I.3 million villagers face hunger

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Own Corespondent Monday 02 August 2010

HARARE - More than 1.3 million people in Zimbabwe's rural areas will require
food assistance during the peak hunger season in early 2011, according to
the latest UN estimates shown to ZimOnline at the weekend.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said at
least 15 percent of Zimbabwe's rural population would queue for food aid
between January and March next year as the world body projects a cereal
shortfall of 98 000 metric tonnes during the 2010/11 marketing season.

The results of the 2010 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC)
were presented at the June Agriculture cluster meeting. Indications are that
the food security situation is similar to that which prevailed last year at
national level, but different at sub-national level.

"A total of 1.3 million rural people, comprising about 221,000 households
(HH) will not be able to meet their minimum cereal needs during the peak
hunger period from January to March 2011," OCHA said.

About a third of these are already in need of food assistance, the UN organ
said.

"In the current quarter from July to September 2010, about 540 000 people or
86 000 HHs require food assistance."

As at 30 June 2010, the safety net programmes led by the UN's World Food
Programme reached a total 190 470 people with 3 536 tonnes of food.

OCHA however said Zimbabwe's overall food security situation was "stable"
despite localised hunger in areas hardest hit by a mid-season drought
experienced in January.

The new UN figures released last week come in the wake of another report by
the world body's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which stated that
Zimbabwe's troubled agriculture sector was showing signs of recovering from
President Robert Mugabe's decade-long chaotic and often violent land seizure
drive.

FAO reported a slight increase in maize output from 1.2 million tones in the
2008/09 season to 1.3 million tonnes last year.

The southern African country, which was once a breadbasket of the region,
had since 2001 experienced acute food shortages and had to rely on foreign
food handouts to feed itself.

At the peak of Zimbabwe's crisis in 2008, aid agencies fed half of the
country's population.

Mugabe’s anti-west tirade leaves diplomats ‘baffled’

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
02 August 2010

Western diplomats who came to pay their respects at the funeral of Robert
Mugabe’s sister over the weekend were reportedly left ‘baffled’ after Mugabe
used his tribute speech to once again lambast the West.

Diplomats from America, Greece, Germany and a European Union official, on
Sunday walked out of the ceremony at Heroes Acre, where Mugabe’s sister and
close confidante Sabina was enshrined. Sabina passed away last Thursday.

Mugabe was addressing thousands of mourners and paying tribute to his sister
when he angrily started criticising Europe and the US for the targeted
sanctions still in place against him and his inner circle, including Sabina.
He accused the West of imposing the sanctions to force him to step down,
saying “to hell” with those who were opposed to his rule.

“Europe and America want to keep these odious sanctions. They are now saying
Mugabe must go first, and they choose someone to lead the country,” he said.
“We say to hell, hell, hell with them. They will not decide who is going to
lead the people of Zimbabwe.”

This apparently did not sit well with the guest diplomats, US ambassador
Charles Ray, German ambassador Albrecht Conze and the Greek and EU charge d’affaires
Stephanos Ioannides and Barbara Plinkert. On Sunday night one of the
diplomats confirmed the walkout telling Newsday they were baffled by Mugabe’s
attack.

“This was a Christian funeral and those of us who came to pay our last
respects were told to go to hell. I found this theological contradiction
baffling,” he said.

It is not unusual for Mugabe to use any public platform to launch a tirade
against the West, who he blames repeatedly for the country’s economic
downfall. ZANU PF insists the targeted measures, which have been imposed
against specific individuals and companies aligned to the Mugabe regime, are
the reason for Zimbabwe’s economic collapse. The party and Mugabe however
have no problem with the large amount of aid international countries give
Zimbabwe, and still urge the international community to funnel money to the
government.

Mugabe meanwhile used the same speech to make a comment that the profits of
the Chiadzwa diamond fields must not line the pockets of “greedy
politicians.”

“Diamonds should not be pocketed by some individuals …. they should help to
improve the whole country,” Mugabe said. “We will ensure there is collective
benefit and not individual benefit.”

The comments are highly ironic as Mugabe’s wife Grace last week made
headlines for apparently being a major shareholder in one of the diamond
firms currently mining the Chiadzwa site. It is being reported that Grace is
a shareholder in the Mbada mining firm, which is a joint venture operation
involving the parastatal Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). The
firm is at the heart of controversy at the site, which is legally owned by a
London based group, African Consolidated Resources (ACR).

According to ACR the mining operations by Mbada are in contempt of the
Supreme Court, which ordered all mining to stop until the ownership fight is
completed. Mbada’s parent company, the South African Reclamation group,
insists this is not the case.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe locked in ‘church wars’ ahead of elections

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
02 August 2010

The battle for votes in the coming election has already spilled into the
church with the two main political party leaders each having made an
appearance at one major Apostolic Sect service in the last 4 months.
In April this year Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is reported to have got
a rousing welcome after attending an Apostolic church service. Although his
presence was part of efforts to encourage members to immunize their children
against killer diseases, the weekly Zimbabwe Standard newspaper reports that
the visit ‘sent ZANU PF into panic mode.’

Last week members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) blocked
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai from attending a Zion Christian Church
service at its hugely attended annual gathering at the Mbungo Shrine in
Defe, Gokwe. It’s reported that ZANU PF’s battle plan is to use the fast
growing independent church network to canvas for votes, while blocking
similar access to the MDC.

While Tsvangirai’s daughter Rumbidzai was getting married in Harare recently
Mugabe snubbed attending the wedding, choosing instead to go to the Johanne
Marange Apostolic Sect Passover ceremony in Manicaland. The ZANU PF leader
is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and analysts say he was desperate
to give the impression he had popular support after years of poorly attended
rallies.

Several weeks ago Information Minister Webster Shamu, war vets leader
Jabulani Sibanda, ZANU PF party spokesman Ephraim Masawi, and Dickson
Mafiyosi, all clad in white garments, also attended a Johanne Masowe church
service in Madziwa, where they urged church members to support Mugabe. It
did not take long for Johanne Masowe leader Mudzidzi Jowasi to call for the
lifting of targeted sanctions on members of the Mugabe regime.

Over the weekend PM Tsvangirai did not attend the burial of Mugabe’s sister
Sabina at the National Heroes Acre, in what analysts are calling a sign of
increasing friction over the partisan nature of national hero selection. The
MDC-T made it clear in a statement that ‘we all have to be involved in
determining who is a hero or not.

They added that ‘Tsvangirai had made prior arrangements to meet the people
in Matabeleland and in any case, it’s not really important to attend a ZANU
PF (PF) function disguised as a national event.’

Police arrest teachers in Karoi

2 August 2010

HRD’s Alert

Police in Karoi on Thursday 29 July 2010 arrested three teachers and a security guard for allegedly assaulting a Karoi resident.

The teachers namely Rorden Matsaure aged 32, Innocent Nyoni (34), Clifford Muchingami (30) and Patrick Murira (39), a security guard appeared in court on Monday 2 August, 2010 for initial remand.

The State alleges that the teachers who are stationed at Hesketh Primary School in Karoi contravened section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 when they teamed up to assault Freeman Svova on 29 July 2010 around 21:30 hrs.

The State stated that the three teachers unlawfully and intentionally caused bodily harm to Svova when they assaulted him once on the forehead, using a brick, once at the back using a gumtree branch and all over the body using booted foot, clenched palms (sic), and open hands thereby causing inflicting injuries.

The State claims that the teachers assaulted Svova after he alleged during a discussion whilst drinking beer in a bar that they were spoiling school children by teaching them some Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) slogans at school and they had ended up singing some of the party’s songs and slogans at home.

As a result of the alleged assault the State claims that Svova sustained some injuries on the head, wounds on his face, back ache, chest pains and a swollen eye.

However, the teachers have denied the assault charges and claim that they were being victimized for challenging some soldiers at a meeting convened on 27 July, 2010 near the school, where the soldiers were allegedly coaching people on making contributions during a meeting held ahead of a constitutional outreach meeting to solicit people’s contributions to a draft constitution.

ENDS

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)

6th Floor Beverley Court

100 Nelson Mandela Av

Harare

Zimbabwe

Tel: +263  4 705 370/ 708118/ 764085

Fax: +263 4 705641

Mobile: +263 91 3 855 611

Email: kumbi@zlhr.org.zw info@zlhr.org.zw kmafunda@yahoo.co.uk

www.zlhr.org.zw

Rogue parastatal bosses face pay cuts

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Irene Madongo
02 August 2010

The heads of Zimbabwe's ailing parastatals are accustomed to enjoying
astonishingly high salaries, but they could soon be forced to succumb to pay
cuts, under new plans to 'normalise' their salaries.

The State Enterprises and Parastatals Minister Gorden Moyo, who has ordered
top executives of state firms to declare how much they are earning, has now
worked out standard pay schedules for the organisations top ranking
employees and he wants them rolled out. But the top executives are
strenuously refusing to disclose their salary details.

Moyo said; "We have come up with a schedule, we have categorised parastatals
into four categories. We shall give those classes to all our parastatals to
follow."

There are various reports that say some parastatal heads are earning up to
US$15,000 per month. They have also failed to carry out proper business
procedures during the past six years, resulting in state firms running
without any approved budget or audited financial statements.

These revelations come at a time when the majority of workers are battling
to survive on monthly salaries of US$165.

The MDC-T minister was not in a position to expand further on the new plans
yet; he wants the company heads to first declare their current earnings
before revealing details.

"We are expecting all of them to comply without fail to government
directives to rationalise their salaries and make sure they comply with
norms and values of corporate governance," he explained.

Asked what action he would take against those who fail to comply, he said:
"There are measures, there are procedures of disciplining anyone who is
violating the rules, the procedures and the norms and values of any company.
I'm expecting everyone to comply, the arm of the law will be extended to
you."

Moyo also added that his department is not going to look into how the state
bodies have been run previously, but denied he was giving a blanket amnesty
to corrupt practices by the managers, saying that any cases of fraud brought
forward would be looked into.

"If they have not been complying, I am not going to require the statements
for the previous years. I'm not going to say 'Did you hold your annual
general meeting for last year?' I want the AGM for 2010 to be held; I want
the current salaries they are earning to be rationalized," he said.

MDC Takes Zanu (PF) Jingles Case To Zuma

http://news.radiovop.com/

02/08/2010 08:14:00

Harare, August 02, 2010 - The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by
Morgan Tsvangirai said it has taken the Zanu (PF) propaganda jingles being
played by the national broadcasting radio and television stations to the
facilitators of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

South African President Jacob Zuma is the mediator of the fragile coalition
government formed by Zanu (PF) and the two MDC formations in February last
year.

In a telephone  interview with Radio VOP on Sunday, MDC-T's deputy
spokesperson Thabita Khumalo said: "We took the  matter to the GPA mediation
team  in South  Africa last week and we are waiting for feed back. We
greatly feel it's another outstanding issue, which we need the mediator to
address urgently."

The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has been playing the
controversial jingles following a directive from Information and Publicity
Minister Webster Shamu, who is also Zanu (PF) national political Commissar.
Both the local radio and television stations have been playing the music by
the Mbare Chimurenga Choir, which gives plaudits to President Robert Mugabe
and his deputies. Critics have said the propaganda jingles are against the
spirit of the GPA, which brought about the inclusive government last
February.

The songs dominate radio and television every 30 minutes in praise of Mugabe's
leadership and re-enforcing that he is in power.

MDC-T said it had approached ZBC with  its advertisements but were turned
down for unspecified  reasons.

According to international broadcasting standards, songs are played from a
management-approved 'playlist' and no more than five times in a 24 hour
shift regardless of the song's popularity. Such decisions to promote or play
a particular song repeatedly and the playlist routine may also be taken on
the basis of the hit's performance on recognisable charts.

MDC said the flighting of the jingles was an assault on the inclusive
government.

Cabinet recently directed the state broadcaster to stop the jingles but ZBC
chief executive officer, Happison Muchechetere, said the songs were being
aired based on their popularity.
 

Call For More Donor Funds For Zimbabwe

http://news.radiovop.com/

02/08/2010 13:24:00

Harare, August 02, 2010 - The United Nations through its Consolidated Appeal
Process (CAP) will this week ask donors to increase their support to
Zimbabwe from the projected US 478 million dollars to half a billion dollars
this year, Radio VOP can reveal.

The initial UN Consolidated appeal for Zimbabwe was pegged at US 100 million
dollars in November last year.  However, the appeal was further increased to
US 478 million dollars in July after the UN said the humanitarian situation
was fragile.

"Revised requirements thus amount to US$1 478,399,290.  This is an increase
of some $100 million (or 20%) over the original requirements," the UN said
in July.

"The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is still fragile due to the
prevailing degradation of infrastructure in the basic sectors of health,
water and sanitation, and food security.  The country also faces continuing
underlying economic and political challenges.  As a result, Zimbabwe
remains at a crossroads."

Zimbabwe, which has been facing a myriad of problems, which include
hyper-inflation, massive food shortages over the years has stabilised after
the formation of the unity government by President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabwe has experienced improvements in the health sector, with hospitals
and clinics re-opening last year while the use of multiple currencies
stabilised the economy and stemmed inflation.

The CAP was launched by the UN in 1992 in an effort to provide a
co-ordinated approach by aid organisations to monitor their activities
together.

"It is a tool used by aid organisations to plan, implement and monitor their
activities together. Working together in the world's crisis regions, they
produce appeals, which they present to the international community and
donors," the UN said at the formation of the CAP.

Zimbabwe fund seeks $100 mln to ride recovery

http://af.reuters.com

Mon Aug 2, 2010 1:25pm GMT

By Chris Vellacott

LONDON (Reuters) - A investment fund plans to raise $100 million to buy
assets in Zimbabwe ahead of a hoped-for bounce back from the country's
status as an economic basket case.

Masawara Plc has already secured a $25 million commitment from one of
Britain's biggest investors, Invesco Perpetual's Neil Woodford, and its
managers hope to achieve a total capitalisation of around $155 million.

The new vehicle will invest in sectors where the breadbasket-turned-pariah
has a perceived comparative advantage, such as mining and agriculture, its
manager, Shingai Mutasa, told Reuters on Monday.

It also plans to invest in other capital-starved areas such as
telecommunications and real estate as well as snapping up assets in an
expected wave of privatisations as the cash-strapped state moves to sell its
holdings, Mutasa said.

"When we pitched to Mr Woodford he was intrigued... I get the feeling he
sees this as a new frontier," Mutasa said.

Woodford, who runs more than 15 billion pounds in assets, will take close to
30 percent of the fund by buying all the shares in an initial public offer
for $25 million, implying a market capitalisation of $80 million.

The remaining shares are owned by the fund's management.

After the offer Masawara will be listed on AIM, albeit with negligible
liquidity or trading volumes, giving it the exposure and transparency Mutasa
hopes will pique the interest of others.

Within six months, the company expects to launch a follow-on offer amounting
to a further $75 million of new invesmtent, Mutasa said.

"We don't believe $25 million is a lot of money in terms of the
opportunities in Zimbabwe. We believe the moment that is spent we will
immediately come back to the market," he said.

The initial portfolio comprises a 40 percent interest in a commercial real
estate development and 30 percent in Harare-listed TA Holdings, an
investment company with shares in insurance, agricultural businesses and
hotels.

Zimbabwe has struggled with macroeconomic crisis in recent years, and
inflation reached an annual rate of 231 million percent in July 2008 before
the country stopped announcing figures.

Inflation was brought under control with the adoption of the U.S. dollar and
other foreign currencies while political unrest has lessened since President
Robert Mugabe and his rival Morgan Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing
government last year.

"The hyperinflation era and difficult political environment over the last 10
years sapped most Zimbabwean businesses of capital and we see a massive
opportunity in the rebuilding of the Zimbabwe economy over the next five to
10 years. We're pretty confident this is the right time to start putting
money in," Mutasa said.

Fund manager sees Zimbabwe's potential

http://www.theaustralian.com.au

    * Gary Parkinson
    * From: The Times
    * August 02, 2010 7:59AM

ONE OF the most highly regarded fund managers in London has committed $US25
million of clients' money to investment in Zimbabwe.

Neil Woodford, who manages about ₤15 billion ($26bn) for Invesco Perpetual,
has bought a stake of 29.5 per cent in Masawara, a fund that will be valued
at $US80m ($88m) when trading in the shares begins on London's Alternative
Investment Market in a fortnight.

Masawara intends to buy into Zimbabwean mines and oil companies,
agriculture, telecommunications and property as well as to take part in
privatisations of state-held assets.

Masawara, which is incorporated in Jersey, owns 40 per cent of Harare's
biggest commercial property development and almost a third of TA Holdings,
another investment company with stakes in agriculture and mining.

TA is run by Shingai Mutasa, a Zimbabwean businessman, who will identify
Masawara's future investments.

For many years the African country was a major tobacco producer and bread
basket for its neighbours. The forced seizure of almost all white-owned
commercial farms, with the stated aim of benefiting landless black
Zimbabweans, led to the collapse of the agricultural-led economy.

Inflation there is rampant, and food and fuel is in short supply.

President Mugabe rules over a country whose economy is in tatters, where
unemployment and poverty are endemic and political repression is
commonplace.

Many Zimbabweans survive on grain handouts. Hundreds of thousands, including
many professionals, have left the country.

Details of Mr Woodford's investment emerged on a day when Mr Mugabe launched
his latest attack on the West for the sanctions imposed on his Zanu (PF)
party.

Talking to thousands of people at the burial of his sister, he accused the
European Union and US of failing to recognise Zimbabwe as an independent
state with rights over its land and natural resources, and of trying to
drive him from power.

"We say to hell, to hell, hell with them," he said. "Sanctions must go. We
are still being treated as if we don't own this country."

The coalition government there is divided over plans to force foreign-owned
businesses to transfer 51 per cent stakes to black Zimbabweans.

Zimbabwe: Does Woodford know something we don’t?

http://ftalphaville.ft.com/

Posted by Gwen Robinson on Aug 02 10:50.

Is there something afoot in Zimbabwe? As The Times (via The Australian)
reported on Monday, influential UK-based fund manager Neil Woodford, who
manages about ₤15bn for Invesco Perpetual, has committed $25m of clients’
money to investment in Zimbabwe.

Woodford bought a 29.5 per cent stake in Masawara, a Jersey-incorporated
fund that the Times says will be valued at $80m when AIM trading in the
shares begins in a fortnight.

Masawara intends to buy into Zimbabwean mines and oil companies,
agriculture, telecoms and property as well as to take part in privatisations
of state-held assets, the report said.

All very well. But with plans by the Mugabe government to force
foreign-owned businesses to transfer stakes of at least 15 per cent to black
Zimbabweans, a recent IMF warning to Harare about economic stagnation and
the latest anti-western rant from Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe on
Monday, one might wonder about Woodford’s — and of course, Masawara’s —
sense of timing.

Then again, one might also wonder if they know something we don’t.

On the upside – for business, anyway – the country’s diamond industry is
gearing up to recommence at least some exports, after the Kimberly Process,
the international industry regulator, recently decided to allow limited
exports of gems from Zimbabwe’s controversial Marange fields.

Exports from the Marange deposits, said to be partly controlled by key
figures in the Mugabe regime, were suspended by the Kimberley Process last
November amid allegations of large-scale human rights abuses.

The abuses allegedly took place after Zimbabwe security forces who were sent
to the Marange fields to crack down on smuggling. But, as the FT noted,
human rights groups say that scores of miners were killed by the army and
villagers rounded up for forced labour.

As for Masawara: the fund owns 40 per cent of Harare’s biggest commercial
property development and almost a third of TA Holdings, another investment
company with stakes in agriculture and mining, according to The Times.

TA, the report adds, is run by Shingai Mutasa, a Zimbabwean businessman, who
it says “will identify” Masawara’s future investments.

As for Woodford and Invesco Perpetual: perhaps he wanted a diversion from
playing the heavyweight activist investor in tense merger talks between
International Power and GDF Suez.

Zimbabwe would certainly give him that.Zimbabwe: Does Woodford know
something we don’t?
Posted by Gwen Robinson on Aug 02 10:50.

Is there something afoot in Zimbabwe? As The Times (via The Australian)
reported on Monday, influential UK-based fund manager Neil Woodford, who
manages about ₤15bn for Invesco Perpetual, has committed $25m of clients’
money to investment in Zimbabwe.

Woodford bought a 29.5 per cent stake in Masawara, a Jersey-incorporated
fund that the Times says will be valued at $80m when AIM trading in the
shares begins in a fortnight.

Masawara intends to buy into Zimbabwean mines and oil companies,
agriculture, telecoms and property as well as to take part in privatisations
of state-held assets, the report said.

All very well. But with plans by the Mugabe government to force
foreign-owned businesses to transfer stakes of at least 15 per cent to black
Zimbabweans, a recent IMF warning to Harare about economic stagnation and
the latest anti-western rant from Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe on
Monday, one might wonder about Woodford’s — and of course, Masawara’s —
sense of timing.

Then again, one might also wonder if they know something we don’t.

On the upside – for business, anyway – the country’s diamond industry is
gearing up to recommence at least some exports, after the Kimberly Process,
the international industry regulator, recently decided to allow limited
exports of gems from Zimbabwe’s controversial Marange fields.

Exports from the Marange deposits, said to be partly controlled by key
figures in the Mugabe regime, were suspended by the Kimberley Process last
November amid allegations of large-scale human rights abuses.

The abuses allegedly took place after Zimbabwe security forces who were sent
to the Marange fields to crack down on smuggling. But, as the FT noted,
human rights groups say that scores of miners were killed by the army and
villagers rounded up for forced labour.

As for Masawara: the fund owns 40 per cent of Harare’s biggest commercial
property development and almost a third of TA Holdings, another investment
company with stakes in agriculture and mining, according to The Times.

TA, the report adds, is run by Shingai Mutasa, a Zimbabwean businessman, who
it says “will identify” Masawara’s future investments.

As for Woodford and Invesco Perpetual: perhaps he wanted a diversion from
playing the heavyweight activist investor in tense merger talks between
International Power and GDF Suez.

Zimbabwe would certainly give him that.

'Unity' government becomes even more divided

http://www.mg.co.za/

RAY NDLOVU | BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE - Aug 02 2010 13:51

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has moved to strengthen his dominance over
the 17-month "unity" government by unilaterally appointing ambassadors and
running regular advertisements in the state media inflating himself and
minimising his coalition partner party, the Movement for Democratic Change.

Incensed by Mugabe's diplomatic reshuffle last week, on which he did not
consult Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC called for the reversal of
the appointments.

This is not the first time Mugabe has breached the terms and spirit of the
coalition government. He previously appointed Gideon Gono governor of the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Johannes Tomana as attorney general, as well as
making appointments to various provincial leadership posts. In May this year
he appointed a new supreme court judge and four high court judges without
consulting his coalition partners.

The new diplomatic posts include those of Phelekezela Mphoko as ambassador
to South Africa. Mphoko replaces Simon Khaya Moyo, elected Zanu-PF
chairperson earlier this year. The Pretoria posting is of great significance
for both Zanu-PF and the MDC, as two million Zimbabweans are estimated to be
living in South Africa -- a large potential support base.

Given that President Jacob Zuma is now the Southern African Development
Community's facilitator in talks between the two Zimbabwean parties, they
both see the ambassadorship as a strategic platform from which to promote
their agendas.

Said Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, the MDC's secretary for international relations:
"Taking into account the number of Zanu PF-appointed diplomats throughout
the world . we believe that in all fairness the South African post should
have been given to the MDC."

Meanwhile, the state-owned broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings
(ZBH), has been airing jingles at 30-minute intervals lauding Mugabe and
reminding Zimbabweans of who is "number one and the man in charge".
Political analysts view this as a campaign by Mugabe to tighten his grip on
power and ready Zanu-PF for elections, scheduled for next year.

One of the jingles, entitled Ndikusetere Timu (Let's Set the Team),
identifies the leadership hierarchy in the country as Mugabe and his two
deputies, Joyce Mujuru and John Nkomo, and suggests that Tsvangirai is
unimportant.

The MDC vehemently rejected the jingles, saying that they "fan disunity and
undermine the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (that
established the unity government)".

A Zanu-PF insider said that the jingles reflected the party's view of
Tsvangirai as a "senior minister" within the coalition government, whereas
Mugabe was "the supreme leader who wielded real power". Tsvangirai won
majority support in the 2008 presidential elections.

MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa described the jingles as another
point-scoring ploy by Zanu-PF that showed a party moving into election mode.
The MDC views ZBH as a "conveyor belt of Zanu-PF propaganda".

Since 2000 Zanu-PF has used jingles on the state-owned media to garner
popular support for Mugabe and his policies. They were particularly
prominent during the 2002 and 2008 presidential elections and the wave of
farm seizures.

Mugabe loyalists defend them by saying they are part of Zimbabwe's
liberation struggle history.

Mugabe and Zanu-PF's drive for absolute dominance has also been highlighted
by Zimbabwe's ongoing constitution-making process, rolled out last month in
Harare by Parliament's constitutional committee.

Reports of intimidation by Zanu-PF supporters and war veterans, apparently
aimed at seizing control of the process, have cast a dark cloud over
attempts to sound popular opinion on a new constitutional dispensation.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said that "the process has become highly
politicised . with political interference such as coaching the ordinary
person on what to say".

It emerged last week that views gathered from people in the Matabeleland
South region had mysteriously disappeared from a laptop where they were
stored.

Chamisa said that in light of the growing intimidation, the MDC leadership
would debate its continued participation in the outreach process.

Farmers take Zim government to court over legal costs

http://www.timeslive.co.za

Aug 2, 2010 8:39 PM | By Sapa

Three farmers whose farms were seized by the Zimbabwean government will
apply for a special order to recover legal costs in the High Court in
Pretoria, their attorney said on Monday.

Photograph by: MICK TSIKAS
Credit: REUTERS

The farmers would launch the application against the Zimbabwean government
on Tuesday, Willie Spies, their attorney from AfriForum, said in a
statement.

The move followed the government's scrapping an initial urgent application
against the farmers without offering to compensate them for wasted
expenditure.

Spies said the Zimbabwean government brought the action against the farmers
because it was apparently under the impression that the auction of its
properties in Cape Town was organised by AfriForum and the farmers.

"Although the farmers were the first ones to seize the properties, the
auctions were organised by German banking group KFW Bankengruppe." The
auctions had been scheduled for July 27 and August 10 by the bank, which was
the legitimate holder of significant claims by a group of white farmers
contesting the seizure of their Zimbabwean farms.

"Despite the fact that the correct facts had been widely reported in the
media, the Zimbabwean government erroneously lodged an urgent application
against the Zimbabwean farmers Louis Fick, Richard Etheredge and Michael
Campbell." The initial urgent application against the farmers was to be
heard on Wednesday in the High Court in Pretoria.

But Zimbabwe launched another urgent application in the High Court in
Johannesburg last week, a day before the first auction of its South
African-owned properties was held, in a bid to stop it.

Bank spokesman Axel Breitbach said the auctions had been suspended until the
court process was finalised. Spies said it was clear the Zimbabwean
government was trying to further jeopardise the three farmers with random
court applications.

"Although they were deprived of their income by the Zimbabwean government,
they have to incur high legal costs for their court cases against the
Zimbabwean government." That country's government, in turn, was refusing to
honour orders to pay costs older than one year, including one by the
Southern African Development Community tribunal, Spies said.

Deputy PM Mutambara unsure of his future

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

03 August, 2010 01:01:00    By Guthrie Munyuki

HARARE - The leader of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) Arthur Mutambara has refused to be drawn into discussing his
future in the party following interest from his deputy Welshman Ncube, who
has publicly stated his desire to contest him for the post.
Mutambara's MDC is poised to hold its elective congress in 2011 to choose
new leadership.

But Mutambara, who is the Deputy Prime Minister in the inclusive government,
refused to comment on his future in the party he led following its split
from the main faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

"I am interested in taking this country forward. Any discussion that I can
have with you, would be on what we are doing to make Zimbabwe globally
competitive. I have no time for petty partisan issues," Mutambara said.

The robotics Professor said he was unfazed by reports continuously linking
Ncube to his job in the party because Zimbabwe's economic recovery and the
inclusive government were his priorities.

Mutambara led the other faction of the MDC following its split from
Tsvangirai's party in 2005 after sharp differences emerged on the formation's
decision not to participate in the senatorial elections.

Ncube, who is the party's secretary general, has said he will contest for
the presidency.

The ambitious MDC faction leader is no longer eligible for re-election to
his current position but has said he would offer himself for the party's top
job.

"Congress will sit and in its wisdom can decide where to deploy people.
Remember in the last congress, it was decided to get Mutambara who was not
even in the party's national executive to come and lead. That could happen.

"What I'm really pointing out is that leadership positions will be decided
at congress. As for the specific question on my attitude towards the issue,
my answer is simply that I am available in the same manner as all the other
members of the national executive for re-deployment to any other position,
be it president or deputy secretary-general and whatever congress sees fit,''
Ncube recently told a Zimbabwean website in an interview.

Ncube, treasurer-general Fletcher Dulini Ncube and Vice-president Gibson
Sibanda have served their full terms.

However, national chairman Joubert Mudzumwe, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga
and Mutambara, are eligible for re-election. - Daily News

Dog-eating Chinese given warning for animal cruelty

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
02 August 2010

Animal welfare activists have expressed their outrage after a Chinese
national, accused of cruelly killing at least three dogs, was let off with
nothing more than an official police warning.

The Chinese man was taken into police custody last weekend after
investigations by the Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ) group
found he had killed the dogs for meat. Another Chinese man was questioned in
connection with the incident. But no official charges were laid, despite
evidence of the cruelty the animals had suffered.

Local residents in West Nicholson outside Gwanda town in Matabeleland South
had raised the alarm weeks ago, after three Chinese engineers, hired to
install transmitters in the area, were said to be buying dogs for $10 each,
then killing and eating them. Dog meat is considered a delicacy by some
Chinese nationals, who brutally kill the animals so that they die slowly, to
flavour the meat with adrenalin and other hormones.

VAWZ inspector Meryl Harrison told SW Radio Africa on Monday that a team
travelled to the town to investigate the claims, and found evidence of dog
killings at the Chinese nationals' camp.

"On investigation inspectors found the wire in a tree, a pool of dried blood
underneath the tree, several pieces of dried dog meat hanging up and, some
distance away, a dog's paw and tail," she said, explaining how the dogs are
usually tied by their necks to trees and slowly beaten until they die.

Harrison said a fourth dog was to be killed the following day, but was
rescued. A report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of two
Chinese men, although a third man had relocated to Mutare. Only one man
admitted to killing the animals, and the VAWZ team tried to have animal
cruelty charges laid against him for the suffering the animals were put
through.

VAWZ supplied the police with a copy of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Act. Harrison said that the man should have been charged under sections
3(i)(d) that criminalises any action that "causes any unnecessary suffering
and 3 (i)(g) which deals with a person who "cruelly causes or permits any
animal to be tied up or confined".

Harrison expressed anger that the Chinese national was released on a
warning, despite promises by the police that the matter was 'serious'. She
explained that the police were struggling to find grounds to prosecute the
Chinese man, saying there is no legislation on the slaughter of dogs.

"Fine this is true, but we wanted this man charged on the grounds of the
suffering the dogs underwent," Harrison said. "We are horrified he was let
off with a warning, because we were hoping this would send a strong message
to stop this happening."

Zimbabwe to force banks to slash high lending rates

http://www.busrep.co.za

August 2, 2010

By Cris Chinaka |Harare

Zimbabwe's central bank would intervene to force banks to slash 'punitive'
lending rates of as high as 50 percent that were partly blamed for slowing
economic recovery, it said on Friday.

A unity government formed by President Robert Mugabe and rival Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai 18 months ago adopted the use of foreign
currencies including the rand and US dollar, which has helped to stabilise
the economy and stemmed hyperinflation.

But Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said lending rates had
remained too high, with banks charging between 30 percent and 50 percent,
discouraging companies from borrowing.

'Some of the players in the banking sector have completely diverted their
interest rate regimes from the co-fundamentals of inflation and fair
evaluation of risk profiles in the market, more towards unexplained
outrageous punitive lending rates,' Gono said in a mid-year monetary
statement.

'The Reserve Bank has been left with no other option but to intervene with
the immediate introduction of a more robust market-based interest rates
framework,' he said.

According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) data Zimbabwe's inflation
peaked at 500 billion percent in December 2008, while interest rates rose
above 1 000 percent. But the introduction of the multi-currency regime has
seen inflation return to single digits.

The index eased to 5.3 percent year on year in June from 6.1 percent in May.

Gono also said the central bank was scrapping a requirement for banks to
keep 5 percent of their cash holdings with the central bank in a bid to free
more funds for lending.

Zimbabwe registered its first growth in a decade last year, but analysts say
the country is struggling to attract foreign aid.

Although the IMF has warned that the banking sector faces systemic risks,
Gono said 17 of the country's 24 financial institutions had met a June 30
deadline to raise the minimum capital threshold to $12 million (R87m). -
Reuters

Zimbabwe - Germany shows what can be done in Zim

http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk

02 Aug 2010

The Zimbabwe government ordered an armed gang off three agricultural
plantations in the east of the country, belonging to German national
Heinrich von Pezold, after Germany threatened to withdraw aid to Zimbabwe.

On the same day in Chipinge, South African citizen Mike Odendaal was
arrested on his farm Wolwedraai for refusing to vacate his property. The
South African embassy secured his release, but it was the first time the
embassy had intervened after several requests for help from Odendaal.

Civil rights group AfriForum and South African farmers in Zimbabwe facing
similar threats said the two events indicate how little the South African
government cares for its citizens abroad.

"I've written to Imraan Simmins at the South African Embassy pointing out
that the South African government potentially has a lot more leverage in
Zimbabwe than Germany, and yet Germany is producing results for its
citizens," said Ian Ferguson, whose Denlyian ranch near Beit Bridge has been
seized despite its supposed protection by a recently ratified South
Africa/Zimbabwe bilateral investment protection agreement (Bipa).

Ferguson's game was slaughtered and his son faces charges of illegally
occupying his own land.
"Simmins sent me a letter saying the Bipa agreement was meaningless in my
case.

He then wrote to apologise after being ticked off by the foreign affairs
department, who said the South African government's position was not yet
clear," said Ferguson.

He wrote to Simmins again when his son's case was remanded to 14 July 2010,
saying this was an opportunity to inform the magistrate that this was
considered a Bipa-protected property. "But of course I didn't get any
 reply," said Ferguson.

AfriForum lawyer Willie Spies said a number of other South African farmers
are having problems. "A Mr Hapelt is being terrorised by invaders in
Somabhula; Geoff Carbutt has been arrested and prevented from accessing his
own farm, and Gary Godfrey had his electricity cut off by local police, to
name but a few," said Spies.

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said his organisation intended using Mike
Odendaal's case "to tackle the South African government over their lack of
action".

They want to get the courts to see government isn't fulfilling the
responsibilities to its own citizens, Kriel explained. "That way we can
compel government to show how it intends to deal with the situation."

Earlier this year, AfriForum successfully attached a number of Zimbabwean
properties in South Africa on behalf of South African farmers who lost their
livelihoods in Zimbabwe.

In July, the Zimbabwe government brought an urgent application to prevent
AfriForum from selling the properties.

However, some of the same properties were attached by lawyers for German
bank KfW Bankengruppe, which is owed US0 million (R1,1 billion) by Zimbabwe's
state-owned steel company Zisco.

"I believe the German bank wasn't interdicted like we were," said Kriel. "If
they go ahead with their own sales of attached properties, there's nothing
we can do to stop them.

"The bottom line is the Germans have shown what can be done. But instead of
coming to the defence of its own citizens the South African government
invited Mugabe to the World Cup final.

When he's treated softly like that there's no reason for his government to
stop persecuting South African farmers." - Sean Christie

Source: farmersweekly.co.za

Press release - launch of transitional justice outreach report

The report is now available for download [pdf 3.3 MB]
from <http://www.hrforumzim.com/frames/inside_frame_special.htm>

Roger

The Outreach Report - Taking Transitional Justice to the People
[Volume 2] sets out the experiences of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum, its members and associates, who conducted community-based
outreach meetings in 51 constituencies in the country between
February 2009 and February 2010 on transitional justice. Reports of
the 14 meetings which made up the first phase of the process were
included in Volume 1 published in June 2009 and details of the
remaining 37 meetings are recorded in this report. In all 2 357
people participated.

The report gives a brief background to transitional justice in
Zimbabwe and the rationale for the Forum's involvement in the
process. It describes the methodology used at the meetings and the
challenges experienced by the facilitators. Recommendations from each
of the 37 constituency meetings are recorded in detail in the
language used by the participants. Quotations from participants are
presented verbatim.

The concepts of criminal justice, restorative justice, social justice
and economic justice guided the meetings and participants presented
their recommendations on how best to achieve these goals under a
variety of headings of their choice. These included: accountability;
compensation for victims of political violence; reparations for
damages and rehabilitation for both victims and perpetrators;
restoration of justice and the rule of law; impunity; institutional
reform and the role of political leaders, the police and the army;
electoral reforms; media reform; a clear distinction between the
roles of the church and the state and who could and should lead the
process of achieving meaningful transitional justice. At no time did
the facilitators influence the discussions in any particular
direction. They merely recorded what the people said and where
requested to do so, described relevant experiences of other countries
that had gone through comparable transitional phases.

The overriding plea of the participants was for truth recovery and
truth disclosure to redress the human rights abuses of the past and
in so doing foster true national reconciliation. An elderly
participant at one of the meetings asked the question which
summarised the general feeling of the people who participated in the
outreach - "Who will dare begin the process of recovering the truth?"

The Forum is presenting the views of a small section of the
population in the spirit of Article VII of the Global Political
Agreement "Promotion of Equality, National Healing and Unity,"
specifically clause 7(c) which states that the parties to the
Agreement "shall give consideration to the setting up of a mechanism
to properly advise on what measures might be necessary and
practicable to achieve national healing, cohesion and unity in
respect of pre and post independence political conflicts."

The report will be launched at a function at the Bulawayo Rainbow
Hotel at 6.00 p m on Friday 30 July 2010. The keynote speaker will be
prominent human rights activist and Zimbabwe's Minister of Education,
Sport, Art and Culture Hon. Senator David Coltart. Another prominent
human rights activist and Minister of State Enterprise and
Parastatals, Hon. Gorden Moyo will officially launch the report.
Ends//

Sydney Chisi looks to youth to fulfill his country's quest for democracy

Training Zimbabwe's Next Generation of Leaders

Despite years of domestic political activism and international diplomatic pressure, much of Zimbabwe's leadership has remained entrenched and has used violence and intimidation against its opposition. Sydney Chisi, who has himself been arrested and assaulted several times by supporters of President Robert Mugabe's ruling party, sees the future hope for his country's democracy in his fellow youth.

Chisi, fellow Zimbabweans Cleopatra Ndlovu and Masimba Mathias Nyamanhindi, and more than 100 other young civil society and private sector leaders from across sub-Saharan Africa will be participating in the President's Forum with Young African Leaders August 3-5.

He told America.gov that the forum comes "at an opportune time," citing the need to demystify rhetoric that is emanating from Zimbabwean officials, particularly from those affiliated with Mugabe's party, the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), and tell Americans and other Africans the truth about what is going on in Zimbabwe.

The last decade has seen "unprecedented levels of atrocities, oppression and lack of democracy," as well as no respect for either the rule of law [or] human rights, he said. "We need to go out there and make sure that we tell the Zimbabwean story."

Chisi is the founder and director of the Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe (YIDEZ), which runs an academy for 18- to 35-year-olds focused on developing leadership skills and empowering them to take action. According to the U.S. Embassy in Harare, YIDEZ helped to boost youth participation in Zimbabwe's March 2008 elections from a mere 10 percent to a significant 28 percent.

In nominating Chisi to participate in the Washington forum, the embassy noted that in Zimbabwe, as well as in many African countries, leaders are remaining in their positions so long that they are keeping their children's generation from succeeding them, and effectively ensuring that the current generation of youth are likely to take over when they are gone.

Embassy officials recognized Chisi's ability to enhance Zimbabwean youth political activism in rural and urban communities, including farms that have been targeted by ZANU-PF autocrats. His experience and influence are also being put to effective use in his position as the spokesman for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a network of 350 grass-roots civil society organizations.

While in Washington, Chisi says, he wants to talk to fellow Africans about ways to increase the capacity of young people "to build synergies with other critical partners who would help in leadership development." Engagement with others doing similar work not only would boost YIDEZ, but also raise the effectiveness of other "pro-democratic parties or any institutions that believe in people-centered development," he said.

Chisi was also impressed with how President Obama was able to tap into younger American voters during his 2008 presidential campaign and make them a powerful resource in his election victory.

"I think, for many leaders, you cannot build any nation without involving young people," he said. In Zimbabwe, 65 percent of the population is young, but 90 percent of them are unemployed. Zimbabwe is facing "a time bomb," he said, and its leadership must start including younger people if they hope to develop national policies and values.

But even as Zimbabwe suffers from economic, health and social problems amid its political turmoil, Chisi says Zimbabwe's leadership has not been willing thus far to bring young people into the political process.

"We have witnessed over a period of time that the people in the hegemony of the ruling class in Zimbabwe have made a living out of the crisis, what I would call 'crisis entrepreneurs,' he said. Their continued ability to benefit from the situation makes them unwilling "to leave a parcel of power to capacitate and bring in young people into the debate," he said.

In a February 2009 opinion piece in Zimbabwe's The Standard, he described Zimbabwe's march toward democracy as a "long walk" on board a ship that is "swinging and almost sinking." He urged young people to think ahead and empower themselves, rather than depend on current leaders, to realize their long-term democratic goals.

"For as long as we fail to challenge those already in leadership positions by widening our capacity base so that we are not wide but shallow, we will continue to be crybabies in this dispensation," he wrote. "As it becomes a nation in transition, we should also, as young people, be able to manage our constituency's own dynamics and transition."

# # #

This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.  Web site: http://www.america.gov)

August 2, 2010

No change in Zimbabwe

http://www.mg.co.za

JASON MOYO | HARARE, ZIMBABWE - Aug 02 2010 14:09

We always knew a unity government would bring change to Zimbabwe -- but
perhaps not in the form of eggs and toffees.

Early last year, Zimbabwe, the world's last bulwark against imperialism,
ditched its own Zimbabwe dollar for United States dollars and other foreign
currencies.

Almost overnight, the currency reforms brought some stability. Inflation,
which was last measured at 500-billion percent, has slowed to 5,3%,
supermarkets are full, we no longer have to carry clumps of near-worthless
notes -- and robbers again find it worthwhile to hit banks and mug people.

But, for all the joys of finally using a currency of some value, we have to
contend with a shortage of small change.

For your 37c change after handing over $2 for a carton of milk, you are
asked to choose between a candle, seven toffees, two eggs or matches. Or you
can get the people at the stores' deli section to surgically cut up slices
of ham for the exact amount. Or get the fruit and veg section to weigh a
banana for the amount.

Either that or they hand you a "credit note", a slip of paper saying how
much the supermarket owes you. The slip is as good as money, at the same
store.

And so Finance Minister Tendai Biti has come up with an idea. Zimbabwe will
import currency in smaller notes and coins, he says.

"Under the current multicurrency regime, the inadequacy of smaller
denominations has posed a number of challenges in transactions. Treasury
will facilitate in 2010 the importation of foreign smaller denominations and
coins," he told Parliament recently.

This week his South African counterpart, Pravin Gordhan, said he was yet to
receive a request for rands from Zimbabwe.

The debate over small change in Zimbabwe has spiralled into a wider emotive
debate about whether the country should adopt the rand.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been nudging Zimbabwe towards the
Southern African Customs Union. A "hard peg" to the rand would help end
currency fluctuations, the IMF says in its latest report on Zimbabwe's
economy.

"The rand would also offer more appropriate small denominations and bank
note and coin-handling costs would be lower than with the United States
dollar," it says.

According to Gordhan, the impact on South Africa of Zimbabwe doing this
would be minimal.

But although we have surrendered our sovereignty to the US, submitting
ourselves to South Africa would be hard for many Zimbabweans to swallow.
Among politicians South Africa is seen as that smug, wealthy cousin you go
to only grudgingly. On Harare's streets, unlike in Bulawayo, the rand is
rare, with the preferred currency being the US dollar.

Use of valuable currency has made stingy bean-counters out of Zimbabweans
and businesses, especially supermarkets, are under pressure to find
solutions.

John Mushayavanhu, head of Zimbabwe's bankers' association, says banks have
loads of rand coins. But beady-eyed retailers appear reluctant to take them.

"Right now we are sitting on thousands of rands in coins, but retailers are
not coming to collect," he said.

CBZ, the country's largest bank by deposits, has taken out advertisements
offering "South African coins, R1, R2, R5, in exchange for South African
bank notes at a rate of one-to-one or US dollars at the rate of the day".

NewsDay, the country's newest daily paper, sells on the streets for 50c, or
R5. But this kind of money is hard to come by, so you pay the dollar and get
a special token you can use to buy the paper's next edition.

Other service providers still resort to old Zimbabwe dollar bills to get by.
But in taxis the $50-billion notes are good only as change.

At the Avondale market in Harare, wily traders make good money selling the
iconic $100-trillion notes to collectors from around the world.

Still able to bargain at the tills and even rustle up a few coins, city folk
have it easy. But rural life under the hard-currency regime is a great deal
tougher.

A story is often told of the rural woman who paid for a bus ride with a
chicken -- and got an egg as change.

It is most probably a tall Harare tale, but it tells the story of how barter
trade has taken over the rural economy.

According to Biti, our beloved Zimbabwe dollar will not be back in
circulation before 2012. Maybe then, when our sovereignty is finally
restored, the economy will have undergone real change.

Bill Watch 30/2010 - 31st July [Review of Last Session of Parliament]