http://www.radiovop.com
HARARE, JULY 12 - LEADING
academics, Professor Phineas Makhurane and
Hope Sadza have been selected by
the Parliamentary Select Committee to chair
the All-Stakeholders' Conference
on the constitution making process which
opens in Harare on
Monday.
The first All-Stakeholders Conference on the new
constitution is
envisaged to be attended by 4 000 delegates from interests
groups
specifically invited by the Parliamentary Select Committee co-chaired
by
Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana (ZANU PF), Douglas Mwonzora (MDC T) and David
Coltart (MDC M).
It end on Tuesday. "Everything is on course,"
said Mwonzora.
"Delegates started arriving on Sunday. We don't forsee any
major problems,"
he said.
The Agenda of the conference has two
items, firstly the methodology of
collecting and collating evidence on the
people's wishes and secondly,
determining the process of constituting
subcommittees.
A perusal of delegates invited for the conference by
VOP on Sunday
showed that political parties would provide a total of 1600
delegates,
representing 40 percent of the 4000 delegates invited for the
event.
Both ZANU PF and the MDC T would provide 600 delegates each,
MDC M
160. Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn, United Parties, ZAPU and other fringe
politicals
parties would provide 48 delegates each.
Of the
other 60 percent, all are allocated to organisations:- Churches
get 400
[10%], NGOs 320 [8%], War Veterans Associations 240 [6%]; Women's
Organisations 240 [6%]; Labour [mostly ZANU-PF affiliated organisations] 200
[5%]; Youth [a good percentage of ZANU-PF affiliated organisations] 160
[4%]; Business 120 [3%]; Farmers 80 [2%]; Traditional Leaders 80 [2%];
Disabled 80 [2%]; Local Authorities 80 [2%]; Government Arms [Executive and
Judiciary] 80 [2%]; Children 40 [1%]; Informal Sector 40 [1%]; Academia
[mostly teacher training and technical colleges] 40 [1%]; Arts and Culture
24 [0.6%]; Media 24 [0.6%]; Residents/Ratepayers Associations 24 [0.6%];
Parastatals 20 [0.5%]; Minorities 20 [0.5%]; Professional Boards 20 [0.5%];
Traditional Healers 16 [0.4%]; Sports 16 [0.4%].
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Patricia
Mpofu Monday 13 July 2009
HARARE - Some top civic groups have
been excluded from the constitutional
conference that beings in Harare today
and which will be dominated by
representatives from political parties, the
National Association of
Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO)
said.
It was not clear what criteria was used to select delegates to the
conference or why some major civic organisations were omitted while
virtually unknown groups such as the Mashonaland Central Students
Association got the call to attend.
NANGO spokesman Fambai Ngirande
said the association was concerned at the
exclusion of what it regarded as
critical stakeholders.
But Ngirande said NANGO remained committed to the
constitutional reform
process whose credibility has been dented by demands
by President Robert
Mugabe that a controversial draft constitution known as
the Kariba Draft be
used as the foundation of a new constitution.
He
said: "As NANGO we are concerned at the omission of critical stakeholders
that have over the years demonstrated unquestionable commitment to the
country's development.
"l speak here of players such as the CHRA
(Combined Harare Residents
Association), Zimbabwe AIDS Network, Transparency
International and others."
The constitutional conference, which ends on
Tuesday, will be attended by
close to 4 000 delegates specifically invited
by a special parliamentary
committee jointly-chaired by Mugabe's ZANU PF
party, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's MDC party and the smaller MDC
formation led by Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara.
The Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions and the National Constitutional
Assembly political
pressure group are invited but are not expected to attend
the conference
because they are opposed to Parliament and political parties
leading the
constitution-making process.
Ngirande said while civic groups would be
outnumbered at the conference by
political delegates, they were determined
to stand their ground and resist
attempts to impose the Kariba Draft that
was secretly authored by ZANU PF
and the MDC parties in 2007.
Critics
say the Kariba Draft leaves untouched the wide-sweeping powers that
Mugabe
continues to enjoy even after formation of a unity government with
Tsvangirai and Mutambara.
Ngirande said: "Naturally this (domination
of political delegates) is cause
for concern. However, we can only hope that
interests of the people and what
is best for the nation will transcend party
political interests.
"Should partisan political interest such as the
imposition of the Kariba
Draft prevail, then you can be assured of our
vociferous and determined
opposition to this process."
Under the
Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed by Zimbabwe's three main
political
parties last year and that led to formation of a unity government
last
February the country should have a new and democratic constitution by
mid
next year.
New elections for president, parliament and local government
will be held
after the new constitution is promulgated. - ZimOnline
From The Sunday Independent (SA), 12 July
Peta Thornycroft
Cyril Ramaphosa
is not welcome at Zimbabwe's troubled constitution-making
process. This
emerged on Friday after days of haggling about who would be
invited as
official delegates to the first "stakeholders" conference, which
begins
tomorrow. Ramaphosa and a still-unnamed Rwandese legislator were
recommended
for invitations as "distinguished guests". But the Movement for
Democratic
Change members were told told by Zanu PF: "We don't want
foreigners."
President Robert Mugabe had previously described Ramaphosa as a
"white black
man". Registration for the "stakeholders" conference begins
today and the
list emerged after long negotiations. Many observers say the
list of 4 000
delegates appears heavily weighted in favour of Zanu PF.
Insiders say MDC
members on the steering committee are blocked at every
point on this
hazardous constitutional journey. They did succeed in
preventing Zanu PF
delaying the "stakeholders" conference beyond Monday.
About 4 000 delegates,
from bee-keepers to a widows' group, war veterans and
unemployed youths,
have been invited to kickstart country-wide consultations
for a new
constitution. Mugabe is insisting that a draft negotiated in a
hurry on Lake
Kariba in 2007 between Zanu PF and MDC must be Zimbabwe's new
constitution.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said last week the Kariba
draft was not be
representative of the majority of Zimbabweans' views.
http://www.bloomberg.com/
By Brian
Latham
July 13 (Bloomberg) -- President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is
delaying talks
on a new constitution in a bid to scuttle the country's
coalition government
and avoid elections in which he may not be allowed to
compete, two members
of his party's decision-making body said.
The
president is concerned that if he cedes power he may face prosecution
for
violent crackdowns on opponents, the members of the body, the politburo
of
Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party, said. The
officials declined to be identified because they aren't authorized to speak
to the press on this matter. The politburo, which has more than 40 members,
sets policy for the party.
Negotiations that were due to start on
July 10 between the Movement for
Democratic Change party and Zanu-PF were
postponed, MDC lawmaker, Douglas
Mwonzora, said.
An agreement between
the rival parties for a coalition government hinges on
the talks beginning
today, according to Mwonzora.
The collapse of the agreement may reverse
gains that include the
stabilization of the economy after 10 years of
recession and the curbing of
an inflation rate that rose to nearly 500
billion percent in September,
according to the International Monetary Fund.
The inflation was triggered by
a scarcity of foreign currency that caused
shortages of everything from
staple foods to gasoline.
"Any delay
will cause a chain reaction of other delays that could scupper
the whole
power-sharing agreement," Mwonzora said in an interview from the
capital,
Harare. "Then we'd be back at square one."
Political Impasse
Under
the coalition agreement, which ended a decade-long political impasse
in
February, a new constitution must be agreed and elections held within two
years of that. Mugabe's victories in elections against the MDC party led by
Morgan Tsvangirai in 2000, 2002, 2005 and last year were described as marred
by violence and irregularities by the U.S. and European
Union.
Tsvangirai got the most votes in presidential elections in March
last year
but didn't win the 50 percent needed to avoid a second round. He
boycotted
the runoff in June because he said his supporters were being
attacked by
Mugabe's backers and the police. Parliamentary elections also
held in March
2008 were won by the MDC, costing Zanu-PF its majority for the
first time
since it took power in 1980.
The coalition government was
formed after talks organized by the Southern
African Development Community,
a group of 15 nations, and led by former
South African President, Thabo
Mbeki.
The office of South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, didn't respond
to
e-mailed questions about the delay in talks.
No Opinion
"We
are aware of the development," Michele Montas, spokeswoman for United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said. "The secretary-general has been
encouraging democratic progress to be made in Zimbabwe, but that is a matter
for the parties, that are now in one government, to discuss. It is not for
us to have an opinion at this point."
The EU supports Tsvangirai,
Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for Javier Solana,
the EU foreign policy
chief, said in an interview. Tsvangirai travelled to
Brussels on June
18.
"We support the prime minister," she said when asked about the delay
to the
talks. "We think a lot can be achieved if we are able to move along
the
lines of what he presented to the EU when he was here."
Since the
government's formation the country's economy has improved. Tendai
Biti, the
finance minister and a member of the MDC, last month forecast that
Zimbabwe's gross domestic product will expand by at least 4 percent this
year. The IMF on July 2 said there is evidence of a "nascent economic
recovery" and China has agreed to lend Zimbabwe $950 million.
Two
More Terms
The benchmark index of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange has more
than tripled
since reopening on Feb. 19 with share prices set in U.S.
dollars after a
three-month closure, according to Renaissance Capital, a
Moscow-based
investment bank that focuses on emerging
markets.
Mugabe, 85, has ruled the country since a civil war that ended
white
minority rule in 1980, and the MDC is demanding that a new
constitution
forbid him from running for president again. Mugabe has
insisted that the
country adopt a draft constitution drawn up last year and
now rejected by
the MDC that would allow him to serve two more
terms.
Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF's chief negotiator, and Olivia Muchena,
a
politburo member, didn't answer calls to their mobile phones seeking
comment. Joram Gumbo, Zanu-PF's chief whip, didn't answer the phone. Three
calls to the phone of George Charamba, Mugabe's spokesman, were terminated
after being answered.
"Delayed Indefinitely"
Calls to Webster
Shamu, Zanu-PF's communications minister, weren't answered
today, while
calls to Zanu-PF's headquarters in Harare also went unanswered.
Text
messages to the five officials weren't responded to.
"Zanu-PF wanted the
meeting delayed indefinitely, then they changed it to
the end of July," said
Mwonzora, who's the head of an interparty committee
on a new constitution.
"We have only agreed to delay things" until today.
Mugabe's concerns
about possible prosecution by the International Criminal
Court or a new
government stem from allegations that he instigated violence
ahead of
elections over the last decade that caused the death of hundreds of
Tsvangirai's supporters, the politburo officials said.
The president,
a member of Zimbabwe's Shona majority ethnic group, is also
concerned about
a crackdown on dissidents from the Ndebele people in the
1980s that resulted
in the death of about 20,000 civilians, according to an
estimate by the
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, they said. The
MDC has not
offered Mugabe or his allies an amnesty.
Economic
Contraction
Under his rule the country's economy contracted by 40 percent
between 2000
and 2007, according to the IMF.
In 2000, after Mugabe
lost a referendum that would have boosted his powers,
he initiated a land
reform program that involved the often violent seizure
of white-owned
commercial farms for redistribution to black subsistence
farmers.
That slashed income from the country's biggest export,
tobacco, and caused a
famine in what had been sub-Saharan Africa's
second-biggest corn exporter as
the company couldn't finance sufficient
imports to meet its needs.
About a quarter of the population, estimated
by the UN at 12.9 million in
2003, has left the country, with most of them
illegally crossing the border
into South Africa.
The Zimbabwe dollar
became virtually worthless because of inflation and was
scrapped earlier
this year in favor of the use of currencies such as the
U.S. dollar and the
South African rand.
While inflation and shortages of equipment and
materials led to the closure
of many of the country's mines and businesses,
Anglo American Plc, Rio Tinto
Group, Old Mutual Plc, Barclays Plc and Impala
Platinum Holdings Ltd. have
assets in the country.
Zimbabwe has the
world's second-biggest reserves of platinum and chrome
after South
Africa.
Last Updated: July 12, 2009 18:00 EDT
From The Weekend Argus (SA), 12 July
Fiona Forde
Zimbabwe is not only stockpiling modern
weapons, but is also circumventing
sanctions by exporting arms to the US via
Eastern Europe, according to a
report that is due to be released this week.
The International Peace
Information Service (Ipis), a Belgian-based research
hub, says this state of
play is a good example of why the UN-proposed Arms
Trade Treaty needs to be
as comprehensive as possible to stem the flow of
weapons into Zimbabwe. The
report says that throughout last year, when the
political climate was most
volatile, it tracked shipments of arms in and out
of the country, which not
only pose a threat to Zimbabweans, but outline the
dubious nature of arms
deals that continue to take place with a country that
is heavily sanctioned.
In the space of 48 hours last August, 53 tons of
ammunition were allegedly
flown from the Democratic Republic of Congo to
Harare by Enterprise World
Airways, aboard a Boeing-707-3B4C aircraft
registered as 9Q-CRM, say Brian
Johnson-Thomas and Peter Danssaert, authors
of the report. The first
shipment on August 21 contained 32 tons of
7.62x54mm cartridges, according
to the UN's Groups of Experts on the DRC. A
second shipment, which they say
ar-rived two days later, contained 20 tons
of 7.62x39mm cartridges, the kind
of ammunition used in AK-47s. The
ammunition was received in Zimbabwe four
months after a separate and
controversial arms consignment from China was
turned away at Durban on the
so-called ship of shame in April last year,
only to be flown into the
country a month later from Angola, the report also
claims.
Despite denials from Luanda and Beijing, an employee of
the state-owned
Zimbabwe Defence Industry (ZDI) in Harare told Ipis in June
that the
shipment, which contained mortar bombs, rockets and rounds of
ammunition,
had arrived in the country - something that Information Minister
Bright
Matonga also suggested in May when he told a TV-recorded panel
discussion
that "the shipment is already in Zimbabwe". Matonga could not be
reached for
comment this week. "Zimbabwe has no national legislation on the
import,
export or transit of arms and ammunition that conforms to
international
stands," the report's authors say, suggesting the country's
borders are
dangerously pervious and proof of what happens when there is no
arms treaty
in place. All does not have to be lost in the absence of a
treaty, Guy Lamb
of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) argues. "Illicit
and corrupt arms
trading, as well as arms transfers to conflict zones or
countries where
governments are responsible for human rights abuses, can be
restricted in
Africa by more comprehensive and consistent implementation of
existing
regional arms control agreements at the national level," the head
of the
arms management programme at the ISS points out. "Examples include
the SADC
firearms control protocol and the Nairobi small arms and light
weapons
protocol." However, what could happen and what does are very
different
things. The researchers also tracked the shipment of 1 349
stripped MAG58
machine gun bodies, 2 051 barrels and various other
machinegun parts from
Harare to Podgorica airport in Montenegro in February
last year, which they
claim later found their way to the US in a roundabout
deal that breached the
sanctions imposed by the government of George W
Bush.
According to the airway bill, or shipping document, the
consignment was
dispatched by the ZDI to its Montenegran counterparts, a
deal they say was
brokered by the Swiss-based company BT International. That
company is run by
Heinrich Thomet, the Swiss man who appeared on the US arms
trafficking
"Watch List" three years ago. Earlier this year, during a visit
to the
Montenegro Defence Industry, the authors of the report were informed
"that
the machineguns supplied from Zimbabwe had been bought for
refurbishment"
and "that the overhauled machinegun parts, with the exception
of the barrels
and receivers" were later shipped on to the United States in
a transaction
that was also facilitated by BT International. An
investigation into the
trans-Atlantic deal pointed to Ohio Ordnance Works as
the recipient of the
gun parts, a dealer that supplies the US armed forces
and which previously
supplied the allied forces in Iraq. Ohio's lawyers were
unable to confirm or
deny their dealings with Montenegro and in an e-mail to
Ipis last month
strongly denied breaching US trade laws, though did not deny
importing the
shipment from Montenegro. When contacted by Independent
Newspapers,
Montenegro's Department of Defence declined to comment. Given
that ZDI is a
sanctioned company, and has been since 2005, the report
suggests the
trans-Atlantic deal "may have been to evade US sanctions on
Zimbabwean
individuals and entities", embargos which prohibit the "direct
and indirect
imports from Zimbabwe into the US", the report reads. The
authors also note
that only two countries voted against pushing ahead with
the proposed Arms
Trade Treaty at the UN General Assembly last October - the
US and Zimbabwe.
South Africa voted in favour of it.
http://www.radiovop.com
MASVINGO-
July 12, 2009 - Zanu (PF) youth militia have set bases at
different schools
and are reportedly seething with anger demanding a clear
explanation from
teachers who absconded lessons on Friday.
Some teachers
boycotted lesson on Friday, following a call by the
Progressive Teachers
Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)'s to boycott lessons every
Friday to demonstrate
against poor allowances. Teachers receive USD 100 a
month.
PTUZ
provincial chairman Munyaradzi Chauke told RadioVOP that most
teachers
especially from Mwenezi and Masvingo rural districts had fled their
stations, fearing for their lives.
"We have just received
information today that some of our members in
different parts of the
province are already being persecuted by Zanu (PF)
militia who are demanding
individual explanation from our members.
"These teachers were
victimized by the same people last year so they
are not certain of what
action will be taken against them."
Schools which are highly affected
are Rushumbe Primary in Mwenezi,
Mukita Secondary, and Chengwe
Primary.
"We have also heard that Chief Chamburira will charge teachers
that
heed to our calls."
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said the
struggle continues.
"We are not going back. We are aware that there are
some overzealous
headmasters who are also threatening teachers, especially
in peri-urban
schools such as Chikarudzo Primary School but we are looking
for ways to put
that to an end. Our demands are clear and genuine,"
Teachers have been threatening to down tools due to low renumeration.
The
government says its broke and cannot afford to raise the current USD 100
monthly allowances. Last year teachers worked an average 23 days, affecting
the writing and marking of examinations.
http://www.herald.co.zw/
Monday,
July 13, 2009
By
Fidelis Munyoro
Safari operators have accused the Zimbabwe Tourism
Authority of "grossly
prejudicing" them by demanding a levy on hunting
trophies when the Parks and
Wildlife Management Authority charges a similar
tariff.
The dispute, which has spilled into the High Court, comes after
the ZTA in
2008 demanded payment of a two percent levy on hunting trophies
by all
safari operators.
In terms of the Tourism Act, a two percent
daily rate is charged on all
services provided by safari operators and must
be remitted to the ZTA.
The Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, an
umbrella body of safari
operators from across the country, is resisting the
directive on the basis
that operators are already remitting the same two
percent levy to the Parks
Authority.
The safari operators said they
found it "strange" that the levy was being
demanded now and yet in the 12
years since the Tourism Act became law they
had never been required to pay
it.
SOAZ, through their lawyer Advocate Happias Zhou instructed by Mr
Joseph
Mafusire of Scanlen and Holderness, has applied for a declaratory
order at
the High Court to stop the ZTA from receiving the money.
In
their application, the safari operators requested the court to interpret
the
relevant Act to determine its meaning and clarify whether or not there
was
by law such a levy prescribed and payable to the ZTA.
Adv Zhou argued
that trophies were not within the contemplation of
"designate tourist
facilities" for which the respective minister could in
terms of the Act make
regulations, including regulations to charge levies.
In Statutory
Instrument 106 of 1996 the minister listed "designated tourists
facilities"
as accommodation, car hire, hunting tours, fishing, photographic
tours,
sight-seeing, canoeing, and horse riding among others.
In another
Statutory Instrument a two percent levy was imposed on all such
designated
tourist facilities.
The list does not include a trophy.
The
question the court has to deal with is whether a trophy is a
"facility".
The safari operators are contending that a trophy cannot be a
"facility"
that is provided and that it is a "prize derived from enjoying
the
facility".
"A two percent levy is charged and remitted to ZTA,
but this is only on the
enjoyment of the facility, which is what the law
requires, as opposed to the
fruits of such enjoyment.
"The fact that
trophy fees had not been collected for 12 years bears
testimony to the
understanding that it was not chargeable and remittable to
ZTA, and that it
was only demanded for now was quite curious," said Adv
Zhou.
In
response ZTA lawyer Advocate Obert Takaindisa was adamant that a trophy
fell
within the contemplation of designated services and therefore a two
percent
levy was to be charged and remitted to the tourism body.
Adv Takaindisa,
argued that the levy was previously not collected due to an
oversight on
ZTA's part and which they now intended to rectify. He argued
that ZTA, in
accordance with the provisions of the Act, has a right to
charge a levy
payable to them as the tourism authority. "The first
respondent is
authorised to charge and collect from all designated tourist
facility
operators a levy of two percent on the total amount that the
operators make
in the conduct of their business as operators of designated
facilities," he
said. Adv Takaindisa argued that the amount payable to ZTA
included the fee
paid by tourists for the use of the hunting services
provided on the
operators' property. Presiding judge Justice Bharat Patel
reserved judgment
to consider submissions made by both parties' lawyers
http://story.irishsun.com
Irish Sun
Sunday 12th July,
2009
Zimbabwe has had an excellent season for tobacco prices if
not for the
actual crop.
It has been the second smallest crop in more
than 50 years.
Tobacco auctions in Zimbabwe this year have been notable
for record prices
due to land seizures and thousands of smaller-scale
tobacco farmers not
growing tobacco this season due to lack of ability to
borrow from the banks.
Zimbabwe's 2009 tobacco crop will earn about $160
million this selling
season with the average price at about US$3.60 a
kilogram.
Most tobacco will be exported to Europe with China now also an
important
buyer.
http://www.herald.co.zw
Monday,
July 13, 2009
Herald
Reporter
THE Bankers' Association of Zimbabwe has said its members cannot
lend money
to the public on a sustainable basis because of the lack of
long-term
deposits in customers' accounts.
Reacting to Reserve Bank
of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono's statement
last week that banks were
holding onto millions of United States dollars,
instead of lending the money
to credible businesses, BAZ insisted its
members were giving out
"reasonable" loans under the circumstances.
Dr Gono said he might have
"to crack the whip" on the banks and urged them
to carry out
self-introspection to assess their relevance in the national
economic
matrix.
But on Friday BAZ president Dr John Mangudya defended the banks
saying they
had no ulterior motives for not lending out
money.
"Deposits are not continual or perpetual. This money (deposits) is
in
transit. They (customers) bank money today;tomorrow they need to go and
buy
goods in South Africa.
"How many of among us Zimbabweans put
money in banks for a month? But you
want six-month (loan)
facilities."
In limiting loans, Dr Mangudya said the banks were
safeguarding the little
depositors' money that they had.
He described
banks' lending levels as "reasonable".
"In terms of loans that are being
given, the amounts are reasonable," Dr
Mangudya said, adding, "banks are not
as evil as they seem to be".
Dr Gono revealed that at the end of May 2009
the banks were sitting on
US$600 million in deposits.
He said some
banks, with as much as US$190 million, had only lent out US$2
million.
However, Dr Gono said he did not want to prescribe to the
institutions what
to do with their funds because "we want banks to be free
to utilise their
funds the way they see fit".
TN Bank and POSB are
among the few financial institutions that recently
extended loans to
small-scale miners to help capitalise their operations.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=19710
July 13, 2009
By Ntando Ncube
SOUTH
Africa's main labour union said has vowed to continue to fight "the
ruling
regime" in Zimbabwe and said it strongly backs the Zimbabwe Congress
of
Trade Unions (ZCTU)'s demand for a people-driven constitution.
ZCTU, the
country's largest labour body and the National Constitutional
Assembly
pressure group are boycotting the Parliament-led constitutional
reform
process saying politicians control the process and will manipulate
the
outcome.
Cosatu said a people-driven constitution-making process will
lead to
democratic elections that will put in place legitimate government in
Zimbabwe.
'We note the composition of the GNU and the evolving
constitution-making
process. However we remain fully supportive of the call
by the ZCTU and the
whole civil society of Zimbabwe, for a people-driven
constitution making
process that should lead to democratic elections in the
country, resulting
in a legitimate government being put in place," Cosatu
International
Relations Secretary Bongani Masuku said.
The ZCTU which
gave birth to opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
in1999 said it
was surprised that the MDC had agreed to a Parliament-driven
constitutional
reform process during talks that resulted in the signing of
the global
political agreement (GPA) last September leading to the formation
of a
power-sharing government last February.
Since the establishment of the
all-inclusive government in February human
rights abuses have continued
unchecked.
"In this regard, we remain ready to work with and assist our
counterparts in
putting more pressure on the ruling regime to accede to
people's demands. We
also note the continued harassment and persecution of
political and civil
society activists even under a cloud of a supposedly new
and changed
environment," Masuku said.
"We also support the civil
society initiatives led by COSATU, OSISA and the
Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum
for a conference in Botswana to assess the
situation under the GNU in
Zimbabwe, conditions under Terrorism Law in
Swaziland, the transformation of
SADC and the task of building a regional
solidarity movement, through the
effective harnessing of all the solidarity
efforts towards maximum
cohesion," he said.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/
Moses Mudzwiti Published:Jul 13,
2009
Zimbabweans
have learnt to accept the unacceptable
IT was such a long time ago that
Goethe wrote: "None are more hopelessly
enslaved than those who falsely
believe they are free."
The 19th century German might as well
have been talking about modern
Zimbabwe - a house of stones, now in
ruins.
a.. Since its independence from Britain, in 1980, bigots and zealots
have
looted and plundered the country's wealth.
In the name of
freedom, they have trampled on the rights of others, hounded
farmers off
their land and threatened to nationalise hundreds of mines.
The unity
government, formed in February, has served only to defer the
dreams of a
better life of a great many Zimbabweans.
Today, Zimbabwe is flat broke
and urgently needs to be placed under
curatorship.
Though many might
say that they are free from the yoke of oppression, the
reality is that they
lost their rights to chose long ago.
In Zimbabwe, P resident Robert
Mugabe, 85, knows best. He is the only one
who enjoys and defines freedom.
Everyone else must - for their
preservation - bow down before "His
Excellency".
And yet, in the name of freedom, Mugabe hangs on. In
December, he will be
re-elected as president of Zanu-PF, placing him in a
position to contest nex
t year's elections.
There is still no money
to pay civil servants. Schools are barely coping.
Electricity is as rare as
snow. Running water and access to medication
remain a pipe dream. Nearly
everything has fallen apart.
Though food supplies have somewhat improved,
food prices remain prohibitive.
Unemployment still hovers above 90percent
and all civil servants are still
stuck on the same income - a paltry US100 a
month.
Of course, those who lead the system are reaping the rewards of
unity. Cars,
farms and business deals are there for the taking.
Add
to that paid trips abroad.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai reportedly
stayed in US4000-a- night hotel
on his recent US visit.
Mugabe, with
his wife, Grace, in tow, refuses to be outdone. T his week, the
"first
couple" jetted off to Libya to spend some quality time with other
African
leaders.
Desperate to show who is boss, Mugabe has discovered a renewed
appetite for
flying. Hours after he arrived in Li bya, he was off to Malawi,
where he
attended that country's 45th Independence Day
celebrations.
The next day, he returned to Zimbabwe, only to fly to
Zambia to attend a
ceremonial gathering of traditional chiefs.
All
this unnecessary pomp costs Zimbabwe's few surviving taxpayers a lot of
money, which they do not have.
The trouble is, Zimbabweans have
learnt to accept the unacceptable.
Defeated and deflated, Zimbabweans
would rather endure any pain rather than
risk being at loggerheads with
Mugabe's system.
Running away seems to be their only other option. Those
who can afford to
run are running.
When visa restrictions were lifted
in May, the floodgates to South Africa
opened. M ore than 250000 Zimbabweans
have crossed into South Africa . Only
30000 are known to have returned
home.
For the millions who remain, trapped in Mugabe's endless loop of
promises
and poverty, silence seems to be the norm.
"Mugabe has
taught us to be ultra- resistant, nothing can shake us,"
remarked a Harare
resident . "We have been to Hell and back."
Mugabe seems encouraged by
the lack of protests. This week, his henchman,
Zanu-PF chairman John Nkomo,
made it known that Mugabe's job was not
"vacant."
Unwilling to loosen
his iron grip on power, Mugabe is careful not to show
any signs of ageing.
From dying his hair to running up a flight of stairs,
the octogenarian makes
a big show of his staying power.
Mugabe's new bedfellow, and former
rival, Tsvangirai, insists that he is
committed to the unity government. So
committed is the leader of the
Movement for Democratic Change that he has
alienated his supporters for the
sake of unity.
Tsvangirai is caught
between a rock and a hard place. He has staked his
premiership on a return
of law and order, the restoration of the health
system and the re-opening of
schools - on a better life for all.
Though it is commendable that schools
have reopened, crime and corruption
are unabated. The health system is still
a shambles.
Right-thinking Zimbabweans are fed up of being the lousiest
nation this side
of the equator.
But, without a vigorous campaign,
ridding the country of plunderers and
abusers is impossible.
On one
hand, Zimbabweans are afraid of demanding change; on the other, their
leaders, whom they fully deserve, are afraid of change.
How right Bob
Marley was at independence when he sang "Soon we will find out
who is the
real revolutionary."
For many, it has taken rather long, but all
Zimbabweans now know who Mugabe
is.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
12/07/2009 00:00:00
by Tendai
Huchu
MORGAN Tsvangirai's metamorphosis from hero to villain is
almost complete.
The former trade unionist now Prime Minister has made the
journey from a
valiant opposition leader to being perceived as part of the
repressive state's
machinery in record time. This can be traced to his
decision to sign the
power sharing agreement.
In a short space of
time he has managed to reduce inflation from a
quadrillion percent to
something estimated between 2-4%. That figure is one
of the lowest in
Sub-Saharan Africa. The cholera pandemic has abetted.
He has reopened
schools and hospitals which had collapsed. The allowance
scheme he
implemented has allowed civil servants to get back to work again.
There is
food in Zimbabwe's shops once more.
The United Nations figures say the
country has doubled its maize production
this year to 1.14 million tons
after years of decline. Businesses and
foreign investors are gaining
confidence day by day.
Repression of the public by the state's police and
military is at an all
time low. Laws are being put in place for a free
media. This is far from the
full list of his accomplishments.
What
Morgan Tsvangirai and his government have achieved in the space of less
than
six months is nothing short of miraculous. He has brought hope where
there
was despair.
Why then, after all this, does he find himself booed by his
countrymen when
he addresses them in foreign countries? Why has the media
which used to
celebrate him now changed to a more aggressive tone? The
foreign governments
which once hailed him now greet him with
caution.
The answer lies in his switch from opposition leader to
statesman. What his
government has achieved is in itself the cause of his
undoing. Zimbabwe's
crisis has raged on for 10 or more years now. In that
time, many people
especially its own citizens now have a vested interest in
its perpetuation.
The fruits of Obama’s election to the US Presidency may be stranger than imagined. As we hastily set up the Vigil in anticipation of rain, one of our first visitors was an Afro-American political activist from Atlanta who showed great interest in our protest. He spoke to Fungayi Mabhunu of the Vigil management team about our demands for free and fair elections, restoration of the rule of law and liberty of the press and constitutional progress.
There has somehow been an expectation that Obama would side with the African elite. His visit to Ghana and the appointments to his African diplomatic team make clear, however, that he will be an even tougher proposition than Mr Bush for recidivists such as Mugabe.
He appears to be a man with genuine compassion for the suffering of ordinary people and the Vigil was happy when he refused to receive a minister from Zanu-PF who tried to insinuate himself into the White House on the back of Morgan Tsvangirai. We trust President Obama will put pressure on SADC to enforce the GPA which is now due for review. Five months into the Unity Government the agreement has still not been observed: no free media, no rule of law, no end to the lies and now the military refusing to relinquish their bloody grip on the Marange diamonds.
And what do we get from our friends in South Africa? An old Zimbabwean woman – blind and deaf – is arrested in Johannesburg and thrown into jail for loitering. She was sleeping on the pavement. God forgive you South Africa and your Home Affairs spokesman who blames Zimbabwe’s problems on ‘sanctions’.
We look to President Obama to see through these lies and special pleading and insist that all partners to the GPA – including SADC – live up to their obligations.
The management team met after the Vigil to discuss how we should send home the money we have collected for education in Zimbabwe. As many of you know we have received more than £800 raised by a sponsored run in the London Marathon by Steve Garvey, a teacher at the Dolphin School in South London, and other projects by his pupils. It was decided to spend the money on stationery and sports equipment for schools in Zimbabwe. It was felt that the money would go further if equipment was purchased in the UK. We will keep you informed of progress on this
It was good to see a lot of old friends including Jennifer Hukura who has attended 33 times in the last year. We value her consistent support. Thanks also to Kelvin Kamupira for helping the team to manage the register and to Fungayi who went miles out his way to deliver the Vigil camera so pictures could be put on the internet.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/
FOR THE RECORD: 158 signed the register.
FOR YOUR DIARY:
· ROHR West Bromwich general meeting. Saturday, 18th July from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: St Peters Church Hall, Whitehall Road, West Bromwich B70 0HF. ROHR President, Executive and a well known lawyer present. Invited guest Cllr Simon Hackett. Contact Pamela Dunduru 07958386718, Diana Mtendereki 07768682961, Peter Nkomo 07817096594 or P Mapfumo 07915926323 / 07932216070.
· ROHR South East London general meeting. Saturday, 18th July from 1.00 – 5.00 pm. Venue: 18 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5QW. Contact Priscilla Chitsinde 07804696328, Wellington Rupere 07838153217 or Courage Chiromo 07894586005.
· Zimbabwe Vigil Forum. Saturday 25th July at 6.30 pm. Upstairs at the Theodore Bullfrog, John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HL.
· ROHR Brighton general meeting. Saturday, 25th July from 2.00 – 4.00 pm. Venue:The Community Base, Queens Road, Brighton. Contact Sinikiwe Dube 07824668763, Sehlaphi Mpofu 07786164808, Wellington Mamvura 07956870547 or Phylis Chibanguza 07908406069.
· ROHR Stoke-On-Trent general meeting. Saturday 1st August 2009 2 00 – 5 00 pm. Venue: Mandela Club Restaurant, 66-68 Piccadilly Street, Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent ST1 1HX. Contact: Pauline Mutema 07850462301, Joana Zhira 07845896347and Farirai Muchibwa 07746628397.
· ROHR Hayes and Northolt launch meeting. Saturday 8th August from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: Brookside Community Centre, Hayes UB4 0PL. ROHR President and a well known lawyer present. Contact Snodia Chihowa 07852921523, Juliet Musandiriri 07551319522, Rodah Kuhlengisa 07958205544 or P Mapfumo 07915926323 / 07932216070.
· Zimbabwe Association’s Women’s Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays 10.30 am – 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Vigil Co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.
I was at the gym when I
heard Obama's speech to Africa, and it stopped me in
my tracks as last week
earlier I had written a response to the many things
going on in Zimbabwe and
in particular the feeling of disappointment at
Morgan's speech in London. I
sense that God is moving and despite everything
that would make the ordinary
people of Zimbabwe sad and dismayed I believe
we should be encouraged. I
hope the young people of Zimbabwe hear his words
and act on them. Anyway,
here is what I wrote last week.
One of the most powerful images
in the bible, is contained in the shortest
verse "Jesus wept" John 11:35 the
people at Lazarus's graveside at that time
remarked "See how he loved him!"
This is the picture I've experienced so
strongly whilst praying for
Zimbabwe; a God who weeps over a broken nation &
people.
I was at Southwick Cathedral to hear Morgan
Tsvangirai's address, and while
understanding the response to an ill advised
speech (Morgan, Zimbabwe needs
to hear your heart, hear the truth of your
struggle) I shared the sadness
and disappointment felt that day. Where
today is their hope that there will
be real change? After 30 years Zimbabwe
is still very much at war with
itself.
When I say change I
mean change that will allow all the children of Zimbabwe
to realize their
dreams; that with their own hard work, they can enjoy and
share the blessing
of their fulfilled dreams with their children and others
in peace and
security (what untold damage has been done to that generation
by Mugabe's
version of the Hitler youth, the Green bombers) Change that will
allow the
generation of today to build a Zimbabwe that once again will allow
all it's
citizens to be proud and share in the jewel of Africa.
The change
will only happen as Zimbabwe's heart changes. Jesus was asked
what the most
important law was. He replied 'to love the Lord your God with
all your
heart, mind and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself. When
Jesus
was asked to explain who this man's neighbour was, Jesus illustrated
someone
who was that mans most hated enemy. That Samaritan man acted to
bring help,
because he saw, not his enemy, but beyond that to a person in
real need and
had compassion on him (Matt 22 34-40: Luke 10 29-37- -read the
latter and
substitute MDC or ZANU-PF)
Just imagine, if some of the those in
power now repented of the evil they
have done, and like the tax collector
(Luke 19:8), repaid the money they
have stolen from the people of Zimbabwe,
sitting now in foreign bank
accounts. Hey, you would barely need anyone
else's money to rebuild the
country! This would be a way, Robert G Mugabe to
find the peace you seek.
(Luke 19:9)
It is too simple to
believe however, that just removing the man Mugabe will
bring about this
change. After 30 years hundreds of individuals ensure that
injustice &
tyranny oppresses the people. I do not accept that it has to be
this way
though; each one of these individuals today has a choice to do
right or to
continue to do wrong. There is hope though because I have met so
many
Zimbabweans of good character. For it is not the colour of your skin
that
matters but the quality of your character (Martin Luther-King)
Zimbabweans
have demonstrated this in the Diaspora keeping their families
alive by
sacrificially sending hard earned money home. But Morgan T, they
cannot come
home yet until the rule of law is truly established, that
justice is done,
and human rights are upheld. It is simply untrue to say as
you said at
Southwick that this is true today in Zimbabwe however much you
wish it to
be. Without justice and truth a healthy nation cannot be
built!
There is too much division amongst those that need to be
standing together
side by side. Correcting this must start with the church,
so that
righteousness can begin to sweep through the whole country. As it
says in 2
chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my
name, will humble themselves and pray
and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and
will heal their land".
How many more precious lives need to be
lost, how many more hopes and dreams
snuffed out before Zimbabwe get on its
knees and repents and stops blaming
others for the mess that Zimbabwe is
today.
But despite everything please continue to keep faith and
be encouraged
because God so loves Zimbabwe; be encouraged and be part of
the change that
WILL come. Every right & kind action matters, you matter
so much, and yes
you CAN make a difference.
I pray that God
will bless you richly (whether you be black or white,
Zanu-PF or MDC) as you
trust in him and walk in his light (1 John 1:7 ; John
12:36; Proverbs
3:5-10)
Adrian Smale
Praying for Zimbabwe
adriansmale@sky.com
Zimbawe's myriad problems are rooted in the
defective and undemocratic
constitution that was bequethed to us by our
former colonial masters at
Lancaster House,London,in December 1979
ultimately giving rise to our
independence on April 18,1980.The deficiencies
of the Lancaster House
Constitution,which has been amended a record nineteen
(19) times in less
than thirty years,clearly gave rise to the serious
democratic deficit that
has been haunting our motherland since
independence.A constitution is the
country's supreme law and thus,it must be
crafted with the best interests of
the country at heart.A constitution is a
solemn document that binds a nation
together ; attempting to achieve
national cohesion amidst competing
interests that ordinarily arise in
circumstances of ethnic,cultural,social
and racial diversity.Weak
constitutions invariably give rise to
dysfunctional nations that are always
torn apart by political
rivalries,economic stagnation and generalised social
deprivation.
The on-going constitution-making process should mark a
defining moment in
the history of Zimbabwe.We should sieze this opportunity
to exhibit our
maturity as a nation state and also to prove to the entire
universe that
Zimbabweans are able to craft a new democratic constitution
for themselves
and by themselves.A lot has been said about the present
constitution-making
process,both good and bad and it shall not be the
intention of this article
to blame-apportion and/or to seek to take sides
with anyone or any
organisation.We shoud always look at the bigger picture
for our country.We
are crafting the supreme law of Zimbabwe for
ourselves,for our children,for
our grandchildren and indeed,for
posterity.History will judge us very
harshly if we miss this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in the
drafting of our own
home-grown constitution.When we refer to a home-grown
constitution it would
be folly on our part if we choose to bury our heads in
the sand and pretend
that we should not learn from the experiences of other
countries that have
crafted their own democratic constitutions before
us.Learning has no
barriers and wisdom cannot and will never be confined
within the
geographical borders of any one country,Zimbabwe included.I was
dumb-founded
by the furor that was caused by a certain group of legislators
when the
Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution indicated that
they had
intended to invite Cyril Ramaphosa and a certain Rwandese
legislator to be
guest speakers at the first all-stakeholders conference
that opens in Harare
on Monday, July 13, 2009.This group of legislators went
into a frenzy at the
joint Parliamentary caucus that was held in the House
of Assembly chambers
on Monday,July 6, 2009.They huffed and puffed ;
punching their fists
furiously in the air and swearing that no ''
foreigners'' should be involved
in our constitution-making process.As I sat
next to Honourable John Nyamande
in the Lower House chambers during that
joint caucus,I silently wondered as
to what had befallen our collegues.Their
boisterous oppostion to any attempt
to invite Ramaphosa and the Rwandese
legislator clearly and unfortunately
betrayed their lack of knowledge of the
crucial need to tape from the wisdom
of our brothers and sisters within
Africa when it comes to how exactly we
can craft our own unique Zimbabwean
and democratic constitution.People who
want to acquire knowledge never
hesitate to share ideas with other people;
even foreigners.There is no
denying the fact that Cyril Ramaphosa is an
accomplished
lawyer,politician,negotiator and businessman.The role that he
played in the
moulding of the 1996 Constitution of South Africa is
well-documented in the
annals of African history.To invite such a celebrated
individual to be one
of the guest speakers at the first all-stakeholders
conference is certainly
not to reduce our constitution-making process into a
'' foreign'' dominated
exercise.Going forward,I sincerely hope and trust
that this group of
legislators will broaden their intellectual horizon and
appreciate that
there is absolutely nothing wrong from learning from the
relevant
experiences of other people on the African continent.After all,that
is what
Pan-Africanism is all about.
In certain political
circles,there has also been a concerted effort to
mislead the people
regarding the Kariba Draft of September 2007.The Kariba
Draft was not
people-driven.It was the culmination of negotiations amongst
three political
parties i.e.the two MDC formations and ZANU(PF).It is true
that Tendai
Biti,Patrick Chinamasa and Welshman Ncube appended their
signatures on every
page of the Kariba Draft.But then this doesnot mean that
the Kariba Draft is
acceptable to the people simply because the
representatives of three
political parties signed the document.Zimbabwe is
indeed bigger than the MDC
and ZANU(PF) combined.Put differently,it doesnot
mean that every Zimbabwean
is a member of either ZANU(PF) or the two MDC
formations.The Kariba Draft
was exclusively authored by politicians and to
that extent,it is anything
but people-driven.People have been fed lies about
the true input of the
Kariba Draft.A myopic attempt has been desperately
made to state that the
Global Political Agreement( GPA) that was solemnised
in Harare on September
15,2008 makes the Kariba Draft the '' reference''
document for the new
constitution.This is a lie.A blue lie.Nowhere in
Article 6 of the GPA is it
unequivocally stated that the Kariba Draft should
be the ONLY reference
document for the constitution-making process.For the
record,Article 6 of the
GPA states that : '' It is the fundamental right and
duty of the Zimbabwean
people to make a constitution BY THEMSELVES and FOR
THEMSELVES.'' Surely,one
doesnot have to be an expert in constitutional law
to appreciate the input
of Article 6 of the GPA! Some politicians, in a
desperate attempt to serve
their own selfish and parochial interests, have
sought to impose the Kariba
Draft on the people.The truth of the matter is
that this will not
work.Zimbabweans are a clever people.They know that it is
their duty and
right to draft a democratic constitution for themselves.Any
attempt to force
the Kariba Draft down the people's throats will be
thunderously resisted.It
will not succeed.
Every Zimbabwean,throughout the 1938 wards across the
country,should be
given an opportunity to give his/her input regarding what
they want to see
included in a new constitution.Zimbabweans in the Diaspora
should also be
involved in the constitution-making process.All civil society
organisations,including the National Constitutional Assembly(NCA), should
also be involved in this historic process.The people of Zimbabwe must own
the constitution-making process.I am reliably informed that an independent
chairperson will be appointed to steer the process after the first
all-stakeholders conference in an attempt to remove the notion that
presently,the process is driven and thus,controlled, by politicians.In the
unlikely event that the constitution-making process is aborted, it simply
means that Zimbabwe will remain a pariah state.We cannot afford to let this
golden opportunity escape us.We owe it to future generations.Without a new
democratic and people-driven constitution,Zimbabwe is doomed.
Senator
Gutu
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Mutumwa Mawere Monday 13
July 2009
OPINION: Why did Barack Obama choose Ghana as the
first African country to
host him as President of the United States (US)?
Why Ghana and not Kenya,
some will ask? Why not even Nigeria, South Africa,
Egypt or Morocco?
Obama is acutely aware that he is after all a product
of a system that has
endured for 233 years with back-to-back elections and
no history of
unconstitutional transfers of power or disputed elections that
only get
resolved with the opposing parties being transformed through
convenient
marriages into inclusive governments.
Without a sound and
tested democratic culture, Obama's dream of being a
president of America
would have remained just a dream if not a mirage.
Ghana's post-colonial
journey has not been an easy one like that of many
other African states but
what is remarkable is that Ghanaians have worked
hard to invest in a new
democratic culture that has been characterised by
improved governance and an
emerging plural civil society.
In this historic visit, Obama, the first
American President to have a direct
umbilical cord with Africa, had this to
say: "No country is going to create
wealth if its leaders exploit the
economy to enrich themselves, or the head
of the ports authority is corrupt.
You have the power to hold your leaders
accountable and to build
institutions that serve the people. You can serve
in your communities and
harness your energy and education to create new
wealth and build new
connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end
conflicts and make
change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can.
Because in this
moment, history is on the move."
Indeed, history is on the move and the
future of Africa cannot and should
never be the primary responsibility of
non-Africans. Obama may have an
African heritage but he is an American and
he was primarily elected to
promote and protect American
interests.
Obama can never be divorced from America and Africa simply has
to produce
its own Obamas. He will not solve African problems and as he
rightly pointed
out in Ghana, the future of Africa is and should always be
in the hands of
its builders.
Africa's friends can only respond
positively if Africans decide to unlock
the continent's future for our own
benefit.
At the bright centre of Africa's future lies the individual
African citizen
whose face is as diverse as the continent's citizens are.
And radiating from
the centre is and must be the family. From the family
comes the community
that we all belong to. When all the communities of
Africa are combined we
get the larger African family.
After 53 years
of independence, we have no choice but to reflect on the
beliefs that we
share, the values that we honour, and the principles that we
hold dear as an
African family. What makes us African? What is our identity
in this moment
when history is moving at rapid and confusing pace?
As Africans, we must
and should be indivisible underpinned by liberty and
justice for all. The
importance of the rule of law in building a functioning
and progressive
Africa can never be overstated.
I recognise that as an individual there
is only so much I can accomplish in
a 24-hour day but it is through my
actions that I can impact on the world
around me.
If Africa's future
has to be secure, the change must start at the individual
level. What can I
do to make Africa the kind of environment that can
inspire hope? This ought
to be the question that we should ask ourselves.
It is often easy to
point a finger at our leaders while forgetting that no
leader can ever defy
the laws of nature, they are born to die like everyone
and can only see and
hear what their eyes and ears allow them. After all,
leaders are nothing
more than followers and followers always get the leaders
they
deserve.
Africa's open arms attract friends to the cause but clinched
fists undermine
our collective future. There are many of us who believe that
Africa's future
is only secure if sovereignty is vested exclusively in the
hands of blacks
while forgetting that citizenship without responsibility is
meaningless.
Views on how Africa can best unlock its future are as varied
and diverse as
people who call themselves African. As I listened to Obama's
farewell speech
to Ghanaians, I could not but reflect on what happened on
August 10 1969 in
post-colonial Zambia.
On this day, former President
Kenneth Kaunda announced the nationalisation
of copper mining companies that
were key to Zambia's economy in terms of
revenue contribution on the belief
that such a move will spur growth and
development.
This decision was
in line with the adopted post-colonial socialist policy
framework premised
on the belief that sovereignty over mineral development
must be vested in
the state on behalf of the people.
The view held then as it is held in
many developing countries was that the
state could be relied upon us the
custodian of development and revenues
collected from the nationalised mines
could then be used to address poverty
challenges.
The reality is that
the socialist policies failed to improve the economy of
Zambia and what was
not understood is that the state can only do so much but
the responsibility
for making a country work must lie with the citizens on
whom the state's
viability is contingent upon and not the other way around.
The
nationalised mines failed as predictable to perform as anticipated and
more
importantly the strategy to use the state as the driver of economic and
social change under a one-party system also failed resulting in Kaunda being
forced to hand over power to a democratically elected
government.
There are many who believe that the state and not the market
must be the
instrument through which resources are allocated. To who do the
resources of
Africa belong? This is a contested issue so is the issue of how
best this
resource endowment can be exploited.
Some have argued that
the resources that have enriched a few in Africa
belong to the creator and
not to the living. An argument that says that it
is not sufficient for
Africans to hold the view that the resources in the
ground (in their native
form) belong to the generation that happens to be
alive when the resources
are exploited; has been advanced by a few
misunderstood Africans. To develop
a nation requires more and must be
anchored by an appropriate
ideology.
What is required is a new conversation in Africa. What works
and what does
not, should be obvious to all but what is obvious cannot be
taken for
granted.
Many of Africa's bright stars have voted with
their feet and in so doing
have exposed the fact that they may after all be
less concerned about the
future of Africa than their own personal and family
survival and growth.
I am acutely aware that America may not have all the
answers that Africa
seeks but it cannot be denied that there is something
bigger that connects
Americans than divide them.
The foundational
principles, values and beliefs that inspired a few to
declare independence
are still intact and without these principles the idea
of Obama as a
president would just be another Martin Luther King dream.
Africa needs
its own builders and we cannot abdicate in discharging this
noble
responsibility. Some of us have chosen to share our insights into
complex
issues that occupy our minds as we try to better understand Africa's
condition, challenges and opportunities.
One hand cannot clap but two
hands can make a noise. Working together, I
have no doubt that we can invest
in the right beliefs, values and principles
required to lift Africa up. And
yes we can!
More importantly, we must change the tone and content of our
conversations.
We must look at ourselves as individuals to locate the kind
of response that
is required to change Africa. - ZinOnline
CONSTITUTION
WATCH 7
[12th July
2009]
First
All-Stakeholders Conference on the New
Constitution
Monday
13th – Tuesday 14th July 2009
Venue
Accreditation to
the First all Stakeholders Conference is now in
Progress
[Registration from 8
am Sunday]
Organisations have to bring in lists
of delegates on their organisation’s letterhead and their official letter of
invitation from Parliament.
All delegates are required to
register in person. ID badges with photos will be
issued to all registered delegates.
The
Civil Society Open Space
This is open now in
Jacaranda Room 1,
If CSOs are
experiencing accommodation problems - there are only 2750 accommodation spaces
available – NANGO is organising logistical support for CSO delegates in case of
possible shortages.
Draft
Programme
Please note the
Programme has still not been finalised – a series of meetings are taking place
now to try and finalise it.
Day 1 Sunday July 12th Check in and
Registration
Day 2 Monday 13th July
Chairpersons: Prof Makurane and Dr
Hope Sadza
9.00 National
Anthem
Opening
Prayer
Introductions
Welcome Remarks Speaker of
House of Assembly Hon L. N. Moyo
Remarks
Deputy Prime Minister Hon. A.G.O. Mutambara
Remarks
Prime Minister Hon. R.M. Tsvangirai
Keynote Address` His
Excellency The President Cde R.G. Mugabe
This is still being confirmed
Vote of Thanks
President of Senate Hon. E. Madzongwe
10.30 – 11.00 Tea
Break
11.00 – 13.00 Plenary
Session
Objectives of the All Stakeholders
Conference – by Select Committee
Presentations from other countries:
Best Practices [Note: there
will be no visiting speakers – but this slot has not been replaced]
13.00 – 14.00
Lunch
14.00
Group Work
·
Proposal for Thematic
Committees
·
Proposal on process of
consultation
·
Composition of Thematic
Committees
·
Guiding Constitutional
Principles
Day 3 – Tuesday 14th July
2009
8.30
Group Work Presentations in
Plenary
Teabreak
Here the programme
becomes unclear. Either the Conference will finish at lunch time or [this is
still being debated] it will be extended to continue after lunch
Group Work
presentations in the plenary continued
Way
forward
Closing Remarks: President of the
Senate Hon. E. Madzongwe
Closing
Prayer
LUNCH
DEPARTURE
Veritas makes
every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied
PEACE
WATCH
[11th
July 2009]
Newsflash
JESTINA
Mukoko has been awarded the 2009 Human Rights Award by the city of
It
is Time Zimbabwe Signed the Convention against
Torture
Parliament resolved,
some years ago, that
Assist in the campaign
to get
State
Concedes that Jestina Mukoko was Tortured
The Supreme Court
sitting as a
Ms Mukoko was
represented by distinguished advocates Jeremy Gauntlett and Beatrice Mtetwa. In
an emotionally charged courtroom Mr Gauntlett took the court through Ms Mukoko’s
account of her ordeal: how she was unlawfully abducted from her home on 3rd
December, subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment in the course of removal
from her home to the place of detention, unlawfully detained until the 22nd
December, including long periods in solitary confinement, tortured, threatened
with death, deprived of medical care and access to lawyers. Mr Gauntlett’s
referred to the court record in detail, showing that the State had produced no
evidence to dispute Ms Mukoko’s affidavit and oral evidence detailing her
abduction and subsequent treatment.
Mr Gauntlett argued
that a permanent end to the prosecution was the only appropriate remedy. He
contended that the evidence of police complicity in the illegality that had
preceded Ms Mukoko’s handing over for formal police arrest on 22nd December
could not be ignored [see below] and that a trial should not be allowed to
proceed in a case in which the State has such “dirty hands”. [Electronic version of Mr Gauntlett’s heads of
argument available on request.] The State argued that the criminal
trial should proceed, maintaining that a separate inquiry into Ms Mukoko’s
complaints would be a sufficient remedy for the wrongs she had suffered.
After hearing legal
argument from both sides the court reserved judgment. This means that the
court’s decision on whether or not to stop the prosecution for good will be
handed down at a future date to be advised. This could take months. If the
decision is not known by 20th July, when Ms Mukoko’s trial is due to start in
the High Court, the trial is likely to be postponed until the Supreme Court’s
decision has been announced.
State
Complicity in the Torture
What made the case
doubly horrific was that the evidence indicated that Ms Mukoko’s treatment had
not been at the hands of rogue elements among State security agents, but showed
State/police complicity. On 22nd December, while blindfolded, she had been
handed over to the police in circumstances demonstrating police complicity with
the actions of those who had abducted, detained and tortured her. The Minister
of State Security in his affidavit, far from denying the allegations levelled
against State security agents by Ms Mukoko, had acknowledged that the agents
were carrying out their mandate and refused to reveal their identities.
There
had also been no denial of the evidence that Ms Mukoko had been denied the
protection of the law – her abduction, although reported to policed and recorded
as a case of “kidnapping”, had not been investigated by police and the
perpetrators had not been brought to book. The Attorney-General had questionaby
invoked his wide powers as chief prosecutor as justification for his refusal to
order police investigations into Ms Mukoko’s
abduction.
Potential
Impact on Other Cases Alleging Torture
A few days after the
Supreme Court hearing in the Mukoko matter the second abductees trial [the
“bombers” case] came up for hearing in the High Court before Justice Hungwe.
Defence lawyer Alec
UN International
Day in Support of Victims of Torture
26th June
was the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – 26th
June having been chosen by the United Nations [UN] because it was on that date
in 1987 that the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into force. To mark the occasion the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum issued a statement drawing attention to numerous cases of
torture in
Extra-Judicial
Killings Alleged in Chiadzwa Diamond Fields
Human Rights
Watch [HRW] released its report Diamonds in the Rough: Human Rights Abuses in the
Marange Diamond Field of
A
Veritas makes
every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.
Sunday Mail, Sunday, July 12, 2009
Business Reporter
AS the world becomes more interconnected,
success in the new era is
heavily dependent upon innovation, creativity and
unique
problem-solving skills.
Zimbabwe has scored another first in
this regard with Onny.
Onny is a new search engine that is proudly
Zimbabwean with a global
reach, which is redefining the versatility of a
search engine in
Zimbabwe and beyond.
Mr Kingstone Kanyile, the
brains behind Onny, told this paper that he
was inspired to develop the
search engine because of his
understanding that the power brokers in the new
global arena will be
the knowledge facilitators because as humanity evolves
there are
questions that need answers.
He said that Onny was
developed to precisely help web surfers to find
answers to questions such
as: How do I do it? Where do I find it? Who
are they? What is it? What is
going on?
He said although ignorance will be more tyrannical and
enslaving than
in the past, Onny is the search engine for serious Internet
surfers
who have a thirst to acquire knowledge in new ways that will help
them innovate and create real opportunities for themselves.
The name
Onny means a state of joy in anticipating answers to
questions. So Onny
primarily seeks to deliver that happiness to all
surfers of the
Internet.
Onny is different from other search engines in the way all
pages and
search results are indexed on the web pages.
Onny has been
developed to become the darling search engine for all
Internet users,
knowledge workers, students, businesspeople and
communities.
In
essence, Onny is for everyone who has a compelling need to keep
informed and
understand their world to stay ahead.
To access this search engine, you
simply log onto
www.OnnySearch.co.zw or www.OnnySearch.com
On the home page
Internet users can simply tell all their friends
about Onny when they click
on the "tell a friend" link.
Mr Kanyile said Onny is the first of many
innovative IT-driven
solutions with local roots and a global impact that the
market is
going to see coming from his corporation.
Onny is
signalling the dawn of a new era for Zimbabwe as we embrace
innovative
solutions to claim our space on the global arena.