Cartoon from
The Times
July 23, 2008
Jan Raath
On the streets of Harare, there was deep unease about
Morgan Tsvangirai's
decision to enter power-sharing talks with Robert Mugabe
and his ruling Zanu
(PF) party.
A photograph taking up half the front
page of the propaganda Herald
newspaper, with Mr Mugabe holding the hands of
Mr Tsvangirai and Arthur
Mutambara - the leader of a smaller faction of the
MDC - produced a sense of
shock among many.
"Tsvangirai should never
have shaken his hand," said Joram Kanyepi, a
bricklayer. "This man has had
him beaten, put in jail, prohibited him from
holding rallies and killed his
supporters. But Tsvangirai is a man of
peace," he said. "He really wants to
make things better for people."
"Shaking hands with Mugabe?" asked Denson
Hukwe. "That should never have
been. He should have said Mugabe must release
all his people from jail
before he would sign."
Deep mistrust of Mr
Mugabe was widely shared. "Mugabe is a crook, he just
wants to fool
Tsvangirai," said someone who gave his name as Chirikure. "He
was not
shaking hands with his heart. He wants to get Tsvangirai into a
government
where he can control him and there is no opposition, like he did
to
Zapu."
There were numerous references to the Zapu party of the late Joshua
Nkomo,
the leader of the Ndebele people of western Zimbabwe, who was forced
into
talks with Zanu (PF) in the late 1980s after a pogrom by the Zimbabwean
security forces that left up to 20,000 civilians dead. Zapu was absorbed
into Zanu (PF) and its leaders co-opted into ineffectual
positions.
"Tsvangirai must never allow there to be a government of
national unity [an
option strongly pressed for by President Mbeki of South
Africa, the chairman
of the talks]," said Danny Pikayi, a business
executive. "The moment they do
that, what happened to Zapu will happen to
the MDC. The only thing these
talks can lead to is some kind of transitional
arrangement leading to new
democratic elections."
The sense of
caution was echoed in interviews with ordinary Zimbabweans,
still trying to
digest the meaning of the memorandum of understanding signed
by both
parties, from the only source available - the deeply partial state
media.
Several spoken to yesterday believed that the talks were over and
that a new
government had already been formed.
Zim Online
by Nokuthula Sibanda Wednesday 23 July
2008
HARARE - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
on Tuesday said an
agreement reached with President Robert Mugabe and his
ruling ZANU PF party
did not necessarily mean there would be a quick and
lasting solution to the
country's deepening crisis.
In a letter to
supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party,
Tsvangirai
said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on formal talks that he
signed with
Mugabe and the leader of a breakaway MDC faction, Arthur
Mutambara, offered
the most tangible opportunity in the past 10 years to
improve the lives of
our fellow citizens.
"But our signatures alone do not guarantee that we
will be able to make the
most of this opportunity," Tsvangirai said of the
agreement signed on Monday
in the presence of South African President Thabo
Mbeki who is facilitating
dialogue between Zimbabwe's feuding political
leaders.
The MDC leader added: "Our signatures on this document must be
accompanied
by acknowledging some very basic truths. We are Zimbabweans who
want only
what is best for our country and our citizens. Our shared goal is
best
achieved in a climate of tolerance and stability, not divisiveness and
anger."
He said the negotiations could only proceed and succeed if
political
violence was brought to an end, the rule of law restored and
Zimbabweans
were able to go about their business in
safety.
Tsvangirai spoke as MDC and ZANU PF officials headed for South
Africa to
begin negotiations on a power sharing government. The talks are
expected to
be completed in two weeks.
However, talks on wider
constitutional reforms are expected to take much
longer.
The
Zimbabwean parties have come under immense pressure from the African
Union
and the Southern African Development Community to form a government of
national unity that would be tasked to write a new constitution and carry
out reforms to end the country's unprecedented economic
meltdown.
However, the European Union said on Tuesday it was tightening
sanctions
against Mugabe and his top officials notwithstanding the
Zimbabwean leader's
agreement to begin formal talks with the MDC.
An
EU official told the media that foreign ministers meeting in Brussels
would
add 37 more names onto a long list of Harare government officials on
visa
and financial sanctions from the EU since 2002.
Four companies with links
to Mugabe's government would also be slapped with
sanctions said the
official, who added that Brussels believed that it was
still too early to
start lifting pressure on the Harare government despite
the signing of the
MOU. - ZimOnline
Zim Online
by Own
Correspondent Wednesday 23 July 2008
French
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner: "Yesterday, they . . . signed the
beginning of the process to have a substantive agreement . . . it's better
than nothing. We will consider together this positive step, and the
necessary sanctions. I do not yet know what form they will
take."
Finland's Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb: "It is way too early
to start
discussing any lifting of sanctions. We of course welcome this move
. . .
but we are nowhere where we should be and we'll keep pressure
on."
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary general Wellington
Chibebe: "On
behalf of labour, we call upon the facilitators of the dialogue
process to
include civic groupings, churches, labour and political parties
in the
negotiation process . . . for the outcome of the negotiating process
to
reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe and not self-seeking power
sharing agendas."
Tony Leon, DA spokesperson for foreign affairs:
"The Democratic Alliance
(DA) of South Africa welcomes the signing of a
memorandum of understanding
between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai in
Harare yesterday, and
congratulates President Mbeki for co-ordinating this
effort . . . As bitter
experience has shown, a commitment from Mugabe to
take steps to resolve the
political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe must be
treated very carefully; he
has a history of breaking agreements and
undertakings, and has in the past
shown complete disdain for democratic
norms and procedures."
US State Department deputy spokesman Gonzalo
Gallegos: "We're obviously
keeping an eye on what's happening there and
we're going to continue to
watch it closely. I think we're waiting to see
the evolution of this
process."
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt:
"If Zimbabwe is to have a legitimate
and democratically accepted government
it is important that the negotiations
are based on the outcome of the
parliamentary elections on 29 March and that
that result is respected.
Continued international pressure is also required.
As regional
organisations, the AU and the SADC in particular have a key role
to play in
this." - ZimOnline
Zim Online
by Edith Kaseke Wednesday 23 July
2008
HARARE - Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU PF party and the
opposition MDC began
negotiating a power-sharing deal in South Africa on
Tuesday but analysts
remained wary, predicting a collapse in talks on the
question of who will
lead a new government and what power the MDC will
gain.
President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed a
deal on
Monday to begin formal talks, coming face to face for the first time
in a
decade that has been marked by deep antagonism. Tension was evident
even as
the two political rivals put pen to paper on
Monday.
Political commentator and chairman of the National Constitutional
Assembly
(NCA) Lovemore Madhuku was wary of the outcome of the talks,
saying the
memorandum of understanding (MOU) on formal talks was silent on
the issue of
Mugabe's legitimacy.
"The draft agreement is set on a
set of assumptions, one of which is that
there will be no question on
Mugabe's legitimacy. This is a power sharing
deal between politicians with
Mugabe as President," said Madhuku, who leads
the NCA, a pressure group
fighting for a new constitution.
"I see one of two things happening;
either the MDC will be absorbed by ZANU
PF or there will be a collapse of
talks," he added.
The MOU was historic in that for the first time Mugabe
held private talks
with Tsvangirai for more than an hour after signing the
agreement.
After the signing of the agreement, South African President
Thabo Mbeki -
the talks facilitator - led Mugabe, Tsvangirai and MDC rebel
leader Arthur
Mutambara to lunch, away from the prying eyes of the
media.
Mbeki and Mutambara left the room afterwards, leaving the veteran
leader and
former trade unionist behind closed doors for more than an hour,
an
eyewitness told ZimOnline.
The meeting was significant although
neither of the two have disclosed the
nature of their
discussions.
Analysts are however wary of Mugabe saying although in the
past he has
privately assured Mbeki to undertake democratic reforms, he has
not
delivered on his promise mostly as a result of pressure from his
loyalists
in the party and the security forces.
Even if Mugabe agreed
to a deal in his face-to-face meeting with Tsvangirai,
there was no
guarantee that he would not renege after consulting members of
the powerful
Joint Operations Command who ran his controversial re-election
campaign in
June.
Analysts said ZANU PF and the MDC were almost likely to agree on
most of the
agenda items, including on the thorny land question but would
grapple with
the last part, "the framework for new government".
"This
is a power sharing deal basically but the crux is on the composition
of the
new power structure and who leads. I think the issue of the King's
Crown is
uncontested, Mugabe already has it," said leading political analyst
Eldred
Masunungure.
Mugabe had pressed ahead with an election marred by bloody
violence and
condemned by most of the world last month as a charade to give
himself
leverage on the negotiating table.
But analysts said by
merely signing an MOU, Mugabe had already eased on his
key demand that he
would not talk to the opposition unless it recognised him
as the legitimate
Head of State.
Mugabe, by summoning his violent electoral machinery to
overturn the March
29 defeat by Tsvangirai, had showed that he was losing
power, analysts said,
and thus his willingness to negotiate.
And
three weeks after his re-election Mugabe is presiding over a crumbling
economy, manifesting in inflation above 10 million percent, a rapidly
declining currency, collapsing infrastructure, shortages of foreign
currency, food and fuel and rising malnutrition in the country.
Mbeki
has set a two-week deadline for a political deal to be found as both
Mugabe
and Tsvangirai are under immense pressure to negotiate a settlement
to ease
Zimbabwe out of its crisis.
"The success of the talks will very much
depend on what the MDC gets in this
new framework and whether we are talking
about a government of national
unity or transitional government,"
Masunungure said.
"But there is no doubt Mugabe recognises the winds of
change. He has been
losing power since March 29 and that is why he wants a
political deal."
ZANU PF wants a unity government that incorporates the
MDC but the
opposition says it will only accept a transitional government
that will lead
to fresh free and fair elections supervised by the
international community.
The MDC has also told Mbeki that it would not
hesitate to walk out of the
talks if Mugabe remained belligerent, indicating
the opposition could do
without ZANU PF, sources said. - ZimOnline.
VOA
By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
22 July
2008
Incidents of political discrimination continue in
Zimbabwe despite the
signature this week of a memorandum of understanding
laying the groundwork
for power-sharing talks, according to sources in the
opposition Movement for
Democratic Change.
They pointed to efforts by
a traditional leader in the Mazowe Central and
South constituencies in
Mashonaland Central province who is moving to expel
opposition supporters
from his area.
Sources said acting chief Negomo of Chiweshe is demanding
Z$350 billion in
cash (US$5) and two goats from each of eight families he is
accusing of
supporting the MDC, sources said.
Negomo served the
families with eviction orders on Monday, and opposition
sources said they
are now trying to line up legal representation to
challenge the evictions,
the sources said.
VOA was unable to reach Negomo on his mobile
phone.
Mazowe Central opposition activist Trymore Ruze, who accompanied
the eight
victims to a Harare lawyer this week, told reporter Jonga
Kandemiiri of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that a chief does not have the
power to evict
people based on their political affiliation.
VOA
By Blessing Zulu
Washington
22 July
2008
Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's ruling party and
opposition were
expected to begin in earnest on Wednesday following the
signing early this
week of a memorandum of understanding setting out the
daunting task ahead of
the crisis negotiators.
Some observers
expressed skepticism that the ruling ZANU-PF and opposition
Movement for
Democratic Change negotiating teams could address all of the
issues on the
table within the two weeks that have been allocated for coming
up with a
power-sharing agreement.
The agreement would provide for a government of
national unity or a
transitional authority to run the country or revise the
constitution and
prepare the ground for new elections.
Zimbabwe held
elections March 29, giving the combined MDC a majority in the
lower house of
parliament, but the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said MDC
founder Morgan
Tsvangirai fell short of a presidential majority,
necessitating a run-off
against President Robert Mugabe.
But Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off
five days before the June 27 ballot
citing the wave of allegedly
state-sponsored political violence which had
swept the country following the
March elections, and Mr. Mugabe's victory in
the one-candidate race was
widely condemned.
The present talks are intended to find a way out of the
post-election
deadlock.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, crisis
talks mediator, is to present
the outcome to a summit next month in Pretoria
of the Southern African
Development Community, which first handed him a
mediation brief in March
2007 during an earlier crisis period in
Zimbabwe.
Mr. Mbeki is to assume the rotating chairmanship of SADC in the
course of
that summit.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
welcomed the signing and
encouraged both sides to show good faith in serious
talks which could lead
to a lasting solution to the crisis and allow the
country's humanitarian
needs to be addressed.
U.S. State Department
Deputy Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos described the
memorandum as a "vehicle for
undertaking talks," and said Washington will
closely watch
developments.
Tsvangirai issued a statement Tuesday saying he is
optimistic about the
talks, but offering the caveat that any agreement must
have the full support
of the Zimbabwean people, with particular reference to
civil society and
trade unions.
Optimism as to the prospects for a
durable settlement was nurtured by word
that Tsvangirai had engaged in
one-on-one talks with Mr. Mugabe for 90
minutes on Monday following the
signing of the memorandum of understanding.
But spokesman Nelson Chamisa
of Tsvangirai's MDC formation declined to
release details.
Secretary
General Welshman Ncube of the MDC formation headed by Arthur
Mutambara said
the two-week time frame for the negotiations is not set in
stone.
Former Zimbabwean ambassador to China Chris Mutsvangwa, now a
member of
ZANU-PF's information committee, said Zimbabweans are masters of
their own
destiny.
Lawyer and political observer Theresa Mugadza told
reporter Blessing Zulu of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the power-sharing
negotiations could end
the political stalemate, but added that it doesn't
make sense to rush them
Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Friends of Zimbabwe's government and opposition pressure
them to talk to
each other.
By Meshack Ndodana in Harare (ZCR No.
156, 22-Jul-08)
The signing of an agreement to start substantive talks on
a transitional
administration for Zimbabwe reflects the pressure placed on
both government
and opposition to come to the negotiating
table.
President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change, MDC,
leader
Morgan Tsvangirai signed the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, at a
historic
meeting in Harare on July 21. Arthur Mutambara, who leads a
minority faction
of the MDC, also signed the document, as did South African
president Thabo
Mbeki, whose mediation efforts secured this deal.
The
document lays the foundations for a dialogue, expected to last two
weeks, on
a range of issues, the most important of which is the formation of
a new
"inclusive government".
The signatories commit themselves to "putting an
end to the polarisation,
divisions, conflict and intolerance that have
characterised our country's
politics", and to creating "a society free of
violence, fear, intimidation,
hate, patronage [and] corruption".
As
well as a new government, items on the agenda for the talks include an
end
to violence, rule of law, freedom to pursue political activity, a new
constitution for Zimbabwe, and rebuilding the economy.
Television
footage showed the two rivals, Mugabe and Tsvangirai, shaking
hands and
exchanging the signed documents. The South African leader
presided, with
Tsvangirai sitting to his left.
In a speech following the signing
ceremony, Tsvangirai declared that
"failure was not an option" and promised
that he would "not be found
wanting" in the pursuit of a settlement. The
welfare of Zimbabweans must be
placed before "personal interests", he
said.
For his part, Mugabe thanked Mbeki for his mediating role, saying
the South
African leader had been right to disregard "ignorant criticism" of
his role.
The signing was a major coup for Mbeki, who has faced
accusations, including
from the MDC, that he is too accommodating towards
Mugabe. At this event,
Tsvangirai tacitly acknowledged Mbeki's success by
noting that this was the
first time since 1987 that he had been in the same
room as Mugabe.
The deal is an attempt to solve Zimbabwe's long-running
political and
economic crisis, which has been exacerbated by two rounds of
elections in
recent months. In the first, held on March 29, the MDC wrested
control of
parliament from ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai won more votes than Mugabe
in the
presidential ballot. These unexpected successes sparked a wave of
violence
against MDC activists and supporters, leading Tsvangirai to pull
out of the
presidential run-off, so that Mugabe was re-elected
unopposed.
The signing of the memorandum came after Tsvangirai won
acceptance for some
of the points he had set as preconditions for embarking
on talks.
One demand that has been met is that the mediation effort
should be widened
beyond Mbeki's team, who operate under a mandate from the
Southern African
Development Community, SADC. At a meeting in Pretoria on
July 18, it was
agreed to set up a three-member "reference group" to oversee
the negotiation
process, which Mbeki will still lead. The troika will
consist of African
Union commission chairman Jean Ping, the United Nations
special envoy for
Zimbabwe, Haile Menkerios, and George Chikoti from the
SADC.
Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for Tsvangirai's faction of the MDC,
described the
involvement of the three envoys as "a positive and encouraging
development
that will embolden the integrity of the process [and] add
international
stamina, stressing the urgent seriousness required to solve
this crisis".
Another condition the MDC had set for the talks was an end
to the political
violence. Chamisa warned that the attacks were still going
on.
"We in the MDC are ready to negotiate at any time. The only problem
we have
is a sincerity deficit and a catalogue of bad faith acts by
ZANU-PF," he
said. "They want to negotiate with us on the one hand and on
the other
continue to detain and beat up our supporters."
He also
accused ZANU-PF officials of trying to coopt MDC members of
parliament into
their version of the proposed interim administration. "Of
late they have
been approaching our members of parliament behind scenes to
join them in a
government of national unity. That cannot be good for the
negotiation
process," he said.
Political analysts inside Zimbabwe say both ZANU-PF
and the MDC are under
intense pressure to come to the negotiating table and
demonstrate that they
are not the recalcitrant party.
Facing the
threat of new United Nations sanctions, the government got a
lucky escape on
July 11, when China and Russia vetoed the measure in the
Security Council.
For Eldred Masunungure, a professor of politics at the
University of
Zimbabwe, that has placed the regime under more pressure,
rather than less,
to show flexibility.
"Mugabe and ZANU-PF have been keen to be on their
best behaviour," he said.
"They must now demonstrate to China and Russia
that their faith in the
negotiation process was not misplaced. There may be
no second chance."
When the idea of a negotiated settlement resurfaced
following the June 27
polls, the MDC initially dragged its feet because it
did not want to be seen
to legitimise Mugabe's election victory and tactics.
Now, however, the party
has realised it must show its friends and
sympathisers abroad that it is
prepared to be part of the
solution.
"The MDC is to Africa what ZANU-PF is to Russia and China. They
both have a
responsibility to those trying to speak for their cause and
cannot afford to
be obstructionist," said an analyst based in the country,
who did not want
to be identified. "They are both under pressure now to
behave properly."
The analyst said the fact that the tripartite
"reference group" had been
agreed as a concession to the MDC would place
pressure on the party to be
seen to be cooperative.
The opposition,
he said, would not want to be seen to be "taking an
unyielding position at a
time when it is beginning to get a sympathetic ear"
from many African
leaders.
The MDC is also under domestic pressure, he added, noting last
week's
statement by a group of civil society organisations sympathetic to
the
opposition, which called for a transitional government to be headed by a
neutral figure - certainly not by Mugabe, but not by Tsvangirai,
either.
"This should be a warning to the MDC that people are getting
impatient for
results and an end to their misery," said the
analyst.
The success of the dialogue between ZANU-PF and MDC will depend
to a large
extent on whether they can agree a mutually acceptable form of
government -
especially one in which the opposition is treated as an equal
player, and
not simply given token representation.
Whatever the NGOs
think, Tsvangirai has made it clear he should head any
transitional
administration since he won more votes in the March 29 polls,
while Mugabe
insists he should take charge because he won the June 27 vote.
He is said to
be keen for the deal to allow parliament and a substantive
cabinet to be
sworn sooner rather than later.
The memorandum Mugabe and Tsvangirai
signed provides only the bare bones for
talks on this issue; success will
depend on whether it can be given
substance.
Meshack Ndodana is the
pseudonym of a reporter in Harare.
| |
|
Updated: July 22, 2008 14:45 |
There was an election held March 29, 2008 and no clear winner came out of t hat, therefore a runoff was needed. June 27, 2008 a one man race took place and Zimbabweans came out in numbers to vote for their leader , reported the Herald .According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission RobertMuga be buried his opponent just like he had said he was going to do. The re sults showed 85.5% in favor of the one and only 28 year President of Zimbabwe his Excellency Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Every websit e that carries Zimbabwe news covers the so called "Talks". What talks? Why are they even trying to have talks? Talks about what? I think those who follow the Zimbabwe Constitution well might help resolve this issue. In the event that there is no clear winner what does the constitution say? What happens if one candidate quits the race within four days? There is a man by the name Jonathan Moyo. When Robert Mugabe said there was a double headed monster in the country I think the description fits Prof. Jonathan Moyo. Why is he now educating the entire world about the MDC's miscalculated and immature moves? I think he got caught with his paints down once again. He tried to suggest that Morgan Tsvangirai was going to win the run-off in a ploy to lure the MDC to contest in an election that he knew MDC was going to lose given the level of violence, intimidation and vote rigging. He is now out of the closet because the plan did not work. The learned man is now blowing his horn from the peak of Mt Everest trying to convince people that Morgan Tsvangirai does not have Zimbabwe at heart What is so important about Morgan Tsvangirai anyway? Tsvangirai lost so why does ZANU-PF gang keep bothering him? Moyo and company should find something better to do than to tell us about Tsvangirai. By asking MDC to negotiate is ZANU recognizing Tsvangirai as a winner or simply seeking legitimacy? There were four other candidates why are they not courting Makoni and the other loser, like they court Tsvangirai? How in the world is Morgan Tsvangirai's signature that important? ZANU-PF officials are clueless about resolving Zimbabwean crisis. They don't want anything to do with Britain and her allies but they want financial and food aid from the same people. They have told the world that Tsvangirai will never rule Zimbabwe but they want him to sign a deal. Don't try to sign a deal with a traitor. Robert Mugabe said several times that Morgan was a puppet so what happened to the puppet ? Has Morgan changed? His slogan is Chinja maitiro but I think h is still the puppet we all know what from what ZANU-PF politicians.Why does the economic and political recovery seem to hinge on the puppet? Like it or not Morgan Tsvangirai is ruling the country.ZANU-PF needs to get their act together otherwise they are just prolonging decaying process. Like Biti said, "Tongai Tione" if you are the winners. There was an election held March 29, 2008 and no clear winner came out of that, therefore a runoff was needed. June 27, 2008 a one man race took place and Zimbabweans came out in numbers to vote for their leader , reported the Herald . According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Robert Mugabe buried his opponent just like he had said he was going to do. The results showed 85.5% in favor of the one and only 28 year President of Zimbabwe his Excellency Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Every website that carries Zimbabwe news covers the so called "Talks". What talks? Why are they even trying to have talks? Talks about what? I think those who follow the Zimbabwe Constitution well might help resolve this issue. In the event that there is no clear winner what does the constitution say? What happens if one candidate quits the race within four days? There is a man by the name Jonathan Moyo. When Robert Mugabesaid there was a double headed monster in the country I think the description fits Prof. Jonathan Moyo. Why is he now educating the entire world about the MDC's miscalculated and immature moves? I think he got caught with his paints down once again. He tried to suggest that Morgan Tsvangirai was going to win the run-off in a ploy to lure the MDC to contest in an election that he knew MDC was going to lose given the level of violence, intimidation and vote rigging. He is now out of the closet because the plan did not work. The learned man is now blowing his horn from the peak of Mt Everest trying to convince people that Morgan Tsvangirai does not have Zimbabwe at heart. What is so important about Morgan Tsvangirai anyway? Tsvangirai lost so why does ZANU-PF gang keep bothering him? Moyo and company should find something better to do than to tell us about Tsvangirai. By asking MDC to negotiate is ZANU recognizing Tsvangirai as a winner or simply seeking legitimacy? There were four other candidates why are they not courting Makoni and the other loser, like they court Tsvangirai? How in the world is Morgan Tsvangirai's signature that important? ZANU-PF officials are clueless about resolving Zimbabwean crisis. They don't want anything to do with Britain and her allies but they want financial and food aid from the same people. They have told the world that Tsvangirai will never rule Zimbabwe but they want him to sign a deal. Don't try to sign a deal with a traitor. Robert Mugabe said several times that Morgan was a puppet so what happened to the puppet ? Has Morgan changed? His slogan is Chinja maitiro but I think he is still the puppet we all know what from what ZANU-PF politicians. Why does the economic and political recovery seem to hinge on the puppet? Like it or not Morgan Tsvangirai is ruling the country.ZANU-PF needs to get their act together otherwise they are just prolonging decaying process. Like Biti said, "Tongai Tione" if you are the winners. |
Bloomberg
By Jason McLure and Brian Latham
July 22 (Bloomberg) --
The African Union welcomed the signing of an
agreement by Zimbabwe's ruling
party and main opposition, as the U.S. said
negotiations between the two
sides should result in fresh elections.
Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change leader
Morgan Tsvangirai leader
yesterday agreed to begin negotiations on power
sharing. An agreement signed
by the two leaders envisages the two sides
reaching agreement on a unity
government within two weeks. Talks will begin
today in Pretoria, Mukoni
Ratshitanga, a spokesman at the South African
presidency, said in a
telephone interview today.
The accord ``marks a significant step in the
efforts aimed at overcoming the
crisis facing Zimbabwe and promoting
national reconciliation in the
country,'' AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping
said in e-mailed statement today
in the Ethiopian capital, Addis
Ababa.
Mugabe extended his 28-year rule of Zimbabwe after winning
elections on June
27 in which he was the sole candidate. Tsvangirai withdrew
from the vote
after alleging his supporters were being targeted in a
state-sponsored
campaign of violence. The United Nations, U.S. and European
countries
consider Mugabe's victory illegitimate. The U.S. and U.K. have led
calls for
sanctions against the country.
Negotiations between
Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic
Front and the MDC should
result in a new vote in the southern African
nation, Gonzalo Gallegos,
deputy spokesman at the U.S. State Department,
said in an e-mailed statement
from Washington today.
Free, Fair Elections
U.S. officials want to
see ``an election that is free and fair and open, and
that all parties can
participate in without fear or aggressive acts against
them,'' Gallegos
said.
In the first round presidential election in March, Tsvangirai won
more votes
than Mugabe without gaining the 50 percent needed to avoid a
runoff. The MDC
won a majority in the lower house of parliament in the
legislative poll, the
first time Zanu-PF hasn't controlled the House of
Assembly since 1980, when
the country gained independence from
Britain.
African observers said the June 27 presidential runoff election
wasn't free
or fair.
Yesterday's agreement was also signed by a
faction of the MDC, led by Arthur
Mutambara, which will also take part in
the negotiations that begin today,
Ratshitanga said.
The negotiations
will be mediated by South Africa's Local Government
Minister Sydney
Mufamadi, he said. South African President Thabo Mbeki's
advisers Mojanku
Gumbi and Frank Chikane will assist in the mediation.
Mbeki was appointed
by the 14-nation Southern African Development Community
to help mediate an
end to Zimbabwe's political crisis.
To contact the reporter on this
story: Jason McLure in Addis Ababa via
Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.
New Zimbabwe
By Lebo Nkatazo
Last updated: 07/23/2008
15:16:58
TSHOLOTSHO North MP Professor Jonathan Moyo has hit back with fury
at claims
that he "engineered" President Robert Mugabe's "landslide"
election victory
on June 27.
Moyo said the allegations, carried by
internet news sites, were "flattering,
but unfortunately
false".
Moyo, reports said, had worked clandestinely with Zanu PF's
election
campaign team and held regular meetings with top Zanu PF officials
including
Emmerson Mnangagwa at a house in Avondale owned by one Pauline
Mahoya, said
to be the second wife of former Midlands provincial governor,
July Moyo.
The former Information Minister said the allegations, which he
was not given
an opportunity to respond to, were "coming from an absolutely
idle mind".
He said: "The people who were behind Mugabe's media campaign
deserve credit
for a job well done, and the credit is not mine. I would have
no qualms
taking credit for it if I had engineered it as it is being said,
but I do
not deserve the credit, so I won't take it."
President
Mugabe won with over 85 percent of the vote after Morgan
Tsvangirai, his
opponent in the run-off, withdrew from the race citing
violence against his
supporters.
Moyo said he had last met Mnangagwa in January, and July Moyo
in September
2005. In fact, he had never set foot in Avondale, he said in an
interview
Tuesday.
"The allegation that I was having meetings with
Mnangagwa are coming from a
not so fertile mind. they come from an
absolutely idle mind, a mind that
cannot tell the difference between fantasy
and reality," Moyo blasted.
"As a matter of fact I last saw Mnangagwa in
parliament, in January, well
before the campaign for the March 29 election
started. That's the last time
I saw him. As for July Moyo, I last saw him in
2005, around September 2005.
"I have never been to any house in Avondale
before I left Zanu PF or now.
Never ever! I have not even a small house
there, nor a big one for that
matter. I have not been in anybody's house in
Avondale. I could not have in
reality appeared in such a house outside
someone with an undeveloped
imagination.
"I may know people in
Avondale, but none of them have been kind enough to
invite me to their
houses."
Moyo, it was further alleged, recruited TV presenter Tich Mataz
to run Zanu
PF's publicity drive - including the printing of T-Shirts and
posters. That
is "another fantasy", Moyo said.
"I last saw Tich Mataz
at some restaurant around June 2005. He is certainly
good at what he does,
and I would be happy to work with him. I don't know
what he is up to, or
what he is doing.
"I do not want to offend the real people who were
behind Zanu PF's
successful campaign, which is Sharon Mugabe and others.
Again, I need to
point out I have never had any working relationship with
her of any kind,
none whatsoever."
Moyo said he saw no point of
working behind the scenes and hiding "as if I
have never worked with Zanu
PF, as if I don't know that those who have met
before can easily meet again,
or those who have worked together before can
easily work together
again".
He added: "That said, I wonder why people can associate me with a
campaign
that never was. It was Morgan Tsvangirai who handed the presidency
to Mugabe
on a silver platter by withdrawing from the contest and leaving
one assured
outcome.
"Tsvangirai transformed the campaign from a
runoff into a one-off. So there
is no need to talk about campaigns, the fact
of the matter is Tsvangirai
single handedly elected Mugabe and that is a
truth that those publishing
lies about me should live with."
Moyo has
been rumoured to be on the verge of getting a new ministerial
appointment in
the new government. It has been suggested that he could also
rejoin Zanu PF,
but he refuses to deny or confirm the rumours.
"You do not need to be a
rocket scientist to see that my nationalist
position is closer to Zanu PF
than the MDC," he said. "For instance, I would
never support a military
embargo on my country because that threatens our
national security. I will
never ever support an arms embargo on Zimbabwe
that weakens our military and
compromises our national security and leaves
us exposed like a banana
republic.
"The Zanu PF ideals are the ideals that all Zimbabweans
identify with, all
rational and well meaning Zimbabweans identify with. The
problem is that
some of these ideals have been compromised. compromised by
individuals in
pursuit of self interest.
"People must understand the
nature of my differences with Zanu PF. The fact
that many of the people who
were associated with my departure are making
such a contribution today
surely must indicate that there is something
interesting there.
"It
would be preposterous for anyone to think that Patrick Chinamasa
(Justice
Minister) is my enemy, but there he is - in the thick of things in
government. It would be unrealistic, unreasonable and absurd to suggest that
he is my enemy, because he has never been. I can say that with many others
who are in Zanu PF."
Moyo's critics are holding onto his statement
that he would never rejoin
Zanu PF to accuse him of
flip-flopping.
When asked last year by SW Radio's Violet Gonda why he
should be taken
seriously when he has changed positions at least twice -
from being a
government critic to a government minister, then back to
opposing the
government - Moyo likened himself to Kenyan Prime Minister
Raila Odinga.
He retorted: "Raila Odinga over the last three years has
been in NDP, in
LDP, in KANU to the point of seeking the presidency of KANU,
out of KANU
into NAK, out of NAK, back working with KANU in the Orange
Democratic
Movement. That's why the process in that country is more dynamic
and much
more promising."
On Tuesday, he still would not rule out
returning to Zanu PF - despite his
vow never to return.
"Of course I
said that. It was then, and now is now," Moyo said. "The fact
of the matter
is in politics, all statements must be contextual, you take a
statement out
of context, and you lose its meaning. There is no reason to
treat politics
like it's a religion which is based on gospel truth and never
changing facts
yet we know that politics is about change.
"There is no reason why I
should be stuck in the past, and submit myself to
the tyranny of words. If
we were to base politics on the tyranny of words,
we would not understand
why Joshua Nkomo worked with Zanu PF and signed the
Unity Accord given the
words he used to describe Zanu PF and Mugabe in The
Story of My Life which
was published well before the Unity Accord.
"I am not saying I am
rejoining Zanu PF or joining anyone else, I reserve my
right to discard that
choice according to my conscience and according to the
objective situation
in the country."
http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/
22nd
Jul 2008 13:37 GMT
By
MISA
MISA Zimbabwe cautiously welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between Zanu PF and the two formations of the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) as the three main political parties in Zimbabwe
on 21 July 2008.
Our cautious optimism is premised on the
understating that while there is an
urgent need for dialogue in Zimbabwe -
the dialogue in question should not
be the exclusive preserve and
prerogative of political parties alone but an
inclusive process that
embraces the inclusion of civil society organisations
as opposed to the
exclusionary nature of the MOU.
We reaffirm civil society's postion on
the need for a new people driven
constitution that expressly guarantees
media freedom as outlined in the
Zimbabwe's People's Charter.
MISA
Zimbabwe further notes that two of the agenda items outlined in the MOU
relate to the 'media' and 'external' radio stations. While we are not privy
to the actual contents of the agenda items, we are of the view that the two-
week negotiation period should be preceded by an unequivocal and explicit
guarantee to the right of freedom of expression, access to information and
freedom of the media through the following actions:
An immediate
cessation of the arrests, harassment and torture of journalists
and media
houses reporting on Zimbabwe .
The granting of permission to all media
houses (both foreign and local) to
cover the political situation as it
unfolds.
The suspension and subsequent repealing of all repressive
legislation that
targets the media and in particular, the Access to
Information and
Protections of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Public Order and
Security Act (POSA),
Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) and the Interception of
Communications Act.
An immediate conversion of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation from a
state broadcaster into a truly independent public
broadcaster as mandated
under the guidelines of the African Charter on
Broadcasting. This should
also be accompanied by a freeing of the airwaves
to allow for commercial and
community broadcasting.
It is
MISA-Zimbabwe's strong submission that in the intervening interim
period and
in view of these developments all policies relating to the media
should be
guided and informed by the principles outlined under Article 9 of
the
African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which states that every
individual shall have the right to receive information and the right to
express and disseminate his opinions within the law.
The Windhoek
Declaration's Article 9 also states that: African states should
be
encouraged to provide constitutional guarantees of freedom of the press
and
freedom of association and expression".
MISA Zimbabwe therefore implores
the negotiating parties as well as the
mediators to remain true to the need
for a transitional process that carries
the people's confidence. This can
only be achieved in an environment that
immediately allows citizens to enjoy
their fundamental right to freedom of
expression, association, assembly,
access to information and media freedom.
http://www.hararetribune.com
By Phil Matibe | Harare Tribune
opinion@hararetribune.com
Updated: July 22, 2008 14:25
The scent of power
filling the corridors of kingmakers' offices from
Sandton to Harare has
clouded the judgement of persons who once had the
mandate from the majority
to form the next government and remove a
dictatorship. By allowing
themselves to become willing human shields of
tyranny, eager to be the
gentler side of despotism, self-serving democrats
are now the proverbial
lipstick on a baboon.
Communist guerilla warfare tactics call
for fighters to "hug"
conventional army units - meaning that the guerillas
in attack get
dangerously close to the defending entrenched army formation,
thus denying
the army the advantage of aerial or artillery fire support to
repulse the
attack.
ZANU (PF) is a violent Marxist/Leninist
party, which subscribes to
failed North Korean Juche, Chinese Maoist and
Soviet Marxist political and
military doctrines. The salvo of sanctions,
travel restrictions, military
intervention, and other forms of embargo will
be ineffectual if we can no
longer distinguish friend from foe. This
seemingly benign "hug", the GNU, a
contagious fatal virus, will in the
long-term mutate and devour democrats
who shall turn into mutant African
dictators. The GNU's only short-term
benefit is the self-preservation of
criminals and enablers of tyranny.
Mugabe - "Chikomo shata
rumwerutivi asi rimwe divi ritambire pwere."
Architects of
state violence, perpetrators of heinous human rights
violations, enablers of
tyranny and merchants of corruption who recently
outsourced genocide to the
continental experts of ethnic cleansing, the
Interahamwe, are now the
strange bedfellows and partners of credulous
democrats longing for justice,
peace and freedom.
Iyi ndiyo inonzi irikufa yaka "lodha" - NO
GNU, we will not recognise
any GNU, hapana iyoyo. Tonosanga kuHague. Talk of
GNU is pure bovine
excrement. National healing starts only when Mugabe and
his cronies are in
prison. The granting of immunity to any members of his
illegitimate
government is no longer possible, "nguva yacho yaka
pfuura."
Zimbabwe is about to witness the beginning of another
sad chapter in
our history that will give birth and entrench genetically
modified
dictators. Closet despots who are part of the furniture in the
boardrooms
of misrule are being breathed a new lease of life by naïve cloned
democrats
keen to have their turn in "100% affirmative
looting."
Apa mbudzi yaba nyama imbwa iripo - The goat steals
the meat while the
dog watches!
ZANU (PF) and injustice are
Siamese twins co-joined at the hip. They
require a complex surgical
operation for their separation. Due to shortages
of medicines, electricity,
and fuel as well as other social considerations,
this operation cannot occur
now. However once this delicate procedure has
been performed, some members
of ZANU (PF) need to be injected with an
antidote for tyranny. It is in the
form of a lead coated, 5.56mm full metal
jacket capsule. For enhanced
efficacy, has to be administered by a trained
patriot with a single shot in
the head or heart for best results.
The bar for democracy has
been set so low by Africa's numerous
autocrats and kleptomaniacs , it is now
acceptable to form a government
after violating all universally accepted
electoral standards, the rule of
law, international humanitarian law,
committed acts of genocide and rape,
torture and murder of political
opponents.
The African Union (AU) message to the next
generation of Zimbabwean
politicians: ruin your economy, preach racial
hatred, invent corrupt methods
of government, cheat in elections and loot
state coffers, plunder national
resources, kill your political opponents,
call favours from fellow despots,
attend AU & SADC sessions and get
their endorsement then declare yourself
Head of State . Pressure your
opponent into a coalition government arranged
by your peers, whilst you
continue to murder, rape and torture winning party
members. Offer the winner
of the elections a token unconstitutional position
in your government, like
the non-existent position of Prime Minister.
Apportion all fault for the
country's economic ills, agrarian reform
disaster and hyperinflation on your
ex-colonial ruler. Coerce your opponent
to become your cheerleader and send
him around the world with a begging
bowl. Establish credibility and
legitimacy through propaganda laced with
intimidation.
Africa's perpetual parasitic friends Russia and China never let us
down.
They will supply any buffoon with new anti-personnel mines that now
litter
our landscape, RPG7 rockets and AK47s. They will diligently veto any
UN
Security Council resolution that threatens the existence of their loyal
arms
customers - African warlords and dictators.
Some of us would
rather live in the political wilderness as members of
the opposition than to
allow ourselves to be enthusiastic associates of
persons whose hands are
dripping with the fresh blood of innocents and whose
fingers are still
trapped in the nation's cash registers.
Mandela never
negotiated with the godfathers of apartheid, Hendrik
Verwoerd, Johannes
"John" Vorster or Pieter "PW" Botha. The free world never
negotiated with
Idi Amin, Jean Bedel Bokassa, Mobutu Sese Seko, Sani Abacha,
or Mengistu
Haile Mariam. Why should we negotiate with Mugabe?
Kuramba
nyama yechidembo, hunge uyineyetsuro - if you refuse to eat a
skunk it means
you have rabbit meat on hand.
Phil Matibe
Anti-Tyranny Taskforce
http://www.idexonline.com
(July 22, '08, 8:01 IDEX
Online Staff Reporter)
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is being accused
of smuggling goods out
of the country to China, flying through Australian
airspace, according to
reports.
ABC Television in
Australia alleged that Mugabe used Air Zimbabwe
Boeing 767-200 flights to
transport illicit goods, including ivory, gold and
diamonds.
The reports quoted Australian opposition
leader, Brendan Nelson, who
claimed that over the past year the flights
entered Australian airspace
northwest of Christmas Island and were guided by
local air traffic
controllers.
According to RTTNews, a
recent flight carried 15 tons of unidentified
"palace cargo" to Beijing to
be exchanged for weapons and luxury items.
http://ippmedia.com
22 Jul 2008
By Corespondent Ritah
Wanza
A few weeks ago our attention was diverted to the African Union
summit
taking place in Egypt. In the town of Sharm El-Sheikh men who came
into
power through serious vote rigging, honest elections, coups and men who
are
destined to be presidents for life converged to discuss the continents
problems and the way forward.
But one man stole the whole
show....Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe attended as the President of Zimbabwe yet all
the members attending
knew the truth and knew the situation in Zimbabwe. But
they all chose not to
speak about it and it takes the silence of a good
people for evil to
flourish.
We have seen it happening in Rwanda,
Darfur, Somalia, and the Ivory Coast.
And the situation in Zimbabwe will
keep getting worse because our African
leaders are either afraid of giving
their own honest opinion or are afraid
of Mugabe himself.
Those who
attended the summit were not willing to criticize him openly or
speak
harshly about the crisis in Zimbabwe.
They did speak of Zimbabwe but it
wasn\'t done in the tone it should have
been or how the rest of the world
expected it to be.
No African leader stood up to speak about the
presidential run-off that fell
short of international standards.
What
will it take for the situation in Zimbabwe to change? We just saw what
happened with the United Nations Security Council - Russia and China vetoed
against sanctions on Zimbabwe and it is at this point that I beg to
differ.
Most of my friends were happy that the resolution to sanction
Zimbabwe
failed and their argument was that western countries should not
meddle in
the affairs of Zimbabwe.
I strongly support the fact that
an African problem should have an African
solution, but are we aware that
the sanctions were only meant for the
leaders and were not going to affect
the ordinary Zimbabweans in any way?
Should we all be silent as the
people of Zimbabwe suffer under the rule of a
man who has little respect for
humanity?
Thousands cannot even afford a loaf of bread, some families go
for days
without a proper meal, and we can stand today and applaud the man
who has
brought such a situation onto his people? Is that what politics are
made of?
Are African leaders going to rally behind Mugabe as he violates
the rights
to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of
assembly and
protection of the law of his own people?
Will they
support him as he assaults the media, the political opposition and
human
rights defenders?
African leaders` refusal to openly criticize Mugabe
means that they condone
what Mugabe is doing to his people.
Why are
they not speaking about it openly and why are they not quick to act?
Or
are they afraid of turning against their fellow African leader and
appearing
like they support the west?
I agree with the fact that sanctions would
have set a dangerous precedent of
political interference owing to the fact
that there might be a coalition
government in the making.
Imposing
them would indeed have impacted negatively on the current dialogue
process
among the two political parties but at the same time the sanctions
would
have worked something for Zimbabwe.
What if the coalition government
doesn\'t come into force? And why do we
trust Mugabe after having seen what
he is capable of?
Putting pressure on Mugabe and his thirteen associates
would have had a huge
impact on Zimbabwe.
The sanctions were a Travel
Ban and Assets Freeze against and affecting the
leaders only.
So why
applauding china and Russia for vetoing the resolution?
The sanctions
were meant for the leaders and not the people of Zimbabwe.
And they would
have added pressure on Zimbabwean leaders on finding a
lasting solution to
the crisis, politically and economically.
So why did Russia and China get
in the way of the resolution? Are we going
to be nice and accept the fact
that they didn`t want to interfere in the
affairs of Zimbabwe or are we
going to open our eyes and see the economic
interests that china and Russia
have or might have in Zimbabwe?
ritahwanza@yahoo.com
* SOURCE:
Guardian
The Times
July 23, 2008
Sanctions on Harare, including travel bans on officials in Robert
Mugabe's
regime, have been an unmitigated failure
Jonathan
Clayton
Moments after formally agreeing to enter talks on a power-sharing
deal,
President Mugabe cautioned against outside interference. "As we embark
on
the programme of negotiating the way forward ... we shall be doing this
as
Zimbabweans ... with South Africa," he declared.
Less than 24
hours after Monday's signing ceremony, the European Union -
showing an
exquisite sense of timing - agreed to broaden sanctions against
Zimbabwe. EU
foreign ministers said that it was important to keep up the
pressure.
Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, said: "Sanctions
have played
a role. We have to keep up that role."
He could not be more wrong. What
the West, particularly Britain and the US,
fails to understand is that it is
precisely that pressure which has allowed
Mr Mugabe to defy predictions and
remain at the helm of the country way
beyond his sell-by
date.
Sanctions - including travel bans on regime officials and the
freezing of
their overseas assets - have been an unmitigated failure. Most
of the elite
have been able to ignore them; Mr Mugabe is still in power and
the country
is in ruins.
For years it has been a perennial refrain
from the ruling Zanu (PF) party
that Morgan Tsvangirai is little more than a
puppet of former imperialists.
Many people believe, with commodity prices at
record highs, that Britain
wants to get its hands back on Zimbabwe's mineral
riches before China takes
them. Mr Mugabe has exploited that unease adeptly
for years. The West has
always proved a willing helper: talking tough,
threatening action and making
clear its obvious distaste for any deal other
than the former "freedom
fighter's" departure. By so doing it has
strengthened Mr Mugabe and
undermined those regional voices wanting him to
step down.
The West's failure to heed the lesson from past errors and adopt a
different
strategy lies at the heart of repeated failures of its diplomacy
since the
current Zimbabwean crisis began three months ago. It led directly
to
humiliation in the Security Council ten days ago when Russia and China
vetoed a resolution imposing tough sanctions on Harare.
That vote
also reflected the reality of shifting power alliances on the
continent.
Britain, in particular, has been slow to appreciate how little it
can
influence events in its former colony unless it has the backing of
neighbouring states.
President Mbeki, who has been ridiculed for his
"quiet diplomacy" on
Zimbabwe, made it clear that he believed a UN vote on
sanctions would make
it even more difficult to get talks started on a
government of national
unity. Consequently he lobbied hard and succeeded in
obtaining the veto. The
vote also demonstrated how much Africa now matters
to Russia and China, both
of which have built up huge commercial interests
on the continent in recent
years.
Even Zimbabwe's most critical
neighbours, Zambia and Botswana, favoured the
South African approach to the
frantic "Mugabe must go - now" tub- thumping
of London and its European
allies. Commentators argue that few people in the
region believe Mr
Tsvangirai and his MDC party hold the answer to the
country's problems. More
importantly, they know that Mr Mugabe's henchmen in
the security services
will only let him retire as a part of a broader
negotiated
settlement.
It is far too early for Mr Mbeki's approach to be vindicated,
but a look at
the memorandum of understanding signed by Mr Mugabe and Mr
Tsvangirai shows
how far he may have come.
The agenda for talks
includes a new constitution, the promotion of equality,
national healing and
cohesion and unity. At the signing ceremony, the
Opposition was upbeat while
Mr Mugabe was resigned. "Everyone accepts Mugabe
will not be there when the
talks are over ... well, that is unless the EU
and Gordon Brown keep trying
to help speed things along," said one
exasperated South African diplomatic
source.
The Zimbabwean
Tuesday, 22 July 2008 09:06
HARARE, (CAJ
News)---POWER-SHARING deal signed between president
Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe
African National Union (ZANU PF) and Morgan
Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) has been well received by
millions of Zimbabweans
living in exile in South and other parts of the
world as a stepping stone
towards total democracy, a snap survey revelaed on
Tuesday.
But
the United States of America (USA) says the George Bush
administration is
closely watching talks between the southern African
nation's two warring
political parties whether the latest Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU)
signed in Harare on Monday would lead to a result that
expresses the will of
the Zimbabwean people.
Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees and asylum
seekers in South Africa
welcomed the signing ceremony, but quickly pointed
out that the signing deal
needed commitment from both parties if there is
ever a need to see
Zimbabwe's political and socio-economic crises come to an
end.
"I am happy that president Thabo Mbeki's mediation effort has
come to
fruition. Well, what is left now is for both parties to treat this
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with some great respect the paper
deserves. Otherwise I am smelling democracy once again in my country," said
Muchadeyi Zviripi, a Zimbabwean national based in Brussels,
Belgium.
The Welfare officer of the Zimbabwe Political Victims
Association
(ZIPOVA), Joshua Mambo-Rusere, who is based in Johannesburg,
South Africa,
says the most important thing to be implemented before taking
into
consideration of some of the burning national issues such as the land
reform, new elections as well as luring of foreign investors into the
country, Zimbabwe urgently requires new constitution.
"I do
welcome the signing ceremony that will lead to the power-sharing
deal, but
my main appeal right now is to have a new constitution. Once we
formulate a
new but people driven constitution, then we would proudly say
democracy has
finally returned to Africa's breadbasket.
"Over the past eight
years we have seen some controversial and
dangerous pieces of legislation
being passed in parliament without
consulting the nation. We have witnessed
draconian laws being imposed to the
nation simply because the ruling ZANU
(PF) was using majority of its
parliamentarians to change laws that suited
the regime of the day. Now with
the new proposed power-sharing deal, I am
convinced this is the right time
to make amends, especially in crafting of a
new constitution replacing the
one that is profusely bleeding," said
Mambo-Rusere.
Mabo-Rusere is one of the founder members of the MDC
in 1999 and has
been living in exile in South Africa for six years following
death threat
from Zanu (PF) and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
for allegedly
killing Zanu (PF) chairman for Mbare East, Alikan Majengwa, a
claim that was
found to be untrue, unsubstantiated and
balessless.
Despite the biting poverty that is currently prevailing
in Zimbabwe,
the nation celebrated the signing in of the MOU that would lead
to
power-sharing saying they could not wait to once again experience fruits
of
democracy without being intimidated, tortured, beaten or killed for
supporting the party of their choices.
A drive around
Zimbabwe's capital city Harare and its second largets
city of Bulawayo was
greeted by small pockets of men and their female
counterparts sharing
bottles of either clear beer or the traditional opaque
showing solidarity to
the latest signing.
"Let us drink and merry because the true
Zimbabwe that belongs to
everyone is coming back. The old Zimbabwe we knew
was for both blacks,
whites, coloureds and any other individual interested
in becoming the
Zimbabwean provided he or she does not have crimal records,"
said
Christopher Miller, a resident of Chisipite in Harare's low density
surbubs.
Miller added: "The present Zimbabwe that is in economical
turmoil
belongs to the army generals, Central Intelligence Organisation
(CIO), youth
militia, war veterans and Zanu (PF) central committee and
politburo
respectively."
Milton Maunganizde of Toronto in Canda
says he hoped to come back home
to Zimbabwe once the actual power-sharing
deal is put into practise. He
says signing of the document does not mean
commitment arguing that both
parties, that is president Mugabe and
Tsvangirai did not trust each other
fuelling speculation that the signing
would be just to impress the world.
"I am a bit skeptical about
this signing because Mugabe and Tsvangirai
do not trust each other.
Nevertheless, I am giving this deal a benefit of
doubt until the actual
power-sharing has been implemented, otherwise I do
not trust Mugabe," said
Maunganidze.
Bishop Paul Verryn, Johannesburg's minister for
Methodist, who
administers Johannesburg Central Methpodist, says the African
Union (AU),
United Nations (UN) and the Southern African Development
Community (SADC)
could continue monitoring this phase until completion of
the powersharing
deal.
"Thousands of Zimbabweans are still
flocking into South Africa despite
the fact that there are nomore elections
taking place in that country.
Political violence must come to an end, and
people be allowed to exercise
their full democratic rights of choosing the
political party of their
choice, freedom of association as well as press
freedom," said Bishop
Verryn.
The US embassy in Harare issued a
statement on Tuesday saying the Bush
administration also welcomed the
signing of the MOU ceremony but quickly
gave a caution to the signing deal
arguing that the US government would
continue to monitor from afar to see
whether this indeed was a true
reflection of the people of Zimbabwe's
will.
State Department deputy spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos , said
July the MOU
provides "a vehicle for undertaking talks," but that
power-sharing
discussions have yet to take place.
"We're obviously
keeping an eye on what's happening there and we're
going to continue to
watch it closely," he said. "I think we're waiting to
see the evolution of
this process."
Gallegos said the United States is looking forward
to a resolution
that brings about new elections. MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai withdrew from
the June 27 runoff presidential vote between
himself and President Robert
Mugabe after weeks of politically motivated
violence against MDC supporters.
U.S. officials, including President Bush,
have described the election as a
"sham."
Gallegos said U.S.
officials want to see "an election that is free and
fair and open, and that
all parties can participate in without fear of
aggressive acts against
them."
In July 15 testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign
Relations
Committee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Jendayi Frazer
said talks between ZANU-PF and the MDC can succeed if they
result in a
"transitional government that could then prepare for an election
so that we
could get back to a democratic path." (See "Zimbabwe's Rulers
Might Face
Additional U.S. Sanctions--CAJ News.
http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk
But is it anything more than just another
Mugabe plot?
As I forecast on this site at the weekend, President Mugabe
and opposition
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai came face to face yesterday,
signed an
agreement outlining a framework for talks on Zimbabwe's political
future,
and shook hands on the deal.
This bizarre meeting of two
sworn enemies took place in a Harare hotel, and
was chaired by an apparently
triumphant South African president Thabo Mbeki,
who has been much criticised
for previous failures to make something like
this happen.
But the ink
of the signatures was barely dry before the first doubts were
expressed.
Observers pointed out that a handshake and some reluctant smiles,
unprecedented though they were, will do nothing substantial to rid the
country of Mugabe's reign of terror and oppression.
As the talks
begin - the Memorandum gives them a two-week timetable - it is
evident that
the two leaders have radically opposing aims in view.
Tsvangirai clearly
sees the process leading to a period of transition of
power, with the end
result a truly democratic government as voted for in the
elections earlier
in the year.
But Mugabe is thought to have another scenario in mind. He
sees the talks as
a way of muzzling the opposition, deflecting international
criticism of his
rule, avoiding further sanctions against the country, and
giving his African
neighbours an excuse once again to hail him as a great
leader of his
people.
He can pretend the talks succeed. He may offer
a couple of cabinet places,
plus a Mercedes or two, to top MDC figures. But
he will remain President. He
will be backed by the same military junta that
keeps him in power today, and
he will only retire at a time he
chooses.
Meanwhile the people of Zimbabwe will continue to suffer the
hardships of a
failed state, a collapsed economy, and an inflation rate of
ludicrous
proportions.
Will the violence now cease - as Tsvangirai
was originally demanding as a
condition for talks to begin? I believe it
continues today, though perhaps
on a slightly diminished scale.
To
give the people, especially MDC supporters, freedom from fear will mean
the
reining in of the brutal Mugabe militia. The thugs will lose their
licence
to murder and maim, which the state has granted them. They will also
lose
the money the government has been paying them.
Will they go quietly? Will
they stop the bullying, the beating and the
killing? Or will this prove to
be one genie that will be reluctant to go
back in the bottle?
Posted
on Tuesday, 22 July 2008 at 07:47
http://ippmedia.com
22 Jul 2008
By Corespondent Ritah
Wanza
A few weeks ago our attention was diverted to the African Union
summit
taking place in Egypt. In the town of Sharm El-Sheikh men who came
into
power through serious vote rigging, honest elections, coups and men who
are
destined to be presidents for life converged to discuss the continents
problems and the way forward.
But one man stole the whole
show....Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe attended as the President of Zimbabwe yet all
the members attending
knew the truth and knew the situation in Zimbabwe. But
they all chose not to
speak about it and it takes the silence of a good
people for evil to
flourish.
We have seen it happening in Rwanda,
Darfur, Somalia, and the Ivory Coast.
And the situation in Zimbabwe will
keep getting worse because our African
leaders are either afraid of giving
their own honest opinion or are afraid
of Mugabe himself.
Those who
attended the summit were not willing to criticize him openly or
speak
harshly about the crisis in Zimbabwe.
They did speak of Zimbabwe but it
wasn\'t done in the tone it should have
been or how the rest of the world
expected it to be.
No African leader stood up to speak about the
presidential run-off that fell
short of international standards.
What
will it take for the situation in Zimbabwe to change? We just saw what
happened with the United Nations Security Council - Russia and China vetoed
against sanctions on Zimbabwe and it is at this point that I beg to
differ.
Most of my friends were happy that the resolution to sanction
Zimbabwe
failed and their argument was that western countries should not
meddle in
the affairs of Zimbabwe.
I strongly support the fact that
an African problem should have an African
solution, but are we aware that
the sanctions were only meant for the
leaders and were not going to affect
the ordinary Zimbabweans in any way?
Should we all be silent as the
people of Zimbabwe suffer under the rule of a
man who has little respect for
humanity?
Thousands cannot even afford a loaf of bread, some families go
for days
without a proper meal, and we can stand today and applaud the man
who has
brought such a situation onto his people? Is that what politics are
made of?
Are African leaders going to rally behind Mugabe as he violates
the rights
to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of
assembly and
protection of the law of his own people?
Will they
support him as he assaults the media, the political opposition and
human
rights defenders?
African leaders` refusal to openly criticize Mugabe
means that they condone
what Mugabe is doing to his people.
Why are
they not speaking about it openly and why are they not quick to act?
Or
are they afraid of turning against their fellow African leader and
appearing
like they support the west?
I agree with the fact that sanctions would
have set a dangerous precedent of
political interference owing to the fact
that there might be a coalition
government in the making.
Imposing
them would indeed have impacted negatively on the current dialogue
process
among the two political parties but at the same time the sanctions
would
have worked something for Zimbabwe.
What if the coalition government
doesn\'t come into force? And why do we
trust Mugabe after having seen what
he is capable of?
Putting pressure on Mugabe and his thirteen associates
would have had a huge
impact on Zimbabwe.
The sanctions were a Travel
Ban and Assets Freeze against and affecting the
leaders only.
So why
applauding china and Russia for vetoing the resolution?
The sanctions
were meant for the leaders and not the people of Zimbabwe.
And they would
have added pressure on Zimbabwean leaders on finding a
lasting solution to
the crisis, politically and economically.
So why did Russia and China get
in the way of the resolution? Are we going
to be nice and accept the fact
that they didn`t want to interfere in the
affairs of Zimbabwe or are we
going to open our eyes and see the economic
interests that china and Russia
have or might have in Zimbabwe?
ritahwanza@yahoo.com
* SOURCE:
Guardian
VOA
By Carole Gombakomba
Washington
22 July
2008
Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin'ono overcame the
country's controversial
media laws to produce a documentary about the many
Zimbabweans suffering
with and dying of HIV/AIDS that won the 2008 CNN
Multi-Choice African
Journalist of the Year Award.
His documentary,
entitled "Pain in my heart," was selected from nearly 2,000
entries. He was
one of 23 finalists at an awards ceremony held in Accra,
Ghana, on Saturday
evening.
His documentary, which examined the challenges faced by
Zimbabweans with
HIV/AIDS, was also recognized in February when Chin'ono was
awarded the 2008
Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship
Award.
Chin'ono told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe that
he feels honored to have won the prestigious award despite the
many
obstacles he faced to produce the documentary, including Zimbabwe's
repressive media laws.
The winner of the CNN MultiChoice competition,
cosponsored by The Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation, receives a cash prize
of $7,000 plus a laptop
computer and printer.
