SADC Luanda summit ends with no Zim solutions

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
18 August, 2011

The 31st SADC summit in Angola ended early on Thursday, amid fears by
Zimbabwean civic groups that democracy in the region is under threat and
elections would be held before any reforms are made.

It had been hoped regional leaders would address the critical situations in
several member states, particularly Zimbabwe and Madagascar, but a statement
issued after the closed door session of the Heads of State, only said the
meeting had “gone well”. No other details were revealed.

Zimbabwean civic groups in Luanda strongly criticized resolutions that were
made by the SADC Organ Troika on Tuesday, which “noted progress” made by the
Zim political parties negotiating an electoral roadmap. The Troika deals
with regional security issues and reports to the SADC Heads of State.

The civic leaders said there is no progress when ZANU PF is resisting change
and the harassment of activists and MDC officials continues. This view was
supported by over 200 civic groups who attended the NGO Expo in Harare on
Wednesday.

Political commentator Professor John Makumbe, who was a guest speaker at the
expo, said the participants were “disappointed” by the Troika’s report of
progress while many issues in the GPA have still not been resolved.

“Regional leaders have mediated the stalemate in Zimbabwe for years now, to
no avail. SADC should now face the fact that they have failed to produce
credible elections and we must now look to ourselves to be the movers and
shakers,” Makumbe told SW Radio Africa on Thursday.

Blessing Vava from the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) agreed.
Speaking on the Crisis Analysis programme, Vava said: “It is high time we
organized as Zimbabweans and clearly map out peaceful alternatives to
dislodge the Mugabe regime.”

Vava explained that Robert Mugabe is the only remaining leader who was
around when SADC was formed, making it “very difficult” for the others to
challenge him.

The Troika consists of President Amanda Guebuza of Mozambique, South Africa’s
President Jacob Zuma and Zambia’s President Rupiah Banda, who relinquished
the SADC chairmanship to Angola’s President Dos Santos this week.

President Zuma assumed the Troika chairmanship and remains facilitator on
the Zim crisis. President Banda was represented by his vice-president due to
election campaigns in Zambia.
Meanwhile, the civics position that no progress has been made was reinforced
by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), who reported they had suspended
polling activities in Zimbabwe due to the volatile political situation in
many communities.

MPOI chief researcher Stephen Ndoma confirmed reports that their teams were
experiencing serious difficulties that made it too risky and almost
impossible to conduct credible research activities.

Zim Parties Close To Agreeing An Election Date

http://www.radiovop.com

Luanda, August 18, 2011 - An organ of the regional Southern African
Development Community (SADC) body tasked with maintaining peace and security
says Zimbabwean political parties are getting closer to agreeing an election
date.

SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salamao told journalists that the Zimbabwean
political parties are closer to an agreement on elections and referendum
date.

“The meeting (organ troika summit) was to prepare the report of the
chairperson of the organ on the review of the political situation in the
region with the highlights on Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Lesotho. Though we
still have challenges in Zimbabwe, they are making progress, let’s be fair
to them," said Salamao after a meeting of the SADC  troika here.

"In terms of the problems leading to the referendum, they are almost in the
process of reaching an agreement in terms of the date of elections and I
believe that what we have to do is to encourage them to finally come out
with a common date on the referendum and election,” he said.

Asked if Zuma would be relieved off his duties as the facilitator of the
Zimbabwe crisis as some elements in Zanu PF have been advocating for,
Salamao said: “We are not aware of that. The organ troika summit just ended
now and they commended President Zuma and wish him well in his new
responsibilities. If there are any concerns from the parties in Zimbabwe
regarding the role of the organ and role of the mediator, I believe they
will be tabled at the summit meeting."

"The summit is the organ which has the powers to deliberate if there are any
changes that have to be made. As for now we are not aware of any problem
from the parties. We have heard in the past the facilitator being the
chairperson and I don’t think there is a problem because he managed to
discharge his duties and I think president Zuma will also be capable of
discharging his duties but if there are any concerns the people are free to
table them before the summit.”

The troika meeting was attended by Zuma in his capacity of the facilitator
to the Zimbabwean crisis and incoming chairperson of the troika. The
Mozambican president, Armando Guebuzza, a member of the troika and Zambian
Deputy President George Kunda also attended. Kunda represented Zambian
leader Rupiah Banda who did not attend the summit due to electoral
commitments in his country where he is seeking an extension of his term in
office.

The meeting which lasted about two hours was also attended by the Mozambican
Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi, South African International Relations and
Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoane Mashabane and members of the Zimbabwean
facilitation team, Lindiwe Zulu, Mac Maharaj and Charles Nqakula.

The SADC summit kicked off on Wednesday and later the regional leaders went
into closed door sessions to discuss the problems in Zimbabwe, Madagascar,
Lesotho, Malawi and DRC.

A communique of the outcome of the meetings will be released later on
Thursday.

Summit silent on key issues

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

Sapa-AFP | 18 August, 2011 00:44

Southern African leaders have met for a two-day summit in Angola but are
largely silent on growing unrest in the region and ongoing leadership
battles in Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

The meeting of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community comes on
the heels of recent crackdowns on anti-government protests in Malawi and
Swaziland.

SADC is under pressure to show its commitment to democracy in the region at
the summit in the Angolan capital, Luanda, but yesterday's opening ceremony
made no direct references to spreading political turmoil.

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said the summit would allow
leaders to "harmonise our positions regarding key current affairs issues
that may affect peace and stability necessary to ensure sustainable
development and the consolidation of democracy".

Dos Santos, the SADC's incoming chairman, did not mention what a group of
Southern African civil society leaders described last week as the region's
growing list of "problem cases".

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, SADC outgoing chair, said progress
had been made by mediation teams trying to resolve protracted standoffs in
Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

S. Africa's Zuma: Zimbabwe Political Reform Lagging

http://www.voanews.com

August 18, 2011

Peta Thornycroft | Johannesburg

South African President Jacob Zuma (L) speaks with SADC Executive Secretary
Tomaz Salomao (R) at the closing ceremony of the 31st SADC summit in Luanda,
Angola, August 18, 2011
Photo: AFP
South African President Jacob Zuma (L) speaks with SADC Executive Secretary
Tomaz Salomao (R) at the closing ceremony of the 31st SADC summit in Luanda,
Angola, August 18, 2011

With increasing civil unrest in some member states in the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), a SADC summit in Luanda, Angola debated
leadership problems in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Madagascar and Swaziland.  South
African President Jacob Zuma presented a hard-hitting report on the lack of
progress in Zimbabwe regarding negotiations for political reform ahead of
fresh elections.

As SADC-appointed facilitator on Zimbabwe, Zuma presented an updated report
on the country's political progress which analysts in Luanda described as
"frank."

The report concentrated on a roadmap of reforms ahead of fresh elections
that might take place later next year.

Negotiators from President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC formation, and Welshman Ncube's small MDC party,
have not yet found solutions to several longstanding obstacles in the path
toward reform.

While some of Mugabe's colleagues routinely say elections will be held later
this year, SADC has ruled that no polls can be held before a new
constitution is in place, and insiders say that constitution is unlikely to
be ready for a referendum this year.

Ahead of the summit Mugabe tried unsuccessfully to block Zuma's appointment
as SADC's chairman of the key three-nation committee on politics, security
and defense.

Zuma has not been popular with Mugabe's ZANU-PF since he made stinging
criticisms of the party to the committee in March.

This is the committee within SADC in which member states' acute political
problems are managed. It is currently dealing with political unrest and
governance issues in Malawi, Swaziland, and Madagascar in addition to
Zimbabwe.

Mugabe left Luanda ahead of the closing ceremony Thursday to attend a
military parade in Harare in honor of retired general Solomon Mujuru, his
former military commander, who died in a fire at his farm house late
Tuesday.

Mujuru was married to Zimbabwe's current vice president Joice Mujuru.

Zuma turns the heat on Zimbabwe's leaders

http://www.sabcnews.com/

     August 18 2011 , 6:36:00

Thami Dickson, Angola

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has taken a hardline stance against
Zimbabwe saying the leaders of that country must stop delaying the
resolution of its political crisis as they are running out of time. He was
speaking at the conclusion of the summit of Southern African leaders in
Luanda, Angola on Wednesday.

It has been three years since Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and his
rival Morgan Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal and its implementation
remains elusive. Critical conditions such as amending the constitution,
holding a referendum to pave the way for free and fair elections have yet to
be made.

President Zuma, who has been endorsed by the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) leaders as the new chairperson of the troika organ
responsible for the security and political stability in the region, will be
meeting President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change leaders
soon to inject a sense of urgency in a bid to end the crisis.

"They are running out of time.They cannot perpetually have unity government.
They must hold elections but they must prepare for them," says Zuma.

SADC leaders condemned the use of violence to achieve political objectives
in Zimbabwe. President Zuma also dismissed criticisms that his chairmanship
of the troika will contradict with his facilitation role. He says if
anything, it is an advantage.

More CIO agents revealed in supplementary list (Part Two)

$29m for water, sewer systems upgrade in Zimbabwe

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

Sapa | 18 August, 2011 06:57

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has given a $29,6 million grant to five
Zimbabwean cities for the upgrading of water and sewer systems.

The grant followed in the background of the bank's estimates on the
country's requirements to rehabilitate its water and sanitation sector,
Zimbabwe's Herald Online reported on Thursday.

At least $450m was required each year for the water sector. Of that amount,
$300m was required for rehabilitation of old infrastructure.

The grant was initially meant to alleviate the effects of the 2008 cholera
epidemic, but would now be channelled towards the upgrading of water and
sewer works in the municipalities.

According to a schedule of the financial support to the five cities $5,9m
would go towards capacity building, medium to long term investment plans and
project management services.

In its report, Infrastructure and Growth in Zimbabwe, the AfDB noted that
Zimbabwe's challenge after the 2008 cholera epidemic was to rebuild the
urban and rural water supply and sanitation infrastructure as well to
strengthen the local government capacities for service delivery.

 

Funds Flow, But Water Taps Run Dry

http://www.herald.co.zw

Michael Chideme

18 August 2011

Funding for Harare's water and sewer delivery has been very forthcoming with
banks and donors falling over each other to support the capital's water and
sewer upgrading and rehabilitation.

Questions abound why with all the funding, loans, humanitarian grants and
internal resources, does Harare still experience water challenges.

Management is well aware that some of the city's water pipes were laid as
far back as 1972 and have not been replaced.

Some effort was made a few months ago but the bulk of the work still needs
to be done.

So why are all the pipes not being replaced to avoid frequent and temporary
shutdowns?

With funding for water and sewer now flowing, would it not be prudent for
the city fathers to address the piping system with vigour especially after
acknowledging that millions of litres in treated water are lost on a daily
basis?

For example, the eight major leaks that were on the city's two pipelines
from Morton Jaffray to Warren Control were losing 30 megalitres daily for up
to two weeks.

Mabvuku and Tafara combined consume 13 megalitres a day, implying that the
daily losses could supply the suburb for two and a half days.

To be specific on the available funding so far, the Chinese Export and
Import Bank gave a US$144 million loan at very concessionary rates in a move
that helps cement Zimbabwe's Look East Policy.

Government chipped in with US$17,1 million that was used to lay new water
and sewer pipes in the Central Business District, Mabvuku, Tafara, Budiriro,
Glen View and Highfield among some of the hardest hit areas.

The city has used US$7 million towards water and sewer from its own
resources. This is the reason why council management has encouraged
ratepayers to pay their water bills to help build internal funding.

However, a visit to the municipal offices at Rowan Martin outside the city
centre, reveals that there is always a long queue of residents querying the
amounts on the bills sent to them by the authority.

Many feel that they are being clandestinely charged for the lost water
gushing out through the ancient and broken down pipe system.

The biggest and most meaningful funding has come from China albeit as a
loan.

Harare took a cue to implement Government Look East policy at a micro level
and the results are there for all to see. The funds have come at a time
Bretton Woods institutions the World Bank and

International Monetary Fund are either reluctant to fully support Zimbabwe
and in this case Harare.

For some time, the gap has been very difficult to fill but because of a
mutual foreign policy born out of a "commonality of interests" between China
and Zimbabwe, the dragging of feet by the West over capital projects funding
is fast losing "appeal".

The latest funding of US$9,5 million has come from an African Institution,
the African Development Bank. The funds initially earmarked for cholera
intervention in 2008 will now be used on water and sewer capital projects.

Other interventions by funding partners mostly NGOs centred on non-capital
projects such as the provision of soap, buckets and toiletries during the
cholera era.

Harare Water director Eng Christopher Zvobgo reckons the funding has
improved the city's water and sewer delivery.

In February 2009, the city averaged only 320 megalitres of treated water
against a huge demand of 1 200 megalitres.

And if one factors in the amounts lost through burst pipes then that means
only a fraction of the output reaches the residents.

"We have increased our daily output to an average 620 megalitres a day. The
money has come in handy.

"Once we utilise the US$144 from China we will increase output to 720
megalitres a day," he said. But if most of it is spilled needlessly along
the delivery routes then what good will the improvement do?

Eng Zvobgo said using internal and external resources, Harare now manages to
treat 54 megalitres of sewage at Firle Sewer Treatment Plant. The plant has
capacity to treat 144 megalitres. An additional 72 megalitres would be added
by end of this month.

The AfDB funds are meant for the upgrading of the Firle and Crowborough
Sewage Treatment Plants.

The grant would be used to rehabilitate chemical dosing equipment, revamp
the water distribution network and to install new flow meters. Part of the
grant would go towards the purchase of vehicles and upgrading of sewer
equipment at Firle.

All having been said consumers look forward to a flawless water supply given
the huge funding that has come Harare's way and that which has been promised
to the city.

After all they are paying through the nose for what is a basic human right
which the council should be providing at cost price with no profit built
into the pricing equation.

Donors generous - despite Mugabe’s vitriol

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Countries regularly on the receiving end of President Robert Mugabe’s
vitriolic rants are among Zimbabwe’s major donors.
16.08.1102:37pm
by Staff Reporter

The United States and the European Commission top the list despite Zanu (PF)’s
constant vitriolic accusations that they are trying to destroy Mugabe’s
government.

An Office for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs document indicates
the US tops the list, having already dished out more than $55,3 million in
food aid, health services and education projects this year.

This represents 39 percent of the total $500 million cash requested by the
GNU for humanitarian assistance.

In the period up to June 30, “unspecified donors" are the second largest
contributors with a total of $30,6 million followed by the EC third $12,5.

Fourth on the list is the Central Emergency Response Fund with almost $9
million. The country which raises Mugabe’s ire most, Great Britain, has
donated almost $3,1 million.

So far Zimbabwe has already received $141 824 362 in total for humanitarian
projects. The OCHA document paints a cautious picture about the immediate
political and economic future of Zimbabwe.

“The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe continues to be stable, but elements
of fragility remain a cause for concern in key sectors such as food
security, health and nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene,” the
document said.

“Politically, the country remains stable; however, decisions regarding
agreement on a new road map toward elections will influence the future
course of the political situation.”

The cash is meant for projects which the GNU listed in its urgent appeal to
the donor community for 2011.

Zim’s top donors

United States of America... $55,3 million

Unspecified donors... $30,6 million

European Commission... $12,5

Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)... $8 994 985

Japan... $8 million

Australia... $5 071 000

United Nations Agencies $5 597 606

Great Britain... $3 090 333

Finland... $2 338 175

Canada... $2 038 736

Spain... $1 925 226

Sweden... $1 923 214

The Netherlands... $1,4 million

Switzerland... $1 397 850

Brazil... $1 388 377

Private individuals and organisations... $156 203

Unmarked funds by IGOs... $25 000

TOTAL... $141 824 362

US Ambassador barred from Mujuru home

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
18 August 2011

US Ambassador Charles Ray was on Tuesday barred from paying his respects to
the late Solomon Mujuru’s widow Joice, who in turn has appealed for calm
over frenzied speculation about her husband’s death.

Ray was reportedly “unmoved” by what happened at the Mujuru’s Chisipite
home, where security personnel apparently blocked his entrance. Ray
eventually left without seeing Joice Mujuru, but added his “sincere
condolences” to the family.

Queues of people had gathered at the Mujuru home to pay their respects. But
the Vice President was forced to appeal for calm after hundreds of ZANU PF
youths marched to the house demanding answers about the death. Jim Kunaka,
the Harare leader of ZANU PF’s youth wing, reportedly said: “As youths we
want to get to the bottom of it and find out whether it was a normal death;
an electrical fault or whether it was the work of enemies.”

ZANU PF infighting has steadily increased this year, with party leader
Robert Mugabe growing increasingly frail. The Mujuru camp has been waging a
bitter feud with the faction led by Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa for
ultimate control of the party when Mugabe passes. It is this infighting that
has raised serious questions about Mujuru’s death this week.

Exiled journalist Tanonoka Joseph Whande told SW Radio Africa on Thursday
that Mujuru’s death is likely the result of ZANU PF’s “cannibalism”. He said
the party has shown time and time again how they “get rid of people who are
expendable.”

“This is all speculation right now, but you don’t need to be experienced
detectives to speculate about who is really responsible,” Whande said.

On Tuesday morning Mujuru’s body was found in the burnt out ruins of the
Beatrice farmhouse he had illegally invaded some years ago. Initial reports
said the blaze that gutted the house could be linked an electrical fault.
But the mystery has deepened amid reports that there was no electricity at
the property when Mujuru arrived there late Monday night. The Mujuru family
is reportedly now considering hiring foreign investigative teams to
determine exactly what led to Mujuru’s death.

Meanwhile the previous owner of the Beatrice farm where Mujuru’s body was
discovered has spoken about the unlikelihood of someone being unable to
escape the farmhouse if there was a fire.

Displaced commercial farmer Guy Watson-Smith, who was forced to leave the
farm with just a single suitcase in 2001, said this week that the asbestos
sheeting in the roof of the house “makes it absolutely fire-proof, and the
walls were brick and cement.”

“All that could have burned was roofing timbers and ceilings, and to imagine
the fire spreading quickly without help is hard to do. Finally there were
more doors and windows than holes in a colander. Our main bedroom alone had
3 doors out of it and 4 double windows. How do you get trapped inside that?”
Watson-Smith asked.

Fugutive Zimbabwean Banker Arrested In Taiwan

http://blogs.voanews.com

Thursday, August 18th, 2011 at 6:50 am UTC

Authorities in Taiwan have arrested a fugitive Zimbabwean banker on an
Interpol warrant.

Taiwanese investigators say they took Nicholas Mugawaga Vingirai into
custody Wednesday, after getting a tip he would be at a Taipei hotel.

Authorities turned him over to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency to
arrange his deportation to Zimbabwe.

Vingirai says he was in Asia on a business trip.

He is accused of money laundering, fraud and stealing more than $14 million
from his former employer, Intermarket Holding Company, between August 2003
and February of 2004.

Vingirai fled Zimbabwe before the company collapsed in 2005.

Farm invasions continue across Zimbabwe

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
18 August 2011

The remaining white commercial farmers across the country are facing
intensified threats by mobs of land invaders, as the lawless invasions of
farms continue.

Last week Banket farmer Roy Crawford was reportedly abducted from his farm
and tied up with barbed wire, apparently for “failing to chant election
slogans supporting (Robert) Mugabe.” Crawford was eventually released after
the police arrived, but his farm was sealed off by a gang.

And then, over the weekend, a Nyazura couple was forced to leave their home
after a siege by a violent mob. The group used stones as missiles to try to
break into the property, injuring farmer Dolf du Toit. He and his wife
eventually fled with a police escort and their home has been completely
looted.

Karoi farmer Mike Bishop, who has also been forced off his farm, has
explained how his workers and their families were beaten when they tried to
fend off the land invaders. Meanwhile in Nyazura, more than 2000 workers and
their families have been left destitute since March because of the seizure
of four farms in the district. Workers in Mashonaland are at the same time
reportedly being forced to attend all night ‘re-education’ camps.

Charles Taffs, the President of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), told SW
Radio Africa on Thursday that the campaign against the farmers is happening
on two fronts. He explained that about 170 farmers are fighting long running
court battles trying to secure their legal rights to their properties. But
at the same time, lawless gangs have been taking over farms and evicting
farmers, “which is totally unacceptable and unlawful.”

Taffs explained that this ongoing devastation of the farming community is
just one part of a larger problem, explaining that the country is now almost
wholly dependent on imported crops.

“We have to import one million tons of maize between now and the next
harvest, which is $200 million in import duty. We also have to import about
400,000 tons of wheat, with is another $200 million in import duty,” Taffs
explained, adding: “We now somehow have to find close to half a billion
dollars, just to get food into Zimbabwe.”

He said that the ongoing farm invasions have “further compounded Zimbabwe’s
bad image,” and that “amongst all of this, it is now near impossible to get
credit. Lines of credit are being slammed shut over these reports.”

“The farmers meanwhile are fighting a losing battle because on one hand they
are running out of appeals and running out of law, but on the other hand
gangs are summarily evicting farmers and taking the law into their own
hands,” Taffs said.

Stop Rumours Surrounding My Husband's Death - Joice

http://www.radiovop.com

By Beven Takunda, Harare, August 18, 2011 -Joice Mujuru, wife to the late
retired general Solomon Mujuru has begged Zimbabweans to stop speculating
about the cause of her husband’s death for the sake of national unity.

Speaking in the vernacular Shona language at her Chisipite home in Harare,
Joice pleaded for people to remain focused on the positive side about her
late husband, adding that people should not say things that they were later
unable to prove.

Mujuru (62) died on Tuesday morning in a suspicious fire outbreak which
burnt his Beatrice farm house and burnt his body beyond recognition.

The police have since launched a probe to find out what happened to one of
the commanders of Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) during
the 1970's war of liberation.

Mujuru served as commander in the Zimbabwe National Army from 1980 and was
promoted to a full General in 1992, the year he later retired. He was Member
of Parliament for Chikomba from 1994 to the year 2000.

Joice Mujuru is the acting President at a time when she is mourning her
husband.  Her co-Vice President, John Nkomo is reportedly ill.

Mujuru has been declared a national hero and will be buried at the national
heroes’ acre on Saturday.

Mujuru death mystery deepens

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Thursday, 18 August 2011 11:21

HARARE - As the mystery surrounding the death of Retired army General
Solomon Mujuru deepens, family members are considering hiring foreign
investigators because some of them suspect foul play.

This comes as fresh intricate details filtering through show that there were
a number of anomalies leading to Mujuru’s death which the family want
answered.

Police have also launched massive investigations into the cause of the fire
and how Mujuru, a well-trained soldier failed to escape the blaze despite
his bedroom having windows without burglar bars.

Mujuru, husband to Vice President Joice, died in a mysterious inferno at his
farm in Beatrice on Tuesday morning with warring Zanu PF officials and
supporters saying they are not satisfied that the fire was a genuine
accident.

The Daily News, which visited the Mujuru home in Chisipite and the farm
yesterday, can exclusively reveal that family members are questioning
loopholes which make them conclude there was foul play.

The Daily News was told yesterday that Mujuru left a drinking place 20
minutes’ drive from the farm and mysteriously found out there was no
electricity at the farm.

The house is said to be connected directly to Zesa cables which are not
switched off as he is a VIP and husband to the Vice President.

They also claimed, the electricity at the farm is never switched off but on
that particular day, there was no power.

“Everything that happened on the day looks strange, maybe we are being too
emotional but we have to question certain facts. The general arrived at the
farm where there are two policemen and private security guards stationed
there."

“He went to the compound to fetch keys to the house and left some groceries
in the car, some keys for other properties and his cellphone. All these were
found in the car meaning he came back from the compound and mysteriously
decided against fetching the groceries and cellphone from the car and went
straight into the house."

“We wonder, why the guards did not go and fetch the keys for the general,
why they did not help in removing groceries from the car and why they could
not assist him when the house was on fire. All these questions need to be
answered,” said an angry family member at the family’s Chisipite house.

The Daily News was told yesterday that Mujuru only managed to remove from
his car a pistol, which he always moved around with.

But what further baffles the family is that where his body was reportedly
found was the furthest from the nearest exit point from the bedroom.

Some of the family members are wondering why he did not use the nearest exit
door in attempting to escape the fire.

This is why some Zanu PF youths and relatives were visibly angry yesterday
and openly demanded explanations around Mujuru’s death saying it could not
have been an accident.

The youths were churning out the song Ndimi makauraya gamba redu (You killed
our hero) forcing Vice President Joice Mujuru to strenuously appeal for
calm.

With the anger simmering among the agitated youths and relatives, the Vice
President said investigations would prove the truth. She seemed to be mature
and composed in her appeal.

“As the acting President and the wife of the late Solomon, I am asking for
one thing from you; don’t listen too much to things that are being said at
the moment, it will make you comment and end up saying things (which) you
will not be able to stand for tomorrow."

“We don’t have to go an extra mile in soliciting for information. What we
have to do, follow what we agreed with Solomon (while he was alive) that we
will not comment on anything whether good or bad, true or false,” she said.

“It is finished, I don’t know whether this is how the Lord wanted it to
happen. Solomon is finished,” she added.

But family members insisted it was a way of calming down tempers, which are
threatening to explode due to the serious factional fighting in Zanu PF over
who will succeed Mugabe.

The family members said only a probe involving experts who are neutral will
bring out the truth.

Police investigations are also said to be involving Zesa officials to
determine how the power suddenly went off at Mujuru’s farm.

Mujuru was said to be leading a faction pushing for his wife to replace
President Robert Mugabe while rival Emmerson Mnangagwa is said to be leading
another faction.

There are other different factions in Zanu PF all battling to replace
Mugabe, who however seems not interested in giving up power yet.

Zimbabweans from across the political divide who thronged the official
Mujuru residence to pay their condolences to the family of the late
liberation leader expressed disbelief that Mujuru could be killed in a fire.

All those who spoke to the Daily News demanded an independent probe.

Politicians, businessmen, war veterans, service chiefs and ordinary members
of the public were at the Mujuru home to mourn with the family. They
described Mujuru as a humble, peace loving man.

Edwin Tsvangirai, the first born son of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and
his sister Vimbaiwere among the huge crowd that gathered at the family
house.

Mujuru’s death comes at a time when the succession battle to replace the
87-year-old leader has intensified owing to Mugabe’s advanced age, reported
ill health and his unpopularity among Zimbabweans.

What creates more questions than answers is that the liberation war leader
is known to have survived vicious attacks during the war but failed to
escape the “candle” fire which roasted him to ashes.

He also escaped an inferno in the 70s.

The late hero will be buried on Saturday at the National Heroes Acre where
he will join other genuine freedom fighters such as Joshua Nkomo, Joseph
Msika, Josiah Tongogara and Edgar Tekere among others.

Mysterious deaths list

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

By Staff Writer
Thursday, 18 August 2011 14:57

HARARE - The mystery surrounding the death of retired army general Solomon
Mujuru on Tuesday adds to the mysterious deaths witnessed in Zanu PF before
and after independence.

Some of the party’s stalwarts died after they were either given parcel bombs
and letters while some were involved in freak accidents. Below are some of
the people who were victim to mysterious deaths:

·General Josiah Magama Tongogara — commander of Zanla liberation war forces.
Died in Mozambique on the eve of independence on December 26 1979 in a
mysterious car accident and was reburied in Zimbabwe on 11 August 1981.

·William Ndangana — a leader of the war of liberation and senior Zanu PF
member — died near Nyazura in a car accident on 27 June 1989. He was buried
at the National Heroes Acre.

·Sydney “Donald” Malunga — a political activist, civic leader and outspoken
Member of Parliament for Bulawayo’s Mpopoma constituency. He died on August
28, 1994 in a car accident. He was buried at the national shrine on
September 3 of the same year.

·Christopher Ushewokunze — a lawyer, economist and government minister was
killed in a car crash on 17 January 1994 near Chegutu.

·Border Gezi — a Zanu PF political commissar, government minister and MP for
Bindura died in a car accident on 28 April 2001, along the Harare- Masvingo
highway as he carried out a controversial party restructuring exercise.

·Moven Mahachi — a defence minister and Zanu PF political commissar. Died in
a road accident on 26 May 2001 in Nyanga.

·Brigadier General Paul Armstrong Gunda — a commander in the Zimbabwe
National Army. The State claimed he died in a rail-road accident near
Watershed College in Marondera. His wife disputes the facts.

· Elliot Manyika — a government minister and Zanu PF political commissar.
Died on 6 December 2008 at Mater Dei hospital in Bulawayo due to injuries
sustained in a road accident at the 45 km peg along Zvishavane-Mbalabala
road.

The family suspects foul play.

Fierce Leadership Battle Roils Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

http://www.voanews.com

17 August 2011

ZCTU sources said two factions are battling to control the confederation,
one backing incumbent President Lovemore Matombo, the other favoring First
Vice President Lucia Matibenga

Jonga Kandemiiri, Chris Gande | Washington

A no-holds-barred struggle to claim leadership of the Zimbabwe Congress of
Trade Unions, the country's main labor federation, has spilled into the
courts.

High Court Justice Susan Mavhangira said she will rule Thursday on an
application by the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe and seven other
unions seeking to bar a Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions congress set for
Friday.

The eight unions approached the court Monday charging that out-going
Secretary General Wellington Chibebe nominated individuals with no
affiliation to the trade union confederation to vote at the congress, among
other alleged abuses.

Mavhangira on Monday dismissed papers filed by complainants led by PTUZ
General Secretary Raymond Majongwe, saying they did not concern urgent
matters.

ZCTU sources said two factions are battling to control the confederation,
one backing incumbent President Lovemore Matombo, the other favoring First
Vice President Lucia Matibenga. Matombo and Matibenga are tipped to battle
it out for the presidency.

The pro-Matombo faction is led by Majongwe, while the faction supporting
Matibenga is closely aligned with former Secretary General Chibebe.

Chibebe is expected to officially step down shortly to take up a position
with the International Trade Union Confederation in Brussels.

Former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions general council member and
Restoration of Human Rights President Ephraim Tapa told reporter Jonga
Kandemiiri that it will be a tragedy for workers if the ZCTU fractures
because of power struggles.

Commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said Matibenga, a member of the national
executive of the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai - himself a former secretary general of the trade union,
which spun off the MDC in 1999 - should withdraw her bid to to ensure
politics does not undermine the union.

Majongwe denies Zanu (PF) links

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Progressive Teachers union of Zimbabwe secretary- general Raymond Majongwe
has denied any links with Zanu (PF).
17.08.1108:18am
by John Chimunhu

In an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean, Majongwe said the allegations
that he was aligned to Zanu (PF) were being framed by people who had an
agenda against him.

Instead, Majongwe claims that Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions potential
successor to the post of secretary-general, Lucia Matibenga is behind a
smear campaign to ensure he is pulled out of future elections.

Majongwe accused Matibenga of fraud, claiming that she had manufactured
numbers in the Commercial Workers Union of Zimbabwe, where she is secretary,
in order5 to get more vortes at the ZCTU congress scheduled for later this
year.

Matibenga said she was toon busy to the allegations, while ZCTU SG,
Wellington Chibebe was in a meeting. Majongwe claimed that the CWUZ
membership numbers had swollen from 19 000 to 41 000 in suspicious
circumstances.

He claimed that Matibenga was abusing the MDC leader's name to get mileage
in the bruising battle for the organization's leadership.

Victory for Woza members

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Eight members Grace Moyo, Stella Chivunge, Sikhangezile Sibanda, and
Simangaliphi Msimanga, 16yr old Cecelia Ncube, Siboniso Siziba, Miriam Moyo,
and Memory Matandare arrested on 24 May 2011 appeared in Western Commonage
Magistrate Court on the 15th of August 2011.
18.08.1105:17pm
by WOZA

The Magistrate Themba Chimiso ruled that the state must withdraw the charges
before plea. This followed an application by the defence team from Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights challenging the charges.

The accused were charged with two counts: 1. Intentional engaging in a
disorderly or riotous conduct as defined in section 41(a) of the Criminal
Law Codification and Reform Act 9:23. Alternatively Encumbering or
obstructing the free passage along any street, road, throughfare, sidewalk
or pavements as defined in section 46(2)(f) of the Criminal law codification
and Reform act.

Lawyers Lizwe Jamela and Nosimilo Chanayiwa cited a Supreme Court ruling
obtained by WOZA leaders Williams and Mahlangu for a 2008 protest related
arrest.

Lawyers argued that the charges were similar to the section 37 (1) a (1) of
the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, the subject of the Supreme
Court ruling. As a result of this ruling, it followed that WOZA members
should not be arrested under similar conditions as they infringe on their
constitutional right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly,
section 20(1) and 21(1) of the Constitution.

This argument rendered the Prosecutor D. Ndebele dumb and he had no option
but to withdraw the charges before plea and record this in the docket. The
members, including a 3 month old baby Rejoice had spent a night in custody.

They were arrested during a peaceful protest in the Pumula suburb of
Bulawayo at their local Electricity supply office demanding a decent
electricity service. WOZA members were conducting a 'power to poor people'
campaign targeting the Zimbabwe Electricity company which has a monopoly and
overcharges its service.

Six members accused of writing messages about the poor electricity service
appeared in Tredgold Magistrates Court, Bulawayo on 18th of August 2011. The
six members, Janet Dube and 5 others were in the dock for most of the
morning facing Trial.

The Trial is being heard by Magistrate Roselyn Dube and the state prosecutor
is Jeremiah Mutsindikwa. They are defended by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights, Lizwe Jamela and Nosimilo Chanayiwa. They are charged with
contravening section 140 of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act)
Chapter 9:23, malicious damage to property. The property being the tar road
connecting the Pelandaba to the City centre.

Malicious damage to property reads: Any person who, knowing that another
person is entitled to own, possess or control any property or realising that
there is a real risk or possibility that another person may be so entitled,
damages or destroys the property.

(a) intending to cause such damage or destruction; or (b) realising that
there is a real risk or possibility that such damage or destruction may
result from his or her act or omission; shall be guilty of malicious damage
to property, and liable to. (i) a fine not exceeding level fourteen or not
exceeding twice the value of the property damaged as a result of the crime,
whichever is the greater; or (ii) imprisonment for a period not exceeding
twenty-five years.

Two police officers who arrested the accused gave evidence. Shepherd Sipili
and Lawrence Chademana's evidence seemed to contradict their own written
statements. They admitted arresting Sibekezele and Therezia, saying the
other accused could have been arrested by other officers who were not in
court.

The trial will continue on the 1st of September where the Engineer Lengama
Douglas Ncube from City Council must explain how he calculated the USD 349
damage apparently caused by the women's graffiti.

The six women were arrested on Wednesday 18 May 2011 by armed police
officers. During their detention they were denied access to food and
lawyers, split up and help in inhumane conditions in suburban police
stations and held for longer that the 48 hours allowed by law.

WOZA would like to thank Jamela and Nosimilo Chanayiwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human rights for delivering a legal victory for the Pumula members and
look forward to another victory for the six accused of writing 'power to
poor people'.

Concerns Over Transparency Of The Copac Constitution Drafting Process

ZESN/ZPP/ZLHR INDEPENDENT CONSTITUTION MONITORING PROJECT (ZZZICOMP)

Harare, Zimbabwe, 18 August 2011

After a press conference with the Select Committee on the 18^th of August 2011, The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Independent Constitution Monitoring Project (ZZZICOMP) is worried by the lack of transparency that shrouds the drafting process. This came out during the press briefing meeting that revealed that civic society will not be allowed to observe the drafting stage of the constitution making process.

It is worrying that COPAC will not avail the outreach process reports to civic society or public which will make it difficult for organisations like ZZZICOMP to compare ultimate product and benchmark it with the views in the national report.

ZZZICOMP has been monitoring and will continue to monitor the COPAC process in order to adjudge how democratic and transparent the constitution-making process is, and if it accurately reflects the input of broad and diverse popular participation.

ZZZICOMP reiterates that as a non-partisan, independent and professional organisation whose main functions are to promote peace, democratic elections and to foster a culture of human rights and constitutionalism in Zimbabwe and other likeminded groups should be allowed to access outreach reports and to continue monitoring the whole process to the end if COPAC is sincere about transparency.

ZZZICOMP appeals to COPAC to increase confidence-building measures in the process and to be reminded that the process is not a political process but a process for citizens of Zimbabwe. We insist on greater transparency and continue to pressure for the availability of information, monitoring of the drafting stage and other subsequent events leading to the referendum. 

We urge COPAC to select qualified and capable people who will support the drafting team which will commence soon. We believe the drafting team is comprised of people of integrity who understand the concepts of the process and who will capture them accurately. ENDS//

For further information and comments please contact ZZZICOMP:

Rindai Chipfunde-Vava:           Tel: +263-4-250736, 791443, 798193 - E-mail: zesn@africaonline.co.zw or rindai@zesn.org.zw

Jestina Mukoko:           Tel: +263-4-301790, 2930180, 2930182- Email: zpp@africaonline.co.zw; directorzpp@africaonline.co.zw

Irene Petras: Tel: +263-4-708118, 705370, 764085 -Email: info@zlhr.org.zw; or irene@zlhr.org.zw

Zanu (PF) bigwigs warn Mugabe on elections

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Top Zanu (PF) officials in Manicaland are reported to have warned President
Robert Mugabe against holding elections this year as the chances of winning
were very slim.
16.08.1102:39pm
by Tony Saxon

Sources within the Zanu (PF) provincial executive said the bigwigs openly
told Mugabe that people at the grassroots were reluctant to vote for the
party whose political fortunes are dwindling.

The party says it will release its primary election guidelines next week.
Speaking at the Cotco Makoni District Farming Awards held at Nzvimbe in
Makoni South recently Zanu (PF) national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo said “The
release of the primary elections regulations is demonstrative of our
intentions and preparedness to go to polls this year.”

The negotiating teams in the GPA have agreed on a timeline that postpones
the poll to 2012.

Khaya Moyo insisted Zanu (PF) still wanted to hold elections this year. But
sources said:

“When the President (Mugabe) in a previous politburo meeting announced that
elections will be held this year, some top politburo members updated him
(Mugabe) about the true situation on the ground. He was openly told that
Zanu (PF) had lost the grip in Manicaland.”

The source said the politburo members told Mugabe that the 2008 elections
should act as a barometer to measure his chances of winning an election in
Manicaland.

But Khaya-Moyo was singing a different tune.

“Some of our officials were moving around intimidating people and lying to
them in the name of the President. They were imposing people claiming that
they had the blessings of the President. This time we will not allow that.
This affected us in the last polls where we lost the majority of our seats
to MDC.

“Let me warn these sellouts within the party to stop behaving like naughty
school children. Let me be very clear to everyone that if somebody wants to
represent the party, he/she must first meet the guidelines and then make
sure that he/she is coming from the people and not from individual
politicians,” he said.

A politburo member speaking from Harare who cannot be named for fear of
victimisation said: “It will be suicidal for the party and the Zanu (PF)
legislative and senatorial candidates.”

The farmer Mujuru evicted speaks out

http://nehandaradio.com

August 18, 2011 1:49 pm

This is the story of how Retired army General Solomon Mujuru came to occupy
the farm that he died in, 60 km outside Harare in Beatrice. The farmer Guy
Watson-Smith and his wife were forced out and left with a suitcase of
clothes after Mujuru sold lorries, tractors, irrigation equipment and other
movable property.

By Guy Watson-Smith

I was shocked to hear of Solomon Mujuru’s death and to see the photos all
over the internet and which I have been sent (and picked up out here in the
bush). Our house is destroyed, not that we expected to live in it again as
we were violently evicted from our farm by the General in 2001.

The incidents were pretty well reported at the time including live
interviews with Lise Doucet and others. We have fought a nearly-ten year
battle in the High Court of Zimbabwe for payment for the moveable assets
which we were forced to leave behind (with only an hour to leave).

Those assets included all of our breeding cattle (460 head), game (600
animals), our tractors, vehicles, equipment, irrigation equipment, stocks of
fertilizer and diesel, coal and so on. It was independently valued by
Zimbabwe’s top valuers at US$1.7m in 2001. All the documentation is of
course available and forms the basis of our civil suit against General
Mujuru.

The land itself is an entirely different issue and forms part of a wider
action on the part of 4000 dispossessed farmers, against the government.
This has also been valued along with 90% of the dispossessed farms, and is
being pursued through the Commercial Farmers Union in Harare, and Agric
Africa who are UK based.

    If Solomon Mujuru’s death on my farm brings anything at all, I hope it
is a renewed awareness that there are huge injustices that need addressing
before Zimbabwe can feed itself (and help to feed the region) again, and
recover from the last 10 years of mayhem.

The rule of law and property rights is at the heart of any future recovery
in our country, and mine is just one of so many productive farms which have
been similarly taken out of the economic life of the country.

With law and order and the return of property rights the turnaround for the
average Zimbabwean could be so quick – everything is still there and
basically waiting for conditions to change, with loyal productive
Zimbabweans forced to sit on their hands waiting for the opportunity to go
back to work.

On another level – one has to wonder whether the truth about Mujuru’s death
will ever come out. Our house was a sprawling single storey building, roofed
entirely with asbestos sheeting (which was common in the 50′s when it was
built).

Of course that makes it absolutely fire-proof, and the walls were brick and
cement. All that could have burned was roofing timbers and ceilings, and to
imagine the fire spreading quickly without help is hard to do.

Finally there were more doors and windows than holes in a colander. Our main
bedroom alone had 3 doors out of it and 4 double windows. How do you get
trapped inside that?

Zimbabwe Polling Organization Suspends Surveys, Citing Political Climate

http://www.voanews.com

17 August 2011

Recent media reports quoted the Mass Public Opinion Institute as issuing
poll results showing most Zimbabweans want President Robert Mugabe and
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to step down

Sandra Nyaira | Washington

MPOI Principal Researcher Stephen Ndoma said that when respondents were
asked what they would tell political figures if given a chance to meet them,
most said they would advise President Mugabe to retire now

Zimbabwe's Mass Public Opinion Institute said it has suspended polling
activities due to what it described as a deteriorating political situation
that makes it impossible to come up with credible research results.

Director Eldred Masunungure said polls have been suspended until such time
as conditions improve in Zimbabwean communities.

Recent reports said the institute issued poll results showing most
Zimbabweans want President Robert Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara to step down.

Respondents added that they wanted Industry Minister Welshman Ncube, head of
the smaller of two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change, to
reunite his party with the larger MDC formation headed by Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.

Masunungure told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that the findings
emerged from focus groups his organization conducted in five of Zimbabwe's
10 provinces. The focus groups were designed to assess the performance of
Zimbabwe's unity government.

MPOI Principal Researcher Stephen Ndoma said that when respondents were
asked what they would tell political figures if given a chance to meet them,
most said they would advise President Mugabe to retire now, and Mutambara to
quit politics.

Mutambara refused to step down as head of the of the MDC wing now led by
Ncube after being toppled from the party presidency by Ncube at the MDC
formation's congress earlier this year. He alleged election irregularities
and court action is still pending.

Some respondents said that if given the chance to meet Mr. Tsvangirai they
would encourage him to lead the country's development efforts.

The MPOI says it aims to promote and strengthen democratic governance
through research, publishing and facilitating discussion on issues of wide
concern.

 

Part 1 of ROHR debate on Question Time

http://nehandaradio.com/

 

Interviews, Question Time — By admin on August 18, 2011 2:48 pm

 

 

The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) group was recently rocked by infighting and the emergence of two factions, each claiming to have fired the other for a variety of allegations. Question Time hosted Part 1 of a debate between the two rival chairpersons, Ephraim Tapa and Grace Mupfurutsa. SW Radio Africa journalist Lance Guma seeks to find out who is in charge and what created the acrimony?

Interview broadcast 10 August 2011

Ephraim Tapa vs Grace Mupfurutsa

Lance Guma: The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe group was recently rocked by infighting and the emergence of two factions, each claiming to have fired the other for a variety of allegations. Today on Question Time we have the rescheduled debate between the two rival chairpersons, Ephraim Tapa and Grace Mupfurutsa. Both were extended invitations and agreed to the debate and I am happy to report that they join me on the line. Good evening to both of you.

Ephraim Tapa: Good evening.

Grace Mupfurutsa: Good evening.

Guma: Okay to get the ball rolling, who formed ROHR? I’ll start with you Mr. Tapa.

Tapa: I did; it’s my brainchild. I remember it coming as a result of the experiences that I had whilst in Zimbabwe when I was abducted and spent 23 days in a torture camp and then after being rescued I then decided that I need to do something about the victims; people who continued to languish and be tortured in torture bases.

So I had scheduled this to start in 2003 but because of other commitments I then had to think again and then reschedule it to start in 2007. Then I did invite others; I realised I couldn’t do it on my own and of course, the first to be invited as had been already on stand-by was Mr Ray Muzenda and then of course I went on to invite the likes of Justin Shaw-Gray the likes of Grace Mupfurutsa and I think Julius Mutyambizi and then Stendrick Zvorwadza and others.

So we came together and then I gave them my plan, my programme, Zvorwadza opted to go and join others in Zimbabwe to get the programme going. So this is how it all started.

Guma: Okay let me just get Grace’s response to that – so you would agree Tapa formed the organisation Grace?

Mupfurutsa: The organisation was formed by ten like-minded individuals who had pre-existing ideas about how to work on the issues of restoring human rights in Zimbabwe. What is true is the fact that Mr Tapa took the central position in coordinating these views.

However the truth of the matter is that on our legal document, which is the founding document registered in Zimbabwe which is Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Notorial Deed of Donation and Trust, the founder trustee is Stendrick Zvorwadza.

There were ten of us Mr Zvorwadza being the founder and trustee; Mr Tichanzi Gandanga also being a founder; Mr Ephraim Tapa also being a founder; Mr Ray Muzenda, Mr Justin Shaw-Gray, Mr Julius Mutyambizi Dewa, myself Grace Sinikiwe Mupfurutsa, Edgar Shingai Chikuvire and Kelvin Tafadzwa Karimanzira and lastly but not least, Mr Ronald Murevererwi. So we were all within the scope of being founders in 2007, the month of August on the 30^th.

Guma: Okay let’s now explain to our listeners when the problems began. We are told, I think it’s in July, there was an extraordinary board meeting where we are told from the statement that you issued Grace or at least your camp issued, this meeting was attended by five out of the total eight board members and a decision was made to expel Mr Tapa, Mr Tichanzi Gandanga and Mr Ray Muzenda. So I’ll start with you Grace to explain your decision and get a reaction from Mr Tapa later.

Mupfurutsa: Okay, thank you for the opportunity to address this particular issue. We scheduled a board meeting on the 7^th and the 8^th of July 2011; this was at the request of a number of board members and the request was put through the appropriate organisational route which was the president, as his title was, Mr Tapa and also Mr Gandanga who was the secretary general which is the equivalent of the secretary.

So we were due to have a board meeting anyway around this time but there were a number of significant issues which prompted the request for an extraordinary meeting and this was done in the middle of June, I think the 14^th or the 15^th and all the communication is via email. It had gone into the public domain that there’s an organisation called Yes We can which had been formed and there was speculation that it was a political party and as you know, ROHR Zimbabwe is not a political party.

It is an apolitical organisation which is non-governmental and we wanted Mr Tapa to address the rest of the board and also inform us about the way forward, if he was indeed going into politics. We wanted to give him an opportunity to present his case and also to have a strategic direction about his exit. We had not had any handover from Mr Tapa about the organisation formation, what nature it would be so that was the prompting event which led to the request for the board meeting.

There was a scheduled board meeting anyway which was coming up around this time and then there were a number of events which then took place, for example Mr Gandanga was arrested in Harare Zimbabwe on charges of theft and the case is still pending, the courts there are issues that a significant amount of money was utilized by Mr Gandanga for his personal use which belonged to one of our partner organisations called Victim Action Committee.

And so that also then made the necessity for this meeting even more imperative and then thereafter, the decisions that were taken by Mr Tapa of suspending Mr Gandanga were constitutional and the rest of the board agreed with them. However he unilaterally appointed one of the administrators, project administrators against the wishes of the other board members because the position of secretary general or the overseer within the whole of Zimbabwe’s ROHR needed to have somebody at least in the board who would look after that position especially as we were in a crisis.

Guma: Okay, let me stop you there and just get Mr Tapa to react. Mr Tapa I spoke to you in July; in that interview you told us only four members of the board met and therefore did not constitute a quorum. Would you like to react to what Grace has just said?

Tapa: Thank you very much for that. The meetings of ROHR Zimbabwe must be properly constituted for them to be recognized for their results to also hold force. The chair according to the trust deed, the chairperson of the board is the one who fixes a date for a meeting and through the secretary, a meeting is called. We are not aware of the meeting that Grace Mupfurutsa and three others, who called for that meeting, using what constitution, or using what document, all that kind of stuff.

Of course the only meeting that was called for, firstly as a tentative, I mean the only date that was given as tentative was the 7^th and 8^th of July which we then confirmed because it allows the consultation process to happen within the board members as to their availability and 21^st, 22^nd July was then agreed as the board meeting. So after that, but maybe before we come to that, we have an issue here.

Grace Mupfurutsa, I did offer her to join the board of trustees in 2007; she failed to take up her position at the first board meeting where each and every one of the board members was to be confirmed as a board member of ROHR Zimbabwe. So that was the first item on the agenda – confirmation of board members and I can also confirm that Kelvin Karimanzira at that confirmation process, I mean through that confirmation process, Kelvin Karimanzira failed to make it because of a criminal record or something like that.

And it was for Grace Mupfurutsa also to submit herself to that process for her then to be recognized as a board member. So as we speak today, Grace Mupfurutsa has never, despite her acceptance of membership to the board, has never been a board member, has never operated at board level, she doesn’t know what she is talking about and that is why, when she says ROHR Zimbabwe was formed by certain people out there and blah blah, where is that on record?

If we go out there, we’ve got minutes, 2000 minutes, board meeting minutes which clearly specifies or elucidates on the history of RORH Zimbabwe, how it came about, which specifically states that RORH Zimbabwe is a victim-orientated organisation which was formed by victims. Grace Mupfurutsa is not a victim of Mugabe’s government, I mean torture bases and all that, neither is Zvorwadza, neither is Edgar Chikuvire and Ronald (Murevererwi). They are not victims.

Guma: But you offered her to be part of the board.

Tapa: I offered her because I thought she could have input but then she failed to take up the position.

Guma: Okay let’s get her reaction – Grace?

Mupfurutsa: Well I’ll just start off by clarifying that I do have difficulty with the viewpoints that Mr Tapa is putting forward because they are untrue. My contribution within ROHR is very, very significant. The amount of money which was ceded in order for the notorial deed of trust to be registered and for the solicitors to be paid was £350 which I put in out of my own money and I gave that to Mr Zvorwadza because we did not have money then.

The first amount of money that was deposited in the RORH bank account was money that came about because I cooked food in my house and I did another thing of meals that I would cook and we would sell at the Zimbabwe House to nourish people rather than them going to MacDonald’s or the other fast foods restaurants there. We raised £312 or £315, it’s the first deposit in the ROHR account.

When you see the logos of ROHR, the branding process, the t-shirts, the high visibility, those are my designs in consultation with other members within ROHR Zimbabwe. Now coming to the question of why I did not attend the board, Mr Tapa has been orchestrating a very intelligent and very unhelpful dictatorship within RORH over the years and unfortunately he has been fooling some of the people some of the time but he cannot fool all the people all the time.

He did not avail resources that would have enabled me to have a ticket paid for at that time for me to travel; the dates were not circulated in time for me, in order for me to take time off work, and also I’m a single parent, I was raising my young child on my own, he was seven then, I would need as a woman, to make sure that there was someone to look after my child whilst I was away in South Africa.

When I asked Mr Tapa what would be the accommodation arrangements, the answer that he gave me was insulting and also was not in line with my own ethical views so I forwent the first board meeting. My apologies were passed and that was minuted. The two middle board meetings that took place, before this fourth one, Mr Tapa and Mr Gandanga did not circulate those to me so they excluded me and this is the mischief that has been happening within ROHR Zimbabwe.

When these meetings were taking place and I forwarded my apologies through other members and the minutes document that I apologized so when you apologise for any meeting you have in effect attended. And just to clarify one other point, in Zimbabwe, there were four board members who attended, there’s a fifth, Mr Justin Shaw-Gray who passed his apologies by email and also presented the issues that he wanted to be addressed within the board meeting that met on the 7^th and 8^th in Harare Zimbabwe of July this year.

So there were in effect, five members at that board meeting and it was a constitutional quorum. Mr Tapa, Mr Gandanga, Mr Muzenda did not attend. What has now transpired that they were trying to shift the dates to the 21st and 22^rd of July because Mr Tapa had a another meeting in South Africa which included Yes We Can so he was trying to use the resources of ROHR to his own advantage which was not right and which was not fair.

When the board meeting was constituted, I actually took time off work, I have my leave forms which show that I actually got my leave signed off so that I could attend that meeting and I also had to foot all the bills because Mr Tapa tried to make it impossible for people to attend and that’s the reason why we changed the venue from South Africa to Zimbabwe because in the current political climate and economic climate we don’t have a lot of resources.

So the venue was moved to Zimbabwe to make it more affordable and also to ensure that we did not continue to meet in South Africa because Mr Tapa was the only reason for his own immigration status that we were continuing to meet in South Africa, so it’s no longer relevant because Zimbabwe now has a government of national unity and we didn’t feel that the risks were as they would have been a year, or a couple of years before.

Guma: Okay, let’s put that to the side, we’ll get to that when we discuss the Yes We Can campaign. Coming to you Mr Tapa, in July, when this whole thing broke out, it was reported that, well the presentation was that the ROHR board had sacked you following accusations that £26000 was remitted to your personal account on various dates but never forwarded to Zimbabwe which was the intended destination. Can we get your reaction to these accusations and maybe get an explanation from you how ROHR funds are administered and by whom?

Tapa: You see this is why I was a little bit apprehensive about having a discussion with somebody who is completely oblivious of the facts within ROHR, the procedures within ROHR and all the happenings that have happened since the inception of ROHR Zimbabwe. I’m not even aware how and when Grace gave money to Zvorwadza who is expected to be a deputy of myself without even my own knowledge.

I’m not even aware when Grace raised money for RORH Zimbabwe selling sadza. The only thing that I know of course was that we gave her money, £320 to provide food at the Vigil; she arrived with the food very late when we were closing the Vigil and then it was just distributed away. All this nonsense about someone having done the logos everything, that’s ridiculous, really ridiculous claims. This never happened.

Guma: Okay let’s get to the money.

Tapa: Getting to the money issue, this never happened as you heard from herself. The idea was then to, once they heard that there was a Yes campaign movement that was in the offing, they went to Zimbabwe and claimed that Ephraim Tapa had formed a political party and I understand from those in the ROHR office in Zimbabwe, that Zvorwadza then went to the prime minister so he claims, I cannot say that for sure that he went to the prime minister’s office where he was instructed to get rid of Tapa because if he’s allowed to go on with the movement and at the same time he’s got his, at the helm of ROHR Zimbabwe then it means that he will be all too powerful to contain.

Guma: But so far you haven’t answered the question, sorry to interrupt you Mr Tapa but the accusation is that you, £26 000 was remitted to your personal account on various dates but never forwarded to Zimbabwe, so I’m saying…

Tapa: Let me say to you, the process that we use in Zimbabwe, I mean in ROHR Zimbabwe when remitting funds is such that it includes the Harare office, the accountant here who is Rose Benton and myself. So it is a threesome that are involved in the transmission of funds to Zimbabwe. What I can now say upon receipt of a request from Zimbabwe, I will forward that to Rose Benton.

Rose Benton produces the money; she can either send it direct to Zimbabwe, if she can’t she asks me, she can ask me or Paradzai Mapfumo to send the money instead. When money gets transferred into my account, all what I have to do is to go send the money through a money gram; I’ve got all those money gram references in my file right now.

Not only that, I also have confirmations of receipt from the Harare office and that is why I wanted you to be able to avail Harare office the opportunity to confirm on their own what this is all about. What is the evidence? We have had two audits so far; one internal and the other one external. There has not been any irregularities that were found and I haven’t seen, since the accusations, I have not seen any evidence to the effect that money was actually laundered.

Guma: Well unfortunately, because of time constraints we will have to end the first part of this debate between Ephraim Tapa and Grace Mupfurutsa from the two rival factions of the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe, but join me next week for Part two where we ask the question if Mr Tapa indeed embezzled money or converted money to his own use, why hasn’t the matter been reported to the police? So join me next week on Question Time.

To listen to the programme:

http://swradioafrica.streamuk.com/swradioafrica_archive/qt100811.wma

Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com  http://twitter.com/lanceguma or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma

SW Radio Africa – on line 24 hours a day at www.swradioafrica.com and daily broadcasts on 4880 kHz in the 60m band between 7 – 9 pm Zimbabwe time. Twitter : Facebook : RSS feed You can now get SW Radio Africa on the Tunein Radiosmart phone app.

Who dunnit?

http://www.economist.com/node/21526421

One of the country’s grand old gunmen dies in an unexplained fire

Aug 20th 2011 | from the print edition

THERE is no evidence to suggest that the death on August 16th of Solomon
Mujuru, one of the most powerful figures in President Robert Mugabe’s ruling
Zanu-PF party and a former head of Zimbabwe’s armed forces, was anything but
an accident. But the senior party official accompanying his grieving widow,
Joice, a Zimbabwean vice-president, around the burnt-out remains of their
farmhouse outside Harare, the capital, in which he died, had little doubt as
to the real cause of his demise. “This,” he declared, “is murder most foul.”
His compatriots—on both sides of the political divide—appear to agree,
though nobody is sure who is responsible.

Mr Mujuru’s death is bound to intensify the vicious battle between rival
Zanu-PF factions swirling around the succession of the party’s ailing
87-year-old leader. There are fears of further bloodshed, even of a possible
coup. Although Mr Mujuru left government service in the 1990s to devote
himself to his vast business and farming interests, he continued to wield
enormous influence and was the leading light behind his wife’s bid to
succeed Mr Mugabe.
In this section

    No way out for the colonel
    Bashar goes ballistic
    Leaving on a jet plane
    Divine divisions
    Mr Copper
    »Who dunnit?

Reprints

Regarded in Zanu-PF circles as a moderate reformist, Mrs Mujuru had recently
appeared to gain the edge over her main rival, the ambitious hardline
defence minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa. As Mr Mugabe’s state security minister
in the early 1980s, he oversaw the Matabeleland massacres, when as many as
20,000 people were killed. He now chairs the supposedly defunct but still
powerful Joint Operations Command (JOC), composed of all security chiefs.
Many believe that this shadowy body, from which Morgan Tsvangirai, the prime
minister and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, is excluded,
really runs the country.

So Mr Mnangagwa could be seen as the likeliest beneficiary of Mr Mujuru’s
death. But a further candidate to succeed Mr Mugabe has recently emerged,
who might also stand to gain—General Constantine Chiwenga, head of the
country’s armed forces and a member of Zanu-PF’s powerful politburo. He is
said to have gathered around him a clutch of influential hardliners,
including Jonathan Moyo, Mr Mugabe’s self-appointed spin-doctor, Augustin
Chihuri, chief of police, Johannes Tomana, the attorney-general, and
Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba, who recently caused a stir by
describing Mr Tsvangirai as a “national security threat”.

Where Mr Mugabe himself stands in all this is unclear. He has never named an
heir-apparent. Tenderly holding Mrs Mujuru’s hand at One Commando army
barracks in Harare, whither her husband’s charred remains had been taken, he
paid a glowing tribute to the “great deeds of a departed hero, which earned
him profound respect and a special place in the history of Zimbabwe”. But
his relations with Mr Mujuru had recently cooled after the former guerrilla
leader suggested he was too old to win any more elections and should step
down.

Do political analysts have emotions?

Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 18/08/11

Of all the feedback I have received so far, there was one very interesting
regarding my opinion piece: Was General Solomon Mujuru assassinated?
Zimbabwesituation.com 17/08/11.

“Hello

It is a tragedy. But if you are a real Political Analyst (Professional) you
must not write through emotions but must be rational. Do more investigation
rather than rushing to put pen to paper.

These sort of accidents do happen, given the country with no electricity,
the risk is very high. Can we just focus on treating this man's death as an
accident until proven otherwise.

Mujuru and his family have got more than 18 farms, and bought shares in many
companies in Zim.

He is not immortal.”

Despite pressing time-sensitive commitments, I managed to scribble a reply
in a hurry so as not to appear like I had felt offended by remaining silent:

I can understand what you are saying. That is why it is an opinion paper,
representing my perspective. It is like my preferred food, clothes and
musical taste which may be disgusting to another person.

I know that Mujuru owned more farms that is why I said he seized a farm/s. I
did not have the objective of discussing his wars with business rivals
because my aim was to shape the sort of enquiry needed to probe his death -
whether he was a good person or not. I have also campaigned very actively
for non-racialism in the land redistribution if you search the google for my
articles. I have been very outspoken against what I see as a vindictive and
racist legalised looting of white owned properties - farms, businesses, now
mines.

I am also very much aware of Mujuru's controversial business life but here I
could not hide my emotions and am proud to register my patriotism. Even here
in the UK and Europe in general I have seen professionals who remain
patriots. I mean that his role in the liberation struggle is to me more
important than his battles with his detractors.

I read UK newspaper articles and books in which British professionals pay
tribute to British heroes and I am not different. What I value in Mujuru was
his courage to go and fight for liberation, albeit now being misrepresented
by Mugabe to mask his alleged genocide and illegal farm seizures.

Yours sincerely,

Clifford Chitupa Mashiri

PS: (this was not in the original reply) Regardless of the misrepresentation
of the liberation struggle by some people, I remain steadfast in my respect
for genuine war veterans like the late General Solomon Tapfumaneyi Mujuru
who fought for our liberation. Its just a matter of personal principle that
I feel a great sense of loss in his death.

The other day I heard one of my favourite news presenters on Channel 4, Jon
Snow explain that although journalists are not supposed to show emotions in
their work, he confessed how he had to stop covering an earthquake in South
America as he joined to rescue one of the trapped victims and could not
withhold tears flowing.

Furthermore, in the same way our hosts respect their heroes like Nelson and
others, Zimbabweans have their heroes too like General Mujuru. As a mark of
respect for his role in bringing dignity to a formerly oppressed people, I
appeal for an independent probe to establish the cause of Gen Mujuru’s
death.

From my own practical experience, life in the Diaspora has not been a bed of
roses with the occasional racist jokes and innuendos constantly reminding
you how ‘the country is full’, ‘just call me monkey,’ ‘this job is not for
ugly people’ and so on. That is why I am running my own business, a dental
nursing school where I apply my HR skills from Zimbabwe and employ dental
professionals.

We are proud to have produced registered dental nurses through our learning
centre which is accredited with the UK’s National Examining Board for Dental
Nurses. That is my modest contribution to human resource development
regardless of place of origin. Visit www.lifelonglearner.co.uk for more
details.

That is why I am campaigning for the Diaspora Vote so that Zimbabwe can
return to normalcy and we can return home to rebuild our country. Yes,
political analysts have emotions and do express them consciously and
subconsciously in their publications.

I am fully cognisant of the need for detachment of feelings in scholarly
journal articles, but my opinion articles are not intended as journal
articles. They are intended to contribute to a healthy critical debate about
my ideal Zimbabwe. I rest my case.

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