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Statement by the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on the Progress of the
Transitional Government
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/3452#more-3452
Members of the Diplomatic Corps and the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow
Zimbabweans;
Today, I want to take this opportunity to highlight developments within the
Transitional Government a mere two weeks after my inauguration as Prime Minister
of Zimbabwe.
Firstly, I would like to commend the Ministers for the work they have been
doing in the very short time that they have been in office.
They have managed to begin to address some of the many issues facing the
country and I am encouraged by the open and constructive debates within Cabinet
and the Council of Ministers.
In particular, I would like to recognise the efforts of the Ministries of
Health, Education and Finance. The latter has mobilised funds that have enabled
this government to pay the first round of allowances to the civil service,
particularly the army, police and teachers.
Not only did this allow these valuable members of our community to put food
on their tables and travel to work, but has also served as a vital stimulus to
our ailing economy. Those who have not yet received their allowance will do so
in the near future.
In addition I have kept the SADC Chairman, President Motlanthe, appraised of
developments and today our ministers are meeting with SADC ministers concerning
the Zimbabwe recovery programme.
However, it is also my responsibility to bring to your attention a number of
outstanding issues that continue to act as an impediment to our progress as a
Government and our ability to truly resolve the issues facing our country.
These are:
• The Appointment of Senior Government Officials, such as Permanent
Secretaries and Ambassadors
• The Appointment of the Governor of the Reserve
Bank and the Attorney General
• The Appointment of Provincial Governors
Yesterday’s announcement of the appointment of Permanent Secretaries is in
contravention of both the Global Political Agreement and the Constitution of
Zimbabwe which is very clear with regard to Senior Government Appointments. It
states in article 20.1.7 of the Eighth Schedule that:
“The Parties agree that with respect to occupants of senior Government
Positions, such as Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors, the leadership in
Government, comprising the President, the Vice-Presidents, the Prime Minister
and Deputy Prime Ministers, will consult and agree on such prior to their
appointment.”
No civil servant has the authority to make such appointments or
announcements, therefore the announcement of the Permanent Secretaries has no
force of law and is therefore null and void. The Permanent Secretaries who were
in position as of September 15th will remain in post in an acting capacity until
the matter is resolved.
This government will not allow a parallel force within its structures or any
unconstitutional or unilateral actions which serve to impede progress.
It is also important that the appointments of the Governor of the Reserve
Bank, Gideon Gono and the Attorney General, Johannes Tomana are dealt with and
resolved immediately.
This is in line with the SADC communiqué issued in Pretoria on the 27th of
January 2009, which states that “the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor
and the Attorney General will be dealt with by the Inclusive Government after
its formation;”
Similarly the appointment of Provincial Governors is an issue that must be
resolved forthwith.
As long as these matters remain unresolved, it will be impossible for the
transitional government to move forward with the reforms that this country so
desperately needs.
Most significantly, the rule of law continues to be flouted by some sectors
of the community and this must stop immediately. In particular, a new wave of
disruptions of farming operations, in contravention of the Memorandum of
Understanding, is undermining our ability to revive our agricultural sector and
restore investor confidence.
I have tasked the Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi,
to bring the full weight of the law down on the perpetrators who continue to act
within a culture of impunity and entitlement. No person in Zimbabwe is above the
law.
With respect to detainees, the Principals to the Global Political Agreement,
namely myself, President Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara, last week
agreed that all political detainees who have been formally charged with a crime
should be released on bail and those that have not been charged should be
released unconditionally. This has not yet happened.
Indeed, rather than allowing the judicial process to take its course with
regard to the granting of bail, the Attorney General’s office is wilfully
obstructing the release of all detainees by abusing the appeal process and this
must stop forthwith.
There have also been disputes over the mandates of various ministries. While
this is natural in a new transitional arrangement such as this, issues of
overlap and duplication will be resolved by my office.
With respect to the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity and the
Ministry of Information, Communication Technology, the functions of the former
Department of Communication within the Ministry of Transport and Communications
shall be the responsibility of the new Ministry of Information, Communication
Technology.
Therefore, for avoidance of doubt, Telecommunications falls under this
ministry. Ladies and Gentlemen, there is only one government running Zimbabwe -
one government, with one vision and one agenda – democratisation and
stabilisation. There is no room for residual parallel structures that attempt to
manipulate the process and procedures of government for personal or political
gain.
I urge all members of the civil service to undertake their duties in a
professional and patriotic manner and in the spirit of the Global Political
Agreement and to the letter of the Constitution.
As a nation we still have a long way to travel until we are truly free,
democratic and prosperous. I am confident that by working together we will
achieve this goal.
The vast majority of members of the civil service and Cabinet are eager to
work together and I am encouraged by the momentum that this government is
developing towards finding solutions to the problems facing the country.
I thank you.
Via MDC Press Release
PRESS ALERT - Zimbabwean farm evictions: Invasion at Mount Carmel Farm (protected by SADC tribunal ruling)
URGENT: PRESS ALERT
Invasion of Mount Carmel Farm,
Chegutu area, Mashonaland West
Protected by SADC Tribunal
Ruling
Mike Campbell and Ben
Freeth
We have just had another invasion here on Mount
Carmel. A white Nissan twin cab wolf with no number plates arrived at about
1.30 pm as well as a dark coloured sedan.
They were led by Peter Chamada, Nathan
Shamuyarira's nephew, as well as others claiming to be from the lands office and
from Minister Shamuyarira's office.
They gave my father-in-law, Mike Campbell, 10
minutes to pack all his belongings and get out of his house. They said they did
not care about the law or the police. "We are taking over now," they
said.
There was a C Reservist police man who happened to
be present attending to theft on the farm when they arrived. He was pushed
away.
When the workers came to work at 2pm the
invaders said they were coming back with reinforcements at 5 pm. by which time
all Mike Campbell's possesions must be off and a list of his posessions that he
didn't get off would be made.
Mike Campbell went to the SADC Tribunal and has got
full protection by SADC. It will remain to be seen what happens tonight and in
the days to come as invasions continue to esculate all around the
country.
Ben Freeth
Mount Carmel Farm
Cell: +263 912 241477
5 WOZA members detained in Harare Central - 9 treated for injuries
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Five members, four women and one man,
will spend the night in Harare
Central Police Station tonight following
their arrest this morning whilst
trying to hand in a petition to the
Minister of Education. Lawyers from
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have
not been allowed access to their
clients so the details of what they will be
charged with are not known. Food
has been allowed in to the group this
evening.
Nine members have had to receive treatment for the vicious
beatings
they received from riot police. All have been discharged however.
Most
injuries were deep tissue bruising from being beaten with baton sticks
-
deep welts can be seen on most of those that received treatment. One woman
has a fractured toe from where she was stamped on by a booted police
officer. The woman for whom the ambulance was called has a serious injury to
her knee.
She had been trying to protect her seven-month old baby
from being
beaten and was begging police not to hurt her or her baby. This
obviously
angered the police who then proceeded to single her out for a more
severe
beating.
She is unable to walk and had to be carried home.
Many others received
beatings but as police were circling the Ministry
continuously, they
obviously were not able to make contact with the support
team to receive
treatment.
UN
chief calls for release of detainees
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=12392
February 25, 2009
By Mxolisi
Ncube
PRETORIA - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called
on
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe to release opposition and human
rights
activists who are still detained by Harare, saying this is necessary
for the
country's newly-formed government of national unity to gain
international
credibility.
The UN chief said this when briefing
journalists in the South African
capital Pretoria Wednesday after holding
talks with South African President
Kgalema Motlanthe, who is also the
current chairman of the regional Southern
African Development Community
(SADC) bloc.
The SADC brokered the power-sharing deal between Mugabe and
the splintered
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) last
year.
Although expressing his full support for the GNU, Ban Ki-moon said
that
Mugabe (85), should do more to prove his commitment to the
power-sharing
deal by releasing the 30 activists currently facing terrorism
charges.
"I support the launch of the unity government, but it will be
appropriate
for Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe to heal the nation and
release the
detained activists," said the UN chief.
"He should
promote national reconciliation, as the international community
will only
support this government if there are efforts from Mugabe to make
it
work."
He added that Mugabe should listen to the concerned international
community,
which Zimbabwe desperately needs for its economic recovery, but
which has
largely expressed skepticism on his commitment to the
all-inclusive
government. He said Zimbabwe's economic situation was very
dire.
He said that Mugabe should implement the all the requirements of
the unity
deal to his sincerest and "meet the expectations of the
international
community and the people of Zimbabwe".
Bill Watch Special of 25 February [Prime Minister's Statement Cancelling Presidential Appointment of Permanent Secretaries]
BILL WATCH
SPECIAL
[25th February
2009]
Prime
Minister's Press Statement Cancelling Presidential Appointments
This morning the State
media published a list of Permanent Secretaries announced by the Chief Secretary
to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda under the heading “President
Mugabe has reassigned some permanent secretaries and appointed new ones”,
At 12.30 today the
Prime Minister made a statement cancelling these appointments, citing Article 20
of the IPA now embedded in the Constitution, Schedule 8 “The
Parties agree that with respect to occupants of senior Government positions,
such as Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors, the leadership in Government,
comprising the President, the Vice-Presidents, the Prime Minister and Deputy
Prime Ministers, will consult and agree on such prior to their
appointment.”
The Prime Minister’s
Statement also draws attention to “a
number of outstanding issues that continue to act as an impediment to our
progress as a Government and our ability to truly resolve the issues facing our
country”
·
appointment
of other senior government officials, Provincial Governors, the Governor of the
Reserve Bank and the Attorney General
·
the flouting
of the rule of law, in particular, a new wave of disruptions of farming
operations
·
his
agreement reached with the President on the release of the detainees, which has
not yet been carried out
·
disputes
over the mandates of various ministries – in particular the new Ministry of
Information Communication Technology.
Statement by the
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, The Right Honourable Morgan
Tsvangirai
on the Progress
of the Transitional Government
Members of the Diplomatic Corps and
the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow
Zimbabweans;
Today, I want to take this
opportunity to highlight developments within the Transitional Government a mere
two weeks after my inauguration as Prime Minister of
Zimbabwe.
Firstly, I would like to commend the
Ministers for the work they have been doing in the very short time that they
have been in office.
They have managed to begin to
address some of the many issues facing the country and I am encouraged by the
open and constructive debates within Cabinet and the Council of
Ministers.
In particular, I would like to
recognise the efforts of the Ministries of Health, Education and Finance. The
latter has mobilised funds that have enabled this government to pay the first
round of allowances to the civil service, particularly the army, police and
teachers.
Not only did this allow these
valuable members of our community to put food on their tables and travel to
work, but has also served as a vital stimulus to our ailing economy. Those who
have not yet received their allowance will do so in the near
future.
In addition I have kept the SADC
Chairman, President Motlanthe, appraised of developments and today our ministers
are meeting with SADC ministers concerning the Zimbabwe recovery
programme.
However, it is also my
responsibility to bring to your attention a number of outstanding issues that
continue to act as an impediment to our progress as a Government and our ability
to truly resolve the issues facing our country.
These
are:
• The Appointment of Senior
Government Officials, such as Permanent Secretaries and
Ambassadors
• The Appointment of the
Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Attorney
General
• The Appointment of
Provincial Governors
Yesterday’s announcement of the
appointment of Permanent Secretaries is in contravention of both the Global
Political Agreement and the Constitution of Zimbabwe which is very clear with
regard to Senior Government Appointments.
It states in article 20.1.7 of the
Eighth Schedule that:
“The Parties agree that with respect
to occupants of senior Government Positions, such as Permanent Secretaries and
Ambassadors, the leadership in Government, comprising the President, the
Vice-Presidents, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, will consult and
agree on such prior to their appointment.”
No civil servant has the authority
to make such appointments or announcements, therefore the announcement of the
Permanent Secretaries has no force of law and is therefore null and void. The
Permanent Secretaries who were in position as of September 15th will remain in
post in an acting capacity until the matter is
resolved.
This government will not allow a
parallel force within its structures or any unconstitutional or unilateral
actions which serve to impede progress.
It is also important that the
appointments of the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Gideon Gono and the Attorney
General, Johannes Tomana are dealt with and resolved
immediately.
This is in line with the SADC
communiqué issued in Pretoria on the 27th of January 2009, which
states that “the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney
General will be dealt with by the Inclusive Government after its
formation;”
Similarly the appointment of
Provincial Governors is an issue that must be resolved
forthwith.
As long as these matters remain
unresolved, it will be impossible for the transitional government to move
forward with the reforms that this country so desperately
needs.
Most significantly, the rule of law
continues to be flouted by some sectors of the community and this must stop
immediately. In particular, a new wave of disruptions of farming operations, in
contravention of the Memorandum of Understanding, is undermining our ability to
revive our agricultural sector and restore investor
confidence.
I
have tasked the Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi, to
bring the full weight of the law down on the perpetrators who continue to act
within a culture of impunity and entitlement. No person in Zimbabwe is above the
law.
With respect to detainees, the
Principals to the Global Political Agreement, namely myself, President Mugabe
and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara, last week agreed that all political
detainees who have been formally charged with a crime should be released on bail
and those that have not been charged should be released unconditionally. This
has not yet happened.
Indeed, rather than allowing the
judicial process to take its course with regard to the granting of bail, the
Attorney General’s office is wilfully obstructing the release of all detainees
by abusing the appeal process and this must stop
forthwith.
There have also been disputes over
the mandates of various ministries.
While this is natural in a new
transitional arrangement such as this, issues of overlap and duplication will be
resolved by my office.
With respect to the Ministry of
Media, Information and Publicity and the Ministry of Information, Communication
Technology, the functions of the former Department of Communication within the
Ministry of Transport and Communications shall be the responsibility of the new
Ministry of Information, Communication Technology.
Therefore, for avoidance of doubt,
Telecommunications falls under this ministry.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is only
one government running Zimbabwe - one government, with one
vision and one agenda –
democratisation and stabilisation. There is no room for residual parallel
structures that attempt to manipulate the process and procedures of government
for personal or political gain.
I
urge all members of the civil service to undertake their duties in a
professional and patriotic manner and in the spirit of the Global Political
Agreement and to the letter of the Constitution.
As a nation we still have a long way
to travel until we are truly free, democratic and prosperous. I am confident
that by working together we will achieve this goal.
The vast majority of members of the
civil service and Cabinet are eager to work together and I am encouraged by the
momentum that this government is developing towards finding solutions to the
problems facing the country.
I
thank you.
Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.
Shamuyarira's
nephew orders farmers off their land
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
25 February
2009
John Worsley-Worswick, head of Justice for Agriculture, said ZANU
PF
spokesperson Nathan Shamuyarira's nephew gave farmers Ben Freeth and Mike
Campbell a 5pm Wednesday deadline to get off their Mount Carmel farm in
Mashonaland West. This is a farm protected by a SADC tribunal
ruling.
There are dozens of white commercial farmers who have had their
farms
invaded by Mugabe cronies this month alone, in total disregard of the
regional ruling.
Worsley-Worswick said the farm being targeted by
Shamuyarira's nephew, Peter
Chamada, is in the Chegutu/Chinhoyi area. The
farm boasts tourist lodges and
is a huge exporter of mangoes. It's reported
that Chamada visited the
farmers Wednesday morning and told them if they
were not out by 5pm they
would be removed by force. Mike and his wife Angela
have left the farm, as
Mike is still weak from the beatings and torture he
was subjected to during
their abduction on Sunday 28 June, the day after the
June 27 Presidential
run-off election.
The JAG official said there
has been a huge escalation of farm invasions in
the last few weeks in this
particular area, as it is at the heart of the
SADC tribunal challenge. The
applicants who took the regime to court in
Namibia should be totally
protected by SADC who ruled in their favour, but
he said a directive was
issued by ZANU PF saying the SADC farmers should be
specifically
targeted.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told a press
conference in
Harare that the disruptions of farming operations is
undermining the revival
of the agricultural sector and undermining investor
confidence. He said he
has "tasked the Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles
Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi,
to bring the full weight of the law down on the
perpetrators who continue to
act within a culture of impunity and
entitlement. No person in Zimbabwe is
above the law."
Chamisa
& Shamu clash over roles in Information Ministries
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
25
February 2009
Nelson Chamisa, the Minister of Information and
Communications Technology,
has accused ZANU PF's Webster Shamu, the
Information and Publicity Minister,
of 'over-chewing' into his mandate and
trying to usurp his responsibilities.
Chamisa's ministry primarily oversees
the posts and telecommunications
sector, while Shamu runs the publicity arm
of government, including
broadcaster ZBC and the state owned
newspapers.
Shortly after the MDC Minister held a meeting with officials
from mobile
phone provider NetOne, fixed line operator TelOne and the Postal
and
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, about the high
tariff
charges affecting consumers, Shamu proceeded to have another meeting
with
the same group.
On Wednesday Chamisa told Newsreel the role of
his ministry was to provide
the 'microphone and other gadgets' while Shamu
was responsible for the
'content and voice.' He said instead of the two
ministries complementing
each other it was 'regrettable that some force
behind' was trying to
undermine the coalition government. It's also
suspected ZANU PF wants to
block Chamisa from making inquiries into the
interception of phones and
other communications, controversially done under
repressive snooping
legislation.
Asked whether ZANU PF was trying to
take advantage of perceived MDC
inexperience in government, Chamisa said,
'we read widely and understand
issues better than them. I have a task to
educate Shamu from a communication
point of view and to unlock the value of
his own ministry.' He said it was
now up to the Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai to reign in Shamu. Chamisa
said it was the role of the Prime
Minister to supervise the ministers and
formulate the parameters under which
they work. He however warned that there
'will be a train smash if he (Shamu)
continues to interfere. 'Lack of
sincerity will continue to haunt this
deal,' Chamisa added. On Wednesday
Tsvangirai clarified the matter by
insisting Chamisa was in charge of the
telecommunications sector and not
Shamu.
Hardliners frustrating release of
detainees
HARARE, 25 February 2009
(IRIN) - The Zimbabwe Attorney-General's office is frustrating an agreement
reached between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for
the release of political activists.
"President Mugabe and myself last
week agreed that all political detainees who have been formally charged with a
crime should be released on bail, and that those who have not been charged
should be released unconditionally," Tsvangirai said at a press briefing in the
capital, Harare, on 25 February.
"The Attorney General's office is
wilfully obstructing the release of all detainees by abusing the appeal process,
and that must stop forthwith."
About 30 activists have been detained for
allegedly receiving military training in neighbouring Botswana, which has long
been critical of Mugabe and his ZANU-PF government. The charge has been strongly
denied by the government of President Ian Khama.
The ZANU-PF hardliners
are said to be security chiefs and central bank officials, who fear that the
emergence of a transparent government could reveal crimes they have committed.
Roy Bennett, Zimbabwe's deputy agriculture minister designate and
treasurer-general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), remains
incarcerated on charges of arms possession and banditry, despite being granted
US$2,000 bail by the High Court in Harare on 24 February.
The judge also
ordered the former white commercial farmer to surrender travel documents and
imposed stringent reporting conditions, after receiving assurances from
Tsvangirai that he would ensure Bennett did not abscond from Zimbabwe.
The progress of the unity government - which came into force with the
inauguration of Tsvangirai as prime minister on 11 February, after a
power-sharing agreement was signed on 15 September 2008 - has been far from
smooth.
At the press briefing Tsvangirai also called for the continued
farm invasions by ZANU-PF supporters to cease, and said Mugabe's unilateral
appointments of Gideon Gono as central bank governor, and Gen Johannes Tomana as
attorney-general, needed to be revisited, as these were contrary to the
power-sharing agreement.
The re-appointment by ZANU-PF of the majority
of ministerial permanent secretaries without consultation was also contrary to
the terms of the deal. "The announcement of permanent secretaries has no force
of law, and is therefore null and void," Tsvangirai said.
[ENDS] [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations] |
Madhuku
says the power share government is a mess
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
25 February
2009
The outrageous infringements of the power sharing deal by the Mugabe
regime
were clearly exposed on Wednesday when human rights defenders were
arrested
and beaten, threats to farmers continued and Mugabe announced a
list of
permanent secretaries, all from ZANU PF.
The outspoken
chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Dr
Lovemore Madhuku,
described the inclusive government as a 'circus' and said
the power sharing
deal was an inappropriate way of dealing with the complex
Zimbabwe crises.
He said Mugabe does not know how to share power and it is
impossible to
achieve the kind of real change that Zimbabweans yearn for, in
this kind of
arrangement.
Madhuku said not only is Mugabe treating Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai
like a junior partner but the human rights abuses are
continuing as if
nothing has changed.
Police on Wednesday violently
broke up a WOZA demonstration beating
protesters and arresting 10. And
despite a SADC ruling barring ZANU PF
officials from grabbing protected
farms, Nathan Shamuyarira's nephew gave
farmer Mike Campbell until 5pm to
vacate his farm.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai held a press conference on
Wednseday and said the
rule of law continues to be flouted in Zimbabwe,
where farm invasions
continue unabated and in contravention of the
Memorandum of Understanding.
He said this was now "undermining our ability
to revive our agricultural
sector and restore investor
confidence."
Tsvangirai also said despite the Principals agreeing "that
all political
detainees who have been formally charged with a crime should
be released on
bail and those that have not been charged should be released
unconditionally. This has not yet happened."
Some of the political
prisoners are in leg irons and shackled at the Avenues
Clinic, the other
group is incarcerated in filthy cells at Chikurubi. Rights
lawyers say at
least 10 others are still missing after they were abducted by
state agents
from their homes several months ago.
Furthermore, despite the fact that
the MDC has not accepted his appointment,
the controversial Attorney
General, Johannes Tomana continues to play a
significant role in interfering
and abusing the detainees' quest for
freedom.
Tsvangirai said: "As
long as these matters remain unresolved, it will be
impossible for the
transitional government to move forward with the reforms
that this country
so desperately needs."
However Dr Madhuku was highly critical of the new
Prime Minister's
statement. He said; "The fact that he held a press
conference to complain
shows that he has no power, because if had any power
he would have been
sitting somewhere and actually exercising that power and
we would see things
changing."
The NCA Chairman said if Mugabe was
interested in real change and Tsvangirai
had power, political detainees
would have been released, new faces would be
seen as permanent secretaries
and police officers would start behaving
differently and not abuse ordinary
citizens.
"But you cannot say you are in power if all you do is to go and
have a press
conference and tell us the problems that everyone knows," said
the outspoken
critic.
As the game of politics continues to be played
in Zimbabwe, questions are
being asked about the role of the regional body -
the guarantors of this
controversial Zimbabwean deal. Where is SADC in all
this and who can
pressure SADC and South Africa, to force compliance?
Providing a true account of events
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Wednesday, 25 February
2009
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is aware that,
sometime
between 11 - 13 February 2009, at least 52 people were arrested and
detained
at Mutoko Police Station facing charges of robbery. The allegations
against
these detained residents of Mutoko are that they had used force to
steal
property belonging to their fellow residents. ZLHR was subsequently
approached by representatives of the accused persons with information that
the alleged "robbers" had in fact not stolen or used force to dispossess the
complainants of their property but were a group of ordinary people who had
sought to recover their property, which property had been forcefully and
unlawfully taken from them by known persons during the controversial
Presidential run-off of 27 June 2008.
These accused persons were
thus seeking restitution of their property
from persons who, though known to
them, had never been brought before a
court of law to answer for the
criminal acts they had committed against
them.
This matter has also
been variously (and falsely) reported in the
state-controlled media (print
and electronic) in relation to "politically
motivated violence" wherein
individuals were "seeking retribution" for
election-related violence which
occurred following the March 2008 election.
On Thursday 18 February
2009 lawyers from ZLHR proceeded to Marondera
Magistrates' Court where the
criminal cases against the accused persons were
to be heard. The accused
persons had in fact been transferred to Marondera
Magistrates' Court from
Mutoko Magistrates' Court. It was discovered that
the Magistrate at Mutoko
Magistrate's Court had in fact correctly recused
(withdrawn) himself from
presiding over their case due to the undue pressure
against him from members
of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) who wanted
him, at any cost and
without consideration of the facts and law, to deny
accused persons bail and
ensure that they remained in custody.
At Marondera Magistrates' Court
the accused persons were brought
before the State Prosecutor for vetting of
the cases/allegations against
them. The Prosecutor then came to the
conclusion that the police needed to
undertake more investigations in the
matter; accused persons should be
released and would be summoned once the
state was ready to prosecute.
Instead of heeding the legal advice of
the Prosecutor, ZRP members at
Marondera Police Station led by one Officer
Njanike, bundled the accused
persons into the bus that had brought them to
Marondera from Mutoko and
detained them at Marondera Police Station where
they spent the night in
unlawful detention - the prescribed statutory
48-hour period having long
since expired.
On 19 February 2009
lawyers from ZLHR returned to Marondera Police
Station to represent their
clients and take instructions from them. The
lawyers were however denied
access to their clients by the Officer
Commanding Law & Order, Detective
Inspector Chimimba. The Office Commanding
Law and Order failed to tell the
lawyers, upon inquiry, why the police at
Marondera were continuing to detain
the accused persons beyond the
prescribed 48-hour period - more so without a
warrant for further detention.
The accused persons had in fact already spent
seven (7) days in police
custody without any warrant for their further
detention. After having spent
almost three hours at Marondera Police Station
trying to access their
clients Detective Inspector Chimimba told the lawyers
that they were taking
the accused persons back to Mutoko and that the
lawyers should wait until
the following day for further information about
their clients.
On 20 February 2009, lawyers proceeded to Mutoko Police
Station. Again
the lawyers met with Detective Inspector Chimimba who again
refused them
access to their clients citing that she was busy. After waiting
for almost
an hour, at 12:48hrs, lawyers again made an attempt to see their
clients;
initially they had access but then, without explanation, their
clients were
rushed back into a Zupco bus which was to take them back to
Marondera. The
lawyers followed their clients to Marondera Magistrates'
Court where at
around 15:30hrs they were finally able to meet with and
interview their
clients.
According to the 52 accused persons
the following obtains:
Sometime on the 11th and 13th of February
2009, accused persons
embarked on an initiative wherein they sought to
recover their property
which had been taken from them during the run-up to
the second presidential
election of 27 June 2008. This property included
chickens and goats which
the accused persons had been forced to take to
"bases" set up by fellow
residents and ZANU-PF supporters. One such base was
Jembere Base in Ward 16
Mutoko, which base was led by one Temba Nyamukondiwa
and other persons known
to the accused persons. At this base those who were
suspected to be
supporters of the Movement of Democratic Change candidate,
Morgan
Tsvangirai, were beaten and forced to pay fines for supporting the
opposition. These fines constituted chickens and goats which were meant to
be eaten by those who ran the base. It must be noted that, despite their
identities being known, none of the persons who ran these bases, beat and
stole the now accused persons' property have been brought before the courts
to answer to criminal charges. Instead the now accused persons have been
arrested and detained for attempting to recover their property which was
forcefully and violently taken from them. The now accused persons were
arrested between 11 and 13 February while trying to recover their property,
as they moved to each home of those who had taken their property sometime in
2008. This form of spoliation by the accused was conducted in a peaceful
manner, in fact with many of the persons from who they sought return of the
property admitting to having taken the same and opting to return the said
property or its value. Several agreements were in fact signed between those
involved as proof of resolution of any outstanding disputes.
In
fact, there was only one incident where there was resistance, when
those who
sought to recover their property were attacked by at least 10
people
wielding spears, baton sticks and axes, with at least one person
being
stabbed in the hand by a spear. After overpowering their attackers the
group
went on to explain that wanted to peacefully recover their property,
following which they were given back some of the property by their
attackers.
All the property, chicken and goats, which was recovered
was
immediately slaughtered, cooked and shared among the group as a ceremony
of
having finally recovered their property and reconciled.
It was
on 13 February 2009 that at least 52 of the accused persons
where arrested,
detained and charged with robbery.
On 20 February 2009 at Marondera
Magistrates' Court the accused
persons' lawyers were told by prosecutors
that they had received the usual
"instructions from above" that the accused
persons were not, under any
circumstances, to be granted bail. In fact the
Prosecutors advised that if
the accused persons were granted bail they were
instructed to invoke section
121 of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act, which Act allows the
State to appeal against any granting of
bail by the Magistrate, during which
time accused persons spend another 7
days in police custody.
The lawyers representing the accused went on to
file applications for
bail for all the 52 accused persons. In one of the two
courts where bail
applications were made, the presiding Magistrate postponed
any decision on
the application to Monday 23 February 2009. However, in the
other court the
presiding Magistrate went on to pass his decision wherein
several of the
accused were granted bail while others were denied on the
basis that their
personal circumstances indicated they would commit further
offences if
granted bail. Those who were granted bail were however only
taken back into
custody after the prosecutors, true to their orders, invoked
section 121 of
the Criminal (Codification and Reform) Act. The State was not
appealing
because they had just cause for doing so but simply as an
unjustified means
to keep the accused persons in custody for another 7 days.
In the end all 52
accused persons remained in custody. Three (3) ZANU-PF
supporters who had
also been detained in relation to this matter were,
surprisingly, granted
bail, and section 121 was NOT invoked. They have since
gained their freedom.
Clearly this was another highlight of the blatant
abuse of section 121
by the State and an unjustified violation of the right
to liberty and
protection of the law. Women and men aged between 22 - 77
years old remain
at Marondera Remand Prison waiting decision on their bail
applications and
others awaiting a trial date.
ZLHR deplores any
use of violence to resolve disputes amongst
individuals and instead calls
for the use of peaceful conflict resolution
mechanisms to resolve what are
in fact long-standing and festering disputes
arising from
election/politically motivated violence that was unleashed upon
thousands of
Zimbabweans over the past years. In addition, the law
enforcement
authorities must prosecute all such cases if there is to be a
break in the
cycle of impunity and a reduction in such "self-help"
incidents. Simply
arresting victims who seek their own justice, having been
failed by the
State's law enforcement institutions and systems, and denying
them bail even
there they may deserve the same can never be a solution to
resolve the
divisions, anger, pain and hurt that has festered in Zimbabwe's
political
society over the years.
ZLHR believes that justice must be seen to be
done, wherein all those
who over the past years committed acts of violence,
including beatings and
torturing people and stealing their property are made
to account for their
actions. Victims of violence must be involved in such
processes, as a means
of healing their pain and loss and achieving true and
lasting peace. Healing
of victims and survivors cannot be achieved in
abstract; holistic
victim-centered approaches which include truth-telling,
reparations and
memorialization, have to be explored and properly sequenced
to achieve a
lasting peace and harmony within the communities.
ZLHR
therefore calls upon the Ministry of Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary
Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that their
law
enforcement and adjudication agents exercise their duties in a
non-partisan,
lawful and transparent manner. The law should not be
selectively applied.
Many Zimbabweans have lost faith in State institutions
which are relevant
and critical to the restoration and maintenance of peace,
tranquility and
justice. We now look to these institutions to see whether
they will restore
the faith and confidence in the justice delivery system
through ensuring
that justice does not see favour or bias and that all are
entitled to the
protection of the law.
Ambassador McGee's remarks at Africa University
U.S. Embassy,
Harare
Public Affairs
Section
February 25,
2009
Transcript of Remarks by U.S. Ambassador
James D. McGee at the African University, Mutare on February 24, 2009 during an
event to celebrate Black History Month
Thank you very much Dr.
Tagwira.
Dr. Tagwira, Dean Chitepo,
students, faculty and guests. It’s a pleasure to be able to be with you today.
It’s been far too long since I have been to the Mutare area and I am thrilled to
be able to speak with you all today as part of Black History Month celebrations.
I hope that some of you were able to attend Amb. George Haley’s talk here a few
weeks ago. As many have said, getting to hear Amb. Haley is a chance to “touch
history” and I’m sure he added a lot to the conversations here on
campus.
Following me today is Anne
Johnson, our Information Resource Officer who is visiting from South Africa. She
will be sharing with you some history about African-American literature. This
will give you a complementary perspective on the progression in race relations
in America to the one Amb. Haley provided.
Literature remains one of
the key ways in which a society can tell its story to both the present and the
future. Certainly, great writers such as Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou and Toni
Morrison made a huge impact by depicting the African-American experience in the
U.S. By humanizing events and making the abstract concrete they showed all
Americans, and the rest of the world, a different view of American society. By
doing so, they played a key role in the civil rights movement in the U.S. I hope
all of you will take advantage of the American Corner located in the AU library
to explore the richness of African-American and, more broadly, American
literature and history.
I am not a writer. But I
hope you will let me share with you a few stories today. The stories I want to
tell are not from my past, but the stories I see playing out all around me every
day in Zimbabwe. They are stories of abductions, of cholera and of hunger. But
they can also be stories of hope, and your voices are a key part of that story.
These stories all share one important element – they are stories of man-made
crises.
As I speak with you today
18 people still languish in prison, after having been abducted over 3 ½ months
ago. 10 more abductees are still missing. They were supposed to be released many
times, yet still remain behind bars. Their release must take place without any
further delay. Doing so would be an important sign that the new unity government
is taking its pledges seriously and honestly wants to move forward for all of
Zimbabwe.
This is certainly an
important story for what it represents, but I’d like to remind you that it is
also a very human story. You may have heard that among the original abductees
was a 2 year-old boy. His name is Nigel. After nearly 2 months in detention
Nigel was finally released by the authorities into the care of relatives.
Nigel’s parents remain in prison. None of us can imagine the experiences of this
small child, but it is certainly high time that he be reunited with his parents.
Not just because their release is right and needed as a sign that Zimbabwe is
moving forward, but because a 2 year-old boy needs his
parents.
Another story that I am
sure all of you are far too familiar with is the cholera epidemic that continues
to plague Zimbabwe. Despite whatever you may have heard, the outbreak continues
and is not under control. Last Friday the UN declared the outbreak
“uncontrolled.” As of February 22 there have been 82,130 reported cases of
cholera in Zimbabwe. 3,817 people have died according to World Health
Organization’s statistics.
The human toll of this
epidemic is staggering, and continues to grow. There have already been more
cases than the World Health Organization originally predicted. There are new
predictions that there could be up to 115,000 cases in a worst-case scenario.
And that is just in Zimbabwe. I know that many students here at AU come from the
region. While the extent is still to be determined, this epidemic is having a
regional impact. For example, two weeks ago USAID staff in Mozambique reported
high cholera case numbers in several provinces on the border.
Making these numbers even
more tragic is the fact that it did not have to happen. Cholera is easily
treated and prevented. Unfortunately, Zimbabwe’s health care system has been
allowed to deteriorate, due to mismanagement, corruption and greed, to the point
where it is unable to care for the people it is supposed to
serve.
Further proof, if any were
needed of this, can be seen in the fact that the case fatality rate at the over
300 cholera treatment centers that have been set up with international support
is steadily dropping and is now generally under 2%. The overall case fatality
rate is still at 4.6%. This shows that when people are able to get the necessary
care and treatment in time, we can save them. Sadly, far too many Zimbabweans do
not have access to the necessary facilities. Many people are dying at home
without ever seeing a doctor or nurse. That is the story they have to tell.
The international side of
the story is one of many dedicated individuals working long hours to try to
help. The U.S. government is spending $6.8 million to help curb this epidemic.
We are working closely with the World Health Organization and UNICEF and other
donors and will continue to do so, whatever the political situation in
Zimbabwe.
Another oft-heard story
here in Zimbabwe is one of hunger. The UN now estimates that up to 7 million
people will need food assistance this year. That is close to 3/4 of the
population. Once again, this is a story that should not exist. The food crisis
in Zimbabwe is not the result of sanctions or drought. It is the fault of a
group of people who put their own desires ahead of their people. Through
mismanagement and corruption they destroyed Zimbabwe’s once-thriving
agricultural sector.
Wherever I go I hear of
hungry people. Equally sad I hear of small farmers who want to farm but can’t
because they could not get seed or fertilizer. I hear of farmers whose crops
withered because there was no water or electricity to irrigate their fields.
This is the story of Zimbabwe’s food crisis. It is not just a story of large
farms unable to produce. It’s a story of many individual farmers unable to
provide for their families.
Once again, the U.S. and
other donors are doing our best to help the suffering. The U.S. is the single
largest food donor to Zimbabwe. We gave over $225 million last year to feed the
people of Zimbabwe. We will continue to lead the international effort to fight
food insecurity in Zimbabwe this year. Since 2002 my country has given more
than one billion dollars of aid to the people of Zimbabwe.
Before I get accused of
only telling sad stories, let me end by talking about the story of hope that
exists. This is the story of countless compassionate and dedicated Zimbabweans
working for a better future for themselves, their families and their country.
Let me assure you, these people exist. I said before that these issues we
confront result from a man-made crisis. And I believe that they must be
addressed with man-made solutions. You all play important parts in designing
these man-made solutions. I encourage you to use your creativity, your voices,
and your actions to help bring these solutions to your
leaders.
Despite all the challenges
I remain hopeful that true change is coming. I hope that the new unity
government represents a beginning. We are watching closely and will judge this
new government on its actions. If it takes concrete steps to meet the conditions
the international community laid out long ago for reengagement, the United
States will be at the forefront in providing assistance. However before that can
happen, we need to see restoration of the rule of law, commitment to the
democratic process and respect for human rights, a commitment to timely and
internationally supervised elections, full and equal access for all Zimbabweans
to humanitarian assistance, and commitment to macroeconomic stabilization in
accordance with guidance from relevant international agencies. An important and
necessary first step is the release of all political detainees. If we see signs
that this is taking place our support will expand. If we do not see these signs,
we will continue to provide humanitarian relief while pushing for these
changes.
Finally, the most hopeful
story is yours. The students of Africa University will be the future leaders of
Zimbabwe and their many home countries. I urge you to use your education to
build a brighter future for your homes and all of Africa.
And I urge you to add your
stories to those told in literature. Authors such as Charles Mugoshi and
Chenjerai Hove changed history through their works, just like Alice Walker and
African-Americans writers changed the U.S. Maybe the next Dambudzo Marechera or
Agostinho Neto is in the audience today. It is up to you to tell the rest of the
world and future generations what you have seen and experienced.
Thank you.
Global crisis
may hit aid to Zimbabwe: SADC
http://af.reuters.com
Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:20pm GMT
By
Wendell Roelf
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A regional aid package to help
Zimbabwe's
reconstruction could be affected by the impact of the global
financial
crisis on southern Africa, a senior SADC official said on
Wednesday.
Finance ministers from the 15-nation Southern African
Development Community
are meeting in South Africa on Wednesday to discuss an
aid package for
Zimbabwe, where the new unity government faces a severe
humanitarian and
economic crisis.
The global economic meltdown has
had a negative impact on SADC -- with many
of the bloc's members net
importers of fuel or food -- slowing GDP growth
and increasing current
account deficits, even in South Africa, the block's
strongest
economy.
"When (finance) ministers consider any support to Zimbabwe they
have to take
into consideration what is going on (globally), so for sure it
is a
challenge," SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao told
Reuters.
"But they will support Zimbabwe," Salomao
said.
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who joined the
power-sharing
government with President Robert Mugabe earlier this month,
said last week
it could cost up to $5 billion to ensure the long-term
economic recovery of
the country.
South African President Kgalema
Motlanthe, current chairman of SADC, sought
a regional response after
meeting with Tsvangirai and his Finance Minister
Tendai Biti last week to
discuss economic support.
A former breadbasket in the region, Zimbabwe
must resolve an economic
meltdown that has led the world's highest inflation
rate and a worthless
local currency.
Prices double every day as
Zimbabweans struggle with food shortages, massive
unemployment and a cholera
epidemic which has killed close to 4,000 people.
Salomao reiterated
SADC's position that Western sanctions against Zimbabwe
be lifted to boost
its economy, and said the regional body would consider
appealing to the IMF
and World Bank for funding.
"Where money will be coming from, we have a
range of options, (such as it)
coming from those member states who have
reserves."
"I think that we can also assist Zimbabwe in knocking on the
doors of
friendly countries who can also assist Zimbabwe, but as a request
of a
regional body," Salomao said, without naming these
countries.
Zimbabwe has in the past approached China and Libya for
assistance as the
U.S and Europe, who remain unconvinced of the new
democratic order in
Zimbabwe, adopted a tough line and imposed wide-ranging
sanctions.
Mudzuri
says US$1 billion needed to revamp energy sector
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
25
February 2009
On Wednesday Energy and Power Development Minister,
engineer Elias Mudzuri,
said US$1 billion is needed for the next 12 months
to fix the country's
battered energy sector.
'There is a lot of work
to be done in the coming year. US$600 million will
help but a billion
dollars will be appropriate for the Zimbabwe Electricity
Supply Authority,'
Mudzuri said.
The Minister said there are plans to promote renewable
sources so that they
account for a big percent of overall power consumption
in years to come.
'We have worked on a document that we presented to the
Finance Minister,
detailing our strategy to revamp the energy sector. This
is an ongoing
exercise but for now we need a lot of energy to get the
industry and
commerce sectors back on their feet,' Mudzuri said.
The cash
strapped ZESA is broke and cannot meet its operational costs. The
country's
power utility company has been unable to procure crucial equipment
to
connect new residential areas, a development that has forced it to ask
customers to purchase their own overhead cables.
Like most of the
infrastructure in Zimbabwe, ZESA's power stations and
transmission grid are
crumbling due to under-funding and neglect, as the
country grapples it's
severe economic meltdown, described by the World Bank
last year as the worst
in the world, outside a war zone.
Many areas have at times gone for months
without electricity because of
breakdowns at ZESA's archaic power stations,
while failure by the state
energy utility to pay for coal has seen some of
its thermal power stations
having to operate below capacity.
Zimbabwe
needs 1400 megawatts of electricity a day, but Hwange power station
currently supplies the nation with only 400 megawatts of power per day,
while Kariba power station generates 750 megawatts, leaving a deficit of 250
mw everyday.
Hwange should generate 920 megawatts, when it is
operating at full capacity.
'If we can manage to make Hwange fully
operational within a year, that will
be excellent. In Kariba we need to add
two more generators to increase the
power capacity. We will also be working
on other smaller power stations and
all this work will take up to two years
to complete,' Mudzuri added.
Asked to comment on the outcry from
consumers about the astronomical energy
bills, Mudzuri was quick to agree
the bills were ridiculous and pointed a
finger of blame at people 'who do
business without consulting.'
'These are people firing from the dark.
We've said no to this and we will be
engaging all stakeholders so that
people come up with commercially viable
options,' he said.
Speaking
about the fuel situation, Mudzuri said he was optimistic that lines
of
credit will be extended soon to the government and private players, to
allow
an improved supply of fuel and also to increase competition among
players.
The National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NOCZIM) will play a
leading role in
transforming this sector; though Mudzuri warned he would
strictly monitor
its operations to curb the corruption tendencies linked
with some of the
executives involved with the company.
'We will
adopt a clear and transparent policy that will allow the
government to open
up the market and allow new players to source fuel and
supply locally,' the
minister said.
Daily cholera update and alerts, 24 Feb 2009
* Please note that
daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff
constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the
numbers. Any change will then be explained.
** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths
occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may
occasionally result
A. Highlights of the day:
- 229 cases and 29 deaths added today (in comparison 1290 cases and 50 deaths
yesterday)
- 55.9% of the districts affected have reported today (33 out of 59 affected
districts)
- 90.3 % of districts reported to be affected (56 districts/62)
- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate 1.85%
- Daily Institutional Case Fatality Rate 3.08%
Zimbabwe's
Health, Food Crises Still Grave - UN Official
http://www.nasdaq.com
HARARE,
Zimbabwe (AFP)--A top U.N. humanitarian official said Wednesday that
Zimbabwe still faces a grave crisis, with major challenges in averting
hunger and stopping a cholera epidemic that has killed 3,800
people.
Catherine Bragg, assistant secretary general for humanitarian
affairs, said
that many parts of Zimbabwe have yet to receive any help in
fighting
cholera, which has affected more than 83,000 people since
August.
"The humanitarian situation remains grave. Despite efforts to
control
cholera, there are many places which are yet to be visited," she
told
reporters at the end of a five-day mission.
She also said that
the country faces serious threats from hunger, after the
U.N.'s World Food
Program reported last month that the number of people
without food was
estimated at 6.9 million, more than half the population.
"We continue to
see serious challenges. We need to scale up our actions,"
she
said.
"Donors have been generous to the humanitarian issues. Of the $500
million
requested, 70% of the funding requirements have been met," she
added.
Bragg met with both President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister
Morgan
Tsvangirai.
Her team was set to leave Harare later Wednesday
for Johannesburg, where
they were expected to brief visiting U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon on
their findings.
(END) Dow Jones
Newswires
02-25-091036ET
More people eating less food
 Photo:
IRIN  |
R.I.P the
formal economy |
HARARE, 25 February 2009 (IRIN) - Urban
hunger has deepened across Zimbabwe over the past three years, with families
cutting back on their quantity and quality of food, according to a joint UN and
government assessment.
The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee's
(ZimVAC) survey, Urban Food Security Assessment: January 2009 National Report,
is the first since 2006, and reflects a sample of 2,677 households.
"Since the last ZimVAC assessment in 2006, the food security situation
for the majority of the urban population in high-density and peri-urban areas
has been worsening," said the report.
National urban food insecurity
increased from 24 percent in November 2006 to 33 percent by January 2009, with
the worst affected areas in Matabeleland North, the westernmost province, and
Manicaland Province, bordering Mozambique.
The number of households
consuming three meals a day declined from 54 percent in 2006 to 23 percent in
2009, "clearly indicating that households are reducing the number of meals as a
coping strategy", the ZimVAC noted.
Trying to
cope
"Limiting the size of portions, relying on less preferred
foods and reducing the number of meals were the most common coping strategies
among interviewed households," said the report.
"This is consistent with
the shift of the highest proportion of surveyed households reporting having
three meals per day in 2006, compared to the highest proportion of households
assessed in 2009 having two meals per day."
According to the ZimVAC,
households were also making do with less varied diets, with the average food
consumption score - indicating the diversity of food on the table - declining
from 64.88 percent in 2006 to 46.52 percent in 2009.
Even those families generally considered food secure were resorting to
selling household property to augment their food stocks |
The researchers found that
diets rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, oils and fats were
"considered as luxuries by households when they struggle to make ends meet".
Most of the foodstuffs consumed by families were obtained through
purchases, with own production - particularly of vegetables - supplementing the
food basket.
Almost one-third of households interviewed confessed they
had sold some of their assets, including livestock, to purchase food: even those
families generally considered food secure were resorting to selling household
property to augment their food stocks, but the trend "is worrying, as it is
likely creating a vicious cycle of impoverishment".
The survey suggested
a lower reliance on remittances than perhaps previously thought. "The proportion
of households reporting someone who support them [financially] from time to time
declined from 28 percent in 2006 to 19 percent in 2009."
An estimated
three million to four million Zimbabweans - in a population of 12 million - have
left the country, and their remittances are believed to be one of the keys to
the continued solvency of households at home.
Urban agriculture, which
over the years has been disrupted by municipal authorities who argued that town
dwellers were flouting regulations, "continues to be one of the important
sources of livelihoods for the majority of households in the peri-urban and
high-density areas, after petty trading, cross-border trading and self
employment", the report said. However, urban crop production has fallen in the
last three years.
Accordidng to the ZimVAC, Zimbabwe's humanitarian
crisis dates from 2000, the result of "a complex web of overlapping factors,
some of which include erratic weather patterns; hyperinflation; shrinking
economy and a receding international community".
[ENDS]
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations] |
UN
launches $500 million appeal for aid
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=12403
February 25, 2009
By Our
Correspondent
HARARE - The head of a visiting United Nations humanitarian
mission,
Catherine Bragg says her team has launched a combined appeal of
US$500
million to try and rescue Zimbabwe from what she described as a grave
humanitarian crisis.
Addressing journalists in Harare at the end of
her mission on Wednesday
afternoon, Bragg, who is the United Nations
Assistant Secretary for
Humanitarian Affairs, said 43 percent of the
required relief emergency has
since been secured.
Nearly seven
million Zimbabweans are in need of food aid while 4 000 have
succumbed to
the deadly cholera disease since mid last year.
The epidemic, which is
now spreading to the country's rural areas, has
affected 80 000
people.
Bragg said despite an onslaught that has been directed at the
epidemic by
the international community, numerous cholera cases continue to
surface in
remote parts of the country.
"Despite tremendous efforts
to contain one of the world's worst cholera
outbreaks in recent times, major
challenges remain," she said
"There are areas where the results of our
concerted efforts are seen in
declining number of new
infections.
"But there are many places which have not been reached with
the required
services and where cholera continues to spread."
The UN
official said broader strategies such as fixing the water and
sanitation
system which have caused the epidemic, were required to contain
the
disease.
"Food security is another major issue," she said.
"The
food security situation usually improves in March and April after which
the
need for food aid generally declines but we continue to see serious
challenges, a growing number of households are reducing the number of meals
they have per day.
"This indicates the people's coping mechanisms are
stretched.
"The people of Zimbabwe have demonstrated considerable
resilience in the
face of hardship but everyone has his own
limit."
She warned Zimbabwe faced a similar food crisis if Zimbabwean
farmers were
not fully equipped with the necessary inputs for the next
planting season,
which begins in early in October.
"Seven million
people in need of food aid should not become the new norm in
2010," she
said, adding that there would be need for continued food
assistance
throughout 2009.
She added, "This is also the time to start planning
broader early recovery.
"The rehabilitation of the basic infrastructure
such as health water supply
and sanitation systems is required so that
epidemics such as cholera and
other diseases do not reoccur.
"Without
proper attention to education, large numbers of children would be
unable to
access the right to education."
Bragg, whose mission met President Robert
Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and some cabinet ministers on
Monday, said their discussions were
positive and their efforts were given
assurances of full cooperation.
The team, which arrived in Zimbabwe last
Saturday, comprised Daniel Lopez
Acuna from WHO in Geneva; Timo Pakkala from
WFP in Johannesburg.
The other two members of the group are Andrew Parker
a UNICEF official based
in New York and Dr Robin Nandy, a senior health
advisor with UNICEF in New
York.
The humanitarian team also met
various Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
operating in Zimbabwe, which
have better knowledge of the humanitarian
situation on the ground.
It
also visited Mashonaland East province's Wedza area, Harare's satellite
town
of Ruwa, cholera treatment centres and some food distribution centres
and
warehouses.
Bragg said she and her team would now approach various aid
groups in the
world to project the nature of the situation on the ground
with a view to
generating much needed humanitarian assistance to
Zimbabwe.
"The humanitarian community will continue to respond to the
needs of the
people of Zimbabwe," she said.
"We will continue to
provide food aid where needed, to continue to operate
established cholera
treatment centres especially further into the periphery
and we will
intensify the community public health outreach.
"We will also be carrying
out additional needs assessment in order to better
understand the nature of
the humanitarian crisis."
She however refused to delve into what she
called political issues saying
her mission had come specifically to assess
the humanitarian situation.
"The humanitarian community is always guided
by humanitarian principles of
humanity, neutrality, independence and
impartiality," she said.
Bragg said the only instance in which so called
political matters were
broached was only when President Mugabe personally
raised the subject of
dozens of MDC political detainees.
According to
Bragg, Mugabe said he could pardon the alleged terrorists only
when and
after the due court process had run its course.
She was however quick to
say the welfare of the people was the
responsibility of the
government.
"We trust that the all-inclusive government will quickly take
the necessary
steps to address the fundamentals of governance that would
allow stability
and economic recovery," she said.
Speaking at the
same occasion, Unicef's Andrew Parker said children in
Zimbabwe constituted
the most vulnerable section of the population that has
been affected by the
myriad problems.
Apart from the current food insecurity, cholera and the
HIV virus, Parker
said children had their own unique problems, which were
worsened by the
collapse of the country's health system.
No US dollars for an x-ray
February 25th, 2009

This image was sent to us yesterday:
Yesterday I visited a church to discuss how we could
work together to assist the very poor and many of the victims of the 2008
political violence who lost everything they had when their homes were
destroyed.
I saw this man lying outside the front door of the
Church, took his hand and asked him if he had TB. He said yes, but he had left
his papers at home.
Who knows what or where home is?
His clothes covered a skeletal body. Flies buzzed
around him like vultures.
He needed to have an x-ray before the hospital would
start him on treatment and that costs US dollars. Where is a man like him
supposed to find US dollars?
If he (and hundreds of others who come to the Church
door in a similar plight) are unable to be assisted, then no doubt they will lie
down and die somewhere. Perhaps a blessed relief from their
suffering.
Posted by Hope
MDC Supporters
Take Revenge
http://www.iwpr.net/
Wave of attacks against ZANU-PF officials puts strain on
power-sharing
government.
By Chipo Sithole in Harare (ZCR No. 182,
25-Feb-09)
Opposition supporters have staged a series of retaliatory
attacks against
ruling party officials linked to the outbreak of brutal
election violence
last year.
The latest turmoil follows the
establishment on February 13 of an inclusive
government between President
Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change, MDC.
MDC supporters' tit-for-tat attacks on ZANU-PF
members threaten the new
power-sharing arrangement, and put the
long-suffering population at renewed
risk.
For the first time since
the state-sanctioned violence that followed
Mugabe's devastating loss in
presidential elections last year, when over 200
MDC supporters were killed
and 200,000 others internally displaced, MDC
supporters are exacting
vengeance on their assailants.
They appear confident they will have
protection from the power-sharing
government that now includes their
leader.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa, the new information communication
technology
minister in the joint administration, told IWPR that it was
understandable
that people were angry, injured and scarred by last year's
turmoil.
However, he said there was "a need for Zimbabweans to be
collected, calm and
wait for the justice system to start unfolding to
respond to this
overwhelming desire for fairness".
"We feel that
there has to be a national healing process, and that process
must not be
retributive, but restorative and rehabilitative. We risk ending
up having
more victims where we are trying to deal with the injury, agony
and pain of
the past," he said.
Chamisa said it was difficult to tell a person who is
exploding with anger
to be patient, "but this is the plea that the
leadership of the MDC is
making".
The scope of the new incidents
bears no comparison to the widespread
state-sponsored violence by ZANU-PF
and its allies in the blood-soaked
run-up to last year's presidential
run-off vote.
In parts of Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces last
week, MDC
supporters burned homes of known ZANU-PF supporters and officials,
accusing
them of murdering their relatives.
In Mashonaland East, over
15 people were admitted to Mutoko District
Hospital on February 18 after
they were singled out by MDC supporters who
accused them of directing last
year's terror campaign in the area.
In Mbare, a dirt-poor suburb in
Harare which witnesssed the worst election
violence in Zimbabwe's capital,
Harare, retaliatory attacks erupted barely
72 hours after Tsvangirai was
sworn in as prime minister on February 11.
MDC supporters attacked
occupants of Nenyere, Shawasha, Matapi and Tagarika
Flats in Mbare, swiftly
moving into the apartment block which they claimed
they were repossessing
after being driven away by ZANU-PF supporters at the
height of the election
violence last year.
Eleven MDC supporters are currently being held on
charges of malicious
injury to property and assault with intention to cause
grievous bodily harm
during the Mbare incident.
MDC Mbare Ward 4
councillor Friday Muleya, among those evicted from the
flats, said the group
had police clearance to reclaim the property.
"When we got there, there
was commotion and people were injured," he said.
"The police intervened and
arrested our members, saying we had taken the law
into our own hands - yet
they were the ones who gave us their blessings."
In Mutoko North and East
constituencies, MDC supporters ran riot, attacking
supporters of Mugabe's
party in what they termed "payback time".
Trouble reportedly started
after an MDC rally held on February 8 at the
Mushimbo business center some
10 kilometres from the centre of Mutoko.
ZANU-PF victims, shown on state
television with swollen faces, claimed that
the MDC had compiled their names
on the eve of the swearing-in of Tsvangirai
as prime
minister.
ZANU-PF provincial youth league leader Marere Kuguyo and
ZANU-PF provincial
political commissar Chenjerayi Mukondiwa, accused of
having directed and
executed the terror campaign against the MDC last year,
were beaten by the
MDC mob, sustaining serious injuries.
They are
both in an intensive care unit. Police have launched a manhunt for
their
assailants.
The MDC supporters also grabbed livestock such as chickens,
pigs, goats and
even cattle as compensation for the animals they allege were
seized at the
height of the election campaign by ZANU-PF district leaders
and feasted on
at ZANU-PF camps.
ZANU-PF member of parliament for
Mutoko East Ordo Nyakudanga appealed for
calm and said "let bygones be
bygones".
"I want to urge our people to emulate their leaders who have
embraced
reconciliation and peace for the sake of development in Zimbabwe,"
he said.
In Mashonaland Central province, hotbed of support for Mugabe
and one of the
areas that suffered the worst election-related violence,
axe-wielding MDC
supporters went on the rampage, kidnapping alleged members
of ZANU-PF
vigilante squads, taking them into the bush and thoroughly
beating them.
The outbreak of violence in Bindura, in Mashonaland
Central, was seemingly
triggered by Police Commissioner-General Augustine
Chihuri unilaterally
pardoning the people allegedly responsible for last
year's murders of
opposition supporters.
The majority of those
murdered were in Bindura.
"Please be advised that all murder cases
committed during the run-up to the
presidential election and have not been
finalised be dropped immediately,"
Chihuri said in an apparent memo to all
police provincial commanders leaked
to IWPR. "The decision has been made in
the spirit of promoting national
healing in view of the inclusive
government."
The pardon includes perpetrators of murder and rape and
frees from
prosecution thousands of supporters of ZANU-PF. Many were
awaiting trial for
manslaughter, assault and damage to
property.
Chihuri has since dispatched Deputy Commissioner-General Godwin
Matanga to
all provinces to appraise the ProPols (officers commanding
provinces) on the
details of the amnesty and to quell simmering unrest in
the countryside over
the move.
In rural Masvingo, isolated incidents
were reported of aggrieved MDC
supporters going after alleged members of the
ZANU-PF vigilante squads,
wielding axes and whips.
Victims of last
year's ZANU-PF-orchestrated violence, miffed by the
conspicuous silence from
the inclusive government on issues to do with
transitional justice, say the
police commissioner-general's pardon is a slap
in the face of the MDC and
are now taking the law into their own hands.
In his appeal for calm and
patience, the MDC's Chamisa said the inclusive
government had clear
mechanisms to deal with issues of transitional justice
and three ministers -
John Nkomo of ZANU-PF, Sekai Holland of the mainstream
MDC and Gibson
Sibanda of the breakaway MDC faction - had been appointed for
that
purpose.
Churches and civil society groups have heightened calls for the
establishment of a truth, justice and reconciliation commission to deal with
transitional justice issues.
Civil society groups have also strongly
denounced the blanket amnesty for
perpetrators of violence, saying it may
reduce Zimbabwe's chances of
receiving foreign aid.
"Returning to the
rule of law should be an essential pre-requisite for a
return to normal
relations with the donor community," said one activist.
Tsvangirai has
said Zimbabwe will need five billion US dollars to
reconstruct the shattered
economy but key financiers such as the European
Union and other
international donors, including Britain and the US, which
have frozen all
but humanitarian aid, said they would reconsider helping
only if those
guilty of election violence faced the due process of law, and
all political
prisoners on trumped up charges of attempting to overthrow the
president are
released from jail.
Chipo Sithole is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist
in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans abroad return as
volunteers
From BBC News, 24 February
By Damian Zane
Norwich - Everjoice Makuve,
dressed in a neat suit and consulting folders
bulging with documents, does
not look like an archetypal pioneer. But by
trying to organise fellow
expatriate Zimbabweans who are based in the UK to
go and volunteer in
Zimbabwe, she is breaking new ground. Standing in front
of a small group of
potential volunteers in a small church hall in Norwich
in the east of
England, she is smiling and almost jumping with enthusiasm.
Her audience of
trained social workers and nurses are hearing about what
they could achieve.
Mrs Makuve has just begun a year's sabbatical from her
job as a sexual
health adviser to work full time for her charity, Widows and
Orphans Relief
Development. And as part of her mission she wants to find a
way to address
the skills shortage created by hundreds of thousands of
Zimbabweans leaving
the country. "I feel I've got a duty to rebuild the
nation to provide the
services," she says. "Our government invested a lot of
money in developing
us and in educating us and now the benefit is in the
UK."
There
are about 20 expatriates in the first group. Some have left the UK
already,
the rest are due to go in the next few weeks and they are all eager
to do
their bit. Their initial task is somewhat modest. The intention is
that they
will be working with women and children who have been affected by
Aids-related deaths. At first they will be in the field for around a
fortnight assessing the needs and possibly passing on some basic health,
sanitation or education skills. Gary Samungu is a social worker based in
London and he can't wait to leave. "I think Zimbabwe at the moment is at a
time of need," he says. "So if I offer my services I will have done my bit
as a patriotic Zimbabwean." Mary Kazangarare, who's a social worker living
in the eastern city of Ipswich, echoes his words. "That's my country," she
says, "and I know the plight of those children who have been affected by
Aids. I've seen them - an 11 year old looking after a seven year old and
he's the main bread-winner."
This begs the question of why, if
they want to give something back, do they
not simply return home on a
permanent basis. Mrs Kazangarare says that she
is in a better position to
help from where she is. "If I go back
[permanently] I think I'll be worse
off and I won't be able to help anyone.
Now, I'm able to send money to my
niece and some orphans and help them go to
school. But if I go back to
Zimbabwe I'm worse off because I won't be
employed, I won't get a job." The
initial aims of the project are somewhat
modest, but Mrs Makuve has a more
ambitious vision. She has been thinking
about the current cholera problem
and imagines that one day her volunteers
could help out in such national
emergencies. "If our programme was on the
ground and on a bigger scale we
could have just sent nurses with the gloves
and all the equipment that is
needed to go and help. And we're really going
to work with the government to
see how we can help in hospitals, in social
services, in all areas that need
the skills that have been lost through
migration." This may all be some time
down the line. At the moment Everjoice
Makuve is concerned about helping one
person at a time, and giving something
back to Zimbabwe. "We refer to the
sankofa - the bird that looks back. And
in Shona we say: 'Ziwa koa kava
(remember where you came from)'. It's a very
powerful word to say this and
we are doing just that."
TelOne
accounts
From: John Robertson
Date: 23/02/2009
E-mails claiming that I advised people last week to not pay
their TelOne
accounts is nearly accurate, but my actual advice was to
protest against the
charges and my hope was that we would all become
actively involved in
protesting against the unfair demands being made by
Zesa and the municipal
offices as well as TelOne. I do not recall saying
"Don't pay", but I do
recall agreeing with a questioner that a token payment
of a more reasonable
figure might help avoid disconnections.
I also
remember making the point that these organizations are also hoping to
pay
their staff in foreign currency and they were burdened by heavy
maintenance
as well as capital expenditure needs. However, we, the buyers of
their
services, could not be expected to pay as much as they needed to build
new
exchanges, power stations or water treatment works.
With assistance from
one very concerned citizen, I have gleaned the
following points that you
might be able to use if you wish to throw your
weight behind the protest. I
have concentrated on TelOne in these
observations, but perhaps the identical
claims can be made about Zesa
accounts. The city councils might remain a
challenge, but I would be glad to
hear your thoughts!
Some TelOne
accounts have been charged out at a rate of US$0,30 per unit.
Section 6(5)
of Statutory Instrument 6 of 2009 prohibits any increase in
prices when
converting from the old to new currency to a level in excess of
the prices
that applied on the 1st February 2009. This restriction also
applies to the
conversion of prices to US dollars.
The termination of services for which
no accounts have been sent to
subscribers will be totally illegal and
proceedings could be brought against
TelOne to recover damages if such
action were taken. TelOne operates under a
licence granted by the Postal and
Telecommunications Authority, which was,
in turn, established in terms of
Act 4/2000, Chapter 12:05. TelOne is bound
by the conditions of its licence
and also by the provisions of that Act.
Section 100 of that Act deals
with the approval of tariffs by the Authority.
Subsection (1) of that
Section states that "At the time of the issue or
renewal of any licence
granted by the Authority, the licensee shall have its
proposed tariff
approved by the Authority". Subsection (2) states that "The
licensee must
obtain approval from the Authority if it intends to amend or
replace that
tariff". No approval has been publicised, but if one were
obtained, TelOne
subscribers would have a right to the details of the
approved tariffs and
notice of the date on which they would become
effective.
As a
retrospective tariff increase would not have been permitted by the Act,
any
attempt now to charge in US dollars for phone calls made before the yet
to
be established approval was or is granted will be illegal. The most
recently
gazetted tariff increase is contained in Statutory Instrument 319
of 2000.
Section 17(1) of that Statutory Instrument states that "There
shall be
charged in respect of the telephone calls made by a telephone
subscriber or
other person, the charges set out in the Eighteenth Schedule".
The
Eighteenth Schedule sets out charges, which are in Zimbabwe dollars and
not
in US dollars. Those Regulations have not been repealed, so they remain
in
force. The Corporation is only entitled to charge the rates set out in
that
Schedule which are well below the proposed US$0,30 per unit, another
instance of acting illegally.
TelOne services are governed by the
By-Laws set out in Regulations contained
in Government Notice No. 399/1973.
Part VI is headed "Accounts". Section
71 states that "The subscriber shall
be responsible for the payment of all
charges arising out of the use of his
telephone, whether such charges have
been incurred with or without his
knowledge or permission".
Section 72(1) states that "Charges for toll or
trunk calls dialled direct by
a subscriber shall be included on telephone
call accounts under the heading
of "metered calls"". Section 73(1) states,
"Accounts for calls, phonograms
and supplementary services shall be paid to
the Corporation within 14 days
of the date of the account". Subsection (2)
states that "The account
rendered shall for all purpose be sufficient
evidence of the amounts due by
the subscriber".
From this it is clear
that the Corporation is obliged to send out an account
to each subscriber
and that it would not be entitled to pre-date the
accounts in order to bring
forward the date of payment. It is clear from
this that a subscriber should
be entitled to 14 days to pay his account. It
is also quite clear that the
Corporation is obliged to send accounts.
Subsection (3) states that "If a
subscriber fails to pay his account for
calls, the Corporation may summarily
suspend the service". TelOne therefore
has no right to suspend the service
until an account has been sent out and
the subscriber has been given 14 days
within which to pay.
As a parastatal organisation, TelOne's conduct
is governed by the
Administrative Justice Act. In this Act, an
Administrative Authority is
defined as any person who is an officer,
employee, member, committee,
council or board of the State or local
authority, or a parastatal that has
the lawful authority to carry out the
administrative action concerned.
TelOne's decision to charge all of its
subscribers in US dollars was clearly
an administrative decision, as was the
decision backdate the application of
the decision. No announcement has been
made about this administrative
decision, and there is no evidence to suggest
that people with the necessary
authority took the decision.
Section
3(1) of the Administrative Justice Act states that "An
administrative
authority, which has the responsibility or power to take any
administrative
action which may affect the rights, interests or legitimate
expectations of
any person, shall act lawfully, reasonably and in a fair
manner". The
Section goes on to say that they must act timeously and that,
"Where an
administrative authority has taken an administrative action, it
must supply
written reasons within the relevant period for that
administrative action".
In fewer words, every authority could be held to
account. TelOne's
administration appears no longer to believe it is
accountable for its
actions.
Section 3(2) states that, "For an administrative action to be
taken in a
fair manner as required by Subsection (1) the administrative
authority shall
give any person who will be affected adequate notice of the
nature and
purpose of the proposed action and a reasonable opportunity to
make adequate
representations". This TelOne has not done, so it appears
that it is acting
not only illegally, but unfairly as well.
Section 4
states that "Any person who is aggrieved by the failure of
administrative
authority to comply with Section 3 may apply to the High
Court for relief".
This course of action might be expected of TelOne
subscribers if they are
not given notice of the intended charges and time to
make representations
about these charges.
Subsection (2) of Section 4 states that the High
Court has the power to
confirm or set aside decisions, or refer any issue
back to the
administrative authority for consideration. It can also give
directions to
achieve the administrative authority's compliance with the
requirements of
Section 3. Statutory Instrument 5 of 2009, which authorises
payment for
services rendered by a parastatal to be made in foreign
currency, also
states that Zimbabwe dollars can also be used. Accordingly,
payment of any
account can still be made in Zimbabwe dollars.
Zimbabwe musicians inspire through song
February 25, 2009
NEWARK, New Jersey (CNN) -- Her powerful voice
resonates through the music hall, delivering an unlikely message of
hope.
The musical group Liyana has completed its U.S. tour
but is wary of returning to Zimbabwe.
The Afro-fusion melody comes from an unlikely source
-- the small, wheelchair-ridden body of Prudence Mabhena, a woman from Zimbabwe
who has overcome her physical disabilities and the hurdles of daily life in her
home country.
"Some people don't even get you and take you as a
person," Mabhena said. "And with us singing right now, we're not giving up --
we're pushing up."
Mabhena is the lead singer of Liyana, a group of
eight musicians who are all physically disabled and from Zimbabwe. Their message
of hope has been drowned out in their home country, which is suffering from an
economic collapse, a cholera outbreak, and a political power struggle that has
erupted into violence.
Mabhena was born with arthrogryphosis, a muscle and
joint disorder, and had to have parts of her arms and legs amputated as a
result. She said her mother was told to kill her rather than have her face life
as a physically disabled woman in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe was once a center for
disability rights after it gained independence in 1980, according to recent
report on Public Radio International. It was one of the first countries to
recognize the rights of the disabled, who are sometimes shunned by communities
in rural Africa who fear they are touched by witchcraft.
But the gains for the disabled in Zimbabwe have been
erased by the country's current crisis, according to Dr. Raymond Lang of the
London-based Cheshire Center for Conflict Recovery who spoke to PRI's Lonny
Shavelson.
Mabhena said the group is apprehensive about
returning to Zimbabwe after its U.S. tour, which wrapped up this
month.
But none of the members of Liyana dwells on the
despair.
"'Never give up' -- it's one of our biggest and
strongest mottos," said singer Tapiwa Nyenger, explaining one of the band's song
titles. "We have the capability to go on stage and at the end of the day make
people smile. It's a good feeling."
All eight band members, who are between the ages of
17 and 23, met at the King George VI school for disabled children in Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe. The band describes their music as a fusion between "myriad geographic,
cultural, and musical genres including gospel, reggae, and traditional
Zimbabwean Shona music."
Liyana means "rain" -- a Shona term for good
luck.
"Music makes you think of something positive,"
Nyenger said. "For me, music is rehabilitation."
Mabhena has said her voice is a gift from
god.
They had long dreamed of performing in the United
States, and their multi-city tour included more than 20 performances in
California and the New York metro area, including the New Jersey Performing Arts
Center in Newark.
"We have been received in an overwhelming,
heart-filling way," Nyenger said. "Everywhere we go, every place we go, we [see]
new things, we meet new people, we learn new stuff."
The band's U.S. tour coincided with President Barack
Obama's inauguration, which has also been a source of inspiration for a new
song, "Obama."
"When we heard Obama was going to be the American
president, the first black American president, we were so excited," Mabhena
said. "Through that joy that we had, there came a song."
Liyana is also the subject of a new documentary,
iThemba -- My Hope -- which is scheduled to be released worldwide later this
year. The band's singers perform in seven languages -- Shona, Ndebele, English,
Dutch, German, Hebrew, and Spanish -- allowing them to reach a wider
audience.
"We want to leave a message to
everyone in the world that no matter what circumstance you are in, you can make
it," singer Marvelous Meulo said.