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Zimbabwe Independent

On the campaign trail: Zimbabwe's presidential election a tale of gloom and
hope
Blessing Zulu

"TSVANGIRAI for President; Mugabe Sabhuku" (headman) goes the new Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) slogan.


Perhaps this is emblematic of the Zimbabwean presidential election campaign
to date.

The ruling Zanu PF party has turned its full attention on the rural
electorate with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change focusing on
town-dwellers.

Zimbabwe has witnessed a sad litany of events in the political arena, with
the ruling party mostly resorting to vote-buying using land and violence to
lure voters to its camp.

On the other hand, the MDC campaign strategy has revolved around people's
grievances - a shrinking economy, unemployment and the high cost of living.

The MDC was in Chitungwiza's Chibuku Stadium on Sunday with Zanu PF holding
rallies in the Mashonaland West districts of Sanyati and Hurungwe.

Very different scenarios have emerged from the rallies. President Mugabe's
crowds are herded to attend, their slogans forced and unenthusiastic.
Tsvangirai's on the other hand are lively events with the presidential
aspirant addressing bread and butter issues.

Zanu PF campaigns, as has become the norm, are laced with hate speech and a
sustained attempt to spread the improbable notion that Zimbabwe would become
a colony of Britain if Tsvangirai wins the election. Only the old and
ignorant buy it.

The Zimbabwe Independent attended the Mashonaland West and the Chitungwiza
rallies that were also attended by the South African Observer Mission.

The two rallies were characterised by large turnouts but the atmosphere was
very different.

At Zanu PF rallies the mood was rather sombre, characteristic of where
people have been forced to attend. As the two presidential aspirants took to
the podium one thing was clear - one is heading for defeat. The most
daunting scenario for the candidates was what would happen to them in the
event their party lost!

In Chitungwiza the intimidation of voters started on Saturday as about 50
Zanu PF supporters moved around the area harassing suspected MDC supporters.
They were chanting Zanu PF slogans in areas such as Chikwanha, Zengeza 4,
Zengeza 2 and pasting Mugabe's campaign posters on house- hold security
walls. Occupants were warned against removing them.

"They came here and started pasting posters on my wall. They threatened to
petrol bomb my house should I dare remove the posters. This is very
disturbing as it will obviously send the wrong signals," said a visibly
angry Thomas Nhunduru, a resident in the suburb.

Children who were playing in the streets took to their heels as the Zanu PF
mob approached. Asked why they had run away, they said they feared for their
lives.

"Vanozotirova nekuti hatina macard eZanu (They will beat us up for we do not
have Zanu PF party cards) said seven-year-old Tinotenda of Zengeza 4.

One interesting feature of the campaigns has been the unchanging party
symbols used at the rallies. Zanu PF has not changed much from its "Dear
Leader" mentality as all its campaign material is adorn- ed with Mugabe's
face and his clenched fist.

Slogans used by Zanu PF and the MDC were also an eye-opener. Zanu PF has not
moved an inch from their historic struggle and the usual slogans are recited
over and over.

"Pasi naTsvangirai… Pasi nemabhunu" (Down with Tsvangirai and the whites).
"Pamberi naPresident Robert Gabriel Mugabe." (Forward with Mugabe).

The MDC though, has been coming up with new slogans. The most recent one:
"Gwendo guno hazvikoni. Hazvikoni gwendo guno". (This time around we will
not fail in our endeavour to win the polls). This slogan is accompanied by
the waving of red cards and placards with the message; "Mugabe go now".
Other slogans say: "Bvuma kuchembera. Kuchembera bvuma" (Admit that you are
old). The Chitungwiza crowd, most of whom were hearing the slogans for the
first time, were evidently thrilled.

To add glamour to their campaigns, the two major parties have used music to
entertain their supporters.

Zanu PF turned to the Jonathan Moyo-composed Hondo Yeminda to try to lure
the rural electorate. Party youths led the crowd in dancing to the
over-played tune.

The MDC stuck to Oliver Mutukudzi's smash hit, Bvuma/Tolerance which they
used during the general election. The young and the old danced to the
evergreen tune.

Thomas Mapfumo's Marima Nzara and Mamvemve also added spice to the MDC
campaign.

At the Mashonaland West and Chitungwiza rallies it became apparent that food
shortages would be the rallying point in the campaigns.

Mugabe could find himself at a disadvantage here as starvation stalks many
rural areas.

Tsvangirai said his party was going to import maize to stave off famine.

"We have worked out measures which will immediately see the importation of
large quantities of maize which will ensure that nobody starves," said
Tsvangirai.

Mugabe too promised people in Mashonaland West that they would not starve as
his government was working hard to ensure the nation was fed.

The crowd though did not applaud as they used to do in Mugabe's heyday,
maybe as a sign that they had heard this before.

Mugabe's "siege mentality" was also apparent as he attacked Tony Blair and
the British government.

He has now turned to blaming everyone - except himself - for the problems
the country faces.

As is expected, the so-called "plot to kill Mugabe" was a big issue in both
Chitungwiza and Mashonaland West.

Mugabe seized the opportunity to claim his immortality.

"I survived many bombs even when we were in Mozambique. Throughout the war
many bombs were sent to me through parcels and letters," said Mugabe.

Tsvangirai though dismissed this claim along- side others - that the MDC was
carrying out anthrax attacks, armed robberies and calling for sanctions to
be imposed against Zimbabwe.

"Mugabe will not be killed by Tsvangirai, but by the electorate's vote,"
said Tsvangirai to wild applause from the 20 000 crowd at his rally.

Some of Mugabe's posters at the Sanyati rally were pasted high up in trees
prompting one passer-by to remark: "If he loses how will he get down?"

As the rallies progressed the zeal quickly fizzled out as Mugabe droned on.
Some had been bussed from as far as Beatrice. No buses came to ferry them
back to their homes.

It was clear at the rally that Mugabe has lost his popular touch. The
Nigerian proverb, "when a corpse stays for too long, it will chase away
mourners" has been proven correct.

At Tsvangirai's rally the crowd enjoyed every moment of it. There was a
sense of the dawn of a new era among the crowd. One interesting feature at
the end of the rallies was the obvious confusion in the Zanu PF camp on how
to bid farewell to Mugabe and his entourage. Some were waving and others
were raising their fists in the air.

Said one young man in Hurungwe: "If you wave you may be mistaken for an MDC
supporter and if you raise your fist they may think you are threatening the
first family." Catch 22?

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Zimbabwe Independent - Muckraker

Canadian Mounties: Goche is your man!


"THE Mounties always get their man," it is said, so let's hope the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police nail the villains responsible for collaborating with
Zanu PF in attempting to implicate Morgan Tsvangirai in an assassination
plot. One person they may want to interview is Nick Goche who was shown on
the front page of the Herald last Friday with Sydney Sekeramayi and John
Nkomo saying there was "solid evidence" that the MDC was planning a number
of violent acts.


Needless to say he failed to produce any. The evidence we want Goche to
produce is that relating to the shady Canadian consultancy, Dickens &
Madson. The directors of that company admit to having dealings with him.
What are the nature of those dealings and when did they start? For how long
has the government or ruling party retained the services of Dickens &
Madson? What role did the government play in setting up the Tsvangirai
sting?

Promising police investigations that "get to the heart of the matter", Goche
said the matter would be left to "exercise the minds" of the police, the
attorney-general and the judicial system at large.

Some of those minds haven't been exercised for a number of years. Let's hope
they start at the top where the web of deceit is still being woven.

From the Canadian end we learn that Ari Ben-Menashe is not the only shady
character working at Dickens & Madson. Alex Legault, we discover, is the
subject of an outstanding US arrest warrant on fraud charges related to a
Florida investment scheme.

Legault played a key role with Ben-Menashe in attempting to get Tsvangirai
to incriminate himself at the London and Montreal meetings.

Another question that needs to be asked: Has Ben-Menashe, who published a
book called Profits of War, been advising Zimbabwe's generals about how to
shift Congo blood diamonds onto international markets? We hope that
connection will be fully exposed in any inquiry. Goche must be wishing he
hadn't opened this particular can of worms!

As for George Charamba, who appears to think his name is "easy on the lips",
why was SBS's Mark Davis accorded an interview with President Mugabe so
easily and without any accreditation? What did the Office of the President
already know when Davis met Charamba and what undertakings were made on
either side? Davis gave a very poor account of himself on this point when
questioned on CNN. He appears to have been less than candid as well as
gullible.

We do know that Davis made a documentary about Ben-Menashe last year that
could best be described as a puff piece. It was therefore natural that he
should have been called in by Dickens & Madson when they wanted another
story done. Not a puff piece this time but a hatchet job!

SABC's Special Assignment team certainly did a good job on Davis's
documentary on Tuesday night. Their interview with Ben-Menashe revealed a
devious and unconvincing individual prepared to mouth Mugabe's mantras but
unwilling to tell the truth. He did disclose a relationship with Mugabe
going back 15 years. But journalists who had worked with him on stories
relating to Iran in the early 1980s said anything emanating from him should
be treated with caution as a "prima facie scam". He never substantiates his
claims they pointed out.

The SABC programme included a clip of Obriel Mpofu presenting news of the
"plot" to Zimbabwean viewers. It was so biased and unprofessional as to be
embarrassing. But we are glad South Africans could see for themselves. As
for Davis, interrogated by British journalist John Sweeny on why he hadn't
disclosed Ben-Menashe's reputation as a liar and his past relationship with
Zanu PF, he just blustered. It was truly revealing.

Referring to Tsvangirai's predicament, Charamba said he would not offer a
straw to save a drowning man. In the next sentence the Herald said "analysts
said Mr Tsvangirai was clutching at straws". So now we know who the
"analysts" are - the same people who claim to be "easy on the lips"!

Tsvangirai has nothing to lose and everything to gain from a full enquiry.
Once the extent of the collaboration between Dickens & Madson and the
Zimbabwean authorities is established the "plot" will be exposed for what it
really is. Did Forrest Gump meet JFK? It sure looked like it on film.

The same people who are now calling on the police to exercise their
less-than-independent minds recently claimed a former member of the British
High Commission staff in Harare, Richard Lindsay, had plotted with
Tsvangirai at a Harare hotel to overthrow Mugabe.

The only trouble with that story was that Lindsay had left Harare four
months previously for another posting!

Really great intelligence work Nick. Keep it up!

Muckraker has repeatedly

warned about the activities of West African scam operators claiming they
have large amounts of money to dispose of once you have given them your bank
account details. The latest comes from "Chika Okonkwo" who gives his e-mail
address as chika_okon kwo2000@yahoo.com and says he lives at 3/5 Rider
Haggard Close, Sandton, Johannesburg. Headed "urgent and confidential", he

says he has US$152 000 000 to transfer.

"I am Mr Chika Okonkwo, the auditor-general of prime banks. During the
course of our auditing I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in
the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again.
After going through some old files in the records I discovered that the
owner of the account died without an heir, hence the money is floating and
if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing.
The owner of this account is Mr Allan P Seaman, a foreigner and an
industrialist, and he died in 1993. No other person knows about this account
or any thing concerning it...With my influence and the position of the bank
official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account
which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending
our physical arrival in your country for sharing."

Will the South African and Nigerian High Commissions pass this information
on to their respective CIDs and establish whether Chris Okonkwo is any
relation of Chief Annie C Okonkwo who we reported recently as claiming to be
a director of Standard Trust Bank Ltd in Lagos where she said she had found
US$6,5 million in the account of the late Engineer Roy Durand who had been
killed in a "ghastly" plane crash and which she was willing to share with
us!

We liked the Herald story last

Thursday about the mock plane crash causing a stir. Many people - including
the media - were in "a frenzy", we were told. Ambulances rushed to and from
the site with their sirens wailing while the police cordoned off the area.

But which members of the media fell for this?

"Journalists from the Herald were among the first to get to the site where
they quickly established that it was, after all, an exercise."

Thank goodness for that. Because most things they are happy to report as
fact.

"A high-powered crew from the ZBC's Newsnet led by its head Munyaradzi
Hwengwere and editor-in-chief Shepherd Mutamba was on the 'accident scene'
in record time ready to broadcast."

They rushed to the scene to "assess the gravity of the crash", we are told.

This was all designed to test the readiness of emergency services. But what
reaction by emergency services have we seen to the ongoing water crisis in
Borrowdale, Hatcliffe, Highlands and other areas including Ruwa? What cover-
age have ZTV given to this crisis apart from Harare PRO Leslie Gwindi asking
people to use water sparingly? Why when we have a real emergency do they
ignore it?

Who is WT Kanyongo who writes vitriolic anti-MDC letters to the Herald
nearly every day? He gives the US as his address although his letters appear
to be posted closer to home. This week he was attacking Basildon Peta and
those who write for the independent press. His language is identical to that
used by the Office of the President.

Any readers in the US who might know who this rabid Zanu PF publicist is
should drop us a line.

Storks migrating to Zimbabwe for the northern hemisphere winter had better
watch out. Starvation in the Musana communal area north-east of Harare is so
severe local folk are trapping and eating the birds. Conservationists warn
this could have harmful long-term impact on their migratory patterns.

Just when you thought there was nothing else you could blame Mugabe for!

We have always suspected that there was something to hide in ZBC's screening
of Morgan Tsvangirai's interview in which he called on South Africa to
impose sanctions on Zimbabwe. The truth finally emerged on Monday when
Tsvangirai's interview was screened to illustrate his so-called political
gaffes. Tsvangirai said if the military intervened because Mugabe had been
defeated in the election one of the options open to South Africa was to cut
fuel and electricity supplies to Zimbabwe. But when parliament asked the ZBC
to screen the full interview ZBC pretended it had been scrambled and only
showed the bit on sanctions.

MPs were clearly cheated about the context in which Tsvangirai made his
statement. ZBC needs to explain this blatant deception, not to mention
contempt of parliament.

It is good that we already have some election observers accredited to see
for themselves the skewed coverage of the election campaign by the state
media. NCA members were last Friday beaten up and arrested for staging a
peaceful march calling for a new constitution. The march was deemed illegal
in terms of the new Public Order and Security Act. Not so the Zanu PF mob
which descended on the streets of Harare on Monday to campaign for Morgan
Tsvangirai's arrest.

The hired crowd was given a police escort and allowed to beat up whoever
they wanted while the police looked on.

They destroyed the front windows of the MDC's headquarters at Harvest House
and a nearby boutique. This was omitted from ZTV's coverage. Yet their
election motto is "When it happens we will be there".

We shudder to imagine what these hired thugs are doing in the rural areas
far away from the glare of the international media and the prying eyes of
election observers. These foreigners will need to work extra hard to earn
our respect and trust. If they can't challenge Mugabe's crude pretensions to
be upholding so-called "national sovereignty and Zimbabwe's own laws and
constitution" they should do us a favour and leave now.

After Monday's government-sponsored "demonstration" it may well be asked
whether there is any law and order any more? In the course of a recent
14-day survey the staff of the Anti-Hijack Trust recorded 34 vehicles seen
on the roads of Harare without number plates or any sign indicating that the
owners had applied for registration.

Can we assume now that it is everyone for himself on our roads and we
needn't bother to register our vehicles? Well that's one less thing to worry
about!

There have been reports that a number of countries have been angered by
President Bush's Axis of Evil speech. They don't see why he should have
picked out Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Bitter after being snubbed, Libya,
China, and Syria announced they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil", which
they said would be way eviller than the stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis
President Bush warned of in his State of the Union address.

Axis of Evil members, however, immediately dismissed the new axis as having,
for starters, a really dumb name.

"Right. They are Just as Evil...in their dreams!" declared North Korean
leader Kim Jong-il.

"Everybody knows we're the best evils... best at being evil... we're the
best."

Diplomats from Syria denied they were jealous over being excluded, although
they conceded they did ask if they could join the Axis of Evil.

"They told us it was full," said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"An Axis can't have more than three countries," explained Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein. "This is not my rule, it's tradition. In World War II you
had Germany, Italy, and Japan in the evil Axis. So you can only have three.
And a secret handshake. Ours is wicked cool."

Elsewhere, Cuba, Sudan, and Serbia said they had formed the Axis of Somewhat
Evil, forcing Somalia to join with Uganda and Myanmar in the Axis of
Occasionally Evil, while Bulgaria, Indonesia and Russia established the Axis
of Not So Much Evil Really As Just Generally Disagreeable.

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Zimbabwe Independent

Over 42 arrested so far under Security Act
Jacob Mutambara

AT least 42 people have been arrested since parliament passed the Public
Order and Security Act (Posa) last month.

These are only the reported cases as many more have been arrested under the
Act without their cases being reported in the media.

It is apparent the Act is being used to harass perceived opposition
supporters and civic activists.

Some of the charges are as mind-boggling as the Act itself. Just last
weekend, 11 Bulawayo clerics were arrested under the Act for allegedly
hindering police vehicles from using a portion of a pavement where the
churchmen had gathered.

The clerics had gathered at the police camp in solidarity with one of their
members, Reverend Noel Scott of the Anglican Church, who had been arrested
for organising a "Pray and Walk" procession which the police had refused to
sanction.

In one of its most frequent applications, Posa is being used to deny the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) permission to hold campaign
rallies. The MDC said they had recently been unable to hold rallies in
Masvingo and other provinces as the police declared such gatherings illegal
under Posa.

Interestingly, none of the 42 reported arrests so far involved any violence
by the accused.

Last Friday, riot police brutally assaulted members of the National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA) engaged in a peaceful demonstration. The
demonstration was to press President Robert Mugabe to accept the NCA's draft
constitution and ensure a free and fair presidential election. Among 15 NCA
members arrested under Posa following the march was Highfield member of
parliament, Munyaradzi Gwisai.

None of the reported arrests under the Act involve Zanu PF members when in
fact ruling party members have openly assaulted those deemed to be MDC
members.

On Monday, an estimated 5 000 Zanu PF women and youths carried out a violent
demonstration in Harare against the alleged plot by MDC leader, Morgan
Tsvangirai, to assassinate President Mugabe.

The demonstrators, who were bussed in from outside the capital, beat up
pedestrians and motorists, destroyed shop windows, attacked Harvest House
which houses the MDC headquarters and disrupted traffic - all in the
presence of the riot police who were escorting them.

Among those arrested so far under Posa are four journalists who last month
took part in a demonstration against another draconian piece of legislation,
the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill, which was passed
on January 31.

Meanwhile, an MDC legislator, Tendai Biti, recently contested in the Supreme
Court Section 24 of Posa which he said was unconstitutional as it infringed
upon citizens' freedoms of assembly and expression by requiring that people
notify the police before holding public meetings. This followed the
disruption of an MDC rally where the police beat up people at random.
Judgement in the case was postponed. Unlike the repealed Law and Order
(Maintenance) Act which stipulated that at least 12 people constituted a
gathering, Posa says a gathering can be constituted by three people.


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Zimbabwe Independent

Tsvangirai video evidence 'doctored'
Dumisani Muleya

THE surveillance video footage which purportedly shows Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai plotting to assassinate
President Robert Mugabe has been extensively "doctored", evidence made
available to the Zimbabwe Independent this week shows.

Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) director Andrew Moyse said the
video footage shown last week by Australia's Special Services Broadcasting
(SBS) station was tampered with.


Moyse said a common cut-and-paste editing method was used.

"Notably, what Tsvangirai was heard to say did not match the titles on the
screen," he said.


"The timer on the surveillance video shown on ZTV (February 17) changed
repeatedly from 9:45am to 9:25am; from 9:25am to 9:43am and then back to
9:27am; and from 9:52am to 9:44am, revealing the video had been cut and
re-arranged in a manner that appeared to suit the assassination conspiracy
theory."


In a follow-up programme on Wednesday, Mark Davis, the producer of the
documentary, said the Montreal meeting started at 8:53am.


"The surveillance equipment used to record the meeting was owned and
temporarily installed by an independent security company," Davis said. "They
installed the cameras and recorder at least one day before the meeting. They
set the time and date stamp and left." Moyse explained the switch.


"A comparative analysis of the Australian documentary's 'unedited'
transcript as published in the government-controlled Sunday Mail and Sunday
News, and ZTV's video clips, shows that the transcript had also been
manipulated, apparently to create the impression that there was a conspiracy
between the MDC and the army to oust Mugabe."


Davis said Dickens & Madson's chief executive Ari Ben-Menashe, a former
Israeli intelligence operative who has been involved in a series of
questionable dealings, opened the meeting.


"Tsvangirai asserts that others, not he, began talking about eliminations,"
Davis said. "This is correct. Ari Ben-Menashe gives a precis of what he
claims Tsvangirai and the MDC had agreed to date. The first 18 minutes of
this meeting broadly accords with Tsvangirai's statement. References are
made about eliminating Mugabe but not by him. He talks about the elections,
the constitution."


Moyse insists the footage has been fudged. He noted omissions and
inconsistencies between the documentary transcript and the footage. Some
remarks with a time space of 15 minutes between them are banded together in
the documentary to consolidate the plot while Tsvangirai is made to answer
questions missing from both the footage and transcript.


"On the evidence of the ZTV footage, the Montreal meeting was clearly an
attempt by the consultancy company to 'stitch up' Tsvangirai and lure him
into making apparently incriminating comments in response to speculative
questions about the possibility of Mugabe's assassination," Moyse said.

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Telegraph

'Humble' Mugabe's birthday threats
By Martin Rushmere in Harare
(Filed: 22/02/2002)


PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe marked his 78th birthday yesterday with more threats
and denunciations.

He vowed to ignore protests over his land seizure programe, saying: "Blair
can plead, he can cry, but I won't go back on land."

He received gushing praise from the Herald, Zimbabwe's official daily
newspaper, which described the forthcoming election contest between him and
Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, as one "between a tried and tested
revolutionary and patriotic leader and a man willing to be used as a puppet
of the white minority".

Referring to Mr Mugabe as "humble", the Herald added: "The patriotic people
pray to God to richly bless their leader for his continued sacrifice for the
good of the country."

Mr Mugabe's attack on Britain and the West follows the imposition of
European Union sanctions, which bar him from visiting any member state.

"Why do I need to go to Europe when there are plenty of countries in
Africa?" he asked, making no mention of his incessant globe-trotting, which
has taken him to Europe dozens of times.

Dozens of state-owned companies placed advertisements in the Herald in
praise of Mr Mugabe. They included the national railway, which announced
yesterday that it has no money to pay pensions; the electricity authority,
which is six months behind in payments to South Africa, and the sole steel
maker, which has stopped operating.

During his last birthday interview, Mr Mugabe said: "This is the last year
of hardship for our people."

A year later, inflation has risen to 116 per cent, the value of the currency
has plummeted by 85 per cent, unemployment is above 60 per cent and food is
now scarce.


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MSNBC

U.N. chief appeals for fair Zimbabwe election



UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 21 — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told Zimbabwean
leaders that next month's presidential elections must occur without violence
and intimidation and be monitored by a ''wide range'' of international
observers.
        ''For the sake of the people of Zimbabwe, of its neighbors and the
entire continent of Africa, I appeal to the government to let the people
make their choice, and to live by it,'' Annan said in a statement issued
late on Thursday.
       He avoided mentioning European Union travel bans on President Robert
Mugabe and other government leaders because of the way they had treated EU
observers sent to monitor the March 9-10 elections. The United States is
considering following suit.
       Instead, he said he joined African leaders ''in urging in the
strongest possible terms'' the elections be allowed to go forward in a
''peaceful, legitimate and credible'' manner.
       African election observers fly into Zimbabwe on Friday for the
elections in which Mugabe, 78, is running against Morgan Tsvangirai, leader
of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
       The run-up to the poll has been marred by accusations of
state-sponsored violence, intimidation and growing food shortages.
       The EU decided on Monday to freeze assets held in the 15-nation Union
by Zimbabwe's ruling elite including Mugabe after the head of the EU
election observer mission was expelled from Zimbabwe over the weekend. Its
26-strong observer team pulled out on Tuesday.
       ''Next month's elections in Zimbabwe are a critical test of democracy
not only in that country, but in all of Africa,'' Annan said.
       ''The people of Zimbabwe must be allowed to cast their votes free
from violence, intimidation and hindrance of any kind in the presence of as
wide a range of international observers as possible,'' he said.
       Annan appealed to Mugabe and his government as well as the opposition
to put the interests of the country first and ensure the elections are
conducted in a ''free and fair manner and that the rights of all citizens to
participate are assured and protected.''

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BBC
 
Thursday, 21 February, 2002, 15:15 GMT
Mugabe: 'Do not dictate to Africa'
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe
Mugabe is looking for friends outside Europe
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says he can resist the EU sanctions imposed on him and his close associates.


We must be prepared to withstand these actions by Britain and its allies

President Robert Mugabe
Mr Mugabe told a rally in the remote district of Nkayi, 600 kilometres west of the capital Harare, that he does not need Europe.

"What will I be wanting in Europe? We can visit other countries in Asia and Africa," the president declared.

He enjoys the backing of many African leaders who regard EU sanctions as an attempt by Europe to undermine Africa's democracy.

Democratic principles

Early this week, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, who has mediated between Zimbabwe and Britain, wanted to know which democratic principles Mr Mugabe was accused of abusing.

He praised Mr Mugabe for allowing parties other than his own to go into the elections.

In Tanzania, President Benjamin Mkapa told a public meeting in the northern town of Moshi on Wednesday, that Africa was not going to allow Europe to repeat the 19th century history of partitioning Africa in 2002.

He said it was high time Africans started resisting European pressure over how they should govern themselves.

Tanzania's support

Mr Mkapa said Europe had to allow Zimbabweans to make their own decisions in choosing their leaders and that Tanzanians would continue to support that process.

President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania
Zimbabwe has Tanzania's support
The EU sanctions include an arms embargo against Zimbabwe, a freeze on the overseas assets of the president and 19 top officials, as well as a ban preventing them from travelling to the 15-nation bloc.

President Mugabe has recently been seeking closer ties with Asian nations such as Malaysia and Thailand, while in Africa his closest ally is Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"We must be prepared to withstand these actions by Britain and its allies," he said.

Not deterred

Mr Mugabe said sanctions would not deter him from his controversial scheme to take land from whites and give it to landless blacks.

The government has allowed observers from the Southern African Development Community and the Commonwealth to monitor next month's presidential election.

However, the 100-strong South African team has already expressed concern over the increasing violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe, just a week before the election.

The head of South Africa's election observer mission, Sam Motsuenyane, criticised the stoning this week of the Harare headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) by ruling Zanu-PF party supporters.

Food relief

Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Programme has begun distributing emergency food supplies to some of the 500,000 people it says are seriously threatened by shortages.

WFP spokesman in Harare, Pierre Saillez, said 40,000 villagers in the west of the country had been given a month's supply of the staple food, maize meal.

He warned that without further contributions from donors, deliveries could soon be halted.

The agency believes potential contributors may be holding back because of uncertainty surrounding the election.

Correspondents say the food shortages have been caused by the government's land redistribution programme, severe economic problems and bad weather.


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Pressgazette

Zimbabwe allows ITV and C4 News to cover election

by Julie Tomlin

Posted 21 February 2002 00:00 GMT



Tim Ewart
Two broadcast journalists from the UK have been allowed to cover Zimbabwe’s
General Election while President Robert Mugabe’s Government continues to ban
the BBC.

The decision to allow Tim Ewart of ITV news and Lindsey Hilsum of Channel 4
News into the country was seen as a further snub to the corporation, which
has been banned from Zimbabwe since last year.

“The Government has obviously got a bee in its bonnet about the BBC and is
probably allowing in broadcasters that it sees as direct competition to
them,” said Hilsum.

But both journalists said they would prefer their BBC rivals to be there to
report on the 9 March ballot.

“I don’t take any pleasure in being one of the only British broadcasters
that is being allowed in,” said Ewart, who is ITN’s Africa correspondent. “I
regret that the Beeb won’t be there because we are used to working alongside
them as friendly competition.”

Ewart said he hoped to reflect the different shades of opinion in the
country, but added he was “extremely cautious” about whom he approached.

“The war veterans have been extremely hostile and you can’t exactly go
unnoticed with a camera. If people there are out to bash British
journalists, then we’re it.”

Hilsum said: “The most important thing to try to reflect is what is
happening to the black people, who are the vast majority and the future of
the country. “

Sky News’s Africa correspondent, Stuart Ramsay, has not been given
permission to enter Zimbabwe.

CNN has gained accreditation for its bureaux chiefs Jeff Koinange (Lagos)
and Charlayne Hunter-Gault (Johannesburg).

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Guardian

Zimbabwe Violence Reaction An Issue

Thursday February 21, 2002 1:40 PM


HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - The head of a South African observer team said he
was worried Wednesday by violence ahead of Zimbabwe's presidential vote and
would look into allegations that police did not act to stop two outbursts in
the capital.

His comments come two days after the European Union, angered by Zimbabwe's
refusal to let its observers freely monitor the March 9-10 vote, ordered the
monitors home and imposed sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's
government.

The South African observers remained in the country. Their chief, Sam
Motsoenyane, said Wednesday that he was ``very disturbed'' by violence in
the Harare township of Epworth on Saturday and in downtown Harare Monday.

In Epworth, five opposition supporters were injured in clashes with ruling
party militants as they headed to a rally for Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of
the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

On Monday, thousands of ruling party militants stoned the opposition's
headquarters in Harare. Motsoenyane said office windows were broken and some
people were injured while police stood by.

``It is alleged the police were present and did not act to prevent the
incidents. This is a matter of great concern,'' Motsoenyane said. He
promised to look into the charges.

It was the latest violence to mar the run up to elections, in which Mugabe
could lose after 22 years in power. There have been several deaths, mainly
opposition activists, human rights groups say.

Opposition officials have also charged that ruling party militants have set
up ``no-go'' areas where the opposition cannot campaign. They say that from
these areas the militants are launching violent forays into surrounding
voter districts.

``We have already deployed our observers to some of these areas in order to
ensure that an environment that negates intimidation and violence is
created,'' Motsoenyane told reporters.

He said the withdrawal of EU observers was ``unfortunate.'' Mugabe accused
several European nations of bias against his government and refused to
accredit their observers. The EU withdrew the entire mission in response.

South Africa has 25 observers in Zimbabwe and about another 30 were expected
before the election. The Commonwealth of former British territories has 10,
with more scheduled to arrive on Friday.

The EU was to have deployed 150 observers.

Motsoenyane also criticized the government's decision to bar most South
Africa media organizations from covering the election.

Several international media organizations, have been refused accreditation
for journalists hoping to travel to Zimbabwe for the vote.

The campaign has also been clouded by government claims that Tsvangirai
plotted to assassinate Mugabe. Tsvangirai has denied the charge.
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ANANOVA

Zimbabwe food shortages worsening

The World Food Programme has warned of worsening food shortages in Zimbabwe
and a possible halt to emergency aid unless more foreign donors come
forward.

The announcement comes just over two weeks before a bitterly fought
presidential election in which President Robert Mugabe is fighting for his
political survival.

The agency so far received just £3.9 million from foreign donors of the £42
million it asked for in November to fund emergency food relief in Zimbabwe.
Britain gave £3.5 million of the donated money.

"As food supplies grow scarcer and scarcer, hunger is becoming a grim
day-to-day reality for hundreds of thousands of people," said Pierre
Saillez, a World Food Programme official in Harare.

Other likely donors are said to be concerned by political violence and the
prospect of food being used as a political tool by the government.

"Food is now arriving at a steady pace, but without quick food and cash
contributions we will soon face a rupture in food supplies," Mr Saillez
said.

The EU withdrew its election observers this week in protest at restrictions
imposed on their operations. It also imposed sanctions on President Mugabe
and top officials to demand free and fair elections.

The WFP has blamed food shortages on political and economic chaos and the
violence surrounding the siezure of white-owned farms. Floods and erratic
rainfall were also to blame, it said.

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Bank of England http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/pressreleases/2002/021.htm

News Release - Financial Sanctions: Zimbabwe

21 February 2002

With the publication of EC Regulation No 310/2002 in the Official Journal of
the European Communities on 21 February (Ref L 50/4), financial sanctions
have come into force against various individual members of the Government of
Zimbabwe (including Robert Mugabe) and various persons associated with them.

The Bank of England, on behalf of HM Treasury, therefore announces that with
effect from 21 February 2002 all funds, other financial assets and economic
resources belonging to the persons listed in the Regulation must be frozen.
No funds, other financial assets and economic resources are to be made
available directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of them. Financial
institutions must check whether they maintain any account for the
individuals named below and, if so, they should freeze the accounts and
report the accounts and amounts frozen to the Bank of England.

Those named in the Regulation are:

Individuals

1. MUGABE, Robert Gabriel, President, born 21.1.1924, Kutama

2. UTETE, Charles, Cabinet Secretary, born 30.10.1938

3. MNANGAGWA, Emmerson, Parliamentary Speaker, born 15.9.1946

4. NKOMO, John, Home Affairs Minister, born 22.8.1934

5. GOCHE, Nicholas, Security Minister, born 1.8.1946

6. MANYIKA, Elliot, Youth Minister, born 30.7.1955

7. MOYO, Jonathan, Information Minister, born 12.1.1957

8. CHARAMBA, George, Information Minister's Permanent Secretary and
Spokesman

9. CHINAMASA, Patrick, Justice Minister, born 25.1.1947

10. MADE, Joseph, Agricultural Minister, born 21.11.1954

11. CHOMBO, Ignatius, Local Government Minister, born 1.8.1952

12. MUDENGE, Stan, Foreign Minister, born 17.12.1941, Zimutu Reserve

13. CHIWEWE, Willard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Senior Secretary, born
19.3.1949

14. ZVINAVASHE, Vitalis, General (CDS), born 1943

15. CHIWENGA, Constantine, Lt Gen (Army), born 25.8.1956

16. SHIRI, Perence, Air Marshal (Air Force), born 1.11.1955

17. CHIHURI, Augustine, Commissioner (Police), born 10.3.1953

18. MUZONZINI, Elisha, Brig. (Intelligence), born 24.6.1957

19. ZIMONTE, Paradzai, Prisons Chief

20. SEKERAMAYI, Sidney, Defence Minister, born 30.3.1944
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From The News Room (Zimb), 21 February


Election support network staff attacked


Two members of the Election Support Network were attacked and severely
assaulted by Zanu PF supporters on Tuesday morning. According to a
coordinator with the Students' Christian Movement, a member of their
association, Percy Chipati and a driver, one Mr Mangwiro were out
distributing voter education material, in the Cranborne area when they were
approached by a mob. The mob produced Zanu PF membership cards and demanded
that the two produce their membership cards as well. They failed to do so
and that resulted in their assault by the group. The Students' Christian
Movement is a civic body that is affiliated to ZESN. The attack took place
near an army base and it was only the intervention of members of the army
from the base that the beating stopped. Members of the army took the two to
Cranborne Police station where a report was made. No arrests have been made
so far. The victims were taken to the Avenues clinic for medical attention
and have since been discharged. The driver sustained a broken rib and his
companion was bruised all over the body. ZESN is a grouping of several civic
organisations that is involved in voter education throughout the country.
Their spokesman strongly condemned the attack and has called for tolerance.

A group of ten unidentified youths burnt the house belonging to MDC
activist, Didymus Munenzva, in Marondera last night. The youths broke into
the house at about 10:30 pm, stole a television, a video recorder, a radio,
two video cameras, bicycles and a computer, and then petrol bombed the
house. Munenzva, who was away at the time, says his nephew Simbarashe hid
under the bed as the assailants were looting. He only managed to escape from
the house through one of the windows as he gasped for air. The Fire Brigade,
called soon after the incident, were not able to attend because "there was
no driver at their offices". This is the third time in as many weeks that
Munenzva has had problems. Two weeks ago, his vehicle was shot at and later
burnt. Last week another vehicle's windows were smashed with iron bars and
he just managed to get away before any further damage was done to both the
vehicle and him. It is believed that the attack was politically motivated.

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COME TO CHURCH IN HILLSIDE THIS SUNDAY!!


Hi everyone,

Following the arrest of 11 Christians last Sat. after prayer meetings at
the various Hillside churches, it is imperitive that we continue to show
support for our church leaders, for one another as a community, & for all
Zimbabweans who cherish democracy & the rule of law.

Let us demonstrate our determination & unity by packing the 4 Hillside
churches this Sun(even if we aren't normally church goers , or we worship
elsewhere). We all worship the same God, & we all want peace, democracy,
justice, and a better life for all in our precious country! John 14;27
"Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid". It doesn't
matter which church you come to...Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican or
Catholic....just come!!!! Catholic & Ang. services are at 7.30am & 10.00am
, & Pres. & Meth services are at  9.30 am.

"We have seen freedom's price, & we must press on till we see freedom's
victory!"

It's a privilege to fight the freedom fight......together we CAN complete
the change,with God's blessing.......it's not long now!
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political abuse of ngo
Date: 20 February 2002 09:41

POLITICAL ABUSE OF NGOs
The Jairos Jiri Association (JJA) was founded in 1950 by the late Jairos
Jiri who opened his home to people with disabilities at a time when it was
not fashionable to do so. The JJA has grown into one of the largest
national disabiltiy organisations in Zimbabwe and one of the largest
service-providing NGOs in Africa. The mission of the JJA is to promote "the
well-being of people with disabilities and to guarantee their independence,
dignity and respect, so as to enable them to take their rightful place in
society and contribute meaningfully to the development of their country".
The association works towards this by supporting skills-training centres,
special schools, farms, factories, hostels, orthopaedic workshops and curio
shops throughout Zimbabwe.

 About one-third of JJA's income comes from donations, a quarter from its
own production units, just under one-fifth from government grants.
 Three-quarters of the donations come from external donors who include :
CBM, Caritas Netherlands, Save the Children UK, World Vision International,
Belgian Embassy, Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief, Schillon
Church, ICCO, Royal Danish Embassy, Africa Group of Sweden, Ecumenical
Scholarship, Beit Trust, Kindermissionwerk, Okumenische Hilfe, Enterprise
Foundation Commission of Interchurch, Dan Church Aid, Miserior, Stitching,
Contrade (Pvt), Jekly Trust, International Co-operation for Development,
and
the Japanse Embassy.

Now it seems JJA has a new mandate.  The farm in Douglasdale, Bulawayo, has
now become a "base-camp" for the recently formed "national youth service"
as
the Ministry of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation  would
call them. The rest  of the Zimbabwean population would know these young
people as "militia" or  the "Border Gezi boys".  These youth, wearing their
"Third Chimernga"  t-shirts, are now seen openly campaigning for the ruling
party, sticking up  posters, moving in groups of 30 or more through the
quiet suburbs of  Burnside and Hillside, stopping or stoning cars, and
beating up individuals  suspected of belonging to the opposition. At least
four people have had to  receive medical treatment as a result of injuries
inflicted by this group. A 14 year old girl was gang-raped by these youth;
the police did follow-up the case but those responsible have run away from
their base camp.

 The question is - what is a supposedly apolitical NGO whose mandate is to
assist people with disabilities and which is largely supported by foreign
donors, doing accommodating such youth? The Director of JJA  says these
people were not invited by his organisation. What do the rest of the
country's disability  organisations  think about this? ( NCDPZ, NASCOH,
League for Blind, ZimCare, KG6, Council for Blind, Parents of Disable
Children Assoc.)  And are JJA's donors  aware of this new development in
the
Association's activities, and are they  happy about it?

It would seem the disability organisations need some support to deal with
this situation.

Jairos Jiri Association - jja_cbr@telconet.co.zw
Tel 263 9 74331

National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe
ncd@telconet.co.zw
safod@telconet.co.zw
Tel 263 9 74434

And questions should be asked of the relevant ministry, as to the use
(abuse) of NGO facilities:
E. Manyika,Minister of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation,
P O Box CY88 Causeway Harare or C/o Parlimanent of Zimbabwe, P O Box CY298,
Causeway, Harare and clerk@parlzim.gov.za


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ZIMBABWE: Voters ready to resist violence

JOHANNESBURG, 21 February (IRIN) - Zimbabweans are not likely to be cowed into changing their vote on polling day, despite reports of widespread politically motivated violence and intimidation, a regional analyst told IRIN.

Richard Cornwell, a senior researcher at the South African-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS), believes that the violence will not change the way people vote in Zimbabwe's presidential election on 9 and 10 March.

"Although the situation is extremely violent and people are frightened there is a growing suspicion that whatever [happens] ... the poll will be fairly open," he said.

President Robert Mugabe faces the toughest challenge to his two decade rule in Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Cornwell also rejected an alarming report by a US-based organisation, Genocide Watch. The rights group said the situation in Zimbabwe had reached a point where genocide was a possibility, contending that Mugabe's regime was pitting the majority Shona ethnic group (representing 80 percent of the population), against the Ndebele, who are perceived as backing the MDC.

Genocide Watch said the current situation raised the spectre of mass killings on the scale of the Matabeleland massacres in 1982-1983, when government troops brutally supressed a dissident campaign in the south of the country, the Ndbele heartland. http://www.genocidewatch.org/alerts/zimbabwe110102.htm

But Cornwell rejected the assertion. "We know there's political killing going on [but] I don't agree [with Genocide Watch] ... quite frankly it's a far different situation to what we've seen in Rwanda, Burundi and even West Africa, [where] there was the targeting of ethnic groups," he said.

"In Zimbabwe Ndebele tend to be targeted because they are known to be opposed to Mugabe's rule but a large number of Shona are also known to be targeted [by ZANU-PF], this [Genocide Watch] sort of analysis does nobody any favours."

"The greatest threat to human life is not the political situation. It is the outgrowth of the political situation, in the form of economic collapse and the dearth of staple foodstuffs and/or the means to acquire them," he added.

Cornwell forecasted that a Mugabe win in the presidential elections was far from certain. "There's a groundswell, although this is anecdotal and impressionistic, there [in Zimbabwe]. There are certain signs that Mugabe could be in a lot more trouble than he imagines, whether this will dawn on him and prompt him to take more drastic measures, such as the banning of Tsvangirai's candidacy, remains to be seen," he said.

Like many analysts Cornwell believes that the withdrawal of European Union election observers this week "certainly makes it easier to commit [human rights] abuses" for the purpose of political intimidation.

Cornwell's view on the poll outcome has some support, judging from a recent report in Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper. The Daily News published the results of a poll in which nearly 20 percent of the 1,693 people surveyed in rural and urban areas said they would vote for Tsvangirai.

This was against 11 percent who said they would vote for Mugabe. Tellingly, or not, in a climate in which it's dangerous to openly declare support for Tsvangirai, nearly 60 percent refused to say how they would vote.

The poll was conducted by a university-based organisation called the Mass Public Opinion Institute.
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ZIMBABWE: Emergency food aid deliveries start

JOHANNESBURG, 21 February (IRIN) - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has begun emergency food aid distributions in Zimbabwe, but there is concern that generalised food shortages across the country could mean that the planned supplies may not cover all those in need.

WFP's distribution started on Wednesday with a one-month ration of maize-meal to 40,000 people threatened by serious food shortages in Hwange, Matabeleland North. It is being carried out by WFP's partner the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP), and is part of WFP's larger operation to deliver one-month food rations to more than 100,000 people over the next two weeks, the agency said in a press release.

WFP aims to reach some 558,000 vulnerable people after the March presidential election in Zimbabwe's 19-worst-affected districts in the south, west and extreme north of the country.

But Chris McIvor of the development agency Save the Children Fund (SCF) told IRIN that the calculations on which development agencies based their relief intervention have been overtaken by general food shortages across the country. The lack of food on the shelves means that even those members of the community who can afford the rising prices cannot find the goods to buy.

He explained that targeted aid programmes in Zimbabwe are aimed at the poor and vulnerable. "But if you arrive in a comunity where everybody is hungry [and only provide food to some], tensions will definitely rise."

As a result, SCF plans to move to general food disribution in the Zambezi valley in the north of the country from March, doubling SCF's benificiaries to some 120,000.

Local shops throughout the country continue to report shortages of basic foods including maize-meal, cooking oil and fresh milk. According to WFP, the price of maize has skyrocketed from Z$22 (US 40 cents at the official rate) per kilo in October 2001 to Z$44.4 per kilo in February 2002, "which is abnormally high for this time of year".

"As food supplies grow scarcer and scarcer, hunger is becoming a grim day-to-day reality for hundreds of thousands of people," said Pierre Saillez, Officer-in-Charge of WFP's Zimbabwe country office.

Zimbabwe has also been experiencing a long, dry spell that is likely to result in the loss of parts of this year's maize crop, and many farmers talk of seed and fertiliser shortages, the agency statement added.

To date, WFP's US $60 million appeal to fund its emergency operation, which runs until January 2003, has received just US $5.5 million, or 10 percent of its needs. This includes a recent US $5 million contribution from the British government.

"Food is now arriving at a steady pace, but, without quick food and cash contributions, we will soon face a rupture in food supplies," Saillez was quoted in the statement as saying.
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FinGaz

Much ado about nothing


2/21/02 2:17:07 AM (GMT +2)

What’s all the hullabaloo about Morgan Tsvangirai hiring ex-Mossad killers
to have Robert Mugabe assassinated for US$50 000?

Even Mugabe himself seems not to believe that there was really ever such a
serious plot from the MDC leader to hasten his departure from this dear
earth and join the illustrious list of revolutionary Zimbabweans taking part
in that great feast in the sky.

Addressing thousands at his Zvimba home town of Murombedzi on Saturday,
Mugabe had the devoted few in stitches, saying surely Tsvangirai should have
known that the President’s head was worth much more than US$50 000!

But Mugabe, who delighted his supporters by constantly calling Tsvangirai a
frog and, by implication, an extremely dull person, rightly pointed out one
major weakness of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and its
leader Tsvangirai:

Why does the MDC rush to meet all sorts of unsavoury characters such as Ari
Ben Menashe and dole out that kind of money without having them properly
checked out first?

Whatever happens after the so-called assassination plot is properly
investigated and exposed for the charade that it is, Tsvangirai must purge
the ranks of his advisers because it is very clear that some of them are
swashbucklers either in the game for the money or for cheap headlines.

The Ides of March

Is it the madness of February or the unpredictability of March that has made
formerly sane and respectful leaders like Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo
lose their heads and behave like they also have a bee on their bonnet?

Times were when the likes of Nkomo and others such as Speaker of the House
Emmerson Mnangagwa represented the sane and thoughtful side of the ruling
ZANU PF party that contrasted sharply with the mad dog antics of Joseph
Chinotimba and the late Chenjerai Hunzvi and Border Gezi.

But it seems this election has gone to everybody’s head and has failed to
spare the scholarly graying mane of the former ZAPU leader, who now heads
the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Explaining to the eminently boring Sunday Moyo why he had revoked the visa
status of Pierre Schori, the expelled head of the European Union’s ill-fated
observer mission to the March election, Nkomo said: "We ordered him (Schori)
to leave yesterday but he went into hiding in the Spanish embassy."

That’s the kind of statement one would expect from Chinos or from another
scholarly but once extremely vocal minister who has suddenly gone quiet.

Beware of the Ides of March, Roman ruler Julius Caesar was told. Perhaps it
is the approach and uncertainty of March that is making normally sane people
hop about like headless chickens.

Mzee, where are you?

Many Zimbabweans are wondering what has happened to Vice President Simon
Muzenda, who has yet to be seen in public stomping for his boss’s
re-election.

Muzenda, who has over the years been one of ZANU PF’s main guns at election
times, was not even mentioned as part of the President’s entourage when
Mugabe’s campaign rally took him to Nyika growth point in the restive
Masvingo province recently.

Some say the VP and leader of one of the fractious Masvingo factions is on
leave, but who has ever heard of a senior politician such as Muzenda living
quietly on leave when his boss needs him most?

DM reasons that perhaps ZANU PF is worried that the VP might make one of his
numerous blunders and tell prospective voters that if the governing party
nominated a baboon for March, they should vote for that baboon!

There he goes again

Self-respecting southern Africans, and indeed many of my Zambian friends,
must have breathed a sigh of relief when Frederick Chiluba, the diminutive
former Zambian leader, bowed out of politics last year.

Chiluba had tried unsuccessfully to trick Zambians into another term but our
northern neighbours saw through his treachery and showed him the door out of
state house. But Chiluba’s detractors might have just found out last week
that they celebrated too early.

Two months after stepping down, Chiluba has announced that he will remain
president of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy, reneging on an
earlier promise to hand over power to Levy Mwanawasa, the newly elected
Zambian president.

"After consultations . . . it has been agreed that I must continue," said
Chiluba, who last month promised to quit the MMD presidency.

In true "handiende" fashion, Chiluba has told Zambians what we always
suspected when they voted for Mwanawasa: that they were duped. He might be
out of state house but he remains the one who pulls the power strings.

Orange Free State?

Any South African who had the misfortune of coming across a copy of this
week’s Sunday Moyo might have thought he was back in the dark days of
apartheid.

In a story about the bungling Grain Marketing Board (GMB) finally getting
some bit of maize from South Africa, a Sunday Mail reporter wrote that the
GMB’s operations manager had assured the paper it was intensifying efforts
to bring in more maize.

Very well and about time too, one would say.

But that is before checking where the GMB man is said to have spoken to the
Sunday Mail from: Orange Free State in South Africa. Orange Free State?

Anybody who knows a bit about post-apartheid South Africa knows that there
is no longer any province named Orange Free State.

Such a province now exists only in the minds of die-hard racists, remnants
of white supremacy groups and extremely ignorant and dull reporters.

Dog’s breakfast

Despite all of DM’s misgivings about the Sunday Mail though, there are a
small number of its reporters that still try to tell it as it is.

The paper’s sports reporters are some of them and so are its entertainment
writers. This week, the Sunday Moyo’s Sunday Leisure section chose to
dedicate quite a chunk of its space to what readers think of the Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation’s much-vaunted Vision 30, whatever it stands for.

Most of the readers roundly blasted the so-called V30 while others took
their gripe to its flagship programme This Morning, hosted by Supa
Mandiwanzira and Charity Chanetsa.

From what the readers said in the Sunday Mail, it is clear that This Morning
has become a dog’s breakfast: mishmash, repetitive and boring. Thank God for
DSTV.

Last word

Here are some words of wisdom from the late Lion of Judah, the deposed
former king of Ethiopia Haile Selassie:

"Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted,
the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the
voice of justice when it mattered most that has made it possible for evil to
triumph."

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FinGaz

Mugabe might not accept defeat

By David Masunda Deputy Editor-in-Chief
2/21/02 2:53:25 AM (GMT +2)

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe might not concede defeat to opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai if he loses next month’s election and has already expressed such
feelings to leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), it
emerged this week.

South Africa’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad admitted to South
African media on Friday that Mugabe had told SADC leaders that he would
accept any election result "except the recolonisation of Zimbabwe".

The ZANU PF leader faces the sternest challenge to his 22-year rule from
Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),
in the March 9-10 vote.

Mugabe, whose campaign theme has been "Zimbabwe will never be a colony
again", accuses Tsvangirai of being a British puppet, saying a possible poll
victory by Tsvangirai is akin to allowing British Prime Minister Tony Blair
to rule Zimbabwe by proxy.

Emmanuel Magade, a respected Zimbabwean political analyst, said this week he
suspected Mugabe’s use of the term "recolonisation of Zimbabwe" was merely a
euphemism for referring to the possibility of an MDC win.

Magade, a University of Zimbabwe (UZ) law lecturer, observed that the
candidacies of both Mugabe and Tsvangirai ¾ as well as those of the other
three presidential aspirants ¾ –were valid in terms of Zimbabwe’s
Constitution.

"If the MDC wins, that should be the end of the story. It’s not up to Mugabe
who himself is an interested party to judge the credibility and authenticity
of another would-be president," Magade told the Financial Gazette.

"The matter lies exclusively on the sovereign domain and competence of the
Zimbabwean people," he added.

Elphas Mukonoweshuro, a UZ lecturer in political science, said judging by
what Mugabe has said of the MDC in the past, it was clear he did not respect
the opposition party as a legitimate organisation that represented
Zimbabweans and was headed by competent Zimbabweans.

But, said Mukonoweshuro, whether Mugabe liked it or not, he did not have the
power to stop the wishes of the people to be ruled by Tsvangirai if
Zimbabweans polled resoundingly for the opposition leader next month.

"It’s extremely arrogant for anybody to claim tutelage over the opinions of
Zimbabweans," Mukonoweshuro said.

Efforts to get comment from Malawi’s President Bakili Muluzi, who is the
SADC chairman, or Pahad on how the regional body would react should Mugabe
refuse to accept defeat were unsuccessful.

News of Mugabe’s stance on the election ¾ at least as reported by Pahad ¾
came as a new opinion poll published yesterday showed that he was heading
for a crushing defeat in the ballot.

The poll, conducted last month by the Harare-based Mass Public Opinion
Institute led by political scientist Masipula Sithole, showed Tsvangirai
running away with the vote in most provinces and especially in urban areas.

Another opinion poll conducted on behalf of the Financial Gazette by an
independent research agency, Target Research, three months ago showed
Tsvangirai winning at least 52.9 percent of the vote against Mugabe’s 47.1
percent.

The survey said Tsvangirai’s share of the vote was likely to be much higher
than the projected result because Target Research had not polled Zimbabweans
who had been under 18 years when parliamentary elections were held in June
2000.

These voters will be able to cast their ballots in the March election after
reaching maturity age and most of them are known to support the opposition
leader.

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The Times

February 21, 2002

Mugabe's shaking hand betrays fears of increasing ill-health
From Jan Raath in Harare



AS PRESIDENT MUGABE celebrates his 78th birthday today there is renewed
evidence that he has increasing health problems.
Medical experts say there is evidence that he may have suffered a stroke
recently. Visitors speak of locomotor dysfunction in a lower arm and hand.
“We were drinking tea and he wanted to put his cup down,” one visitor said.
“He could only bang it down. He nearly broke the cup and saucer, it was so
hard.” The incident occurred during a friendly discussion and there was no
suggestion of emotion, the source said.

At the same meeting, scones were served and Mr Mugabe broke one open. “He
was having a lot of difficulty,” the source said. “It was as if the hand
wouldn’t do what he wanted it to do. I was shocked when I saw it because it
was just like my father after he had suffered a mild stroke.” The Government
would not comment. The visitor said Mr Mugabe showed no sign of mental
impairment.

“He was really on the ball. He was quick, alert.”

Similar observations have been made by others calling on Mr Mugabe, all of
whom said that the symptoms of dysfunction were marked.

Mr Mugabe appears to be exercising caution. Medical circles say he has
six-monthly brain scans and sees a neurologist regularly. He has always
lived an ascetic lifestyle and has a tradition of taking vigorous exercise.
However, the election campaign, in which he makes lengthy, emotional
addresses at up to four rallies over two days, is likely to be taxing. In
the past month he has made concessions to advancing age — “We are now old,
we are in the twilight of our years,” he said on Sunday,” — but there is no
commitment to retirement. The closest he has come was last week when he said
that “we might retire” when the “liberation struggle” was complete.


The interesting feature of President Mugabe’s tremor is that it is
unilateral and seems to affect only one hand (Dr Thomas Stuttaford writes).
Everybody has a shake — even the top shot at the Bisley rifle competition
does not have completely steady hands. But usually the shake should not be
obvious to others; it does not cause the cup to rattle in the saucer.

The ordinary shake is made worse by some drugs, such as anti-depressants, by
tiredness or excessive quantities of coffee and alcohol. In some families
this ordinary benign essential tremor is present in a gross form, and it
tends to get worse with advancing age. Benign tremors do not usually affect
one limb only.

President Mugabe’s tremor, affecting only one hand, is severe enough to be a
social problem. It does not sound like the commonplace benign tremor. The
most likely explanation is that it is an atypical tremor of Parkinson’s
disease. Parkinson’s disease characteristically starts in one hand.



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Daily News

MDC says attack on offices was an assassination attempt

2/22/02 1:25:27 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

THE MDC says the attack on its headquarters by unruly Zanu PF supporters on
Monday was meant to assassinate its leader Morgan Tsvangirai.



Business temporarily came to a standstill, as more than 5 000 Zanu PF
supporters went on a rampage in the streets of Harare, leaving a trail of
destruction and at least four people injured.

“That barbaric attack was well calculated to create chaos and paint a
situation as if Zanu PF supporters attacked our president Tsvangirai in an
unruly moment,” said Learnmore Jongwe, the MDC spokesman. “That was a
well-calculated assassination attempt.”

Jongwe said the drama must send strong signals to the international world
and the region about Zanu PF”s arrogance and hypocrisy.

“The National Constitutional Assembly members were arrested last week when
they held a peaceful march,” he said.

“But Zanu PF bussed hooligans from Mashonaland Central and East to beef-up
its dwindling support in Harare, and with police escort, they looted
property and injured innocent souls.
“This shows that it is only Zanu PF that still enjoys freedom of association
and assembly. It is abusing that privilege to try to assassinate Tsvangirai.

That is unacceptable and it must be condemned.” But Jongwe”s counterpart in
Zanu PF, Dr Nathan Shamuyarira said the demonstration was peaceful.

“That women”s demonstration was peaceful,” said Shamuyarira. “Why is it that
everything that Zanu PF does ends up being bad in your eyes and anything
that the MDC does is good? That is bad for the profession,” he remarked.

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