Accusations and lies surface over GPA implementation

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
27 August 2010

There has been confusion, accusations and counter accusations between the
rival parties in the coalition government over a controversial GPA letter
written by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to President Zuma,
regarding governors and sanctions.

Speaking on this week's Hot Seat programme, the Deputy Prime Minister told
SW Radio Africa that he was mandated to write two letters, one on June 8 and
another on 5 August, to SADC appointed facilitator and South African
President Jacob Zuma on behalf of the Principals, prior to the recent SADC
summit in Namibia.

Mutambara claims the documents sent to Zuma, which were presented to the
SADC Troika, were fully endorsed by the other two principals, Morgan
Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe.

He said the documents stated that the rival parties had agreed to implement
24 out of 27 outstanding issues and that the only three issues that were
still to be resolved were to do with the appointments of Reserve Bank
Governor Gideon Gono, Attorney General Johannes Tomana and MDC-T official
Roy Bennett.

Mutambara said the Principals agreed that: "All other agreed positions must
be implemented simultaneously and concurrently. This was meant to make sure
that we don't put conditions on each other."

He said Mugabe was not moving on the issue of governors, so to encourage him
to implement what was agreed upon, the three Principals agreed 'to say the
implementation of the formula on governors would be carried out
simultaneously and concurrently with the collective efforts towards the
removal of sanctions'.

But recent comments from both ZANU PF and the MDC-T show that the political
parties are still worlds apart on issues to do with the implementation of
the Global Political Agreement.

Soon after reports of the letter to Zuma emerged, ZANU PF insisted it will
only appoint the governors after the targeted sanctions imposed by western
governments are removed. Meanwhile the MDC-T denies endorsing such an
agreement.

However Mutambara accuses ZANU PF and the MDC-T of being 'economical with
the truth' regarding the agreement reached about the appointment of
governors and the removal of the targeted sanctions.

"Chinamasa (ZANU PF Justice Minister) is lying when he is saying sanctions
must be removed before governors are appointed. That is not the
understanding."

Mutambara added: "The MDC-T, where is their spin? Where is their lie? It is
when they say there was never a link when their Principal is part of the
document that went to Zuma that says 'we as Principals are going to work
collectively on the removal of sanctions and link it to the governors'."

The Deputy Prime Minister also alleged that some Ministers (MDC-T) are
urging western leaders in private meetings to keep the sanctions in place,
in violation of their political agreement.

However, at a launch of a new party card in Harare on Friday, Prime Minister
Tsvangirai told guests and supporters that 'the reluctance by some to abide
by the commitments to which they had agreed in September 2008 is threatening
the future of the nation'.

He said: "The issue of Provincial Governors is a prime example of this. The
formula for the allocation of the Governors was agreed by the negotiators
based on the results of the election. It is for this reason that the MDC was
awarded five Governors as a reflection of our mandate from the people. To
then artificially link the allocation of Governors to the issue of
restrictive measures is a blatant attempt to undermine the GPA, the
inclusive Government and the will of the people."

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa also said Tsvangirai had never agreed to
the concurrent implementation of governors and removal sanctions.

The spokesperson said: "Sanctions are an external issue and beyond our
control, whereas the issue of appointing governors is an internal event that
is within our control."

Chamisa pointed out that if the Deputy Prime Minister claims he wrote this
letter on behalf of the Principals, then obviously all the Principals should
have agreed to the contents.

Asked to comment on allegations that some Ministers were lobbying western
leaders, in private, to keep the sanctions in place, Chamisa responded by
saying: "Professor Mutambara likes shooting and at times shoots in the wrong
direction."

In a related issue, the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that the
MDC-T has written an official letter protesting to the SADC secretariat over
'the alleged watering down of the SADC communiqué, the blocking of debate on
Zimbabwe in the just ended full summit, and the implementation of a roadmap
to free and fair elections in Zimbabwe'.

Constitution Committee want $5 million more

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
27 August, 2010

The donor organisations that are funding the Constitutional Outreach Program
have come under heavy criticism for pouring money into a process that the
NCA says they knew was flawed from the beginning. The harsh comments came
after it was reported that the parliamentary select committee managing the
process has said they needed $5 million more, in order to extend the
outreach exercise by 2 weeks.

Douglas Mwonzora, co-chairman of the Constitution Parliamentary Committee
(Copac), said the additional funds would cover the cost of extending the
exercise in Harare and Bulawayo, where dates were cancelled back in June
after suspicions that disruptive elements were planning to influence results
by packing the meetings.

Meetings at several venues around the country have been cancelled due to
confusion and mismanagement of funds that were allocated to the outreach
teams to use for travel, accommodation, fuel and food.
Lovemore Madhuku, who chairs the National Constitutional Assembly which has
been campaigning for a new people driven constitution for Zimbabwe, said
that Copac is not credible, because the people in charge are corrupt and the
donors can only blame themselves.

Madhuku said: "What we saw in the beginning, which the donors also saw at
that time, is the fact that the people who are running Copac are a dishonest
lot. I think most of the ZANU PF people that have for the past 20 years been
responsible for plundering the resources of this country were put in charge
of Copac. Donors were aware of that."

He added: "Which donors do not know Patrick Chinamasa, or Nicholas Goche, or
Joseph Chinotimba, who are members of that board of the outreach team. The
donors were simply trying to take a gamble, just hoping that somewhere along
the line there would be a process of getting Mugabe out."
Madhuku agrees that there is a need for a new constitution in Zimbabwe, but
says donors need to find a way of ensuring that their funds are used for the
specified purposes.

"Copac thinks donors will give them anything. And that Copac doesn't have to
justify whatever they are doing. They need more even though everyone knows
that they are not doing anything," said Madhuku.
A lot of money has been spent already on the original 65 days that were
scheduled for the constitutional outreach exercise, but Madhuku says he sees
no valuable return from the investment.

He concluded: "It is obvious that there will not be constitution that
reflects the views of the people of this country. You cannot make a
constitution out of this process. The only thing that makes this look
somewhat like a constitutional process is the fact that they used the word
constitution in the name Copac."

Zimbabwe election body says poll unlikely in 2011

http://af.reuters.com

Fri Aug 27, 2010 12:13pm GMT

* Expected 2011 vote not likely, electoral commission says

* Says funding biggest challenge to holding election

* Zimbabwe's voters roll in shambles, reforms needed

HARARE, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's electoral body does not expect
elections planned for next year to take place because it still needs to
carry out reforms and is not adequately funded to hold a credible vote, its
chief told state media on Friday.

Under the power-sharing arrangement between President Robert Mugabe and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, fresh elections were set for next year
after a referendum on a new constitution.

But the process to write a new charter is nearly a year behind schedule,
government officials have said.

"The timeframe is no longer what appears to be envisaged by the political
parties because we have a very big task. The biggest challenge is financial
resources to conduct elections," Simpson Mutambanengwe, Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission chairman was quoted as saying by the Chronicle newspaper.

"We are engaging various stakeholders ... and the political parties over
electoral reforms. As it is, the voters' roll is in disarray," Mutambanengwe
said.

Zimbabwe's last election in 2008 ended in dispute after Tsvangirai defeated
Mugabe but election officials withheld results for five weeks, only to call
for a run-off vote which Tsvangirai boycotted blaming violence against his
supporters.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai have separately said elections will go ahead next
year. Analysts believe the polls could be much later.

Mugabe Declares Brother In Law A Liberation War Hero

http://news.radiovop.com/

26/08/2010 22:06:00

Harare, August 27, 2010 - President Robert Mugabe on Thursday declared his
late brother in law, Reward Marufu, a liberation war hero.

Marufu, brother to Mugabe's wife, Grace, died on Tuesday evening after a
long illness.

Marufu, was a controversial figure in Zimbabwean politics and made headlines
in the 90s when he claimed huge sums of money from the War Victims
Compensation fund arguiong that he had been disabled during the liberation
struggle.

He claimed that he was 95 percent disabled and benefitted from the fund.

In 1999, Marufu, a former Zanla combatant, was recalled home from a
diplomatic posting in Canada after the Canadian police raided his home over
charges of severely assaulting his daughter.

According to the State-owned Herald Newspaper, Marufu will be buried on
Sunday at his rural home in Chivhu with full military honours.

Mugabe's Zanu (PF) party said the status was bestowed on Marufu for his
contribution to Zimbabwe's Independence and his work in the defence forces
and intelligence services after 1980.

Mugabe said it pained him that there were people actively working to erode
what the likes of  Marufu had sacrificed for.

Meanwhile Zanu (PF) refused to bestow hero status on the late co-founder of
the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC), Gibson Sibanda, who died at a
Bulawayo hospital also on Tuesday.

Sibanda who died at 66 years old was only accorded a state-assisted funeral
and is expected to be buried at his rural home in Filabusi on Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara said this week his party had tried in
vain to convince Mugabe and his party to declare Sibanda a national hero.

"We have since received communication from Dr Isiah Sibanda who is the chief
secretary in Cabinet and also from Minister Didymus Mutasa who is the
Minister in the President's Office saying that the Zanu (PF) politburo has
decided that Gibson Sibanda is not worthy of being declared a national hero,
instead they have taken a position where he has been accorded a state
assisted funeral status," Mutambara told journalists.

Mutambara said he and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai wrote two letters
respectively to Mugabe to convince him that Sibanda deserved to be laid to
rest at the national heroes acre.

"In so far as we are concerned as a political party, Gibson Sibanda is a
national hero, if there is any definition of a hero either by way of what
you get from literature or what you get from political interpretation this
is an epitome of heroism that we are celebrating today," Mutambara added.
 

Mugabe Refused Hero Status for MDC Leader

Peta Thornycroft | Johannesburg 25 August 2010

Photo: AFP

Morgan Tsvangirai (C) Arthur Mutumbaru (L) and Gibson Sibanda (R), 27 March 2007 (file photo)

The two Movement for Democratic Change parties have united in anger against Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's refusal to accord national hero status to Gibson Sibanda, a founding MDC leader who died earlier this week.

Gibson Sibanda, who died at age 66 in his home city, Bulawayo, was a life-long fighter for democracy, a former legislator, and a trade unionist  who was detained for his activism by both Rhodesia and Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF administration.

Sibanda was the deputy president of the MDC when it became a political party 10 years ago, and had been on a committee promoting national healing and reconciliation within the 18-month-old unity government when he died.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is also president of the main MDC party, said Sibanda's name "shall remain an indelible imprint in the sad narrative of our determined and brave march towards a new Zimbabwe."

Tsvangirai spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Mr. Mugabe's refusal to declare Sibanda a national hero was motivated by "cruelty, contempt and revenge."

In a recent interview with VOA in Harare, Sibanda recalled his detention in the former white-ruled Rhodesia and his eventual release when former Prime Minister Ian Smith and Abel Muzorewa were leading a transitional government as peace talks to end the civil war began in London in 1979.  

SIBANDA:  "I was charged with high treason with some other guys, and subsequently, and came to the high court and we defended successfully.  And we were discharged, but soon after being discharged we were served with indeterminate detention until 1979, during the Smith-Muzorewa coalition.  That is the one which reviewed our detention orders, but the talks were already under way."

Education minister David Coltart says in 1997 Sibanda led the biggest anti-government demonstration he had ever seen in Zimbabwe.

"Gibson Sibanda deserves to be recognized as a national hero, because for the last 40 years he has persistently and consistently fought within the country for the promotion of human rights and for a new democratic Zimbabwe," explained Coltart.  "He did so against the white minority government and he has done so for the last 30 years.  He was also president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and during his tenure, he was responsible, with others, for building it up to a very powerful organization.  So, on that basis alone he should be declared a national hero."

Priscilla Misihairabwi, the deputy-secretary general of the smaller MDC faction said hero status is confined to members of Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party.  She said Mr. Mugabe should tell taxpayers, who fund state funerals, that they have been supporting "a ZANU-PF burial society."

Mr. Mugabe's sister, Sabina, who political historians say played no role against white rule nor any significant part in post-1980 independent Zimbabwe was declared a national hero and buried with a state funeral last month at Hero's Acre.

Mr. Mugabe told the pro-ZANU-PF daily newspaper, The Herald, he regretted Sibanda's death and the state would assist with his private burial.

Fear Grips Zim Squatters

http://news.radiovop.com/

26/08/2010 20:09:00

Harare, August 27, 2010 - The 52 squatters whose shacks were torched by
Harare police on Wednesday are living in fear following threats of beatings
if they talked to the media.

The squatters who have been released and have since returned to their base,
have been sleeping in the open.

"Please do not write anything about us because the police said they will
beat us up if we do so," one woman at the settlement told Radio VOP. "The
problem is that when they come to beat us up you will be in the comfort of
your homes."

The 52, who were released without any charges, were part of the 55 people
who included five minor children who had been arrested and detained at
Harare Central Police Station for more than 15 hours. Three are still in
police custody in connection with some unspecified crimes.

The ZRP members, some of whom were armed and also accompanied by police dogs
torched over 100 shacks which had been erected in the posh suburb of
Borrowdale, where President Robert Mugabe also lives. Some residents lost
clothes and some property during the arson attack, which was a fresh
reminder to Operation Murambatsvina, which left more than 700 000 families
homeless.The police ordered the settlers to remove their possessions from
the shacks and go and built homes in their rural areas.

The squatters said they were still to recover from the shock they suffered
during the police operation.They said police fired live bullets into the air
threatening to shoot at anyone who resisted their actions.

"The police do not want anyone to know about what is happening here. They
said they will come at night and deal with us. We are all afraid here," said
an elderly woman.

They said a non-governmental organisation had assisted them with blankets
and food handouts.

Influential rights group, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) assited
with the release of the arrested squatters.
 

Makoni dismiss reports that Mugabe has chosen him as successor

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

27 August, 2010 08:25:00    Staff Reporter

HARARE - The interim President of Zimbabwe opposition party
Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn Simba Makoni has dismissed reports circulating in the
media saying ailing President Robert Mugabe has chosen him as his successor.

In a statement to The Zimbabwe Mail, the party's Communications Directorate
said, "over the past week, there have been reports on some websites,
suggesting that President Mugabe has held talks with Dr Simba Makoni,
Interim President of Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn (MKD), in connection with Simba
succeeding Mugabe, both as leader of ZANU (PF) and of the country. These
reports have generated intense debate among Zimbabweans at home and all over
the world."

The statement went on to say, "Simba Makoni wishes to advise that these
reports are totally false, unfounded, mischievous and malicious. Simba
Makoni last met Mugabe on Jan 21 2008, just before he left ZANU (PF) to
launch his campaign for President, in the March 2008 elections."

"Simba Makoni also wishes to inform Zimbabweans and others with an interest
in the country, that he and other members of his party, Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn,
are busy building the Party, with the view to offering Zimbabwe an effective
vehicle for genuine change, so we can get the country working again.

"It is dismaying that the peddlers of this falsehood chose not to contact
Simba Makoni, to verify their story; despite his availability. This suggests
that the authors were motivated by ill will and dishonourable intent."

"We believe that the story was created with the intention to damage the
integrity of Simba Makoni, to demoralise members and supporters of Simba
Makoni and M.K.D, into believing that their leader is abandoning them."

"Whereas Simba Makoni would dearly love to serve the people of Zimbabwe, he
is seeking to do so on the democratic mandate of the people themselves; not
as a back door favour from anyone, least of all, those discredited and
rejected by the people. Simba Makoni and other members of M.K.D have been
willing and ready to lend support to the so-called Inclusive Government, as
patriotic citizens, seeking to contribute to alleviating the suffering of
the people."

"Simba Makoni wishes to re-affirm to M.K.D members, all Zimbabweans and
others interested in the affairs of our country, that he remains committed
to building M.K.D as a dynamic, modern, democratic party, that will lead
the:

- recovery and growth of Zimbabwe's economy;

- removal of fear and attainment of honest reconciliation and healing of the
people;

- eradication of corruption;

- restoration of the dignity, respect and esteem of Zimbabweans;

- genuine empowerment and self-reliant development of all its people; and,

- re-engagement of international partners to build positive and mutually
beneficial relationships.

"Once again, we state categorically that the story doing the rounds on the
internet, alleging `negotiations' between Simba Makoni and Robert Mugabe,
are false."

A report published on an online publication said Zimbabwe President Robert
Mugabe is actively considering successors after his doctor told him he is
losing the battle against cancer.

The African Aristocrat reported that his urologist Awang Kechick visited him
in Zimbabwe and told him that his condition is advancing faster than any
treatment could delay it.

The report also said Mugabe has been struggling with undisclosed health
issues for a long while, although he has returned to public life looking
healthy. It also said his health was deteriorating dramatically in the last
months.

In the report Mugabe is alleged to have surprised everyone by dumping
presidential hopefuls and selecting Simba Makoni.

Makoni left the Zanu-PF to start his own party, and he is alleged to have
support from both the Zanu-PF and its opposition the MDC, as well as the
media, the report said.

Once a breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe's food shortages have been
brought on by drought and Mr Mugabe's crippling land-reform programme.

Speculation regularly surfaces over the health of the aging Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe who has been in power since independence in 1980.

Robert Mugabe heading for wheelchair - State intelligence source

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

27 August, 2010 06:00:00    By Trymore Makwara

HARARE - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is heading for the wheelchair as
health problems mount, an impeccable senior State intelligence source in the
President’s office revealed to The Zimbabwe Mail.

A special wheel chair and other electronic gadgets are being designed in an
unnamed Asian country, the source told our reporter in Bindura at the
funeral of the First Lady Grace Mugabe’s brother, Reward Marufu.

In the weeks to come, specialists medical engineers will fly to Harare to
prepare ground work for internal structural changes to be carried out at
President Mugabe’s private residence in Borrowdale and his offices at
Munhumutapa Building to accommodate state of the art high-tech gadgets.

The senior intelligence officer also confirmed that in future, the veteran
Zimbabwean leader will be on his fit only on special occasions, alongside a
medical doctor and a special jab will be used to keep him fit for a small
walking distance.

The source also disclosed that a number of the President Mugabe’s close
security agents have undergone a special training to help them manage an
extraordinary situation with regards to his mounting health problems.

President Mugabe’s health is taking a battering due to old age, family
problems and a punishing schedule for a man of his advanced age and as a
result swollen ankles, knees and all sorts of problems are mounting as the
endgame looms.

A few weeks ago Mugabe collapsed into a pile in Uganda, Kampala during the
Summit of African Union Heads of State and, in China, a week after; he had
to be way led by Chinese security agents from the podium after addressing
delegates at the Chinese at the Shanghai World Expo.

His sister Sabina died a few weeks ago and another sister Bridgette is in
the intensive care in a Harare hospital.

Over the years, for a man of his advanced age President Robert Mugabe has
looked remarkably active and ostensibly fit.

Closer inspection, however, reveals that while he is actively making it
business as usual for continued stay in power, advanced age appears to have
finally caught up with him. Like the rest of the body, the brain
deteriorates with age.

At 86 and with 30 years as head of state behind him, Mugabe remains
surprisingly in control of his mental faculty, at least during those
occasions that he appears on television and on International Summits.

But of late pictures of Mugabe have appeared in the media that reveal a
condition that would automatically rule him out as a serious contender for
the presidency in a less authoritarian country.

In most countries, for instance, presidential candidates are required to
pass what is tantamount to a rigorous public bill of health.

In the United States, such serious concerns were raised about the advanced
age of the Republican presidential nominee John McCain that his campaign
managers were forced to assure the nation that he was still fit not only to
campaign but also to assume office as President of the United States of
America. They handed over to the Associated Press 1 173 pages of medical
documents spanning the period from 2000 to 2008.

Mugabe was a 12 year-old boy at Kutama School when McCain was born. Unlike
his American counterparts, details of whose health make news headlines, the
state of Mugabe’s health has been elevated to the status of a state secret
closely guarded by him and those who surround him.

A research into the subject of the swelling of feet reveals that "systemic
diseases and conditions are associated with foot and ankle swelling and are
characterized by fluid retention or, less commonly, by an increase in
thickness of the skin. Diseases of the joints, such as arthritis, can also
affect the joints of the ankle and foot, leading to swelling of the involved
areas."

Swelling of the extremities can be an indication of underlying chronic
conditions, starting from the less frightening such as deep venous
thrombosis (better known as blood clots) to the more severe and
life-threatening conditions such as congestive heart failure. A reported
recent visit to China by Mugabe can only lead to speculation as to where in
this spectrum his health currently lies.

The abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles, feet, and legs is called
peripheral edema, or swelling of the lower extremities. This condition can
be painless or painful.

Apparently the painless swelling of the feet and ankles is a common problem,
particularly in older people. The condition may affect both legs and may
include the calves or even the thighs. Because of the effect of gravity,
swelling is particularly noticeable in these locations.

The following are listed as other common causes of foot, leg, and ankle
swelling: prolonged standing, long airplane flights or motorcar rides,
overweight and increased age. Among women menstrual periods and pregnancy
may also cause swelling. Zimbabweans have nick-named their President Vasco
da Gama because of his knack for excessive travel, which has taken him to
every corner of the world. The imposition of travel sanctions on Mugabe and
his colleagues has done nothing to reduce his penchant for travel to distant
lands, mostly in the Far East of late.

He has just returned to Harare from a visit China and shopping trip to China
where he was reported to have undergone a medical at a private clinic.

Surprisingly, starvation or malnutrition may also cause the swelling of
feet, medical experts say. It is not conceivable that a Head of State would
develop peripheral edema because of starvation while resident in State
House, unless there were issues of entirely inappropriate dietary
guidelines.

The experts say that swollen legs may, in fact, be a sign of heart failure,
kidney failure, or liver failure. In these conditions, there is too much
fluid in the body.

Heart failure is a life-threatening condition in which the heart can no
longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Hypertension or high blood
pressure is one of the most common causes of heart failure, a disease which
is almost always chronic and becomes more common with advancing age. People,
who are overweight, have diabetes, smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol, or use
cocaine are at increased risk for developing heart failure.

Among the most common symptoms of heart failure are weight gain, swelling of
feet and ankles and decreased alertness of concentration.

Apart from swollen feet and ankles Mugabe now appears to have another health
issue. His voluble but not particularly commonsensical Information Minister,
unwittingly let the cat out of the bag about the President’s failing vision.
He said Mugabe’s sight had deteriorated so much that he could no longer read
the newspapers.

Apparently Mugabe had complained that his effort to keep himself informed
about events in Zimbabwe through reading the state-controlled Herald was
frustrated by the small size of the print.

Describing the newspaper’s font as "the size of ants", Mugabe, unbelievably,
appealed to the minister to advise the editors of the state newspapers to
increase the font size for his benefit. Always eager to please, the minister
apparently promptly summoned the editors and duly delivered the President’s
message.

"We could not believe it when the minister said the President had told him
to ask us to increase the size of the font," said one of the editors. "We
all looked at each other amazed at what he had just said. We could not hold
ourselves and openly giggled about it."

But the minister was not to be easily deterred.

"The President clearly said he could not read stories in The Herald. Once
when he wanted to read a story on page two about MDC and Zanu-PF he failed.
He called me and said ‘what is this?"

The editors respectfully held their ground, pointing out to the Minister
that there was nothing they could do about the font size, as it was a
worldwide standard and could not be changed.

Notwithstanding his advanced age and deteriorating heath Mugabe appears
determined, not only do battle with, Morgan Tsvangirai, but to defeat him
and manage Zimbabwe’s affairs of State for more years.

At 57, Tsvangirai is almost four decades younger than his rival

Meanwhile, an unconfirmed　report published on an online publication says
that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is actively considering successors
after his doctor told him he is losing the battle against cancer.

The African Aristocrat　reported that his urologist Awang Kechick visited him
in Zimbabwe and told him that his condition is advancing faster than any
treatment could delay it.

The report says that Mugabe has been struggling with undisclosed health
issues for a long while, although he has returned to public life looking
healthy. However, his health has deteriorated dramatically in the last
months, with some images showing him unable to walk without help during a
recent trip to Uganda.

Mugabe’s condition is allegedly so volatile that his physicians don’t leave
his side, and the State House has been equipped with state-of-the-art
resuscitation facilities.

There are also assertions that Zanu-PF officials　’are aware’ of Mugabe’s ill
health, and the succession issue has been high on the list of topics
recently.

According to the article, Mugabe seems to have surprised everyone by dumping
presidential hopefuls and selecting Simba Makoni.

Makoni left the Zanu-PF to start his own party, and he seems to have support
from both the Zanu-PF and its opposition the MDC, as well as the media.

If Mugabe wins the elections in 2011 and institutes Makoni as president,
Makoni will most certainly make an impression with the public, while, with
Zimbabwe’s economic growth due to increase over the coming five years, he
will also take credit for these developments.

This might be bad news for the MDC though, as four years is enough to
rebrand the current ruling party.

Once a breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe's food shortages have been
brought on by drought and Mr Mugabe's crippling land-reform programme.

Speculation regularly surfaces over the health of the aging Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe who has been in power since independence in 1980.　　

Two state prosecutors tortured for sending war vets to jail

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 August 2010

Two state prosecutors who were based in Matobo in Matabeleland South
province fled the country earlier this month, after they were severely
tortured for their role in sending three war vets to prison for stock theft.

SW Radio Africa can reveal that the two public prosecutors, Samkeliso Moyo
and Freedom Chaita, are now safe in Johannesburg, South Africa after the
state turned against them.

They are said to be highly traumatized at what they went through when
members of the dreaded CIO set upon them after they successfully proved in
court that the three war vets were guilty of the crime charged.

In July, the state eventually convicted the war vets and sent them to serve
15 year jail terms for stealing cattle from a farm that belonged to the late
Matabeleland South Governor, Stephen Nkomo. A younger brother to the late
Vice-President Joshua Nkomo, Stephen died in 2003.

But mystery surrounds the release of the three war vets from incarceration
after barely three weeks into their long prison terms. When they were
released they reportedly teamed up with CIO's in Matobo to crackdown on Moyo
and Chaita.

The two public prosecutors were picked up and held incommunicado at a
torture house, where they were severely beaten by the state security agents.
It was alleged they had been sent by the MDC to ensure that the war vets
were convicted.

Human rights activist John Chikwari, speaking on behalf of the prosecutors,
told us the CIO's then 'cooked up' charges against the two.

'They were taken to court facing flimsy charges, but were released on bail.
This is when they decided to flee Zimbabwe,' Chikwari said.

Chikwari who was part of a group of Zimbabweans who organised safe houses
for the prosecutors, told us the two were slowly recovering physically but
'psychologically are still very much traumatized.'

'What they don't understand is how could convicted criminals be
clandestinely released from jail and come back to haunt them with the aid of
CIO's without state intervention. The two ended up facing charges and having
to spend some days in police cells just for prosecuting war veterans,'
Chikwari said.

He added; 'We were informed of their plight when they were still in Matobo
and once we knew they were planning to flee the country, we set up a
welcoming committee that intercepted them when they crossed over into South
Africa.'

Chikwari said; 'It's only now that we've released information about them as
we didn't want to jeopardise their chances of escaping from Zimbabwe. I
think it must have been a tough experience for Samkeliso as she's always
crying. We've made sure though that the two have been seen by doctors and
some professionals to help them through their ordeal.'

 

MDC-M in the dark after Zesa cuts power over unpaid bills

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
27 August, 2010

A report in The Daily News this week said that the MDC-M was dealt a
humiliating blow Monday when technicians from the Zimbabwe Electricity
Supply Authority (ZESA) turned up at the party's main office in Bulawayo and
cut off the power supplies, due to unpaid bills.

According to newspaper the ZESA technicians said that the MDC-M had not paid
its electricity bills since November 2000. The party is headed by Professor
Arthur Mutambara, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition
government.

Investigating further, the paper said it also discovered that four out of
the five telephone lines in the office have been disconnected, due to bills
totalling $16,562 that is owed to Tel One, the fixed line service provider,
as of 31 July 2010.

The Daily News quoted the technicians as saying that several statements
demanding payment earlier this year had all been ignored.
To restore power the MDC-M will have to pay ZESA at least half of the
arrears, plus reconnection and deposit fees.

Always quick to create laughter out of problems, Zimbabweans are already
joking about the incident, saying if the MDC-M win an election, we would all
remain in the dark about bread and butter issues.

 

Tomana dismisses MDC-T report on 2008 atrocities

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

Staff Writer
27 August 2010

Controversial Attorney-General Johannes Tomana has set himself on a
collision course with the MDC-T party after he poured scorn on their 2008
report documenting political murders.

In June 2008, MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai had to pull out of the
Presidential election run-off due to unprecedented levels of political
violence, abduction and torture of MDC activists and human rights defenders.

More than 500 MDC members were killed at the height of the political
violence and close to half a million were forced to flee their homes in a
campaign that was led by the military.

However the MDC was able to document almost all the atrocities including the
dates, times and places where the crimes occurred. On realising the police
were taking no action on the document, the MDC sent a copy to Tomana to
follow up on the investigations.

But Tomana on Friday brushed aside the report, telling the weekly Zimbabwe
Independent that he did not take it seriously, because it should not have
been sent to him in the first place.

'Why are they disrespecting our systems? I will not be one of
those that will be in the forefront to bring the systems down. It shows that
they are not serious,' Tomana said.

The MDC has since 2008 fought the appointment of Tomana, a 'blue-eyed boy'
of the ZANU PF regime, as the Attorney-General.

He took over as the country's chief prosecutor from Justice Bharat Patel,
who was the acting AG following the unceremonial dismissal of Sobusa
Gula-Ndebele, whose dismissal was linked to ZANU-PF in-fighting.
An MDC insider told us on Friday that the party hierarchy was deeply
incensed by his remarks and were waiting for an appropriate occasion to
reply to his statement.

 

Zapu's Dabengwa blasts Mugabe

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Ray Matikinye
Friday, 27 August 2010 17:31

BULAWAYO - Zapu interim leader, Dumiso Dabengwa has lambasted President
Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party for continuously failing to uphold the
principles of freedom and democracy that motivated thousands of Zimbabweans
to sacrifice their lives in an armed struggled against colonial rule.

Dabengwa, who is likely to emerge substantive leader of a revived Zapu told
thousands of Zapu delegates to an elective congress in Bulawayo today that
Zanu PF had failed to promote democracy and equitable development for the
benefit of all Zimbabweans.

"Zimbabweans fought for a democratic country, free of government sponsored
terror of the nature that we witnessed during Gukurahundi and the March and
June elections in 2008. Zimbabweans need a government that respects the
sanctity of human life,"

He said former Zapu members decided to pull out of the Unity Accord which
most members had joined reluctantly hoping to stop brutal treatment of
people and promoting reconciliation when it discovered that it was
impossible under the conditions to promote democracy and multi-party
democracy.

Zanu PF had violated the peace necessary for development and the rights of
indigenous people to work, Dabengwa said, amid applause from delegates from
South Africa.

"We as Zapu want to create a state where citizens have equal rights,
regardless of colour, culture, creed and political belief. We want to
establish a country where citizens have freedom of association, freedom of
speech and where citizens  are protected from arbitrary arrests. We also
want to establish a state owned by all citizens not a few individuals,"
Dabengwa said.

He criticized the government's land reform programme which he said began
well in 1980. But when it came to the Midlands and Matabeleland, it excluded
the indigenous people  in favour of people from outside, contrary to the
spirit of nationalism that motivated people to dislodge colonialism.

The  Zapu congress comes after former members of ZAPU pulled out of a Unity
Accord signed in 1987 in line with resolution made at an earlier congress in
Bulawayo on May 16, last year.

Under discussion is the issue of Zapu properties confiscated by the
government at the height of political disturbances in Matabeleland. Recently
government promised to return all the cattle that were impounded from the
late Chief Kayisa Ndiweni who was buried in Ntabazinduna a fortnight ago.

The congress will also discuss whether the party should uphold the practice
of  having the party president become state president in the event of the
party winning elections or whether he should relinquish that post when that
happens.

The congress, which was attended by the First secretary at the British High
Commission in Harare, Keith Scott, the US Ambassador , Charles Ray and
representatives from the South African High Commission as well as
representatives from the South African National Congress (ANC) was briefly
disrupted when ZESA cut off electricity to the venue.

Organisers said they had been assured that there would be no power cuts
during the three day congress by the power utility.

The congress ends on Sunday

 

Mutambara misled Zuma - PM

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Stanley Gama, News Editor
Friday, 27 August 2010 16:43

HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has accused his deputy Arthur
Mutambara of misleading facilitator President Jacob Zuma of South Africa by
claiming  in a letter that the principals had agreed to appoint provincial
governors concurrently with the removal of sanctions.

The letter has stalled progress in the full implementation of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) with Zanu PF's President Robert Mugabe steadfastly
announcing that he will not swear in Provincial Governors from both factions
of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) until sanctions are removed.

In an interview with the Daily News in Harare ,Friday, Tsvangirai dismissed
the contents of Mutambara's letter, saying it was not a true reflection of
what they had agreed  to as principals. Tsvangirai said to link the issue of
Governors and the sanctions was an attempt to undermine the GPA.

"The letter written to President Zuma is a misrepresentation of the truth.
It is not accurate. The issue of sanctions and the issue of provincial
governors are two separate issues which are not related.

"What I know is that we have agreed on a formula in which we are going to
get five Governors and they are supposed to be in office by now. This issue
of restrictive sanctions and Provincial Governors is a new pre-condition. I
am not sure why Mutambara did this," said Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai had earlier spoken about his concerns with the failure to fully
implement the GPA while addressing his supporters at a function to introduce
new membership cards for his party in Harare.

He said the reluctance by his colleagues to abide by the commitments they
had agreed last year was threatening the future of the country.

"Such an attitude threatens the legacy of our war of liberation which was
waged to empower each and every citizen, to provide all of us with the
privileges and protections which are our inalienable right.

"Therefore, the only way forward is for all signatories to the GPA to abide
by the agreement that we signed. Continued failure to fully implement the
GPA betrays the trust and the hope the people placed in this inclusive
Government.

"The issue of Provincial Governors is a prime example of this. The formula
for the allocation of the Governors was agreed  to by the negotiators based
on the results of the election. It is for this reason that the MDC was
awarded five Governors as a reflection of our mandate from the people.

"To then artificially link the allocation of Governors to the issue of
restrictive measures is a blatant attempt to undermine the GPA, the
inclusive Government and the will of the people," said Tsvangirai.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mutambara said he had been
mandated by Mugabe and Tsvangirai to write a letter to Zuma as facilitator
explaining that they had reached an agreement where Provincial Governors
would be sworn in concurrently with the removal of sanctions.

"What I wrote to President Zuma, I did so on behalf of the three principals
after consultations, if you have checked, none of them have challenged the
letter.

"I would be very interested if the two deny that. I was tasked to write two
letters, one on June 10 and another one on August 5 and Zuma's report was
based on my letter," Mutambara was quoted as saying.

Zanu PF boycotts Copac in Manicaland

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Sidney Saize
Friday, 27 August 2010 15:56

HARARE - Manicaland province's ten COPAC teams failed to go on the
constitutional outreach programme, Friday,for the second day after Zanu PF
members boycotted Fridays' visit scheduled for Nyanga North over a dispute
on allowances.

Members of Zanu PF within the outreach teams pulled out  demanding payment
of their  outstanding allowances of U$240  first.

Some members of the teams were paid US$240 as part payment,with the  balance
to be paid later.

On Thursday the outreach teams did not travel to Nyanga after they failed to
get fuel.

Zanu PF's Manicaland vice chairperson Dorothy Mabika refused to speak saying
"I do not speak to the media."

The MDC formations said they were ready  to go to Nyanga but would not
travel on their own.

Patrick Chitaka, the MDC-T Manicaland province chairperson said they were
let down by their partners.

"Our desire was to go and finish business today and take our deserved break
tomorrow (Saturday) but we cannot go it alone. We have to be together on
the outreach programme," said Chitaka.

Chitaka said the teams would break Saturday for a week-long holiday despite
a call from the COPAC head office in Harare that they should not take a
break and continue on a marathon programme to finish the outreach work.

The teams were supposed to take a break beginning tomorrow after a 65-day
outreach work, but a memorandum from Harare has instructions against taking
the break. The memorandum  directs that the COPAC teams in all provinces
should continue with work and to do two visits a day instead of a single
visit a day in wards.

"We will just go ahead with our break as planned. We need to rest and also
the two proposed visits in a day are not practical in most cases as we are
overburdened by the existing one outreach programme a day," Chitaka said.

Sondon Mugaradziko, the provincial chairperson of the other MDC formation in
Manicaland said his party was for going to Nyanga.

Cephas Makuyana, the co-chairperson for COPAC in Manicaland province said he
was still trying to get to the bottom of the matter with the respective
teams on the way forward.

"I am aware of the positions taken by the parties concerned. On the visit
today Zanu PF members  refused arguing that they would not go until they are
paid in full. The MDC members were ready to go.

"On the issue of a break tomorrow the two teams are in agreement and I have
informed head-office about it and am still to hear from them," said
Makuyana.

Gallery Director Summoned Over Gukurahundi Exhibition

http://news.radiovop.com

26/08/2010 20:04:00

Harare, August 27, 2010 - The director of the National Gallery in Bulawayo
Vote Thebe has been served with summons to appear in court next Tuesday on
allegations of breaching the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act over
an exhibition on gukurahundi conducted by Owen Maseko.

Thebe was confirmed two weeks ago as the director of the Gallery after
serving in an acting capacity since the departure of Adelis Sibutha last
year to join the office of Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khuphe.

Thebe confirmed receiving the summons.

"The papers came...and will be going there next week. We will see how it
goes," he said.

Thebe is accused of allowing Maseko to hold an  art exhibition on the
atrocities of the Gukurahundi by the Robert Mugabe regime.

Maseko was also arrested and  granted bail at the end of March after
spending a weekend behind bars.
The artist was arrested at the National Gallery in Bulawayo along with the
gallery curator, BBC southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen.

According to human rights campaigners, the Public Order and Security Act is
being used to stifle political dissent in Zimbabwe.

Maseko's arrest came just days after police closed a photography exhibition
in Harare showing recent human rights violations by President Robert
Mugabe's supporters. One of the main subjects of the Bulawayo exhibition was
the massacre of tens of thousands of ethnic Ndebeles in Matabeleland by the
Zimbabwe military after the country achieved independence in 1980.

They were accused of supporting Mugabe's political rival, Joshua Nkomo.
Mugabe is currently in a power-sharing government with another long-time
opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai. But Tsvangirai's supporters say they are still
being persecuted by the security forces.

Meanwhile the Censorship Board has announced that it is now a crime for
artists to perform without
an entertainment licence issued by them.

The latest move by the Censorship Board is seen as an attempt to muzzle
artists.

The entertainment licence which is also applicable to public places
providing entertainment such as cinema houses shall be renewable every year.
Individual artists are required to pay USD 25 a year while
institutions will be required to pay USD 155 a year.

Officials at the Censorship Board told Radio VOP that the move had always
been provided for under the Censorship and Entertainment Act Chapter 10:04.

"This is not a new thing it has always been there but it's just that it was
not applied strictly and artists have been performing illegally," said
Solomon Chitungo an official at the Censorship Board.

"The certificate will be valid for 12 months. It's just like a drivers
licence, we are also just issuing a licence to provide entertainment and if
one is to be found without the certificate we will stop the show and
confiscate their equipment."

The Censorship law that the board is using to regulate performances of
artists is an outdated piece of legislation which was enacted during the Ian
Smith Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) era in 1964. It was later
amended by the National Arts Council but still retains most of the clauses
that criminalise artists for creating critical works of art.

Many artists have fallen prey to the law from musicians, theatre
practitioners to poets.

For example artists such as Leonard Zhakata still can't get airplay on ZBC
since the time he released his Mugove album while theatre practitioners such
as Silvanos Mudzvova have been arrested and arraigned before the courts for
producing critical theatre plays such as Waiting for the Constitution.

Future of MDC-M in doubt as factionalism deepens, Priscilla threans to quit

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

27 August, 2010 09:52:00    By Oscar Nkala

BULAWAYO - The Mutambara led MDC is heading for an explosive congress as
factionalism deepens in the party.
A potentially divisive final battle for the party control control  is set
between president Arthur Mutambara and secretary-general Professor Welshman
Ncube who is openly campaigning for the party presidency.

Party sources in Bulawayo said the congress will most likely lead to a
disintegration of the party and a mass exodus of supporters and disgruntled
Members of parliament, four of whom are reported to be moving to the MDC-T
while one senator is headed for ZAPU.

The wrangling centres around the jockeying for top posts ahead of the
congress in which secretary-general Welshman Ncube has already set up his
own allies to take up key posts in a plot which, if successful, would leave
out national chairman Joubert Mudzumwe and deputy secretary
Priscilla-Misihairabwi-Mushonga and party treasurer Fletcher-Dulini Ncube.

Massive discontent has reportedly set in at grassroots level while top
leaders are fighting vicious boardroom wars. If the alleged plot succeeds,
post-congress top five leadership will feature Ncube as president, Edwin
Mushoriwa as deputy-president, Goodrich Chimbaira as national chairman,
Qhubani Moyo as secretary-general and Moses Mzila-Ndlovu as
deputy-secretary-general.

"Ncube intends to create a Council of Elders to accommodate Mutambara,
Mudzumwe and Dulini-Ncube but this may not succeed as they are quietly
plotting to shatter these plans at congress. The late VP GibsonSibanda would
have been accomodated in this group.

Generally, people see Ncube as a proprietor of the party," said the source.

Deputy-secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has reportedly
threatened to quit if Qhubani Moyo, seen as Ncube's right-hand man, lands
the post of secretary-general ahead of her.

"Of late, there is a flurry of replacements of party chairpersons loyal to
Mutambara and this is linked to Ncube's ascendancy plot because chairpersons
will vote on behalf of their blocks and anyone with a majority of loyal
chairpersons will win the leadership.

However, Ncube's opponents are working hard to replace block votes with
individual voting instead," said the source.

Party spokesman Gifford Sibanda told The Daily News that the party remains
intact as it gears up for congress early next year.

"We cannot dignify rumours of plots by commenting on them but here  people
are free to run for whatever posts at congress, so I will not be surprised
if Ncube or anyone runs for the presidency. We are a democratic party where
leaders are elected by the people, so there are no plots except in the
negative minds of those who want posts but fear losing them because they
lack popular support," Sibanda said.

The MDC has lost a majority of its supporters to the MDC-T since the 2008
elections and is clinging to a few parliamentary and senatorial seats in
Matabeleland North and South. Political analysts have predicted that further
losses in the next election will lead the party into political oblivion. -
Daily News

Zimbabwe's parastatal bigwigs 'swimming in wealth'

http://www.mg.co.za

RAY NDLOVU - Aug 27 2010 14:34

Zimbabwe's parastatals are paying executives and senior management monthly
salaries of up to US$15 000, despite reports of mismanagement, corruption
and crippling debt.

The pay levels have been widely condemned as not reflecting the country's
economic reality, which includes a civil-servant salary freeze at $165 a
month, poor service delivery and a weak economic recovery. In addition, 44
of the 76 parastatals have not submitted audited financial statements or
held annual general meetings for the past five years, as stipulated by
Zimbabwe's Companies Act.

In an interview with the Mail & Guardian, Gorden Moyo, the newly appointed
state enterprises and parastatals minister, said: "We have given parastatals
three months to comply with the directive to rationalise salaries and after
that we will issue a report on the progress made." The clampdown on
parastatals follows proposals made by Moyo and approved by Cabinet last
month that include restructuring, submitting salary scales for approval by
line ministries, releasing audited financial statements and holding AGMs.

Government figures project that, if properly managed, parastatals could
account for 40% of GDP. In a case that underscores the gross overspending by
parastatals, the Financial Gazette reported that the National Railways of
Zimbabwe spent at least US$240 000 buying luxury vehicles for its six
executives.

It also revealed that the salaries for its 9 000-strong workforce had not
been paid for two months. Wellington Chibhebhe, the secretary general of the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, criticised the salaries of the parastatal
executives, who, he said, were "swimming in wealth" at a time when most
workers were hard-pressed to make ends meet.

Another problem besetting the country's loss-making parastatals is a bloated
wage bill although operations have been cut back. Air Zimbabwe's bid to
retrench 500 workers earlier this year was overturned by a labour court.

The cash-strapped airline faces a court demand of US$5-million by workers
for unpaid salaries. The government has resisted calls to privatise
state-owned enterprises, with the result that many survive on government
handouts.

President Robert Mugabe has also appointed retired military personnel to key
directorship positions in the parastatals to influence their policies.
Observers argue that their presence could lead to directives from the
coalition government being ignored.

Moyo responded: "It would be unfortunate if the parastatals choose to defy
the law and Cabinet, as these reforms have no underlying political agenda
but only serve national interests."
 

Zim Film Festival kicks off Friday

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Maxwell Sibanda
Thursday, 26 August 2010 14:21

HARARE - The Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) kicks off  on 27
August and runs until 5th September with all documentaries and short films
being screened at the Alliance Francaise in Harare.
There will be three screening sessions throughout the day.

The annual 10 day film platform showcases feature films, short films,
documentaries from all over the world and hosts a number of workshops and  a
variety of exciting events that feature film and other artistic genres.

Films and documentaries to look forward to include  Voices of Healing
(Zimbabwe); In On the  Cobbler (Zimbabwe); Sex in the  city (Zimbabwe)  Cubs
of Gir  (Kenya); Foresees His  End (India); The 1st Kid  To Learn English In
Mexico (USA); Bronx  Princess (USA);  Schadeberg-  white black  (Germany);
Foresees  His End (India); Driving With  Fanon (South  Africa); Jerusalem
(Palestine); Sea  Point Days (South Africa); Tribute to  Rome (Italy); Congo
In  Four Acts (DRC); Burning the  future: Coal in America  (USA); Forest of
Crocodiles  (South Africa) and Motherland  (UK).

This year marks the 13th  edition of ZIFF and the showcase has been
recognised as a premier arts and cultural event in Zimbabwe's festival
calendar.

Over the years ZIFF has continued to provide access to skills training and
exhibition platforms for more aspiring and professional Zimbabwean
filmmakers.

It has also provided opportunities for young people from all backgrounds
with special inference to gender to make films and enhance their audiovisual
literacy thereby increasing their chances of enjoying success.

The ZIFF runs a number of programmes that include The Film Forum (FF), a
training and development arm of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival
Trust.

This programme offers film makers and film enthusiasts the opportunity to
discuss issues pertaining to film and to learn new techniques in video
production in conjunction with renowned international filmmakers.

The Short Film Project (SFP) is another initiative that identifies aspiring
and established filmmakers with stories to tell so as to develop their
skills through the production of short films.

The Short Film Project has produced over thirty short films and
documentaries to date.

Other projects include Postcards From Zimbabwe (PFZ), an educational video
training programme for young people and Outreach Screenings which takes film
to the people in the density areas, rural areas and orphanages.

A letter from the diaspora

Friday, 27 August

In Zimbabwe, as events this week graphically demonstrated, everything
changes but nothing changes.
Some time around midnight on Tuesday August 24th 2010 police from Harare
Central assisted by members from Highland Police Station, some of them armed
with AK 47s and accompanied by police dogs, descended on a squatter camp at
Borrowdale Race Track. Sleeping residents were ordered out of their shacks
into the cold night air.

They were not allowed to collect their few possessions and within minutes
100 shacks were torched by the cops and the people were either taken to the
police cells or told to "Go home to their rural areas and build houses
there." It was that instruction to these former victims of Operation
Murambatsvina which served to remind Zimbabweans that history was repeating
itself.
Five years ago, on May 19th, 2005, the then Chairperson of the Harare City
Council announced the launching of an Operation designed to clean up the
urban areas of the city on the grounds that they had been overrun by
criminals and illegal squatters. Her announcement marked the beginning of a
nation-wide exercise designated Operation Murambatsvina - 'Clean out the
filth' - which would be carried out in conjunction with the Zimbabwe
Republic Police. On that day, May 19th, the state-controlled Herald in its
editorial urged "All urbanites to go back to their rural homes and earn an
honest living from the soil our government has repossessed under the land
reform programme."
Three weeks later, on June 10th, when the Operation was in full swing and
thousands of people had already been made homeless and jobless, Robert
Mugabe opened parliament with all the pomp and ceremony reminiscent of the
former colonial regime. In his speech Mugabe referred to Murambatsvina as,
"A vigorous clean-up campaign to restore order in urban areas where small
businesses operated outside the regulatory framework and in undesignated and
crime-ridden areas that could not be countenanced much longer."
Interestingly enough, the MDC boycotted the 2005 Opening of Parliament on
the grounds that Robert Mugabe was not the legitimate president of Zimbabwe.
Now that same MDC is part of the government but as Senator Mishek Marave
bravely commented this week, it makes no difference to the ZRP. Senator
Marave was one of a group of MDC MPs in Masvingo arrested on police
allegations of public violence. The Senator's words deserve quoting: "Since
we joined the Inclusive Government, not a single day has gone by without the
police harassing, intimidating and persecuting MDC officials and
supporters.The same police force treat us with contempt, disrespect and
scorn while showing favouritism and granting special privileges to Zanu PF
and its supporters.., they (Zanu PF) have a free pass to do as they please
and are never held accountable.they are simply untouchable." The truth of
the Senator's words was borne out this week in Robert Mugabe's refusal to
confer 'Hero' status on the late Gibson Sibanda, one of the founders of the
opposition party and a gallant trade unionist who died on Tuesday. While
Mugabe's sister Sabina was declared a national hero within twenty-four hours
of her death, Gibson Sibanda was denied that 'honour'. The fact is that only
Zanu PF supporters will be granted that accolade. However bloody their
history, only those who have remained loyal to Robert Mugabe deserve the
glory of being laid to rest in Heroes Acre alongside men like Doctor Death,
Chengerai Hunzvi, one of whose torture chambers was just metres away from my
house in Murehwa, or the founder of the notorious Green Bombers, Border
Gezi, and so many others whose blind allegiance to the former ruling party
is their only qualification to that dubious honour. The fact that Zimbabwe
has still not signed up the UN Convention Against Torture is a very clear
signal that for Mugabe and his followers, human rights are simply not an
issue. Their over-riding concern is getting rid of Sanctions which they
claim are causing untold suffering for the masses of Zimbabwean people. In
an extraordinarily bad-tempered exchange between the Zimbabwean Foreign
Minister Mumbengegwi and the German Ambassador this week, the latter
reminded Mumbengegwi that the very countries being lambasted by Zanu PF for
EU sanctions were themselves donors of massive aid to the impoverished
country. With the arrogance that characterises Zanu PF the German Ambassador
was told in no uncertain terms that Zimbabwe - as a sovereign nation - didn't
need foreign aid. "We are the victims of sanctions" Mumbengegwi ranted. Tell
that to the 100 families burnt out of their shelters by the police in Harare
or the 40 families evicted this week from the Chiadzwa diamond fields and
dumped in empty tobacco barns on once thriving commercial farms or the
thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans struggling to survive in the country that
Zanu PF has reduced to chaos. But still Zanu PF maintains it will not
implement the GPA until sanctions are lifted.
In Zimbabwe everything changes but nothing changes.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH aka Pauline Henson.