http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
EVERSON MUSHAVA 10 hours 46 minutes
ago
ZANU (PF) negotiator in the inclusive government Patrick
Chinamasa has
predicted war in Zimbabwe ahead of elections, saying clashes
reminiscent of
what happened in North Africa last year cannot be ruled
out.
Chinamasa told a highly emotive public seminar organised by Sapes
Trust in
Harare on Thursday that with the heightening of election talk in
the country
after the Sadc summit in Angola, battle lines have been drawn
between Zanu
PF and its rivals in the inclusive government, the two MDC
parties.
The Justice minister said the MDC parties were afraid of facing
an electoral
defeat at the hands of Zanu PF.
“I am not a prophet, but
what I am going to say is prophetic. What I see as
we approach elections is
a war-mongering scenario, parties singing
war-mongering songs - a tendency
to provoke incidences, to overblow them and
exaggerate, to distort in order
to allow a Syrian/Libyan-type Western
intervention,” said
Chinamasa.
But MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti immediately fired
back, saying his
party was still popular and would win the election if
conducted on a level
playing field. He said Zanu PF would lose because
people had not forgotten
the alleged atrocities committed by the former
ruling party.
“My friend here Patrick (Chinamasa) said the MDC-T is
afraid of losing an
election to Zanu PF. I want him to know that the MDC-T
is not afraid of Zanu
PF. What are the changed circumstances that make you
(Chinamasa) think that
the people have forgiven your (Zanu PF) sins?” asked
Biti.
The MDC-T secretary-general said Zanu PF’s reluctance to implement
some
agreed reforms was a way of trying to force another bloody election,
but his
party - with the help of Sadc - would not allow it to happen this
time
around.
He further accused Zanu PF of misleading the nation on the
outcome of the
Angola Summit.
The Zanu PF side of government, which
maintains its call for elections this
year, says Sadc never insisted on an
array of reforms before elections, but
only a new constitution. According to
the Sadc communiqué, elections should
be held within 12
months.
Negotiator for the MDC party led by Welshman Ncube, Priscilla
Misihairabwi-Mushonga also weighed in and told Chinamasa that if Zanu PF had
no faith in the facilitation of South African President Jacob Zuma, they had
the option of telling him right in his face or pull out of the unity
government.
“I wonder if you (Chinamasa) represent another Zanu PF
that is not led by
President Robert Mugabe. In Angola, he (Mugabe) thanked
President Zuma for
his facilitation and said he would not ambush anyone on
elections. He
promised to implement the agreed reforms, but when you come
here, you
(mis)inform people.
“I know it’s a form of men bravado when
they argue that I have a big what
and what . . . but the truth is we all
need Sadc and were very subservient
to Sadc at the summit. For Zanu PF, I
want you to know that being
subservient to Sadc is not surrendering our
sovereignty. We got ourselves
into that situation,” said
Mushonga.
South African ambassador to Zimbabwe Vusi Mavimbela said
President Zuma is
due in Harare early next week to help with the
implementation plan on agreed
reforms. - Newsday
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare, June 09, 2012 – Four
opposition political parties in Zimbabwe have
demanded inclusion into the
country’s governing processes and further
petitioned SADC appointed mediator
to the country’s political crisis,
President Jacob Zuma to facilitate their
participation.
At a joint press conference in Harare Friday, the parties
– Democratic
Party, MDC99, Zanu Ndonga and the Zimbabwe African People’s
Union (Zapu) -
accused the three main parties in government of monopolising
political space
and leading the nation astray.
“We, principals of the
undersigned political parties outside the GNU and
working together on the
common Issues Platform (CIP), hereby petition you as
SADC Mediator in the
Zimbabwe political crisis with our demand to meet with
you during your next
visit to Zimbabwe so that we can make our submission
and proposal on the way
forward in our country,” read the petition, which
was read by Zapu president
Dr Dumiso Dabengwa.
The parties demanded to have their representatives
drafted into the current
constitution making process, the Joint Monitoring
and Implementation
Committee and a say in the roadmap to free and fair
elections.
The parties were also joined in their demands by a
representative of Dr
Simba Makoni’s Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn.
President
Zuma is expected in Zimbabwe next week on a mission to browbeat
the parties
back on the roadmap towards free and fair elections.
MDC99 leader Job
Sikhala threatened to gatecrash Zuma’s meeting with the
three GPA principals
if they were denied audience with him.
“We are going to storm the meeting
where Jacob Zuma would be meeting the
three principals in the inclusive
government,” he said.
“We are going to have our own convoy of cars and
demand audience with the
facilitator to the Zimbabwean crisis. We cannot
allow the three principals
to continue dictating our politics,” he
said.
The parties further threatened to hold peace rallies that would run
parallel
to planned rallies by the three main parties in
government.
Democratic Party leader Urayayi Zembe added his voice to the
parties’
demands.
“Now it has become the right for us in the
political industry to demand that
we will not allow a few of us to dictate
the constitutional dispensation and
a government that has destroyed all
fundamental human rights,” he said.
The opposition parties, which do not
have any parliamentary representative
in the current legislature, did not
rule out a possible merger ahead of
future elections.
They said their
current decision to come together under the so-called Common
Issues Platform
demonstrated willingness to forge a common alliance against
the country’s
governing elite.
The parties were later in the day expected to take their
petition to the
South African embassy in Zimbabwe and the inclusive
government.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
Written by Richard Chidza, Staff Writer
Saturday, 09 June
2012 11:10
HARARE - Political bickering in the Government of National
Unity (GNU) and
the stalemate in the constitution-making process have
delayed a planned
visit by Sadc facilitator, South African President Jacob
Zuma.
South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Vusi Mavimbela told
a discussion
forum hosted by Sapes Trust in Harare on Thursday night that he
was “sitting
on a letter from the facilitation team proposing a date, but
the country’s
feuding parties are stalling the process”.
“Before we
left Luanda (host of last Sadc summit) the facilitation team had
proposed to
come here this Wednesday, but it was the political parties who
asked to be
given time because there are issues they would like to agree on
before they
meet the facilitator.
“I was talking to the facilitator’s convener
Charles Nqakula and I sit here
with a letter from him that is proposing to
meet next week Monday or Tuesday
in preparation for the coming of the
facilitator,” Mavimbela said. The
facilitators were due to lay the ground
for Zuma’s visit.
He said the urgency of the (Zimbabwean) matter “is very
clear” to Zuma but
it is the political parties in Harare that are stalling
the process.
“Nqakula was telling me that he has been talking to the
political parties
but they cannot agree. The team wanted to be here
yesterday (Wednesday) for
a meeting with the political parties to prepare
for the coming of the
facilitator,” said Mavimbela.
Sadc appointed
Zuma to be its point person on the Zimbabwean political
logjam and mandated
him with ensuring a free and fair poll after the
disputed 2008 election
marred by military-led violence.
The MDC claims the violence killed more
than 200 of its supporters as
President Robert Mugabe battled to overturn a
first round vote defeat to
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Sadc,
through Zuma, is heavily involved in Zimbabwe’s political processes
after
helping negotiate and guaranteeing the power sharing Global Political
Agreement (GPA).
Along the process, Zuma has earned the wrath of
Mugabe and Zanu PF for
insisting on the implementation of democratic reforms
contained in the GPA
before any elections are held.
Mugabe says
elections should proceed this year, with or without reforms that
include a
new constitution and re-alignment of a heavily politicised
security
sector.
Zuma appeared to turn on the heat this week when his spokesperson
repeated
demands for reforms before an election is held in
Zimbabwe.
His international relations advisor and spokesperson on the
Zimbabwean
situation Lindiwe Zulu, this week told a South African television
channel
that there will be no elections in Zimbabwe before security sector
reforms.
http://www.voanews.com
08 June
2012
Gibbs Dube | Washington
A youth empowerment group linked
to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party
has started a nationwide campaign
in Zimbabwe to push Chinese and Nigerian
nationals out of the retail
sector.
Some representatives of Upfumi Kuvadiki – Inotho Kwabatsha told
Studio 7
Friday that they have been assessing retail businesses in Bulawayo
this week
after conducting a similar exercise in Harare and found that most
of the
enterprises are in the hands of foreigners.
The group is
expected to visit Gweru, Mutare, Kwekwe and other cities within
the next two
weeks to identify retail businesses it claims are in the wrong
hands.
The militant group argues that foreigners should venture into
capital
intensive projects instead of engaging in the retail
sector.
Many Nigerian, Indian and Chinese nationals operate a large
number of retail
businesses in most cities.
Businessman and former
Affirmative Action Group vice president Matson Hlalo
warns that Zimbabwe’s
economy will be seriously affected if foreigners are
forced to abandon the
retail sector.
Some of these youths have been occupying some abandoned
buildings in
Bulawayo’s central business district and threatening to invade
foreign-owners retail shops.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
Written by Lloyd Mbiba, Staff Writer
Saturday, 09
June 2012 09:29
HARARE - Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa has
raised a storm after ruling
out compensation for Gukurahundi
victims.
Political commentators yesterday roundly criticised the Zanu PF
stalwart
saying his statements, made in Parliament on Wednesday, showed how
irresponsible and unrepentant Mnangagwa is.
Mnangagwa, long accused
of being one of the chief architects of Gukurahundi,
said there are no
immediate plans to compensate thousands of victims of the
massacres in
Matabeleland and Midlands Provinces by North Korean trained 5th
Brigade in
the 1980s.
Paul Siwela, secretary-general of the secessionist movement
Mthwakazi
Liberation Front, said Mnangagwa’s sentiments were “most
unfortunate” and
revealed his lack of respect for people from Matabeleland
and Midlands.
“That is reckless and dangerous by a man who physically
partook in the
Gukurahundi. People were butchered, and women were raped and
therefore for
someone to say they will not be compensated, is totally
reckless,” Siwela
said.
Outspoken minister of state and a member in
the organ of National Healing,
Reconciliation and Integration Moses
Mzila-Ndlovu, said people should not be
surprised because “the leopard will
never change its spots”.
“Mnangagwa is a cruel man who likes to inflict
pain, suffering and misery to
the people of Matabeleland and that statement
does that,” Mzila-Ndlovu said.
Gukurahundi, according to the Catholic
Commission for Justice and Peace and
the Legal Resources Foundation,
resulted in the massacre of at least 20 000
people between 1983 and 1987 in
the predominantly Ndebele regions of
Zimbabwe by government
troops.
Mnangagwa was the state security minister when government
dispatched the
crack unit to Matabeleland and Midlands to put down an
insurrection by
dozens of dissident supporters of the then Zapu leader
Joshua Nkomo.
Mark Mbayiwa, Zapu’s southern region coordinator blasted
Mnangagwa: “His
utterances are terrible, provocative, irresponsible and not
fit to be
uttered by someone who knows for sure that 20 000 innocent people
lost their
lives at the hands of the 5th Brigade.”
Obert Gutu, the
deputy minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, said Mnangagwa
is offside as
Gukurahundi could never be dealt with adequately without
compensating the
victims.
“International criminal jurisprudence has gained tremendous
momentum over
the past few decades. What I know for certain is that the
victims of
Gukurahundi, both living and deceased, will be compensated,” said
Gutu.
“That is for sure. In similar vein, perpetrators of gross human
rights
abuses will be fooling themselves if they think that their past will
never
catch up with them,” he said.
Mnangagwa is not new to
controversy as last year he waded into a political
storm after telling a
newspaper that the 1980s genocide was a “closed
chapter”.
The
statement sparked the ire of people from Matabeleland and Midlands
Provinces
who are still struggling with the aftermaths of the massacres.
President
Robert Mugabe, 88, whose Zanu PF party has struggled to make
forays into the
Matabeleland and Midlands Provinces, has refused to
apologise for the
massacres.
He, however, described it as a “moment of madness” during a
graveyard speech
at the burial of Joshua Nkomo in 1999.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
09/06/2012 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
TWO Zimbabwean youth entrepreneurs – Simbarashe Mhungu and
Limbikani
Makani – will travel to the United States as part of the U.S.
President’s
Young African Leaders Initiative.
They will attend the
2012 Innovation Summit and undergo a two-week
professional development
programme sponsored by the U.S. Department of State
in collaboration with
the Meridian International Centre.
Mhungu, 32, is founder and managing
director of Harvest Fresh, an indigenous
company specialising in
agribusiness and food processing.
The former Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
trainee received his undergraduate
business degree from Howard University,
Washington, D.C., and worked in the
U.S. for Goldman Sachs and The Walt
Disney Company.
Makani, 31, is founder and managing editor of the Technology
Zimbabwe
website (www.techzim.co.zw )
and holds a national diploma in Information
Technology.
Since its
establishment, TechZim has become a leading voice on technology
issues in
Zimbabwe and a main promoter of local technology creation and
venture
capital investment.
Makani says he is counting on Zimbabwe’s youth to take IT
innovations to a
new level.
“The achievements Zimbabwe has made in
terms of human capital is immense.
We have a youth that is capable of
delivering on a global scale, but we also
have a youth that has been
disconnected from the world in terms of
communicating or exchange of
ideas…. The sooner we tap into it, the sooner
we benefit,” says
Makani.
He sees himself as a true ambassador of that human capital as he
heads to
Washington D.C., where he will meet top U.S. government officials,
IT
experts, company executives and representatives of civil society
organisations.
Makani is a true internet devotee. He speaks
passionately, with youthful
enthusiasm and an eager smile, about the
infinite possibilities and
opportunities available to Zimbabweans
online.
He also has an unbending faith in Zimbabwean online entrepreneurs and
their
power to change Zimbabwe.
“The internet is so powerful,” he
said. “And it is really pointless to try
to block it – there are always ways
around to get to what you’re trying to
find. Because it’s the internet – the
whole idea is we are all connected on
it and you can find
anything.”
Makani studied information technology and, in 2009, started
TechZim,
arguably Zimbabwe’s leading technology website featuring product
reviews and
local IT news. With 3,000 page views per day, TechZim has set
its sights on
building a culture of start-ups and innovation in
Zimbabwe.
“A lot of Zimbabweans see the internet as a product, not a
platform,” he
laments. “They think they are just an audience, but they need
to see how
much they can do and put on the web.”
Limbikani had never
seen the internet until the day his boss at the Gweru
shopping centre where
he worked after finishing high school, bought a PC and
got a dial-up
connection. It was 2001 and there were 500 million internet
users worldwide
– many in the U.S. but few in Africa. The search is what
hooked
him.
“When I did my first search, I couldn’t believe how much I could
find on the
internet. I kept saying, ‘All this, I can get all this…,’ and I
just kept
looking up more things.”
Exploring the internet took
Makani’s life from black and white to colour in
an instant. “My first time
on the internet was a religious moment,” he says,
smiling a deep, knowing
smile and recalling intimately the experience.
“Today, internet uptake in
Zimbabwe is still slow but that ‘moment’ is
happening now to a lot of
people.”
About 60 youth leaders from throughout Africa are expected in
the U.S. for
the Summit and Mentorship Partnership. The programme is part of
the Obama
administration’s multi-year initiative targeted at young African
leaders who
are actively promoting positive change in their
communities.
It began with President Obama’s Forum for Young African
Leaders in 2010, has
included more than 2,000 U.S government-sponsored
programmes for young
leaders across Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2011,
First Lady Michelle Obama sponsored a Young African Women Leaders
Forum in
South Africa in which two Zimbabwean young women leaders
participated.
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare-June, 09, 2012-Members of parliament are
being chased out of Harare
hotels because of the government’s failure to pay
for their accommodation
bills.
Out of Harare legislators who come on
parliament business reside in
luxurious hotels while on duty.
The
hotels charge at least US$80 per night.
“Since last week Legislators
where moving from one hotel to the other as
they were being chased out
because of non bill payment by the government.
This is one of the issues
which were discussed in the emergency caucus
meeting that was held by the
two MDCs and ZANU (PF),”ZANU (PF) chief whip
Jorum Gumbo told Radio VOP
Friday in Harare.
In the joint meeting the smaller MDC faction was being
represented by Edward
Mkhosi while Innocent Gonese -all chief whips stood in
for the mainstream
MDC.
Gumbo said the meeting also discussed the
issue of allowance arrears which
government owes to Harare legislators
dating back from 2008 when they were
elected.
Local MPs are supposed
to get half of the amount paid to hotels for their
visiting
counterparts.
“We are talking if elections being held anytime soon and if
they are held
next month what will then happen to the arrears. Some of the
MPS have since
died and their relatives have not benefited. The MPS now feel
that promises
made to them by the government are not being fulfilled, “he
said.
Gumbo said they have resolved that Parliament’s Standing Rules and
Orders
Committee should be pushed to resolve all the outstanding
issues.
In January Members of Parliament and Senators were paid $15 000
each in
outstanding allowances.
The arrears were settled after
legislators had exchanged harsh words with
their chiefs accusing the whips
and (Parliament’s) Standing Rules and Orders
Committee of not representing
them.
The term of the current seating MPs ends in 2013 and they are
worried that
if they are not given their dues now they will never get them.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
Written by Chengetai Zvauya, Parliamentary
Editor
Saturday, 09 June 2012 09:27
HARARE - Members of Parliament
are demanding that government pays them hotel
and accommodation bills back
dated to 2008.
Zanu PF MPs on Wednesday agreed with MDC legislators to
hold a joint caucus
“soon” to push for the payment of the outstanding
money.
MPs fear that with elections looming, they could lose allowances
due to
them.
Zanu PF chief whip Joram Gumbo confirmed that MPs had
tasked him to follow
up the matter with Parliament’s
administration.
“We have not been paid our accommodation allowances. MPs
with houses in
Harare are entitled to $50 per day. The amount for those from
outside Harare
is $100 and is supposed to be paid to MPs who will be staying
in hotels as
they do not have houses in the capital. This issue is also
acceptable to MDC
MPs who want their money too,” said Gumbo.
Gumbo
said some MPs had been using their own resources to pay for
accommodation
while on parliamentary business.
He said MPs are yet to calculate the
whole amount owed to them by
Parliament.
MPs have been making several
demands in the form of perks and cash since
their election in
2008.
The demands range from new cars, salary increments, residential
stands and
most recently diplomatic passports.
The demand for payment
of the allowances comes as several MPs are being
kicked out of the hotels
they have been living in and are being forced to
seek alternative
accommodation.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
The Pubic Order Security Act has just
helped Zanu (PF) stay in power and
failed to protect ordinary citizens as
police continue to selectively apply
the law, a legislator has
charged.
09.06.1201:39pm
by Moses Chibaya
“The Public Order
Security Act has not helped the people of Zimbabwe but a
group of
individuals to survive. How is the police using it (POSA) to
promote peace
in this country? Are they are (only) using it to make sure
that dissenting
voices are crushed?’’ Kambuzuma MP, Willias Madzimure, said
during debate on
the presidential speech this week.
POSA was introduced in 2002 by a Zanu
(PF) dominated parliament and amended
in 2007 to remove some undemocratic
provisions.
Many regard Posa, which basically guides public order, as an
act that helped
President Robert Mugabe consolidate his power.
Since
its promulgation, there has been a persistent outcry that the police,
whose
Commissioner General, Augustine Chihuri, is an avowed Zanu (PF)
supporter,
have used it to ban or disrupt opposition parties’ political
gatherings and
to arrest its leaders on spurious grounds.
Human rights activists and
political parties say almost all the people
arrested and charged for
violating Posa are Zanu (PF)’s political opponents.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/
08/06/2012 00:00:00
by
Phyllis Mbanje
MUNYARADZI Kereke – the erstwhile adviser to RBZ chief
Gideon Gono –
suffered court humiliation on Friday after a magistrate
accused him and his
driver of “falsifying and doctoring” a medical report in
a bid to secure a
conviction against two RBZ security
guards.
Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini launched the withering attack as
he acquitted
Phillip Dendere, 47, and George Nyahure, 36, of assaulting
Kereke’s driver,
Privilege Maturure.
The magistrate also called on
police to launch a full investigation into how
a forged doctor’s report –
overstating Maturure’s alleged injuries from a
March 12 incident – had come
to be used as a key piece of evidence by the
state.
Jarabini said the
evidence of state witnesses during the two-week trial was
inconsistent and
unreliable.
"The witness statements were too varied and lacked
consistency, casting
doubt on their credibility. It is the court's duty to
rule according to
clear facts which flow in accordance with how events
transpired,” Jarabini
said.
The two RBZ security guards said through
their lawyer earlier this week that
Kereke, who was not in court, had warned
them that he would produce a “very
good medical affidavit” against
them.
Kereke’s comments, the court heard, were made on March 12 after the
two
security guards – who had been assigned to repossess an RBZ vehicle
which
Gono’s ex-adviser had not surrendered on leaving the apex bank – were
involved in a confrontation with Maturure at the Rocfoundation Medical
Centre in Harare.
The magistrate said: "How does one produce a good
medical report without
doctoring and falsifying? The said medical report
turned out to be fake,
giving credibility to what the accused persons had
testified under oath.
"There were too many disparities and I’m left with no
choice but to grant
accused persons’ application for discharge.
“The
accused should not be put on their defence to bolster a weak state
case.”
Jacob Chiweshe, a former nurse at Parirenyatwa, has already
been convicted
of supplying a false medical report about injuries allegedly
sustained by
Maturure. His lawyer said Kereke’s driver had approached him
with a
ready-prepared report which he just had to sign, purporting to be Dr
Johannes Marisa.
Chiweshe, who was given a suspended seven month
prison sentence and ordered
to do community service, said he had been
promised US$400 for signing the
medical report and a further US$2,000 if a
conviction was secured.
To bolster the prosecution case, Maturure had
arrived in court on the first
day of the trial in a wheelchair – drawing
derisive comments from defence
lawyer Advocate Linos Mazonde who said it was
an act.
Maturure wilted under cross-examination. The magistrate made the
point that
he had given “three conflicting versions of what transpired” – in
his police
interview, under questioning by the defence and during
re-examination by
prosecutor Liberty Gono.
A second state witness,
Paulos Sibanda, admitted he had not seen the two
security guards assaulting
Maturure “yet he was purportedly present
throughout the assault”.
The
third witness, Cornelius Imbayarwo’s evidence contradicted statements by
Maturure, Sibanda and Constable Elias Mavhene, the arresting
officer.
“The evidence of all the witnesses had glaring inconsistencies and
contradictions,” the magistrate said.
Kereke – who has gone to war
with Gono since leaving the bank – had hoped to
use convictions to bolster
his claims that Gono had sent “hitmen” to kill
him to shut him up from
exposing corrupt activities.
In a media statement at the end of the case
– his first since Kereke began
his attacks – Gono said the acquittals were
proof that “lies have short
legs”.
Gono said the acquittal of the
two officers who were “going about their
lawful duties of trying to talk
Kereke’s driver into returning a bank
vehicle, a public asset which he is
not entitled to keep, is a very welcome
and appropriate verdict.”
The
two security officers, Gono went on, had “like sheep, been accused of
hunting, haunting and disturbing hyenas in the forest”.
“I have
learnt over the last 35 years I have been working that lies have
short legs
and cannot sustain marathon runs. Even where liars try running
short
distances like relays, they will end up giving their buttons to the
wrong
running mates,” the RBZ chief said.
“I have chosen so far not to comment
or deploy my energies on needless
battles, when my conscience is clear and
believe that every battle in life
must be confronted and dealt with at an
appropriate time and through
appropriate channels, otherwise we cease to be
civilised citizens of the
world if we do otherwise.”
In comments
aimed at Kereke, Gono said the “God of justice” had “shamed the
devils of
deceitful thoughts and actions in broad daylight, and he would do
the same
with all future battles where those accustomed to, and who choose
to live a
life full of bitterness and fabrications shall soon find that a
finger is
too small to hide behind as a shield of their treacherous actions”.
http://www.voanews.com/
08 June
2012
Sandra Nyaira | Washington
The Kimberley Process
intercessional meeting in Washington D.C. concluded
Thursday with chairwoman
Gillian Milovanovic commending participants,
including member countries and
non governmental groups, for working hard
towards developing an agenda for
the watchdog's November plenary meeting.
The most contested subject
debated was the issue of expanding the
organization's definition of
"conflict diamonds" to include human rights.
The U.S. and other Western
nations want the definition to also cover the
scope of rights abuses. The
original definition only focuses on rebel groups
using diamond proceeds to
fight sitting governments.
Zimbabwe is leading other African and Asian
nations in resisting the
proposed changes.
Milovanovic, representing
the U.S., said the reform agenda was not solely
based on a Western agenda,
but a part of a broader review of the Kimberley
Process that was agreed to
last year.
"The Kimberley Process itself mandated the creation of a
review committee
and gave it a list of things to examine and to report on,
and to advance;
and listed amongst those are the core definitions of the
Kimberley Process,"
she said.
"The issue of examining the matter,
debating the matter, exploring different
avenues and possibilities--that is
not subject to discussion as to whether
it can happen, as the whole
organization has already made that decision.''
Milavanovic said the U.S.
had laid out the groundwork for redefining
conflict diamonds from which
future discussions could be built upon.
"I can say that it was a very
positive meting where a lot of work was
accomplished," she said, adding "the
intercessional, as you know, is not a
time for making decisions, for
presenting proposals and having decision
made," said
Milavanovic.
World Diamond Council president Eli Izhakoff applauded
Milavanovic for
handling the meeting well, especially after previous
contentious meetings
debating Zimbabwe.
''I would like to applaud the
chair for holding the meeting in such a spirit
that we did not have in the
last couple of years because of the issue of
Zimbabwe," said Eli
Izhakoff.
"There was a lot of mistrust and everyone was doing their own
thing. Since
she took over with her very elegant style, she succeeded in
bringing
everyone together, and while people have voiced different opinions,
it was
done in a very cooperative spirit."
Nothing was finalized at
the intersessional meeting with decisions expected
to be taken at the
November plenary.
Tafadzwa Musarara is the chairperson of Resources
Exploitation Watch. He
told VOA in Washington only the United Nations can
change the definition of
blood diamonds and not the Kimberley
Process.
Kimberley’s focal point person in Zimbabwe, Shamiso Mtisi, who
was attending
an artisnal mining conference following the Kimberley meeting,
said he was
happy discussions for the November plenary had gone well, adding
he stands
with those calling for the expansion of the term blood
diamond.
Zimbabwe's Mines Minister Obert Mpofu said he was also happy
with the
outcome of the meeting.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
09/06/2012 00:00:00
by Tafadzwa
Chaunzwa
HERE is a little known (or rather; little acknowledged)
fact: Zimbabwe has
the 10th fastest growing economy in the world. According
to IMF data, the
country’s real gross domestic product grew +9% in 2011,
albeit from a very
small base.
Not to get ahead of ourselves and
mistake recovery for growth (after all,
the country did witness economic
contraction of biblical proportions in the
past decade), it is still worth
noting that outside of all the political
bickering that we as Zimbabweans
have become fond of bogging ourselves down
into, there are certain elements
within our midst that have been doing their
jobs well. That is to say, there
are some initiatives that several
leadership bodies in Zimbabwe have been
executing well on, and of course, as
is always the case in any country,
aspects of policy that are still wanting.
Since the inception of the
Government of National Unity (GNU), we have seen
the finance ministry arrest
run-away inflation that had become a
butt-of-jokes around the world. As part
of its initial measures, the
Ministry introduced foreign currencies in place
of the Zimbabwean dollar
which had become all but useful tender, and also
did away with the
disastrous quasi-fiscal policies of prior years. Though it
still has its
woes and remains at the bottom of the GDP barrels, the country
has become
somewhat fiscally sound since some of these measures were first
put in
place.
Not to shower the Finance Ministry with undue praise,
there are still some
aspects of its strategies that many may not agree with.
For instance, the
Ministry has in the past few years emphasised the need for
foreign direct
investment (FDI) in Zimbabwe. This is not to single out its
policy on this,
since encouraging FDI has been a widely adopted strategy
among developing
nations (with some countries such as Ireland and Brazil
going as far as to
subsidise foreign firms in their countries), but there is
no evidence to
suggest that FDI necessarily generates positive spill-over in
the host
economy.
In fact, there is evidence to the contrary. For
example, Apple Inc., a
well-known U.S. multinational has aggressively
outsourced many of its
operations to developing countries such as China,
where labour as well as
other manufacturing costs are low. Now, one would
think China stands to
benefit from this but recent studies have shown that
only about $10 or less
in direct labour wages that go into an iPad or iPhone
is paid to Chinese
workers.
While Apple products are manufactured in
China, the primary benefits go to
the U.S. economy. Further still,
multinationals tend to crowd domestic firms
out of the market and empirical
research has shown that the productivity
spill-over these bring does not
offset the loss in profit margins that
result from a stunted local
industry.
Predatory foreign firm dealings have been a thorn in Brazil’s
side and we
should not naively follow suit to assume opening up our borders
to foreign
investors is necessarily a good thing. Rather, we should focus on
local
industry, and small local companies. Empower local business people and
support these programmes rather than hope to attract foreign investors.
Export rather than import. After all, a central measure of an economy’s
performance is its output and since there is no evidence to suggest Zimbabwe
has the capacity to move to a consumer economy any time soon, this should be
our primary focus at this stage.
Nevertheless, the focus on
transparency many ministries have adopted since
the GNU is also commendable.
Tourism accounts for a significant share of our
economy and the Tourism
Ministry has been exceptional in putting Zimbabwe
out there. If I may add a
personal anecdote, I recall getting off a plane at
Atlanta’s Hartsfield
Jackson airport late last year (arguably the world’s
busiest airport and
perhaps the largest as well) only to be greeted by
gigantic posters of the
majestic Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe (at least
12 feet diagonally
each).
In addition to these clever passive marketing strategies, the
Ministry has
also assumed an active role in putting the country’s name on
the global
ticker, with several trips to South America and Asia helping
foster
bilateral relations with some of the world’s fastest growing
economies.
We have also seen many success stories in the private sector.
An example
that elicits the fondest response from some of my colleagues as a
quintessential example of free enterprise in Zimbabwe is Sakunda Energy,
which now controls upwards of 45% of the fuel market in the country. The
company has outperformed government-run Petrotrade and National Oil
Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (both of which spawned from the disbanded
NOCZIM last January) which have gone as far as to rely on primary competitor
Sakunda for supplies.
Then there is always the towering exploits of
Econet Wireless, one of the
most dynamic companies to ever come out of
Africa, with a broad and
diversified portfolio of global operations and
investments.
Now, this is by no means a political piece nor is it
intended as a
commentary on the previous or the current Zimbabwean
Government, but rather
an aside to remind everyone that Zimbabweans
inherently possess the ability
to succeed. Aside from the political
differences that we allow to vehemently
detect our every interaction, I
believe it is important that people take a
moment to reflect on things that
have been going well in our country. These
glimmers of hope suggest that we
are not and never will be a basket case
like many would like to
believe.
The idea of a people living through a stratospheric inflation
rate like the
one Zimbabwe reached is simply unimaginable to many. We are
certainly not a
defeatist people and it is this resilience under difficult
circumstances
that makes many of us especially proud to be Zimbabwean.
Patrick Antony Chinamasa’s delusion is not a surprise; this is the man who had never presided on a successful beneficial project since he joined the government and indeed his own party ZANU (PF). The 66 year old politician’s recent remark on SADCC’s communiqué therefore comes with no surprise, and here I quote,
“I am not a prophet, but what I am going to say is prophetic. What I see as we approach elections is a war-mongering scenario, parties singing war-mongering songs - a tendency to provoke incidences, to overblow them and exaggerate, to distort in order to allow a Syrian/Libyan-type Western intervention,” [ Chinamasa]
Chinamasa has been the Deputy Minister of agriculture, Attorney General, Acting Finance Minister and of late the Justice Minister of Zimbabwe. I will highlight his successes and failures in all the fore mentioned roles.
1. Deputy Minister of Agriculture: Chinamasa presided on one of the worst corrupt ministry in the living memory that included the GMB corruption tenders. Disappearing entire silos through corrupt tendencies. His conduct and leadership style was put to question but ZANU (PF) rewarded him by making him the Attorney general.
2. Attorney General: Chinamasa will be known in history as the first AG to bring the legal fraternity into disrepute. His political interference in Judgment forced many judges to leave the bench including the Chief Justice Antony Gubbay. He pronounced a racist coup d’état, asking the white judges to leave the bench “for their safety”. In 2002, he had High Court Judge Fergus Blackie arrested but then acquitted after he successfully brought charges against Chinamasa for attacking High Court ruling case. Chinamasa as AG even interfered with NGO operations bringing a ban on their operations signaling out Amani Trust as the number one enemy.
3. Acting Finance: Coffers were left to dry; I leave you to judge his effectiveness on this.
4. Justice Minister: He is one of the worst Justice Minister to emerge from Zimbabwe, in fact even his party ZANU (PF) fired him in 2004 as Secretary for Legal Affairs and subsequently fired him in 2005 as Justice Minister of Zimbabwe. Interfering with justice to punish opposition supporters. During his tenure, saw the highest number of MDC activists being detained and imprisoned for drummed up charges. It is ironic that once again ZANU (PF) in 2008 brought him back as the Minister of Justice, a post he still holds.
5. Electoral success: He currently holds no mandate from the Marondera Central constituency where he lost 4050 to 7060 to Nyamande of MDC-T. He was only brought in through back door as Senator by President Mugabe.
Chinamasa therefore must be reminded that the people of Zimbabwe this time around know what they want, a peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe. He has presided on evil and destruction at tandem with the aspirations of a Zimbabwean people. The people of Zimbabwe are a peace loving people; this is why we demand the implementation of the GPA agreement to ensure a free and fair election. Cde chinamasa why would you fear a free and fair election if you have the support of the people? You have been in power for the past 32 years, during which the economy nose dived, human rights abuse became the order of the day, poverty and despair became the norm rather than the exception. What makes you think people of Zimbabwe have a short memory of your deeds?
Cde Chinamasa, you are not a prophet we know that, but do the right thing allow the will of the people of Zimbabwe to prevail and that is a free and fair election. Whatever the fire power no one will succeed in fighting the will of the people of Zimbabwe that indeed should be your fear!!
Dear Family and Friends,
They say that a picture speaks a thousand words
and that was never
more true than in Zimbabwe this week.
The picture was
of paws and noses. Toes and little black noses could
just be seen in a gap
the height of a brick, at the bottom of a
trucks’ steel door. This picture
came from Meryl Harrison, who
became internationally known and honoured for
her courage and
passionate determination to save thousands of animals in
Zimbabwe from
2000 – 2005. Meryl rescued cats and dogs, snakes and bunny
rabbits,
cows, pigs, horses, sheep and goats that were stranded on
commercial
farms which were being seized and violently taken over by war
veterans
and Zanu PF supporters. Meryl went to places the rest of us
were
running away from. She faced drugged, drunk, armed men and youths
and
just would not give up until she had rescued the animals,
her
‘innocent victims’ stuck in the middle of a political orgy. Meryl
left
Zimbabwe for a couple of years when the worst of the farm
invasions were over
but was asked to return by old friends in the
veterinary profession who told
her "animal welfare has all but
collapsed since you left." Meryl came home in
2010 and her feet had
hardly touched the ground before she was immersed in
animal welfare
problems. Controls had all but collapsed, regulations were
being
ignored, there was no money and everyone was struggling.
Animal
welfare was in a perilous state. A charitable organization led by
vets
and called VAWZ was established with Meryl appointed to lead
the
investigations in the field.
Meryl still goes where most people don’t
or won’t and has just
exposed the story behind the picture of paws and noses
under the truck
door. The first people knew about it was an email from Meryl
looking
for homes for fifteen puppies and one adult Boerboel bitch that
had
been confiscated. The puppies were a mixture of German
Shepherds,
Boerboels and Great Danes cross Pointers. Meryl said they were
all
very traumatized but would be fine with a bit of love and a lot
of
TLC. A vehicle had been stopped by police at a road block in
Beatrice
and the puppies were removed by VAWZ for being transported in what
a
government vet described as ‘totally unsuitable” conditions.
Meryl’s
words sent shivers down our spines as she described what she
had found:
“Conditions in the back of the truck were horrendous when
we opened it up -
the stench of stale urine and faeces hit us - the
pups were all scrabbling to
get out at the same time, many of them
soaking wet with urine. There were
several bags of dog food that had
been torn open, they were also covered in
faeces and urine - several
patches of vomit were seen on the floor of the
van. The three Great
Dane cross pups were squashed in wooden travel boxes
that were too
small for them, they were unable to stand up or turn round -
the
wooden boxes were soaked with urine and faeces. The adult
Boerboel
bitch had been tied to a piece of metal inside the van - there
were
also two small white pups loose in the back that were constantly
being
bullied by the three Boerboel pups and we could hear their
screams
before we even opened the back of the van.”
The puppies had
started their journey in Johannesburg, South Africa
and were being taken by
road, in a sealed van, on a 2,700 kilometre
road journey through Zimbabwe and
Zambia to a pet shop in Lubumbashi
in the Congo. Meryl’s call for homes for
the puppies received 200
responses and offers of help almost immediately. The
animals had by
then been checked out by VAWZ vets and were being temporarily
cared
for in an animal shelter.
Then things got nasty. A charge of theft
of the dogs was made against
Meryl but dropped when police finally admitted
there was no case to
answer. This had followed three days of harassment,
intimidation and
threats of arrest to Meryl by the driver of the vehicle
whose owner
had connections. When told that the owner could be charged under
the
Cruelty Act, the retort came back: ‘never – he is untouchable.’
He
obviously was ‘untouchable.’ An admission of guilt fine – for
cruelty - was
paid by the truck owners, and then, unbelievably, the
police gave the go
ahead for the journey to continue, in the same
vehicle and conditions as
before. Meryl told the last of the story:
“VAWZ Inspectors watched with very
heavy hearts as the pups were
loaded back into the same truck, the Boerboel
bitch literally being
thrown in the back - at one stage the driver taunted
them by waving
the puppies in their faces. The crying from the pups added to
the
sombre atmosphere.”
Walking past my own little dog, rescued from
horrors by Meryl a couple
of years ago, I stop to stroke and give a gentle
pat. Meryl cannot win
them all but we thank her for showing us what is right
and being brave
enough to fight for it. Meryl is our moral compass and if you
would
like to contact her or help VAWZ in their work, email
ndirande39@yahoo.co.uk <mailto:ndirande39@yahoo.co.uk>
or
http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/vawzuk
Until
next time, thanks for reading, love cathy 9th June 2012.
Copyright � Cathy
Buckle. http://www.cathybuckle.com
