Zuma agrees to tackle Zim issues

http://www.iol.co.za

 
      Basildon Peta
    August 09 2009 at 10:17AM

President Jacob Zuma has agreed to urge Zimbabwean leader Robert
Mugabe to give Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party one of two key
contested posts in the fragile unity government.

Zuma agreed to this when he met Tsvangirai in Joburg on Monday, say
official sources.

This could help to break the deadlock.

The two key disputed posts are Central Bank governor and
attorney-general, held by Mug-abe cronies Gideon Gono and Johannes Tomana
respectively.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says Mugabe
reappointed them last year in violation of the Global Political Agreement.

The MDC has insisted that both Gono and Tomana should be replaced by
officials agreed to by all parties.

Zuma said publicly after meeting Tsvangirai that he would talk to
Mugabe about the "weighty and important " problems he had raised, without
revealing what they were.

But impeccable sources said Tsvangirai and Zuma had agreed the issue
of the appointments could be resolved if Mugabe allowed Tsvangirai to fill
one of the two posts.

Tsvangirai would prefer to get the attorney-general's post and give it
to one of his top officials, advocate Eric Matinenga.

The MDC can live with Gono, whom Finance Minister Tendai Biti has
labelled an "economic terrorist".

Tsvangirai believes Biti has already tamed Gono, whose money-printing
policies that fuelled runaway inflation have been neutralised by the
"dollarisation" of the economy.

Tsvangirai would rather have the attorney-general's post to halt the
apparently politically motivated prosecutions of his MPs.

At least five have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms that will
disqualify them from parliament.

The MDC believes that is a ploy to destroy its razor-thin majority in
parliament. The MPs have been sentenced for various offences from political
violence to corruption.

About eight more MDC MPs are being prosecuted in court on various
charges. MDC insiders say they are now worried they could even lose the
coveted post of speaker of parliament.

If Zuma does persuade Mugabe to give up one of the two key disputed
posts, the MDC believes it has a good chance of getting the
attorney-generalship.

The party believes Mugabe will be reluctant to lose Gono, his
"personal banker", as the MDC calls him.

Tsvangirai was also in Botswana last week to lobby his ally President
Ian Khama.

Tsvangirai also complained of Mugabe's failure to appoint the MDC's
Deputy Agriculture Minister Roy Bennett, who has been charged with the
attempted violent overthrow of Mugabe.

And he complained to Zuma about Mugabe's failure to honour another
agreement.

Sources said Tsvangirai had endorsed Mugabe's unilateral appointments
of permanent secretaries (the top officials) to all ministries (in violation
of the political agreement).

The understanding was that the MDC would then appoint all the deputy
permanent secretaries and principal secretaries.

But Mugabe has not kept his side of the bargain.

And Tsvangirai also complained to Zuma about the continued
imprisonment of MDC MPs.

This article was originally published on page 14 of Cape Argus on
August 09, 2009

Amnesty is way to national healing: Gono

 

7 August 2009

 

By CHIEF REPORTER

 

HARARE – Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono has called for a blanket amnesty for people who committed political crimes over the past decade in order to promote national healing and reconciliation. (Pictured: MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa moments after he was brutally assaulted by unknown people at Harare International airport in March 2007 – Gono says amnesty is the way to achieve national healing)
Gono -- accused of running a parallel government at the RBZ and operating outside the law  -- did not say why he felt the amnesty should cover only the last 10 years.
The RBZ chief, who made the amnesty call in his latest mid-term monetary policy review statement, said: "As a central bank, the advice we give to our leadership in the various stations in our communities is that we build genuine national healing through the implementation of a stakeholder-defined amnesty.”
He said the general pardon should cover, “all those Zimbabweans who may have injured sections of society due to the cloud of suspicions, mistrust and conspiracy theories that characterised the country's socio-political and economic landscape over the past 10 years or so."
"For the avoidance of doubt, I am neither advocating for the closure of our courts nor the opening of freedom flood-gates at all our prisons, but rather the construction of a platform for stakeholders to submit cases that merit consideration for amnesty in the spirit of true national healing,” said the RBZ governor.
Arguably Zimbabwe’s most controversial central bank governor to date, Gono, is accused of printing money to fund activities ordinarily undertaken by the government ministries through allocations from the national budget.
Critics say most of the money Gono printed actually went to funding President Robert Mugabe’s political programmes and paying for the lavish style of top officials of Zanu (PF) party and security chiefs who back the veteran leader.
Many Zimbabweans have called for Gono to be investigated for overshooting the statutory limit of US$1 billion that he is allowed to borrow without Cabinet approval.
Gono has admitted to borrowing more than US$5.25 billion since June 2004 to finance his activities although there is no tangible evidence that the money went to good use.

Mugabe to make Dabengwa Vice President

http://www.zimeye.org/?p=7885

By Stanley-Dlodlo

Published: August 9, 2009

HARARE(ZimEye)President Robert Mugabe has offered opposition supremo and
Matabeleland leader, Dumiso Dabengwa the vice-presidency left vacant by
death of John Msika, three sources in the Zimbabwean government have said.

According to former Mavambo project spokesman, Denford Magora, Mugabe is
said to have called Dabengwa on Friday and spent more than an hour talking
to him over the phone, in a move seen to be a direct attempt to dilute
Dabengwa's strong connection with South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma,
which is likely to turn out bitter towards Mugabe.

Afterwards, two emissaries were then dispatched to Bulawayo to persuade the
former ZIPRA Commander into accepting the offer.

Mugabe, in explaining his motivation, said that, most importantly, he would
like to be "flanked by fighters" in the ZANU PF presidium. He also mentioned
that John Nkomo, who many consider the logical choice, only got eminence
during the late 1970s, when the Frontline States led by Kenneth Kaunda,
Nyerere Julius, and others) pushed for a common front between Joshua Nkomo
and Mugabe through the UANC of Bishop Muzorewa.

Mugabe told Dabengwa that it was he, Dabengwa, who had thrown ZANU PF away
and that ZANU PF had never thrown him away. He pointed to the fact that the
party has never formally expelled him.

Mugabe has claimed that Msika himself had explicitly said his wish would be
for Dabengwa to take over from him. This he allegedly said late in 2007 when
he wanted to retire and was forced by Mugabe to stay on. The aged President
says  that Msika subsequently repeated this in the last few months of his
life.

Robert Mugabe also told the former ZAPU leader:

"You can never quit a struggle." He still believes that he is fighting a
"Third Liberation War".

However, analysts say that Dabengwa's delay, is an open indication that he
knows that were he to accept Mugabe's offer, he would lose credibility with
his constituency.

One speaker once said to him during a Bulawayo meeting last year when
Dabengwa endorsed Simba Makoni's bid for the presidency:

"DD, we have always loved you, but we hated the jacket that you were now
wearing (ZANU PF)".

Mavambo project former spokesman, Denford Magora has also said that:

'Dabengwa has been invited to the burial of Msika on Monday and Mugabe has
already indicated that he will want to speak to the ZAPU leader again on
that day, after the proceedings.

This is going to be an extremely interesting week, then.

The way ZANU PF operates, Mugabe chooses his own deputies and no one else
really has any say in it. Once Mugabe makes his choice known, the party
always falls in line behind him, endorsing his choice.'Mugabe's move is
perceived to be counterfeit, after Jacob Zuma rushed to pass his personal
condolences on Msika's death. ZAPU has strong atttachments with the ANC
which is a tribal string stretching more than 150 years.

Zimbabwean students at Fort Hare cry foul

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=20919

August 9, 2009

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - Zimbabwean students studying at Fort Hare University in South
Africa have blown the whistle on alleged embezzlement of funds and
harassment of students enrolled under the Presidential Scholarship Fund.
Students told The Zimbabwe Times that as a result of theft of funds, there
had been erratic disbursement of funds to students, a situation that has
left them struggling to make ends meet at the university.First-year
students, who enrolled at Fort Hare towards the end of February, only
accessed their allowances for meals in May amid what one student described
as "enormous suffering". Some students had been reduced to vending in order
to raise money for printing assignments and for photocopying modules.

Many other students have reportedly failed to travel back to Zimbabwe on
vacation because they needed to save money for meals next semester yet
government had disbursed money to cover meals. The students alleged that the
money from government was "now lining the pockets of those entrusted with
administering the funds'.

There are more than 700 Zimbabwean students enrolled at Fort Hare
University.  President Robert Mugabe obtained his degree in economics, one
of his seven university degrees, at Fort Hare in South Africa's Eastern Cape
Province.

Officially opened in 1916 as the South African Native College, Fort Hare is
one of the oldest universities in southern Africa. It was the first
university on the continent to open its doors to back students. A number of
notable students have attended Fort Hare, including the first black
Zimbabwean medical doctor, Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa; the historian,
novelist and politician Stanlake Samkange, the late lawyer and Zanu-PF
chairman who was killed in a bomb explosion in Lusaka in 1975, Herbert
Chitepo and Mugabe.

Mugabe established the Presidential Scholarship Fund to provide an excellent
education for bright students from under-privileged families.

Funds channeled to the scholarship are being embezzled, students now say.

At the centre of the alleged looting of the Presidential Scholarship Fund is
Dr Abyssinia Mushunje, a junior lecturer in the university's Faculty of
Agriculture, and accounts clerk Phumula Bokwe.

During a telephone interview on Friday Mushunje strenuously denied stealing
from the fund saying the reports were emanating from one student who has a
"psychological problem".

But students have insisted Mushunje has orchestrated harassment of students
who have dared question use of cash, sometimes punishing the students' by
deactivating their accounts in order to preclude them from accessing their
grants.

The Zimbabwe Times heard that students had written to university officials
taking issue with Mushunje's handling of students and their welfare.

Mushunje is said to be a cousin of Christopher Mushowe, the Manicaland
governor. He is the director of the Presidential Scholarship Fund. A former
Minister of Transport and Communications, Mushowe was the Zanu-PF candidate
for Mutare West constituency in the March 2008 parliamentary election, but
was defeated.

Mushunje denied being related to Mushowe, saying he was simply "his homeboy"
in Manicaland in eastern Zimbabwe.

Students allege that Mushunje, who is not formally employed by the
government of Zimbabwe in any capacity, had also imposed a leadership to
represent the interests of Zimbabwean students at the university. The
so-called students' executive allegedly worked in cahoots with him. It
consists of Wellington Samkange, who is president, with Marian Tukuta and
Amon Taruvinga as vice presidents.

The Zimbabwe Times heard that angry students have confronted Bokwe about
what is happening to the student's accounts but she had referred them to
Mushunje.

"Students' worries are mainly anchored on where Mushunje derives the
authority to give Ms Bokwe directives to deactivate students' accounts,"
said one aggrieved student.

"And the presidium that Dr Mushunje has chosen does not represent the
interests of the students but his own interests at the expense of the
suffering students."

Another student said they were now living in fear, afraid to speak out their
concerns for fear of victimisation

National Education Advisory Board

5 August 2009

COMMITTEES August 09 – March 2010

The Board has dissolved the Task Forces set up in March, and constituted itself into Committees in order to undertake the next phase of its Terms of Reference.

TEACHERS’ CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Mr Takavafira Zhou, Mrs Tendai Chikowore, Dr Goodwill Shana

POLICY AND CAPACITY

Dr Isaiah Sibanda, Dr Mike Ndubiwa, Dr Sharayi Chakanyuka, Mr Charles Maunze

INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES AND RESOURCES

Dr Fay Chung, Fr Joe Arimoso, Sr Tariro Chimanyiwa

PARENTS AND COMMUNITY

Mr Stan Hadebe, Mr Neil Todd, Mr Lovemore Mufamba

CURRICULUM

Mrs Mary Ndlovu, Mrs Trudy Stevenson

Top university reopens, but no new students

http://www.universityworldnews.com

09 August 2009
Issue: 0088

The University of Zimbabwe finally reopened last week after an eight-month
delay - but Vice-chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura ruled out a fresh intake
of students this year. He said students who enrolled last November had not
attended lectures due to the university's closure since January, and that it
could not afford or cope with two groups of first-year students.

An economic crisis blamed on years of mismangement and autocratic rule by
President Robert Mugabe, and a long lecturer strike, were among the reasons
why the University of Zimbabwe - the country's top institution - failed to
open this year. For students, almost an entire academic year was lost.

The Vice-chancellor said in a statement that the United Nations Children's
Fund, UNICEF, had drilled 13 boreholes at the university as there was no
water - another reason for delays in re-opening. Four of the boreholes had
good water output, Nyagura added, but the supply was not sufficient to
enable students to return to halls of residence.

The institution was hit by a water crisis in January at a time when Zimbabwe
was in the grip of a cholera outbreak that claimed the lives of more than
4,000 people and affected 100,000 others after the first case was first
detected in August last year. On Tuesday Health Minister Tendai Madzorera
declared the epidemic over, with no new cases reported since June.

The World Health Origination has provided the University of Zimbabwe with
vehicles as part of efforts aimed at its re-opening.

The August intake will be the first in which students must pay fees in
foreign currency - United States dollars or South African Rands - after the
government abandoned use of the local currency to escape world
record-breaking inflation of over 11 million percent.

Students in the humanities faculty will pay US$404 and those in veterinary
sciences will fork out $504. In a country where senior civil servants earn
US$180 a month after tax, the university fees are out of reach of most
parents.

As an illustration of the precarious state of affairs, when university
authorities said the institution was going to open on 30 March this year,
only 68 students out of 12,000 managed to pay. The institution in any case
failed to re-open because there was no drinkable water on campus.

The University of Zimbabwe used to have one of the most beautiful and
best-maintained campuses in Africa. But it has reached a state of collapse
following more than a decade of neglect. Its floors have potholes, lecturer
rooms can go for months without being cleaned, broken furniture lies around
campus and buildings are cracking. When halls of residence were open, the
food was awful.

But despite the challenges, students have held their own against others in
the region and from international universities.

In 2007, the university won the Pan African Moot Competition on
International Human Rights Law held in Tanzania, beating 11 other
institutions of higher learning from 10 English-speaking African countries.
It also came third out of 444 universities in a Students in Free Enterprise
world competition held in New York.

Botswana, Zim moot joint power deal

http://www.mmegi.bw

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer

Botswana and Zimbabwe intend to engage in projects that will result in
mutual economic cooperation between the two Southern African Development
Community (SADC) neighbours.

Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe and
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met in Gaborone last Saturday
and discussed the Hwange Colliery Power Station project from which Botswana
wants to import power and in return help Zimbabwe exploit its vast coal
deposits.

Minerals, energy and water resources spokesperson Mpho Kerapeletswe said
that the duo focused on how best the two countries can cooperate to mitigate
the effects of the prevailing power supply and demand mismatch.

She said that the two leaders looked at previous failed attempts to work out
satisfactory arrangements that would have made it possible for Botswana to
import power from Zimbabwe, through the exporting of coal from Morupule
Colliery.

According to Kerapeletswe, Premier Tsvangirai said the power deficit was
partly due to Hwange Colliery's inability to produce sufficient tonnage of
coal to power five units. The colliery is only able to produce sufficient
coal to keep two units operational. The station, she said has six
generators - 1 to 4 with a capacity of 120 MW each and 5 to 6 with capacity
of 220 MW each. She said that Tsvangirai revealed that the colliery's assets
are in a state of disrepair, especially the dragline that excavates coal,
due to lack of spares.

"He said that as of now, Zimbabwe does not have sufficient financial
resources to recapitalise the mine. Optimum output of the mine is about
9,000 tonnes a day, compared to the present actual of about 2,000 tonnes.
Tsvangirai also said that output of between 6,000 to 7,000 tonnes per day
would be acceptable," she said.

Kerapeletswe said in a press statement that the Zimbabwean premier proposed
that Gaborone should explore the possibility of Botswana companies which
have suitable equipment for mining that might be idling, to move their plant
to the Hwange Colliery to assist with the coal mining activity, on the
understanding that there was to be equitable sharing of costs and benefits
among all the stakeholders.

"The meeting follows an earlier one that Minister Kedikilwe held with
Zimbabwe's Minister of Energy on possibilities of power generation and
transmission to Botswana. The two ministers met during the SADC meeting for
ministers responsible for water in Maputo, Mozambique, in July. At that
meeting, the ministers tasked their technical teams to explore the
possibility of Botswana and Zimbabwe through their two utilities, ZESA and
BPC of rehabilitating existing infrastructure in Zimbabwe for purposes of
power generation and transmission," she explained.

The task teams were to report to the two ministers once their investigations
were complete. Consequently, the Botswana team, including BPC officials, is
in Harare.

Once the report is ready, Kedikilwe and his Zimbabwe counterparts are
expected to meet in Francistown to chart the way forward.

She said that Tsvangirai revealed that Zimbabwe has huge coal deposits close
to the Botswana border, estimated at one billion tonnes and that  Zimbabwe
is exploring the possibility of developing a 4 X 500MW power station using a
refurbished plant from France.

Chombo and wife fight over seized farm

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=20907

August 9, 2009

HARARE (The Standard/Own Correspondent) - Local Government Minister Ignatius
Chombo has ordered his estranged wife to stop any farming activities at his
New Allan Grange Farm, following a child maintenance dispute which could
place at risk  the business empire the Minister has built over the years.

The Minister, who parted ways with Marian sometime in 2007, is seeking to
prevent her from sub-dividing the farm in Raffingora. The farm was allocated
to Chombo (57)  under government's controversial land reform programme.

Marian proposed the subdivision of the farm after complaining that Chombo
had failed to meet his promise to provide for her and the children, as per
his undertaking.

But Chombo's lawyers on Friday warned her against subdividing the prime farm
measuring 3 098, 81 hectares.

The Leadership Code adopted by Zanu-PF in 1984 stipulates that an official
of the party cannot own or have beneficial interest in more than 50 acres of
land. This is equal to only 20.23 hectares of land

They pointed out that the farm had been allocated to the Minister and Marian
had to apply for her own farm using the normal channels.

The dispute started after Marian instructed her lawyers to seek payment of
two-year's maintenance in arrears from the Minister. She said he had failed
to honour his promise to support the family.

Marian said Chombo had refused to provide groceries, food- stuffs, clothing
and medical care, transport and other amenities would be expected of a
"responsible husband and father".

She said as a result, she was seriously in debt.

But Chombo's lawyers responded by saying there was no way the minister could
pay for the maintenance because his estranged wife had been allowed to stay
on the farm "to obviate the need for maintenance".

They pointed out the Minister had not asked for a cent from the proceeds of
poultry, diary, piggery and beef projects on the farm and had made a
commitment to pay for the children's fees.

They also proposed that "in order to avoid the talk about maintenance"
property acquired by the couple during their marriage could be valuated and
divided equally between the parties.

The lawyers said Marian was free to suggest how the property could be
shared.

On July 23, Marian instructed her lawyers to advise Chombo that she wanted
the farm to be sub-divided with each of the parties getting 350 hectares of
arable land.

She also indicated that Chombo could get beef, diary and goat projects while
she remained with the poultry and piggery projects. She proposed that farm
equipment be shared equally.

Marian also proposed that she would get part of an apartment in Queensdale
and another at Melrose Flats, a house on Arcturus Road Greendale and another
in Glen View 7 as well as two stands at Shawasha Hills.

She said she could accept any conditions regarding to yet another house in
Alexandra Park, which is registered under a trust.

The Zanu-PF Leadership Code states that a leader of the party "shall not own
more than one dwelling house; except as dictated by family requirements, but
in no event shall additional houses be for purposes of earning rents".

She said she would take the cars, a tanker, horses and Dilcrest Operations
in Banket.

Chombo, through his lawyers however said the farm was indivisible although
farm implements could be shared. The lawyers said the property had to be
valued first. The farm was allocated to Chombo for free.

Chombo only offered Marian the matrimonial home in Greendale.

The lawyers said two houses, one in Alexandra Park and another referred to
as 18 Cuba Avenue, belonged to a legal persona that has directors and
trustees.

I called Arikana Chihombori - Viomak

http://www.zimeye.org/?p=7901

By Harriet Chigege
for ZimEye.org

Published: August 8, 2009

By protest singer, Viomak

After being irked by media reports that Dr Arikana Chihombori ,a US citizen
who has lived in America for 30 years was in the middle of illegally seizing
the Cremer's farm in Chegutu I decided to give her a call.

I am of the opinion that farms should be allocated to farmers who have the
expertise and who are available to farm.Be they white or black.If White
farmers are better farmers than black farmers then the farms should be given
to the white farmers.Why should people waste time fighting over land that
they didn't even create?
Why should someone who is in America moreso an American citizen who has been
in America for 30 years terrorise a farmer in Zimbabwe who is working hard
to feed Zimbabweans?

I asked myself before I called Dr Chihombori.
I was to share with her my views on the issue.I then called her surgery and
an extremely nice and co operative lady took the call.I introduced myself to
her and asked if I could  speak to Dr Chihombori.She asked if I was a
patient intending to book an appointment with the doctor.No I said ,after
which I exlained to her that there are certain Zimbabwe issues that I needed
to discuss with her.Dr Chihombori was not in at that time and the lady asked
me to leave a phone number so the Doctor can call me back.I gave her my cell
number after she promised to give Dr Chihombori the details.

Later in the evening as I was preparing supper my husband brought my cell
phone saying someone was on the phone.I took thecall and on the other end
was an equally nice lady.I'm not sure though if Dr Chihombori is as nice in
real life especially considering that she and her sister are not different
from Chinotimba who goes around terrorising farmers forgetting that Zimbabwe's
economy is based on agriculture to a very large extent.

She said she was returning my call.I thanked her for that and I introduced
myself to her and gave her my website for more information about myself.I
then explained to her my reason for calling.

Firstly I asked if the media reports that she was in the middle  of grabbing
a farm violently were true of which she said NO.She said the media reports
were false and she explained that the media was working hard to tarnish
Tsvangirai's image by using her case.She went on to expalin how Jacob Zuma
invited her separately to attend his inauguration.

"Mugabe and Tsvangirai are in very good books.I saw both men at Zuma's
inaguration and both men are really commited to the Government of National
Unity.Both men want the unity government to work.However the media is lying
that their relationship is not good.I saw it with my own eyes.The two men
are getting on well " she said.

I said to her as for Mugabe being committed to the Government of National
unity I don't think so,but for Tsvangirai yes he could be commited.

I then asked if she was Tsvangirai's niece.Yes, she said in a not very
confident voice.

Going back to the farm issue I told her that I was wondering why a learned
and respected person of her calibre would be involved in farm grabbing and
why someone in America would even bother to own a farm which she will most
likely not utilise.

She agreed that of course she wouldn't do that considering that she was a
respected Doctor.She went on to complain about the media having blown the
case out of proportion.

"It's my sister who went to the farm with an offer letter.I can fax you the
details for you to see.And when she got to the farm the farmer called her a
kaffir." she said.

I asked if she had an email address that I can get in touch with her so we
can discuss the issue further.She said she wanted to know more about myself
before giving out the email.I again gave her my website address and asked
her to get back in touch on email whenever she was ready.

At that time she was running out of time since she was about to have an
interview with SWRadio Africa.She promised to call me back as soon as she
was done.She kindly  invited me to listen to the interview of which I
agreed.

In less than an hour she called me back and gave me her email address.

I appreciated her good gesture and promised to discuss with her the issue on
email.

Later at night I wrote her an email below

"Hello Dr Arikana,

Thank you so much for returning my call today.I really appreciate
it.Honestly I just got worried about the media reports.You are such a lovely
and understanding woman and I'm sure whatever the case is you should be able
to resolve the issue amicably.I read on SWRadioAfrica that you were putting
a break to it and I think that's really a very bright idea.I think your hard
earned doctorate degree is much more important than the
farm squabbles.

I understand that historical injustices should be resolved but at the same
time the nation needs food.Zimbabweans  are starving to death and what many
of them need are farmers who are able to provide for them be it
white,black,pink or yellow.

On Tsvangirai and Mugabe being in 'good books',I'm actually very surprised.I
know Tsvangirai could be very genuine but as for Mugabe I doubt it.I just
pray God will heal our country and allow peace and love to prevail.

Remain blessed and lovely.

Till I hear from you.

Vio "

I wrote the email to her on the 10th of June am still waiting for her
response.Today is the 16th of June 2009.

Zimbabwe's suffering goes underground

From The Catholic Herald (UK), 7 August

Although the supermarkets are full again and the banks secure life in
Zimbabwe remains as hard as ever, discovers Nana Anto-Awuakye

Zimbabwe is like a dusty old kaleidoscope: every time you shake it the
picture changes. When I was in Harare last September the majority of
supermarkets were closed because there was nothing available to sell. The
one supermarket I did find open was only selling hard-boiled sweets, a few
limp cabbages and some withered carrots. I returned to the country in June
and the supermarket shelves were bursting with food imported from South
Africa, and the queues had all but disappeared from outside banks. The
rampant inflation, unofficially estimated at trillions of per cent annually,
saw the local currency replaced by foreign currencies such as the South
African rand, Botswana pula and the US dollar. On the surface everything
seems to be functioning normally. But twist the kaleidoscope again and the
picture is very different for those living in rural areas, where the US
dollar barely crosses the palms of people's hands as they struggle to feed
themselves and their families. Society is polarised between those who have
access to hard currency to buy food and those who do not. A Zimbabwean
priest I met told me: "Beware of false impressions; the crisis is still
here. Nothing much has changed for the rural poor."

Mutare town is Zimbabwe's gateway to the rolling green hills of the Eastern
Highlands, some 130 miles from the capital Harare. In a "suburb" of the
town, our 4x4 bumped its way over a dirt track road to reach Victoria's
home. When we arrived she was sitting in the yard of her home, legs
elegantly crossed, her eyes staring straight ahead. Her voice was soft yet
determined. She is 39 and her home consists of a rented room that she shares
with her two children, aged 16 and 13, and her brother's four-year-old son.
Last year Victoria found out that she was sick, and was diagnosed
HIV-positive. In February this year she started her regime of
anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment which has meant that she is getting much
stronger.

"Since I have been ill it has been tough to manage," she said. "I was very
desperate, unable to buy food for me and the children as well as other
family members who depend on me. Before the food parcels I wasn't able to
carry a five-litre container, but now I can do this." Victoria used to run a
second-hand clothes stall in the local flea market before she became ill. At
the time she was able to make enough money to pay the children's school
fees. Today, her teenage daughter takes care of the stall, working from
eight till five and is barely able to make a dollar a day. "It is tough,"
Victoria said. "Without these food deliveries I don't know what I would do."
ARV drugs only work well if you are able to eat well, so Cafod, through its
partner Caritas Zimbabwe, is funding the supply of maize-meal and cooking
oil which provides Victoria with the vital food she needs to keep well and
build up her strength so that she can start to work again.

The United Nations' HIV and Aids agency UNAIDS estimates that almost two
million people are living with HIV in the country. The average life
expectancy for women, who are particularly affected by the Aids epidemic, is
34. An assessment carried out last year by Caritas Zimbabwe revealed that 70
to 90 per cent of households interviewed described themselves as being "on
the brink of hunger". As the country braces itself for another year of food
shortages, the UN food agencies, the Food and Agricultural Organisation and
the World Food Programme predict the need for large-scale food assistance
starting in August and September of this year. Seven million people - more
than half the population of 12 million - will need to rely on donated food
in the coming months.

It is the food parcels from Caritas Zimbabwe that keep vulnerable people
like Victoria and her family alive. As part of its humanitarian response
Caritas Zimbabwe wants to also target institutions such as hospitals, with
food for patients and food hampers for medical staff as an incentive to keep
them coming into work, instead of searching for food or alternative
employment. Zimbabwe's health service is in intensive care. People talk of
hospitals as ghost towns; medical staff coming into work are few and far
between. We visited the district hospital where all serious cases would be
referred to and saw an ambulance, the only one it seemed, on bricks with no
back wheels. There was only one doctor to serve a community of just over
12,000 people. When we arrived to meet him he was with a patient. Looking
out the window I noticed there were many more waiting to be seen.

It was impossible for him to break from his work, and so we left without
seeing him, but not before Wonder Mufunda, programme officer with Caritas
Zimbabwe, spoke about the under-staffing, the scarcity of simple drugs such
as aspirin. Wonder told us how he once found a box of latex gloves for a
doctor who needed them to perform emergency surgery on a woman who was about
to give birth. He described how the doctor, after he had finished, carefully
put the box of latex gloves into a draw and locked it, saying: "These are
like gold dust". Last October in a pastoral letter the Church in Zimbabwe
said: "We see clearly how people have been exposed to the ravages of hunger,
disease, ignorance... in both rural and urban areas. The situation has
reached such desperate proportions that almost everyone is beginning to
admit that we cannot go on like this." The Zimbabwean people have learned
the art of suffering and survival - but how much longer must they endure?

Nana Anto-Awuakye is a senior media officer at Cafod

Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 8th August 2009

Supporters were disappointed to learn that Lovemore Madhuku, Chair of the National Constitutional Assembly, was not coming to address our next Vigil as we had hoped. Zimbabwean activist Givemore Chindawi told the Vigil that Dr Madhuku’s passport had been seized at the airport as he was about to leave for the UK. There were suspicions that this was an attempt to muzzle an alternative view of the situation in Zimbabwe to that presented in June in London by Morgan Tsvangirai.

MDC UK Chair of Southend Branch, Stanford Biti (brother of Tendai), condemned what he described as efforts by the MDC in the UK to blame the Vigil and ROHR for the booing of Tsvangirai in Southwark Cathedral. He expressed his support for moves underway to challenge the leadership of the MDC in the UK. He said it had moved away from the people and had become a corrupt, self-serving patronage system.  Mr Biti said the MDC in the UK must work with the Vigil and ROHR and he urged Vigil supporters to take this message back to their MDC branches. 

The wonderful singing at the Vigil on a brilliant sunny day provided good material for our new friends Zimbabwe Broadcasting Network News who interviewed supporters (including Fungayi Mabhunu, Dumi Tutani and Simon Mambongo) on the question of the new constitution.  One message we wanted to get through was that we feared the whole process was being prolonged to delay the promised ‘free and fair’ elections. The ZBN team first visited us last week and coverage of the Vigil is on their website: www.zbnnews.com.

It was good to have with us former MDC UK Chair Washington Ali. He said “people are still dying in Zimbabwe. The way we can express our support is by our singing.” The singing and ululating drew many passers-by to stop at the Vigil, where they could see pictures of the holocaust conditions in Zimbabwean prisons and of the beaten and tortured victims of Zanu PF violence. 

The Vigil was hopeful that Mrs Clinton’s meeting with President Zuma would break the political stalemate in Zimbabwe. Our supporters were appalled that the mayor of Harare has been voted US$150,000 for a car. We urge a delay while the Vigil sources a combined ambulance / fire engine / hearse / garbage truck so it can be usefully employed while the mayor is not swanning around in it. Come to think of it, the mayor of London goes to work on a bike. If his counterpart in Harare did the same the money saved could help out the Water Ministry whose minister, Sam Sipepa Nkomo (MDC), has said his ministry is being ripped off by Zanu PF middlemen so that the price of imported chemicals to treat water is ten times higher than it should be.  Mr Nkomo says he is not doing anything about it because his officials have told him it would cause trouble!

The Vigil noted that Tsvangirai’s uncle, Hebson Makuvise, until now his representative in the UK, is undergoing training to be Ambassador to Germany. He certainly needs a lot of training in diplomacy. Be warned Germany. 

There was passionate fervour at the end of the Vigil when we declaimed the slogan ‘To save Zimbabwe (His Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, Head of State and Government) Mugabe must go’.

Thanks to Patience Thutani who generously brought cool drinks for our thirsty supporters.

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/

FOR THE RECORD: 168 signed the register.

FOR YOUR DIARY:

·    ROHR Milton Keynes general meeting.  Saturday 15^th August, 1.30 – 5 30 pm. Venue: Old Bath House Community Centre, 205 Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5RL (near Tesco and 2 mins from Wolverton train station). Contact: Punish Mandere 07883071990, Martha Jiya 07727016098, Josephine S Phiri 07853572982, Diana Satumba 07737879653.

·    ROHR Cambridge general meeting. Saturday 15^th August, time tba. Venue: The Odd Fellows Hall, 131 Newmarket Rd, Cambridge, CB5 8HA. Contact: Jospheth Hapazari 07782398725, Stewart Sheshe 07551546918, Locadia Mugari 07717374383 or Margret Jenkins 07894064600.

·   ROHR Swansea launch meeting. Saturday 22^nd August  1.30 – 6 00 pm. Venue: Morriston Memorial Hall, Heol Gwernen, Morriston, Swansea SA6 6JR. Present ROHR President and some members of the ROHR Executive. Contact: Kudzai Ruzwidzo 07824967317, Israel Ncube 07789814159 or P Mapfumo 07915926323/07932216070.

·   ROHR Derby general meeting. Saturday 5^th September, 1.30-5.30pm. Venue: The Community Block, Pear Tree Community Junior School, Pear Tree Street, Derby DE23 8PN. ROHR Executive present and a substantive committee to be elected. Contact: Tsitsi Razawe 07773649330, Wonder Katurura 07858699224, Phenias Tutayi 07825524519. FREE PARKING AVAILABLE.

·   ROHR Coventry party. Saturday 5^th September from 4 pm till midnight. Venue: St Paul's Church, Foleshill Road, Coventry CV6 5AJ. Food, drinks, ne Doro available. Admission £3.50. Contact (Chairman) E. Nyakudya 07876796129, (Secretary) Pauline Makuwere 07533332306, (Organizer) Matambanashe Sibanda 07886660392, (Treasurer) V.J Mujeye 07534034594.

·   Zimbabwe Association’s Women’s Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays 10.30 am – 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays).

Vigil Co-ordinators

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.

So close, yet so far away

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=20903

August 9, 2009

By Eddie Cross

I BUMPED into Max Chigweda last week and in the course of our discussion he
said to me, "At least we are closer to the end than the start".

That just about sums up where we are right now and the territory in front of
us is as deadly as any we have traversed so far. As has been the case so
often in the past 30 years, we are dependent in part on what the region does
or does not do to ensure we can cover the ground that remains.

I am quite encouraged by the news from South Africa where the Prime Minister
saw the President on Monday. It seems clear to us that the South African
leadership understands the situation we are in right now, both the President
and the Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs are savvy, street wise and
certainly more committed to a democratic outcome than was Thabo Mbeki. But
the ghosts of the Mbeki administration remain and those in the region who
want to try and protect Zanu-PF from its fate are still embedded in the
system and active.

The visit to South Africa and the discussions held with the President are in
the same league as the September 1976 visit to Pretoria by Henry Kissinger
when the Americans delivered the final blow that led to the demise of the
Rhodesian Front and the eventual transfer of power to Mugabe in 1980.
Because of the nature of diplomacy it will be some time before we see the
final outcome of all this diplomatic manoeuvring.

If we look back over the past six months since MDC entered the transitional
government, we can point to a number of key achievements - we have
stabilised the economy, secured a resumption of all basic services - health,
education, water, sanitation and communications. We have been able to
restore markets and get the retail and wholesale sector back into business.

The finances of central government are recovering steadily - total revenues
to the State have grown from $4 million in January to $70 million in July.
My guess is that the theft and plunder of public assets has been reduced
from perhaps $1, 5 billion last year to $250 million. That is partly because
we have closed down the Reserve Bank and partly because there is not much
left to steal.

We have been able to partly restore our relations with the international
community - the World Bank and the IMF are both back in Zimbabwe with
limited programmes of technical assistance and the Bank is making its first
forays into local finance since 1997. We have made formal contact with
virtually all the OECD states as well as the Non-Aligned countries;
international grant aid has reached $100 million a month and lines of credit
negotiated, although we have yet to see the colour of this money.

On the downside we have seen little progress in media reform. No changes in
the attitude or the activities of the security agencies and no changes to
repressive legislation or improvements in the management system for
elections. The constitutional reform process has started, but faces a
difficult and tortuous path over the mountains in its way. The judicial
system as a whole is being used as an instrument of oppression and a
political weapon. No progress has been made in agriculture where output and
activity continues to decline.

Yesterday the South African Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs said
that she wanted to see "the acceleration of the implementation of the Global
Political Agreement". In fact I think she said the "full implementation" and
that would be even better.  Mo re we could not ask for, as the GPA, even
though it has numerous weaknesses and faults, is the only way forward.

I attended the annual Congress of the Commercial Farmers Union this week in
Harare. It was a courageous and well organised affair and Deon Theron was
elected President. I was glad to see both - it is vital that while we work
on the solution to our problems and negotiate the difficult terrain ahead of
us that we keep what is left of our economic institutions alive and
operational. Deon will make a good President and is an important player in
this situation.

The keynote address was given by a farmer from Zambia who is the current
President of the International Association of Agricultural Unions. It was an
excellent summary of the global state of agriculture and it was good to see
a farmer from Africa in such an influential position.  Zimbabwe's displaced
farmers are making a huge impact on agriculture throughout the continent and
are a real testimony to what we have lost in the way of human capital.

C G Tracey died the other day and his book "All for nothing?" was on sale at
the CFU Congress. It is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in
this country and wants to see what has gone on over the past century - no
man played a bigger role in building the country and served its best
interests more than "CG", as he was known. The title was suggested by his
wife before she died and all he did was to add the question mark to
emphasise that it is not yet all over.

I hear rumbles that JZ may visit Zimbabwe for talks with Mugabe shortly. The
Vice President of SA is here for the funeral of our Vice President who died
last week and he will be buried on Monday and no doubt talks will take place
on the sidelines - funerals are great events for this sort of activity.
Certainly we will have to wait for a couple of weeks to ascertain what is
going to happen on this front.

If (as usual) we are let down by the region, we will have to fight our way
through some very tough terrain. There is no doubt in my mind where the
people are and if we can mobilise the resources required, we could stun Zanu
PF yet again with a significant electoral victory in the bi elections. I was
listening yesterday to some music especially written for the MDC and one
song in particular asked "if you vote for Zanu, where are you going?"

That just about sums things up.

This is not the time to relax or to abandon the prayer mat - we need to work
and pray. At its heart this is a spiritual battle and both activities are
vital to our eventual victory.

Ordinary Heroes

Dear Family and Friends,

As Zimbabwe commemorates Heroes Day in 2009 it again feels like a
very partisan affair. For many of us who have suffered such trauma in
recent times, it is appropriate to remember the ordinary heroes of our
country who have died in the last decade. People who were not given
state assisted burials and were not interred at Heroes Acre. Ordinary
people who dared to work for change, dared to speak out and to stand
up for democracy and who were murdered as a result. Ordinary people
whose murderers still walk free amongst us in our cities, towns,
villages and suburbs.

People like Morgan Tsvangirai's driver, Tichaona Chiminya, and his
colleague Talent Mabika who were burned to death in a car set on fire
by a gang in Buhera.

People like Patrick Nabanyama,an MDC polling agent in Bulawayo who
was abducted nine years ago and has never been seen again.

People like 45 year old MDC supporter Milton Chambati, who was
attacked by a mob, stabbed in the back and then beheaded in Magunge.

People like Tafi Gwaze, an MDC Polling agent who was abducted,
tortured and beaten to death.

People like 22 year old MDC supporter Francis Chinozvinya who was
shot in the chest during a Zengeza by -election and pronounced dead
on arrival at hospital.

There are hundreds more people who have died because of their
political affiliations since 2000.

There are thousands who will forever bear the physical and mental
scars of being beaten, burned, tortured, raped or sexually abused
because they supported the MDC. There are millions who have endured
the pain of being separated from their families and relations, their
homes and their country as they had no choice but to live in exile in
the diaspora. And of course there are all the heroes here at home -
all of us who have lived with hunger, sickness, destitution, fear and
oppression.

Perhaps next year Zimbabwe will also honour its ordinary heroes.
Until next week, thanks for reading, love cathy.

Copyright cathy buckle 8th August 2009

www.cathybuckle.com

Brave Bangladesh thump sorry Zim

http://www.cricket365.com/

August 09 2009

Mohammad Ashraful hit an unbeaten century to guide Bangladesh to an
eight-wicket win in the opening match of their one-day series against
Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Sunday

Having restricted the hosts to 207 all out in their innings, Bangladesh
cruised to their victory target in less than 35 overs, Ashraful leading the
way with a run-a-ball 103 not out.

Tamim Iqbal added 63 at the top of the order and shared in a 137-run
partnership with Ashraful for the second wicket.

Only Mark Vermeulen made a meaningful contribution for Zimbabwe with 92
which went some way to compensating for an awful start which saw the home
side slump to 25 for two.

Nazmul Hossain claimed one of those two early wickets and finished as the
standout bowler with three for 29 from 6.5 overs.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah took two wickets each for Bangladesh.

The second match of the five-game series takes place on Tuesday.