Zimbabwe state airline boss quits

http://www.iol.co.za

December 30 2010 at 12:24pm

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The boss of Zimbabwe's debt-ridden national carrier Air Zimbabwe has quit,
days after a second strike by pilots grounded several planes, the airline
announced on Thursday.

“The Board of Air Zimbabwe would like to take this opportunity to announce
that group chief executive officer Peter Chikumba will be leaving the
airline with effect from January 1, 2011,” the company said in statement.

Chikumba had been the airline's chief executive officer for four years.

Air Zimbabwe said the decision had been reached by mutual agreement.

“I will be leaving to pursue other business,” Chikumba told AFP, confirming
his departure but refusing to elaborate on what he would be doing.

Air Zimbabwe pilots went on strike in September and early December demanding
salary increases and improved working conditions.

Chikumba's resignation also comes months after a parliamentary investigation
discovered that the national airline was operating on an overdraft and was
unable to service its planes or pay debts estimated at 64 million US
dollars.

The airline, one of several state-owned utilities which the government plans
to sell, is weighed down by debt, an ageing fleet and high staff turnover.

Air Zimbabwe used to fly on 25 routes, but currently services just seven as
it tries to minimise costs.

Air Zimbabwe is separately embroiled in a legal battle with about 400 sacked
workers who are demanding 1.3 million dollars in severance pay awarded to
them by an independent arbitrator. - Sapa-AFP

Zanu (PF) Confirms Coaching People Over Constitution

http://www.radiovop.com/

30/12/2010 08:23:00

Harare, December 29, 2010 - Zanu (PF) has admitted it embarked on a
nationwide exercise to coach people on how to contribute in the
constitutional making outreach programmes.

The party’s Legal Affairs department conducted a series of workshops to
ensure its position on the new constitution sailed through so that it could
“achieve an outright win in elections for a post-GPA (Global Political
Agreement) government”, documents possessed by Radio VOP indicate.

According to the party’s central committee report to the party’s conference
in Mutare between 15 and 18 December 2010, the Zanu (PF) legal guru Emmerson
Mnangagwa said in his departmental report that the countrywide meetings were
intended to ensure the ideals and values of the party were captured in the
new supreme law of the land.

“The department held several workshops to devise a strategic plan for the
constitution making process and to have a party position on each of the 17
themes among other issues. The series of workshops were attended by
participants comprising lawyers, university lecturers, senior officers,
members of parliament, provincial members, members from the party’s research
team and pastors among others,” said Mnangagwa.

“The workshops were aimed at devising an implementable people-centred
strategic plan to ensure that the values, ideals and founding principles of
the party were permanently imprinted into the supreme law of the country.

“To that end the main objectives of the workshop were to evolve strategies
to counter the neo-liberal threats that western sponsored political parties
posed to the ideals and tenets of Zanu (PF).”

It has also been revealed that the workshops were meant to articulate the
main principles of the Kariba Draft constitution, devise multi-pronged media
strategy to reach the general populace and to come up with coordinated
campaign strategies targeting all organs of the party.

The revelations come at the back of threats by the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) not to recognise a draft constitution currently on the cards
whose process is alleged to be flawed and not reflective of the people’s
views.

President Mugabe also said in his foreword to the central committee report
that 80 percent of the views gathered during the parliamentary Constitution
Select Committee (COPAC) outreach exercise reflected a Zanu (PF) position.

“The conclusion of the COPAC outreach programme has sent a loud and clear
message to the MDC and its merchants of confusion among our detractors who
all along were doubtful of our party’s capacity to ably speak with and for
the people of this country,” said the President.

“Now, there’s nobody who does not know that more than 80 percent of the
views expressed and gathered during the outreach programme echoed and
affirmed our Zanu (PF) views and positions on the content of the proposed
new constitution for our country. What that has demonstrated is that, as the
centre of governance, our party has formidable intellectual capacity for
governing and running the country,” Mugabe boasted.

The constitution making process is currently in doubt as COPAC is grappling
to raise about US$6 million to complete the drafting phase and probably come
up with a document that will go to a referendum.

The constitution has been viewed by rival political parties as the basis for
free and fair elections through addressing necessary electoral reforms, but
the Zanu (PF) gathering in Mutare recommended elections to take place next
year.
President Mugabe has in the past said polls will go ahead with or without a
new constitution a move that has been criticised by the civic society saying
the environment was not yet conducive and could result in bloodshed.

Zimbabwe owes Equatorial Guinea US$220m

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

30/12/2010 00:00:00
    by Gilbert Nyambabvu

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s US$1.2 billion debt includes some US$222
million owed to the West African country of Equatorial Guinea and millions
more in funds looted from the accounts of local banks and other corporate
bodies, it has been established.

The cash-strapped bank – which recently announced plans to sack some 1600
employees – is battling to raise funds to pay-off the massive debts which
were incurred during its free spending days in the last decade.

Some of the major creditors include Equatorial Guinea which, the central
bank says, helped with fuel supplies.

Zimbabwe procured some petroleum products from the West African country
after helping nip in the bud an alleged coup plot against the country’s
leadership.

The state-run Herald newspaper also reports that the RBZ looted some US$83
million from the statutory reserves of local banks, US$80 million from
mining firms and other exporters as well as US$20 million from the accounts
of non-governmental organisations.

In addition, the central banks of South Africa and Malawi are owed US$10
million and US$20 million respectively for loans the RBZ says were used on
"critical national programmes".

Again, the US$184 million used to settle Zimbabwe’s arrears with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) also needs to be repaid.

RBZ boss, Gideon Gono, insists the funds were used to mitigate the effects
of sanctions imposed by the West adding that without his intervention the
country’s economy would have tanked-up.

The government is expected to assume part of the US$1.2 billion debt burden
with the central bank paying-off the balance.

Officials insist a thorough audit must however, be carried out to establish
how the liabilities were incurred.

The RBZ’s debt -- which at one point resulted in some of its assets being
auctioned -- has been a source friction between the bank and Finance
Ministry officials.

The treasury has been reluctant to assume the bank’s obligations arguing its
indiscriminate spending on so-called quasi-fiscal operations were a complete
failure and only helped stock-up world-record inflation over the last few
years.

RBZ quasi-fiscal operations cost US$200m

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

30/12/2010 00:00:00
    by Business Reporter

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s much-maligned quasi-fiscal operations chalked
up some US$200 million in debts which the central bank is now struggling to
repay.

As the country’s economy teetered on the brink of collapse in the last
decade the RBZ resorted to extensive quantitative easing, splashing the
minted cash on various programmes such maize seed and fertilizer procurement
in a bid to shore-up the country's agriculture.

The RBZ also made various facilities available to private and state-run
enterprises, government ministries including the funding elections.

State media reports indicate that the farm-mechanisation programme alone
chalked-up debts of some US$200 million.

However, most of the beneficiaries – many of whom accessed tractors and
other key farming plant and equipment – have not bothered to pay back the
loans.

The quasi-fiscal operations – which critics claim were not successful and
only helped stock-up inflation – left the central bank with massive debts of
about US$1.2 billion.

The bank insists the programmes helped mitigate the effects of sanctions
imposed by Western countries which the previous Zanu PF government blames
for the country’s economic problems.

The bank recently confirmed that it would sack some 1600 employees as part
of efforts to streamline operations and bring down costs.

RBZ chief, Gideon Gono has also confirmed plans to dispose of some bank
assets to help retire the debt.

Investments targeted for disposal include a 64 percent holding in Cairns,
the 65 percent interest in Astra and a 62 percent stake in Tractive Power.
The three companies are all listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE).

"We are trying to sell some of the bank’s subsidiaries including Astra,
Transload, Cairns, Thuli Coal and Tractive Power," Gono was quoted as
saying.

Soldiers Detain MDC Officials

http://www.radiovop.com

30/12/2010 17:40:00

Gutu, December 30,2010 – Three Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T)
officials from Gutu Central Constituency were on Wednesday detained at 4-2
Infantry battalion here for more than two hours and later released without a
charge.

The three who included the party’s youth secretary in the area Moses Mandigo
were forced to tell soldiers anything that may lead to the arrest of the
legislator for the area Oliver Chirume, provincial secretary for Information
and Masvingo Urban legislator Tongai Matutu and party Chairman for Masvingo
Wilstuff Sitemere.

“We were rounded up by about twelve soldiers who took us to the barracks
where they started to accuse us of various crimes. The soldiers whose names
we were not told started to force us to tell them the party’s ways of
operations...we told them that we were too junior to tell them that.

“After going through the contact numbers in our phones, they then forced us
to phone Chirume (MP) and pretend as if we were out to bomb the barracks.
Because we were afraid, we just followed the commandments but Chirume was
baffled by our gesture and shouted at us before switching off his mobile. We
tried to do the same to Matutu and Sitemere but their mobile numbers were
not reachable,” said Mandigo.

The three were later released without any incident but were told they may be
picked up again if the need arises.

Chirume confirmed the incident.

“I am still shocked. I don’t know why they go to these extreme levels in
order to paint us black. We are not villains. I was not aware that our youth
were detained and forced to ask me nonsensical questions and I shouted at
them… and my response to their calls saved them,” said Chirume.

Chaos continues to take centre stage at Zimbabwe's Consulate in SA as the deadline looms

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Sibanengi Dube
Thursday, 30 December 2010 11:59

Processing of passports applications came to a standstill at the Zimbabwe
Consulate’s Beula Park two days before the 31 December deadline when nearly
50 000 Zimbabweans turned up.
The security sealed off entrance from early afternoon until the end of
business hours as the Consulate staff members threw their hands in the air
conceding failure to deal with the high number of applicants.
Gates and the razor fences were pulled down as impatient Zimbabweans muscle
their way into the Consulate offices, but only to realize that everything
has virtually came to a stand-still.
A few employees of the Consulate were seen distributing Standard bank
deposit slips to applicants on queues, urging them to pay money into the
Zimbabwe government account, before getting any services.
In the late afternoon the bank-slips ran out living exhausted applicants
high and dry.
The Consulate then started distributing SA Home Affairs application forms
for work, study and business permits. Some applicants filled in their work
permit forms and surrendered them to Zimbabwe Consulate offices, oblivious
of the fact that the papers were supposed to be handed to South African
authorities.
MDC SA Treasurer Amon Ndlovu addressed eased the congestion for application
forms when he arrived with a truckload of them and distributed them for
free, much to the excitement of hopeless applicants. He addressed the crowds
advising them to immediately stop coming to the Zimbabwe Consulate and rush
to SA Home Affairs and apply for work permits, using their
birth-certificates or ID cards.
“We are urging everyone who is here to approach SA Home Affairs offices and
submit your applications for a work permit using your birth-certificates and
ID cards because you are wasting your time here,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu urged the Zimbabweans to temporarily suspend dealing with the
Zimbabwe consulate adding that it was crucial to submit their applications
with Home Affairs before Friday.

Zim dithers on press offer

http://news.iafrica.com/sa/696032.html

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 4:05

South Africa has offered Zimbabwe the use of its state-of-the-art passport
printing press that has capacity to process 4000 passports per hour ahead of
the December 31 deadline set for Zimbabweans living in South Africa to
regularise their stay.

This is according to a report in Thursday's edition of the Zimbabwe Herald
newspaper.

The report said the offer had been made during a meeting between Home
Affairs co-Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Theresa Makone and their South African
counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in South Africa earlier this month.

Also present at the meeting was Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede.

"The Home Affairs co-Ministers immediately tasked Mr Mudede to consider the
merits of the offer and submit a report to the ministry for onward
transmission to Cabinet for consideration before Government could accept or
reject the offer."

However, the Herald said that barely two days before the deadline, Mudede
was reportedly still to submit the report to his principals.

The Home Affairs co-Ministers confirmed the South African government's offer
to the Herald.

"Yes, they (South Africans) offered (the passport printing equipment) but to
say Government rejected that offer is not true," Mohadi was quoted as
saying.

The minister added that government had yet to consider the offer and had not
reported to Cabinet.

"We have tasked the Registrar-General's Office to consider the merits and
demerits of that offer."

Furthermore, Cabinet had also adjourned for the holidays.

"You should know that Home Affairs is not Government on its own and this is
why we have to submit a report to Cabinet for us to take a position," Mohadi
told the newspaper.

He defended the Registrar-General's Office's delay in submitting its report,
arguing that it was a process that could not be done overnight.

Mohadi added that he was on leave and if the Registrar-General's Office had
submitted the report, his counterpart Makone could not take a position in
his absence.

He said although he was not officially at work, Home Affairs Secretary
Melusi Matshiya could always advise him on such policy issues.

Meanwhile Director-General of the Zimbabwe Consulate in South Africa Chris
Mapanga could not ascertain the number of people so far registered in South
Africa, the Herald reported.

"This registration is a dynamic process and I cannot give the statistics now
because every minute we are registering people.

"We have established four centres in Johannesburg and it's work in progress
as we are racing against the deadline," he was quoted as saying.

The Herald quoted SA's Dhlamini-Zuma as saying that about 125 000
applications had been received while more than 40 000 had been processed by
December 17.

"She also maintained that the South African government would not extend the
December 31 deadline, but would continue to work on the applications until
applicants got their permits."

In September, the Government reduced fees for ordinary passport from $140 to
$50 as part of efforts to make sure that people received travel documents.

"Recently, Mr Mudede said of the estimated 3.5 million Zimbabweans living in
South Africa, 1.5 million had no legal documents."

Just over 24 hours to go for illegal Zimbabweans

http://www.businessday.co.za/

Home Affairs offices inundated as the Friday deadline draws near
KARL GERNETZKY AND SAPA
Published: 2010/12/30 06:51:34 AM

Large queues are being managed as the deadline looms for Zimbabweans to
apply to make their stay in South Africa legal, the home affairs department
said on Thursday.

"There are big numbers; Queues are moving fast," Gauteng provincial
spokesman Ronald Ndema told SAPA.

"It’s a sickness in our country. Even in soccer, if you say the game starts
at 4pm, you expect them to be there at three but they come 15 minutes after
the game has started." Illegal Zimbabweans were given a deadline of December
31 to apply for documents to legalise their stay in the country.

In the Western Cape, provincial spokesman Yusuf Simons said he was helping
out at the office.

"We have doubled our staff complement. We’ll help everyone that’s here even
if it’s up to midnight tonight," he said.

In the Northern Cape and Free State, things were much quieter.

"It’s going very well," Free State spokesman Bonakele Mayekiso said.

"But we don’t have big numbers. There are four people in the queue." Comment
from the other provinces was not immediately available.

THOUSANDS of Zimbabweans in the 2,5km-long queue outside their country’s
consulate near Edenvale, in Ekurhuleni, were uncertain whether they would
receive passports before the year-end deadline tomorrow.

People near the front of the consulate queue had been waiting to get inside
for up to four days, sleeping outdoors.

Security guard Thulani Dlovu said yesterday the queue was moving too slowly
to meet the deadline. The problem was compounded by those applying for
passports and those picking up passports having to use the same queue.

Home affairs personnel spent the day handing out and collecting forms for
permits, and one was overheard saying: "We’ve done our part. If they refuse
to fill in the form there’s nothing we can do."

The deputy director-general in charge of immigration, Jackson McKay, who was
on the scene in Edenvale, was adamant the deadline would not change.

"This is a Zimbabwean operation, but we are doing everything we can to make
this a one-stop shop, so we are collecting these applications," he said.

Mr McKay said co-operation between home affairs officials and Zimbabwean
consulate staff had been good.

An estimated 2-million Zimbabweans live in SA. By December 17, the
department had received 124314 applications from Zimbabweans, the minister
said.

Home affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni said yesterday: "It has always
been our conviction that the majority of Zimbabwean nationals in the country
wish to comply with our immigration regulations so that they can lead normal
lives without the constant fear of deportation."

Heavy rain, flood warnings

http://www.irinnews.org

 

Photo: David Gough/IRIN

Flooding of the Zambezi disrupts lives in most of the region

HARARE/JOHANNESBURG, 30 December 2010 (IRIN) - The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) staffed jointly by officials from Zambia and Zimbabwe, says one of the two major dams on the river between the two countries will open its flood gates in early 2011, meaning that communities may have to be relocated.

"ZRA has issued the alert, but they have not yet informed us of the dates on when they will open the gates," said Patrick Kangwa, head of operations at Zambia's Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit.

The ZRA manages Kariba Dam situated between northwestern Zimbabwe and southeastern Zambia. The opening of the gates can cause flooding and the evacuation of communities.

An official with Zimbabwe's Meteorological Services told IRIN that parts of Zimbabwe could see flooding as early as next week. "There are real fears that some areas will experience flooding and we have received some reports that some areas are experiencing too much rain," he said.

Evert Scholtz, a forecaster with the South African Weather Services, told IRIN that heavy rain was expected over Angola, central South Africa, parts of Botswana and northern Namibia over the next five days.

Parts of South Africa experienced heavy floods in the second week of December, displacing at least 1,200 families, according to state media.

Photo: OCHA VMU

Taking note of the well-established La Niña influence, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in their latest climate outlook for December 2010 to February 2011 forecast a "wetter than normal season" for most of the region.

SADC has predicted normal to heavy rains for the Democratic Republic of Congo, most of Angola, Zambia, the southwestern half of Tanzania, Malawi, and most of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

La Niña is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, and is usually associated with more rain in Southern Africa. But meteorologists maintain it is very difficult to predict the impact, as this could vary within the African region and from one La Niña event to another.

The US Agency for International Development's Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS-NET) has warned of possible flooding along some of the major rivers such as the Zambezi, which flows through seven southern African countries, and more cyclones in the Indian Ocean, which would affect Mozambique and Madagascar.

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

 

Côte d'Ivoire: an omen for Africa in 2011?

http://www.economist.com/

Dec 30th 2010, 16:27 by J.A.

IS THE potentially very bloody stand-off in Côte d’Ivoire between the
incumbent president,  Laurent Gbagbo, and  Alassane Ouattara, who most
observers feel won the November election, a bad omen for Africa?  In 2011 we
will surely find out.

There will be elections south of the Sahara that will include Benin, Uganda,
Chad (part of which, admittedly, is in the Sahara), Madagascar, Zambia,
Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Gabon—not to mention
a referendum on January 9th on independence for Southern Sudan and the call
by Zimbabwe’s autocratic Robert Mugabe for a presidential election by June.

But the most important presidential election, in terms of its regional and
international impact, is scheduled for April 9th in Nigeria, Africa’s
biggest economy after South Africa. President  Goodluck Jonathan, is
favoured to win, but will be lucky indeed (forgive the pun…) if his victory
comes without outbreaks of violence and vote-rigging. The horrors of the
Biafran war of secession of the late 1960s are long gone, but for all the
country’s oil wealth, 80% of Nigerian workers still earn less than $2 a day;
there are bloody tensions between the Muslim north and the Christian south;
and, as the current issue of The Economist points out, the amnesty in the
militant Delta region is fraying.

In short, 2011 looks like being a difficult year for Africa.

Add Zimbabwe to list

http://www.businessday.co.za

Where are the African leaders who are rushing to Cote d’Ivoire?
Published: 2010/12/30 08:08:07 AM

A BBC internet headline reads: "Last chance for Ivorian leader". I have yet
to read a similar article about President Robert Mugabe across our own
border.

Where are the African leaders who are rushing to Cote d’Ivoire? They need to
dash off to Zimbabwe as well.

Three African presidents were due to travel to Cote d’Ivoire this week to
give Laurent Gbagbo an opportunity to stand down.

Mr Mugabe and Mr Gbagbo’s disregard for the democratic process reminds me of
Winston Churchill’s comment that democracy is the worst system devised by
the wit of man, except for all the others.

The African Union and United Nations troops are deeply engaged in enforcing
democracy as well as trying to maintain a form of "peace" in Darfur and
Somalia, as well as West African countries, with the prospect of further
involvement after elections that are pending in Nigeria and Ghana.

The logistics of manpower and money to support all these operations are
totally daunting.

So let us add Zimbabwe to the list of hopeless tasks. The continuing
shambles there is not unlike the disasters further north.

The democratic voices of far too many people in African countries just
simply drift off into the wind.

Dr Michael Hellig

Johannesburg

The Rabid Jackals And The GPA Government’s Mandate

The current government in Zimbabwe is such an unworkable amalgamation of
opposites. It is a shame to see the extent to which some African leaders
have massaged and lubricated this antagonistic mechanical government to make
it seem like this is workable governing coalition. The truth is it is not
the best of systems Zimbabwe can have.  The major in the GPA Government
problem has been the intransigency of the rusted and tired Zanu PF
components including Robert Mugabe. They are fully rusted and in a state of
inert zombie posture so much that to try and move them towards a progressive
and positive approach to governance and the observance of the individual
inalienable rights, they will break.
The GPA government would succeed greatly if Zanu PF were well lubricated.
But the politics of Zanu PF will be shattered Zanu PF and they would rather
maintain the status quo in fear of an internal blood bath. Robert Mugabe
will go senile thinking that the country has been “colonized” again if
Zimbabweans were to freely express themselves at the polling station. Robert
Mugabe and Zanu PF are not capable of winning anything freely and fairly.
There are live rabid jackals in a cage in this current Zimbabwean political
landscape. The restraints put by the GPA mandate are not in themselves
enough to tame the blood thirst beasts. The jackals are still eager to go
tearing at all that are opposed to the politics of fear and autocratic rule
by the corrupted few. One can easily see this in all the calls for elections
in an environment that is polluted with fear and a political landscape
designed to bury the truth, the democratic process, the innocent and the
country as a whole. Zimbabwe has a father and elders who will feed you to
the hyenas if you will not accept their unethical mandate to govern.
While I say this, I must respectfully pay tribute to the Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirayi, his deputies and the non Zanu PF ministers and the MDCs
for the resoluteness they have demonstrated and achieved trying to get
Zimbabwe running again. They have achieved a great deal amidst all the
resistance and a machination designed to make them a failure and attempts to
paint them as “agents of the West”.
In the education sector, they have managed to get schools to reopen and
teachers to get back to the classroom from which teachers had been forced
out due to meager remuneration. Though nothing in terms of pay scales
matches what is acceptable, yet the teachers have made significant
sacrifices that are worthy a tone of praise to their great spirit to teach
Zimbabwe’s future. Higher education may still be struggling in multiple
areas of operation but the intent to make Zimbabwe a beacon of educational
excellence is in a renewal process again. At least the bleeding has been
stopped.

In the Health sector, the MDCs leadership has managed to get the hospitals
running again. The  once noble goal of “health for all by the year 2000”
once espoused by Zanu PF was incepted with an evil “hell for all
 Zimbabweans” in the most tortured history of the Zimbabwean people at the
hands of Mugabe and Zanu PF at the beginning of this millennia. Again the
medical field professionals and the MDC teams have taken it upon themselves
to revive the health of the Zimbabwean nation.
In the local government circles, the Municipalities and Town Councils, the
city utilities and waste disposal systems are running along in the positive
direction now. Remember the cholera epidemics under the hand of Chombo and
the commissions he set to destabilize the well-running of the cities and
milk them dry while amassing a lot of prime real estate for himself? There
is a lot of sacrifice from the MDC elected councilors and the municipal
employees.
In the Finance, Industry, Trade, Economy sectors, of course, the listing of
all that has turned a corner would fail me.  Notwithstanding, the mere
removal of the Zimbabwe Gono and Jongwe dollar, infamously known for its
zeros and worthlessness, through which Gideon Gono and the Zanu PF elite
benefitted from a 2 tier currency scheme skewed in favor of politically
connected heavy weights has been scrapped. Minister Tendai “Beef” Biti has
endured all threats and has to some extent managed to clip Gono’s insatiable
appetite for economic disaster. It is well that the service economy sector
train has been running consistently.  There is an abundance of goods at the
market. Our only wish is that every Zimbabwean worker should be paid what
their sweat is worth and be able to afford the cost of living.
Apart from the threats of impounding foreign owned firms and the
ill-conceived indigenization act of Kasukuvere, there is a positive air for
investments to flow into the country. And Kudos to Welshman Ncube for
quickly redirecting the intent of government with regards to the business
sector. Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF need immediate rebuttals. The MDCs do well
to quickly speak and issue statements to correct the errant-prone sleepy
man.
One thing treacherous remains on the Zimbabwean leadership and political
landscape.  There are rabid jackals thirsting to be loosed. It is the duty
of all Zimbabweans who love peace, the country and its people to express
unequivocally that the rabid jackals must remain a property of the museum
cage until their demise. These rabid jackals have a spirit whose desire is
for Zimbabwe to struggle and to be a waste and desolate place.
The process of healing the nation of the scourge that reared an ugly blood
sucking skulk for the past millennium must indeed be founded and concreted
into all political, security, economic, legislative, executive and judicial
structures of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe and the whole world cannot afford jungle
politics. Any politics that decimate a people is evil. Zimbabwe cannot
afford to maintain marauding revelers the chance to eat and drink in
perpetuity while enslaving a society because of a debt of gratuity for a
fleeting freedom brought by the supposed elite ‘freedom fighters’. The
‘freedom fighters’ that really deserve perpetual gratuity are those whose
shed blood brought the light of day to Zimbabwe and yet they did not live to
taste the fruit of their brevity themselves. This group of heroes would
never align themselves with the mutant skulk that holds the people of
Zimbabwe ransom today.
The most important role of the GPA is to govern democratically the nation of
Zimbabwe and ensure the safety and well being of its people before
transitioning to a new government that is ushered out from an unequivocally
free and fair election out of the will of the people of Zimbabwe. Every
current office bearer swore to execute their office to uphold the humane
laws of Zimbabwe and to strive to change those that bring derision upon the
nation. Anyone who does different is not worthy the trust and responsibility
weighed upon them by the oath (remember that some were sworn in not by a
vote mandate but by hook, crook and the GPA thrust) they took. Lest anyone
in the current government structure forgets, they have a mandate to bury the
old system that is beholden to the whims of the strong men and put in motion
a system that is accountable to all the people of Zimbabwe and they must put
the country first. The warlords belong to war period and those who govern
must govern with the gravity of the grace their office carries.
It is so imperative to set in concrete the pillars that make for a great
Zimbabwean society and political landscape and destroy forever the inherent
rabid politics that rewards those who are bankrupt of any humane conscience.
The new constitution making process must show results out of good will and
success minded initiatives that put in place a living document whose life
will perpetuate a legacy and an inheritance that Zimbabweans can aspire to
and safely live in.
So as much as is required of any sane mind, let the office bearers strive
for a successful and prosperous GPA stable government that must fulfill its
mandate to the Zimbabwean people. They should transition the country to the
verge of unlimited possibilities.
This GPA will be a failure if it cannot deliver a new constitution that
guarantees the liberty and freedom of all Zimbabweans to pursue their
“unalienable rights” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. There
is a great test for those whose identity is “freedom fighters” and have
fought against the pursuit of the people’s rights. They must now deliver to
the people what fighters for freedom deliver, a selfless sacrifice which is
inked in the sweat and blood of the fighter; they should not unleash the
rabid jackals on the people of Zimbabwe. For once, they have a chance to
plead the cause of the helpless and lowly.
Let Zimbabweans have the freedom to choose their leaders freely. A true
leader and fighter for people’s freedom will aspire to graciously receive a
non-coerced mandate to govern. The rabid jackals will take what is not
theirs. Rabid jackals cannot be able to stop bloodshed unless they are
treated of their ailment first. If they cannot be treated of their rabies,
they should be quarantined and rejected from tearing down a beautiful
nation.
Let every person, politician and leader so examine themselves and usher in a
2011 and beyond for Zimbabwe out of grace and deliberate intent to be a
blessing and let none be a rabid jackal. Have a happy 2011 and God bless all
those who must succeed and heap all confusion and destruction to those who
do not embrace the intent to bless and the grace to govern Zimbabwe as God
would govern it.

Pardon Kangara