The bill bans foreign correspondents and imposes tight controls on local journalists, although the criticism has already led to some of these clauses being watered down.
It is not a piece of law that can be passed by any humane
government |
|
Zanu-PF MP |
Mr Mugabe has signed into law the equally controversial Public Order and Security Bill which outlaws criticism of the president and gives police wide powers to disperse public gatherings.
The opposition says these will be used to prevent them campaigning normally.
Unconstitutional
The media bill was originally due to be passed by parliament last year and has been delayed three times this month.
Eddison Zvogbo, a long-standing rival to Mr Mugabe within Zanu-PF, has said that some of the measures in the media bill are unconstitutional.
|
Mugabe promised free and fair
elections |
Mr Zvogbo is chairman of the parliamentary legal committee which must approve all legislation before it is presented to parliament.
The committee also forced delays to a bill giving the government the power to ban trade unions.
Both local and foreign journalists say they will challenge it in the Supreme Court, as soon as it is passed.
Amendments
The Daily News, fiercely critical of Mr Mugabe, quotes a Zanu-PF MP as saying:
"[The] Bill contained dangerous intentions to discredit the government and our party. It is not a piece of law that can be passed by any humane government."
[The bill is] crucial to restoring law and order in a media
industry thriving on hate journalism |
|
Government official |
But Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, the architect of the bill, is confident that parliament will finally pass it on Wednesday.
The Daily News says that the provision requiring all journalists to obtain licences from the government or face two years in prison has been removed.
Foreign news organisation will be allowed to operate in Zimbabwe but they must only employ Zimbabwean citizens or permanent residents.
Political violence
The BBC has been banned from sending foreign correspondents to Zimbabwe since last July.
A senior government official told the Reuters news agency that the bill would be pushed through because it was "crucial to restoring law and order in a media industry thriving on hate journalism, and abuse of journalistic privileges".
Zanu-PF controls 93 of the 150 seats in parliament.
|
Journalists plan to go to court over the media
bill |
Police said on Tuesday that they were investigating the deaths of four people in political violence over the past week.
It is not clear which party the deceased belonged to as both the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and Zanu-PF claim that three of the victims, killed in the southern Masvingo province, were their supporters.
The MDC has urged the European Union to impose targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders "unless the government takes immediate action to ensure a free and fair presidential election".
'Rights crisis'
EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels on 28 January.
The EU parliament has already said that sanctions, such as a travel ban and the freezing of foreign assets belonging to Mr Mugabe and his associates should be imposed.
The United States congress has called for similar action. The delays in parliament last week came amid international condemnation of the new laws and threats of sanctions from Britain, the European Union and the United States.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he was "acutely concerned" about moves to curb press freedom and political parties in Zimbabwe and urged the government to respect the rule of law.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson also expressed concern. "There is a real human rights crisis in Zimbabwe and action must be taken now," she said.
Zimbabwe amends media bill
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe's government is poised to pass a controversial bill designed to severely limit the media and stifle freedom of speech.
The bill, which has been twice-postponed, is seen as an attempt by President Robert Mugabe to silence opposition in his bid for re-election in March.
Part of it allows for restricting access to Zimbabwe to foreign correspondents and the state licensing of domestic journalists. ends
It is expected to be passed on Wednesday by parliament -- where Mugabe's ZANU-PF party holds a majority in the 150-seat house -- although in an amended form following national complaints and international condemnation.
There has also been speculation that even some of Mugabe's supporters fear unpopular legislation could make it harder for the president to extend his 22-year rule in the face of a stiff opposition challenge in the March 9-10 vote.
The original legislation barred foreigners from working as correspondents.
The revised bill allows foreigners with permanent residence to work in Zimbabwe.
But journalists who are not citizens or permanent residents will be restricted.
"These are fairly cosmetic changes. It will continue to restrict freedom of expression," said Takura Zhangazha, advocacy officer for the Media Institute of Southern Africa.
Parliament normally begins sittings at 2:30 p.m. (1230 GMT).
Speaking to the Herald newspaper, Information Minister Jonathan Moyo denied there were divisions within ZANU-PF over the legislation.
"We are pleased that consultations within the ruling party and with open-minded and objective public media houses and editors have yielded a result we are all happy with," he said.
The government still plans to set up a state-appointed commission vested with powers to license journalists but it dropped the threat of new penalties against journalists accused of denigrating the office of the president.
The government had taken back the bill last week to amend it after a parliamentary committee called it unconstitutional.
A copy of the amended bill made available to journalists on Tuesday showed the government had made minor changes but media analysts said the spirit of the legislation remained intact.
Zimbabwean media groups petitioned the government and parliament on Monday to throw out the bill, saying existing legislation was adequate to curb defamation and maintain public order.
But a senior official said at the weekend it was "crucial to restoring law and order in a media industry thriving on hate journalism and abuse of journalistic privileges."
ZIMBABWE: Changes to media bill ''cosmetic'' - journalists
JOHANNESBURG, 23 January (IRIN) - Amendments to Zimbabwe's controversial new media bill are only "cosmetic" changes, independent media groups and journalists told IRIN on Wednesday.
"The so-called amendments are cosmetic changes. The bill is still draconian and is still an attempt to restrict the media," Abel Mutsakani, head of the Independent Journalists Association of Zimbabwe said.
Takura Zhngzha, an advocacy officer with the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of South Africa (MISA), told IRIN that the proposed changes seemed only to relate to the accreditation of foreign journalists.
"From what we understand it seems that foreign journalists who are permanent residents will be able to register. Also foreign journalists will be able to register but to cover a specific event only," Zhngzha said. The original bill barred foreigners from working as correspondents in Zimbabwe.
"We still condemn the bill in the highest form. As we see no significant changes have been made and we think that it is still as bad it was," Zhngzha added.
The unexpected amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill came after a caucus meeting of members of parliament from the ruling ZANU-PF party and a separate meeting of the politburo earlier on Tuesday.
Parliament had been expected to debate the bill on Tuesday afternoon, but ZANU-PF MPs adjourned the session as soon as the house opened. There were unconfirmed reports of divisions within the ruling party over some of the bill's provisions.
The state-owned Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday: "Parliament is today expected to pass ... the much talked about Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill."
Despite the proposed amendments, all journalists and owners of media organisations would still be required to register with a government-appointed body or risk two years in prison.
[ENDS]
Confederation Condemns Restrictive Information Bill
Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)
January 23, 2002
Posted to the web January 23, 2002
Godfrey Marawanyika
THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has lashed out at the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill, which seeks to stifle media
freedom but technically also limits operations of industrial representative
institutions. CZI president Jacob Dube this week said that the Bill would
make it "practically impossible" for business to operate in a free
environment.
"Business must be allowed to operate within laws of the country and any Bill
that does not uphold the interests of stake-holders is not worth the paper
it is written on," he said.
"Right now the country has suffered enough and business cannot afford any
more restrictions on their operations."
Section 20 of the Bill gives powers to a public body to refuse to disclose
to an applicant information on negotiations made by a public body. This
would stifle operations of industrial representative bodies such as CZI, the
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce and Zimtrade.
Once it becomes law, industrial institutions would only access information
required by their members from either the Ministry of Industry and
International Trade or Finance upon confirmation from these institutions.
Technically, institutions such as the Central Statistical Office might end
up not making information such as the inflation rates public.
Dube also lashed out at the US-led economic sanctions against Harare.
"Sanctions will stem the flow of vital inputs for the productive sector in
Zimbabwe result- ing in widespread closures and job losses," he said.
"Sanctions will also limit the supply of balance-of-payments support from
the country's bilateral partners."
Since 1997, Harare has failed to access any form of funding from the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Other donors took a cue from these
institutions and also stopped their funding.
"Business will therefore not be able to access external loans. CZI as the
voice of business demands that sound macro-economic policies be formulated
and implemented for the future prosperity of this country," Dube said
The Bill in itself leads to unnecessary bureaucracy as it gives the head of
a public body an escape route to only respond to enquiries within 30 days,
Dube appealed to politicians to have the interest of the nation at heart.
"Any power game should not destroy the foundations of sound business growth.
Only the private sector has the ability to ensure sustainable economic
growth. But business needs the government of the day to promulgate sound,
sustainable economic policies."
CNN
Zimbabwe bill may muzzle media
January 23, 2002 Posted: 1:10 PM EST (1810 GMT)
Media Institute of Southern Africa members protest Zimbabwe's media bill in
Johannesburg on Friday.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Amendments to Zimbabwe's proposed media bill did
little to moderate the "highly repressive" legislation seeking to muzzle the
press ahead of presidential elections, independent media groups said
Wednesday.
The 39 amendments to the Access to Information Bill would still make it
illegal for anyone to work as a journalist in Zimbabwe without state
approval.
Debate on the bill was delayed Wednesday for the second day in a row.
According to its provisions, foreign correspondents would be able to work in
the country only after being accredited in advance by the information
minister and only to cover specific news events.
Violations of the revised bill would remain punishable by up to two years in
jail.
"There are no substantial changes," said Reyhana Masters-Smith of the Media
Institute of Southern Africa. "It is still highly repressive and we oppose
it. There has merely been an attempt to make some of the provisions more
vague."
According to the revised bill, foreign media organizations, including The
Associated Press, would only be able to have offices in Zimbabwe with the
permission of Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.
They could employ only Zimbabwean citizens or immigrants with permanent
residence status.
The bill also outlined a range of restrictions on reporting. One minor
concession in the amendments removed penalties for criticizing President
Robert Mugabe.
But the Public Order and Security Act passed earlier this month already
outlawed statements likely to engender hatred or hostility toward Mugabe,
77, the nation's authoritarian ruler. It also gave police sweeping powers of
search and arrest.
The increasingly unpopular Mugabe is seen to be using new legislation to
suppress opposition and extend his 22-year rule in March presidential electi
ons.
Political violence, blamed by human rights groups mostly on ruling party
militants, has intensified recently, spurring intense international
criticism of the government.
On Wednesday, Southern African churches called on Mugabe to step down,
saying it would be better for Africa if he left office.
"While we honor President Robert Mugabe for the role he played in helping to
bring liberation to this continent, it is tragic to see Zimbabwe in the
current economic state, and therefore, we believe it would benefit Africa if
he stepped down," said a joint statement by the Methodist Church in Southern
Africa, the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa and the
Botswana Christian Council.
Since political violence began almost two years ago, Zimbabwe has been
plunged into economic turmoil. Once called the "breadbasket of Africa," the
southern African country now has food shortages and record inflation.
The first delivery of U.N. famine relief arrived in Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
Trucks from neighboring South Africa delivered the first of 5,200 tons of
corn meal_ the region's staple food -- from the World Food Program.
The agency has appealed for $60 million from international donors to feed
558,000 rural Zimbabweans in need of immediate aid.
Also Wednesday, Britain said it would call for the suspension of Zimbabwe
from the Commonwealth if Mugabe violated its values.
The issue is expected to come to a head at a meeting of the Commonwealth
Heads of Government in Australia in March.
Meanwhile, the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the Legal Resources
Foundation, an independent legal research organization, condemned the media
bill, saying it violates the constitution's provisions on free expression.
The country's journalists' union said its members in the independent press
planned to risk arrest and ignore media licensing requirements and other
restrictions if they become law.
More than a dozen independent reporters have been arrested in recent months
and others have been assaulted by ruling party militants.
EU foreign ministers are to debate the situation in Zimbabwe at a meeting
Monday in Brussels.
The EU wants Mugabe to end government sanctioned political violence, to
ensure free and fair presidential elections, freedom of the press, and the
independence of the judiciary, and to end the illegal occupation of
white-owned farms.
About 100 opposition activists and nine white farmers have died since
political violence began in March 2000.
Methodists urge Mugabe to step down
The Methodist Church in Southern Africa today called on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to step down - and urged regional leaders to encourage him to do so.
The blunt message to Mugabe was issued after a meeting between Bishop Mvume
Dandala, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa, and the
General Secretary of the Botswana Christian Council, David Modiega, in Gaborone
this week.
"Having deliberated together on pressing issues facing the
region and our people, we identified the following as areas of deep concern,
namely - poverty, HIV/Aids, and peace and stability," the church leaders said in
a statement.
Focusing on the importance of sustained justice, peace and democracy in the region, they said: "These elements are crucial for our national economies to perform to their fullest potential, the absence of which, has a direct effect on us all.
"We plead with our compatriots in Zimbabwe to retain the dignity of their leadership and to remain champions of the rule of law."
The message to Mugabe was politely worded but straight to the point.
"While we honour President Robert Mugabe for the role he played in helping to bring liberation to this continent, it is tragic to see Zimbabwe in the current economic state, and therefore, we believe it would benefit Africa if he stepped down.
"We urge the heads of government in the SADC region to assist him to do so with dignity."
Dealing with the scourge of Aids in Africa, the Methodist clerics called on churches to urgently teach people how to avoid this pandemic, and to care for the resultant victims and orphans.
They also challenged governments to increase spending on healthcare and essential services for Aids sufferers.
I-Net Bridge
ZIMBABWE: Activists appeal Malawi ban
JOHANNESBURG, 23 January (IRIN) - Four Zimbabwean human rights activists are challenging their arrest, deportation and permanent banning from Malawi.
The activists, representing the umbrella Zimbabwe Crisis Group, were arrested a day before the 14 January Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit and returned to Harare as the summit got under way.
Malawian police told the group, which had planned on making representations to leaders at the summit and on consulting civil society groups, that their presence in the country was a threat to national security. Their passports were endorsed, making it impossible for them to return.
ZimRights director Bidi Munyaradzi, who was one of those arrested, told IRIN on Tuesday that a board meeting on 2 February would decide "on the best way to challenge the classification and deportation".
He said they had already written to the Malawian high commissioner in Zimbabwe asking for government clarification on the incident. "We have further said that if we get no clarification we will make an appeal at an international level, especially since we did not break any Malawi or international laws," Munyaradzi added.
Wednesday, 23 January, 2002, 13:50 GMT
Under discussion are plans to introduce "smart sanctions", targeting property held overseas by President Robert Mugabe and his closest allies, rather than hitting the Zimbabwean population as a whole.
 [Zanu-PF leaders] will be able to muddle through for six
months or so without suffering [from sanctions]... If you're looking for
measures that will simply close them down, that won't do the job  |
|
John Robertson, Zimbabwean economist
|
And the US House of Representatives has already passed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, empowering the application of sanctions against Zimbabwe's leaders.
Opening up the cracks
The principle, according to independent Harare-based economist John Robertson, is to split open Mr Mugabe's heavily factionalised Zanu-PF party.
Smart sanctions, he says "would speak to people not yet fully entrapped by the government's rewards system".
Those already well entrenched, however, could see a different outcome.
"They will be able to muddle through for six months or so without suffering except for their ability to move around the world... If you're looking for measures that will simply close them down, that won't do the job," he says.
Even so, many human rights activists believe smart sanctions could have a rapid effect.
"Sanctions are essential before the election," one activist said.
"It would unbalance them... they're terrified, and they're gambling that no-one will actually do anything."
Finding the trail
As yet, no-one can quantify the scale of the assets in question, and some may be a great deal more difficult to locate than others.
 Robert Mugabe: Head of a factionalised party
|
Real estate is probably the easiest asset to trace.
Financial investigators think it likely that members of Zanu-PF, Mr Mugabe's party, have used proceeds from 20 years' access to the national treasury to buy houses and other real estate in the UK, the US and elsewhere.
Proof of ownership is likely to be hidden several layers deep beneath "shell corporations" - companies which exist only on paper - and intermediaries.
But it is believed the expertise and records exist to make tracking possible.
Congo connection
Zimbabwe's economy is in such a parlous state that the spoils are not as readily available as once they were.
Foreign currency is especially hard to come by, despite government rules which cap official exchange rates at less than one fifth of that available on the street, and which cream off 40% of all official foreign currency transactions.
The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Zimbabwean troops have been sent on a government support campaign, has for the past few years supplied an alternative source of funds.
In June 2000, at the behest of the United Nations Security Council, a committee of impartial experts started investigating allegations that parties to the war in the DRC were exploiting its resources.
Their report - published on 13 November 2001 - made it clear that Zimbabwe's armed forces have realised huge sums from exploiting timber, copper, diamond and other DRC resources.
Through a company called Cosleg, the UN said, senior army officials - most of whom are close Mugabe allies, having served with him in the war of liberation in the 1970s - have made fortunes in the DR Congo.
Others are believed to have profited from pay-offs resulting from official tenders for government supply.
Tied in at the top
The Congo operations link directly into the highest levels of Zanu-PF through Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa, the UN said.
Mr Mnangagwa was "the architect of the commercial activities of Zanu-PF", the UN report said.
 Emmerson Mnangagwa: Named in UN
report |
The presence of Zimbabwean forces in the Congo has provided a conduit for getting money safely secreted away, via a maze of middlemen, offshore companies and independent contractors.
And resources redirected from the DRC are helping fuel a land-grab within Zimbabwe separate from the ongoing clearances of white farmers and their black workers.
Mr Robertson told BBC News Online that members of the armed forces are touring Harare buying houses and commercial property with bundles of cash - consisting both of Zimbabwe dollars and foreign currencies - amassed in the DRC.
Hiding the proceeds
Tracing money, however, presents a far bigger challenge.
Traditional havens, such as Switzerland and Luxembourg, for illicitly acquired funds have become more co-operative with authorities, but typically require hard evidence before getting involved in investigations.
Ironically, London may prove a more problematic destination to investigate, as last year's revelations about assets squirreled away by late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha showed.
Of the $1.6bn or so traced by international investigators, much of it passed through London financial institutions as well as Swiss ones.
Sources close to UK financial policing say staffing levels are inadequate to deal with both the Zimbabwe investigation and the high-profile, urgent attempts to uncover sources of terrorist funding.
City institutions are being asked to focus on possible Zimbabwean connections in the course of their normal duty to look out for shady transactions.
And other private sector groups, such as forensic accountants, are being asked for assistance.
Stuck
Another avenue which proponents of smart sanctions want to explore is that of travel.
An array of senior figures in Zanu-PF and their families - led by Mr Mugabe's wife, Grace - shuttle back and forth to London and New York on shopping expeditions.
For this reason, in some circles Air Zimbabwe's six planes are known as the "Zanu-PF taxi service", with planes commandeered for semi-official business at a few hours' notice.
Clamping down on that could hit senior figures where it hurts: The comfort zone.
It also penalises those members of the hierarchy whose children are educated abroad.
Both Mr Mnangagwa and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, to name but two, have children in college or school in the US.
Press Release
The 16 February 2002 is the 2nd Anniversary of Farm Invasions.
Zimbabwe is at a critical juncture: the outcome of the presidential election, scheduled for 9-10 March, will decide whether the country returns to the rule of law and establishes a plural democratic system or descends into the depths of political and economic chaos. The latter scenario will have a disastrous effect on the broader southern Africa region where fragile economies are already suffering the effects of the government inspired crisis in Zimbabwe.
The current situation in Zimbabwe provides alarming evidence to support the view that Zimbabwe is indeed disintegrating towards a total political, economic and social meltdown, resulting in intolerable suffering on the people of Zimbabwe.
Draconian legislation has been passed to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of innocent voters, curtail the opposition from campaigning and expand the powers of the security forces to such a degree that civil liberties are all but destroyed.
Zimbabwe can be saved from the abyss if sufficient diplomatic pressure is exerted from the international community.
We urge the international community, and SADC countries in particular, to call for the following:
- Guarantees that international and local journalists will be able to work without fear of arrest or political intimidation
If the conditions are not met by the end of January the international community should take decisive action and impose targeted sanctions on President Mugabe, his family and other leading figures within Zanu PF guilty of committing gross human rights abuses.
For further information please contact…
Albert Weidemann 01765 - 607900
MSNBC
Zimbabwe court overturns opposition election win
HARARE, Jan. 23 — Zimbabwe's High Court on Wednesday nullified results for a
parliamentary seat won by the main opposition party last year, state news
agency Ziana reported.
The decision bucks a previous trend where the courts have overturned
the victories of President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party.
''The High Court set aside on Wednesday the 2000 June parliamentary
election results for Seke constituency won by Ben Tumbare-Mutasa of the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),'' the agency said.
High Court Judge Nicholas Ndou, acting on behalf of Judge Vernanda
Ziyamba who handled the case, but has since been promoted to the Supreme
Court, said 197 missing pages on the voters' roll for the area had resulted
in 10,835 entitled voters being turned away during the polls, ZIANA added.
This is the first instance in which the ruling party has successfully
challenged an electoral victory of the MDC, which came close to defeating
ZANU-PF the ruling party at the June 2000 polls.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai posses the stiffest challenge to
Mugabe's 22-year grip on power at presidential elections set for March 9-10.
The MDC originally challenged 37 parliamentary election results, of
which four seats won by ZANU-PF have been overturned although the ruling
party is challenging those rulings.
The courts have upheld three ZANU-PF victories, while the opposition
has withdrawn a couple of challenges.
The ruling party currently holds 93 seats in the 150-member
parliament, its majority bolstered by 30 presidential nominees.
CNN
UK backs Zimbabwe sanctions
January 23, 2002 Posted: 8:46 AM EST (1346 GMT)
One British MP described Mugabe's regime as "fascist"
LONDON, England -- Britain has indicated it will press for Zimbabwe's
suspension from the 54-nation Commonwealth.
The announcement came during a debate in the House of Commons over what were
described as Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's "flagrant attacks on
democratic principles."
The debate was held on Wednesday as Zimbabwe's government was poised to pass
a controversial bill which limits the media and stifles freedom of speech.
During the UK parliament debate, one politician likened Britain's treatment
of Mugabe to the appeasement of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and described his
government as a "fascist regime."
In response, Junior Foreign Office minister Ben Bradshaw said: "The
government's long-held view that we act best when we act together with our
international friends is the best strategy.
"Britain shares the view of Australia and others that countries that violate
the values of the Commonwealth should not have a seat at that table."
The eight-strong Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the group's
democracy watchdog, will discuss calls for Zimbabwe's suspension at a
meeting in London next Wednesday.
Heads of government from the Commonwealth are due to meet in Brisbane in
early March, just days before Zimbabwe's elections.
The media bill being considered on Wednesday after twice being postponed is
seen as an attempt by Mugabe to silence opposition in his bid for
re-election in March.
Part of it allows for restricting access to Zimbabwe to foreign
correspondents and the state licensing of domestic journalists.
It is expected to be passed by parliament -- where Mugabe's ZANU-PF party
holds a majority in the 150-seat house -- although in an amended form
following national complaints and international condemnation.
Zimbabwe already faces possible European Union sanctions after failing to
address EU concerns over political violence and alleged human rights
violations.
The United States is also stepping up pressure on Mugabe, taking steps to
locate millions of dollars thought to have been deposited abroad by his
inner circle -- in preparation for possible freezing of their overseas
assets.
Mugabe is accused by the international community of sanctioning the often
violent takeover of hundreds of white-owned farms, triggering a collapse in
agricultural output.
He has vowed to seize two thirds of the 12 million hectares of land owned by
4,500 mostly white commercial farmers.
In the UK House of Commons, Conservative MP Dr Julian Lewis compared the UK
Government's treatment of what he called the leader of a "racist and
fascistic regime" with Britain's appeasement of Hitler during the 1930s.
Lewis accused Mugabe of "parodying democracy."
He said: "There are prisoners being interrogated in ways that would have
Labour backbenchers and Liberal Democrat frontbenchers frothing at the mouth
if they were applied to al Qaeda suspects in Cuba."
He added: "Why is it that people who rightly so strongly criticised white
repression in the past ... respond so feebly to black repression now? This
is a viciously racist and fascistic regime and where are the mass
demonstrations against it?
"I fear there has been too much of a softly, softly approach consistently
applied by the Foreign Office."
Speaking of the 1933 call by Britain's envoy in Germany "that Hitler should
not be appeased," he added: "Our recommendation now is that Mugabe should
not be appeased either."
Bradshaw said there had been a catalogue of reported abuses in Zimbabwe
including "appalling atrocities" against opposition supporters, attempts to
prevent campaigning by political opponents, and a clampdown on media
reporting.
"The British government unreservedly condemns these flagrant attacks on
democratic principles and practice," he said.
"These violations show that Zimbabwe's ruling party knows that it cannot win
a free and fair election. Instead it is choosing to rig the process and
bludgeon its way through."
Britain's main opposition Conservative Party has called on the Labour Government to adopt a far tougher stance against President Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe.
 The reluctance of this government to face up to this
spiralling disaster... is nothing short of an abdication of
responsibility  |
|
Tory foreign affairs spokesman Michael Ancram
|
But the UK Government insists that any action taken must be rational and effective.
This was the third time British parliamentarians debated the situation in Zimbabwe in as many months.
African appeasement
Conservative MP Julian Lewis accused Robert Mugabe of running a "racist and fascistic regime", a "parody of democracy" and compared the government's approach to him to Britain's appeasement of Hitler during the 1930s.
The importance of not playing into President Mugabe's hands
and allowing him to portray this as a neo-colonial struggle with Britain is
absolutely vital |
|
Foreign Minister Ben Bradshaw
|
The Conservative spokesman on foreign affairs Michael Ancram said: "The reluctance of this government to face up to this spiralling disaster, to take any initiative, indeed, to do anything other than wring their hands, is nothing short of an abdication of responsibility."
There were repeated calls for tough targeted sanctions to be imposed by the European Union and for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the Commonwealth.
Conservative Tony Baldry accused the Commonwealth of adopting double standards by suspending Pakistan, but not Zimbabwe.
Suspension
Foreign Minister Ben Bradshaw said that Britain would argue for the suspension of Zimbabwe at the forthcoming meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Australia, if the situation continued to deteriorate.
 Ancram accused the government of
hand-wringing |
"The importance of international action is paramount, and the importance of not playing into President Mugabe's hands and allowing him to portray this as a neo-colonial struggle with Britain is absolutely vital."
'Clinging to power'
Several parliamentarians stressed that the March presidential elections in Zimbabwe would not be free or fair.
The prospect of Mr Mugabe losing but clinging to power would be hair-raising for Britain, according to one Conservative.
The government said that Zimbabwe's ruling party was looking to rig the process and bludgeon its way through.
But it is declining to speculate on what action it will take if that does happen.
MSNBC
Zimbabwe says Britain isolated on Commonwealth threat
HARARE, Jan. 23 — Zimbabwe said on Wednesday Britain had scant support for
its attempts to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth and accused London of
seeking to engineer an opposition victory in March presidential elections.
Zimbabwe's latest outburst against its former colonial ruler came
after British Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned President Robert Mugabe's
pre-election crackdown on political opposition as a ''disgrace'' and said
London would press for Zimbabwe's suspension from the 54-nation
Commonwealth.
Zimbabwean officials said Britain was desperate to secure victory for
the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at the March 9-10 poll
and reverse Mugabe's controversial seizure of white-owned farms.
Harare also said Britain had little support for its campaign against
the southern African country where Mugabe has been in power for 22 years.
''They (Britain) are running feverishly because they know that they
don't have any strong support in the Commonwealth outside Australia and
Canada for their programme,'' Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba told
Reuters.
''And their agenda is to win the elections for the MDC in the hope of
reversing the land redistribution programme,'' Charamba said.
Nine white farmers and 100 black opposition supporters have been
killed, with thousands injured or forced to flee in a two-year land grab by
Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party which says it is correcting colonial wrongs.
A Nigerian-brokered deal last year to restore law and order in the
country and mend fences between London and Harare has made little headway.
The eight-strong Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the
group's democracy watchdog, will discuss the calls for Zimbabwe's suspension
at a meeting in London next Wednesday.
Heads of government from the Commonwealth are due to meet in Brisbane
in early March, just days before Zimbabwe's elections.
Zimbabwe already faces possible European Union sanctions after
failing to address EU concerns over political violence and alleged human
rights violations.
The United States is also increasing pressure on Mugabe, taking steps
to locate millions of dollars thought to have been deposited abroad by his
inner circle -- in preparation for possible freezing of their overseas
assets.
Guardian
Zimbabwe may lose place in Commonwealth
Staff and agencies
Wednesday January 23, 2002
Britain will call for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth if
president Robert Mugabe "violates" its values, the government confirmed
today.
Junior Foreign Office minister Ben Bradshaw faced criticism from Tory MPs
that the government was failing to take tough action against Mr Mugabe's
"fascist" regime.
But during a debate in Westminster Hall this morning, Mr Bradshaw said it
was important to act "rationally and effectively" and conceded that the
issue could reach boiling point at a meeting of the Commonwealth heads of
government in Brisbane in March.
He said: "The government's long-held view that we act best when we act
together with our international friends is the best strategy.
Conservative MP Dr Julian Lewis compared the government's treatment of what
he called the leader of a "racist and fascistic regime" with Britain's
appeasement of Hitler during the 1930s.
During the debate, Dr Lewis accused Mr Mugabe of "parodying democracy".
Evidence of systematic intimidation, murder and torture of opposition party
supporters ruled out the prospect of free and fair presidential elections in
March, he argued.
He said: "There are prisoners being interrogated in ways that would have
Labour backbenchers and Liberal Democrat frontbenchers frothing at the mouth
if they were applied to al-Qaida suspects in Cuba."
"I would wish to see tough sanctions brought into play."
Answering, Mr Bradshaw told the chamber: "Britain shares the view of
Australia and others that countries that violate the values of the
Commonwealth should not have a seat at that table."
He criticised vote rigging and intimidation of opposition parties by the
regime.
"Zimbabwe's ruling party knows it cannot win a free and fair election.
Instead, it is looking to rig the process and bludgeon its way through," he
said.
'They say that power corrupts - and it does'
As first lady of Zimbabwe, she lived the high life. Now Janet Banana is
getting by on £10 a week in a tiny London flat, hoping to be granted
political asylum. She tells Rebecca Taylor her extraordinary story
Wednesday January 23, 2002
The Guardian
When the woman off the plane from Harare announced that she was the former
first lady of Zimbabwe and was seeking political asylum, the immigration
officials at Heathrow were incredulous. She said her name was Janet Banana,
wife of the former president of the country, Reverend Canaan Banana, and she
was fleeing Zimbabwe with her 18-year-old daughter. "They didn't know what
to make of me," says Banana, who arrived in Britain in October 2000 with one
suitcase and £40 to her name. "I had lived as the president's wife in
Harare, but I arrived in Britain with nothing, fleeing for my life."
The tale of her flight is dramatic, encompassing political rivalries, a
bizarre trial for sodomy and a murder case. Although her story and
background makes her situation different from most of the other 106
Zimbabweans awaiting asylum in the UK, it reflects the climate of fear that
increases daily in Zimbabwe in the run up to the March elections. In fact,
Janet Banana has only agreed to be interviewed at all after discussing it
with officers from Special Branch. They consider her to be in danger from
secret agents, thought to have been planted by President Mugabe.
If the colourfully named Canaan Banana rings a bell with most people in
Britain it is likely to be for the running gag on his name in the satirical
news show Not the Nine o'clock News in the early 80s: Cardinal Moses
Pineapple, His Eminence Ndabaningi Toffee Apple and the prime minister, Mr
Robert Rhubarbi, featured as his political bedfellows. But in Zimbabwe, at
the time, Canaan was lauded as the country's first president following the
bloody and prolonged war of independence that toppled Ian Smith's white-only
regime. Robert Mugabe was his prime minister.
"At first we were excited to be taking such a big part in this new country,"
says Banana, who moved into the State House in Harare with her husband in
1980. Dressed in a brightly patterned Zimbabwean headscarf, she speaks
quietly but passionately about events in the former British colony of
Rhodesia. "I got to meet dignitaries from all over the world, including
Prince Charles, who came to our independence celebrations to take down the
British flag. Later I attended his wedding in London to Princess Diana.
"But living in the State House was a lonely existence for me. I missed my
family and, especially, home cooking. The staff there were former employees
from the Smith regime and they were very efficient at cooking British food
but knew absolutely nothing about how to cook our traditional food, such as
isitshwala [maize porridge]."
Janet Banana was born in 1938 to a farming family in Matabeleland, in what
was then Southern Rhodesia. She trained as a teacher and it was while
working at a school that she met a fellow teacher, Canaan Banana. The couple
married in 1961. He trained as a minister at a local theological college and
by the time their first son was born, the family was moving from post to
post in service with the Methodist ministry.
But the wind of change was already blowing through Africa as the continent
sought to shake off European colonial rule. As the independence movement in
Rhodesia gained momentum, Canaan became involved in politics, becoming the
vice president of the African National Council, a group outlawed by the
Smith government. As ANC members were arrested and thrown into prison, the
net began to close around Banana. He fled to the US where Janet and their
children joined him.
The family returned to Rhodesia in 1975 with the war still raging. Banana
was arrested on arrival in Salisbury (now Harare). He was finally released
after the Lancaster House talks in London, in 1979, which reached agreement
on a new constitution for the country. Independence bought freedom, but it
also brought to light an increasingly autocratic streak in Mugabe. In 1987,
he took over the role of executive president, effectively forcing Banana out
of office and taking complete control of the country. "At the beginning,
when Mugabe was prime minister, he was a friendly and approachable
gentleman. But when he became the executive president he became a different
man. They say power corrupts and it does. It corrupts absolutely," says
Banana.
Decadent spending replaced the ascetic socialism that Mugabe had once
adhered to. "I remember visiting his mansion outside Harare for a party
after his marriage to his second wife, Grace. The rooms were massive and the
furniture, which came from all over the world, was immaculate. His children
had their own playroom with every kind of gadget you can imagine. But each
time he entered a room the servants had to squat on the floor. They looked
so nervous."
As the country began to suffer politically and economically, Banana was
faced with a personal crisis of her own. "Before we moved out of the State
House, my husband's bodyguard gave me some startling news. He told me,
'Canaan is gay.' I was shocked."
Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe, punishable by up to 10 years in
prison, and gay activity is largely regarded as taboo. "For a long time, I
questioned myself: why, why? Eventually, after searching my soul I began to
think, it's his life - maybe I should accept it."
The Bananas continued living together however, and the issue of Canaan's
homosexuality was kept out of the public eye. He became a spokesperson for
the Organisation of African Unity, travelling all over the world and
acquiring a high profile. But in 1995, Mugabe made a speech declaring
homosexuals as not only "un-African" but "worse than pigs and dogs". A year
later, Canaan was ar rested on charges of abusing his position by sexually
assaulting male staff members.
The circumstances surrounding the arrest were sensational and are clearly
painful for Janet to recall. Canaan was charged after his bodyguard shot
dead a police colleague who taunted him as "Banana's wife". The bodyguard
was jailed for 10 years for the murder but during the trial described how
Canaan drank, danced and played cards with him before assaulting him in the
State House library. Although Canaan vigorously denied the charges,
insisting that political opponents had influenced the case, he was convicted
on 11 counts of sodomy.
The case took a further dramatic twist when, shortly before the sentencing,
Canaan went on the run to South Africa after receiving a tip- off that
Mugabe planned to have him killed. After meeting Nelson Mandela, Banana
returned to Zimbabwe, where he was finally sentenced to two years. "We think
Mandela intervened to have him treated leniently," says Janet.
"Mugabe used the issue of my husband's sexuality as a way of mobilising
opinion against Canaan. Mugabe was jealous of Canaan's role in the OAU,
which offered him an international platform not available to Mugabe," she
says. "Canaan was also regarded as the most likely contender to Mugabe's
position. The attack on Canaan was an attempt to eliminate any hint of
opposition."
After the trial, Banana found herself in an untenable situation. "I began to
feel that if I stayed in Zimbabwe, my life would be in danger. Because I had
supported Canaan throughout the trial I knew the government regarded me as a
liability. I was followed and monitored by plain-clothes government agents,
and my daughter was harassed in school. We were also stigmatised as 'the gay
family'. People were 'disappearing'all the time for any small remark about
Mugabe, even for throwaway jokes about his second wife. I felt as if I was
about to 'disappear' at any moment myself. The situation had also
deteriorated between Canaan and me, so even if he came out of prison I knew
he wouldn't support me."
In October 2000, friends of Banana's in London suggested that she go to
Britain for a break. "Once I was on the plane, I went through all the recent
events of my life in my head. I was coming for a holiday, but on reflection
I decided there was no life for me in Zimbabwe."
She now lives in a one-room flat with her daughter in north London. She
receives £10 a week in benefit, plus vouchers, and says she survives
psychologically by attending workshops in computers and creative writing.
She is also training as a counsellor.
In light of the home secretary's recent announcement about the position of
Zimbabwean asylum seekers, she will probably be allowed to remain in the UK
until after the March elections, but her longer-term future is uncertain. It
is a far cry from her former VIP existence. "This new life is not so
difficult to adjust to. By nature I'm a resilient person and I came from
humble beginnings," she says.
She is no longer in touch with Canaan, who was released from prison last
January, although she believes he may have joined forces with Mugabe in
order to save his own skin. But she has no time for the power games of
politics and shakes her head slowly when asked about the present situation
in her homeland.
"It is the poor who are suffering in this situation," she says. "The main
problem under Mugabe is poverty. Why do we have 12 million in poverty?"
She believes that any attempt to impose sanctions will only hurt a people
who have been ground down enough. Ultimately, she says, the west won't go
ahead with economic sanctions because that would damage British and US
companies based in the country.
"It is very sad to learn what is happening," she says. I love my country but
if I went back I would be killed. Our people are warm and loving and the
Zimbabwe we inherited in 1980 was beautiful. I would like to see that beauty
return one day."
Trucks from neighbouring South Africa delivered the first of 5,200 tons of corn meal - the region's staple food - to warehouses in the second city of Bulawayo.
Further consignments of beans, ground nuts and vegetable oil would be delivered soon, said Anna Shotton, a WFP spokeswoman in Harare.
 Zimbabwe used to export
food |
And the British Government said political conditions in Zimbabwe had worsened in the last two weeks, and threatened that it would press for the country's suspension from the Commonwealth unless the situation improved.
The UN food agency has appealed for $60m from international donors to feed 558,000 rural Zimbabweans in need of immediate aid.
The government blames the food shortages on poor rains, but critics say that the invasion of white-owned farms by militant supporters of Mr Mugabe has worsened the situation.
Zimbabwe has traditionally been a major exporter of food to the region.
On Monday, state media reported that the authorities had seized 36,000 tonnes of grain from white farmers who were accused of hoarding it to create artificial shortages.
 Mugabe promised free and fair
elections |
A joint statement from the Methodist Church, the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa and the Botswana Christian Council said Mr Mugabe should be honoured for his role in helping to bring liberation to Africa, and it called on regional leaders to help him quit power with dignity.
A British Foreign Office Minister, Ben Bradshaw, told Parliament in London that there had been a catalogue of abuses by President Mugabe, including appalling atrocities against opposition supporters.
The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said his government was working urgently with other countries to ensure that the "deplorable" policies of Mr Mugabe were reversed.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has urged the European Union to impose "smart sanctions" on Zimbabwe unless Mr Mugabe takes speedy action to ensure that the March elections are free and fair.
EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday.
 Zanu-PF has a two-thirds majority in
parliament |
The bill bans foreign correspondents and imposes tight controls on local journalists, although criticism has already led to some of these clauses being watered down.
It was originally due to be passed by parliament last year and has been delayed three times this month.
Correspondents say that Mr Mugabe is hoping that the media controls will help him stifle opposition criticism of his record during the presidential election campaign in March.
But Eddison Zvogbo, a long-standing rival of Mr Mugabe within Zanu-PF, has said that some of the measures in the media bill are unconstitutional.
 Journalists plan to go to court over the media
bill |
The committee has also forced delays to a bill giving the government the power to ban trade unions.
Mr Mugabe has already signed into law the equally controversial Public Order and Security Bill which outlaws criticism of the president and gives police wide powers to disperse public gatherings.
The opposition says these will be used to prevent them campaigning normally.
Britain brands Mugabe a "disgrace"
Reuters, 01.23.02, 12:00 PM
ET
By Dominic Evans
LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Britain
condemned President Robert Mugabe's
pre-election crackdown on political
opposition as a disgrace on Wednesday
and said it would press for Zimbabwe's
suspension from the 54-nation
Commonwealth.
"We totally deplore what
is happening in Zimbabwe," Prime Minister Tony
Blair told parliament. "The
actions of Mugabe... are a disgrace -- a
disgrace to his own country (which)
badly affect the reputation of the whole
of southern
Africa."
Increasing the diplomatic pressure on Mugabe, junior Foreign
Office minister
Ben Bradshaw said Britain would push for Zimbabwe's
suspension from the
Commonwealth at a meeting of ministers in London next
week.
He said there was a catalogue of reported abuses in Zimbabwe
including
"appalling atrocities" against opposition supporters and attempts
to muzzle
the media.
"The British government unreservedly condemns
these flagrant attacks on
democratic principles and practice," Bradshaw
said.
"These violations show that Zimbabwe's ruling party knows that it
cannot win
a free and fair election. Instead it is choosing to rig the
process and
bludgeon its way through."
Two weeks ago Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw said Britain would press for
Zimbabwe's suspension from the
Commonwealth, a grouping of mainly former
British colonies, if conditions
there continued to deteriorate.
"Well, they have," Bradshaw
said.
"Britain shares the view of Australia and others, that countries
which
violate the values of the Commonwealth should not have a seat at
that
table," he added.
CALLS FOR SUSPENSION
The eight-strong
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the group's
democracy watchdog,
will discuss the calls for Zimbabwe's suspension at a
meeting in London next
Wednesday.
Heads of government from the Commonwealth are due to meet in
Brisbane in
early March, just days before Zimbabwe's
elections.
Zimbabwe already faces possible European Union sanctions after
failing to
address EU concerns over political violence and alleged human
rights
violations.
The United States is also stepping up pressure on
Mugabe, taking steps to
locate millions of dollars thought to have been
deposited abroad by his
inner circle -- in preparation for possible freezing
of their overseas
assets.
"We are working urgently and energetically
with all other countries to make
sure that the policies of Mr Mugabe are
reversed and proper and democratic
elections are held in Zimbabwe," Blair
said.
But critics of the international response to Zimbabwe's crisis say
it is too
little to change Mugabe's policies.
For the last two years
Mugabe has sanctioned the often violent takeover of
hundreds of white-owned
farms, triggering a collapse in agricultural
output -- Zimbabwe's economic
backbone.
He has vowed to grab two thirds of the 12 million hectares of
land owned by
4,500 mostly white commercial farmers.
Mugabe's ZANU-PF
government says the land seizures are belatedly addressing
a legacy of
colonial injustice and accuses Britain of stirring up a campaign
of
international sanctions to destroy its former colony.
Bradshaw said that
by scaring off investors and threatening the economies of
Zimbabwe's
neighbours, Mugabe's government had effectively imposed sanctions
on itself
and the whole region.
Copyright 2001, Reuters News Service.
Media-Guardian
Journalists unite as threat to freedom grows
In the
first of a series of regular columns, Andrew Meldrum, the Guardian's
Zimbabwe
correspondent, reports on Robert Mugabe's attempts to pass
draconian laws
restricting the media
Wednesday January 23, 2002
Andrew
Meldrum
TUESDAY JANUARY 22 2002
7am: Start the day with a sense of
dread. The state radio and television
broadcast announcements calling for all
Zanu-PF members of parliament to go
to a caucus meeting in the morning and
attend parliament in the afternoon.
Also today, President Mugabe is
addressing the Zanu-PF politburo.
Clearly Mugabe is trying to galvanize
support for the access to information
and protection of privacy bill. If it
is passed the country's lively
independent press will be forced to close
down. Most likely, I will be
forced to leave the country.
10am:
Inflation rises to 112%. The government's central statistical office
releases
figures that confirm what everybody feels - prices are going sky
high. And
even with such inflation, staple foods are hard to get.
Supermarkets do not
have maize meal, cooking oil or sugar, which are staples
in the average
Zimbabwean's diet. No control of the press can hide that.
11am: Talk with
other journalists at news agencies and from local papers.
The only good thing
to come out of the threat of this press bill is the
solidarity forged among
Zimbabwean and foreign journalists. We all see the
bill as unacceptable. We
stood together in a vigil at parliament until
police dispersed us. And we
worked together on a protest petition, which we
presented to parliament. We
say we will challenge the bill in court as
unconstitutional and we will defy
the law by continuing to work as usual.
2.15pm: Members of parliament,
journalists, diplomats and interested members
of public file into the house
of assembly. Within five minutes parliament is
adjourned. I mill about and
find some MPs, who tell me the press bill has 36
amendments and the legal
committee must study them before it can be
submitted to parliament on
Wednesday.
2.45pm: No one has a list of the amendments but I find an MP,
who is on the
legal committee, and he lends me his to make a copy. Soon three
Zimbabwean
journalists and I are scanning the amendments and getting copies
made. We
find the bill essentially the same, with a few minor changes. One of
the
biggest changes is that foreign journalists with permanent residence
status
are eligible to be accredited. It means I may be able to stay and work
in
Zimbabwe.
5pm-7pm: Work on story for the Guardian about the
amendments. It really
seems the thrust of the bill remains unchanged. It puts
heavy restrictions
on journalists and newspapers and it gives the minister of
information and
his media commission sweeping powers to give accreditation
and to take it
away. In other words, they have the authority to determine
which journalists
can work and which newspapers can print. It is clearly
against Zimbabwe's
constitution and it will be interesting to see what the
parliamentary legal
committee decides to say about the revised
bill
Unemployment Rate to Reach 70%
Zimbabwe Independent
(Harare)
ANALYSIS
January 23, 2002
Posted to the web January 23,
2002
Forward Maisokwadzo
ZIMBABWE'S unemployment rate is set
to reach an unprecedented 70% in 2002
due to company closures, labour
economists said this week. The economic
analysts said that it was imminent
that failure by the economic stakeholders
labour, business and government in
creating opportunities to stimulate
industrial expansion would lead to
increases in unemployment.
Zimbabwe's unemployment level currently hovers
around 60%.
"While we expect unemployment to be addressed through the
promotion of
opportunities to create jobs, it is apparent there have been no
concerted
efforts to address the problem to the extent that, in the long
term, we fear
that the rate of unemployment will escalate to over 65%," said
Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions economist Godfrey Kanyenze.
Last
year more than 400 companies closed operations because of the
prohibitive
operational conditions characterised by high input costs, hard
currency
shortages, high levels of interest rates, inflationary levels as
well as the
uncompetitive export market.
Kanyenze said the increase in demand for
jobs against a diminishing supply
rate showed it was vital to stimulate job
creation.
The economy, said Kanyenze, was capable of stimulating
productivity provided
measures to attract further expansion were effectively
implemented.
According to an Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz)
survey, about 6
000 jobs in the different sectors of the economy were lost by
the end of
2001.
Emcoz chief economist Ngoni Chibukire said the
marginal increases in the
cost of living negatively impacted on the labour
market.
He said youths churned out of formal schools on an annual basis
had little
prospects of formal employment.
By Basildon Peta in Harare
24 January 2002
President Robert Mugabe has signed into law a draconian Bill allowing him to use extreme measures to silence opponents ahead of a crunch presidential ballot in March.