Zimbabwe's Mugabe hits back at regional criticism

http://af.reuters.com/

Sat Apr 2, 2011 9:28am GMT

* Mugabe says conflicts are common in third world countries

* SADC hardens stance

* Mugabe still wants early polls

HARARE, April 2 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has hit back
at criticism from southern African leaders, saying they cannot tell him how
to run his country, the state-owned Herald newspaper said on Saturday.

At a regional summit this week in Lusaka, the leaders of Zambia, South
Africa and Mozambique condemned events in Zimbabwe in unusually strong
language and called for an end to a crackdown on the opposition blamed on
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

"We are a sovereign state and as a sovereign state we don't accept any
interference and even our neighbours should not tell us what to do," the
paper quoted Mugabe as telling a meeting of his party's central committee.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been criticised for
being too soft on Mugabe but the tone of its leaders has been stiffening as
Zimbabwe lurches from one crisis to another.

In recent weeks, Mugabe's security officials have cancelled opposition
rallies and detained some rival figures, heightening tension ahead of a
possible general election this year.

Mugabe, 87 and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, has been
pushing for early polls before agreed democratic reforms, accusing his
opponents of wasting time on quarrels over appointments and delaying a
constitution re-writing process.

He was forced into a unity government with rival Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change two years ago to try to ease an
economic crisis blamed on his policies.

Tsvangirai last week appealed to regional leaders to persuade Mugabe to
allow wide democratic reforms before elections, but political analysts
believe he will only give ground if there is a threat of regional isolation.

"Tsvangirai complained to SADC about elections and violence," the Herald
quoted Mugabe as saying. "I asked them: which country is free of that
conflict? Zambia? Here? We are the same. In any third world or developing
country, there are always conflicts but you don't judge them on that."

We won’t brook interference: Mugabe

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

by Tobias Manyuchi     Saturday 02 April 2011

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe on Friday warned South African President
Jacob Zuma against attempts to prescribe a solution to Zimbabwe’s problems,
in a sign of growing tension between the Zimbabwean leader and his most
important neighbour and ally.

Speaking barely 24 hours after returning from a summit of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC)’s security organ that discussed
Zimbabwe, Mugabe said neither the regional bloc nor the African Union (AU)
could dictate solutions to Harare.

Zuma, who is the SADC’s mediator between Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, briefed the organ that met Thursday in Zambia on the political
deadlock in Zimbabwe.

While the organ in its communiqué did not directly criticise Mugabe it
raised most of the concerns voiced by Tsvangirai, who says Mugabe’s allies
in the security forces have intensified a crackdown on his MDC party ahead
of new elections expected later this year or early 2011.

“The MDC thinks SADC or the AU can prescribe to us how we run our things,”
said Mugabe, who was addressing a meeting of the central committee of his
ZANU PF party in Harare.

Using unusually strong language towards African leaders whose support has
helped him to weather international pressure, Mugabe said Zimbabwe is a
sovereign nation that did not take orders from outsiders.

“We will not brook any dictation from any source. We are a sovereign
country, even our neighbours cannot dictate to us. We will resist that,” he
said.

Mugabe said he and his coalition partners were yet to get the full details
of a report submitted by Zuma to the SADC security organ or Troika, but
appeared to shoot down a roadmap to free and fair elections that the South
African leader is said to be drafting.

Under Zuma’s roadmap, elections will follow a referendum on a new
constitution and will also set milestones such as electoral reforms, the
role of security forces and how to smoothly transfer power.

But Mugabe, whose military allies are feared could block Tsvangirai from
taking power should he win elections, said Zuma was merely a facilitator who
could not prescribe solutions to Zimbabwe.

“The facilitator is the facilitator and must facilitate dialogue, he cannot
prescribe anything,” he said. “We prescribe what we should be doing in
accordance with our laws and our agreement (that created unity government).”

Mugabe said Zimbabwe should be able to go to polls once a new constitution
was in place.

“We do not see any reason, if we fullfil the requirements of the
constitution making process, why elections cannot be held,” he said.

Zimbabwe is in the process of writing a new constitution to replace the
present charter drafted by former colonial power, Britain. A referendum on
the proposed new constitution is expected around September.

Mugabe, who has previously said Zimbabwe could still hold elections even
without the new constitution, yesterday said polls would also have to be
held under the present Constitution should Zimbabweans reject the draft
charter in the planned referendum.

Tsvangirai wants elections to take place only after a new constitution is
enacted and in line with a Zuma-drafted roadmap to ensure no repeat of the
2008 fiasco when he defeated Mugabe in the first round of the presidential
poll but was forced to withdraw from the second round ballot after the
military unleashed violence that killed at least 200 of his supporters. -- 
ZimOnline

Zuma’s list 6 months on – nothing has been done!

Zimbabwe Magistrates Strike On Monday

http://www.radiovop.com

02/04/2011 10:39:00

Harare, April 02, 2011 – Zimbabwe’s magistrates will on Monday finally
embark on a countrywide strike action for an indefinite period to press for
an increase in their salaries.

In a statement issued Friday, the Magistrates Association of Zimbabwe said
its members were disheartened by the lack of commitment by the Ministry of
Finance to approve a salary increase that had been suggested in January this
year by their employer Judicial Service Commission.

“Our salary negotiations have reached a dead end. We exercised our elastic
patience until it snapped. We are completely disappointed and disillusioned.
The only choice that is left open to us is to withdraw our labour. There
would be no magistrate’s court sitting throughout the country starting on
Monday the 4th of April 2011 until all our demands are met,” read the
statement.

“The capitalist approach of giving us a wage which is just enough to keep
body and soul together will not pacify us. We demand a living wage and until
that is done we will not return to work.”

Munacho Mutevedzi, secretary general of the magistrate’s trade union,
confirmed magistrates were going on strike.

Zimbabwe's magistrates are demanding monthly salaries of US$600 for trainee
magistrates, US$1000 for junior magistrates, US$1500 for senior magistrates,
US$1700 for provincial magistrates and US$2000 for senior provincial
magistrates.

They also want a monthly US$2 500 for regional magistrates, US$3 000 for
senior regional magistrates and deputy chief magistrates and US$3 300 for a
chief magistrate.

Mugabe Set to Intervene in Air Zimbabwe Strike

http://www.voanews.com

Mr. Mugabe, who traveled on a special Air Zimbabwe flight to Zambia this
week for a regional mini-summit, will order the carrier's management to pay
part of the US$9 million in arrears on staff compensation

Gibbs Dube | Washington  01 April 2011

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is expected to intervene in an on-going
strike by Air Zimbabwe pilots and cabin crew that is now in its second week,
sources said Friday.

Sources said Mr. Mugabe, who traveled on a special Air Zimbabwe flight to
Zambia on Thursday, will order management to pay part of the US$9 million
owed to staff.

Mr. Mugabe intervened in a similar strike last year when pilots, engineers
and cabin crew downed tools demanding payment of outstanding salaries and
allowances. They were paid part of the arrears before going back to work -
but not all, leading to the current action.

Economist Tony Hawkins said President Mugabe’s intervention is a desperate
move to rescue the carrier, which is losing millions of dollars a month.

“Even if he intervenes today, the airline will still face similar problems
in the future and therefore the best way forward is to privatize Air
Zimbabwe or let it collapse like Air Zambia,” Hawkins told VOA Studio 7
reporter Gibbs  Dube.

"Havalume” – Msika crowd stands up to Mugabe’s youths

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Chief Reporter
Friday, 01 April 2011 07:37

HARARE - Three boisterous youths showed up at the farmers market at Mbare
Musika last week with orders to force-march SME entrepreneurs in this
bustling vegetable market to a Zanu (PF) rally.
The youths noisily charged into the farmers market then peeled off their
jackets to reveal identical T-shirts emblazoned with Robert Mugabe's face.
Punching the air, they chanted Zanu (PF) slogans and jabbed their boots at
vendors crouched behind their market stalls.
"Vharai musika muende kumusangano (Close your stalls and go to the rally),"
shouted one of the youths
For a few moments the hum of conversation was stilled. Then an elderly man
who had been sitting on a brick wall stood up and shouted: "Munpenga
stereki, your time is up, you are finished.We paid $10 to the city council
and we are not coming to your rally.
Are you giving us a refund? We are here to work not go to your rally."
The Zanu (PF) youths scanned the faces of the crowd staring back at them.
Only days ago these people would have run. Not any more. They stood their
ground and the Zanu (PF) youths turned away.
"Heeeee," the crowd jeered as the snubbed youths retreated. Ndugu Eddy, the
man who had confronted the youths, told how 31 years ago he and Mugabe were
guerrillas in exile in Mozambique, fighting the "chimurenga" as the war of
independence is called. Ask this father of six what he thinks of his old
comrade now and he spits on the ground and says ‘traitor’.
"I never thought I would see the day he would send filth like those boys to
come here and harass us to go to his rally," he said.
The scores of people around him nodded and shook his hand. There is a sense
that the months of intimidation have failed to dent most Zimbabweans desire
to rid themselves of Mugabe’s regime.
"Havalume," shouted one of vendors, as the youths disappeared. (Slang for:
they will not win.)

MDC speaker may have casting vote on Mugabe's succession

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com

Published Date: 02 April 2011
By Jane Fields
Zimbabwe's former opposition party is ecstatic that its candidate has been
re-elected as parliamentary speaker, but hopes this presages an easy victory
for Morgan Tsvangirai in elections later this year are misplaced.
Lovemore Moyo of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won
re-election this week with 105 votes to Zanu-PF's 93.

The MDC expansively congratulated the nation on its "robust determination to
defend the gains of the democratic struggle"

. On the streets, the mood was one of quiet excitement. "We rejoice," the
manager of a department store whispered when the news finally filtered out
(the pro-Zanu-PF state broadcaster had largely ignored it): a pavement
shoe-mender begged to borrow a copy of the official Herald, returning it
with a wry: "But now they'll arrest him." The authorities have already
indicated they want to detain Moyo, warning he faces arrest on contempt
charges for criticising a Supreme Court decision last month to nullify his
2008 election to the post. As of yesterday, Moyo was still free.

President Robert Mugabe's party had fought tooth-and-nail to wrest the
speakership from the MDC. That's mostly because of the power the incumbent
will wield if the 25-month-old coalition deal collapses and the 87-year-old
president dies before elections are held. Legal experts say that if he dies
while the coalition is still in place, Zanu-PF can nominate someone from the
party to replace him. Zanu-PF cannot do this if Mugabe dies after the
coalition has been dissolved: instead, the speaker will play a vital role in
selecting MPs to make up an electoral college to pick an interim leader. Mr
Mugabe's henchmen were not expecting an MDC speaker.

Mr Moyo's re-election was largely due to an abrupt change-of-heart from a
breakaway MDC faction, now led by law professor Welshman Ncube.
Unfortunately for Tsvangirai, he cannot count on a continued alliance
between the two MDCs as Zimbabwe hurtles to elections. The smaller MDC
faction has already branded Mr Tsvangirai's MDC "ungrateful" for its support

What Mr Tsvangirai's party can count on is Zanu-PF's ruthlessness. Spokesman
Rugare Gumbo declared yesterday that Zanu-PF was now "focused on a win" in
elections that Mr Mugabe wants held in August or September.

His white company grab is to be launched in all provinces as the party doles
out firms for votes. Whites and foreigners are braced for an inevitable
onslaught. One newspaper reported all white companies worth less than a
dollar were to be "indigenised", even though the original legislation
suggested companies worth less than $500,000 would not be affected.

VP Nkomo allegedly paying farm staff US$50

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

01/04/2011 00:00:00
    by Staff Reporter

VICE President John Nkomo allegedly pays his farm hands a paltry US$50 per
month, two ex-employees jailed for stealing from him have claimed.

Qhawe Sibanda, 32, and Nhlanhla Siziba, 31, were jailed for nine years when
they appeared before a Bulawayo magistrate accused of stock theft after
admitting to stealing two beasts valued at US$1000 from Nkomo’s CSC
Winterblock Farm in Insuza.

The pair pleaded guilty to the charges but claimed they were forced to steal
because they could live off the US$50 they claimed Nkomo paid them.

But the court dismissed this did not qualify as extenuating circumstances
and sentenced them to nine years in prison.

The court heard that sometime in November 2009, Sibanda and Siziba overheard
Pretty Tshabangu say she wanted to exchange her ox for heifers and that she
also had money to buy another heifer.

Sibanda and Siziba then connived to steal one heifer and a steer from VP
Nkomo’s farm so they could sell them to Tshabangu.

They took the beasts to one Elister Sibanda’s homestead after failing to
locate Tshabangu but returned after two weeks when they collected a R2 000
for the heifer.

The two were then arrested and the beasts were recovered.

However, Tshabangu who the state claims was in on the deal with the pair
pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to 12 April.

Zanu unleashes terror

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Tony Saxon
Friday, 01 April 2011 13:39

CHIMANIMANI - In its desperate attempt to save its waning support here, Zanu
(PF) has embarked on violent campaigns targeting MDC-T supporters.

Last Sunday saw Zanu (PF) war veterans and overzealous youth militia causing
mayhem in Cashel Valley and Kubvumbura areas after the Anti-Sanction
Petition launch in Chimanimani became a major flop.

The militia, led by Colonel Murecherwa of Zimbabwe National Army and Zanu
(PF) deputy minister of Economic Planning and Development Samuel Udenge,
moved door to door victimizing perceived MDC supporters who did not attend
the anti-sanctions meeting, labelling them as unpatriotic.

Members of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) in Chimanimani also
took part in the orgy of violence as they beat up the defenceless MDC
supporters.

***The Zimbabwean visited the area last Monday and the situation was tense
as MDC supporters suffered brutalization at the hands of overzealous CIOs.

The MDC-T Manicaland spokesperson, Pishai Muchauraya, said about 200 MDC
supporters had fled from Zanu (PF) sponsored violence.

"At least 20 of our supporters are being sheltered at the MDC head office in
Mutare, with others seeking medical treatment at local clinics. The violent
assaults on our members started last Saturday after Zanu (PF) anti-sanctions
rally flopped. Those who did not attend were hunted down and many were
severely assaulted, causing them to
flee to surrounding districts and across the border into Mozambique," said
Muchauraya.

Villagers interviewed by this paper said they were losing their cattle to
the Zanu (PF) war veterans and CIOs who were threatening the villagers with
death if they failed to comply.

"We are being ordered to pay fines for not attending the Zanu (PF) rallies.
I have lost my ox and a goat to the members of the CIO who accused me of
supporting MDC. Many others are losing their chickens and other livestock as
fines, for not attending. I have now decided to leave for Chipinge to stay
with my relatives because the CIOs have threatened to come back and finish
me off," said a villager.

Muchauraya said Zanu (PF) had established a register that villagers were
being made to sign in the morning and evening, as a way of keeping track of
them.

"It is no longer safe here. We are living in constant fear as we are being
tracked and our movements being monitored by the CIOs. War veterans and the
youth militia are being paid by Udenge to unleash terror," said Farai
Muusha, an MDC youth member.

The villagers said that there was much concern that a repeat of the violence
unleashed on MDC-T during the March 2008 harmonized election, appeared to
have started again.

The Chimanimani violence comes shortly after the Nyanga North violence
perpetrated by Hubert Nyanhongo saw hundreds of MDC supporters being
assaulted while others fled into neighbouring Mozambique.

Ex-cop sues ministers over murder cover-up

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

02/04/2011 00:00:00
    by Staff Reporter

A FORMER Bulawayo homicide detective is demanding US$443 600 in damages from
the country’s co-Home Affairs Ministers and ZRP bosses for “malicious
arrest, detention and humiliation” following what he claims was a botched-up
attempt by the police to cover up the deaths, in custody, of two armed
robbery suspects.

Farayi Bazil Nyapokoto alleges that on March 10 last year, senior officers
instructed him and other officers to cover-up a murder case which had
occurred at the CID Homicide section of Bulawayo Central Police Station.

The court action cites co-Home Affairs Ministers, Kembo Mohadi and Theresa
Makone, ZRP Commissioner General of Police Augustine Chihuri, Superintendent
Milos Moyo, the Officer Commanding Camps, Chief Superintendent Mavis Nkomo,
the Officer Commanding CID Bulawayo, and one Jefias Sibanda.

Detective Assistant Inspector Sibanda, Detective Constable Mugabe and
Detective Shoko are also included among the defendants.

In his affidavit, Nyapokoto alleges that they were instructed to
stage-manage a shoot-out with two suspected armed robbers, Andrew Jabulani
Quinton Sibanda and Nehemiah Vumbunu, who had in fact died in police
custody.

Nyapokoto says he then testified at an inquest into the deaths which opened
at Tredgold Magistrates’ Courts on 9 July 2010 where he gave his version of
events.

“Soon after giving evidence at around 11:15 am, I was approached by five
officers including Detective Constable Mugabe and Detective Shoko who
assaulted me in public and instantly handcuffed me. I was then taken into
police custody, no charge was pronounced against me.

“I was detained in police custody from the day of my arrest to 12 July. A
frivolous charge of perjury was preferred against me on 12 July on which I
was taken to court for an initial remand. I was remanded in custody for a
bail ruling as the police had opposed bail and was only released on bail on
14 July,” Nyapokoto said.

He adds that a day after his release on bail, and at the instance Chief
Superintendent Mavis Nkomo and others, he was evicted from his official
residence at Ross Camp without any notice or court order.

Nyapokoto says he had to approach the High Court through his lawyers on an
urgent basis for an order restoring him back to his official residence. An
order granted on 19 July restored him back into the official residence.

“In the process of defending myself in the malicious prosecution and in
getting back to my official residence, I incurred legal costs to the tune of
US$6 400 to find justice.

“At all material times, the defendants’ actions were wrongful and they were
aware that their actions were illegal. The defendants were acting in the
course and scope of their employment,” he wrote.

Charges laid against him were all withdrawn before plea and it is his
contention that this because the charges lacked evidence.

He aloso says he was discharged from service on 16 June 2010 and but has
since challenged the discharge adding the matter is still pending on appeal
in the High Court.

ZANU-PF witch-hunt

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Friday, 01 April 2011 13:51
E-mail Print PDF

Njabulo Ncube, Assistant Editor
AN embarrassing defeat for ZANU-PF’s candidate in elections for the Speaker
of the House of Assembly on Tuesday has touched off a potentially damaging
witch hunt to sniff out dissidents from the stricken party, The Financial
Gazette can reveal. ZANU-PF’s national chairman, Simon Khaya-Moyo was
hammered in the election by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC-T) national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, who garnered 105
votes against Khaya-Moyo’s 93 in an election that was marred by accusations
of bribery by both ZANU-PF and the MDC- T.
ZANU-PF insiders said tempers flared, with accusations and
counter-accusations between party factions trying to extricate themselves
from possible censure by party leader, President Robert Mugabe, peeved by
the party’s poor and incoherent show.
Insiders said there had been desperate efforts by ZANU-PF to reverse the
MDC-T’s gains in Parliament to show critics that the party had been
rejuvenated in time for crunch general elections, which President Mugabe has
indicated might be held before the end of the year.
One insider said the party wanted to use Khaya-Moyo’s much anticipated
victory to show Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders’
meeting in Livingstone, Zambia today that ZANU-PF was ready to rule alone.
But the dramatic twist to what had been expected to be a ZANU-PF romp has
shifted the pendulum, with party strategists said to have been in a state of
shock and panic.
ZANU-PF insiders told The Financial Gazette yesterday that there was a
general consensus within the party that some legislators defied the whip
system and voted for  MDC-T’s Moyo amid speculation that some of the party
members could have been corrupted by MDC-T officials to vote against their
own party candidate.
Accusing fingers are said to have been pointed at politicians who were
vehemently opposed to Khaya-Moyo’s candidature, especially senior party
members from Mashonaland Central and Matabel-eland provinces.
Marondera East legislator, Tracy Mutinhiri, the ZANU-PF Women’s League
political commissar, who is also the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social
Welfare, is being looked at with suspicion. Hence she is one of the
politicians targeted under the witch-hunt, as well as Sithembiso Nyoni, a
politician from Matabeleland North, whose daughter is married to the
speaker, Moyo.
Mutinhiri is said to have recently become critical of her party and has
often been said to have hysterically lambasted fellow party members.
Edward Chindori-Chininga, the ZANU-PF Guruve South legislator, was said to
be another suspect owing to his perceived sympathy of parliamentary agendas
from the two MDC formations in the august House.
There were possibilities some factions within the party could pile pressure
on the party’s politburo to rein-in legislators that failed to make it to
parliament, specifically Cephas Sindi, the ZANU-PF legislator for
Gokwe-Chireya.
ZANU-PF expected to gain advantage due to the absence of incarcerated MDC-T
legislators Elton Mang-oma, the Minister of Energy and Power Development who
is facing two separate charges of abuse of public office, and Constin
Muguti, MDC-T Gokwe-Kabuyuni lawmaker who was convicted of a criminal
offense.
Edgar Mbwembwe, the Chiko-mba-East legislator was said to be another suspect
due to his association with MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti during his
student days at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
Mbwembwe and Biti were both in the UZ Student Representative Council in the
1990s.
In the run-up to Khaya-Moyo’s nomination, several names had been mentioned
in connection with the election, among them ZANU-PF Women’s League boss
Oppah Muchinguri, party chief whip Joram Gumbo and Mberengwa West Mem-ber of
Parliament, Kudakwashe Basikiti.
However, the politburo imposed Khaya-Moyo citing his seniority in the party.
Muchinguri was placated with a parliamentary appointment just before the
election, while Gumbo was calmed with the appointment of his brother Rugare
Gumbo to a vacant position of Senator in the Upper House.
The position of Speaker in the Lower House became vacant following a
landmark Supreme Court ruling on March 10, 2011 that set aside the 2008
election of Moyo on the grounds that the election had not been conducted by
secret ballot as required by parliamentary Standing Orders. The judgment
followed an appeal by ZANU-PF legislator, Jonathan Moyo and three other
legislators from the MDC formation led by Welshman Ncube, Moses
Mzila-Ndlovu, Siyabonga Ncube and Patrick Dube.
In typical scorched earth policy, ZANU-PF hounded Moyo out of a
Parliament-rented house and asked him to surrender the two top of the range
Mercedes Benz and Range Rover official vehicles he had been using.
MDC-T MPs were also hunted down under what some critics described as
frivolous charges. At least six MPs were incarcerated before the vote, but
most had won bail from the courts.
This persecution of MDC-T parliamentarians is said to have won sympathy for
Moyo, while ZANU-PF, which had declared that it would pursue a bottom-up
system in the selection of candidates for electoral positions, undermined
itself when it denied parliamentarians the right to nominate candidates of
their choice and instead imposed Khaya-Moyo through a decision by its
politburo, largely packed by party bigwigs.
During the election for the Speaker on Tuesday, there were 203 MPs eligible
to vote but 199 turned up for the poll, with both ZANU-PF and MDC-T having
96 MPs each.
Seven MPs were from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC. Four MPs — two each from
ZANU-PF and MDC-T — were absent for undisclosed reasons.
With 96 MDC-T legislators in Parliament, Moyo gained eleven votes, raising
strong suspicions that at least two ZANU-PF MPs voted for a rival candidate.
ZANU-PF spokesperson, Ru-gare Gumbo, said yesterday it was too early to
decipher what transpired on Tuesday, adding that the politburo, which met
yesterday, could deliberate on the issues.
“It is something that happened last night (Tuesday). We have not had time to
discuss. Maybe at the politburo but as of now we have not met to talk about
it,” said Gumbo.
The Financial Gazette witnessed some ZANU-PF legislators shouting at each
other at Parliament Building on Tuesday night, an indicator the party was
not taking the loss lightly.
ZANU-PF insiders claimed there were already serious battles within the
faction-riddled party which is widely thought to have two distinct camps,
one aligned to retired army general Solomon Mujuru and another linked to
Emmerson Mnangagwa, the party’s secretary for legal affairs and Minister of
Defence.
There were fears of internal purging, especially the replacement of MPs and
provincial leaders thought to have betrayed the party cause.
Critics viewed Khaya-Moyo’s drubbing as an indicator of increasing
hostilities within ZANU-PF. These issues could create irreparable splits
should the succession of President Mugabe become a reality.
“Some members do not want to be made pets of political projects currently
taking place in the party,” said a ZANU-PF official, speaking strictly on
condition he is not named.
Another insider said the ZANU-PF leadership was seething with anger as
people felt they were stabbed in the back by the legislators who voted with
the MDC-T.
Legal experts have suggested previously that there could be a possibility of
the Speaker being given transitional powers in the event of unforeseen
changes within the executive.
Khaya-Moyo was said to be still smarting from his defeat by a man who comes
from his own province.
There were moves to placate the ZANU-PF national chairman with a Senatorial
seat left vacant through the death of Vice President Joseph Msika.
Khaya-Moyo is further tipped to be appointed Minister of State in the
President’s Office in charge of National Healing alongside co-ministers
Sekai Holland (MDC-T) and Moses Mzila-Ndlovu (MDC).
Vice President John Nkomo is set to relinquish the portfolio in that organ.

Gono to pay all outstanding payments

http://bulawayo24.com

by Byo24News
2011 April 02 16:17:39

Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Dr Gideon Gono on Friday said all
people recently retrenched from the central bank would get their outstanding
payments Saturday.

This followed clashes at the bank's premises in Harare yesterday between the
retrenchees and the police as the former employees demanded immediate
payments.

In a statement, Dr Gono said they could check their bank accounts on
saturday for the balance.

"The Governor of The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe would like to advise all
retrenchees of the bank that payments have been done into their accounts at
the same level as when they left the bank, via transfers into their
accounts.

"Kindly check your accounts balances starting Saturday the 2nd of April,
2011," reads the statement.

A group of retrenchees besieged the central bank demanding their payments
and police had to be called in to restore order.
Some of them scuffled with police as they tried to enter the RBZ
headquarters.

In an interview one of them said, "We are not here for violence and I am
wondering why the police are here. All we want is our money nothing else."
The workers were among 1 450 employees retrenched last month as part of
cost-cutting measures as the central bank has stopped quasi-fiscal
activities adopted at the height of the illegal sanctions-induced economic
decline of the past decade.

US Internet Executive Under Fire For Killing An Elephant In Zimbabwe

http://www.voanews.com

Following the posting of a video showing Bob Parsons shooting a "problem"
elephant, animal rights activists quickly launched a campaign to boycott his
Web domain name-hosting business, GoDaddy.com

Sandra Nyaira | Washington  01 April 2011

Competing US domain name providers were offering promotions encouraging
potential customers to leave GoDaddy.com

The chief executive of a US Internet company has come under fire by animal
rights activists for shooting an elephant while on holiday recently in
Zimbabwe.

Activists launched a campaign to boycott GoDaddy.com, a Web domain name
hosting firm, after CEO Bob Parsons posted a video of himself shooting what
he described as a ”problem elephant.”

The video went viral as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
denounced the Web executive, describing him as “the scummiest CEO on earth.”

Some objected in particular to the segment of the video clip in which
villagers wearing GoDaddy.com baseball hats butchered the elephant for meat.

Parsons has said that he stands by his actions, arguing that such hunts feed
starving villagers. “These people have literally nothing and when an
elephant is killed it's a big event for them, they are going to be able to
eat some protein," Parsons wrote on his video blog. "This is no different
than you or I eating beef.”

Competing US domain name providers were offering promotions encouraging
potential customers to leave GoDaddy.com. Domain provider NameCheap offered
to donate a dollar to Save the Elephants for every domain name switched from
GoDaddy.com

PETA spokeswoman Ashley Gonzalez told VOA's Sandra Nyaira that Parsons
should use his money to empower villagers and provide protected areas for
elephants.

Program Coordinator Sally Wynn of the Zambezi Society said human-elephant
conflicts are a real problem in Zimbabwe as the two species live in close
proximity. Wynn said the Zimbabwean government authorizes hunting safaris in
certain areas.

150,000 permit applications pending - SA govt

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Mxolisi Ncube
Friday, 01 April 2011 07:25

JOHANNESBURG - The South African government says that over 150 000
applications from Zimbabweans are still being finalised and will be
dispatched before the end of July.

Home Affairs Director-general, Mkhuseli Apleni, told the media that 43
regional offices set up by his department had managed to successfully clear
a backlog of over 50 000 permit applications, but these did not include
special dispensation permit applications introduced last year.

The applications opened on September 15 2010 and closed on January 31 this
year. Apleni said his department has, in consultation with the Zimbabwean
government, agreed to finalise this process by July 31 2011.

“We are pleased to report that the department has, to date crossed a major
milestone in our adjudication framework by finalising 119 009 applications
from Zimbabwean nationals,” said Apleni.

“A further 156 753 applications remain to be adjudicated, for which the
Department requires 53 working days at the rate of 3 000 per day.”

He added that a system of text messaging would be implemented from April 4
to inform applicants who need to come in for fingerprinting, those still
requiring passports from the Zimbabwean Consulate and those who need to
submit supporting documents for each of the three types of permits namely
business, study and work.

“We are currently in the process of validating and finally confirming
amnesty applications, which amount to 6 243. We appeal to nationals to
respond timeously to sms requests to provide further information to enable
us to finalise their applications.” he added

Zim empowerment plan worries IMF

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Tobias Manyuchi     Saturday 02 April 2011
SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE . . . Indigenisation Minister

HARARE – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concern at
Zimbabwe’s controversial drive to force foreign-owned mining firms to sell
majority stake to local blacks, ZimOnline learnt on Friday.

Government officials said an IMF team that left Harare on Thursday after a
three-week consultation mission also expressed worry at plans by the
government to raise salaries for public workers when state coffers were near
empty.

The IMF has during previous consultation missions to Zimbabwe warned
President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s unity
government to put a tight lid on rising wage demands in the public sector
and to ensure its economic empowerment programme does not scare away
badly-needed foreign investors to damage the nascent economic recovery.

"They (IMF) appeared to have been rattled by the indigenisation laws which
gave the mining firms up to September to comply with the law. The gazetting
of the law was ill-timed and nobody saw it coming this fast,” a ministry of
finance official, who declined to be named because he had not been cleared
by his superiors to discuss the matter with the Press.

“During their visit the delegation had also raised concerns about the wage
bill as there appeared to be pressure to raise salaries yet the fiscus
cannot afford," said the official.

The drastic economic empowerment laws announced last Monday give
foreign-owned mining companies 45 days to submit to Indigenisation Minister
Saviour Kasukuwere details of how they plan to transfer controlling stake to
locals by next September.

Firms that fail to disclose their share-transfer plans within the stipulated
period face prosecution, according to the regulations that have thrown the
mining sector -- the economy’s largest – into turmoil.

The empowerment plans are being pushed by Mugabe’s wing of the coalition
government and opposed by Tsvangirai’s MDC party that favours a gradual
approach, fearing that wholesale indigenisation could wreck a fragile
economy.

Analysts say Mugabe maybe intent on putting pressure on foreign miners to
pay more in taxes.

Miners will be torn between pulling out and risk losing rights to the
massive platinum reserves and other minerals to Mugabe's preferred investors
from China or negotiate revised deals that will see the government getting
more from the country’s resources.

The resource rich southern African nation boasts the world’s second largest
reserves of platinum, has discovered alluvial diamonds which experts say
could generate $2 billion a year and has large gold, chrome and coal
deposits. -- ZimOnline

MDC-T Chipinge Legislator Charged With Theft

http://www.radiovop.com/

02/04/2011 15:34:00

HARARE, April 2, 2011- Police are reported to have arrested MDC-T Chipinge
West parliamentarian Sibonile Nyamudeza for allegedly stealing pre-cast
concrete pipes belonging to the District Development Fund (DDF).

Nyamudeza was arrested when he reported at Chipinge Rural Police Station in
the company of his lawyer Langton Mhungu.Prosecutor Last Goredema alleged
that Nyamudeza stole the pre-cast concrete pipes some time in
February.Goredema accused the Chipinge West legislator of instructing “
certain ” people to steal and ferry the concrete pipes from Bangwe to
Tanganda in Chipinge without the authority of the state-run institution.

Mhungu, who is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said his
client denies the charges. Nyamudeza was granted $100 bail by Chipinge
Magistrate Chrispen Ngweshiwa who ordered him to report once a week on
Fridays to Chipinge Rural Police Station. Ngweshiwa also ordered the
legislator to continue residing at his given address and not to interfere
with witnesses.

Gender-based violence at all-time high

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Ngoni Chanakira
Friday, 01 April 2011 16:30

HARARE – Cases of gender based violence (GBV) have reached an all-time high
with women increasingly likely to be the victims of violence, murder and
rape.
More than 2,300 cases of GBV have been reported so far this year – almost
double last year’s figures. Barbara Ngwenya, Chief Inspector in the ZRP for
Harare, said five women have died from domestic abuse already this year. She
told the meeting that there have been 2,379 cases of GBV reported so far
this year, up from 1,053 in 2010.
Addressing more than 50 women, most of whom were from NGOs, she said: "In
February alone there were 285 cases reported, up from 266 in January.” A
lack of funding and high staff turnover meant police failed to deal with GBV
cases quickly. Ngwenya said prison sentences were too lenient on abusers in
Zimbabwe.
"We do not get any funding and we desperately need it," she said. "The
Domestic Violence Act is good, but it is difficult to implement since most
victims do not understand it." She said there are no safe houses to keep
abused women who sometimes go back to the very husbands who abused them.
Ngwenya said the US$5 fee charged for a Protection Order Application form is
"way too high and most poor women cannot afford it".
"It is very easy to spend US$5, but it is also very hard to find it in
Zimbabwe today," she said. The Act was passed by Parliament in 2007. "We, as
women, are very proud of it," said an official from The Musasa Project. "But
is it working in our favour. Sorry ladies, but I do not think it is. It is
definitely not working for us, women."
The GBV discussion was organised by the Musasa Project begun by the late
Elizabeth Chanakira. The project protects women who have been abused by
their husbands and who do not have any accommodation. It provides them with
temporary shelter until they can get back into mainstream society. There
were only four men among the participants.

Rape Victims speak out

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by The Zimbabwean
Friday, 01 April 2011 16:26

HARARE - Three women, allegedly raped by their husbands, told the meeting
about their harrowing ordeals and the difficulty they had in getting help.
Esther Hombarume, Agnes Munengami, and Everst Mukandiona, all from Harare,
said they had been failed by the police and the court system and struggled
to find help from NGOs. "My husband was a soldier," said Agnes as she fought
back tears. "He went away for about three months and then took leave and
came back to haunt me. He beat me up regularly and he raped me. I was
terrified."
She said when she went to the courts, the police said she had no case and
the affair was a civil matter between her and her husband. "I have stitches
on my nose," she said, and showed participants her bruised stomach. She also
told the meeting that her husband’s relatives demanded she withdraw her case
against him as they feared it would tarnish their image in the community.
She said she had been happily married between 1989 and 2004 but after that
her life was a "horror story too ghastly to contemplate". Agnes shocked more
than 50 women bosses from virtually all NGOs dealing with Gender Based
Violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe today by telling them: "We are traumatised by all
of you. Please deal with our cases and do not send us from NGO to NGO and
claim that you are helping us because you are not."
Another victim, Esther, told the meeting: “I was kicked, beaten up and told
to leave my house by my husband. He told me that if I reported the case he
would kill me. He then haunted me until I ran away and sought shelter at The
Musasa Project. They have helped me every day and I thank them for
everything that they have done for me."
The Musasa Project, based in Harare, provides shelter for women who have
been abused by their spouses. But the shelter is temporary. "We do not have
funds to give to our clients," Executive Director of Musasa project, Netty
Musanhu, told The Zimbabwean.
"We desperately need money to help protect women who are raped and tormented
everyday of their lives. The Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender has no
money either to help the women. "We are struggling but we cannot just leave
these women to suffer or even die." She said legislation to protect women
must be taken seriously and added: “I was shocked that when we went to Gweru
only six police officers out of a group of 30 said they knew about the
Domestic Violence Act."
Inspector Ngwenya said officers needed to receive training to deal with
domestic violence cases. The women have decided to meet once a month to try
and pave the way forward and also to ensure that the Domestic Violence Act
is "respected" by "everyone, including ZRP Commissioner, Augustine
Chihuri's, cash-strapped officers”.

Only one Doctor dealing with rape cases

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by The Zimbabwean
Friday, 01 April 2011 16:25

HARARE - Zimbabwe only has one medical doctor qualified enough to confirm a
woman has been raped, a senior police officer told a meeting on gender-based
violence last week.
Barbara Ngwenya, Chief Inspector in the ZRP for Harare, said: "This causes
problems especially when we have to go to court because we need a rape kit
to show the court. "In the rape kit we have things such as the man's semen,
clothing materials from the victim, as well as any other items that can be
used as evidence in court.
"There is only one doctor, or scientist as you might want to call him, who
can approve that the semen is from the perpetrator. Without him we cannot
proceed with prosecution. In Zimbabwe we only have one doctor who can do
this and this is a very big problem for rape victims."
Ngwenya said some cases that had not been dealt with for more than six
months because the rape kit had not been approved. "We are also facing a
serious shortage of detergents which are used to test the semen to find out
whether or not it is genuine and is from the man allegedly charged," she
said. "Semen testing cannot be done without these detergents and we,
therefore, need cash urgently to buy the detergents otherwise the process
will take even longer.”

Jonathan Moyo Lied -British Embassy

http://www.radiovop.com/

02/04/2011 10:40:00

Harare, April 02,2011 - The British embassy in Harare has rejected claims by
former Information minister, Jonathan Moyo who accused the embassy's deputy
ambassador, Tim Cole, of having links to bribery claims by the MDC towards
the elections of the Speaker of Parliament.

Moyo who has slapped the Daily News newspaper with a US$60 000 damages in
publishing opinion pieces that he criticised President Mugabe allegedly said
Cole was working in cahoots with the MDC in lying that he was the chief
briber in the attempt by Zanu (PF) to bribe MDC legislators into voting for
Simon Khaya Moyo the Zanu PF candidate who later lost to MDC's Lovemore
Moyo.

"The British Embassy totally rejects the absurd allegations made by Prof
Jonathan Moyo linking Tim Cole, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy in
Harare, to bribery claims made public by MDC-Tsvangirai in advance of the
House of Assembly vote for a new Speaker on 29 March," the embassy noted in
a statement.

"Mr Cole’s role at the Embassy is to manage the mission and represent the
Ambassador in his absence. It is unacceptable to have his role deliberately
misrepresented in this way. The United Kingdom is a committed friend of the
people of Zimbabwe."

The embassy said it remains committed in helping the people of Zimbabwe. The
embassy said: "This year we have provided over $110 million in aid – our
largest ever package of support – to support the provision of essential
basic services, protect the livelihoods of Zimbabwe’s poorest people and to
support economic stabilisation."

Jonathan Moyo, a political turn-coat was named by the MDC's top leadership
as the culprit behind the attempted bribery of US$ 50 000 handed over to the
MDC parliamentarians to sway them to support Zanu (PF).

The MDC said it will keep the money as exhibit. Moyo has threatened a legal
suit to MDC MPs and newspapers that published that he was behind the botched
bribery attempt.

MLF Leaders Fail To Raise Bail Money

http://www.radiovop.com/

02/04/2011 15:36:00

JOHANNESBURG, April 2, 2011- The two leaders of the secessionist Mthwakazi
Liberation Front (MLF) John Gazi and Charles Thomas who were granted bail on
Thursday will spend another weekend in remand prison after they failed to
raise bail money on time for their release.

Justice Nicholas Ndou ordered the release of the two secessionist leaders
but by Friday their families and friends were still struggling to raise the
$4 000 for the two men.The judge set bail at $2 000 for each accused person
but the other accused, Paul Siwela will remain in custody after the judge
said he had another pending case.

Siwela,s case will now be heard by the Supreme Court.The state argued that
Siwela circulated a controversial document Ref -Regional Court CRB No
71-2/04 and High Court Bulawayo No 3373/04 wherein he was advocating for the
creation of the ‘province of Matabeleland’ by the Ndebele-speaking people
fighting with spears and arrows against the government and the
Shona-speaking people. That it is not in the interest of justice and the
state security to admit them to bail.

However, lawyers for the three, Sindiso Mazibisa, Robert Ndlovu, Matshobana
Ncube and Advocate Lucas Nkomo shot down assertions by state lawyers and
said the ground for seeking leave to appeal was devoid of merit and there
were no reasonable prospects of success on appeal.According to MLF Legal
Affairs spokesman, Sabelo Ngwenya the money to pay Gazi and Thomas bail was
raised on Friday and was immediately sent to Bulawayo.Ngwenya told Radio Vop
that the money was raised by “ Mthwakazians ” in the United Kingdom, South
Africa and Botswana.

So did Mugabe mean that Zuma can keep his SA?

By Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 02/04/11

Despite his own shortcomings as the SADC facilitator for Zimbabwe, Jacob
Zuma seems  to have touched a raw nerve for the first time at the recent
Troika meeting in Zambia.  Mugabe almost said: ‘Zuma keep your South Africa
and let me keep my Zimbabwe’ when he accused his ally of ‘overstretching his
mandate in the facilitation process.’

Veiled attack

The veiled attack on Zuma and SADC is reminiscent of Mugabe’s blistering
attack on the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and European
“interference” in African affairs in September 2002 when he declared: ‘Blair
keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe. Let no one interfere with our
processes’ (Sky.com, 03/09/02).

Similarly, Mugabe reportedly said the facilitator should stick to
facilitation and not dictate what Zimbabweans should do. “The facilitator
should facilitate, he cannot prescribe to us to do A, B, C and D. We give
ourselves the A, B,C, D, in accordance with our agreement” Mugabe said
(Newsday, 01/04/11).

Although the SADC communiqué did not mention Robert Mugabe by name, but did
raise many of the concerns voiced by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in
recent weeks, it said: “There must be an immediate end of violence,
intimidation, hate speech, harassment and any other form of action that
contradicts the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)”
(Swradioafrica.com, 01/04/11). That was enough to make Mugabe see red.

Implications of the Livingstone Communique

SADC plans to set up a special group that would lay down a roadmap for
elections in Zimbabwe have prompted Mugabe to resuscitate negotiations with
his coalition partners which had been put on ice for a long time due to his
intransigence. From nowhere, the tripartite negotiators of the GPA are set
to meet on Monday to ‘craft a roadmap for general elections and review the
arrangement that created the inclusive government’ (Xinhuanet.com,
02/04/11). However, there should be no complacency.

While SADC has been soft on Mugabe for too long, however as the regional
leaders also realized their tails were on fire due to pressure from civil
society organizations and the Prime Minister’s regional tour, they had no
option but warn the GNU about the risk of an uprising. It could also be
argued that the regional leaders are fully aware of the possibility of any
Zimbabwe uprising spreading to their countries as development in North
Africa and the Middle East seem to show.

Furthermore, many questions remain unanswered in the wake of a statement by
Zanu-pf negotiator Patrick Chinamasa after the Livingstone meeting that ‘the
roadmap towards peaceful, free, fair and democratic harmonized elections is
laid out in the GPA. The milestones are clearly laid out and we will not
entertain any milestones that fall outside of the GPA” (The Herald,
Negotiators set to craft poll roadmap, 01/04/11).

If the roadmap is already there, why has Zanu-pf  been quiet about it and/or
hindering it’s  implementation? Why did Zanu-pf apply brakes to the roadmap
only to release the pedal after the Troika suggested a three-member panel to
assist the South African facilitation team? Why is the country sliding into
a military state when it should be addressing the milestones for free and
fair elections? Why is there political intimidation through the
anti-sanctions campaign, political violence e.g. in Chimanimani, selective
arrests of political opponents and denial of civil liberties such as the
right to demonstrate or hold rallies?

Conclusion

Chances are that Monday’s meeting of the tripartite negotiators will be
deadlocked before going anywhere on the issue of targeted sanctions being
advanced by Zanu-pf as an unresolved ‘milestone’ or un-met pre-condition for
any acceleration on the roadmap. This could also explain why Mugabe does not
want to lose control to what he calls ‘outsiders’ as they may not recognize
his myth of sanctions which are actually his own tactical brakes to any
progress in resolving the Zimbabwe crisis.

Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, Political Analyst, zimanalysis2009@gmail.com