SW Radio Africa News Stories for 07 July 2010
By Lance Guma
07 July 2010
The credibility of the current outreach programme to canvass people’s views on a new constitution suffered a body blow this week, following revelations that participating MPs had fraudulently hired out vehicles loaned to them by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
According to a report by the recently launched News Day newspaper, Constitutional Select Committee (COPAC) co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora said some of the legislators had hired out vehicles which legally belonged to the central bank, and that this was tantamount to “fraud.”
The paper says the scam was only uncovered when COPAC was processing payment for the vehicles hired out to the committee through the Central Mechanical Equipment Department. A total of 265 vehicles have been hired for the outreach exercise but it’s not yet clear how many of these belong to the central bank.
Under a controversial vehicle scheme the central bank bought vehicles for some MPs with the understanding they would be returned, once an official parliamentary vehicle loan scheme had been approved. News Day reports that the ‘majority’ of MPs did not return these vehicles even when they got their own loans. It is these same vehicles that they are now using to cash in on the outreach exercise.
COPAC is said to be coughing up US$80 per day per vehicle and another 22 cents per kilometer from resources predominantly provided by donors, who include the United Nations Development Programme. Mwonzora has since said any payments for cars that are not owned by the MPs will be sent to the central bank instead.
The latest revelations will give credence to accusations from groups like the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), who said the process was just another excuse to loot donor funds. In June the NCA charged that COPAC had “spent more time in disagreements over allowances and per diems. This is a clear indication that this group of mercenaries are only in this process to fatten their pockets and not to write the constitution. The process is a circus and heading for a catastrophic ending.”
On Wednesday NCA spokesman Madock Chivasa told Newsreel “we are having people in positions of responsibility like the legislators, manipulating the process so that they get money. So what has happened must not come as a surprise.”
Meanwhile the NCA is already preparing to mount a campaign for people to vote against the draft constitution that will be produced. Chivasa said although they had initially wanted to wait and see what sort of draft will be adopted it was now clear from the chaos, confusion and intimidation of the past few days that the country will not get a people driven constitution.
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 07 July 2010
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 07 July 2010
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 07 July 2010
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 07 July 2010
In the hidden story, MDC-T deputy organising secretary Morgan Komichi tells us how the President of the Chiefs council, chief Fortune Charumbira is abusing his position to try and influence the outcome of the constitutional outreach program. The Chief is allegedly moving around Masvingo province instructing participants how to answer questions that promote ZANU PF views.
Sokwanele - Enough is Enough -
Zimbabwe
PROMOTING
NON-VIOLENT PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY
Constitution Outreach: News Round-Up, 2
July – 7 July
Sokwanele : 7 July 2010
These
are media extracts featuring news on the constitutional outreach process
between 2 July and 7 July. To review previous news items, or follow updates
daily, please visit the Constitution
Resource page on the Sokwanele website. Please note that links to sources
and full articles are also available on the resource page.
2 July 2010 - cont
Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF Says NGOs, West Sabotaging Constitution
Rewrite Process
The
former ruling ZANU-PF party of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has accused
Western governments of trying to sabotage the country's troubled constitutional
revision process [...] ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told VOA Studio 7
reporter Blessing Zulu that non-governmental groups are working with Western
governments to derail the constitutional revision process. But spokesman Nelson
Chamisa of the MDC formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said it is
clear that ZANU-PF supporters are responsible for disturbances of outreach
meetings. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said that despite widespread
confusion, logistical hitches and intimidation, the process must go on so that
a new constitution can be drafted [Via
VOA News].
Tsvangirai's MDC faces risk losing credibilty: Madhuku
National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairman, Lovemore Madhuku, said there were
unbridgeable differences over ideas for a new constitution for the country. He
said it appeared Tsvangirai had believed that the formation of the unity
government would lead to the writing of a new constitution. Drafting a new
constitution for the country was one of the key tenets of a power sharing deal
agreed by President Mugabe and Tsvangirai after the inconclusive 2008 general
elections. However, Madhuku claimed the whole process had since degenerated
into a farce. "I have reports from reliable sources that whenever the
constitutional consultation team is headed to a particular area, (it) is often
completely evacuated. The 700 people involved in the (constitutional reform)
exercise have no option but to just sit in a hotel in Harare. I can assure you
that no people-driven constitution is being written". Madhuku’s NCA has
been campaigning for a new constitution but refused to back the cur rent effort
to write a new charter for the country arguing it was not “people-driven” [Via New Zimbabwe].
Outreach: Chiefs up in arms over status
FinGaz
reports on divisions between different political groupings, and reflects on the
role of traditional leaders in the outreach programme: "The traditional
leaders are dismayed that after being excluded from active politics through the
Traditional Leaders Act, they are also being shunted out of the
constitution-making process. While many interest groups have muscled their way
into the various outreach teams, chiefs have been left clutching at straws
without any one representing their interests. Why, they ask, are NGOs, whose
constituency is never known, being allowed more representation at the expense
of traditional leaders who command huge rural constituencies and are very
popular? The traditional leaders warn that it is futile for any institution to
dream of ending problems of violence without their direct involvement. It is
their role, they say, to spearhead peace-building initiatives and national
healing, but they are either being sidelined altogether or simply bein g
ignored despite their close connection to the perpetrators and victims of
violence. They say the problem is that once government appears to ignore them,
people in turn treated them with contempt. They are viewed as a cultural relic,
hence, the crisis of “values and identity”. Their unanimous position is that
elections are not a priority because they will not resolve the country’s
problems. The environment is not yet conducive for fresh elections, they say,
given their divisive nature. What should be given priority is national healing
led by traditional leaders" [Via
The Financial Gazette].
NCA on the writing of the new constitution
In
a National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Press release that also outlines the
NCA's guiding principles, the organisation makes this statement: "The
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) wishes to re-affirm its position
regarding the writing of the new constitution for Zimbabwe. In 1999 we gathered
in Chitungwiza at the National Working People’s Convention as well as the first
People’s Constitutional Convention . The constitutional making process is also
clearly outlined in the Zimbabwe People’s Charter and again re-emphasized in
Chitungwiza at the 2nd People’s Constitutional Convention in July of last year.
We resolved that there should be an inclusive and broad-based
constitution-making process in Zimbabwe; to foster, protect and deepen a
culture of human rights and respect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe and to
implement, incorporate and protect human rights [...]The NCA, through the Take
Charge Campaign have already started the campaign for the rejection of a draft
constitution that will emerge from the fraudulent process currently underway
and led by selfish greedy politicians from ZANU PF and MDC. We continue to be
disappointed by fly by night and aimless civic groups that are aiding this
money spinning process but we also understand that they have sold our
principles because of their insatiable appetite for gold and silver as well as
their disgraceful adore for donor funds. Most of this misguided organizations
are busy sending false reports lying that there is progress in the government
led confused constitutional making process while events on the grounds have
clearly proven that the Mwonzora-Mangwana process is a monumental charade. They
are at pains to justify huge amounts of money they got from donors under the
false pretence of making a constitution for Zimbabwe [Via National Constitutional Assembly -
Press Release].
COPAC bosses face axe over chaos
Heads
are set to roll at the Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) as it emerged this
week that the Management Committee of the constitution-making process is
seething with anger over the chaos characterising the exercise [...] Eric
Matinenga, the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, yesterday
said concerns had been raised within COPAC and from the outreach teams over the
poor management of the exercise. Douglas Mwonzora, one of the co-chairpersons
of COPAC, said the committee responsible for the outreach met on Tuesday to
review progress on the consultative process with a view to ringing some changes
[Via The Financial Gazette].
Mangwana U-turn on Copac violence
Co-Chairperson
of the Constitutional Select Committee Paul Munyaradzi Mangwana, the Zanu PF
representative in Copac, told journalists yesterday that reports of chaos and
violence were a figment of the media’s imagination. Last week, Mangwana
confirmed to NewsDay cases of violence that had erupted during constitutional
public hearings in Mashonaland West. “I can confirm that in Chinhoyi there was
an almost volatile situation when one of the political parties was being
suspected of using Copac vehicles to lobby its party members,” Mangwana said.
He said Copac experienced problems in Mashonaland West where people thought it
was unsafe to participate without police presence. But yesterday he made a
U-turn saying: “We have had meetings with the Select Committee where our team
leaders have reported that there was no violence.” Numerous incidents of chaos,
intimidation and violence were reported around the country and confirmed by
civic organisations, politicians and other eyewit nesses [...] Mangwana said
civic society was not part of the Copac project and whatever they reported
should not be taken seriously [Via
NewsDay].
NGOs accused of meddling in Copac outreach programme
Non-governmental
organisations, among them the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition, are allegedly meddling in the constitution outreach
programme. This has raised fears that they want to influence people to reject
the new constitution. The co-team leader for the Midlands outreach team, Cde
Joram Gumbo, told Chronicle in an interview yesterday that the smooth running
of the outreach programme was being threatened by NGOs who were
"invading" areas to be covered by the Copac teams in advance. He said
the NGOs, especially ZESN and the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, were getting
into centres for meetings ahead of the Copac teams uninvited, thereby inducing
fear in the participants. "They are being dropped by their cars all over
the areas that we are to cover ahead of us. These NGOs' presence is intimidating
people. They will be taking down some notes and people feel intimidated and
they have since expressed their concern over this to us," said Cde Gumbo.
"At one such meeting in Chief Sogwala on Thursday last week, the people
there demanded that the NGOs be thrown out of the meeting but we told them that
we can't do that as these people were Zimbabweans with a right to be anywhere
they so wished." Cde Gumbo said the NGOs appear to have an ulterior motive
in their actions as they have ignored Copac's outreach teams to wait for their
turn to air their views. "They have interpreted any attempt to keep a
distance from the Copac meetings as intimidation. They hinted to us that they
could influence people to vote ‘No' and reject the new constitution, if ever
they are kept away from the outreach work [Via
The Chronicle - state controlled media]
Constitution views
The
Zimbabwean publishes a selection of constitutional views sent in by its
readers: "Here in Shamva, we are being barred from saying out our views and
ideas for inclusion in the new constitution. Village heads have told us that
they alone shall speak on behalf of everyone during public consultation
meetings. Disappointed."; "Let us not be cowed by these Zanu (PF)
cowards, let’s defy their intimidation messages and go ahead to write a
constitution ine zvido zvedu (that contains our views and wishes).
Anonymous"; "I am appealing to all Zimbabweans to push for inclusion
in the new constitution the following issues that affect us all: a bill of
children and women’s rights, limited presidential powers and a cap on
presidential terms to a maximum of two, press freedom, dual citizenship and a
review of marriage and inheritance laws. Anonymous" ; "How can we
write a people centred constitution when Zanu (PF) has unleashed chaos here?
Civic society bodies should monitor the outrea ch exercise and produce a report
before the referendum so that we know whether to vote yes or no. Chirandu,
Murehwa" [Via The
Zimbabwean]
On, off outreach programme, off again
FinGaz
comment on the continuing problems with the outreach programme: "The
numerous problems dogging the constitution-making process have, to all intents
and purposes, put the whole exercise in doubt. Chances are that the next
elections could be held without a new constitution, a scenario that might fail
to pull the country from its current predicament. The outcomes of previous
elections — be they presidential or parliamentary — have been dogged by
controversy revolving around issues of legitimacy. The contestation for power
beyond the ballot box has therefore resulted in the country being ostracised
from the international community with devastating consequences on its economy
[...] Zimbabwe Human Rights executive director, Okay Machisa, said the country
might end up with a confused constitution should COPAC fail to put its house in
order: "However, there is still time for people to unite and understand
that this document is not for politicians, youth militia and others w ho would
want to wake up and say it should not go ahead, but a document for the people
of Zimbabwe. We should act now or risk going to the next elections with the
Lancaster House constitution,” he said" [Via The Financial Gazette]
3 July 2010
Villagers snub Copac outreach efforts
The
Standard reports on the apathy towards the constitution outreach programme from
people in Mashonaland East: "Copac co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T)
yesterday said he had received reports that villagers snubbed meetings in
Goromonzi. “We have been advised that there was terrible apathy in Goromonzi
[...] Reports are that there was a very low turn-out generally and we don’t
know why this is so. We will have to look at that.” The Standard quotes some
responses from residents it interviewed: "At Goromonzi shopping centre, a
group of women and some youths sitting at a veranda of a shop which had the
Copac schedule of meetings to be held in the area pasted on one of its walls,
pointed to another distant shop saying that was where they had seen the Copac
notice although they did not bother to read it. “We saw their poster pasted on
the wall of a shop over there,” one of the women said. “Vane shungu nazvo ndivo
vari kuenda (those who care about the meetings are attendi ng).” When The
Standard drew the group’s attention to the poster close to them, one of the
youths laughed saying, “Uku ndiko kunonzi kugarira constitution yacho,
tingadii? (We are sitting on the constitution, what else can we do?). Mwonzora
said Copac may have to re-organise the meetings: “If we find out that people
were genuinely unaware of the meetings, we will re-do the meetings but if we
establish that they knew but consciously decided not to attend, then we are
done with that area. I personally suspect that people may be reacting to
something — it could be intimidation or being forced to endorse something. The
level of apathy in Mashonaland East is terrible and people on the ground have
suggested that we review the method of calling for the meetings” [Via The Standard].
Constitution must preserve tradition, says First lady
The
state-controlled Herald reports on a speech by Grace Mugabe: "Zimbabweans
should take advantage of the constitution-making process to preserve tradition,
First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe has said [...] "You heard about the
constitution and let us contribute, but do not support the recognition of
homosexuals’ so-called rights. It is taboo to our culture and Satan will have
defeated us if we accept it. The constitution should be in accordance with our
culture and homosexuality is foreign to us. We should not listen to foreigners
and their promises. How many of their promises have been fulfilled?" she
asked [Via The Herald -
state-controlled media].
Safeguard national gains: President
President
Mugabe has challenged Zimbabweans to come up with a constitution that
safeguards and extends the gains of the liberation struggle. In a briefing with
the Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial leadership…President Mugabe urged
traditional leaders to play a key role in the constitutional outreach
programme. "Tochenjerawo zviye zvingade kupinzwa zvogojomora mabolts
atakasunga. Hatidi zvokuti pave neconstitution inotidzosera shure. It should be
an extension of the gains of our Independence," President Mugabe said.
President Mugabe said the new constitution should be a reflection of the
people’s wishes [Via The
Herald - state-controlled media].
MDC-T fires rapporteur for being ‘inclined’ to Zanu-PF
MDC-T
has reportedly fired one of its rapporteurs in the Midlands Province for
allegedly capturing views aligned to Zanu-PF during the ongoing constitution
outreach programme [...] However, the MDC-T’s Copac outreach co-team leader for
the province, Mr Amos Chibaya, yesterday denied that they fired the rapporteur
[...] “There is nothing of that nature. Martin was just transferred to Harare
upon his request to solve some problems in the capital where he is based. As
the supervisor, I had to comply with his request which was genuine [...] I
first sought clearance from Mr (Douglas) Mwonzora. We had a vacancy of one
rapporteur in Glen View and he has gone to fill that post. I wonder why people
want to try and look for some negative things to publicise even when there is
no issue.” [...] Sources however told Chronicle that the MDC-T rapporteur was
fired from the Midlands Province after the party raised complaints against him
for presenting data which they felt was “inclined” to wards Zanu-PF’s
interests. “Martin was selected under an MDC-T ticket but some of the party
officials were not aware of the fact that he had joined Zanu-PF aligned Youths
in Mining organisation,” said the source. The source said after realising that
he was not representing the interests of the party, Mr Chibaya and other senior
party officials then recalled the rapporteur and showed him the “red card” [Via The Chronicle - state-controlled
media].
‘Marital rape should not be included in constitution’
The
state-controlled Chronicle reports
that villagers in Gwanda said marital rape should not be included in the new
constitution, quoting comments from 70 year old Gogo Sizalakho Elizabeth
Nyathi: “There is nothing like rape in a marriage. When a woman leaves her
parents’ home to go and live with her husband, she should satisfy his needs.
There is nothing like rape in a marriage”. The paper also said villagers
believe the age of majority should remain at 18yrs old, and that they believed
in freedom of the press. On the media, the state-controlled paper reports that
"The villagers also said media organisations should be owned by the Government
and the country’s citizens only". But in some areas in Gwanda, no one
turned up for meetings: "The Copac outreach team arrived at Manama
Business Centre at about 1pm, but there were no villagers waiting for them.
Some of the prominent parliamentary officials who were part of the team
appeared stunned with the development and could be seen moving up and down at
the business centre".
5 July 2010
Reforms body wants NGO monitors arrested
Zimbabwe’s
constitutional reform commission has called for the arrest of civil society
workers monitoring the reforms, accusing them of sowing confusion and spreading
falsehoods about a troubled exercise to consult the public on the drafting of a
proposed new governance charter [...] But joint chairman of the Constitutional
Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) that is leading the reforms, Paul Mangwana, on
Sunday accused the three NGOs of a “hidden agenda” and sending out their
monitors to spread lies and tarnish the constitutional reform process.
Mangwana, a member of ZANU PF, said: “These people from non governmental
organisations must be arrested. They are peddling lies about the process …. why
should we be monitored? We believe they have a hidden agenda to tarnish the
process.” A senior member of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party and a
joint chairman of the COPAC, Douglass Mwonzora, concurred with Mangwana that
the civil society monitors were “peddling lies” abou t the outreach exercise.
“These monitors are disseminating falsehoods about the process,” said Mwonzora,
who however did not call for the civil society workers’ arrest [Via ZimOnline].
ZIMTA engages stakeholders on constitution
The
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) will this week hold discussions with
over 60 primary and secondary school teachers’ representatives from all over
Zimbabwe on the constitution making process. ZIMTA chief executive officer, Mr
Sifiso Ndlovu, told Sunday News that the teacher body had taken the initiative
to use its members and structures to reach out to Constitutional Parliamentary
Committee (COPAC) teams deployed in the country so that they could advance the
ideals that teachers yearn for. “This meeting will be in Gweru on 9 and 10 July
2010. ZIMTA is participating as a matter of civic responsibility and as matter
of mandate to speak on issues that affect the teaching profession, education in
general and governance tenets,’’ he said. The CEO lamented that although
teachers were at the centre of community affairs and were opinion leaders in
rural areas and townships, they were not respected by politicians who seemed to
regard them as crossing the political grains [...] Mr Ndlovu added that it was
disappointing that ZIMTA had met “hostile reactions’’ from some political
parties’ activists who threatened teachers with violence if they attended COPAC
meetings or participate. “While this was reported only in two areas so far, we
think the pattern may resemble the ugly scenes of the 2008 elections. This we
will be taking up with COPAC leadership and relevant political parties to nip in
the bud such undemocratic methods of extending influence,’’ he said [Via The Sunday News].
Outreach Process Monitors face more arrests and threats
More
independent monitors of the controversial constitutional outreach programme now
face official arrest, after being threatened to keep away from the process by
the heads of the programme. [...] According to our correspondent, Simon
Muchemwa, a team of monitors were arrested Thursday in Mutare and others
previously in Mashonaland West. Three of them were recently reported to have
been abducted by ZANU PF supporters and taken to a farm in the Makonde district
of Mashonaland West where they were beaten. In most of the cases the police
have failed to act to prevent the intimidation and attacks [...] The abuse of these
monitors will also not help matters for the Zimbabwean government
internationally. A government delegation recently visited Brussels to meet with
the European Union on Friday. It is understood they were told to stop harassing
human rights activists and stop government-led waves of violence, if they are
to move forward. Analysts on Sunday also indicated that co ntroversial
developments such as the launch of the constitution-making outreach programme,
were causing the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange to continue to decline [SW Radio Africa].
No Plans to Arrest Zimbabwe NGOs Monitoring Constitutional
Outreach – Officials
Two
of the three co-chairmen of the parliamentary select committee in charge of
Zimbabwe's constitutional revision process said Monday that it is not true, as
press reports have suggested, that they have called or will call for the arrest
of non-governmental organization activists monitoring the ongoing public
outreach process [...] Select Committee Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora of the
Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
told VOA Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that observers are free to
participate as long as they identify themselves to the committee and secure
accreditation. Co-Chairman Edward Mkhosi of the MDC grouping of Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara said he was not aware that anyone on his committee
was calling for the arrest of independent monitors. Mkhosi told VOA that the
panel is encouraging wide participation in outreach meetings being held across
the country. VOA was unable to reach the ZANU-PF co-chairman of t he committee,
Paul Mangwana, who was quoted by the Web news source ZimOnline as saying NGOs
have a “hidden agenda” and calling for the arrest of monitors [Via VOA News].
Women urged to turnout in large numbers
The
MDC Women’s Assembly secretary, Hon Evelyn Masaiti has urged women to turn out
in large numbers in the constitution-making process to fulfill the goal of
50-50 gender representation in key developmental posts. ‘The issue of patriarchy
is of high concern where men are placed with great honour and women are
inferior in decision making and taking up leadership positions,” said Hon
Masaiti. [...] Hon Masaiti condemned incidences of intimidation continuing in
Gokwe where MDC members are being threatened with eviction by chiefs and
headmen if they stand up and express their opinions when the Copac team reaches
their wards. "Zanu PF feels the only way they can keep their position is
by threatening people. But you must not cow to their threats, it’s about time
the voice of the masses is raised to extricate this country of Mugabe’s
despotism. It’s a struggle we have to finish, let us voice up and be
heard." The mini-rallies were attended by Provincial women assembly led b
y chairlady Ngoma Bessie and other members [Via
MDC Today - 5 July 2010].
Man assaulted after speaking at outreach meeting
In
Mashonaland East province, an MDC member in Sadza, Chikomba East district,
Kemson Chikasha (67) lost his front two teeth after he was assaulted by his
brother, who is a Zanu PF apologist and village head. The assault took place
during a constitution consultation meeting in Sadza on June 28 when Kemson
contributed during the meeting. His brother, the village head, warned him not
to speak as spokespersons had already been selected prior to the meeting to
speak on behalf of the whole ward. In Matabeleland North province, Zanu PF
officials in Umguza area are harassing and intimidating MDC members. Sawmills
Headman Jealous Tshakalisa has intimidated and threatened Simon Moyo, the MDC
Umguza district youth vice chairperson has been mobilising people to
participate in the constitution process [Via
MDC Today - 5 July 2010].
Outreach teams chased out of hotels
COPAC
outreach teams have been evicted from hotels in Mutare for failing to settle
bills with some of the workers having spent more than two days without getting
their lunch and dinner owing to the same problem. Sources within the outreach
teams in Mutare who are not allowed to talk to the media said COPAC outreach
teams staying at Mountview and Wiseowl hotels have been chased out because of
COPAC’s failure to settle their hotel bills. They said the team had gone for
two days without getting their meals because of the same problem.MDC-T COPAC
co-chair Douglas Mwonzora dismissed the allegations as unfounded before
referring this reporter to his Mutare based Personal Assistant Ernest
Nyamukachi who refused to comment [...] “I have verified your issue with the
Mutare people who have said that there is nothing of that nature. There are
some people within the society who do not want this thing to move and those are
the same people who are peddling lies. We want to deal with rea l issues and we
need to demystify them so that real issues are dealt with. You can even contact
the said hotel management and verify with them,” he said [Via ZimEye].
21 drivers still await payment from COPAC
Three
weeks into the constitution making process outreach programme, it has emerged
that 21 drivers in Matabeleland North province are yet to receive their daily
allowances, a situation that has compromised mobility of outreach teams. The
drivers are supposed to get US$25 dollars per day as per arrangement with the
Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (Copac). Speaking to Sunday News on
condition of anonymity, one of the drivers alleged they had not been paid since
the programme started three weeks ago.He said they were relying on handouts
from members of the outreach teams for their meals. “As I speak today, we are
still holding on to promises from Copac guys who are telling us that they will
give us our daily allowances yet nothing is materialising. It is sad because we
are starving and it is not workably. What we have agreed with our colleagues
(the 21 drivers), is that if we don’t get our money by Monday next week
(tomorrow), we will immediately stop working because we feel we are being taken
for granted,’’ said one of the drivers sounding furious [Via The Sunday News].
6 July 2010
Question on Zimbabwe's constitutional process asked in UK
Parliament
Gavin
Williamson: What action is my right hon. Friend taking with other African
nations to ensure that Zimbabwe adopts a new constitution and ends the endemic
corruption within the country? Mr Hague: We work closely with our partners around
Africa, foremost among which, of course, is South Africa. We support its
efforts and those of President Zuma to engage closely with Zimbabwe and to push
it towards reform. We-the UK and other donors-also support, through the UN
development programme, the implementation of the Zimbabwean constitution. Given
the concerns that my hon. Friend and others have raised, I should say that that
happens not through direct funding of the Zimbabwean Government, but through
that UN programme [Via House
of Commons Hansard Debates (UK)]
Zimbabwe Constitutional Panel, NGOs Meet on Monitoring of
Outreach Process
Zimbabwe's
Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Revision met Tuesday with
civil society activists and agreed to set ground rules under which
non-governmental organizations can continue to monitor – or observe, as
parliamentary officials preferred to say – the ongoing public consultation
process. Parliamentary sources said they agreed to draw up a code of conduct
governing how independent observers will go about monitoring the process
nationwide. Select Committee Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora told VOA Studio 7
reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that lawmakers and NGO officials agreed that all
independent observers should be accredited with the committee. But Chairwoman
Dadirai Chikwengo of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations
denied that agreement had been reached on the issue of accreditation [Voa VOA News].
Influential Chief accused of destabilising outreach program
The
MDC-T party on Tuesday strongly accused the influential President of the Chiefs
Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira of abusing his position to undermine the
outreach program. Senator Morgan Komichi, the MDC-T coordinator of the
constitutional making process, reacted furiously to reports that Chief
Charumbira was allegedly moving around some districts of Masvingo turning
consultative meetings into ZANU PF rallies. Komichi urged the management of the
Consitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) to take disciplinary action
against those seen as working to “poison or destroy” the program. Charumbira is
a senior COPAC delegate meant to be assisting the program. Komichi said they
didn’t mind seeing Charumbira working to further ZANU PF interests in the
process, as long as he was not an outreach team member using COPAC resources.
“He has abandoned his duties as a COPAC delegate and is now playing a
deconstructive role in the whole process. Because of his prior knowledge of the
program in the province, he is now using it to his advantage to turn COPAC
meetings into ZANU PF rallies,” Komichi said [Via Sw Radio Africa].
MDC ward secretary assaulted after speaking at a outreach
meeting
In
Manicaland province, the MDC secretary for Ward 20 in Mutare South had to be
hospitalised after sustaining serious internal injuries when he was assaulted
by the village head, Daniel Toopera, with the aid of two Zanu PF brothers,
Batsirai and Daniel Makomboti. Blessing Musarandega was assaulted after giving
his opinion during a Constitution-making outreach public meeting held on 29
June at Munyarari primary school. This is believed to have infuriated the
village head and his Zanu PF colleagues who had drafted a list of people who
were meant to speak at the outreach meeting. Recovering at a hospital in
Mutare, Musarandega said the assault would not deter him from his basic right
to participate in the drafting of a new Constitution. “They want to silence us
but they will not succeed. This is a national constitution and not a Zanu PF
baby. We are all Zimbabweans; we want our voices to be heard. I will
participate again when the outreach team comes back to the area,” said M
usarandega. The assailants have been reported to the police but no arrests have
been made [Via MDc Today - 6
July 2010]
7 July 2010
AIDS Organisations Threaten No Vote Campaign
Zimbabwe’s
HIV and AIDS service organisations have threatened a No vote of the new
consttution if it fails to capture their concerns. Participants to a meeting of
AIDS service organisations on Tuesday said they wanted rights to access
HIV&AIDS treatment and access to health services or they would join the NCA
in the no vote campaign [...] The meeting was attended by more than 15
representatives of AIDS services from around the country. “If our issues are
not captured by the COPAC we are definitely going to call for a No vote come
referendum time. HIV&AIDS issues are being ignored and yet everyone is
being affected in one way or the other,” said a member of one of the
organisations representing People Living with AIDS [Via RadioVop].
NANGO Welcomes COPAC’s Decision to Involve Civil Society in
Observing the Constitutional Outreach Meetings
NANGO
welcomes COPAC acceding to the involvement of civil society organisations in
observing the constitutional outreach process. On Tuesday 6 July 2010, a
meeting was held between civil society and COPAC at the Senate Chambers to
engage on the issue of civil society participation in observing the
constitutional outreach meetings countrywide. Consequently, COPAC and civil
society have agreed on a number of issues to guide the constitutional outreach
meetings as outlined below: 1/ Civil Society is free to deploy observers to the
constitutional outreach process. 2/ All observers shall be volunteers nominated
by a member organisation of NANGO. 3/ All observers will be issued with
accreditation cards identifying them – this will be used in the event of
enquiry. 4/ Observers and their organisations shall adhere to a comprehensive
code of conduct to govern the conduct and ethics of the observers agreed upon
by civil society and COPAC. 5/ Civil societ y will have the space to present
their observations on the outreach meetings to COPAC, channelling these through
NANGO. 6/Weekly briefings will be conducted between civil society and COPAC. 7/
All civil society organisations can conduct civic education programmes freely
without hindrance in all areas before outreach meetings are conducted [Via NANGO Press Release].
MPs in Copac car hire scam
Members
of Parliament involved in the constitution outreach programme have hired out
vehicles loaned to them by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) under a vehicle
scheme, in what could turn out to be a fraudulent exercise. Co-chairperson of
the Constitutional Select Committee (Copac) Douglas Mwonzora confirmed
yesterday that lawmakers who had hired out the vehicles in question were
demanding full payment yet the vehicles legally belonged to the RBZ. The scam
was uncovered when Copac was processing payment for the vehicles hired out to
the committee through the Central Mechanical Equipment Department [Via NewsDay].
Death penalty must stay: villagers
The
Chronicle writes about a SAPST report firstly highlighting that villagers in
Gwanda in Matabeleland South have called for the retention of the death penalty
and devolution of power in the new constitution. Villagers apparently also
argued that the new constitution should do away with provincial names that have
tribal connotations like Mashonaland, Matabeleland and Manicaland but instead
adopt names like southern or central province. Participants also said proceeds
from natural resources should benefit the communities from which they are
found, in terms of development and employment opportunities: "SAPST said
the most dominant view in the two meetings revolved around the issue of
devolution of power as the most preferred system of government" [Via The Chronicle].
MDC-T reports interference with the outreach process
In
Shamva, also in Mashonaland Central province, Central Intelligence Office
agents on Tuesday addressed villagers before the start of the outreach meetings
preaching the discredited Kariba draft. They threatened them with disappearance
if they did not comply with this directive. The CIO agents were driving
unmarked vehicles when they addressed villagers in Shamva at Bradley,
Kamudyariwa, Hore, Chidembo and Kasimbi meeting points. The Zanu PF Shamva
South MP, Samuel Ziteya, illegally withdrew written submissions that had been
handed to the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (Copac) team at Bradley.
In Fairfields, Chirumanzu, Midlands province, a deputy headmaster at Fairfields
primary school called for a parents’ meeting and started addressing them about
the Kariba draft ahead of Copac public meetings. Meanwhile, there are reports
in some provinces that people who want to participate in the meetings are
failing to do so as the Copac timetable is incorrect. In Masvingo province, the
MDC Chivi South district chairperson, Shelter Chifamba was threatened with
death by a self-styled war veteran and Zanu PF Chivi South Ward 24 chairman,
Machanja Risco at a funeral in Chivi. Chifamba, who was assaulted and had her
house destroyed in 2008, has been warned against mobilising people for the
Constitution consultations currently underway [Via MDC Today - 7 July 2010].
Youth leader arrested while mobilising MDC supporters
There
is an increased upsurge of intimidation of villagers in the rural areas by
State security agents as the Constitution-making process spreads out across the
country. Reports from the provinces show a worrying trend of an increase in
intimidation, harassment and arrests of people. The MDC Mashonaland Central
Youth Assembly deputy provincial chairperson, Brian Pfungweni was arrested in
Mt Darwin as he was mobilising MDC supporters to attend the Constitution-making
public meetings. Before his arrest he was attacked by Zanu PF supporters in the
area. However, instead of arresting the Zanu PF youths, the police arrested
Pfungweni. He has since been transferred to Bindura central police station and
is expected to appear in court this week [Via
MDC Today - 7 July 2010].
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2010 07 07
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ Overdue but needful
therapy for Zimbabwe’s criminal hierarchy. Zanu PF cadres look east for moral
guidance and their future hopes ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chinese official executed for corruption, rape
http://story.zimbabwestar.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/id/656419/cs/1/
Zimbabwe Star
Wednesday 7th July, 2010
(IANS)
A senior officer of the Chinese justice department was
executed Wednesday after being sentenced to death for corruption and rape.
The death sentence awarded to Wen Qiang, 55, former director
of Chongqing Municipal Judicial Bureau, by a lower court April 14 was approved
by the Chinese Supreme Court.
The Municipal Higher People's Court May 21 rejected the appeal
of Wen, who was convicted for accepting bribes, shielding criminal gangs, rape
and failing to account for his assets worth 10 million yuan, Xinhua reported.
The lower court convicted Wen of taking bribes of more than 12
million yuan ($ 1.76) by helping companies and businessmen gain illegal
profits.
Wen was also found guilty of shielding organised crime gangs
and raping a university student in 2007.
2010 07 07 -
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-07-police-fail-to-enforce-court-decision
KELVIN JAKACHIRA
Jul 07 2010 10:22
Police have reportedly failed to
enforce a High Court ruling ordering individuals occupying a farm in Chipinge,
Manicaland, to vacate the property owned by white commercial farmer, Trevor
Gifford.
The police reluctance comes amid
allegations that a powerful Zanu PF politician and Cabinet Minister threatened
to cause the arrest of any police officer found assisting white commercial
farmers to regain control of their invaded farms.
Didymus Mutasa, the Zanu PF
politburo secretary for administration and Minister of Presidential Affairs,
allegedly threatened with arrest and detention, of any police officer who
assisted white commercial farmers regain control of their properties.
Keys to the holding cells (where the
police would be detained), Mutasa is alleged to have said, would be handed to
Deputy Commissioner General of Police, Godwin Matanga.
By yesterday, police were reportedly
dilly-dallying in enforcing the court ruling declaring illegal the occupation
of Gifford’s Wolverhampton Farm by invaders.
Gifford spent most of yesterday at
the police station in Chipinge seeking assistance to enforce the High Court
order.
His lawyer, Trust Maanda, said: “The
last time I spoke with Gifford he said the people in occupation were still
staying put on the farm in spite of the order of the High Court. He was making
efforts to have the police enforce the order but they seemed not keen to take
action.”
Wayne Bvudzijena, the police
national spokesperson, said he did not have any information on the goings-on in
Chipinge. “Call me tomorrow,” he said. High Court judge, Justice George
Chiweshe ruled on June 30 that the occupiers “and those acting through or in
possession of the applicant’s house on subdivision 17 of Wolverhampton Farm,
Chipinge, shall restore possession and occupation of the house to the applicant
who is hereby entitled forthwith to resume occupation of the house and continue
his farming operations on subdivision 17 of Wolverhampton Farm (measuring 150
hectares) without hindrance, interference or obstruction.”
But despite being in possession of
the court order, police were reportedly dragging their feet.
Disclosures that Mutasa allegedly
threatened police officers are contained in the court application filed by
Gifford.
Mutasa has dismissed Gifford’s
accusations as “nonsense”.
2010 07 07
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/953686/-/11jpj13z/-/
By KITSEPILE NYATHI, NATION Correspondent
Posted Wednesday, July 7 2010 at 15:14
HARARE, Wednesday
Zimbabwe was forced to re-call a senior diplomat based in
Tehran after he was drugged by two Iranian women he picked up from the streets.
But Mr Brighton Mugarisanwa, a counsel at the Zimbabwean
embassy in Tehran has successfully challenged the re-deployment to Harare after
a labour court ruled that he had not been given a fair hearing.
According to the official Herald newspaper, the diplomat was
asked to return home in March after the case created a media frenzy in the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Zimbabwean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which employees Mr
Mugarisanwa said the case which happened in January had embarrassed the
government.
He allegedly invited the two women - one of them married - to
his apartment in Tehran at night.
One of the women allegedly drugged him before stealing his
property including his office keys as he lay unconscious.
In the letter informing him about the redeployment, the
government said Mr Mugarisanwa “was failing to cope with the social living
conditions in Iran as he was previously counselled on acts if indiscretion
involving relations with women,” the Herald reported on Wednesday.
He reportedly submitted a report that one of the two women who
drugged him was married.
It is a punishable offence in Iran for a married woman to be
alone with a man who is not her husband.
The diplomat argued that the redeployment would see his salary
being slashed from US$ 5000 to US$ 126 a month.
The court ruled that he had been recalled on the basis of
reports by the media and that of Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Iran Mr Nicholas
Kitikiti as well as his own report but no proper disciplinary action had been
instituted until he returned to Harare.
The judge said the diplomat had a right to be heard before he
could be recalled and that there was no guarantee that he would be found
guilty.
... …
2010 07 07
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=6188
by Patricia Mpofu
Wednesday 07 July 2010
Harare
ZANU PF provincial executive member and businessman Temba
Mliswa is expected to appear in court today to answer to a charge of fraud
allegedly committed five years ago, in what looks an increasingly dirty fight
for wealth and resources between powerful members of President Robert Mugabe’s
party.
Mliswa, a close relative of ZANU PF politburo member and
Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa, has clashed with powerful Police
Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri over shares in a white-owned car firm that
the police say Mliswa attempted to acquire fraudulently.
He denies the allegations insisting that he legitimately
acquired 51 percent stake in Nashio Motors from Hammarskjöld Banda who owned
the shares.
Mliswa claims Chihuri is conniving with Peter Westwood, who
holds 49 percent in Nashio Motors, to deprive him of his controlling stake in
the company.
The fiery-tempered Mliswa last week labeled Chihuri one of the
most corrupt men in the country who was using the police to try and intimidate
him into giving up his Nashio stake.
Chihuri immediately acted, ordering Mliswa’s arrest along with
Mutasa’s son Martin on fraud charges. The two were detained at the notorious
Matapi police station known for its filthy cells and where the police usually
torture suspects.
The two men were freed on bail on Monday. But Mliswa was able
to enjoy only a few hours of freedom before officers from the police criminal
investigations department swooped on him, this time over the mystery fraud
charge allegedly committed sometime in 2005.
“He (Mliswa) was re-arrested yesterday (Monday) on another
alleged fraud charge but the police are yet to give specific details,” said
Mliswa’s lawyer, Charles Chinyama. “He is expected to appear in court tomorrow
(Wednesday).”
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena was not immediately
available to take questions on the matter, while our usually reliable police
sources could not say what the fraud charge was about except that it is thought
to have been committed in Mashonaland West province where Mliswa sits on the
ZANU PF provincial executive.
The sources said there was possibility that Mliswa could also
be charged with defaming Chihuri over his claims that the police chief is
corrupt.
Reports say despite Mliswa’s claims to have legitimately
acquired shareholding in Nashio, the businessman used his political backing and
the recently gazetted indigenisation rules to muscle his way into the company
that he hopes to eventually takeover.
Under the indigenisation regulations foreign owned companies
with assets worth more than US$ 500 000 must sell stake to local blacks.
But the government is yet to announce new thresholds of stakes
to be sold off by foreign shareholders after backtracking form an initial
requirement that all non-indigenous-owned businesses must cede 51 percent stake
to locals by 2015.
It is not clear what Chihuri’s interest in Nashio, if any, is.
The police chief, who sits on the Joint Operations Command, a top committee of
securocrats that effectively runs Zimbabwe, is a rich businessman with interests
spanning across various sectors of the economy.
ZANU PF politicians and top security chiefs often hide behind
relatives, vulnerable white businessmen and other allies who they use as fronts
to seize control of lucrative businesses.
ZimOnline
2010 07 06
Maguwu has been detained since early June on charges he
published or communicated false reports prejudicial to the state in connection
with the controversial Marange diamond field
Sandra Nyaira
Washington 06 July 2010
Zimbabwean diamond activist Farai Maguwu is due back in Harare
High Court on Wednesday where his lawyers will appeal repeated refusals by a
magistrate to release him from police custody pending trial.
Maguwu has been detained since early June on charges he
published or communicated false reports prejudicial to the state in connection
with the controversial Marange diamond field. His arrest came after he gave
Kimberly Process monitor Abbey Chikane official documents said to detail human
rights abuses in the Marange zone.
Amnesty international on Tuesday urged Harare to release
Maguwu unconditionally.
“Farai Maguwu is being persecuted for carrying out his lawful
work of monitoring and documenting alleged human rights violations by security
forces at some of Zimbabwe’s richest diamond fields,” said Amnesty
International Africa Director Erwin van der Borght.
“We consider Farai Maguwu a prisoner of conscience and call on
the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally," he said
in a statement.
Attorney Tinoziva Bere said Maguwu, his client, remained in
the Harare Remand Prison hospital where he was recovering from a recent
operation to remove his tonsils and severe stomach pains.
2010 07 0
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/zimbabwe/5569.html
07 July, 2010 03:10:00
Our Correspondent
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A splinter group say their veteran leader and the patron of
the war veterans, Robert Mugabe, "is corrupt, arrogant.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harare
The embattled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has called for
an emergency meeting of the party's Politburo as simmering tensions threaten to
tear the party into irreparable damage, The Zimbabwe Mail can reveal.
Zanu PF’s centre of power - the politburo - will meet in
Harare on Friday to deal with a series of urgent issues affecting the former
ruling party amid reports of a looming split over Robert Mugabe's succession.
Most members in the party are saying Robert Mugabe should step down now and an
alternative candidate be put forward for the next general elections.
The Communist style Zanu PF politburo is the party’s supreme
decision making body whose members are appointed from loyalists by Mugabe
himself.
Sources said the party is caught in a political storm
accompanied by threats by some of its senior members to break away and form a
splinter movement backed by a majority of disadvantaged liberation war
veterans.
Tensions are running high in Zanu PF amid reports that many
senior party members have declared their backing for Dydimus Mutasa, the
Presidential Affairs Minister who has declared an open war with police
Commissioner Augustine Chihuri.
Chihuri is being accused by War Veterans of using members of
the police force to disperse meetings of a splinter group of the National War
Veterans Association in favours of another faction backed by President Mugabe.
A highly placed source in the party said Mugabe has been
forced to intervene by unfolding events as senior members of the party and his
warring loyal foot soldiers in the war veterans factions are now calling for a
change of guard in the command structures of the army, police, CIO and prison
and some are even calling for his heard.
The feud pitting Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa
against Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri blew out into the open this week,
when Mutasa accused the police force including its chief of employing brutal
Rhodesian tactics to settle personal scores.
Mutasa's 47 year old son Martin was arrested alongside
notorious ZANU PF activist Themba Mliswa and George Marere last week Monday,
after trying to seize shareholding worth US$ 1 million from a company owned by
white businessman Paul Westwood.
Mutasa, in the company of new MDC-T co-Home Affairs Minister
Theresa Makone, is said to have tried to intimidate police into releasing his
son.
Both have since denied the accusations.
In the fall-out between Mutasa and Police Commissioner
Augustine Chihuri, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, a close confidante of
Dydimus Mutasa is reported to have instructed the Attorney General’s office not
to prosecute high profile cases brought to the courts by the police.
A senior Zanu PF official told our reporter that President
Mugabe for the first time in his 30 year rule, feels insecure as party members
and his loyalists declare open revolt on his authority.
It is also reported that Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri
and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Costantine Chiwenga are now
running parallel structures in the much feared secretive Joint Operation
Command center (JOC) as bitter rival Zanu PF factions led by Defence Minister
Emmerson Mnangagwa and retired General Solomon Mujuru have intensified their
fierce fight to seize power in the hotly contested succession battle.
Within government and Zanu PF, accusations are flying around
that President Robert Mugabe and senior members of the security forces are
enriching themselves with secret diamond sales and prime land in most Cities
across the country looted under the nose of MDC run councils.
Mugabe and his inner circle are also taking over foreign
companies using under fire empowerment indigenisation regulations.
A splinter group say their veteran leader and the patron of
the war veterans, Robert Mugabe, "is corrupt, arrogant and bent at
throwing the country into total chaos and betraying the values of the
liberation struggle".
The splinter group which is calling itself Zimbabwe National
Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWA) and led by retired colonel Basten
Beta, has embarked on a media blitz that is seen as part of Zanu PF factional
wars. A war that threatens to tear the party apart. ZNLWA has in the past two
weeks been running controversial adverts in national newspapers.
The group, which in 2008 urged Mugabe not to lose power, said
the post-war leadership had promoted corruption, nepotism, tribalism and racism
thereby betraying the values of the liberation struggle.
"Post war leadership continues to betray the values of
the armed struggle by destroying unity and promoting factionalism, racism,
tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, greed and corruption," said the group in
the advert.
However, Zanu PF hardliners have reacted angrily and have
since started a probe. Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said the party knew
the people behind the adverts and was carrying investigations to establish
their motive.
"We are studying the advertisements and we will come up
with a common position as a party. We understand these advertisements are
coming from people like Beta" said Gumbo.
Zanu PF and Mugabe in particular, said one of the sources,
thinks Beta wants to brew trouble for him within the rank and file of the
former freedom fighters.
Beta is allegedly aligned to a faction in Zanu PF led by
retired army general Solomon Mujuru which is fighting against one headed by
Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa to succeed Mugabe. Mujuru’s wife Joyce is
Mugabe’s deputy.
The group said the government, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
and state enterprises were now being run as private businesses with ministers
and the central bank governor "becoming the richest men in the
country."
It also questioned why government ministers and service
chiefs, who for the past decade have become Mugabe’s strongest pillar of
political survival, have unlimited terms of office.
"We must restore accountability and fight corruption
within government… Service chiefs have a fixed term of office. Why then do we
have an uninterrupted service for ministers?"
Some of the senior government officials and ministers have
been in Mugabe’s administration for the past three decades.
Although war veterans spearheaded the 2000 chaotic land
invasions, very few of them benefited, while Mugabe’s cronies in the civil
service, army, police and secret service have grabbed the most fertile land.
2010 07 07
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-07-police-lock-up-mliswa-again
LOUGHTY DUBE AND MOSES MATENGA
Jul 07 2010 10:15
Police in Harare on Monday re-arrested vociferous businessman
Temba Mliswa on further charges of fraud hours after he was set free by courts
alongside Martin Mutasa and George Marere on another case involving fraud or
alternatively, extortion.
Martin is the son of Presidential Affairs minister Didymus
Mutasa while Mliswa is former Zanu PF Mashonaland West Secretary for Lands.
Although details of the crimes were still sketchy last night,
Mliswa’s lawyer Charles Chinyama said his client was expected to appear in
court today facing charges of fraud emanating from two cases in Karoi and
Kwekwe.
Chinyama said the police allege that in 2006, Mliswa took farm
implements from Dunlop Farm in Kwekwe owned by a resident identified only as
Matambanadzo.
“The first case arises out of an incident where Mliswa is
alleged to have taken farm implements from Dunlop Farm owned by Matambanadzo,
but Mliswa purchased the equipment from the previous white owner of the farm,”
Chinyama said yesterday.
He said Mliswa was quizzed over the matter in 2006 by Kwekwe
police and released.
Chinyama said police were further alleging that Mliswa
fraudulently purchased a service station on a farm he had acquired in Karoi.
The police, Chinyama said, allege that
Mliswa initially rented out the service station to someone
before fraudulently selling it to an unidentified individual.
“The police are alleging that the service station Mliswa
acquired with the farm did not belong to him and they are charging him with
fraud arising from the sale of the service station but I do not have the full
details on exactly where the fraud case is coming from,” Chinyama said.
He said he was unaware who the complainants in the alleged
cases are. Police spokesperson, Wayne Bvudzijena, confirmed Mliswa’s re-arrest
saying: “Mliswa is in police detention facing further fraud charges. He is
detained at Rhodesville Police Station and I can not reveal any more details
but further details will come out in court today.”
Mliswa is reported to have recently attacked Police Commissioner
General Augustine Chihuri describing the top cop as the most corrupt person in
the country. Immediately after his scathing attack on Chihuri, Mliswa was
arrested for attempting to take over Noshio Investment (Private) Limited.
Court papers say Mliswa claimed he had the blessings of Youth
Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
Mliswa, a former Warriors fitness trainer who had an
inglorious exit from the national team after players complained about his
stringent training regime, further alleged President Robert Mugabe was aware of
his intentions to take over the company.
The controversial businessman and his co-accused were last
week granted $ 400 bail each by a Harare magistrate but the state invoked
Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to keep them in custody
pending appeal.
But on Monday, the Attorney General’s office backed-off saying
it was no longer interested in challenging the magistrate’s decision.
2010 07 06
If the Zimbabwean national carrier were to be suspended from
the IATA, the international authority would stop clearing goods and honoring
fares for onward flights for Air Zimbabwe passengers
Gibbs Dube
Washington 06 July 2010
Air Zimbabwe is reported to face suspension from the
International Air Transport Association if it fails to make at least partial
payment of US$ 2 million by the end of this week on US$ 4 million of overdue
fees.
If the Zimbabwean national carrier is suspended, the
international authority would stop clearing goods and honoring fares for onward
flights for Air Zimbabwe passengers, sources said.
Air Zimbabwe Chairman Jonathan Kadzura denied that the carrier
owes money to the IATA . But he told VOA that the long-troubled airline intends
to pay the association a deposit of more than US$ 2 million.
He said the Zimbabwean Treasury is expected to make the
deposit. However, sources said the government has declined to do so, citing its
own straitened financial circumstances.
IATA Vice President Lance Brogden would neither confirm nor
deny Air Zimbabwe owes US$ 4 million.
The government has targeted Air Zimbabwe for privatization
amid indications it could soon collapse due to financial problems. The airline
has been posting monthly operating losses of US$ 2 million.
Chairman Kadzura told VOA Studio 7 reporter Gibbs Dube that he
is confident the government will come up with the funds necessary to pay IATA
fees.
Economic commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said Air Zimbabwe should
be privatized so that it does not continue to be a drain on public funds.
2010 07 07
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=6187
by Hendricks Chizhanje
Wednesday 07 July 2010
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PRESIDENT MUGABE . . . His ZANU PF party is accused of
intimidation
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harare
Zimbabwe’s constitutional reform commission has retracted
calls for the arrest of NGO workers monitoring public consultations on the
proposed new governance charter, saying it wanted to work with civil society on
the reforms.
Leaders of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC)
last Sunday accused the monitors of sowing confusion and spreading falsehoods
about the public outreach exercise with one of the body’s joint-chairmen
calling on the police to arrest the civil society workers.
But the COPAC chiefs, Paul Mangwana and Douglass Mwonzora from
President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai’s MDC-T respectively yesterday claimed they had been misquoted in
the reports carried by ZimOnline and various other publications including the
government-owned newspapers.
“We very much want you to play a role in this process,”
Mwonzora told representatives from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
(ZLHR), Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) and Zimbabwe Election Support Network
(ZESN) that have together deployed monitors to shadow COPAC teams.
Mangwana yesterday admitted calling for police intervention
but claimed he had only meant that the police should arrest “some naughty
people” who were disrupting the outreach exercise. He said his was not
referring to monitors from NGOs although he did not identify the naughty people
that he wanted arrested.
“I used the word arrest myself. There were some naughty people
in Mashonaland West (province), who were interfering with the process…. we want
our process to be as transparent as possible. It’s your right to participate
but let’s make it manageable,” Mangwana said.
The three pro-democracy and human rights groups have
dispatched 420 people around the country to monitor the government-led
constitution making process in order to be able to evaluate whether the
exercise was democratic and the outcome a true reflection of the people’s
wishes.
The monitors have issued reports highlighting administrative
chaos dogging the constitutional outreach exercise and widespread intimidation,
with Zanu (PF) party said to be telling villagers what to say during meetings
to gather the public’s views.
It was these adverse reports that appeared to have angered
Mwonzora and Mangwana and triggered their outbursts against the NGOs which they
now deny.
The exercise to write a new constitution for Zimbabwe to
replace the current one drafted by former colonial power Britain is part of a
drive by the coalition government of Mugabe and Tsvangirai to democratise the
southern African country’s politics ahead of fresh elections.
There had been fears that arrest or removal of civil society
monitors from the field would make it nearly impossible to expose the
widespread intimidation that has characterised the early days of the outreach
programme that has been running for just more than three weeks now.
Soldiers and ZANU PF supporters have been campaigning for the
adoption of the controversial Kariba draft constitution as the basis of the
proposed new charter and are allegedly instructing villagers to tailor their
contributions during outreach meetings to reflect provisions of the
controversial draft.
ZANU PF and the two former opposition MDC formations secretly
authored the Kariba draft in 2007.
But critics say the Kariba document should be discarded
because it leaves untouched the immense presidential powers that analysts say
Mugabe has used to stifle opposition to his rule for the past three decades.
ZimOnline
2010 07 07
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-07-copac-uturn-on-civic-observers
VENERANDA LANGA
Jul 07 2010 10:16
The Constitutional Select Committee (Copac) has climbed down
on its earlier position barring civil society organisations from monitoring the
constitutional outreach programme and officially declared them partners in the
process.
The latest decision was reached after a meeting between the
two squabbling parties at Parliament yesterday.
Until Monday, Copac had had disowned all non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) monitoring the constitution-making process saying they
were “bogus, illegal, seeking to undermine the constitution reform process and
spreading malicious and misleading information”.
The committee had unanimously refused to accredit the NGOs and
even threatened to report them to the police.
But in a major U-turn yesterday, Copac co-chairperson Paul
Mangwana said civil society organisations would be allowed to observe the
outreach programme.
“The three groups will be accredited tomorrow, but the groups
will be observing the outreach meetings and not monitoring,” said Mangwana.
“We want to agree on a code of conduct and we have set up a
committee made up of two people from Copac and two people from Nango (National
Association of Non-Governmental Organisations), which these organisations will
now be under.”
The organisations include the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights, Zimbabwe Peace Project and Zimbabwe Election Support Network.
Copac yesterday summoned the three organisations under the
umbrella of Nango and reached an agreement that they would be allowed to observe
the outreach programme. Cephas Zinhumwe, Nango chief executive officer, said
civil society groups had approached Copac requesting to be allowed to monitor
the programmes. He said they had agreed to be observers instead of monitors.
“They have qualms with the word monitoring because they think it makes us as if
we are superior to them,” Zinhumwe said.
On Monday Mangwana said members from civic groups were “bogus”
and that Copac had instructed the police to turn them away if they pitched up
at outreach meetings.
“We went to Kenya and Zambia when they were going through the
same process and we did not find any constitutional monitors there,”Mangwana
said.
2010 07 07
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-07-jomic-warns-of-land-clashes-in-matabeleland
DUMISANI SIBANDA - Jul 07 2010 10:24
Resettling of people from outside Matabeleland at the expense
of locals could stir violence of unimaginable proportions if not urgently
looked into, the co- Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Implementation
Committee (Jomic), Welshman Ncube, has warned.
Ncube, who doubles up as the Minister of Industry and
Commerce, was commenting on sentiments aired by traditional leaders from
Matabeleland North and South provinces at a Jomic-organised meeting.
The traditional leaders complained they had been robbed of
their role as custodians of the land.
They charged that land committees established by government
were mismanaging the allocation of land resulting in people from outside their
areas being resettled at the expense of equally deserving locals.
In some instances, those that had been driven off their land
during the colonial era had failed to reclaim their heritage, which was the
core purpose of the land reform programme, the chiefs said.
They cited the case of Chief Jahana of Gokwe who was facing
problems returning to Debshan in Insiza with his people where they were removed
in 1965.
“The land issue is an important issue and if you look at the
GPA, you will realise that it takes up quite a chunk of the document. It’s an
emotional subject,” Ncube said.
“The Boers took our land, making us leave the graves of our
ancestors, and now that the land has been re-claimed under the land reform
programme, we should be resettled back on our original land.
"How is it that other people are being taken from
elsewhere to come and be resettled here ?.
"We should sort that out. If the issue is not resolved,
it will degenarate to the levels of the violence that we saw in the streets of
Kenya where neighbours were killing each other with machetes. We should not
allow that issue to spiral out of control.” He urged traditional leaders to
“speak freely’’ on the matter and to even consider crafting provisions in the
constitution that would deal with such anomalies. Recently, there was an uproar
in Umguza constituency, Matabeleland North, over the ‘‘invasion’’ of the area
by people from as far as Mashonaland.
The traditional leaders led by President of the Chiefs Council
Senator Fortune Charumbira called for the disbanding of land committees and
that the allocation of land be returned to traditional leaders.
“Land belongs to the Chiefs. That power of the chiefs was
taken away from us in a criminal manner during the colonial era. Now that we
have had land reform, we should have full power over the land,” Charumbira
said.
“Land committees were put in place because it was an issue of
crisis management. They should now be disbanded. If there are commercial farms
you have to beg for an offer letter from a district administrator or provincial
administrator.
“We are in those committees as beggars with no power of
influence. Those committees are not chaired by traditional leaders.
"We should be shown respect as traditional leaders by
being given back our powers to allocate land.’’
Earlier a member of Jomic from Zanu-PF, Kembo Mohadi, who is
also the co-Minister of Home Affairs had told traditional leaders that they
were being accused of politicising food distribution and land allocation,
allegations they refuted.
Responding to concerns over rampant cases of stock theft in
Matabeleland, Mohadi said he had also lost 450 cattle to rustlers.
He said in Matabeleland South there were cattle rustling
syndicates which, in some instances, were assisted by unscrupulous police
officers and some traditional leaders.
…
2010 07 06
Jonga Kandemiiri & Patience Rusere
Washington 06 July 2010
Zimbabwe's Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional
Revision met Tuesday with civil society activists and agreed to set ground
rules under which non-governmental organizations can continue to monitor - or
observe, as parliamentary officials preferred to say - the ongoing public
consultation process.
Parliamentary sources said they agreed to draw up a code of
conduct governing how independent observers will go about monitoring the
process nationwide.
Select Committee Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora told VOA Studio
7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that lawmakers and NGO officials agreed that all
independent observers should be accredited with the committee.
But Chairwoman Dadirai Chikwengo of the National Association
of Non-Governmental Organizations denied that agreement had been reached on the
issue of accreditation.
Chikwengo said the meeting also took up issues that had
emerged in the media regarding the operations of independent monitors.
Committee Co-Chairman Paul Mangwana of the ZANU-PF party of President Robert
Mugabe was reported to have accused NGO monitors of "peddling lies"
and suggested they should be arrested.
Meanwhile, in reports from around the country, the Institute
for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe, one of the non-governmental
organizations observing the outreach process, said responses to questions often
seem to be rehearsed, which it said compromised the program's objective of
collecting genuine public opinions.
Democracy Manager Joy Mabenge of the Institute for a
Democratic Alternative said his teams have noticed the apparent staging of
responses in particular on issues of land ownership and presidential powers.
A number of sources including NGO monitors have said local
officials loyal to ZANU-PF, and ZANU-PF militants, have been coaching rural
residents under duress on what to say in outreach meetings, and discouraging
those known to hold views contrary to those held by ZANU-PF from speaking out
in meetings.
2010 07 07
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=6187
by Hendricks Chizhanje
Wednesday 07 July 2010
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PRESIDENT MUGABE . . . His ZANU PF party is accused of
intimidation
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harare
Zimbabwe’s constitutional reform commission has retracted
calls for the arrest of NGO workers monitoring public consultations on the
proposed new governance charter, saying it wanted to work with civil society on
the reforms.
Leaders of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC)
last Sunday accused the monitors of sowing confusion and spreading falsehoods
about the public outreach exercise with one of the body’s joint-chairmen
calling on the police to arrest the civil society workers.
But the COPAC chiefs, Paul Mangwana and Douglass Mwonzora from
President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai’s MDC-T respectively yesterday claimed they had been misquoted in
the reports carried by ZimOnline and various other publications including the
government-owned newspapers.
“We very much want you to play a role in this process,”
Mwonzora told representatives from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
(ZLHR), Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) and Zimbabwe Election Support Network
(ZESN) that have together deployed monitors to shadow COPAC teams.
Mangwana yesterday admitted calling for police intervention
but claimed he had only meant that the police should arrest “some naughty
people” who were disrupting the outreach exercise. He said his was not
referring to monitors from NGOs although he did not identify the naughty people
that he wanted arrested.
“I used the word arrest myself. There were some naughty people
in Mashonaland West (province), who were interfering with the process…. we want
our process to be as transparent as possible. It’s your right to participate
but let’s make it manageable,” Mangwana said.
The three pro-democracy and human rights groups have
dispatched 420 people around the country to monitor the government-led
constitution making process in order to be able to evaluate whether the
exercise was democratic and the outcome a true reflection of the people’s
wishes.
The monitors have issued reports highlighting administrative
chaos dogging the constitutional outreach exercise and widespread intimidation,
with Zanu (PF) party said to be telling villagers what to say during meetings
to gather the public’s views.
It was these adverse reports that appeared to have angered
Mwonzora and Mangwana and triggered their outbursts against the NGOs which they
now deny.
The exercise to write a new constitution for Zimbabwe to
replace the current one drafted by former colonial power Britain is part of a
drive by the coalition government of Mugabe and Tsvangirai to democratise the
southern African country’s politics ahead of fresh elections.
There had been fears that arrest or removal of civil society
monitors from the field would make it nearly impossible to expose the
widespread intimidation that has characterised the early days of the outreach
programme that has been running for just more than three weeks now.
Soldiers and ZANU PF supporters have been campaigning for the
adoption of the controversial Kariba draft constitution as the basis of the
proposed new charter and are allegedly instructing villagers to tailor their
contributions during outreach meetings to reflect provisions of the
controversial draft.
ZANU PF and the two former opposition MDC formations secretly
authored the Kariba draft in 2007.
But critics say the Kariba document should be discarded
because it leaves untouched the immense presidential powers that analysts say
Mugabe has used to stifle opposition to his rule for the past three decades.
ZimOnline
2010 07 07
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=113939
LUPHERT CHILWANE
PUBLISHED: 2010/07/07 06:33:39 AM
THE South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) is planning a
high-level meeting with an interministerial committee on xenophobia as an
exodus of Zimbabweans was reported yesterday amid threats of violence against
foreigners.
Zimbabwean nationals were reported to be leaving Cape Town in
large numbers, begging lifts from passersby to Johannesburg so that they could
catch connecting buses back to Zimbabwe. The exodus lent weight to speculation
that xenophobic violence would flare up after the World Cup final this weekend.
“We have met with Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa , who is
chairman of the Cabinet interministerial committee, on Monday to discuss these
threats and we are planning an urgent high-level meeting with relevant
departments on how they were effecting the commission’s 2008 recommendations,”
said the commission’s deputy chairman Pregs Govender last night.
Cape Town’s disaster management said it was not planning to
deal with the exodus. “Nothing to date has been reported to us so that we can
take action,” said Cape Town disaster management spokesman Wilfred
Solomons-Johannes.
However, provincial commissioner Mzwandile Petros had
reconvened the city’s safety forum, and had requested civil society groups to
help calm people’s fears.
Ms Govender said the HRC had released a report in March
calling for all relevant government departments to respond in writing as to how
they would institute its recommendations. She hoped they would attend the
meeting to “share concretely how they are planning to prevent such violence
recurring and respond effectively to it”.
Ms Govender said the HRC “last week sent a letter to the
(parliamentary) s peaker asking that the 2008 report be urgently addressed to
ensure that its recommendations are implemented”.
The HRC’s chairman Lawrence Mushwana said last week the
commission would form a task team to help xenophobia victims get access to
legal support and that it would investigate complaints from victims, particularly
about mistreatment from the police.
Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) in SA said its systems were
on standby, waiting for government instruction on the kind of assistance needed
to help curb possible violence after the World Cup.
“It is difficult to say at this stage that the threats are
genuine but our entire UN systems are waiting for the government’s approach,”
said UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Pumla Rulashe . “It is the
primary role of the law enforcement agencies to protect everyone and if people
feel that they are being threatened, we will expect them to step in. I just
pray it (the 2008 violence) doesn’t happen.”
The Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in SA warned last
month that foreigners living in SA would be targeted after the World Cup. Its
advocacy officer Duncan Breen said the organisation was on alert. “People are
taking these threats very seriously and we are once again calling on various
government departments to play a role in preventing possible attacks.”
After the xenophobic attacks in 2008 - in which at least 62
people were killed - the HRC and the government were blamed for their slow and
fragmented response. With Sapa
2010 07 06
http://www1.voanews.com/zimbabwe/news/Zimbabweans-Trekking-Home-For-Fear-Of-Xenophobia-97874429.html
South African media reported that Zimbabweans and other
Africans are camping at truck stops in a bid to catch rides from the Western
Cape and other hot spots to Johannesburg, and from there back to Zimbabwe
Sandra Nyaira
Washington 06 July 2010
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Some Zimbabweans living in South Africa have been leaving
troubled parts of the country as threats of xenophobic attacks upon the
conclusion of the World Cup of soccer proliferate, spreading fear.
South African media reported that Zimbabweans and other
Africans are camping at truck stops in a bid to catch rides from the Western
Cape and other hot spots to Johannesburg, eventually hoping to return to
Zimbabwe.
Media reports quoted such foreigners as saying local South
Africans warned them to pack their bags if they did not want trouble. Landlords
were said to have refused to accept July rents, fearing for their premises.
Such accounts prompted Western Cape Premier Helen Zille to
urge President Jacob Zuma to to issue a public call for tolerance. Reports said
her concerns have been forwarded to an inter-ministerial committee on
xenophobia.
Zille's spokeswoman, Tracy Venter, told VOA Studio 7 reporter
Sandra Nyaira that the province is working with the United Nations, churches,
police and non-governmental organizations to keep threats from leading to
following the finals of the World Cup, during which officials have been
particularly vigilant against all crime.
In a related development, Grace Machel, wife of former
President Nelson Mandela, launched a civil society coalition to fight against
xenophobia in the post-World Cup period.
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum Executive Director Gabriel Shumba,
present at the launch of the initiative, said a nationwide march against
xenophobia is planned among other activities to encourage tolerance.
2010 07 06
http://www.zimtelegraph.com/?p=7916
By BONGI DLODLO
Published: July 6, 2010
The goings-on in the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC feeds the
Afropessimism school of thought. Why should it be typically African and why
should it be difficult not to respect one’s own institutional rules, procedures
and standards ?.
This is simply vindicating those with the view that it is very
typically African to fiddle with the rules, procedures and
standards so that power remains in the same hands of one
person or the same group of people.
MDC is a political institution set up with democratic rules,
procedures and standards. It has term limits for the office of President.
MDC calls itself a party of excellence. When its leadership
does not respect its own rules, procedures and standards, that is not
excellence. I urge you to read,
http://kufaragwenzi.blogspot.com/2009/11/dealing-with-political-and-generational.html.
As a decent politician, I expect Tsvangirai to issue a
statement that the MDC Elective Congress shall be going ahead in 2011 and he is
not available for re-election as the President of the Party and that he shall
work very hard with the new leadership coming out of the congress to ensure
that the values, principles and vision of the party are kept ablaze. There are
many leaders of Tories, Libs and Labour in Britain who
did not make it to Number 10 Downing Street and they still
command a lot of respect in their respective parties.
When there is term limit and the President of the party
disregards it, it is called primitiveness and uncivilized.
The party should ensure the continued relevance of its senior
leadership without affecting innovation and policy renewal.
“Save” has done very well and he needs to respect his own
Constitution and be a foot-soldier for the one taking over from him so that the
one meritably and popularly elected will still have the popular face of
Tsvangirai the party campaigning for him/her in general elections of the
country. The “founder-syndrome” has killed African institutions including
governments, political parties and civil society or citizen-based
organizations. MDC should create a new template for Africa for sustainable
institutional renewal and innovation.
Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia and Thabo Mbeki in South Africa
suffered serious ethical and political embarrassment, Wade in Senegal has fed
into the African political archtype - they do not want to rest and renew their
political parties and countries. “When, after a conflict, the best balanced
leaders who have a stake in the future of all persons, are bypassed, and
instead power is seized by the angriest and most grudge-holding, whose greatest
stake is in the past… without new consciousness, and without strong reconciling
actions, thus erupts a horrible recycling of living out the least of what is
human in this world.”- Clarissa Pinkola Estés, “Letter To The Prince on the
Anniversary of Kristallnacht.”
Robert Mugabe has overstayed and he cannot deal with generally
3 factions that have been formed as a result of his continued stay - there are
those who want him remain, those who want him retire, and those positioning
themselves when he goes.
What is being reported about the MDC is too depressing! The
party has presented fodder to ZANU PF to have its own internal problems appear
as if they are non-existant. The ZANU PF drums of celebration of MDC internal
conflict are only to become louder while you pretend that they are fictional.
Why is it that I am not seeing any difference with ZANU PF or
Robert Mugabe over transition to the next leader of the party?.
Avoid the route to that typically African political graveyard
please.
Its so painful that our own media is not taking Tsvangirai to
task about this Afro-pessimist tendency.
Goodwill Mpofu
Harare
2010 07 06
Political Violence
The MDC says more than 500 of its members or supporters were
murdered by ZANU-PF militants and state security agents from March 2008 to May
2010, a period that includes the 2008 presidential and general elections
Blessing Zulu 06 July 2010
A report issued by Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change says the province of Mashonaland
East has more perpetrators of political violence than any other in the country.
The survey by the former opposition party's welfare
department, covering the period from March 2008 through May of this year, names
individuals it says have committed political violence, identifying 11,248
nationwide.
The MDC says more than 500 of its members or supporters were
murdered by ZANU-PF militants and Zimbabwean state security agents during the
period, which includes the 2008 presidential and general elections.
According to the MDC report, the largest number of alleged
perpetrators was in Mashonaland East with 3,689. The provinces of Manicaland,
Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Midlands trailed with between 1,000
and 2,000 alleged perpetrators of political violence apiece.
The report said Harare metropolitan province had 385 alleged
perpetrators, while Matabeleland South and North just 21 and 18, respectively.
It said the worst offender in Mashonaland East was Lawrence
Katsiru, a ZANU-PF militant in Marondera. Aqualinah Katsande, lawmaker for
Mudzi West, Mashonaland East, is alleged to have funded deadly youth militia
violence.
The MDC report lists alleged military violations, in
particular accusing Zimbabwean Army Col. Morgan Mzilakazi of leading ZANU-PF
youth militia in the murder and rape of MDC activists in Buhera district,
Manicaland.
MDC Deputy Spokesperson Thabitha Khumalo told VOA Studio 7
reporter Blessing Zulu that violence is escalating as the country moves into
the public outreach phase of its constitutional revision process.
Mashonaland Central Governor Martin Dinha of ZANU-PF dismissed
the MDC claims as fictitious.
Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya said the failure of the
Zimbabwe Republic Police to take action on political violence has emboldened
its perpetrators
2010 07 06
Written by The Zimbabwean
Tuesday, 06 July 2010 15:36
In Manicaland province, the MDC secretary for Ward 20 in
Mutare South had to be hospitalised after sustaining serious internal injuries
when he was assaulted by the village head, Daniel Toopera, with the aid of two
Zanu PF brothers, Batsirai and Daniel Makomboti.
Blessing Musarandega was assaulted after giving his opinion
during a Constitution-making outreach public meeting held on 29 June at
Munyarari primary school. This is believed to have infuriated the village head
and his Zanu PF colleagues who had drafted a list of people who were meant to
speak at the outreach meeting.
Recovering at a hospital in Mutare, Musarandega said the
assault would not deter him from his basic right to participate in the drafting
of a new Constitution. “They want to silence us but they will not succeed. This
is a national constitution and not a Zanu PF baby. We are all Zimbabweans; we
want our voices to be heard. I will participate again when the outreach team
comes back to the area,” said Musarandega.
The assailants have been reported to the police but no arrests
have been made. In Mashonaland Central province, three MDC activists, Last
Sihara, Stephen Jambo and Malvern Gumbo, will today appear before a Bindura
magistrate on trumped up charges of threatening to murder a Zanu PF thug,
Chenai Makaraho, at a rally two weeks ago.
The MDC
Today
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
The Mayor of Harare, Muchadeyi Masunda today inspected the city council’s pilot
project of solar street lighting in Kuwadzana and Glenview 3 shopping centers.
The two street lights, are capable of lighting the entire shopping center using
solar energy.
“It is an exciting project and we are assessing whether this is a tenable
project. We have one street light at the shopping area and if we have six
more we can light the entire community,” said Mayor Masunda. “But for
now we are checking if the lights work.” The solar powered street
light cost an estimated US$2 000, and can last for up to 20 years with only the
panel and the batteries needing replacement. Mayor Masunda said these lights
were a third the size of the electricity operated tower lights. He said that
the council was working on energy conservation as the nation grapples with
electricity shortages.
Elsewhere, there is an increased upsurge of intimidation of villagers in the
rural areas by State security agents as the Constitution-making process spreads
out across the country. Reports from the provinces show a worrying trend of an
increase in intimidation, harassment and arrests of people.
The MDC Mashonaland Central Youth Assembly deputy provincial chairperson, Brian
Pfungweni was arrested in Mt Darwin as he was mobilising MDC supporters to
attend the Constitution-making public meetings. Before his arrest he was
attacked by Zanu PF supporters in the area. However, instead of arresting the
Zanu PF youths, the police arrested Pfungweni. He has since been transferred to
Bindura central police station and is expected to appear in court this week.
In Shamva, also in Mashonaland Central province, Central Intelligence Office
agents on Tuesday addressed villagers before the start of the outreach meetings
preaching the discredited Kariba draft. They threatened them with
disappearance if they did not comply with this directive. The CIO agents were
driving unmarked vehicles when they addressed villagers in Shamva at Bradley,
Kamudyariwa, Hore, Chidembo and Kasimbi meeting points.
The Zanu PF Shamva South MP, Samuel Ziteya, illegally withdrew written
submissions that had been handed to the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee
(Copac) team at Bradley. In Fairfields, Chirumanzu, Midlands province, a deputy
headmaster at Fairfields primary school called for a parents’ meeting and
started addressing them about the Kariba draft ahead of Copac public meetings.
Meanwhile, there are reports in some provinces that people who want to
participate in the meetings are failing to do so as the Copac timetable is
incorrect.
In Masvingo province, the MDC Chivi South district chairperson, Shelter
Chifamba was threatened with death by a self-styled war veteran and Zanu PF
Chivi South Ward 24 chairman, Machanja Risco at a funeral in Chivi.
Chifamba, who was assaulted and had her house destroyed in 2008, has been
warned against mobilising people for the Constitution consultations currently
underway.
In Mashonaland Central province, the MDC information secretary for Muzarabani
North district, Wilbert Zenya has been threatened with unspecified action after
the soccer World Cup. Zenya of Ward 27 Maseredza village has been especially
targeted because he has a satellite dish at his house where people are watching
the World cup. “They told me I bought the satellite dish so that I watch
news that supports the MDC,” Zenya said.
In Manicaland province, four Mutare law and order policemen went to the MDC MP
for Makoni South Hon Pishayi Muchauraya’s house, and instructed that the MP
report to the Mutare Central police station without fail.
--
MDC Information & Publicity Department
Harvest House
44 Nelson Mandela Ave
Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel: 00263 4 793 250
2010 07 04
http://www.zimbio.com/Zimbabwe/articles/Ye19uZkdIkk/Tsvangirai+Out+war+Against+Tendai+Biti
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Written by muchando on Jul-4-10 7:03pm
From: denfordmagora.blogspot.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, seen here holding hands with
President Mugabe after the swearing-in of new MDC-T Ministers to replace those
fired by Tsvangirai in his struggle to contain infighting within the opposition
party has now gone ahead and fired
Harare, Zimbabwe, 04 July 2010
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is also president of the
MDC with a surname (the MDC-T), has taken gloves off and taken the fight to
Secretary General Tendai Biti (also Zimbabwe's Finance Minister in the
coalition government).
Tsvangirai last week fired high level officials at Harvest
House, the MDC-T's Head Office in Harare, Zimbabwe. Among those to go were the
Finance Director of the party and members of the Secretariat, which Tsvangirai
is accusing of being in service of Tendai Biti in his alleged bid to unseat
Tsvangirai at the next Congress of the MDC-T.
This is coming after Tsvangirai fired several ministers and
demoted others in a recent reshuffle of his ineffective rump of the Coalition
Government.
The amputation of what are seen as Biti's limbs in the party
comes just a couple of weeks after the Prime Minister called a meeting of
senior officials of his party to confront them with a report he said had been
compiled by the MDC-T's Security Department and which alleged, amongst other
things, that Biti and his allies were mobilising membership behind their bid to
take over the party while badmouthing the Prime Minister all over the country.
Biti denied everything, pointing out that he had not even met
some of the officials he was said to be plotting with.
But Tsvangirai has faith in the reports from his cohorts,
people like Gandhi Mudzingwa, who are clear that the Prime Minister is in
imminent danger of being toppled by the Biti faction and replaced either with
Biti himself or with Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Econet Wireless
International and Econet Wireless Zimbabwe.
The Prime Minister is extremely jittery just now, hence this
decimation of the Secretariat at the MDC-T Head Office.
The ostensible reasons for the firings include incompetence
but those fired, including one Rumbi, who was in the Finance Department of the
party, say that this is pure victimisation for taking orders from the Secretary
General, Tendai Biti.
They argue, however, that the SG is like the CEO of the party
and, the nature of his position is that he controls and directs events at the
office.
Tsvangirai is having none of it, apparently.
Still considering Biti too powerful and too popular to sack
from wither government or party, the Prime Minister and MDC-T leader has now
decided to maroon Biti in office, cutting off "the limbs" that were
doing doing his biding at the party HQ.
There is a mood of uncertainty that has gripped Harvest House.
This does not bode well for the opposition party led by the
Prime Minister, with elections having been agreed between Mugabe and Tsvangirai
as due in March 2011 or May of the same year at the latest.
It means that the opposition party goes into the elections
with a disenchanted support base, split from all the infighting and unable to
present a united front to ZANU PF or Simba Makoni's MKD.
What should be more worrying for Tsvangirai is the fact that
MKD offices are now being besieged by the disgruntled people who are leaving
the MDC-T. Makoni's party membership cards are reported to have run out, with
most of those expressing interest now simply paying their one dollar
subscription fee to be put on a waiting list for when cards are available
again.
Further to this, the rural areas of Zimbabwe remain a no-go
area for the MDC-Tsvangirai, with NGOs reporting that camps from the
Presidential election run-off of 2008 are being revived. Currently these are
said to be used purely for intimidating people on the Constitutional outreach
program underway.
The fight is over whether there should actually be Congress at
all this year or early next year.
Tsvangirai is against a Congress before the next elections
because he fears that he will lose his position at that Congress and, with that
loss will also evaporate his chance of being president of Zimbabwe should the
MDC-T win.
Biti and others want a Congress in order to "clean
house" and get rid of Morgan Tsvangirai, who has proved incapable of
dislodging Mugabe no matter how well the opposition does in elections.
By getting rid of those seen to be rebelling against him,
Tsvangirai hopes to rally the remaining people behind him at HQ through fear.
The more things change, I say, the more they stay the same.
2010 07 01
http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=8133&GroupID=5
by Reginald Gola
01-07-2010
We saw it coming! We said it!
The MDC steeping dip into cheap arrogance!
And no one dared listen.
Robert Mugabe is not a school boy but the most shrewd and
remorseless political schemer!
Neither was ZANU PF a fly-by-night party, but a treacherous
greed-driven organization manned by ruthless and ever hungry vultures. This was
informative enough to guide whoever dared wage a contest with this institution
not to take eyes off the ball! De-trenching ZANU PF from institutionalized
looting grounds is no piece-meal task, but a job that requires seasoned, well-guided,
cerebral and alert pedigree bull terriers.
To fight and win Mugabe and ZANU PF one needs both eyes and
hands on! Engaging in multiple internal wars despairs party loyalists and
impairs the sense of purpose.
The MDC does not seem to understand its vibrancy, its massive
size and the aspirations of its followers, sympathizers, friends and partners.
Hence Morgan Tsvangirai’s grossly misguided firing of ministers deemed to be
corrupt. Morgan Tsvangirai has accused and promptly axed loyal party cadres for
what he calls “poor performance”. He calls them “dead wood”. Fidelis Mhashu is
deadwood, Elias Mudzuri, Thamsanqa Mahlangu and Amai Masaiti are poor
performers he says. Morgan conveniently neglects giving his audience (the
citizenry) the yardstick that measures performance in poorly resourced
institutions like the government of Zimbabwe!
In the public’s view, no one is a full performer in the GNU
due to the conditions under which the cabinet works, especially the MDC-T.
Morgan Tsvangirai is worst affected and therefore, the worst
of the performers. The government that he heads has continuously harassed his
Movement for Democratic Change supporters and human rights activists. The same
government has failed to arrest corruption barons and probe the “Duke of Chiadzwa”
who also amassed immeasurable wealth during Zimbabwe’s most desperate moment
through squeezing the former white property owners for false protection against
state terrorism in exchange for property, and, in some cases, window-dressing
property transfers to him. Tsvangirai allowed Mugabe to “silo” his {MDC}
ministers with ZANU PF activists ranging from, in some cases, the co-minister,
minister or deputy, the permanent secretary and his deputy and senior directors
and still expected the incumbent MDC ministers to perform ivo vakasungwa mbira
dzakondo vakomana.
ZANU PF has successfully subordinated Morgan Tsvangirai in the
GNU and that alone is a performance issue on Morgan Tsvangirai warranting his
urgent recall from government by the party. When the Zimbabwean citizenry found
itself severely humiliated by the white Rhodesian government, it rose and
fought for its rightful place and got ZANU PF into power only to discover that
Mugabe’s humiliation would be second to none.
The citizenry protestantly summoned enough courage and energy
and chorused for Mugabe departure through the Movement for Democratic Change
least expecting further embarrassment of the cadres of the revolution; the
revolutionaries who nurtured, grew, sacrificed and lived for the MDC. It is
really sad that the once vibrant revolutionary movement has opted to emulate
Mugabe’s ZANU PF.
“Firing” has unfortunately become the most prominent word in
the Tsvangirai dictionary. Morgan must start learning about communication,
consultation, mutuality, diversity management, succession planning,
organizational renewal, citizenry engagement, good governance, management of
change and truants rehabilitation. Morgan’s approach sets a grave precedence. A
leader must be both a lion and fox, but more of a fox than a lion! One would
not be very wrong to assume that this set-up would see more people
unjustifiable going to the gallows if Morgan gets into power. Who is Morgan
hoping to please by humiliating the law abiding citizenry of Zimbabwe and the
purge of fellow revolutionaries from the party that they have so much slaved
for ?.
If Morgan was a good leader and if he had surrounded himself
with men and women of mantle, the party would have come up with a most
comprehensive induction programme for all its staff at Harvest House and the
provinces, local authority, parliamentary and cabinet nominees which would have
clearly specified their roles in their respective portfolios and both the party
and citizenry expectations in a most measurable way with agreed and tested
yard-sticks. Remember that the party suffers a leadership vacuum having most of
its office bearers coming from the street. No sensible leader would, at any one
time and level, expect miracles from a hungry, ignorant, poorly groomed and
desperate cadre. Morgan Tsvangirai has displayed a severe lack of leadership.
Please note that Mugabe remains ruthless to his opponents and
really protective to party loyal criminals and dead wood. When the criminals
loot they lean heavily on the party ZANU PF and they get guaranteed immunity
from police probes and the judiciary. This is a good strategy but extremely bad
for governance.
Tsvangirai must also be clearly appraised that the MDC would
never operate like a family tuck shop because it is too big and diverse. Tsvangirai’s
biggest challenge is to make the best out of the wealth of diversity that
thrives within the ranks of the movement rather than fear it. He must also be
groomed, as a matter of urgency, not to be scared of relinquishing power to
someone else because that must surely happen without fail at the right time.
Morgan and entourage must be groomed to embrace change and debate and stop
holding the nation hostage! The man is not of presidential material that’s what
drives so much suspicion and fear against people of substance around him.
Zimbabweans can’t all be trade unionists, neither can they all be political
idiots nor geniuses. Morgan Tsvangirai proved himself, without reservation, to
be a brave, consistent and effective fire fighter with a gross handicap in
vision, strategy and tact and is a person who despises good counsel.
Morgan and entourage have failed to strategically exploit ZANU
PF multi-fractured survival and to assume a government-in-waiting status. They
have made a poorly informed option of crippling the soldiers of the revolution
within the MDC! No! No! No! Ladies and gentlemen, this is stupid! Very stupid!
Xolela Mangcu, in a well researched article published by The
Sunday Times of South Africa, of April 25 2010, page 24, quotes United States
president Barrack Obama speaking in Accra, Ghana, last year, as urging Africa
to eschew reliance on “strongmen” in favour of durable institutions: “…in the
21st century capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to
success: strong parliaments, honest police forces, independent judges, and
independent press, a private sector, a civil society … that is what matters in
people’s everyday lives … Africa doesn’t need strong men, it needs strong
institutions.” This applies to the Tsvangirai in a big way!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* - Reginald Thabani Gola is a Zimbabwean political analyst, a
civil society and human rights activist and an independent journalist
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2010 07 07
http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/article537770.ece/Biti--let-Zim-diamonds-shine
Jul 7, 2010 11:37 AM
By Sapa-AFP
Zimbabwe Finance Minister Tendai Biti urged the diamond
watchdog Kimberley Process to clear the country to sell its diamonds, saying
the government desperately needed the income.
TENDAI BITI
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We can't pay for electricity, we can't pay for civil servants
and yet we are sitting on one of the finest find of alluvial diamonds in the
history of mankind
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kimberley blocked Zimbabwe's international sales after documenting
gross military abuses against civilians in the eastern Marange diamond fields,
including forced labour and beatings of workers.
A monitor tasked with evaluating the situation has given his
all-clear, but rights groups say abuses are continuing and a top activist in
Marange has been arrested.
"The Kimberley Process must allow us to sell our
diamonds, but must then come to Zimbabwe to help resolve these issues,"
Biti said in a newsletter published by the prime minister's office.
"It will be very unfortunate if the KP does not allow us
to sell the diamonds because they will be punishing the people of Zimbabwe. We
can't pay for electricity, we can't pay for civil servants and yet we are
sitting on one of the finest find of alluvial diamonds in the history of
mankind."
Biti's statement came after a Kimberley meeting in Tel Aviv
failed to reach a consensus on Zimbabwe. Talks are set to resume next week in
Saint Petersburg.
He said ordinary people were paying the price for the
stalemate between Zimbabwe's government and Kimberley.
"If you have issues with an elite political leadership,
allow diamonds to be sold, but rein in on the political elite because they will
still sell diamonds outside the KP at the expense of the poor," he said.
Currently Zimbabwe has 4.5 million carats of diamonds in its
stocks.
The Kimberley Process gathers governments, industry and civil
society to stem the flow of "blood diamonds" used to finance wars.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
RELATED ARTICLES
Amnesty demands release of Zimbabwe diamond field rights
activist
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2010 07 06
Written by Natasha Hove
Tuesday, 06 July 2010 11:02
Harare
The commissioning of the Harare-Beira fibre optic cable which
will link Zimbabwe to the undersea high-speed cable in Mozambique has been
postponed to November, a Cabinet minister has said.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Nelson
Chamisa said the commissioning of the fibre optic had been rescheduled because
of “logistical and administrative issues”. “Originally we had targeted to
commission the fibre optic cable this month but because of some administrative
and logistical issues within the government, we have changed this to November.
Funding for the project is not an issue as resources are available,” he said.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti in April allocated US$ 6,2
million to the ICT ministry to implement the fibre optic link project. Minister
Chamisa said work was in progress as Government had engaged a contractor to
undertake the project. “Work is in progress with the trenching for the optic
cable having already begun. We have two teams, one from Harare and the other
from Mutare, who are working on the trenches and hopefully very soon they will
be done with the trenching exercise,” he said. Minister Chamisa said efforts
were being made to ensure that the country was also linked to key neighbouring
countries, adding that Zimbabwe had recently been connected to Botswana.
“We are also making efforts to link with our key neighbours in
the region and plans are in the pipeline to connect the country with South
Africa through another fibre optic project in Beitbridge. “Already Zimbabwe is
linked with Botswana through a Powertel optic cable.” In his 2010 national
budget presentation, Minister Biti said ICTs were the backbone of the economy
hence the need for the country to be connected to the undersea cable. It is
hoped that the undersea cable along Africa’s east coast would improve
Zimbabwe’s Internet connectivity once connected.
2010 07 07
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jlgh2F9E2AChjh8U2iBvABtLp-wQ
(AFP)
Johannesburg
Amnesty International called Tuesday for the release of an
activist charged with endangering Zimbabwe's economic interests by highlighting
abuses at diamond mines.
Farai Maguwu, head of the Centre for Research and Development,
was arrested last month following a meeting with a Kimberley Process
representative who was probing whether Zimbabwe met human rights standards for
the diamond trade.
He remains in custody after he was denied bail Friday.
Maguwu's group regularly provided information about abuses in
the eastern Marange mines to the Kimberley Process, which documented gross
military abuses against civilians.
"Maguwu is being persecuted for carrying out his lawful
work of monitoring and documenting alleged human rights violations by security
forces at some of Zimbabwe's richest diamond fields," said Amnesty's
Africa director, Erwin van der Borght.
"We consider Maguwu a prisoner of conscience and call on
the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally."
Right groups say Zimbabwe has failed to keep a promise to halt
abuse of diamond miners and should have its international certification frozen.
Kimberley monitor Abbey Chikane said President Robert Mugabe's
government had met the global diamond regulator's criteria.
But Kimberley failed last month to agree on whether to allow
Zimbabwe to resume trade. The matter will be discussed again next week in Saint
Petersburg.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved
2010 07 06
Written by rodmccullom on Jul-6-10 6:56pm
From: rodonline.typepad.com
Updating the case of the two Zimbabwe gay activists that were
arrested and tortured in May. Ignatius Muhambi has plead "not guilty"
to breaching censorship laws and possessing "pornography", reports News24.
"Ignatius Muhambi, an accountant for Gays and Lesbians of
Zimbabwe ... formally entered a plea of 'not guilty' in court on Thursday.
Prosecutor Memory Mugabe said police found pornographic material during the
raid on the office. 'A search was done in the office and one pornographic DVD
and pornographic booklet was recovered from the office being used by the
accused,' Mugabe told the court. Mugabe said both contained graphic images of
men having sex. At the time of their arrest, the two also had been accused of
insulting President Robert Mugabe, but that charge was not read out in
court."
After displaying a letter from former San Francisco Mayor
Willie Brown criticizing Zimbabwe's anti-gay regime, Muhambi and office
administrator Ellen Chademana were arrested in a police raid at the
association's offices on May 6. They were charged with "undermining the
authority" of President Robert Mugabe. After six days in police custody
and subjected to torture, both are free on bail.
GALZ is also involved in HIV/AIDS prevention. It is not known
if the "pornographic" material cited were safe sex materials.
Muhambi's trial continues and Chademana's case will begin on
Wednesday. Chademana has been prevented from traveling to the United States.
2010 07 07
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hnbaJNBDvTLSRXEUdQWGerEQnU2gD9GPJMT80
By ANGUS SHAW (AP)
HARARE
Zimbabwe
The washing machine cycle takes about 45 minutes - and George
Washington comes out much cleaner in the Zimbabwe-style laundering of dirty
money.
Low-denomination U.S bank notes change hands until they fall
apart here in Africa, and the bills are routinely carried in underwear and
shoes through crime-ridden slums.
Some have become almost too smelly to handle, so Zimbabweans
have taken to putting their $ 1 bills through the spin cycle and hanging them
up to dry with clothes pins alongside sheets and items of clothing.
It's the best solution - apart from rubber gloves or
disinfectant wipes - in a continent where the U.S. dollar has long been the
currency of choice and where the lifespan of a dollar far exceeds what the U.S.
Federal Reserve intends.
Zimbabwe's coalition government officially declared the U.S.
dollar legal tender last year to eradicate world record inflation of billions
of percent in the local Zimbabwe dollar as the economy collapsed.
The U.S. Federal Reserve destroys about 7,000 tons of worn-out
money every year. It says the average $ 1 bill circulates in the United States
for about 20 months - nowhere near its African life span of many years.
Larger denominations coming in through banks and formal import
and export trade are less soiled.
But among Africa's poor, the $ 1, $ 2, $ 5 and $ 10 bills are
the most sought after. Dirty $ 1 bills can remain in circulation at rural markets,
bus parks and beer halls almost indefinitely, or at least until they finally
disintegrate.
Still, banks and most businesses in Zimbabwe do not accept
torn, Scotch-taped, scorched, defaced, exceptionally dirty or otherwise damaged
U.S. notes.
Zimbabweans say the U.S. notes do best with gentle
hand-washing in warm water. But at a laundry and dry cleaner in eastern Harare,
a machine cycle does little harm either to the cotton-weave type of paper.
Locals say chemical "dry cleaning" is not recommended - it fades the
color of the famed greenback.
Laundry worker Alex Mupondi said customers asked him to try
machine-washing a selection of bills and the result impressed him.
But storekeeper Jackie Dube hasn't yet taken up advice of
friends to cleanse the often damp and stinking U.S. dollars she receives for
the garments and cheap Chinese consumer goods she sells in Harare. It's
time-consuming, she says, adding that stinky, unhygienic bills are a problem.
"I get rid of the worst of the notes as soon as I can in
change," she said.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
2010 07 06
INFRASTRUCTURE
By: Keith Campbell
6th July 2010
The infrastructure deficit in Africa currently amounts, in
monetary terms, to $ 1,5-trillion, African Development Bank vice-president and
Chief Economist Prof Mthuli Ncube told Engineering News Online on Tuesday. And
the continent probably can’t afford to finance all the required development
from its own resources.
“A lot of money needs to come from abroad in foreign direct
investment,” he highlighted.
“There’s a need to develop roads through quasi-market
initiatives such as public-private partnerships. Railway development is very
important for Africa. In the 1960s and 70s one could travel from the Cape a lot
of the way to Cairo by train, but political conflicts did a lot of damage to
railways.”
Rail is the cheapest way to move freight from the interior to
the coast, but many ports also need development or refurbishment, particularly
in West Africa.
“We also need to develop the airline industry. We need to be
able to travel across Africa by air, both passengers and cargo,” he added. “It
is very difficult to fly between African countries. For example, to fly from
South Africa to Tunisia, you have to go via Paris or Dubai.”
Nor is this all. There is also the need to develop the entire
power generation sector. Oil infrastructure has to be expanded, and gas infrastructure
developed. There is a need for more dams, for water supply and hydropower.
For example, he cited the Inga project in the western part of
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “If it was developed it would be a
wonderful project. It would benefit the whole region. The DRC couldn’t possibly
use all that electricity.”
Then there is the issue of affordable housing. “One way for
people to move into the middle class is to become home owners,” he pointed out.
There are, of course, areas in Africa with concentrations of
high-quality infrastructure, such as Southern Africa, in particular South
Africa, and North Africa, especially Egypt and Tunisia. “But all regions of
Africa need more infrastructure,” he affirmed.
Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter
2010 07 06
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-06-trio-accused-of-stealing-tobacco-worth-450-000
CHARLES LAITON
Jul 06 2010 12:17
Two employees with the Tobacco
Processors Zimbabwe (TPZ) and a Zambian national have been taken to court on
allegations of stealing 1 446 bales of tobacco valued at nearly $ 450 000 from
their employers.
They allegely sold their loot to
Tombwe Processing Company of Zambia.
Ndinewe Marebesa (36), Peterson
Chumakunetsa (32) and Fanuel Gwenzi (34) appeared before regional magistrate
Morgan Nemadire yesterday on fraud charges.
Prosecutor Michael Reza alleged that
between April 2009 and August the same year, the trio together with Kandaipasi
Marebesa Paul from Zambia and George Makonza an employee at Bak Storage,
hatched a plan to steal the tobacco.
Chumakunetsa who was a data
capturing clerk with TPZ at the time, allegedly stole vouchers from the factory
and used them to withdraw 1 446 bales of tobacco from Bak Willowvale. He
purported that the tobacco was destined for processing at TPZ.
The trio allegedly hired trucks from
Devotion Enterprises T/A Taroan Transport in Msasa to transport the tobacco to
Tombwe Processing Company in Lusaka, Zambia.
Assistant leaf accounting manager at
TPZ Richard Fombe discovered the discrepancies while going through the actual
inventory figures for Tianze Tobacco where 168 bales were discovered to be
missing.
This prompted him to carry out
investigations which led to the discovery of the missing tobacco.
The matter was reported to the
police leading to the arrest of Marebesa, Chumakunetsa and Gwenzi.
Paul and Makonza are on the run.
Investigations revealed that
Marebesa, Chumakunetsa and Gwenzi allegedly loaded bales of tobacco on steel
pallets into hired trucks and offloaded them at Patmarsh Services (Private)
Limited where they were temporarily stored before being transported to Zambia.
In an effort to avoid detection
Marebesa allegedly hired welders Patrick Zata and Munashe Dandajena to destroy
the steel pallets.
The state alleged that on August 20,
Marebesa was deceived into believing that the welders had finished destroying
the pallets and were waiting for their payment.
He was arrested upon arrival at
Patmarsh Services and implicated Chumakunetsa and Gwenzi.
TPZ has a contract to handle and
process tobacco on behalf of its shareholders and third parties.
2010 07 07
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-06-the-vatican-will-not-silence-me-ncube
NKULULEKO SIBANDA
Jul 06 2010 12:16
Former archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Bulawayo,
Pius Ncube, has crawled out of his shell. Ncube, who had been hibernating since
2007 said he would not be silenced by his superiors in Rome and vowed to
continue speaking out against misrule.
Ncube has been unusually quiet since his fall from grace after
he was caught in a compromising position with a follower from his church.
The disgraced Ncube was ultimately censored from talking to
the press by the Vatican after the embarrassing incident.
Ncube was videotaped indulging in sex with a woman, in an
expoŚe he believes was a sting operation against him by the state. The two are
said to have become involved when the woman was working at the Roman Catholic
Church’s headquarters in Bulawayo.
Following the scandal, Ncube - a fierce critic of President
Robert Mugabe’s style of governance - retreated into his shell.
But last Saturday, Ncube made a rare public appearance since
the sex scandal pitching up at a belated commemoration of the 11th anniversary
of the death of Father Zimbabwe, Joshua Nkomo, at Amakhosi Township Square in
Bulawayo.
Speaking to this newspaper, a defiant Ncube said he may be
down but was not yet out.
He said the experience had made him stronger.
“There are people who are trying to use other means to get me
to stop criticising this (inclusive) government for what it is,” Ncube said.
“This goes to even a point where those at the Vatican have
requested me not to speak out about these injustices. I would like to point out
that I am not finished yet. I will not be silenced and very soon, I will show
the world that I am still the person who speaks his mind and criticises bad things
happening in government.”
Ncube said after his ordeal, he was invited to Rome, Italy,
where the Pope’s “lieutenants” pleaded with him not to be too critical of
President Mugabe and his previous government.
“I did not agree to their proposal,” Ncube claimed. “I told
them I was working with the people and acceding to their (Vatican’s) request
would be betraying the people.
I will not keep quiet when people are subjected to injustices.
I will speak out against all the evil things that I see because that is what I
believe I should do.”
The formerly outspoken church leader said he was even offered
accommodation in Italy and Australia where he was expected to stay and the
offer included moving his family there.
“I told them that I am looking after my mother.
I told them my family is here (in Zimbabwe) and moving to
Italy would mean I am away from my family. I want to remain here,” said Ncube.
The request by Vatican leaders, Ncube said, gave him time to
reflect on his past. He said given that he was now being viewed with another
eye by the public, he would pray to be guided accordingly.
“I will talk to my master, who is God, to ask for his
guidance. I will talk to him to plead with him to give me the power to face all
my persecutors as well as take on those that have messed up the lives of the
people,” Ncube said.
“I know God will bear with me since I believe I am on a
mission that he set for me to try and save the people of Zimbabwe from this
regime.
At one time, I nearly gave up hope that I was going to recover
from this thing. But I believe that I am firm and I gathered all the guts.” He
said he was willing to face the consequences of his actions.
2010 07 07
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-07-zapu-demands-return-of-properties
DUMISANI SIBANDA
Jul 07 2010 10:23
Bulawayo
An MDC-T deputy minister, Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who is a former
freedom fighter has added his voice to the growing calls for the return of Zapu
properties confiscated at the height of the Gukurahundi era by Zanu-PF.
Ndlovu was speaking at a belated commemoration of the 11th
anniversary of the death of Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo, organised by a local
pressure group Ibhetshu Likazulu at Amakhosi Township Square last Saturday
where he was the only government official present.
“As Zapu we invested in properties to secure our own future
but they were taken away from us. We should demand our properties back. We
should be able to use those properties for our benefit and the benefit of our
children because that was our sweat,’’ he said.
The former Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra)
fighter who was in a combative mood said the properties were bought using their
demobilisation payouts.
He said failure to return the assets as well as the continued
marginalisation of the Matabeleland region were a sign that “Gukurahundi is
still in force’’.
Commenting on the sentiments by Ndlovu, the Zapu spokesperson,
Methuseli Moyo, said Ndlovu’s ideas were noble and the matter of Zapu
properties should be followed up.
“We appreciate the sentiments by Ndlovu,” Moyo said. “He is an
ex-Zipra fighter who knows where he is coming from and where he will end. We
encourage him to lobby his friends in Zanu PF and the two MDC formations to do
what is right - to hand over those properties to Zapu where they rightfully
belong. Zapu has been revived and there is no need to fight over this.’’
“As Zapu we consider this to be a serious outstanding issue
(on the Global Political Agreement) more serious than the issue of the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono or Attorney General (Johannes) Tomana
or(Roy) Bennett(Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate).Zapu properties that
are still under the control of the government include Magnet House in Bulawayo,
which houses the regional headquarters of the state security agency, the
Central Intelligence Organisation, and Castle Arms Motel, also in Bulawayo. In
Harare there is Snake Park, among others. Some of the Zapu properties are run
through a company, Nitram Holdings, which represents the interests of Zipra
cadres.After the Unity Accord in 1987, the Zanu PF government refused to hand
over the properties seized in 1982 at the height of Gukurahundi in Matabeleland
and Midlands.
2010 07 06
….
http://changezimbabwe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2983&Itemid=2
Written by Changing Times Team
Tuesday, 06 July 2010
In Manicaland province, the MDC secretary for Ward 20 in
Mutare South had to be hospitalised after sustaining serious internal injuries
when he was assaulted by the village head, Daniel Toopera, with the aid of two
Zanu PF brothers, Batsirai and Daniel Makomboti.
Blessing Musarandega was assaulted after giving his opinion
during a Constitution-making outreach public meeting held on 29 June at
Munyarari primary school.
This is believed to have infuriated the village head and his
Zanu PF colleagues who had drafted a list of people who were meant to speak at
the outreach meeting.
Recovering at a hospital in Mutare, Musarandega said the
assault would not deter him from his basic right to participate in the drafting
of a new Constitution.
“They want to silence us but they will not succeed. This is a
national constitution and not a Zanu PF baby. We are all Zimbabweans; we want
our voices to be heard. I will participate again when the outreach team comes
back to the area,” said Musarandega.
The assailants have been reported to the police but no arrests
have been made.
In Mashonaland Central province, three MDC activists, Last
Sihara, Stephen Jambo and Malvern Gumbo, will today appear before a Bindura
magistrate on trumped up charges of threatening to murder a Zanu PF thug,
Chenai Makaraho, at a rally two weeks ago. See changingtimes
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 July 2010 )
…
2010 07 06
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/06/zimbabwe-nkomo-statue-zapu-matabeland
Proposed site has links with massacres by Mugabe's men, say
supporters of Zimbabwe liberation struggle leader
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 6 July 2010 17.03 BST
Article history
Joshua Nkomo, left, with Robert Mugabe announcing agreement on
the Rhodesia ceasefire in London in 1979. Photograph: Popperfoto
Plans for a statue of a leader of the liberation struggle in
Zimbabwe have been branded an insult to the victims of massacres ordered by
president Robert Mugabe.
Joshua Nkomo fought alongside Mugabe to overthrow white
minority rule in Rhodesia, but after independence the pair fell out. Thousands
of people were killed by government forces in Nkomo's political base,
Matabeleland (pdf).
Supporters of Nkomo, dubbed "Father Zimbabwe", have
long claimed that his part in the struggle is marginalised in histories written
by Mugabe's Zanu-PF.
One remedy seemed to be a statue of Nkomo, who led the Zapu
party and died in 1999. But friends and allies object to its proposed location
at the Karigamombe centre in the capital, Harare, and have threatened to tear
it down.
They say the name Karigamombe, meaning one who takes the bull
by the horns, has associations with the Mugabe family. One objector told the
Guardian that the building, formerly the Piccadilly centre, was used to run
operations during the Matabeleland massacres, or "Gukurahundi", in
the 1980s, when Mugabe's men attacked Nkomo's Zapu supporters.
"The massacres were directed from this building,"
said Max Mkandla, of the Liberators Peace Initiative, whose father was among
the dead. "The orders were originating from meetings there and it is
associated with Robert Mugabe and his family. It is not a befitting place for a
statue of Nkomo.
"Joshua Nkomo would feel bad if he knew his statue was
there. He originated in Matabeleland and the statue must be kept in
Matabeleland."
Zimbabwe's government sparked protests earlier this year when
it invited the North Korean football team to Matabeleland before the World Cup
in neighbouring South Africa. North Korea trained the notorious Fifth Brigade,
which helped to perpetrate Gukurahundi. The footballers' visit was eventually
scrapped.
Nkomo's family has also criticised the plans for a statue. His
nephew Dumisani Nkomo told Zimbabwe's NewsDay newspaper: "The decision
would be interpreted as an insult to the family, especially when one looks at
the history of what Karigamombe stands for."
Dumiso Dabengwa, interim president of Zapu, added that the
idea had been dragging on for years. "Nkomo's statue was supposed to be
erected a long time ago in Bulawayo and Harare," he told NewsDay. "In
Bulawayo a street was identified but the previous Zanu-PF government did not
act on the resolutions made. These delays are trivialising the sacrifice Nkomo
made for the liberation of Zimbabwe."
Dabengwa also complained about a lack of events to mark the
anniversary of Nkomo's death on 1 July. "The fact that they did not even
hold a gala for Nkomo reflects the disrespect that the government has for
Nkomo. He was a great man and he deserves to be treated much better than this."
George Mlala, a Zanu-PF official in Bulawayo, disputed the
claims. "The country does remember Joshua Nkomo but the economy does not
permit major commemorations," he said. "The government was aware of
it but there is not enough money to hire bands and organise a gala."
The battle for the former vice-president's legacy continues 11
years after his death. The Standard reported that his son has called for his
father's remains to be dug up from National Heroes' Acre in Harare for reburial
in his family's home village.
Sibangilizwe Nkomo claimed that in his final days Joshua Nkomo
complained bitterly about the direction the country was taking. "My father
said he had tried to mould him [Mugabe] into a proper leader but he feared that
his efforts were to no avail," he said.
2010 07 07
http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-07-07-zapu-demands-return-of-properties
DUMISANI SIBANDA
Jul 07 2010 10:23
Bulawayo- An MDC-T deputy minister, Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who is
a former freedom fighter has added his voice to the growing calls for the
return of Zapu properties confiscated at the height of the Gukurahundi era by
Zanu-PF.
Ndlovu was speaking at a belated commemoration of the 11th
anniversary of the death of Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo, organised by a local
pressure group Ibhetshu Likazulu at Amakhosi Township Square last Saturday
where he was the only government official present.
“As Zapu we invested in properties to secure our own future
but they were taken away from us. We should demand our properties back. We
should be able to use those properties for our benefit and the benefit of our
children because that was our sweat,’’ he said.
The former Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra)
fighter who was in a combative mood said the properties were bought using their
demobilisation payouts.
He said failure to return the assets as well as the continued
marginalisation of the Matabeleland region were a sign that “Gukurahundi is
still in force’’.
Commenting on the sentiments by Ndlovu, the Zapu spokesperson,
Methuseli Moyo, said Ndlovu’s ideas were noble and the matter of Zapu
properties should be followed up.
“We appreciate the sentiments by Ndlovu,” Moyo said. “He is an
ex-Zipra fighter who knows where he is coming from and where he will end. We
encourage him to lobby his friends in Zanu PF and the two MDC formations to do
what is right - to hand over those properties to Zapu where they rightfully
belong. Zapu has been revived and there is no need to fight over this.’’
“As Zapu we consider this to be a serious outstanding issue
(on the Global Political Agreement) more serious than the issue of the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono or Attorney General (Johannes) Tomana
or(Roy) Bennett(Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate).Zapu properties that
are still under the control of the government include Magnet House in Bulawayo,
which houses the regional headquarters of the state security agency, the
Central Intelligence Organisation, and Castle Arms Motel, also in Bulawayo. In
Harare there is Snake Park, among others. Some of the Zapu properties are run
through a company, Nitram Holdings, which represents the interests of Zipra
cadres.After the Unity Accord in 1987, the Zanu PF government refused to hand
over the properties seized in 1982 at the height of Gukurahundi in Matabeleland
and Midlands.
2010 07 07
http://news.radiovop.com/index.php/national-news/4158.html
07/07/2010 09:07:00 Millie Phiri
Harare, July 07, 2010
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Zimbabwe’s HIV and AIDS service organisations have threatened
a No vote of the new constitution if it fails to capture their concerns.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Participants to a meeting of AIDS service organisations on
Tuesday said they wanted rights to access HIV&AIDS treatment and access to
health services or they would join the NCA in the no vote campaign.
A parliamentary led constitutional process (COPAC) is
currently gathering views from the public on what the people want to be
included in the new constitution. The process, which started last week is
expected to take 83 days before the draft constitution is taken for a
referendum.
The meeting was attended by more than 15 representatives of
AIDS services from around the country.
“If our issues are not captured by the COPAC we are definitely
going to call for a No vote come referendum time. HIV&AIDS issues are being
ignored and yet everyone is being affected in one way or the other,” said a
member of one of the organisations representing People Living with AIDS.
Community Working Group on Health Programme manager Caroline
Mubaira told the gathering: “We are waiting for such time when the COPAC team
finishes gathering people’s views and see if HIV&AIDS as well as health
issues are well captured. If they are not well articulated in the document, us
as a membership organisation we will go back to our constituency and consult
for the way forward because we know that health issues are national issues,
which need not to be excluded in the new constitution.”
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights’ HIV&AIDS Human rights
programmes officer Bekizela Mapanda said they were closely monitoring the of
HIV and AIDS issues by COPAC outreach teams.
“Our duty at the moment is that of monitoring the process and
see whether there is democracy in terms of the inclusion of rights to health on
behalf of people living with the pandemic. When the drafting of the actual
constitution comes we will engage with our stakeholders and they will decide on
the action to take depending on the outcome of the draft constitution."
Meanwhiule chaos continued to characterise COPAC outreach
teams with reports that co-chairpersons had ordered outreach teams to look for
alternative accommodation after most of the teams had been evicted from Harare
and Mutare hotels for failing to settle bills.
The two COPAC chairpersons Paul Mangwana of Zanu (PF) and
Douglas Mwonzora of MDC-T admitted on Tuesday to journalists that outreach
teams in Mutare and Harare were being chased away from hotels as a result of
COPAC’s failure to pay hotel bills.
The teams were also not getting food from the hotels.
“We have instructed our teams to look for alternative
accommodation which is cheaper because most of the hotels like Jameson and
Crown Plaza which they are currently using are charging above US$ 60, which is
beyond our budget,” said Mangwana.
Mwonzora said“The reason why we have accommodated those teams
operating in Mashonaland central in Harare is that we could not find suitable
accommodation for them in that area, and at some point we were told that some
of the suitable hotels were booked up to September and we had no choice but to
accommodate them in Harare”.
2010 07 07
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/business-2793-New+Dawn+unfazed+by+threats/business.aspx
07/07/2010 00:00:00
by Business Reporter
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Unfazed ... New Dawn ignores govt threats
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NEW Dawn Mining Corp was said to be mulling an offer to buy
out financially troubled Central African Gold (CAG) even as the Zimbabwe
government says the deal violates the country’s empowerment laws.
The Canada-based junior resources firm recently surprised the
market with the acquisition of a controlling 89 percent interest in the London
AIM listed CAG.
But the deal immediately attracted criticism from the
government with presidential affairs minister Didymus Mutasa telling local
media the transaction would be investigated as it threatened the country’s
security and economic interests.
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Didymus Mutasa,
told a local daily that New Dawn's transaction did not comply with empowerment
regulations and threatened Zimbabwe's security and economic interests.
This was despite the fact that the transaction was an offshore
acquisition, and did not necessarily involve the take-over of CAG's businesses
in Zimbabwe at the asset level.
Again New Dawn had not said they would not seek to comply with
the country’s empowerment legislation post-acquisition.
Meanwhile sources indicated that New Dawn had remained focused
and was planning to offer to buy out CAG minorities after buying an 89 percent
stake in CAG.
The deal had triggered a storm as the two remaining directors
of CAG had not been informed of the transaction by a group of three key
shareholders who negotiated the sell of their combined stake in CAG to New Dawn
without their involvement.
The development highlighted the deteriorating crisis within
the group, which has seen two directors, including the board chairman, leaving
in a huff between December and April this year.
CAG's three major shareholders, ECP Africa Fund II PCC, HBD
Zim Investments Limited and Investec Asset Management (Pty) Limited , had sold
the entirety of their respective shareholdings in CAG, representing in
aggregate approximately 88,7 percent of the issued ordinary share capital of
the company, to New Dawn in exchange for New Dawn shares.
CAG owns the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Falcon Gold and
the unlisted Olympus Gold Mines. The two Zimbabwean mining companies produced
21 031 oz in the year to end-September 2006, just before CAG's acquisition.
The mines were shut down by CAG in 2008 due to a gold pricing
regime that made gold mining unviable in Zimbabwe, despite a rise in
international gold prices.
New Dawn said its targeted objective was to reach consolidated
annualised gold production of 50 000 to 60 000 ounces within 18 to 24 months,
and 100,000 ounces within 4 to 5 years.
"(The) ultimate goal is to reach 200 000 to 250 000
ounces of annualised gold production and become a mid-tier gold producer,"
said New Dawn in its announcement.
2010 07 06
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/06/ireland-asylum-seeker-footballer-deportation
Oscar Sibanda, a Zimbabwean player for Shelbourne FC, fears
persecution if he is forced to return to homeland
Henry McDonald in Mosney
guardian.co.uk
Tuesday 6 July 2010 16.46 BST
Article history
Oscar Sibanda has fought a three-year battle to seek asylum in
Ireland. Photograph: Kim Haughton
Every time Oscar Sibanda puts on his Shelbourne football shirt
he knows that this could be his last match or training session for the League
of Ireland side.
The 22-year-old Zimbabwean could be deported from Ireland at
any time after a three-year battle to seek asylum.
On a bright summer morning Sibanda trains on the beach close
to the Mosney asylum centre - a former Butlins camp that is home to 800 asylum
seekers, including many young families.
Sibanda fled Zimbabwe to join his mother and siblings in
Ireland. They had left Zimbabwe because their mother was a member of the
opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, and feared persecution at the
hands of Robert Mugabe's regime.
"My problems here in Ireland are to do with a
translator," said Sibanda. "I come from Matabeleland and the
translator thought I spoke the same language as they do across the border in
South Africa. He put me down on the asylum form as South African and the
authorities in Dublin decided I didn't face persecution. I got out of Zimbabwe
through South Africa but I left my passport behind. I had no proof I came from
Zimbabwe and that my family were under threat from Mugabe's regime."
Although he has signed this season for semi-professional side
Shelbourne FC, Sibanda cannot be paid by the club. Like all asylum seekers he
is only entitled to €19.10 (£16) a week. "I have to pay about €10 for
transport to matches and training. The other players are getting part-time
wages, but I am not legally entitled to them. All I want to do is use my skills
as a footballer to earn a living while I am still in my 20s, pay my taxes and
be a good citizen."
Sibanda has also worked as a volunteer for Sport Against
Racism Ireland and runs a team made up of immigrants named after Albert
Johanneson, one of the first black players in English football. He has also
been on the books of two other League of Ireland teams, Shamrock Rovers and
Drogheda United. A number of former players and managers have signed a petition
urging the authorities to grant Sibanda asylum. So far their pleas have failed.
While he can visit his mother, two sisters and one brother who
all live legally in Drogheda, Sibanda lives on his own in Mosney. Last week he
received a letter from the Department of Justice saying that he was one of more
than 100 to be relocated from Mosney to Dublin.
"I will be even further away from my mother and
siblings," Sibanda said. "I am in the last phase now and I know that
anything can happen because the authorities can do what they like with
me."
He added: "It's funny, but my dream as a footballer when
I came here was that one day I might be good enough to play for Ireland. That's
why I still wear the kit."
2010 07 06
SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING
New York newspapers are on display featuring personal photos
of suspected Russian spies Anna Chapman (L) and Richard and Cynthia Murphy at a
news stand in New York, June 30, 2010. Russia and the United States sought to
cool a heated scandal sparked by the arrest of 11 suspected Kremlin spies, amid
fears the Cold War-style furore could harm improving ties. PHOTO/AFP
By PETER LEFTIE
Posted Tuesday, July 6 2010 at 21:00
IN SUMMARY
Father of woman held on claims of espionage was a diplomat
here
The father of a Russian woman arrested in the United States on
allegations of espionage worked in Kenya in the early 90s.
Ms Anna Chapman, 28, who was seized last week is believed to
have been part of a KGB spying ring.
Now Kenya has been dragged into the controversy after it
emerged that her father worked at the Russian embassy in Nairobi.
The international media was on Tuesday abuzz with reports that
Mr Vasily Kuschenko, was also suspected of being an undercover agent when he
was in Kenya.
According to the reports, Mr Kuschenko ran a sky diving school
in Kenya during his tour of duty, raising suspicion that he could have been on
a secret mission.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has promised to issue a statement
on the matter on Wednesday.
“Let me check out all the facts about the matter then I can
speak tomorrow,” Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula said on Tuesday.
Right wing British tabloid Daily Mail described Ms Chapman as
a “practised deceiver” whose father, 53-year-old Kuschenko, worked in Kenya
when she was a teenager.
According to the reports, the Russian Foreign ministry has
refused to discussion about Mr Kuschenko or his career.
British papers report that much of Mr Kuschenko’s work was
undercover. He and his wife Irina, 51, live in Moscow flats set aside for
diplomats.
Also dragged into the saga is Zimbabwe following revelations
that Ms Chapman had links with a Harare tycoon.
Her former husband, Briton Alex Chapman, reportedly told
British intelligence that she set up a company, Southern Union with Mr Ken
Sharpe, a Zimbabwean businessman.
The company, which has charitable status was set up to enable
Zimbabwean expatriates send money back home at competitive exchange rates.
Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper on Tuesday reported
that Mr Sharpe was recently involved in brokering a deal between the Harare
City Council and a Ukrainian company for the construction of a major road in
the capital.
British media report that Ms Chapman moved millions of US
dollars between Zimbabwe and the UK using Southern Union.
The money was allegedly laundered for espionage purposes.
There have also been claims that her father, was a KGB agent
in Zimbabwe at the time.
2010 07 06
http://changezimbabwe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2984&Itemid=2
Written by Makusha Mugabe
Tuesday, 06 July 2010
If proof were needed that the new ConDem government in the UK
has put Zimbabwe on the back-burner, yesterday's House of Commons
question-and-answer with Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs, William Hague, provided it.
Asked by his own backbenchers, Laura Sandys (South Thanet),
Jessica Lee (Erewash) and Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire) what his most
recent assessment is of the state of UK-Zimbabwe relations was, Hague had
little to say.
He waffled about wanting to support the aspirations of the
Zimbabwean people for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe and
working with reformers in Zimbabwe and the region to achieve reforms necessary
for free and fair elections.
This is despite Zanu (PF) unleashing violence all over the
country and forcing meetings of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee,
which is supposed to produce the necessary constitutional changes, to be
rescheduled amid reported chaos.
Even on what he could do for British nationals who were born
in Zimbabwe, but whose property has been expropriated, some of whom live in
Laura Sandys constituency of South Thanet, Hague could only say the British
Government condemns illegal farm and property seizures.
“We should make that very clear. Economic regeneration in
Zimbabwe depends on respect for the rule of law, and we urge the Zimbabwean
Government to respect the rule of law and to end such seizures,” were the
hollow words.
Jessica Lee pressed him further on the Kimberley Process,
asking what the UK was now going to do to ensure that conflict diamonds (from
Zimbabwe) did not make their way into the UK, Hague again was tongue-tied,
saying only that the European Union, including the United Kingdom, had called
for efforts to reach agreement through the Kimberley Process so that all
diamond mining in the in Zimbabwe becomes subject to it.
The recent KP meeting in Israel failed to conclude on this
issue and Zimbabwe has threatened to start selling diamonds outside the KP
process, and in fact has reportedly already built a runaway in the diamond
mining area in readiness to export to China and other countries that have no
qualms about conflict diamonds.
While the Zimbabwean government would like its diamonds to be
excluded from description as “conflict diamonds” - there is a lot of conflict
surrounding them including the Chiadzwa people who are being forced to make way
for the diamond mining without any provision having been made for them to
benefit from the resource found in their traditional area, one of the least
developed in Zimbabwe.
There is also conflict in the ownership of the claims, which
were illegally allocated to crony companies of the Zanu (PF) and the military
leadership in flagrant disregard of a High Court order.
There is continued smuggling by soldiers who are supposed to
be guarding the diamond field, and investigations by a Parliamentary Committee
with oversight on mining issues has been thwarted by the Minister of Mines.
Worst of all the director of the only local non-governmental
organisation recognised by the Kimberly Process, who is in poor health, has
been detained in inhuman conditions after being pulled from a hospital bed by
prison guards only a day after an operation on his throat.
But Hague could not even find words of comfort for him, nor
words to condemn is malicious prosecution which is clearly intended to silence
dissenting voices which interfere with Zanu (PF) leaders' exploitation of the
resources of the country for their own use.
On what action he was taking with other African nations to
ensure that Zimbabwe adopts a new constitution and ends the endemic corruption
within the country, David Cameron's foreign secretary only said the UK would
work closely with its partners in Africa, especially South Africa.
SA has been tasked by the AU to mediate, but she has actually
used the opportunity to gerrymander the negotiating process to the benefit of
Robert Mugabe and his cabal. Neither the African Union, nor the SADC, even if
they wanted to, can take any action on Zimbabwe because the South African
mediator, Jacob Zuma, keeps saying he has not finished his process - just as
his predecessor Thabo Mbeki did, thus buying time for Mugabe to steady himself
after his shock electoral defeat a year and half ago.
“We support its (SA's) efforts and those of President Zuma to
engage closely with Zimbabwe and to push it towards reform. We - the UK and
other donors - also support, through the UN development programme, the
implementation of the Zimbabwean constitution,” were more hollow words which
did not placate Labour's Kate Hoey, an ardent supporter of Zimbabwe.
She reminded the Minister that the MDC had been promised by
the African Union and SADC that the two bodies would honour the global
political agreement (GNU) and ensure that it worked.
“But clearly they have not done so. Can we do anything more to
put pressure on the AU and SADC, without which we will never get the free and
fair elections that will make Zimbabwe once again a flourishing nation,” she
asked.
Hague agreed that more diplomatic pressure could be put to
leverage the situation, but again nothing concrete, and, he added, “we cannot
guarantee it on our own.”
Labour's David Hanson (Delyn) piled on the pressure, reminding
the Minister that Baroness Ashton, as the EU foreign affairs chief, recently
met Government of National Unity Ministers and promised them a €20 million
grant, despite no concrete progress being made on political issues.
“Does the Secretary of State have any idea what concrete
progress means in reality,” he asked in mockery.
Admitting, Hague said, ”I think we can fairly say that
concrete progress would be a great deal more than anything that is happening at
the moment. There have been no noticeable improvements in the human rights
situation in Zimbabwe, and we are deeply concerned about harassment and
politically inspired detentions, which continue in that country. Concrete
progress means a lot more than anything we have seen so far.”
But he repeated, “it is not within the UK’s power alone to
deal with Mugabe’s regime,” and his mantra which had also become the last
government's “working with South Africa and other partners in Africa”, to
support the implementation of the constitution through the Department for
International Development, and promising to review the situation.
He even admitted himself that it was a case of continuing all
those things to try to help the situation in Zimbabwe rather than introducing
one bold new initiative.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 July 2010 )