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Mugabe suspends seven top ZANU PF officials
Wed 1 December 2004
  HARARE - President Robert Mugabe suspended seven top officials of his
ruling ZANU PF party and severely reprimanded Information Minister and
propaganda chief, Jonathan Moyo, as he cracked down on dissension over the
choice of Water Resources Minister Joyce Mujuru as his potential successor.

      The purge comes as ZANU PF began a key congress today that is expected
to confirm Mujuru as party co-vice president with Joseph Msika.

      Mugabe is expected to appoint her state vice-president shortly after
the congress firmly placing her at a good advantage to take over both as
ZANU PF and Zimbabwe's President when he retires around 2008.

      Msika, 81, is also expected to retire in three years time. Mugabe
retained his position unchallenged but a vicious battle for the second vice
presidency, seen as a stepping stone to Mugabe's job, had threatened to
split ZANU PF.

      Mugabe curved in to pressure from one of two rival factions in the
party to give the post to a woman, Mujuru, ditching parliamentary speaker
Emerson Mnangagwa, long perceived as his preferred heir.

      The suspended officials, who are provincial chairmen of the party
defied orders by Mugabe to back Mujuru and campaigned for Mnangagwa to be
nominated to the post earning the ire of Mugabe who called the rebel
officials "cunning knaves" bent on splitting the party and threatened tough
punishment against them.

      Moyo co-ordinated the plot to scuttle Mujuru's ascendancy to the vice
presidency. The suspended provincial chairmen are July Moyo for Midlands
province; Mike Madiro, Manicaland; Themba Ncube, Bulawayo; Daniel Shumba,
Masvingo; Lloyd Siyoka, Matabeleland South; and Jacob Mudenda, Matabeleland
North.

      ZANU PF spokesman Nathan Shumuyarira told the Press that Zimbabwe
liberation war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was also suspended for four
years for working with Moyo to block Mujuru.

      The suspended chairmen would not be allowed to attend the party
congress while further sanctions could be imposed on Moyo, Shamuyarira said
without elaborating.

      Sources have maintained that Moyo will eventually be dropped from
Cabinet but they said that may only be  after a key general election in
March 2005.

      Mugabe - the only ruler Zimbabweans have ever known - is scheduled to
address the ZANU PF congress tomorrow with the more than 7 000 delegates
expected to unanimously endorse him as party leader.

      Minus the addition of Mujuru to the party's presidium, little is
expected to change at the congress which analysts have said ZANU PF will use
as a platform to mobilise its ranks for the crucial March 2005 general
election in which the party faces a weakened but still dangerous opposition
Movement for Democratic Change party. - ZimOnline
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Daily News online edition

      Jonathan Moyo*s political waterloo

      Date: 1-Dec, 2004

      THE chickens are finally coming home to roost for Jonathan Moyo, the
Minister of Information and Publicity in the President's Office.

      While many were extremely surprised at his chameleonic abilities -
being able to metamorphose from being the Robert Mugabe government's main
critic to being its most vociferous supporter - at some point his true
colours were going to be exposed.

      That Moyo was able to worm his way into the high echelons of Zanu PF,
and be the trusted lieutenant of the ageing Mugabe, is evidence of his
ability to identify opportunity and exploit it to the maximum.

      Moyo was able to achieve what most people in Zanu PF itself have been
unable to do over the years - to have the ear of Mugabe 24/7.

      As government chief spokesman, Moyo was privy to the goings-on in all
government ministries, departments and quasi-government institutions.

      No doubt Moyo was the most informed person - after Mugabe - in the
land as he was, through his office, the fly on the wall for every meeting
Mugabe held.

      That Moyo had grand plans became obvious when he assumed the roles of
all ministers early days in his new office. At one point then Home Affairs
minister John Nkomo had to set the record straight by stating that there was
"only one Home Affairs minister in Zimbabwe".

      This after Moyo had fired broadsides at the police for "reneging on
duty". In sports, Moyo was again at the forefront, resulting in running
battles with Education, Sport and Culture minister Aneas Chigwedere.

      The latter's role had been effectively usurped by Moyo, who was
holding meetings with Zifa, the PSL and media on sports issues in the
absence of Chigwedere.

      Moyo even had to audacity to order Central Intelligence Organisation
members to invade the home of an Attorney General's Officer staffer. Her
crime; agreeing to the release on bail of a foreign journalist without first
seeking permission from Moyo.

      Matabeleland North Governor, Obert Mpofu, is on record saying because
of Moyo's actions, civil servants in his province were no longer reporting
to him but to Tsholotsho, implying they were now reporting to Moyo.

      "This Minister of Information and Publicity in the President's office
and cabinet is abusing his ministry and powers. Television, newspapers and
radio stations are always full of Tsholotsho news.

      "If I may be allowed to ask, what's there in Tsholotsho?" asked Mpofu.

      As his star continued to shine, with no rapping of knuckles by Mugabe,
Moyo went overboard and openly challenged the Vice-president Joseph Msika,
party national chairman John Nkomo and information guru Nathan Shamuyarira.

      Zanu PF had created a monster and it was on the loose. With his
murderous hold on both the print and electronic media, party functionaries
were now able to see that the Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act which Moyo authored, was meant to close them out of the media.
Only Moyo's chosen few would be given inches of column space and television
coverage.

      It therefore comes as no surprise that in government circles, Moyo was
the "future" of Zanu PF. Deputy Minister of State Flora Bhuka, Transport and
Communications deputy minister, Andrew Langa, Foreign Affairs deputy
minister Abedinco Ncube and Masvingo provincial governor Josiah Hungwe, are
but some of the top Zanu PF leadership that jumped on the Moyo bandwagon.

      Six provincial chairmen - July Moyo for Midlands province; Mike
Madiro, Manicaland; Themba Ncube, Bulawayo; Daniel Shumba, Masvingo; Lloyd
Siyoka, Matabeleland South; and Jacob Mudenda, Matabeleland North - also
joined what they saw as the fastest ascendancy to the throne.

      For their trouble, they are now being asked to submit written
explanations why they defied party orders. The six attended a meeting
allegedly convened by Moyo in his home area of Tsholotsho a week before the
provincial nominations for party posts, to plot a flopped rebellion against
orders by Mugabe and Zanu PF's politburo to nominate Joyce Mujuru for the
vice-presidency.

      The group had as its candidate speaker of Parliament Emmerson
Mnangagwa. Even Mugabe himself was fooled by this batman of Zimbabwe
politics.

      "When Moyo came he worked hard towards improving people's lives,
helped develop some schools in the constituency, and we all liked that. What
is frightening now is the meeting of six Zanu PF provincial chairpersons he
allegedly convened without the mandate of the people," Mugabe said.

      Mugabe on Friday openly said he would "deal" with Moyo, setting the
stage for what Zanu PF insiders say could be the beginning of the end for
this "famous" turncoat of the Zimbabwean politics. The nation waits with
batted breath. - Editorial

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Daily News online edition

      Zanu PF congress a farce, say exiles

      Date: 2-Dec, 2004

      PRETORIA - Zimbabweans in exiles have dismissed the on-going Zanu PF
congress as "nothing but an event meant to endorse a dictator renowned the
world over for bad governance, rampant abuse of human rights and trashing
the rule of law.

      Zimbabwe Exiles Forum co-ordinator, Gabriel Shumba said the congress
would not address the problems bedeviling the country and there was
therefore nothing worthwhile to expect from it.

      "That congress will remain a farce like all other farces before
because it will not deal with the principal cause of the Zimbabwe crisis.
Mugabe is the principal cause of the crisis and I don't see that congress
dealing with him," said Shumba.

      He said the congress would only serve to endorse "a world renowned
despot, a man with a dubious record of being the only African head of state
to abuse power with impunity".

      He said even the appointment of Joyce Mujuru as second vice-president
would not light up the event being held at a time when four million people
have been driven out of the country through Mugabe's misgovernance and gross
human rights violations.

      Shumba warned regional political parties such as the African National
Congress against attending such meetings saying they would discrediting
themselves by doing so.

      Honest Rimai, a Zimbabwean living in exile said as long as Mugabe
remained in power, there would be no change in any of his policies.

      "Our view is that as long as Mugabe is there, our situation won't
change. We would welcome a situation where such a meeting would kick the old
man out because he has failed but we don't think they will do it," said
Rimai.

      He said most Zimbabweans who fled poverty, hunger, starvation and
torture to South Africa and other countries could not return home as long as
Mugabe was in power because he would "finish us off".

      The Zimbabwean government widely regards all asylum seekers and
refugees as supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

      The Zanu PF congress is expected to see a number of changes in the
party's decision-making body the politburo and retain Mugabe as its leader.

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Daily News online edition

            Expect nothing new from Zanu PF convocation

            Date: 2-Dec, 2004

            THE four-year Zanu PF money-blowing convocation is once again
upon us. City hotels are bursting at the seams with delegates - 7 000 of
them - who have made the pilgrimage to eat, drink, fornicate, be merry and
endorse President Robert Mugabe as the party leader for the next five years.

            About $20 billion is there for the spending. A fierce battle
over his eventual successor is threatening to split the party's ranks, but
for the common man in the street, this might as well be happening on another
planet for the good it will do.

            The congress is being held amidst a crumbling economy, food
shortages, record poverty and unemployment. Unemployment is at a record 80
percent and still rising.

            In the past two years alone, more than 800 manufacturing sector
companies have closed shop. Zimbabwe's education system, once the pride of
the region and respected the world over, has gone to the dogs.

            In the townships, just keeping body and soul together on a day
to day is taking a toll on the majority. Long-suffering Zimbabweans should
expect little from the gathering.

            The congress has little to do with resolving the country's
deepening political and economic crisis but more about solving power
struggles within Zanu PF.

            That Zanu PF is split is not in doubt. Party elections for a
second vice presidency - seen as a stepping stone to the top job - have left
Zanu PF divided ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for March.

            Mugabe bowed to pressure from some lieutenants to give the post
to a woman, sidelining parliamentary speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa, a man often
touted as his preferred successor.

            Mugabe's warning that he would punish top Zanu PF officials who
"defied the party" by trying to block the rise of Joyce Mujuru and
campaigning for Mnangagwa has opened fissures right down the middle of the
governing party.

            The suspension of six provincial governors at a time when they
were supposed to consolidate their power at congress has sent shivers down
the spines of those who were toying with the idea of voicing discontent
against the ageing leader.

            There is simmering discontent in Zanu PF over how the whole
issue of a second VP has been handled. Although the official line is that
the party is united and will emerge out of this stronger, the truth is that
Zanu PF is looking weak and divided - but probably not weak enough for the
opposition to take out.

            Mugabe as expected will use "intimidation and terror" to keep
the party he has been at the helm of for 30 years united in the face of a
whispering campaign that a political faction bent on consolidating power
around Zimbabwe's northern Mashonaland region has hijacked the Zanu PF.

            But that is for party supporters to worry about.

            The congress does not concern ordinary citizens as it is not
expected to solve the political and economic problems prevailing in the
country. It is very much to do with power struggles in the party which are
not going to help address current problems.

            Instead of coming up with solutions to a painful five-year
economic recession that has seen shortages of every life-saving commodity,
Zanu PF - which has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 -
is expected to use the meeting to mobilise its ranks in order to win next
year's general election and retain power.

            The congress would have had impact on Zimbabwe if it was going
to usher in a completely new leadership for Zanu PF, which could have seen
the ruling party probably changing direction and policies.

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Daily News online edition

      Inter-Parliamentary Union expresses outrage at Bennet*s continued
detention

      Date: 2-Dec, 2004

      JOHANNESBURG - The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has expressed
disappointment at the Zimbabwean parliamentary authorities' failure to
respond to its concerns over the "harsh" sentence imposed on Chimanimani MP
Roy Bennet.

      A senior official of the IPU's committee on the rights of
parliamentarians told Daily News Online they were treating the Bennett issue
seriously and would be communicating with Harare again before the end of the
week to express dissatisfaction over the handling of the issue.

      He said the committee was further concerned by the fact that Bennet
was not being held in acceptable conditions and that he had been transferred
to a rural prison where his lawyers and relatives could face difficulties in
visiting him.

      The jail is located in a Zanu PF stronghold.

      "After his sentencing we wrote to the authorities conveying our
concern about the heavy sentence but we haven't received any response from
Harare. We are going to write again this time complaining about his
conditions in prison," the official said.

      Bennet, the most persecuted MP in Zimbabwe, was in October jailed for
a year by parliament for shoving Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa to the
ground during a heated debate in May.

      Fifty-three ruling Zanu PF party parliamentarians voted for the jail
term while Bennet's colleagues in the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) voted against the prison term.

      Bennet, a commercial farmer, pushed Chinamasa to the ground after the
minister had called the former's ancestors "thieves".

      Although under Zimbabwean law parliament has the authority to sit as a
court and impose penalties, the Bennet case has been roundly condemned
worldwide.

      His lawyers have appealed against the sentence and have said they
would be taking the matter to the African Commission for Human and People's
Rights.

      The IPU said it was disturbing that the Bennet case came just after
the committee on the Rights of Parliamentarians had produced a damning
report on the harassment and torture of opposition MPs in Zimbabwe.

      Zimbabwe is expected to dominate the committee's deliberations in
Geneva in January.

      The southern African country now joins other countries such as Burundi
and Mynamar that are renowned for harassing legislators.

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Daily News online edition

      Zimbabwe bars Renamo from campaigning among nationals

      Date: 2-Dec, 2004

      VILLA DE MANICA, MOZAMBIQUE - Renamo, the main opposition political
party here, is bitter with the Zimbabwean government for allegedly denying
them an opportunity to campaign in Zimbabwe where thousands of eligible
voters live.

      Sources within Renamo, Mozambique's largest opposition political
party, on Tuesday said despite representations, Harare had denied their
party an opportunity to sell itself and its election manifesto to their
nationals in Zimbabwe.

      Thousands of Mozambicans are dotted all over Mutare and areas along
the eastern frontier, which borders Mozambique, either working on estates
and plantations or staying in other major towns such as Chipinge,
Chimanimani, and Rusape.

      A Renamo member in Manica town, who identified himself as Joao
Machande, said he was disappointed their party was denied access to
Mozambicans staying in Zimbabwe.

      "We were told that we were not allowed to campaign inside Zimbabwe,"
Machande said.

      While Harare authorities have allegedly denied Renamo access to their
potential voters, Frelimo, the governing party in Mozambique and a close
ally of Zanu PF, has been granted unfettered access to campaign in every
area they chose inside Zimbabwe.

      There was no immediate comment from Zimbabwean government officials.
The Mozambican elections to choose a new president will run for two days.
The ruling Frelimo party is fielding Armando Emilio Guebuza, a former
guerrilla during Mozambique's struggle for independence from the Portuguese.

      Joaquim Chissano is not standing for re-election after 18 years in
power. Guebuza, a former Frelimo secretary-general, is considered a

      hardliner who was pivotal to the infamous expulsion of Portuguese
nationals from Mozambique in the 70s.

      Frelimo members say he was a confidante of the late Mozambican leader,
Samora Machel. Renamo, a bandit movement-turned opposition party, is
fielding its president Alfonso Dhlakama, as their candidate.

      In interviews, Renamo supporters alleged the Zimbabwe government
denied their party access to campaign inside the country where several
thousands of potential Mozambican voters are based.

      Mozambicans living in Zimbabwe will participate in the electoral
process. They will vote at the Mozambican embassy in Harare.

      Frelimo supporters held several campaign meetings with Mozambicans in
Mutare at the weekend imploring them to cross into their country to vote for
Guebuza.

      The Mozambican border is about 10km away from Mutare's central
business district. Dhlakama is said to enjoy support in the western parts of
Mozambique which include provinces such as Tete, Manica, Nampula and Sofala.

      Guebuza's Frelimo party's support base is said to be concentrated in
Maputo and surrounding areas.

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sudan.net

US blasts UN for turning 'blind eye' to rights abuses

News Article by AFP posted on December 01, 2004 at 11:24:04: EST (-5 GMT)

US blasts UN for turning 'blind eye' to rights abuses

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday slammed the UN
General Assembly for ignoring serious human rights violations after it
failed last week to pass resolutions condemning abuses in Belarus, Sudan and
Zimbabwe.

"We urged other UN member states to take a strong, unified stand against
human rights abuses in these countries," State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said.

"The failure to do so turns a blind eye to the suffering of people in the
concerned countries and undercuts the UN's own authority," he said in a
written answer to a question posed at Tuesday's State Department news
briefing.

"It also underscores the need for UN member states to consider ways to make
these bodies function more effectively and consistent with their founding
mandates," Boucher said.

He said Washington was "deeply disappointed" that the General Assembly had
rejected resolutions taking Belarus, Sudan and Zimbabwe to task for their
poor human rights records.

But Boucher stressed that the United States would not stop working with
other nations -- such as those in the European Union, which proposed the
Sudan and Zimbabwe resolutions -- to hold countries accountable for abuses.

"The United States will continue to engage with member states in the
relevant UN bodies, both the General Assembly's Third Committee and the
Commission on Human Rights, in promoting and protecting human rights," he
said.

"We are committed to working with other like-minded states toward this end,"
Boucher said.

Last Wednesday, the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, which covers
human rights, voted down proposed resolutions condemning widespread abuses
in Sudan and Zimbabwe by passing so-called "no-action motions" in a dispute
between African and Western nations.

South Africa, on behalf of the African group of nations, filed the no-action
motions, saying that country-specific resolutions were inappropriate at the
United Nations because they violate the principle of "friendly cooperation"
that underlie UN actions.

At the time, Washington, along with human rights groups, was bitterly
critical of the UN process with US ambassador to the United Nations, John
Danforth, questioning "the utility of the General Assembly on days like
this."

Another US representative to the UN, Gerald Scott, warned that the rejection
of the resolutions might signal "a complete breakdown of the UN's
deliberative bodies related to human rights."

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cybergolf

      Nick Price To Receive USGA Bob Jones Award
      Nick Price, a 2003 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame and
winner of three major championships and more than 40 professional titles
worldwide, has been selected to receive the 2005 USGA Bob Jones Award.

      Presented annually since 1955, the USGA's top award is given in
recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. The award seeks to
recognize a person who emulates Jones' spirit, his personal qualities and
his attitude toward the game and its players. It will be presented on
February 5 at the Association's Annual Meeting in Santa Barbara, Calif.

      Now 47, Price was the best player in the game in the 1990s, winning 15
PGA Tour events and another 12 times internationally. His highlight season
was 1994 when he won six times, including top finishes at the British Open
and PGA Championship, on his way to PGA Tour Player of the Year honors for
the second consecutive year. In his overall professional career, he has won
18 times in the U.S. and 23 times internationally.

      He has been a professional golfer since 1977 and has ranked among the
sport's top 50 leading money leaders for the last 18 seasons. He has
published books on the golf swing, built golf courses and learned to fly his
own helicopter and recently started his own golf apparel company. He also is
the only golfer to be ranked among the top 50 of the world rankings since
its inception in 1986.

      More noticeable, however, is the way Price has shown his personal
qualities in his daily routine, with a manner befitting the phrase, "It's
nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

      "To receive this award is a great honor for me," said Price. "I have
always respected and admired Bob Jones, not only for the way he played golf,
but also because of the way he conducted himself both on and off the golf
course. Throughout my career, I have strived to achieve the etiquette and
sportsmanship that Bob Jones exemplified."

      In 2002, Price was the first winner of the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray
Award from the Golf Writers Association of America for his consistent and
thoughtful cooperation and accommodation to the media. Later that year, he
received the annual Payne Stewart Award from the Tour for his respect for
the game, his professional conduct and his commitment to charities.

      "He is as decent and nice to the little old ladies in the parking lot
when the TV cameras are nowhere near as he is when he's attempting to close
the deal late on a Sunday afternoon before thick galleries," wrote veteran
golf writer Bob Verdi on the eve of Price's 2003 induction in to the World
Golf Hall of Fame.

      "I think the players recognize what a great guy he is," says Davis
Love III of his fellow Tour player. "People always ask who's the nicest guy
on tour, and Nick Price's name always comes up."

      He stood by his long-time friend and caddie, Jeff "Squeeky" Medlin,
while he fought a losing battle with leukemia that came to an end in 1997.
He shared the spotlight in happier days with Medlin at the 1994 British Open
at Turnberry, Scotland, when the two walked arm-in-arm on to the final green
to a thunderous ovation before two-putting for par and the win.

      He supports charities that benefit children within Palm Beach County
and his native homelands of South Africa and Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia. In
addition, he formed the Nick Price Junior Golf Foundation in 1997 to support
junior golf development in Zimbabwe, a land of 12 million people that is
torn with strife and under a strict one-party rule.

      He is committed to bettering the life for those around him,
particularly his family. Just last summer when the family - wife, Sue;
Gregory (13), Robyn Frances (11) and Kimberly Rae (8) - was having a
well-earned vacation, Price surprisingly extended the vacation by opting out
of the PGA Championship several days before the event.

      "Nick is one of those people who has a firm grasp on what's
important," says Sue. "In his soul, he thinks about others. I rarely have
seen him become abrupt with anybody. He just wants to give the best of
himself in whatever he does."

      A resident in the U.S. since the early 1980s, he lives comfortably in
Hobe Sound, Fla., but his roots are in Africa. Born in Durban, South Africa,
to English parents, Nick was raised by his mother in Zimbabwe. His father
died when he was 10 before getting a chance to introduce him to the game of
golf. His older brother, Tim, showed him the game, giving him a left-handed
5-iron for his first club.

      The two spent countless hours chipping golf balls through their
mother's backyard garden while pretending they were on the best golf layouts
and playing for major titles. On his first trip to the United States, as a
17-year-old, Price won the Junior World Championship in San Diego. He turned
professional three years later, in 1977, but in between he learned never to
take his good fortune for granted.

      During that time, he served 18 months in Rhodesia's Air Force,
fighting in a civil war that would end in 1980. "The service taught me that
golf is not the be-all and end-all in life and that I am fortunate to do
something I love," Price says.

      Having achieved success on both the European and South African Tours
between 1978 and 1982, earning his first four wins, he ventured to America
where he earned his PGA Tour card for the 1983 season. Later that summer, he
edged out Jack Nicklaus to win the World Series of Golf event. Along with
the win, came a 10-year exemption on Tour. But there were lean years ahead
and a time when he came within a week of running out of money to stay on
Tour.

      Somehow he held on, believing that his rebuilt swing would pay
dividends. It did, beginning with a win at the 1991 GTE Byron Nelson
Classic. He won the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St.
Louis, and then won it again in 1994 at Southern Hills Country Club in
Tulsa, Okla.

      His last win was at the 2002 MasterCard Colonial, a year in which he
topped $2 million in earnings for the first time and finished fifth in
scoring average. He sees himself playing into his 50s, and would like to add
to his win total and accomplishments in the game. He has Tour wins in each
of the last three decades, and he is one of only seven players since 1945 to
capture consecutive majors.

      No matter what the next few years bring, Price has left his mark on
the game he loves. "Like Ben Crenshaw (the 1991 Jones Award winner), he's a
role model that a lot of the players out here need to pay attention to,"
says Love.

      "When I see a young guy who has shot 78 giving a signed ball to a kid
who is there with his dad, that's huge," says Price. "That's what golf is
all about."

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News24

Cosatu: Tensions mirror society
01/12/2004 18:47  - (SA)

Johannesburg - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on
Wednesday said that the tensions in the alliance reflected the growth of
class differentiation within the black community, which could be seen in the
on going debate over economic policy in particular.

Celebrating 19 years of struggle for national liberation and worker's
rights, Cosatu said that black economic empowerment (BEE) if not properly
handled, could create a narrow class of black capitalists rather than
benefiting the majority.

"Moreover, it creates opportunities for corruption and abuses of power as
shown in the Telkom deal," the union said.

Cosatu, however, stated that it did not oppose the growth of black capital,
but it could not be allowed to happen at the cost of the majority of people
or displace strategies to bring about broad based empowerment.

The union added that a particular concern was the potential for conflict and
plain corruption arising out of the new opportunities for leaders and high-
ranking government officials to join business.

"These relationships must be treated with great caution, with an emphasis on
transparency and clear links between government functions and the private
sector."

Cosatu, which is in an alliance with the African National Congress (ANC) and
the South African Communist Party (SACP) has been embroiled in a bitter
public spat with ruling ANC leaders over the Zimbabwe issue and black
economic empowerment.

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has suffered a personal attack from
ANC national spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama, Cosatu said.

Cosatu's reports to its Congress in 2000 and 2003 noted that the alliance
tended to come together well during elections, but failed to meet to resolve
debates between elections.

"This results in unnecessarily vitriolic and public disagreements," Cosatu
said. The union added that it was unfortunately seeing a repeat of this
process at the moment.

"The conflict in this case has arisen over Cosatu's mission to Zimbabwe and
the Telkom deal. The reluctance of some Ministers and officials to engage at
Telkom has aggravated the problem."

The trade union pointed out that key challenges in the coming year were to
build a mass base for the alliance and to ensure unity in action of all
progressive forces.

The union said that one short-run challenge would be to work for
constructive debate, which would put an end to unnecessary public rows,
questioning of bona fides and personalisation of debates.

Cosatu also noted that a broader debate on succession needed to be developed
and should not focus on the vice presidency, but on what kind of leaders
were needed in the coming years.

Cosatu welcomed the continued shift towards more expansionary policies and
the increased emphasis on the need to ensure that economic growth created
employment and supported greater equity.
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Mr John Stern trying to contact a MRS HELEN KATHLEEN HALL fairly urgently.  
 
Helen is a teacher and taught at a junior school in Kadoma, Zimbabwe in the early 1980s. Her husband, Ken Hall, taught at Jameson High School also in Kadoma. They may have a child, born in the mid 1980s. Helen came from Bulawayo and her father may have been with National Parks. Ken and Helen spent school holidays in National Parks. Ken came from the UK so they could be living in the UK.
 
Does anyone have a contact address for her?  If you do not have this information, is there anybody who you think may know her family or may in any way be able to give me some information, however slight? like her maiden name? her parents names? Does anyone from National Parks know her? An email address would be the most helpful. Please contact me either on  jandlresearch@btopenworld.com or bjs@fndc.govt.nz 
Thanking you in anticipation.
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STATEMENT BY MDC PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, Park Plaza Hotel, London, 1 December 2004

 

 

Over the past month I and other senior officials from the MDC have engaged on an intensive diplomatic initiative, meeting political leaders in Africa and Europe.

 

 

The fundamental objective of our diplomatic engagement efforts has been to appeal for solidarity with the suffering people of Zimbabwe, brief political leaders on the situation on the ground, appraise them of the context of our decision on 25 August to suspend participation in all elections pending the government’s full compliance with the new SADC protocol on elections and engage in discussions on the way forward in Zimbabwe.

 

 

The right of citizens to fully participate in the democratic process, and freely elect leaders of their choice, is a universally accepted human right. Regrettably fundamental rights which underpin democratic society are seriously impaired in Zimbabwe.   

 

 

The struggle to restore the basic right of the people to freely elect a government of their choice goes to the heart of the crisis of governance in Zimbabwe.  

 

 

Africa is increasingly unwilling to accept Mugabe and Zanu PF’s ruse that the crisis is anchored on the issue of land reform and nefarious neo-colonialist agendas. There is a growing consensus across the African continent that the root cause of the crisis in Zimbabwe stems from bad governance, violations of human rights, the closure of the  democratic space and a failure to uphold the rule of law.

 

 

The parliamentary elections scheduled for March next year potentially provide Zimbabwe with a historic opportunity to begin the process of resolving the current crisis, and ushering in the new beginning which Zimbabweans so desperately desire.

 

 

This historic opportunity will be lost however if SADC leaders do not exert sufficient diplomatic pressure on the Zimbabwe Government to fully commit to reforming our political and electoral environment, in line with what is expected under the SADC protocol on elections which Mugabe ratified with other SADC leaders in Mauritius on 17 August.

 

 

The growing popular pressure for a free and fair election has provoked the government into announcing a number of electoral reforms. These reforms however are cosmetic and fall woefully short of what is required under the SADC elections’ charter. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Bill, which has just passed the committee stage in parliament, will ensure that the government retains a controlling hand over the electoral framework.

 

 

Mugabe will appoint the chair of the commission, while the other four commissioners will be appointed by a parliamentary committee dominated by Zanu PF. Civic society organisations will be banned from conducting voter education, while members of the police, army, secret police and prison service will be seconded to the commission during an election period.

 

 

This is not what is expected under the Mauritius agreement. Mugabe has gone back on his word, like he has done on so many occasions in the past. It is imperative therefore that SADC leaders engage Mugabe and encourage him to honour in full the undertakings that he has given.

 

 

In our meetings with European leaders we urged them to engage their SADC counterparts, and encourage them to intensify their collective diplomatic pressure on Mugabe to commit to genuine reforms that will ensure a free and fair election takes place.

 

 

In the absence of a genuine, democratic, election Zimbabwe risks deteriorating into another Darfur or Sierra Leone. This would pose a serious threat to the stability of the southern Africa region; a region whose impressive democratic and economic gains over the past decade have made it Africa’s template for the pursuit of good governance and sustainable development. Africa can ill afford to lose this template.  

 

 

For our part we are ready to engage Zanu PF in a process of meaningful dialogue so that we can build a solid national consensus on the way forward. Tackling the crisis in Zimbabwe will take a collective effort by all stakeholders.

 

 

The people of Zimbabwe are tired of the political impasse; they need food and jobs but know that these basic grievances can only be addressed when the political environment is able to support a sustained economic recovery. This environment can only come about through a free and fair election.

 

 

We as MDC are ready for such an election. We look forward to fighting on the issues of the day: food and jobs. Through RESTART, our programme for economic recovery, and our other policy programmes, we possess a comprehensive agenda to govern; an agenda equipped to kick start a new beginning and create a new Zimbabwe characterised by peace, stability, opportunity and prosperity. 

 

 

We are committed to making this a reality for the people of Zimbabwe.

 

 

I thank you.   

 

 

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ZIMBABWE: More vulnerable added to feeding scheme
      01 Dec 2004 15:36:31 GMT

      Source: IRIN

JOHANNESBURG, 1 December (IRIN) - The development agency Save the Children
is to provide food aid to almost 25,000 vulnerable people in northern
Zimbabwe.

The distributions, to begin in the third week of December, will target
"social welfare cases, including the elderly and HIV/AIDS-affected
households in the districts of Binga [Matabeleland North province] and
Nyaminyami [Mashonaland West province] in the Zambezi valley," Chris McIvor,
Save the Children's programme director, told IRIN.

The two districts are among the poorest in Zimbabwe. According to an
assessment conducted by Save the Children earlier this year, chronic
malnutrition in Binga is high, with almost 30 percent of children stunted.

Food aid in the form of maize meal and cooking oil, with corn-soya blend as
a supplementary feed for children, will be distributed until the end of
April next year, according to McIvor.

As part of its two-year plan to make the residents of the valley
self-sufficient, Save the Children will also provide a safety net of
agricultural inputs to 15,000 vulnerable families. "We are ensuring that
woman- and child-headed households are covered in these interventions,"
McIvor said.

Earlier this year, Save the Children organised seed fairs to ensure that all
farmers had access to agricultural inputs. Due to a shortage of cereal seeds
in Zimbabwe, the NGO will be distributing vegetable seeds packets to
supplement the communities' food requirements.
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News24

Mugabe slams 'neo-colonials'
01/12/2004 11:54  - (SA)

Harare - President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe on Tuesday hit out at what he
termed a "neo-colonial onslaught" against the Southern African country that
he said had affected the fight against Aids.

In a late-night televised address on the eve of World Aids Day, Mugabe made
reference to the Global Aids Fund, from which Zimbabwe has so far failed to
source funding for its fight against the pandemic.

"Regrettably, the international, neo-colonial onslaught against Zimbabwe has
seen the politicisation of even HIV programme resources from such
humanitarian institutions as the Global (Aids) Fund," Mugabe said.

Zimbabwe had an appeal for funds turned down by the Geneva-based institution
in July this year, in what the government claimed was a politically-biased
decision.

Million Aids orphans

However, the fund, which receives a considerable amount of its funding from
the United States, a staunch critic of the Mugabe regime, said Zimbabwe's
appeal failed because of "technical reasons".

Up to 3 500 people are estimated to be dying from HIV-related illnesses in
this Southern African country every week.

The pandemic has so far created close to a million orphans who either live
on their own or with grandparents in a country of 11.6 million people.

But Mugabe was upbeat about his country's own initiatives in fighting the
disease, and lauded homegrown programmes to combat it.

"We should therefore use this year's World Aids Day commemorations to
rejoice in the knowledge that as a sovereign and united nation we have used
our own internal resources and structures to fight and record measurable
progress against the pandemic," the 80-year old leader noted.

Zimbabwe is due to mark World Aids Day Wednesday with festivities planned in
the capital Harare.
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