http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tichaona Sibanda
5
August 2011
Public Service Minister and MDC-T MP for Gutu South,
Professor Elphas
Mukonoweshuro, has died following a short
illness.
The 58 year-old former University of Zimbabwe lecturer was taken
ill six
weeks ago, suffering from a heart related ailment. He had been
receiving
specialist treatment at a hospital in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
‘Prof’ or ‘Mukono’, as he was affectionately known within the
academic and
MDC circles, was born and raised in Gutu, the same area he
later represented
in the House of Assembly.
Ian Makone, Chief
Secretary to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, told SW
Radio Africa on
Friday that Mukonoweshuro had been in hospital for the past
six
weeks.
‘He had gone there for a check up and we were getting regular feed
back from
his wife. Only last week, she left Harare to go and be with him.
Suddenly we
got a call this morning (Friday) to say he had died at 5am,’
Makone said.
Makone said the minister’s untimely death is a huge loss to
the MDC, the
academic world and politics in Zimbabwe. He said Mukonoweshuro
had remained
a highly-regarded member of the society throughout his life,
not only
through his profession as a University lecturer, but as a tireless
party
activist and family man.
‘He was a straight talker, very
sincere and precise and to the point. That
was perhaps his greatest asset to
the party, but we all come to the end of
our road and sadly this was his,’
Makone added.
The Prime Minister was saddened when he heard the shocking
news and ‘took it
very, very hard,’ according to Makone. Tsvangirai later
issued a statement
saying the professor’s family’ must derive comfort in
that it is not only
the family, but the country at large and the government
of Zimbabwe that
have lost a valiant son of the soil and a national
hero.’
Tributes to Mukonoweshuro flooded in from across the political
divide, with
fellow ministers, senators and MPs paying their respects.
Former party
spokesman Nelson Chamisa wrote on the social networking site
Facebook that
‘we are devastated at the passing on of our gallant and gifted
cadre...Prof
Mukonoweshuro.’
Senator Misheck Marava of Zaka told us
the professor will be missed beyond
measure, saying he was an effective
representative of his constituents, who
carried respect across the political
spectrum and far beyond. He described
his death as a ‘huge loss,’ adding:
‘People in Masvingo are just
shell-shocked.’
‘As a result of his open
door policy, he became a highly effective minister,
MP and he was MDC
through and through and yet was much-respected across the
political divide.
He was a highly educated man, but to us he was quite
simply, a good man,
with time for everyone,’ Marava said.
Grace Kwinjeh, Global Advocacy
campaign representative to the European Union
in Brussels, and once
Mukonoweshuro’s deputy when he was the party’s
secretary for international
relations, said her thoughts are with his loved
ones at their time of loss
and sadness.
‘He was a principled man, committed to the democratic values
the MDC-T
stands for. He was always pragmatic in his approach to all issues
concerning
international diplomacy. He will surely be missed,’ Kwinjeh
said.
Bernard Chiondegwa, the losing MDC-T parliamentary candidate for
Chivi
north, told us Zimbabwe has lost a fine man, who invested much into
its
future. The Harare based businessman said Mukonoweshuro contributed a
huge
amount to Zimbabwe’s political life and was a decent, intelligent and
warm
figure who was liked and respected across political divides.
‘He
inspired everyone he met with his warmth, compassion and his almost
evangelical zeal for fighting injustice. Nothing was too much trouble for
him and he was always the first to volunteer to help, no matter what the
task entailed.
‘This is why we managed to win so many seats in
Masvingo province during the
last election. He was an intelligent and
remarkable man. He is a great loss
to the MDC party and will be missed by us
all,’ Chiondegwa said.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Germany, Hebson Makuvise
from the MDC-T, said: ‘I
am shocked and deeply saddened by Mukonoweshuro’s
untimely death.
‘He was a truly decent man, who worked tirelessly for the
interests of
Zimbabwe. His life was dedicated to public service. He was a
committed and
an excellent government minister and a passionate campaigner
for social
justice, equality and opportunity.’
A statement from the
MDC said Mukonoweshuro joined the MDC in 1999 and was
appointed a special
advisor to party President on political and diplomatic
affairs.
‘Professor Mukonoweshuro is a holder of a BA, MA and PhD
from Birmingham in
the United Kingdom. He is survived by his wife and one
son. Mourners are
gathered at No 11 Woodgate, Pendennis, Mt Pleasant in
Harare. Burial
arrangements will be announced in due course,’ the statement
said.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Thulani Munda Friday 05 August
2011
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) has shutdown the
bourse’ website
after it was hacked into by unknown people, chief executive
officer Emmanuel
Munyukwi said on Friday.
Munyukwi said the shutting
down of the website would not affect trade on the
79-counter ZSE although
members of the public that rely on the site for
information and activities
on the bourse would not be able to do so.
“We have pulled down our
website after having been advised by our hosts,"
Munyukwi said, adding that
website was hacked on Wednesday. "There has not
been effect in trade, but
only that members of the public will not have
access to our link…. the
public cannot access our website as we have now
pulled it
offline.”
This is the second time in a year that a major public website
has been
hacked, after cyber attackers earlier this year targeted the
ministry of
finance website.
But cyber attacks against the ZSE
unheard whose main problem is the country’s
unpredictable and usually
acrimonious politics that have negatively affected
the economy in general
and trading on the bourse. -- ZimOnline
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Friday, 05
August 2011 17:08
HARARE - Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda has ordered
a council committee to
investigate allegations raised by a senior government
official that “filthy”
holding cells at Matapi Police Station should be
closed as they are not
suitable for humans.
Masunda instructed
the council’s health and community service committee led
by Councillor
Charles Nyatsuro, to investigate allegations raised by the
minister of State
in the office of the Prime Minister, Jameson Timba
alleging that cells at
Matapi are inhabitable.
“I have received a petition from minister Timba
and I want to give it to the
committee responsible for health so that we can
determine the action to be
taken by council,” said Masunda in council
minutes of a meeting held last
week.
Timba, who was detained at the
Matapi cells when he was arrested in June
petitioned council last month
calling for the closure of the cells.
Timba said the cells constitute a
threat to public health.
He said there is no decent and adequate washing
facilities, no running water
and the toilet is filthy.
“The cells do
not have good clean drinking water available and there are no
clean
blankets,” said Timba in his July 23 petition to Masunda.
“I am therefore
requesting that the city invokes the relevant by-laws and
shut down this
inhuman facility in the interest of public health until the
relevant
authorities have rectified the above inadequacies to your
satisfaction.”
Timba appealed to the Harare mayor to “shut down”
Matapi holding cells due
to the catastrophic health hazard it poses to
inmates.
The minister, who had a harrowing experience in the decrepit
Mbare holding
cells in June, said the closure will be in line with a 2005
Supreme Court
ruling by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.
The
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has also repeatedly called for
the
closure of Matapi, and the Highlands police cells.
In his petition, Timba
said if Masunda —an MDC appointed mayor and
lawyer—does not act on the
request, he will be forced to approach the
Supreme Court for
redress.
In that verdict, he also ordered government and Paradzai
Zimondi’s Zimbabwe
Prison Services to upgrade the
facilities.
Zimbabwe’s correctional services are generally deplorable and
in recent
years a commission led by another Supreme Court judge Rita Makarau
decried
overcrowding, poor diet and the high prevalence of disease, and
pestilence
in the country’s jails.
Recently, a parliamentary
committee also raised the same issues — bordering
on human rights abuses —
and urged authorities to act on the state of the
country’s prisons.
http://www.voanews.com
04 August
2011
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa halted the second Senate
reading of the
Public Order and Security Act Amendment Bill saying it was
not properly
tabled and that POSA is still a matter of party
negotiations
Violet Gonda & Sithandekile Mhlanga |
Washington
Zimbabwe Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa halted the
second Senate reading
of a law amending the Public Order and Security Act,
saying it was not
properly tabled and that POSA remains a subject of
negotiations in Harare's
national unity government
The proposed POSA
amendments were moved by Innocent Gonese, chief whip of
the Movement for
Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai. He said the
amendment bill had already passed in the House of
Assembly and was now
before the Senate for consideration. The legislation
would reduce police
powers.
Lawmakers want to bring POSA into line with the constitution on
issues of
freedom of assembly and association. Zimbabwe's police have often
used POSA,
which defenders of human rights consider draconian, to prohibit
public and
political gatherings.
Gonese told VOA Studio 7 reporter
Violet Gonda that he will re-introduce the
bill if talks among the
co-governing parties to not yield results.
Human rights lawyer Andrew
Makoni said POSA must be repealed as it does not
belong in any democratic
society. "If we are to say Zimbabwe is a democratic
country, it does not
need to be regulated in the manner which the Public
Order and Security Act
seeks to regulate the people of Zimbabwe,” Makoni
declared.
Legislator Moses Mzila-Ndlovu of the MDC wing led by
Welshman Ncube, a
negotiator in the government for that party, told VOA
reporter Sithandekile
Mhlanga that the question of POSA is supposed to be
dealt with by party
negotiators – but may not be until the status of former
party leader Arthur
Mutambara has been resolved.
Mutambara lost
control of the MDC wing to Ncube but remains a deputy prime
minister and a
principal in the unity government with the blessings of
President Robert
Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai. The Ncube-led MDC
says he should no
longer attend meetings with the president and prime
minister as he is not
the party's leader.
http://www.bloomberg.com
By Brian
Latham - Aug 5, 2011 6:42 PM GMT+1000
Zimbabwe became the world’s
seventh- biggest diamond producer by value in
2010, up from 13th the
previous year, statistics released by the Kimberley
Process and New
York-based Rapaport show.
The southern African nation produced gems worth
$339.8 million last year, up
from $20.4 million in 2009, the reports show.
The value of a carat from
Zimbabwe almost doubled from $21.20 to $40.28 in
the same period.
The jump came after the Kimberley Process, which
monitors the export of
so-called conflict gems, allowed limited sales of
diamonds from Zimbabwe’s
contested Marange diamond fields last
year.
The top producers of the stones by value last year were Botswana,
Russia,
Canada, South Africa, Angola and Namibia. Worldwide, gems worth $12
billion
were sold, a 45 percent increase on 2009, the Kimberley Process
tables show.
Global rough diamond production rose 39 percent in 2010 and
the average
price per carat increased 30 percent, Rapaport said in an
e-mailed statement
today.
http://www.herald.co.zw/
Friday, 05 August 2011
02:00
Court Reporter
INFIGHTING among the top brass in the police in
Manicaland province has
spilled to the High Court with the Officer
Commanding Mutare Urban District
Chief Superintendent Joseph Chani filing a
US$250 000 defamation lawsuit
against his boss.
Chief Supt Chani has
issued summons against Senior Assistant Commissioner
Munorweyi Shava Matutu,
the Officer Commanding Manicaland Province.
He is demanding the money for
defamation following an article that appeared
in a local newspaper.
Chief
Supt Chani argues that the article that was published in the Manica
Post at
the instigation of his boss and maliciously portrayed him as an
overzealous
officer who had tarnished the image of the force in Mutare.
The two work
together in the province and chief Supt Chani reports to Snr
Asst Comm
Matutu.
Through his lawyers Thondhlanga and Associates, Chief Supt Chani
stated in
the court papers that the statements by his boss were highly
defamatory and
that it damaged his persona in the community he
controls.
He said the statements were wrongful, malicious and
defamatory.
"The defendant maliciously referred to the plaintiff as an
officer who was
not doing his duties properly and was against the whole
community of Mutare.
"Defendant also referred to plaintiff as an overzealous
officer and had
caused acrimonious relationship between the police and the
courts.
"The written statements caused by the defendant were understood
to mean that
the plaintiff does not have the community at heart, is not a
proper
candidate to be the officer commanding Mutare Urban District.
"He
was portrayed as an overzealous person who had tarnished the name of the
ZRP
in Mutare as he acted in a manner, which had strained the relations
between
ZRP and the courts," read part of the summons.
The said article according
to the summons was published in the Manica Post
of May 20 to 26 this
year.
According to the newspaper article on the front page, Snr Asst Comm
Matutu
was expressing his concern over the bad relations between the police
and the
courts in Mutare in an interview with Manica Post.
According
to the article, Snr Asst Comm Matutu did not mention the name of
any
officer, but said the acrimony between the force and the courts almost
degenerated into a mini-war but said it was caused by an overzealous member
of the police.
Senior Asst Comm Matutu is yet to respond to the
application.
http://www.herald.co.zw/
Friday, 05 August 2011 02:00
Herald Reporter
A
VELD fire razed a 61-hectare commercial maize crop in Mvurwi destroying an
estimated 420 tonnes of the cereal valued at US$77 000.
The incident
occurred on Tuesday morning at Arda Farm owned by Zanu-PF
Councillor Cde
Sydney Chidamba.
Police in Mvurwi on Wednesday picked up Cde Chidamba's
neighbour to assist
with investigations to establish the cause of the
fire.
Clr Chidamba, one of the best tobacco and citrus farmers in Mvurwi,
said his
workers who were busy grading tobacco and harvesting oranges were
yet to
harvest the maize.
"My workers were busy selecting tobacco, while
others were working in the
citrus field when the fire started.
"When they
rushed to put out the fire it was too late and they were
overwhelmed.
"The yield was estimated at six to seven tonnes per hectare
and the maize
destroyed is worth about US$77 000," Clr Chidamba said.
Clr
Chidamba has been at the farm for 10 years. The security supervisor at
the
farm, Mr Timothy Chikovanyanga, said he had reported the case to the
police.
"I made a report at Mvurwi Police and the officers came to assess
the damage
and investigate the cause. I took them around the farm trying to
trace the
source of the fire and we ended up at a neighbour's house.
"A
man was picked up for questioning and I left him in the hands of the
police
in Mvurwi," said Mr Chikovanyanga.
When The Herald visited the farm on
Wednesday, burnt maize cobs were
scattered in the fields, while others had
been heaped in various places.
A 300-strong herd of cattle was wandering
about the burst pastures.
Clr Chidamba said he was thinking of taking some of
the cattle to
neighbouring farms that had pastures.
http://www.voanews.com/
04 August
2011
Supporters of Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party are accused in the
attack on Ayaya
Kassim, youth chairman in Mbare's 11th ward for the MDC
formation of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
Ntungamili Nkomo |
Washington
A call by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday
for political
tolerance and an end to violence seemed not to be heeded by
alleged ZANU-PF
activists in the Mbare township of Harare who severely
injured an official
of the Movement for Democratic Change by dashing
scalding hot cooking oil in
his face.
Supporters of Mr. Mugabe's
ZANU-PF party are accused in the attack on Ayaya
Kassim, youth chairman in
Mbare's 11th ward for the MDC formation of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mbare, site of a bus terminal, a sports stadium
and major flea market, has
been a hot spot for political violence, often
against Tsvangirai MDC
members.
Sources said a group of ZANU-PF militants stalked Kassim to the
house of a
friend where they splashed hot oil in his face, badly disfiguring
him.
ZANU-PF youths backed by liberation war veterans stormed Parliament
last
week and assaulted an MDC legislator and journalists. No arrests were
made
in that incident.
Tsvangirai MDC legislator Gift Chimanikire,
who visited Kassim in the
hospital Thursday, told VOA Studio 7 reporter
Ntungamili Nkomo that the
victim is in bad shape.
"It can best be
described as an act of attempted murder. His face is badly
damaged and he
may require plastic surgery at some stage," Chimanikire said.
Commenting,
political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said the latest incident of
violence
should be a major embarrassment for Mr. Mugabe. "Either he has lost
command
of his party or his call for peace is hypocritical," Ngwenya said.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Xolisani Ncube and Nkululeko Sibanda
Friday, 05
August 2011 15:38
HARARE - Emmanuel Makandiwa, the popular young
“prophet” reported to have
fled the country will have to “face the music” if
found guilty of illegally
leading the production of “spiritual” airtime
cards.
Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
(Potraz)
deputy director-general Alfred Marisa told the Daily News yesterday
that his
organisation was winding up a probe on the legality of the air time
cards.
Potraz is the country’s telecommunications licensing
authority.
Makandiwa, whose followers have reacted angrily to reports
that he could
have fled the country on Tuesday, launched the airtime service
exclusively
for followers who want to receive spiritual messages from
him.
Potraz fears Makandiwa’s airtime service could be illegal and riding
on
registered networks such as Econet, Telecel and Net One without
approval.
Marisa said investigations would establish whether Makandiwa
should be
personally charged for breaching the Telecommunications Act or to
lay
responsibility on his United Families International (UFI) as an
institution.
“If the investigations prove that he (Makandiwa) was solely
responsible for
the airtime project, he would be the one who has to face the
music and
answer to the charges of contravening the sections of the Act,”
said Marisa.
“There is absolutely no point in troubling the church when
the man of God is
the one responsible,” said Marisa.
He added: “In
the same vein, there is no point in troubling the man of God
when the church
is responsible. That is how these things work.”
“There are some statutes,
however, ‘Makandiwa to face music’ that might also
be roped into this kind
of case. The bottom line is that anyone or
institution that is found to have
carried out unauthorised activities in
contravention of the Act and its
other statutes will indeed have to face the
music,” said
Marisa.
Marisa spoke as legions of Makandiwa’s faithful yesterday took
turns to wish
a bad omen could befall journalists reporting on the
case.
Some angry Makandiwa followers who called the Daily News and posted
ferocious comments on social networking sites such as Facebook said they
wished all sorts of bad things from rotting in hell to being burnt by fire
to the authors of the story.
Church officials interviewed by the
Daily News on Wednesday said Makandiwa
had not fled the country but was on a
three-week holiday.
Makandiwa’s spokesman, Pastor Kufa told the Daily
News: “I know that people
want to play with the man of God. But the truth is
that he has gone on a
three-week holiday with his spiritual father and
family.”
The three-week absence means that Makandiwa could be unavailable
for a
massively advertised “Catch the Fire” conference in which he was
supposed to
be a star attraction between 15-21 August in
Harare.
Observers said it was bizarre that Makandiwa could allow
organisers of the
conference, Heartfelt International, to advertise a
conference that named
him and Ugandan “Apostle” Robert Kayanja as main
speakers when he knew he
would be away.
Pastor Kufa did not comment
on this apparent misnomer.
Admire Taderera, spokesperson of Heartfelt
International, told the Daily
News that Makandiwa’s absence would not stop
the Evangelical Conference.
He said the 34-year-old “prophet” was just an
invited guest to speak for a
day.
“We are going ahead with the
programme because Catch the Fire is not prophet
Makandiwa’s idea. He was
just an invited guest who shares a strong
relationship with the founder of
Heartfelt International,” said the former
broadcaster.
Makandiwa
joined the mega-rich crew of young Pentecostal Pastors when he
broke away
from the Apostolic Faith Mission to form his UFI church last
year.
Makandiwa, who grew from rags as a village boy in Muzarabani to
riches as a
superstar church leader in nine years, now moves around in a
movie-style
convoy complete with bodyguards.
Large crowds flock to
his “healing”, “prophesying” and preaching sessions.
At one time he filled
the 60 000-seater National Sports Stadium with
followers.
World
soccer giants Brazil, which played Zimbabwe in 2010 and another
Pentecostal
church Zaoga are the only ones that achieved this feat outside
national
events in the past few years.
It was this large following that kept the
Daily News phones and social
networking sites buzzing with debate on the
reports of Makandiwa fleeing the
country.
Readers and followers of
UFI said they were of the firm belief that
Makandiwa had not fled the
country while others took a different view.
Christina Chiri, a fan of
Makandiwa’s Facebook page, said reports that her
pastor had fled the country
were the work of Satan.
“People thought that it was only the media in the
United Kingdom and United
States that write stories which are outright lies.
The devil is a liar. Get
thee behind me Satan,” she said.
Neva
Kufaigore quoted the Bible as saying: “(In) Mathew10 v 25. Blessed are
those
who hear the words of Jesus Christ and are not offended.
No servant is
greater than his master; if they persecuted the Lord they will
also do to
his saints. Yet in all this, we rejoice for the ruler of this
world is
already condemned.”
Sibongile Mlilo said “God does not have a blackberry
but still contactable,
he does not move with bodyguards because angels are
there to keep him, he
does not live a plush life. Some of these men of God
are bogus.”
Rumbie Kamusasa furiously wrote: “I rebuke this in Jesus
name”.
Mero Moyo spelt doom for Makandiwa’s critics: “I say fire to the
enemies of
the man of God. Everyone who is writing wrong things about the
man of God, I
say fire in the name above all other names. Hallelujah!”
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tererai Karimakwenda
05
August, 2011
A Zimbabwean writer based in New Zealand has been selected
as one of the
finalists in a BBC playwriting competition. Stanley Makuwe’s
radio play The
Coup is one of 14 that have been shortlisted from around the
world. He said
the story about dead bodies that rise up from a morgue is
really about the
forgotten and marginalized people in society, rising to
demand justice.
Makuwe is the second Zimbabwean writer to be recognized for
outstanding work
in a competition this year. In July, author NoViolet
Bulawayo won the
prestigious Caine Prize for African literature for her
story Hitting
Budapest.
The corpses in Makuwe’s story decide that
they have been ignored for far too
long and no-one is listening to their
needs. So they break out of the
dilapidated morgue to seek justice, respect
and revenge from those who
mistreated them.
“I suppose it is
appropriate given what is happening now in North Africa.
But I started
writing this as a short story back in 2005,” Makuwe told SW
Radio Africa on
Friday. That was years before the North African protests he
refers to, which
have removed governments in Egypt and Libya.
Makuwe explained that the
original short story, titled Life in a Third World
Morgue, was inspired by
his experiences as a student at a hospital in
Zimbabwe in 1996. The staff
went on strike but as a student he had to work.
“That’s when I saw all
these people dying and so many dead bodies crowded in
the morgue. I said to
myself what if these people could speak,” the young
writer said. So he
brought them to life in The Coup.
Fast forward to 2011 and Makuwe says he
has received requests from people
around the world who want to stage The
Coup as a theatrical production. A
well known theatre company in Zimbabwe
has also been in touch.
“We all have stories to tell just like our
grandfathers. And it is not about
talent. If you have something to say, just
tell it,” Makuwe advised young
writers in Zimbabwe.
At a time when
most news headlines on Zimbabwe focus on political violence
and maneuvering
by party leaders, Makuwe said he hopes to bring more
accolades to Zim by
winning the 2011 BBC International Radio Playwriting
Competition.
(SW
Radio Africa wishes him all the best)
http://www.sbs.com.au
06 August 2011 | 04:58:06 AM | Source:
AAP
The late dismissal of dangerous Bangladesh batsman Shahriar Nafeez
gave
Zimbabwe the upper hand on the second day of the one-off Test at the
Harare
Sports Club.
Zimbabwe, all out for 370 in their first innings
after starting the day at
2-264, held Bangladesh to 3-107 at stumps to leave
them 263 in arrears at
the close of play.
After losing their openers
cheaply, Shahriar Nafeez (50) and Mohammad
Ashraful (34 not out) launched a
Bangladesh recovery with a 66-run stand
before Nafeez was bowled by
off-spinner Price off his legs for 50 as the
shadows
lengthened.
Earlier Hamilton Masakadza (104) clawed his way to a second
Test century -
10 years after his first - as he put on 142 for the third
wicket with
skipper Brendan Taylor, who made 71.
It was Taylor's
fourth Test half century, but once he was out, Zimbabwe lost
their remaining
seven wickets for just 66 runs.
"We knew that Bangladesh would come out
and bowl better this morning,
especially with Robiul Islam bowling 12 overs
in succession and keeping to
their game plan," said Taylor.
"But we
know that although we retain the advantage in this match there is a
long way
to go."
Bangladesh started their fightback by snatching four wickets in
the 30
minutes before lunch.
After capturing both Masakadza and
Taylor with a double breakthrough, seamer
Robiul Islam had changed the tone
of the game with Craig Ervine (six) and
Elton Chigumbura (five) were bundled
out in short order as lunchtime
approached.
After the break Brian
Vitori, Kyle Jarvis, Raymond Price and Christopher
Mpofu were all quickly
disposed of with only former skipper Tatenda Taibu,
with 23, offering real
resistance.
Rubel Hossain and captain Shakib Al Hassan took three wickets
each.
In reply, Bangladesh lost both openers by the time they had reached
36.
Left-armer Brian Vitori marked his Test debut by dismissing Imrul
Kayes
(four) and flamboyant Tamim Iqbal (15).
ZESN Ballot_Update June - July 2011
Dear All,
Please find attached the ZESN Ballot Update for the period
JUNE- JULY 2011.
If you have any feedback, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
Have a pleasant long weekend.
Regards,
http://www.cathybuckle.com/
Maintaining power through
force
Friday August 5th 2011
The sight of the former president of
Egypt being wheeled into court in Cairo
made world headlines. Was it the same
in Zimbabwe I wonder? Mubarak’s
appearance in a court of law was a direct
result not of foreign intervention
but of the mass action of thousands of
ordinary people demonstrating for
justice and good governance. For Egyptians
watching the proceedings on a
giant screen outside the court it was, in the
words of one Egyptian
journalist and activist, “a moment they had never
thought they would see… We
thought we would just have to wait for him to
die.” he added. That’s a very
familiar sentiment for Zimbabweans ruled by an
87 year old dictator.
Hosni Mubarak is charged with corruption and
ordering the shooting of
protesters in the recent uprisings. Up until the
very last moment there had
been doubts that the former president would
appear. His defence counsel had
claimed he was in a coma but there was no
sign that Mubarak was anything but
fully conscious as he lay there on a
hospital stretcher behind the heavy
wire screen. His eyes alert and fully
comprehending he denied all the
charges against him. The trial has been
postponed to a later date in August
but it will be difficult for the
prosecution to prove that it was Mubarak
himself who ordered the shooting of
protesters. One of the problems of
all-powerful dictatorships is that there
is no shortage of willing stooges
to carry out the master’s orders, spoken or
unspoken.
In Zimbabwe, the fact that there has not been one single
prosecution for the
extra-judicial killings that have dominated Zimbabwe’s
political landscape
since 2000 is evidence that the police, the courts, the
CIO and above all
the military are all part of Zanu PF’s plan to eliminate
all opposition to
Mugabe’s rule. Speaking at an MDC rally in Kwekwe last
weekend Morgan
Tsvangirai restated his conviction that the army is the
biggest obstacle to
reform in Zimbabwe. “Zanu PF” he added “is only
maintaining power through
force.” Unsuprisingly, Constantine Chiwenga,
Commander General of the
Zimbabwe Defence Force, retorted by telling
Tsvangirai to ‘leave the
military alone’. The problem, of course, is that the
military will not leave
politics alone; hence Tsvangirai’s insistence on
Security Sector Reform.
More than anything else the uprisings in the Arab
have demonstrated that
wherever they are in the world, ordinary people are
increasingly aware of
their rights. The streets of Cairo may be quiet for now
but as the death
toll mounts in Syria and Asad’s troops fire live rounds at
fellow citizens,
there is little evidence that the Arab Spring is over.
Despite the onslaught
of violence against them, brave Syrians continue to
shout their defiance at
a regime which has been promising to institute
reforms for over six months.
The relevance of the North African uprisings
to the situation in Zimbabwe is
obvious but what is pretty certain is that
there will be no ‘Arab Spring’ in
Zimbabwe. The arrest and imprisonment in
mid-February of a group of
activists in Harare who were doing no more than
watching a video of the
North African uprisings does not suggest that the
Mugabe regime is likely to
tolerate dissent – the regime calls it treason -
from any quarter. The trial
of Hosni Mubarak, however, seems to me to be a
reminder of two specific
points. The first, and it cannot be over-emphasised,
is that it was the
power of the people, thousands of ordinary people
demonstrating on the
streets that forced Mubarak to surrender power. Second,
Egypt like Zimbabwe,
is ruled by the military; yet it is the former Commander
in Chief of the
army, Mubarak, who is facing trial in Cairo, presumably with
the approval of
the top echelons of that same army. In Zimbabwe, Mugabe needs
the army to
keep him in power but there may soon come a point where the army,
in spite
of the much vaunted ‘Liberation credentials’ no longer needs an 87
year old
man at the helm.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH