting targeted sanctions before
internationally supervised, free
and fair elections are conducted in
Zimbabwe after a referendum on a new
constitution.
It does not
require a UN resolution for the Right Honourable William Hague,
the British
Foreign Secretary to withdraw the invitation to the royal
wedding. It is not
too late to act. It would be a great symbolic gesture of
solidarity with the
suffering people of Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations in
Zimbabwe would be justified in
launching a protest demonstration at the
British Embassy in Harare should
the invitation not be revoked. Similarly,
the Vigil outside the Zimbabwe
High Commission in London against the
invitation is justified too.
Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, Political Analyst,
London,
zimanalysis2009@gmail.com