The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.

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Telegraph

Zimbabwe businessman rearrested
By Peta Thornycroft in Harare
(Filed: 10/12/2001)


A BUSINESSMAN released on bail after 27 days in solitary confinement in a
Zimbabwe jail was rearrested less than 24 hours later when he reported to a
police station.

Simon Spooner, the owner of a small chemical company in Bulawayo, who gave
up his Australian citizenship to take Zimbabwean nationality, was a polling
agent for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in last year's
election when it came close to beating the ruling Zanu-PF party of President
Robert Mugabe.

Last month he was charged with the murders of government supporters based on
the alleged confessions of two MDC supporters. But at Mr Spooner's bail
application in Bulawayo High Court, both men said that they had been
tortured into making the statements.

Mr Spooner, who had been released on bail of £1,250, also forfeited the
title deeds to his home. His wife, Gail, 42, said that her husband had not
considered absconding during his 20 hours of freedom, despite the fact that
conditions inside the maximum security jail were "appalling" and he had lost
20lbs.

Mrs Spooner said: "Simon would never have broken his bail conditions, it
never even crossed his or my mind. Contrary to prison regulations, Mrs
Spooner was only allowed to see her husband twice in prison, for five
minutes and 30 minutes.

Another 13 MDC members, all charged with the same murders, are being held in
the same prison. Among them is the MP Fletcher Dilini-Ncube, 61, who was
denied bail on Friday. He is a diabetic whose sight has deteriorated since
his arrest.

Mrs Spooner said: "The conditions in prison are appalling. The MDC detainees
do not get enough food; they are not allowed to receive the meals we take
them, or paper to write on; they have no visits, and they are in solitary
confinement. But Simon has this extraordinary faith that eventually justice
will be done."

She said their children, Kylie and Samantha, 10-year-old twins, were
distressed not only by their father's incarceration but by the barrage of
accusations in the state media in which their father is called a terrorist.


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COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION
Farm Invasions and Security Report
Monday 10 December 2001




This report does not purport to cover all the incidents that are taking place in the commercial farming areas.  Communication problems and the fear of reprisals prevent farmers from reporting all that happens.  Farmers names, and in some cases farm names, are omitted to minimise the risk of reprisals. 

NATIONAL REPORT IN BRIEF
Mashonaland Central-“warvet” breaks into private house and takes up residence
Manicaland – House ransacked for third time by masked men
Mashonaland East - workers threatened with death if they continued working
Mashonaland West (South) – ploughing undertaken by settlers in defiance of the DA and the Lands Committee.
Mashonaland West (North) – Youths removed from farms for “re-education”..
REGIONAL NEWS
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
Horseshoe – at Amajuba on 07.12.01 all workers were still on strike.  The labour force is demanding payment of gratuities and immediate re-employment thereafter.  Daily losses of fresh fruit crops, not being harvested, are running to hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwe dollars.  A “Warvet” broke into a private house on Mapetu and is now living there.  On Makombe, 09.12.01, hunters with dogs have killed a third sable in the fenced game area and the meat taken away.  Three thieves who had stolen bananas were apprehended and taken to ZRP on Manovi while on Siyalima  “warvets“ continue to steal tobacco seedlings.

MANICALAND
Mutare - on Brooksville the owner’s house was ransacked for the third time by seven masked men on Friday night.  The police reacted within 45 minutes and brought out the dog unit, but so far they have been unsuccessful in apprehending anyone.
Rusape - Ongoing activity on subdivided farms.
 
MASVINGO
Masvingo -  East and Central area – Ballinahorne Farm - Owner has received a Section 8 order over the week-end.
Chiredzi – Poaching and snaring continues as does ploughing and clearing of lands.
Mwenezi – Continued theft, poaching, snaring, tree cutting and ploughing throughout the area.  FA Chairman reports that the people doing the voter registration are informing farm workers that they should be earning
$80 000.
Two more property owners on Wentzehof and Merrivale Ranches, received Section 8 Orders last week.
Save Conservancy – Situation remains the same.
Gutu\Chatsworth – Continued harassment with cattle.

MASHONALAND WEST (SOUTH)
Norton – Parklands farm, a very big producer of seed, no planting has been allowed, despite the farm being unlisted.
Selous – On Mara farm ploughing is being undertaken by settlers, in defiance of the DA and the Lands Committee, and despite the fact that the farm is unlisted.
General – GAPWUZ representatives have been on several properties making demands on behalf of the work force and threatening mass action.

MASHONALAND WEST (NORTH)
Ayrshire – Security poor
Trelawney\Darwendale – Theft of anything unguarded on the increase; irrigation equipment on the farms, and electrical goods at housebreak sites.
Banket – Theft of irrigation equipment rampant
Nyabira – Bitton Estate stopped from planting last week.
Umboe – Much poaching reported.  Only 5 out of 24 tobacco crops are planted.
Chinhoyi – On Lauretan Farm a cow was killed by a blow to the head with an axe, which was then left lodged in the beasts’ head.  However, the meat was not taken and indications are that it was a message for the farmer and others nearby to move their cattle off farm.
Magog Farm received a letter telling him to move his cattle off the farm.
Doma – a great deal of snaring and fishing taking place by settlers.  A problem arose on Mcherengi Farm on Friday 7th December, about the movement of a fence, but the situation was defused this morning.
On Victory Estate the settlers created a work stoppage, because they wanted transport to go and check their names in the constituency registry.
Karoi -Much poaching in the district but the ZRP has sent an anti poaching unit into the area. 
Three or four farms in the Sapi Valley area had their youth taken from the farm villages over the weekend for re-education.
Tengwe - Theft a big problem on settled farms.
General - Throughout the province destruction of trees is reported.  Pegging for the A2 Scheme taking place all over Karoi North, mainly in 50 ha plots.

MASHONALAND EAST
Beatrice - Groenfontein received a letter in the post making demands to be met yesterday. A tractor was burnt- illegal settlers suspected.
Alemaine- the owner was allowed to return to his farm and remove personal household belongings. Farm equipment had to remain including vehicles
Xekene -The farm has been divided into medium scale commercial plots.
Featherstone - Kuruman -  A dairy cow was axed and milking only is allowed.
Harvieston - The owner had a visit from Gumbo C.I.O. Chivu. The owner was told he could now plant. The following day Gumbo arrived again wanting seedlings.
Marondera North - Nyagambi -Visit from Chief Executive Officer of Zanu P.F. Mashonaland East, Peter Mawira, and the workers were threatened with death if they continued working. All the workers have to be off the farm by 22\12. The farm has no Section 8 Order.
Summerset - house broken into and the  owner was beaten up, with wooden fencing standard .  He needed 6 stitches Suspect criminal activity.
Marondera South - Extensive cattle movement, planting and poaching throughout the area.
Enterprise/Bromley/Ruwa - Agritex and DDF tractors active on numerous farms.
Harare South - Dunluce -  A 7 ton Nissan vehicle, arrived carrying  25 passengers who  pulled out 2ha. Tobacco seedlings.  The owner spoke to them and was informed Luston Karonga had sent them.  They then stopped pulling out seedlings and one of them spoke to Karonga on his return whereupon they recommenced work on the seedlings.  On a different land half a hectare of planted seedling were pulled,  on the instruction of Karonga.  The police arrived in the evening but did nothing.
Auks Nest  - A white Nissan arrived with 15 people who cultivated their land. Chidagwa spoke to the foreman and told him to organise the workers to share their homes with the settlers. The foreman refused to help. A Landini ploughed most of Saturday night near the owners house. On Sunday the Landini ploughed a different field.  There were no DDF. markings on the Tractor.  Kinfauns -A tractor driver was severely assaulted by 2 war vets, Richard Marimo & Tongogara. The police gave R.R.B. no 009773 but did nothing.
Macheke Virginia - Malda Farm - While the owner was away the 3 youngsters looking after the farm were given a difficult time. The fence was broken into and they were barricaded in the house whilst a lot of banging on doors and windows took place.   The police were called and finally arrived. The inspector accused the minders of causing the problems by riding their motorcycles around the farm. He accused them of manufacturing fire arms and searched the house, going through drawers and a contact lens container. They were accused of harbouring farm workers in the house. Farm workers are not allowed into their own houses, and their belongings have been thrown out of the houses onto the road. None of the workers are allowed to work including domestics.
Wedza - No report received
 
MIDLANDS
General : Property owners are starting to receive Section 8 Orders. Crime in general is ongoing and aggressive behaviour is starting to escalate.  Workers are beginning to become restive regarding the uncertainty about wages and in at lest one case threatening violence.

MATABELELAND
No report received.




aisd1@cfu.co.zw                                                              www.mweb.co.zw/cfu



DISCLAIMER
The opinions in this message do not necessarily reflect those of the Commercial Farmers' Union which does not accept any legal responsibility for them.
 
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The Irish Times

Mugabe makes Zimbabwe an international pariah

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Mugabe, facing a presidential election after 18 months of
state-sponsored violence, now sees himself as the victim of an international
conspiracy, writes Iden Wetherell
Peering through her looking-glass over a century and a quarter after her
fictional debut, Lewis Carroll's Alice would have no difficulty recognising
the upside-down world that Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has created to
sustain his campaign for political survival.

The evening television news bulletin carries a CNN-style banner headed
"Fighting Terrorism". The terrorism referred to is not the violence spawned
by Mugabe's armed supporters on farms across the country or their attacks on
civil society workers, teachers, and independent newspaper vendors, but the
activities of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), allegedly
backed by Britain.

Following 18 months of relentless state-sponsored lawlessness which has
turned Zimbabwe into an international pariah, Mugabe's spin doctors have
embarked on a strategy which involves turning reality on its head.

A presidential poll is due before April and Mugabe (77) is treating it as a
battle for the very soul of the nation.

The MDC, which has eschewed violence despite every provocation and
scrupulously adhered to a legal system that the President has assiduously
subverted, now finds itself branded a terrorist movement responsible for the
anarchy sweeping the country.

Behind this campaign of instability, it is claimed, looms the old imperial
bogeyman, Britain. Not only is Tony Blair's government held responsible for
destabilising Zimbabwe by backing the MDC, it is accused of mobilising the
United States Congress, the European Union, the Commonwealth and Southern
African heads of state to thwart Mugabe's programme of land redistribution.

Following the passage through the United States Congress of the Zimbabwe
Democracy and Recovery Bill last week, Information Minister Jonathan Moyo
described the MDC as "a movement for anti-people sanctions operating under
the guise of democracy and the rule of law as defined and dictated by racist
Americans and Britons". Moyo's mouthpiece, the government-owned Herald daily
named MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai and his lieutenants as having "set the
stage for the massacre of their own people".

These "Uncle Toms shall be judged by history for the evil they have
unleashed upon the people of Zimbabwe", the paper menacingly warned.

Taking up the official line, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri said his
force would not tolerate those who were "working in collusion with, and as
admirers of, imperialist forces bent on destabilising our country". Police
have arrested over 25 MDC supporters in recent weeks, including two MPs, for
involvement in "terrorism" despite a conspicuous lack of evidence.

Some are accused of abducting and killing a prominent veteran of Zimbabwe's
liberation war, Cain Nkala. But his threat to spill the beans on his
involvement in the disappearance of an MDC campaign manager ahead of last
June's general election could provide a more likely explanation for his
death.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw must be congratulating
himself on a global reach that Lord Palmerston would have envied. But the
truth is rather less awesome. Mugabe is the sole author of the predicament
he now finds himself in.

The US Congress, EU, Commonwealth and Southern African Development
Community, which includes neighbouring South Africa, have all, for different
reasons, been reluctant to implement measures against the rogue regime in
Harare. But Mugabe has ensured they all now think alike.

Instead of restoring the rule of law his followers have hounded the Chief
Justice and other independent-minded judges into retirement and replaced
them with more pliant individuals, two of whom have reportedly been
recipients of land under the current partisan redistribution programme.

The police have been suborned into taking action only against opposition
supporters while ignoring the ruling Zanu-PF party's record of terror and
mayhem. And electoral laws have been changed to limit potential voters in
the 18-30 age group, including the burgeoning diaspora, who are most likely
to support the MDC.

Last week the government published details of a new media law that will make
it an offence to cause "alarm and despondency" or to excite disaffection
against the President - including by ridiculing him. It will also prevent
publication of details about the fortunes amassed by the ruling nomenklatura
since independence in 1980 and prohibit non-Zimbabwean foreign
correspondents from working in the country.

None of this suggests a ruler safely ensconced in the affections of his
people. Rather it reveals that after 21 years of declining gross domestic
product, falling living standards and institutional corruption Zimbabweans
have had enough of Mugabe's damaging demagoguery.

Land seizures are expected to result in a 40 per cent decline in crop
production next year. Already parts of the country need emergency food
supplies to head off starvation.

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki is the latest regional leader to
condemn Mugabe's failed policies, a criticism that has led to a stream of
anti-South African vitriol in the official media.

When voters last year rejected Mugabe's constitutional proposals which would
have legitimised his absolutist regime, and then came close to booting
Zanu-PF out in the parliamentary election, the President decided he would
punish the opposition and their perceived white backers in precisely the way
he punished Matabeleland in the 1980s when he unleashed the North
Korean-trained Fifth Brigade on the dissident province. That episode left at
least 10,000 dead.

Whether his latest campaign of terror will have the same impact remains to
be seen. But in setting his war-veteran militias on law-abiding people and
persecuting those - probably a majority - who wish to vote against him next
year he is only sealing his own fate.

Twenty-one years ago Mugabe was hailed in Africa and abroad as a
revolutionary hero who had wisely made peace with his former oppressors.

Only 10 years ago he was seen as the man who provided education and
healthcare to the rural poor. Today he is, in Archbishop Desmond Tutu's
words, a caricature of the delinquent African ruler who has lost his way.

Comforting himself with the thought that he is the victim of an
international conspiracy and locked in the ideological mindset of an era
long since past, Mugabe is grimly holding on to power because he cannot
imagine a future without it.

(Iden Wetherell is editor of the Zimbabwe Independent.)


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SAIIA Warns of War in Zimbabwe



South African Press Association (Johannesburg)

December 9, 2001
Posted to the web December 10, 2001

Cape Town

The Zimbabwe crisis could deteriorate to a point where that country could
become "another battlefield like the Democratic Republic of Congo", the
South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has warned.

In a critical and frank assessment of the political situation brewing in
South Africa's northern neighbour, SAIIA deputy chairman Moeletsi Mbeki said
the time had come for more drastic measures to defuse the looming danger.

One of the ways this could be achieved, he said, was for South Africa to
pull Zimbabwe's economic plug.

Speaking on SABC's newsmaker programme on Sunday, the day before a Southern
African Development Community (SADC) ministerial task force meeting in
Harare, Mbeki said he did not think the meeting would make any difference.

SADC ministers are flying into the Zimbabwean capital on Monday to review
and deliberate on political and economic developments in that country.

But Mbeki warned SADC was "a very weak organisation", and many of its member
states did not have the "muscle" to stand up to Zimbabwe.

It would be up to South Africa to take the initiative.

"South Africa is the one country that is going to be hurt the most by the
Zimbabwe crisis, so it is the country that has to take most of the action."

One example of the South African government's failure to act was "the whole
issue of the electricity bill payment".

"There's been comings and goings about the (electricity) debt owed to South
Africa.

"But instead of pulling the plug, South Africa has looked for ways of, for
example, turning the debt into equity, or becoming a shareholder in the
Zimbabwean electricity supply.

"The overall perception on the Zimbabwean side is that the South African
government is weak -- from 1996 to now this has been the perception in the
mind of Zimbabweans."

He said the time had come for more drastic measures on the part of South
Africa.

"You know, most of Zimbabwe's trade goes through South Africa. We must be
their biggest trading partner.

"So we can stop the Zimbabwean economy tomorrow if we wanted to. We have the
muscle."

Asked if this would be in South Africa's best interests, he said: "I suspect
it will, because if the (Zimbabwean) government is not able to deliver a
modicum of welfare to its population, then there is only one way of staying
in government, and that's through force."

Asked to comment on the prospects of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe
next year, he said the ruling Zanu (PF) "invasion" of Bulawayo two weeks
ago -- by so-called war veterans, who burnt down opposition party offices --
had been a "dress rehearsal" for 2002.

"Elections will definitely not be free and fair.

"I understand the Libyans have moved elements of their military there, and
the Angolans are sending small-arms to Zimbabwe to arm the militias that
Zanu (PF) is training.

"It looks like there is preparation for a major onslaught against the
population, and against the supporters of the opposition movement," Mbeki
said.

Zimbabwe had been interfering in the affairs of other countries in the
region -- its involvement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was an
example of this -- and although it enjoyed the support of countries such as
Angola and Libya, it also had enemies.

"So Zimbabwe could, in fact, become another battlefield like the DRC, with
armies from all over the place slogging it out. Because if there's a
firefight in Zimbabwe, you can't expect Rwanda and the countries that are
opposed to Zimbabwe not to take advantage of that situation."

Mbeki said the South African government had a long history of doing nothing
in the face of provocation by Zimbabwe's Zanu (PF) government.

"So in a way it has backed itself into a corner where it is now difficult
for it to do anything."

He cited as an example of this President Robert Mugabe's handover of the
SADC chairmanship.

"He handed over the chairmanship to former president Nelson Mandela, but
kept the committee on security and politics.

"It now turns up, according to articles in that country's Herald newspaper,
that in the view of the Zimbabweans they didn't think the South African
government was in any case legitimate enough to look after the security of
the SADC region."

In the eyes of the Zimbabwean government, there was a "legitimacy problem"
with the South African government.

The mistake South Africa had made was to allow this situation to "fester
unresolved", and to allow former president Nelson Mandela to take over the
chairmanship, "without forcing Zimbabwe either to be kicked out of SADC, or
South Africa to leave SADC".

Asked what he thought would happen if Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe won
next year's election, he said in his view the situation would get "worse and
worse".

"The only way he can win is if the elections are not free and fair, and all
indications are that they will not be.

"I think the United States and the European Union will impose sanctions;
South Africa will have to do something; and the situation in Zimbabwe will
deteriorate," he said.

-- On Tuesday last week, the US House of Representatives passed legislation
allowing the imposition of sanctions against Zimbabwe, including personal
sanctions against Mugabe and his ruling elite.

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The Age, Melbourne


Zimbabwe opposition wants non-violence pact with Mugabe

HARARE, Dec 10 AFP|Published: Tuesday December 11, 12:08 AM



The leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party said his party and the ruling
party of President Robert Mugabe should sign a non-violence pact ahead of
next year's presidential elections.

"I am prepared to share the stage with Mugabe and publicly denounce violence
which is now prevalent on the Zimbabwean political scene," said the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

"If it means signing an agreement then I am prepared to do that," Tsvangirai
was quoted by the private Daily News as telling a rally yesterday in
Chitungwiza, outside Harare.

He accused supporters of the governing Zimbabwe Africa National Union
Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) of provoking MDC.

"We want our supporters to avoid being drawn into committing acts of
violence," he said.

A local rights body, the Human Rights Foundation, last week claimed in a
report that at least 32 people have been killed this year alone in political
violence and as many as 42,711 internally displaced.

The HRF, which groups non-governmental organisations who assist victims of
organized violence, said most of the violence was committed by ZANU-PF
supporters but the MDC was also to blame.

Last year at least 34 people were killed in the political violence
surrounding the parliamentary polls in which the opposition won nearly half
of the contested seats.

Tsvangirai is expected to pose the stiffest challenge to Mugabe the
presidential elections due to take place by April.


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MSNBC



Zimbabwe launches furious attack on Britain



HARARE, Dec. 10 — Zimbabwe launched a furious attack on former colonial
power Britain on Monday for opposing its controversial land seizures and
mobilising international sanctions against the government of President
Robert Mugabe.
 Speaking at the start of a visit by a six-member ministerial team from the
14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), Foreign Minister
Stan Mudenge said no amount of foreign interference would halt the often
violent land reform plan.
       Mugabe's government is opening up the programme for ''audit'' by the
regional ministers, but Mudenge's remarks made it clear this was unlikely to
change or slow down the drive to seize white-owned farms.
       Mudenge called on African states to rally behind Mugabe, saying
Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party was fighting for the interests of the black
majority against Western interests that backed white colonial rule in the
former Rhodesia.
       Mudenge said the SADC team was in Harare ''not to sit as monitors or
judges,'' which would be interference in its affairs, but because Harare
believed Africa would offer support in the face of rising external pressure
being mobilised by Britain.
       ''As regards our problem with Britain, we are dealing with the issue
of justice with regard to land,'' Mudenge said.
       ''We are being opposed for not accepting the mini-dosages of justice
being offered our people, when in fact doing so would perpetuate the
deprivation of our people.
       ''We are told that if we delay the process of land delivery to the
people we would be embraced by the civilised world. It is precisely this
type of civilisation that we reject,'' he said.

NO SUPPORT FOR SANCTIONS
       Lilian Patel, the Malawi foreign minister and head of the SADC team,
opened the talks saying the regional economic bloc was greatly concerned
about the situation in Zimbabwe.
       ''We are here as your friends because we are greatly concerned about
the situation here,'' she said.
       ''We do not support sanctions (against Zimbabwe).''
       The Commonwealth will meet within two weeks to discuss a possible
embargo against Zimbabwe. The U.S. House of Representatives has endorsed a
bill that threatens sanctions to press Mugabe to ensure free and fair
elections and establish land ownership protections in Zimbabwe.
       ''We also have to deal with various hostile actions taken by Britain,
as well as that country's forked-tongue language on democracy,'' Mudenge
said.
       He urged the SADC ministers, some of whom appeared startled by his
speech while others betrayed no emotions, to be wary that the West's
response to the Zimbabwe situation ''could form a greater threat to our
continent and region.''
       Farmers and other critics say Mugabe has largely ignored a
Nigerian-brokered plan he endorsed in September to end the farm seizures in
exchange for funds from Britain and other sources to implement a fair land
reform plan including financial compensation.
       Nine white farmers have been killed, scores of black farm workers
have been assaulted and thousands displaced since pro-government militants
began occupying white-owned farms in February last year in support of
Mugabe's land drive.
       Political analysts say Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980,
is using the land programme in a campaign to retain power in elections due
by April 2002.

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Zimbabwe ready to risk isolation

Zimbabwe says it will not bow to outside pressure by stopping plans to seize
white-owned farms.

Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge is warning neighbouring countries against
siding with governments which are calling for sanctions.

He says Britain and their Western allies are behind a campaign to turn
Africa against Zimbabwe.

"There can be no sanctions smart enough to affect Zimbabweans alone. Our
destinies are intertwined," warned Mr Mudenge.

The US Congress last week passed a bill proposing controls on American aid
and investment in Zimbabwe, and a freeze on loans and debt relief.

The move was in protest against a breakdown in law and order since March
2000, when armed ruling party militants began seizing white-owned farms.

The European Union is also proposing punitive measures.

South Africa is one of several southern African nations that have expressed
fears Zimbabwe's political turmoil could affect the entire region.
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The Guardian

Zimbabwe Opposition Wins Mayoral Poll

Monday December 10, 2001 3:50 PM


HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zimbabwe's main opposition won weekend mayoral
elections in a former ruling party stronghold, striking a sharp blow to
President Robert Mugabe in a district near his home and birthplace.

Francis Dhlakama of the Movement for Democratic Change won 2,900 votes cast
Saturday and Sunday in the farming and textile center of Chegutu, 70 miles
southwest of Harare, state radio reported.

Stanley Majiri of Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party captured 2,452 votes. A
total of 5,596 ballots were cast, a turnout of about 27 percent of eligible
voters.

Chegutu lies 25 miles from Mugabe's birthplace and rural home in Zvimba,
neighboring districts long seen as among the most loyal to his party.

The opposition party said its victory showed voters' resilience in the face
of intimidation and violence by ruling party campaigners.

``It confirms the quiet but devastating losses being suffered by ZANU-PF,''
said MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe.

Police reinforcements were sent Saturday in Chegutu to quell clashes between
rival party supporters.

Jongwe said the violence started after ruling party supporters stoned
Dhlakama's home. No response was immediately available from the ruling
party.

Earlier this year, the opposition won mayoral elections in the western
provincial capital of Bulawayo and the southern capital of Masvingo.

Mayoral elections in the capital, Harare, must be held before Feb. 11, ahead
of national presidential polls before late March.

The opposition won nearly half the elected seats in parliament in June 2000,
dominating Harare and most urban districts. The ruling party held most of
its rural strongholds.

An opposition victory in the Harare mayoral election would be seen as a
major psychological boost for the party, which is mounting the biggest
challenge to Mugabe's hold on power since he led the nation to independence
in 1980.

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Daily News - Feature


Tighten your seat belts for this imaginary flight

12/10/01 6:54:21 AM (GMT +2)


Candid talk with masola

THIS shall be a flight of imagination. I shall be piloting you throughout
the short trip of imagination. Welcome aboard. All passengers are encouraged
to have their litter-bags handy as some of the sights may make those of a
human-disposition sick. Some of the sights may not be as sightly as expected
of a sovereign nation.


Tighten your belts as the imaginary flight is full of empty stomachs.

Tighten them even more as the imaginary ride may be turbulent. Remain seated
in your seats of imagination as the flight prepares to take off.

Do not blame the pilot for a bumpy take-off. It is due to the economy that
has wandered away in its imagination. Do not blame the government of the day
for the poor state of the imaginary airport, the British have taken away our
spirit of creativity.

The imaginary flight shall have hostile flight attendants. Brace yourself
for the worst of hospitality. This flight seemingly employs hostile
air-hostesses. I apologise for the hostile treatment though. It is through
the making of the British. You can imagine how contriving these former
imperialists are!

In this imaginary flight, you shall be served cold sadza in the hope that
you will be able to see the badness of the colonialists. You shall drink
fermented marula juice to quench your imaginary flight of discovery.

Imagine now that we have taken off and we are safely cruising at a safe
altitude. I do not suppose you are imagining some cruise missile trying to
bring us down. This is not supposed to be an ill-fated flight. The thought
of the Taliban firing us down should be removed from your imagination. This
is a secure flight that cannot be detected by the most complicated radar
systems. No-one can derail this flight of imagination. No terrorist can
hi-jack us. We are beyond human error and failure. We are safe in our
imaginations.

Now the flight is taking us over some sprawling suburban complex. You can
give it any name. You can call it Kabul. You can call it Chitungwiza. You
can call it Hwange or even Kandahar. It is your imagination that counts. It
is also your knowledge of current affairs that counts.

In all your imagination, never imagine the sprawling place to be out of this
small world. Now let us look closely in the sprawling township and observe
whatever is taking place.

It could be a mistake but our collective imagination shows us the strife.

There is no semblance of peace and justice. The situation is a dog eat dog
affair. There are small battles of domination here and there. There are
fires burning menacingly due to some houses having been torched hither and
thither.

The battle zone of lawlessness is showing in our maiden flight of
imagination. Those who are down there are feeling the squeeze. The
perpetrators of strife are pressing even more. Their ultimate goal is to
capture the fruit tree that will bear fruits towards autumn. They are
fighting tooth and nail for the "autumn harvest".

Then we imaginarily fly past this suburb as most of you are repulsed by the
stench from the rotting flesh of the people. As if the stench of the rotting
people murdered for some flimsy reason is not enough, the air is putrid with
the smelly commands of some self-styled warlords. As the warlords bark an
imaginary instruction on their lieutenants, the air becomes humid with
stinking foul breath. This flight of imagination cannot hover around this
place for a moment longer. Let us leave this sore sight. We can only imagine
that our imaginations are pushing too much to the evil.

We are now above some well-vegetated place. We cannot clearly see below the
branches of the leafy trees. We have to call upon more of our imagination in
order to see what is happening there. We imagine ourselves being shown hell
on earth.

The Taliban are in town, I mean the forest. They have set base and are busy
educating the uneducated. In our imagination, we can safely see that the
uneducated are not the illiterate but the subdued opponents of the Taliban.

We can only imagine that the education camp is to re-orient those that would
normally oppose the Sharia law. It is a sad sight of imagination to imagine
those terror camps. It is disgusting. The students of the school of
re-orientation are dishevelled and half-starved. Their only hope is that
they should come out of the school alive. We can imagine that the survival
rate at the school is less than 50 percent. The school seems to have run out
of chalk again.

There are no boards, no slates and no books to write on. In their
creativeness, the school masters have devised a novel method of imprinting
their syllabus on their students. The masters use sticks and sjamboks on the
bare backs of their students. The result is some permanent imprint on the
back of the re-oriented students.

We can only imagine that the students are given pain-killers before they are
subjected to the exercise. Some of the learning stints we imaginarily
observe would need an experimental man in the mould of one doctor to apply
untested methods of anaesthetics.

Our imagination tells us that the students are comfortable as they are not
revolting against the shortage of chalk, boards, slates and paper. In our
solemn imagination, we remember the students at our own campuses. Those
students would make noise at anything. These imaginary students are
frightfully docile and receptive to the sick instructions of the "Taliban".

They are truly patriots who have been subdued both in flesh and in spirit.

The passengers on the maiden flight of imagination are not impressed. They
are trying hard to imagine seeing the best there is to be offered by this
great country to no avail. They see nothing worth mentioning as good. Of
course, there is the sovereignty to mention. It is the best thing there is
down there. Zimbabweans are a sovereign nation.

The signs of sovereignty are showing boldly. There is blood being spilt for
the preservation of the sovereignty. There is an imagined enemy that is
being fought. The imagined enemy is about to take away that sovereignty, so
we are made to understand. It is a pity that in our own flight of
imagination, we cannot see the threat of the golden sovereignty. Perhaps we
are blinded by our imagination!

We try hard to put our imagination a gear up. Then on it occurs to us that
it is the imagination of the real that is seeing their reign, not
sovereignty, being challenged by the imaginary. It dawns upon our
imagination that there is also fear in the hearts of those who cause fear
and turmoil on others.

We then imagine that sovereignty and the training schools, or is it the
re-orientation schools go hand in hand. It is fear that has borne the need
to re-educate the people in the Gospel as re-written by the real.

The imaginary cannot write such a gospel. It is the fear of the unknown, the
cold, the poverty and the loss of cheap income that frightens off the real.

We even try to use powerful telescopes of imagination in our search for the
good. We come up with nothing but goods destined for the few good citizens.

There is not much for the ordinary. There is only goodies for the few real
who imagine that it is only themselves who can be deemed good. We can then
only imagine that the only good there is is the godly goodness imagined by
the few fat cats. In our flight of imagination, we call ourselves the thin
rats of poverty. We do not spread bubonic plague. We are against baboons
dominating the maize fields!

Citizens, we are not even safe in our imaginations. As we try to figure out
what other good we can imagine for our country, our imaginary plane is
ordered to land or face annihilation from intense anti-aircraft fire. We are
told of the imagined ability to pulverise us by those we imagine to be
ordering us down.

Our imagination cannot take flak. We oblige to come down to mother earth. As
we land at a disused airstrip of imagination, we are greeted by more
imaginary hostility. Our imagination has been subjected to interference by
strong party dogma. So we shall then go partying.

Partying is not a game anymore. It is serious song and dance as if we are
yet to liberate this country.

The choice is yours. As you imagine your hungry stomachs getting well-fed
with nutritious food, do not forget that the power to see through your
imagination now rests in the hands of man!


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Daily News


Zanu PF mob besiege offices

12/10/01 7:33:27 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

Mobs of Zanu PF youths in Epworth on Thursday ordered hundreds of commuters
off minibuses and forced residents to attend a demonstration at the local
board offices.

The demonstrators demanded that the local board issue the residents with
lodgers' cards as proof of residence so they could register for next year's
presidential election.

Residents said the Zanu PF mobs virtually had free rein in the high density
suburb as the police did not intervene.

Two weeks ago, the youths descended on the Methodist Church, ordering
worshippers to attend a Zanu PF meeting at a war veterans' base in the area.

On Thursday, hundreds of people were forced to attend the demonstration
outside the board's premises, a stone's throw away from the Epworth police
station.

Residents were reportedly beaten up by the youths on Wednesday evening, and
at Chans Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Epworth.

A man who lives in the Chizungu area of Epworth said: "They assaulted people
in groups at the shopping centre, using sticks, whips and other weapons.

"Today (Thursday) from about 5 am, the mobs marched through Epworth,
stopping people from boarding buses to work and warning them they would be
beaten up if they resisted.

"They wanted everyone to join a demonstration at the board offices."

In the afternoon of the same day, a motorist was reportedly forced to pay
$500 before driving through a roadblock mounted by the youths on the main
road near the Munyuki Shopping Centre.

Some of the youths demanded money for beer from members of the public and
those who could not pay were assaulted.

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Daily News - Leader Page


How to avoid a rough ride to the election

12/10/01 7:03:13 AM (GMT +2)



BEFORE Parliament adjourned last week, until 18 December, there were sharp
exchanges between MPs of the two major parties, Zanu PF and the MDC.

To highlight a week of tension in the House, MDC MPs walked out, while three
of them were evicted from the House.

All this would seem to presage a Presidential election campaign in which no
holds are barred. In the House, the sparring between the MPs was
comparatively mild, but as we approach the election, the language is likely
to degenerate to gutter levels.

Even then, some of the exchanges last week were not compatible with the
august chamber of a country facing such monumental economic problems, a
truce between the two main combatants would probably be understandable.

The economy is in a veritable mess, mismanaged by a government whose
preoccupation with staying in power now borders on the paranoid.

Again because of the arrogance and obstinacy of the government, relations
with most of the outside world are almost frozen. Nearer home, relations
with South Africa and a number of other Southern African Development
Community members seem headed for the rocks.

Yet we have a Cabinet minister insulting the opposition with a patently
racist remark referring to the days of King Lobengula's struggle with the
white settlers.

The butt of the remark, David Coltart, had the decency not to respond
personally, but Paul Themba Nyathi (Gwanda North), his colleague in the MDC,
let fly with the retort: "That is a stupid remark from a stupid person."

What is amazing is that the minister himself, Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs' Patrick Chinamasa, was not rebuked or asked to
withdraw the stupid remark.

Chinamasa and the acid-tongued junior minister, Jonathan Moyo of the
department of information and publicity in the President's Office, seem to
believe their Non-Constituency status bestows upon them almost Presidential
privileges in the House.

Opposition MPs will be forgiven for always wanting to clip their wings or
bring them down to earth with a bump, considering those MPs had to fight
hard to get into the House.

All of them had to endure violence on an unprecedented scale to win their
seats. Among their constituents were the more than 35 people who were killed
during the 2000 campaign.

A repeat of this violence is what we must all guard against during the
Presidential campaign. It is the main reason many people, in and out of
Zimbabwe, believe there ought to be a neutral international presence of some
sort to ensure a modicum of freedom and fairness before and during the
election next year.

In scoffing at the suggestion of foreign observers, Zanu PF is deliberately
engaging in selective amnesia. Not everyone has forgotten what happened
before and during the parliamentary election last year.

In some constituencies, the opposition candidates could not campaign,
because the so-called war veterans told them bluntly they would be risking
their lives if their showed their faces in the constituency.

One candidate was fighting for his life in a hospital by the time the voting
took place, the victim, allegedly, of a mob of the ruling party's thugs. As
far as that party is concerned, the rules of engagement in any election
campaign can include the murder of opposition supporters.

Zimbabwe cannot afford another bloodbath before the Presidential election.

All the parties involved must swallow their pride, come together at an
all-stakeholders' conference and agree on a campaign in which the rules of
engagement outlaw violence.

As the party in power, Zanu PF must display magnanimity and attend such a
conference. People just might believe it has at last thrown all its degrees
of violence into the dustbin out of a genuine desire to save the country
from political disintegration.
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Daily News

Suspected car-jacker shot and wounded

12/10/01 7:30:35 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

THE police shot and seriously injured a suspected car-jacker and armed
robber at Westgate Shopping Mall in Harare on Thursday and arrested two
other suspects.

A policeman at the scene who refused to be named said the car the suspects
were driving, a white Toyota Corolla, was believed stolen.

The policeman said: "The vehicle was stolen sometime ago and we had been
looking for it. Today one of my colleagues trailed the vehicle after
spotting it in town. The men were acting suspiciously. At Westgate Shopping
Mall, the men followed an old man who was coming from a bank. My colleague
asked them to stop, but the men dashed into the car and sped off. But they
did not get far as the driver was shot in the leg."

There were three bullet holes on the door on the driver's side of the car
and a pool of blood at the scene of the shooting.

Geoff Chihambakwe, an eyewitness, said: "All we heard were wheels screeching
and then gunshots. The policeman is a sharpshooter - he shot the driver in
the leg and not in the head." The injured suspect was rushed to Parirenyatwa
Hospital while the other two were taken to Harare Central police station.



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Daily News

Mayoral candidate accuses the ruling party of trying to cheat

12/10/01 7:31:17 AM (GMT +2)


From Sam Munyavi in Chegutu

VOTING for the election of a new mayor for Chegutu was marked by a low
turnout, with voters being turned away and attempts to ferry people from
outside the town.

An independent candidate in the Chegutu mayoral election, Charles Chiriva,
attributed the low poll in the two-day mayoral election to attempts by the
ruling Zanu PF to cheat.

Chiriva charged that the ruling party had tried to bring people from the
farms surrounding Chegutu to come and vote.

"We detected 143 people who had been ferried into Chegutu to vote through
the ward registers and we stopped them," Chiriva said.

He said two of his polling agents had been threatened by Zanu PF officials
over the issue.

Stanley Majiri of Zanu PF, Blessing Dhlakama of the MDC and Chiriva were the
three main candidates for the town's mayoral seat.

By 2pm yesterday, 4 729 people had cast their votes.

Chris Goredema, a ward registrar, said about 90 percent of those turned away
had come to vote in wrong wards.

Dhlakama predicted an MDC victory despite the low turnout.

"We are winning despite the violence and the intimidation", Dhlakama said.
He blamed Zanu PF for bringing "terror into the small and quiet town of
Chegutu".

Dhlakama's house was attacked by suspected Zanu PF supporters travelling in
four trucks on Saturday at about 7.30pm.

He said: "The people who came to my house were from areas outside Chegutu.
My son was arrested for being at home at the time and the violence and his
arrest were meant to intimidate me into pulling out of the election at the
last minute."

Dhlakama's election agent, Albert Masotsha Ndhlovu, said the attacks by Zanu
PF supporters started on Friday.

He said 10 MDC youths were arrested and are being held in Kwekwe following
Saturday's attack.

Majiri, the Zanu PF candidate, could not be reached for comment although he
was said to be somewhere in the town.

Polling officers said he had visited polling stations earlier in the
afternoon.

Commenting on allegations of intimidation, the MDC's secretary for
information and publicity, Learnmore Jongwe, said: "The people are speaking.

But as has become a pattern, they are speaking under extreme difficulties
and violent conditions. Let's await the results."

Vote counting is scheduled to start at 8am today at Hartley 1 Primary
School.

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Daily News

Villagers allege harassment by army

12/10/01 7:29:48 AM (GMT +2)


From Energy Bara in Masvingo

SOLDIERS have been deployed in some of Masvingo's rural areas where they are
allegedly terrorising innocent civilians, particularly members of the
opposition MDC.

The soldiers have been deployed in Zaka and Bikita districts, where
villagers claim they have been either harassed or tortured by members of the
army.

Patrick Mugwagwa, the losing MDC candidate in Zaka East in the 2000
parliamentary election, was allegedly assaulted by the soldiers on Thursday
last week at Jerera growth point for his allegiance to the MDC.

Mugwagwa sustained injuries to the head and lips. He was treated at Jerera
clinic and later discharged. Other soldiers are based at Bikita
administrative centre, from where they make forays into the rural areas.

MDC Masvingo provincial chairman, Edmore Marima, said his party was worried
by the presence of the armed soldiers in the rural areas.

He said Mugwagwa was attacked by the soldiers while walking home.

"We are not aware of the motive behind the attack, but we believe it was
because of his membership of the MDC," said Marima.

"This is a deliberate campaign to frighten our members ahead of the
Presidential election."

The soldiers are patrolling rural areas and sometimes they attack people in
beerhalls for no apparent reason.

"We are worried because members of the opposition have become targets,"
Marima said.

Warrant Officer Gerald Zvidzai, the army spokesman at 4 Brigade in Masvingo,
confirmed the presence of soldiers in the two districts.

Zvidzai said: "Of course, we have soldiers in Bikita, but it is not a
deployment because there is no threat to security in the area. We are having
a long-range exercise in the areas to test our new equipment. We have new
radios and equipment that we are testing."

Zvidzai could not, however, say how many soldiers were engaged in the
exercise.

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Daily News


Zanu PF's Masvingo rallies flop

12/10/01 7:28:49 AM (GMT +2)


From Our Correspondent in Masvingo

FACTIONALISM within Zanu PF reared its ugly head again in Masvingo on
Saturday when two rallies organised by the provincial executive in Bikita
East flopped because other party members preferred to attend the burial of
Reverend Jonasi Zvobgo.

Zvobgo, the father of the MP for Masvingo South, Zanu PF stalwart and former
Cabinet minister, Dr Eddison Zvobgo, died last week.

The Zanu PF provincial executive in Masvingo, which is led by Dr Samuel
Mumbengegwi, had vowed to go ahead with the rallies despite the burial.

However, the rallies scheduled at Boora and Gangare business centres flopped
when party supporters did not attend them saying it was unAfrican to hold
campaign rallies while other party members were in mourning.

The latest development has further widened the rift between the two Zanu PF
warring camps in Masvingo ahead of next year's Presidential election.

Some Zanu PF youths loyal to the Zvobgo camp had threatened to disrupt the
rallies arguing that people should learn to respect death.

Walter Mutsauri is the MP for Bikita East. He was not invited to the rallies
because of his loyalty to the Zvobgo camp.

A Zanu PF official yesterday said: "The rallies were supposed to go ahead as
planned, but people did not turn up. We had tried our best to persuade
conveners to see sense and cancel the rallies, but they refused.

"We might have political differences, but we should learn to unite in times
of crisis. Some of the youths told us that it was unAfrican to have the
rallies in view of the funeral of such a prominent person."

Reverend Zvobgo was buried on Saturday at Shonganiso Mission, a school he
started, about 80 kilometres south-east of Masvingo town.

The burial was attended by top government officials who included Emmerson
Mnangagwa, the Speaker of Parliament, the Ministers of Home Affairs and Zanu
PF national chairman, John Nkomo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr
Stan Mudenge, and some members of the opposition MDC.

Josaya Hungwe, the governor for Masvingo, and Mumbengegwi did not attend the
burial.

Hungwe and Zvobgo are long-standing political rivals in the province.
Their rivalry has led to the emergence of Zanu PF factions in Masvingo.

Reverend Zvobgo, 97, died in Masvingo on Sunday last week following a stroke
and kidney failure.

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Daily News

Tsvangirai demands violence-free election

12/10/01 7:49:15 AM (GMT +2)


By Foster Dongozi

MORGAN Tsvangirai yesterday said the MDC and Zanu PF should sign a
non-violence pact ahead of next year's Presidential election.

The MDC leader, in an address to more than 15 000 supporters in Chitungwiza
yesterday, challenged President Mugabe, his opponent in the election, to
join him in urging their supporters to shun violence.

Tsvangirai said: "I am prepared to share the stage with Mugabe and publicly
denounce violence which is now prevalent on the Zimbabwean political scene.

If it means signing an agreement, then I am prepared to do that."
But he said he doubted that Mugabe was prepared to publicly speak against
violence.

"Zanu PF has been trying to provoke members of the MDC into committing acts
of violence, but our members have refused to be drawn into that. We want all
our supporters to avoid being drawn into committing acts of violence,"
Tsvangirai said at the meeting, which was peaceful.

Responding for the first time to accusations by the government that the MDC
was responsible for the murder of Bulawayo war veterans' leader Cain Nkala,
Tsvangirai said Zanu PF had murdered its own member.

"Cain Nkala was killed by Zanu PF, but they have the audacity to turn around
and say the MDC is a terrorist organisation."

He said Zanu PF would be haunted by the knowledge that it had killed one of
its own.

Tsvangirai denounced Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, for his lack of
fairness in dealing with political issues pitting MDC and Zanu PF
supporters.

He said: "At least 83 people have died since last year due to lawlessness
and not a single person has been convicted for the murders. This is despite
the fact that some of the murderers are known to the police.

"An MDC government will not allow a situation where known thieves and
killers roam the streets freely."

Under an MDC government, diligent individuals would be allowed to work and
prosper, he said.

"We have good examples of hard workers like Nigel Chanakira and Strive
Masiyiwa, who have proved their mettle, but we also have some thieves who
are always flashing stolen money." He did not name those he described as
thieves.

While the Zanu PF government had resettled mainly war veterans and civil
servants, he said, an MDC government would allocate land to all deserving
people.

Tsvangirai said: "Land is a precious commodity and all Zimbabweans should
benefit."

The chairperson of the MDC women's wing, Lucia Matibenga, urged Zimbabweans
to avoid being divided by Zanu PF along tribal or racial lines.

"Just tell yourselves that you are Zimbabweans and nothing else," she said.

She said Mugabe, now a preacher of hatred against the white community, had
enjoyed their patronage until they dumped him.

"During the Lancaster House talks when Dr Joshua Nkomo was asked what he
would do if he came into power, he said he would offer land to the landless
peasants. When Mugabe was asked the same question, he said he would offer
people jobs because people were not interested in land."

She said Mugabe had looked after the interests of whites on land but only
became paranoid about them after they dumped him.


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Poaching of Wildlife Reaches Alarming Level in Zimbabwe
<----

Xinhuanet 2001-12-10 17:18:25

   HARARE, December 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The upsurge in poaching of
wildlife and habitat loss on farms adjacent to some of leading
game conservancies in Zimbabwe is threatening protected species in
Matabeleland and Masvingo provinces, the Herald newspaper reported
on Monday.
   The report said wildlife worth nearly 100 million Zimbabwean
dollars (about 1.8 million U.S. dollars) has been lost to massive
poaching, illegal movement of wildlife, over-hunting, subsistence
and commercial poaching in ranches since June this year.
   Up to 50 black rhino have been reportedly either snared or
killed by urban cartels working with resettled villagers on farms
adjacent to the conservancies and people from the communal areas.
   Cartels of other farmers were also reportedly airlifting the
trophy through private airstrips to neighboring countries, while
some villagers have been arrested for alleged poaching for their
own consumption.
   The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management
recently launched a probe into allegations of illegal movement of
wildlife, over-hunting and poaching by some farmers.
   The degenerating situation is threatening the biggest
transfrontier conservation areas in the world straddling several
countries to the southeast and southwest of Zimbabwe.
   According to the report, the black rhino population in the
Intensive Protection Zones and conservancies in the country is now
under threat from commercial poaching and other factors.
   Although some of the farms adjacent to the wildlife parks areas
have stood as buffer zones in the past, most of the farms are no
longer sustainable due to increased poaching.
   The government has directed that there should be no
resettlement within the private conservancies.
   However, the white operators will soon be required to form
partnerships with indigenous Zimbabweans and run the conservancies
together.
   Matetsi Safari area is a state designated hunting area and
major foreign currency earner for the safari hunting and tourism
sector.
   Recent investigations by the department of national parks have
revealed an increase in levels of poaching "for the pot".  Enditem

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Daily News

Voters' roll in shambles, says Hungwe

12/10/01 7:32:45 AM (GMT +2)


From Energy Bara in Masvingo

JOSAYA Hungwe, the provincial governor for Masvingo, says the voters' roll
is in shambles and this will result in voter apathy as people would be
turned away for not appearing on the roll.

Addressing delegates at a poverty reduction meeting in Masvingo last week,
Hungwe said the voters' roll was far from being perfect.

Hungwe said: "Although there is nothing which is perfect, the truth is the
voters' roll is far from being what it should be. This has resulted in many
people being turned away from inspecting and there will be a low voter
turnout.

"The problem is not with the voters, but with the voters' roll in its
present state."

Voter turnout has steadily declined in Zimbabwe, from 94 percent in 1980 to
84 percent in 1985, to 54 percent in 1990, with a slight rise to 57 percent
in 1995.

Approximately 2,5 million of nearly 5,3 million registered voters cast their
ballots in the June 2000 parliamentary election.

Referring to the Masvingo mayoral election held in May and won by Alois
Chaimiti of the MDC, Hungwe said there was a low turnout because the voters'
roll was in shambles.

"Take the Masvingo mayoral elections, for example, where there were about 22
000 registered voters only. About 6 000 people voted and the rest were
turned away since their names did not appear on the voters' roll," Hungwe
said.

"These are some of the things that have to be rectified for the promotion of
development and democracy."

The governor's remarks come at a time when the inspection of the voters'
roll in preparation for next year's Presidential election is in progress.

The inspection, whose last date had been yesterday, has been extended for
another 10 days to 19 December.



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BBC
Monday, 10 December, 2001, 18:59 GMT
SADC opposes Zimbabwe sanctions
Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister, Stan Mudenge
Mudenge welcomed "African solidarity"

Southern African ministers have said they do not support sanctions against Zimbabwe, despite the worsening political crisis in that country.

Malawi's foreign minister, leading a team of regional ministers on a visit to the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, said they had come as friends because they were greatly concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe.


No smart sanctions will affect us alone without affecting our neighbours

Stan Mudenge, Zimbabwe Foreign Minister
This comes as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change wins a mayoral election in Chegutu, 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Harare.

African governments are continuing to adopt a cautious approach to the Zimbabwean crisis.

Malawi's Foreign Minister, Lilian Patel, speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, said the situation needs a careful and mature approach.

She said sanctions are not an option, despite worsening human rights abuses and diminishing prospects that presidential elections due early next year can be held under fair conditions.

Take heart

The Zimbabwean Government is using the visit to emphasise African solidarity. The Foreign Minister, Stan Mudenge, launched a characteristic attack on the former colonial power, Britain.

But it is the United States which has taken the most decisive action against Zimbabwe.

Last week the House of Representatives endorsed a bill proposing sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's government.

On Monday the main opposition party, the MDC, recorded a small but significant victory, announcing that its candidate had won the election for the position of mayor in Chegutu.

The turn-out was low, but the MDC will take heart from a victory in an area considered a stronghold of President Mugabe.


ZIMBABWE: SADC tries again

JOHANNESBURG, 10 December (IRIN) - As regional ministers met in Harare on Monday to assess Zimbabwe's compliance with agreements on land reform and the rule of law, analysts said the key question was whether southern African leaders could act decisively to end the country's political crisis.

Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) task team met in Johannesburg on Sunday ahead of the two days of talks. South African newspapers reported official sources as saying that after an "unsuccessful summit" in Harare on 10 and 11 September, SADC was "determined" to ensure that Zimbabwe adhered to agreements on a transparent land reform programme and free and fair presidential elections next year.

South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, representing Pretoria at the Harare meeting, was quoted in the Sunday Times as saying that an "illegitimate" presidential election could have serious consequences for the region. His comments followed a similar warning by President Thabo Mbeki last week, underlining an apparent shift from the government's policy of "quiet diplomacy".

South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) researcher Ross Herbert said there had been a "definite hardening" of SADC's position in response to President Robert Mugabe's hostility towards international election observers, and as Western countries move closer to imposing sanctions.

He told IRIN that a presumption by SADC that Zimbabwe's elections could be unfair under current circumstances would be an important point to establish.

"There is pressure [for SADC] to go in there and declare that Mugabe has failed to keep his promises in previous rounds of talks," Herbert said. "Whether they have the guts to do that is another matter".
 
Meanwhile, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday called on Mugabe to sign a "non-violence pact" ahead of the presidential poll, the independent Daily News reported. But he said he doubted the ruling party's commitment to ease the political tensions in the country. Tsvangirai was quoted as saying that ZANU-PF was instead trying to draw the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) into acts of violence.

Speaking at a rally in the sprawling township of Chitungwiza outside Harare, he again accused the police of being partisan. Tsvangirai said that at least 83 people had died since last year "due to acts of lawlessness and not a single person has been convicted for the murders. This is despite the fact some of the murderers are known to the police".
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Dec 10 2001 12:00:00:000AM  Business Day 1st Edition

Zimbabwe will define its own future

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBERT Mugabe is a thug with his back to the wall. He has every reason to
fear that if he loses power he faces financial ruin, possibly a public trial
for his atrocities, and imprisonment. At the least he will be stripped of
his kingly lifestyle.
Therefore he intends to hold on to power, preferably by terrorising the
population to elect him, but by any means if necessary. He has shown himself
willing to provoke murderous conflict, to ruin his country, and to starve
his people to stay in power.

I make this point baldly because failure to grasp the nature of the game in
Zimbabwe lies at the heart of many of the policy prescriptions urged on
President Thabo Mbeki, mainly and not coincidentally, by his enemies.

The pressure has finally persuaded him to abandon his ineffectual "quiet
diplomacy" for equally ineffectual denunciation. The proponents of
denunciation know it will also prove useless, so we are already hearing
demands for "targeted" sanctions directed at Mugabe and his ruling cabal.
Mbeki is on the escalator.

The limited sanctions will not succeed, but then they are not intended to
succeed, only to embroil us in the conflict. When limited sanctions prove as
useless as " quiet diplomacy", we shall get demands for fiercer sanctions,
and if Mbeki accedes to them, we shall become complicit in the final
shattering of Zimbabwean society.

Amid the ruins, behold, Mugabe may still be standing!

The simple truth is that this country cannot dictate the future of Zimbabwe,
except perhaps by the methods of President Bush against the Taliban, for
which we lack both the resources and the will.

Responsibility for rescuing Zimbabwean democracy lies not with us but with
the people of Zimbabwe. If they want democracy they will fight for it. So
far, there has been some brave electioneering and some courageous
journalism, but we have seen nothing of the methods of mass mobilisation
used to bring down Ian Smith. Why not?

Nor indeed have we seen the kind of international support which the United
Nations, the Commonwealth, and the great democracies gave to Mugabe, among
others, to topple Smith. Again, why not?

Among the many reasons is the notion, very popular in London and Washington,
that South Africa can be induced, or manipulated, or bullied into taking up
the burden which greater countries countries whose citizens do not lack
houses or schools, whose poor are sustained by social security nets, whose
bureaucracies are competent and long-established refuse to carry.

That burden may become huge. Zimbabwe's economy has been so shattered by the
Al Capone behaviour of its ruler that we must now expect it to implode, with
inflation rates perhaps climbing from 100% to 1000%, while price controls
and a shortage of foreign exchange lead to a collapse of productive
capacity. Agriculture, already damaged, seems likely to be replaced by mere
subsistence farming, with general deprivation and starvation.

The influx of refugees to South Africa, foreseen at the start of this debate
as our single overriding interest in the Zimbabwe crisis, has begun without
response from our government. Nelson Mandela says the President is too
involved with his foreign ventures to be able to provide leadership against
AIDS. He is presumably also too busy to deal with crime, non-functioning
bureaucracies, or refugees.

So things will, we may confidently predict, get worse until the United
Nations, the Commonwealth and the former colonial power which did so much to
create the present situation choose to intervene. They will not do so while
they think there is a chance to shove President Mbeki into the front line.

What President Mbeki should do instead is to use his considerable diplomatic
skills to bring the United Nations and the international aid agencies into
the fray. He should declare that the sustenance of illegal refugees is
beyond our resources, but that we shall co-operate in an international
programme to gather fleeing Zimbabweans in places of safety, to feed them,
and to screen them so that those who are healthy and skilled can be offered
permanent homes in this country.

That would be preferable to our present policy of useless but escalating
pressure on while doing nothing about the refugees.

Dec 10 2001 12:00:00:000AM  Business Day 1st Edition


Dec 10 2001 12:00:00:000AM Francis Kornegay Business Day 1st Edition

SA must consider hard and soft options against Harare

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE onslaught by Zimbabwe's state-owned Herald newspaper against President
Thabo Mbeki may turn out to be the "breath of fresh air" needed for Pretoria
to start entertaining fresh thoughts on Zimbabwe's problems.

The question is, how badly does Pretoria want to prevent a major crack-up in
its next-door neighbour, one that destabilises much of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and SA in particular? And what are Pretoria's
options, if any?

While Mbeki's spokesman, Bheki Khumalo, said Zimbabwe is not a "10th
province of SA", President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) has turned
Zimbabwe into an economic colony of this country with its campaign of
political and economic anarchy.

With Zimbabwe now totally dependent on SA for electricity, maize and
transport links, that country has become virtually a "10th province". Yet
Pretoria has robbed itself of leverage by ruling out sanctions.

One would think that avoiding a civil war in Zimbabwe, at all costs, is even
more important than an aversion to sanctions.

It can be assumed from the reported reaction of Mugabe to Mbeki's criticism
in his wanting an urgent meeting with the SA leader that there is a split
among Mugabe's colleagues: between moderates like Finance Minister Simba
Makoni and hardliners like Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

After all Pretoria has done to shield Mugabe from international isolation,
only to be humiliated by his disdain, some ministers in his cabinet are
stressing his need for Mbeki's support to stop impending European and
American sanctions that will target many of them in terms of their financial
assets abroad and their ability to travel. It seems Pretoria has some
leverage on Zimbabwe after all.

A last-ditch effort to stave off sanctions by Pretoria ought to be
predicated on a strategy aimed at strengthening moderates around Mugabe at
the expense of the "chaos faction". This is where, by the way, there is
still room for socalled "quiet diplomacy", where SA leaders are in a
position to drive home certain terms and conditions for what they want to
see unfold in Zimbabwe in exchange for holding off sanctions.

The obvious is to salvage the March elections and ensure that they are free
and fair. For that, Mugabe has to forgo enforcing a host of Draconian
measures his government has adopted, aimed at rigging the elections in Zanu
(PF)'s favour. This has to also include allowing international election
observers.

If Mugabe's colleagues want to avoid European Union (EU) and US sanctions,
they need to reverse their decision to ban EU and US election observers.

However, the entire monitoring exercise should fall under the oversight of
the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, with a major role carved
out for the southern African church and organised labour community.

If these conditions cannot be agreed to by Harare, or if they are agreed to
but are breached, then Harare should face sanctions, with SA joining in the
effort for good measure.

To that extent, the Congress of SA Trade Unions and the Southern African
Trade Union Coordinating Council might need to begin lobbying now for SADC
sanctions. In the meantime, if Mugabe and his colleagues show good faith,
there is a role for "quiet diplomacy" whereby SA and SADC talk with Zanu
(PF) moderates and the Movement for Democratic Change.

Those talks could be about considering establishing a postelection
government of national unity linked to a Development Bank of Southern
Africa-based multilateral strategic recovery process to reverse the economic
decline and depolarise politics.

The US sanctions bill, for example, does hold out the prospect for $26m in
aid, some debt forgiveness as well as trade and investment promotion, all
conditioned on fair elections.

If Zimbabwe takes such a path, then Pretoria's aim should be to work with
Harare towards guiding Zimbabwe into the Southern African Customs Union as
the core of an expanding economic community within SADC and the African
Union.

Another possibility would be for an apparently ailing Mugabe to declare
victory after "winning" the election and pass off to a younger successor who
might then contemplate the national unity government option.

Should civil war be unavoidable, SA's "quiet diplomacy" may still be
required to talk Zimbabweans into agreeing to a humanitarian, peace-building
presence under SADC auspices.

The point is a whole range of hard and soft options have to start being
considered urgently. Zimbabwe has become a regional security threat on SA's
doorstep egged on by the likes of Libya's Muammar Gadaffi in competition
with Pretoria for continental leadership. There is a lot at stake.

Kornegay is the programme co- ordinator for the Centre for Africa's
International Relations at Wits University.

Zimbabwe has become a regional security threat on SA's doorstep


   Monday
10 December 2001
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From News24 (SA), 9 December

SAIIA: 'Pull the economic plug'

Cape Town - The Zimbabwe crisis could deteriorate to a point where that country could become "another battlefield like the Democratic Republic of Congo," the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has warned. In a critical and frank assessment of the political situation brewing in South Africa's northern neighbour, SAIIA deputy chairperson Moeletsi Mbeki said the time had come for more drastic measures to defuse the looming danger. One of the ways this could be achieved, he said, was for South Africa to pull Zimbabwe's economic plug. Speaking on SABC's newsmaker programme on Sunday, the day before a Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministerial task force meeting in Harare, Mbeki said he did not think the meeting would make any difference. SADC ministers are flying into the Zimbabwean capital on Monday to review and deliberate on political and economic developments in that country. But Mbeki warned SADC was "a very weak organisation", and many of its member states did not have the "muscle" to stand up to Zimbabwe. It would be up to South Africa to take the initiative.

"South Africa is the one country that is going to be hurt the most by the Zimbabwe crisis, so it is the country that has to take most of the action." One example of the South African government's failure to act was "the whole issue of the electricity bill payment". "There's been comings and goings about the (electricity) debt owed to South Africa. But instead of pulling the plug, South Africa has looked for ways of, for example, turning the debt into equity, or becoming a shareholder in the Zimbabwean electricity supply. The overall perception on the Zimbabwean side is that the South African government is weak - from 1996 to now this has been the perception in the mind of Zimbabweans." He said the time had come for more drastic measures on the part of South Africa. "You know, most of Zimbabwe's trade goes through South Africa. We must be their biggest trading partner. So we can stop the Zimbabwean economy tomorrow if we wanted to. We have the muscle." Asked if this would be in South Africa's best interests, he said: "I suspect it will, because if the (Zimbabwean) government is not able to deliver a modicum of welfare to its population, then there is only one way of staying in government, and that's through force." Asked to comment on the prospects of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe next year, he said the ruling Zanu PF's "invasion" of Bulawayo two weeks ago - by so-called war veterans, who burnt down opposition party offices - had been a "dress rehearsal" for 2002.

"Elections will definitely not be free and fair. I understand the Libyans have moved elements of their military there, and the Angolans are sending small-arms to Zimbabwe to arm the militias that Zanu PF is training. It looks like there is preparation for a major onslaught against the population, and against the supporters of the opposition movement," Mbeki said. Zimbabwe had been interfering in the affairs of other countries in the region - its involvement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was an example of this - and although it enjoyed the support of countries such as Angola and Libya, it also had enemies. "So Zimbabwe could, in fact, become another battlefield like the DRC, with armies from all over the place slogging it out. Because if there's a firefight in Zimbabwe, you can't expect Rwanda and the countries that are opposed to Zimbabwe not to take advantage of that situation."

Mbeki said the South African government had a long history of doing nothing in the face of provocation by Zimbabwe's Zanu PF government. "So in a way it has backed itself into a corner where it is now difficult for it to do anything." He cited as an example of this President Robert Mugabe's handover of the SADC chairmanship. "He handed over the chairmanship to former president Nelson Mandela, but kept the committee on security and politics. It now turns up, according to articles in that country's Herald newspaper, that in the view of the Zimbabweans they didn't think the South African government was in any case legitimate enough to look after the security of the SADC region." In the eyes of the Zimbabwean government, there was a "legitimacy problem" with the South African government. The mistake South Africa had made was to allow this situation to "fester unresolved", and to allow former president Nelson Mandela to take over the chairmanship, "without forcing Zimbabwe either to be kicked out of SADC, or South Africa to leave SADC".

Asked what he thought would happen if Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe won next year's election, he said in his view the situation would get "worse and worse". "The only way he can win is if the elections are not free and fair, and all indications are that they will not be. I think the United States and the European Union will impose sanctions; South Africa will have to do something; and the situation in Zimbabwe will deteriorate," he said. On Tuesday last week, the US House of Representatives passed legislation allowing the imposition of sanctions against Zimbabwe, including personal sanctions against Mugabe and his ruling elite.

From The Financial Gazette, 6 December

Has Mbeki done a policy U-turn on Zimbabwe?

The Sunday Times of December 2 2001 had a screaming headline: "Mbeki turns up the heat up on Bob". The article claimed that President Thabo Mbeki had now abandoned his "quiet diplomacy" approach on Zimbabwe. The article cited the three occasions at which Mbeki had publicly reprobated President Robert Mugabe and had emphasised the need for free and fair elections. They also cited the fact that Mbeki had made a call to Malawi President Bakili Muluzi and apparently reiterated the urgency of the crisis in Zimbabwe. A spokeperson for Mbeki, Bheki Khumalo, is quoted as saying: "If the elections are not legitimate, the situation will be far worse that it is now. The President therefore wants to double the efforts to seek a resolution to the crisis."

So has there been a substantial policy shift in the ANC-led government? The truth is much more complicated than that and the jury is still out. There is no doubt that Mbeki has become impatient with his Zimbabwean counterpart and he sees the Zimbabwe political and economic imbroglio as an albatross on both his country's economy and on his legacy to the continent, the Millennium African Recovery Plan (MAP). What is becoming clear is that beyond the novelty of sloganeering on land there is a realisation by black South Africans that the problem in Zimbabwe is not about land but about governance. There is some recognition that the land issue has been hijacked for the sake of cheap political opportunism.

A Richardson Mzaidume writes in the Sowetan Sunday World (December 2 2001): "I am pleased that our president has at last come out of his shell and has condemned Robert Mugabe, something he should have done long ago...Mugabe is not doing what he does because he cares about the people of his country, but because he cares about himself. If Mugabe were genuinely concerned about the well-being of Zimbabweans, he had ample time to do something about it. But he failed at a time when he had no opposition. Now that there is opposition, he is behaving like a man possessed by evil." There has been a steady stream of such letters in various publications and on radio stations Zimbabwe is discussed on a regular basis.

On Tuesday December 4 Metro FM had Kaiser Nyatsumba, associate editor at the Independent in London. Nyatsumba lauded Mbeki for his change in approach to Mugabe. He argued that in the 1980s then President of the United States of America Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, had used the same "velvet glove" or "constructive engagement" approach to apartheid South Africa when activists were calling for sanctions. When sanctions were imposed, they hastened the fall of the apartheid regime. Nyatsumba felt that limited sanctions against Zimbabwe would help in resolving the Zimbabwean crisis. He, however, cautioned Mbeki at going against Mugabe alone as he would be demonised by the Zimbabwe government and its media. Instead he advocated for a regional approach that would bring on board Angola and Namibia, which are perceived as supportive of Harare.

However, Nyatsumba's celebration of the shift in policy by Mbeki does not seem to be shared by other journalists. In an editorial headlined "Oppose media gag" which obliquely referred to Mbeki's new approach The Star had this to say: "President Mbeki may be harbouring a forlorn hope of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe if the Harare government follows through on its threat to muzzle the local press and foreign media...The South African government, in its attempts to ensure free and fair elections, must make it plain to President Mugabe that a free, unfettered media is a prerequisite." One senses through the editorial some element of cynicism that Mbeki would speak directly to Mugabe and tell him the brutal truth: restore law and order or face the music.

Compounding the issue of the direction the ANC government should take on Zimbabwe are the different ideas within the ruling party about how to handle the Zimbabwean situation. It seems there is one group that feels a certain sense of loyalty to Zanu PF because of their liberation war links and those that were in exile in Harare have fond memories of their stay there and the government's largesse then. Another group seems to be wary of the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) agenda and believes that Zimbabwe's situation can only be resolved when Mugabe goes and is replaced by a more level-headed leader from within Zanu PF. The ANC's Alliance partners, the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) are clear in their support for the MDC. As to which grouping has the upper hand that will certainly become clear in the coming weeks as South African business and the international world apply further pressure on Mbeki to ensure matters in Zimbabwe do not come to a head. We shall soon know what Mbeki means by "doubling" his efforts on Zimbabwe.

From The Guardian (UK), 10 December

In the line of fire

Chris McGreal reports on Mugabe's latest attempt to bring a critical press to heel

This article will be punishable by up to two years in prison under the new media law that Robert Mugabe is likely to push through Zimbabwe's parliament this week. For a start, it quotes the Herald newspaper in Harare - a government propagandist rag with little regard for the truth or its plummeting circulation - for the want of a response from Zimbabwe's minister of information about the coming legislation. But that in itself falls afoul of Part XII, section 89 of the new legislation under the heading: Abuse of Journalistic Privilege. "A journalist shall be deemed to have abused his journalistic privilege and committed an offence if he does the following: rewrites a story that has already been published by another mass media service without the permission of that mass media owner."

Well, the Herald was first with the story, as it breaks all news planted by the government. It revealed that Mugabe plans to curb his last truly vigorous domestic critics - the press - by having the information minister, Jonathan Moyo, decide who can work as a journalist and which newspapers may be published. In addition, it will be a crime to criticise the president or "spread alarm and despondency". All in the name of freedom of the press, of course. With Stalinist aforethought, the executioner also intends to make the victim pay for the bullet. Any media house – local or foreign - represented in Zimbabwe will be obliged to pay contributions to a "media and information fund" for the notoriously erratic Moyo to use as he pleases. The size of the contributions has yet to be determined, but that is also Moyo's prerogative. Mugabe may come to regret this. Moyo is wanted in Kenya and South Africa for alleged fraud.

Basildon Peta, chairman of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, says the law is aimed at one thing - shutting down a critical press ahead of what is expected to be a violent and extensively rigged presidential election in March or April. "I can't believe its contents. It's obscene. It's unacceptable. The only reason behind the bill is that it empowers the minister of information to determine who practices journalism in this country and who doesn't, and it's targeted at those he doesn't want to practise journalism. They want to weed out journalists they don't like," he says. "It won't surprise me if newspapers are closed down. They bombed the Daily News and failed to shut it down. So now they are using the law." Mugabe's government has tried and failed to silence the independent press with terror. Journalists have been arrested and tortured by the police with beatings and electric shocks. But it could not stop the revelations of the government's responsibility for violence, its contempt for the law and the extent of the economic crisis Zimbabwe now faces. Moyo has also been riled by the foreign press, particularly the BBC and British newspapers. Foreign reporters are now virtually barred from Zimbabwe. Last month, the Herald - at Moyo's behest - accused six journalists working for foreign newspapers of being de facto terrorists. They included the Guardian's reporter in Harare, Andrew Meldrum.

Zimbabwe’'s media monitoring project said the accusations were aimed at marking journalists as targets for attack: "It is a very short step from labelling someone a terrorist to licensing your supporters to commit violence against them." But the intimidation hasn't worked, so the government intends to use a law that is almost certainly unconstitutional. The legislation sets up a commission appointed by the government that will license journalists according to "standards" laid down by Moyo. These are believed to include a requirement for reporters to have journalism degrees. "Moyo knows very well that we don't have journalism degrees, and we don't need them," says Peta. The law prescribes up to two years in prison for a host of offences, including working as a journalist without a licence, exciting disaffection against the president, and spreading rumours, falsehoods or causing alarm and despondency. Publications that breach these requirements can have their assets seized.

In the absence of government comment, we have to turn to Moyo's own mouthpiece, the Herald, for an insight into its justification for the bill. "In recommending the Bill, the Department of Information and Publicity said the media should be accountable to society and had to be judged on how well they were conveying messages without distortions or interfering with the right to freedom of expression given to people in the constitution," the paper said. In the future, it will be illegal to repeat what the Herald had to say without its permission. Here's how the paper justifies it. "Journalists who have been surviving from plagiarising stories from the Herald and other newspapers to file stories on Zimbabwe in foreign newspapers will face criminal charges," the paper said. Peta - who works for the Financial Gazette in Harare and also files for Tony O'Reilly's Independent group - does not expect that he or most other journalists critical of the government will be licensed. "What we say as the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists is that we should not even apply for those certificates, we shall boycott them. Then he will arrest us all and imprison us and we shall appeal to the supreme court on constitutional grounds. It will get the case to the court quicker."

From The Zimbabwe Independent, 7 December

Zanu PF mobs attack Zimind vendors

War veterans and Zanu PF supporters have stepped up attacks on vendors selling independent newspapers in Mashonaland Central as government intensifies efforts to muzzle the private media. Mashonaland Central is a Zanu PF stronghold. Newspaper vendors told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that it was now risky to sell independent newspapers, particularly in Bindura. The most targeted papers are the Zimbabwe Independent and the Daily News whose vendors had resorted to secretly selling the papers in fear of their lives. Publications Distribution’s circulation officer, Graham Gandari, said their vendor in Bindura returned the whole batch of the Independent last week after he was prevented from selling them in the town. "What surprised us is that state-owned newspapers are sold freely in Bindura and we still don’t understand why they are targeting the Independent," he said. Publications Distribution distributes the Independent and the Standard.

A police spokesperson in Bindura confirmed they had arrested three suspects and fined them in connection with the disruption of newspaper sales. "Police will ensure that no-one takes the law into their own hands and people selling newspapers should report to police if barred from selling them," he said by telephone on Wednesday. Publisher and chief executive of the Independent Trevor Ncube said this was another crude attempt at suppressing the free press, particularly as the country goes towards the presidential election. "The government obviously doesn’t want the people to know the truth as published in our newspapers," said Ncube. "This does not in any way dampen our spirit. We are keenly aware of what we are up against. We will continue the fight to give Zimbabweans unsanitised news."

From The Zimbabwe Standard, 9 December

Zimbabwe snubs SADC

Government, which has made it clear that it will not entertain election observers and monitors from the western world, has gone a step further by snubbing monitors from the sub-region, The Standard has learnt. Under normal circumstances, the SADC parliamentary team would have already been in the country to monitor the voter registration and roll inspection exercise which ends today. Sam Mpaso, the chairman of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, confirmed to The Standard last week that the government had not yet invited his team for the elections. Mpaso said it was normal for the SADC parliamentary team to monitor pre-election formalities in a SADC country holding an election. He however, stressed that the team could only go in at the invitation of the host country.

Said Mpaso: "We have a plan to send a team of members of parliament from SADC. We are just waiting for the invitation, we haven’t received it yet. As soon as we are notified of the dates, we will come. We came last year and observed the formalities before and after the election. We should observe those formalities. What we are simply waiting for is notification from the Zimbabwean authorities." A source said the Zimbabwean government was not keen on inviting the SADC team because of the chaos surrounding the voter registration exercise. "They don’t want SADC to see the rot. What they will do is invite SADC during the actual polling days, when it would be too late for them to really see the rigging. It would be difficult to tell SADC off like they did the EU, so SADC is being barred on a technicality. SADC will have to be invited though, but the invitation will only be sent after this chaotic voter registration exercise is over," said the source.

The voter-registration exercise has been mired in controversy with the opposition alleging that the ruling party was using the exercise to rig the election. Apart from commissioning war veterans and Zanu PF supporters to handle the registration, government has tried to make it almost impossible for people in urban areas to register by asking residents to produce documents of proof of residence. The MDC support base is the urban areas. In rural areas, there have been reports of headmen compiling lists of villagers residing in their areas. Justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, has also made amendments to the Electoral Act and this has been widely seen as a government attempt to further facilitate its rigging exercise. The amendments effectively bar independent local and foreign election monitors from overseeing the election. If the amendments are passed by parliament, the returning officers will be allowed to open the ballot boxes without being observed by election monitors and polling agents. Speaker of parliament, Emmerson Mnangagwa, could not be reached for comment last week as he was said to be busy in meetings.

From Business Day (SA), 10 December

Congolese talks move step forward

Abuja - The government and rebels from Democratic Republic of Congo have made a "major breakthrough" in meetings in Nigeria, opening the way to full peace talks next month, the United Nations said yesterday. Representatives of Congolese President Joseph Kabila and the two main rebel movements in the country agreed on who would be allowed to attend the talks in SA next month, said UN assistant secretary-general Ibrahim Fall. "With the adoption of that position the way is open for the inter-Congolese dialogue to resume," said Fall. "This is a major breakthrough." The announcement followed three days of gruelling talks at the UN office in Abuja between representatives of Kabila, the Ugandan-backed Movement for the Liberation of Congo and the Rwandan-backed Rally for Congolese Democracy. Congo has been at war since 1998 despite a peace accord signed in 1999. Seven countries have been involved in the conflict, with the main foreign protagonists being Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Angola. One international humanitarian organisation has estimated the death toll at 2,5-million. Officials in Kinshasa said earlier the talks in Abuja were bogged down by splits within the rebels parties, but Fall declined to discuss such details. Peace moves have gained momentum since Kabila took office in January after the death of his father Laurent Kabila. Most parties to the war have, since the young Kabila took power, withdrawn from the frontlines, paving the way for UN peacekeepers to deploy across the vast nation. But further progress on the accord has been slow.

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"A WARVET AT THE DOOR" - letter from a once-dispossessed farmer ...........

"Its me again.  This week our area was on red alert, information had been
leaked that there could be a reoccurrence of trashing and looting in our
area.  Not good for the head.  I immediately checked the little suitcase,
fresh knickers, passports, picture of granny ,yes all was in tact I kicked
it under the bed. I surveyed the house how ridiculous I had just finished
unpacking the refugee stuff could I be homeless again, so soon.  It wasn't
worth thinking of so I decided to go for a run. I squeezed myself into my
running shorts put on my refugee Reeboks and headed for the hills.  The dogs
wagged their tails in open admiration as I cantered down the road.  Its so
great going with dogs because they don't mind you staggering to a standstill
while you wheezily gasp for air.  They patiently wait for you coming over
the crest of the hill and nip your heels encouragingly as you lie in the
middle of the road recovering from the stitch in your side. Well to cut a
long story short I returned from the run, flopped on the couch trying to
breathe was that rasping noise really me.  I closed my eyes briefly only to
open them again with the cook bent over me.  Now Kapira is old and deaf.
Madam he shouted warvet wants to see you.  I flicked off the couch my legs
felt like two strands of sphagetti, where I screamed?.  He pointed his thumb
to the door, its warvet.  I leopard crawled to the sideboard and reached for
my self defense pepper spray.  Could be useful with a panga wielding warvet.
The cook was looking incredulous.  I peered out the window, couldn't see any
warvets, and there was no shouting and screaming I backtracked to the
bedroom, nope nothing there either.  Perhaps it was just one.  By  this time
the cook was following me, he looked alarmed.
Its just warvet he shouted.  I sidled into the kitchen a shuffly sort of
crouch, the cook looked as though he was going to burst into tears.  I
carefully peered out of the window and oh yes!!!! there was Orbert the
foreman he had come to give me some money for some clothes he had sold. I
know, !! but its not my fault Kapira has a speech impediment. 

The good news is that Kerry Kay was interviewed by Tim Sebastian and it should be screened on the 13th. Well done to Kerry for all the hard work she puts in. If it wasn't for girls like Kerry and Cathy Buckle where would we be.  They tell the truth as it should be told. Till next week love from m."
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