30-day voter registration exercise finally gets under way

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Nomalanga Moyo
SW Radio Africa
10 June 2013

The 30-day mobile voter registration exercise finally got under way Monday
and is expected to be conducted in each of the country’s 1,958 constituency
wards.

The programme, a requirement under the country’s new constitution, will come
as a relief to thousands of Zimbabweans who failed to register during the
initial 20-day campaign held between April and May.

These include individuals who were classified as aliens before the new
constitution came into force on May 22nd, as well as the many young people
who could not provide proof of residence.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) anyone born in
Zimbabwe, who it is noted as an alien, should take to the registration
centre a national identity document, an original Zimbabwean birth
certificate and proof of residence.

Chairperson of the ZEC, Rita Makarau, told the press last Thursday that
since the use of affidavits is now provided for in the new charter, they
will be accepted as proof of residence.

Makarau added: “Measures have been put in place to have officers from the
Registrar General’s office and from ZEC appointed as commissioners of oaths
so that they can commission affidavits at the various registration centres.”

She also revealed that voter registration and the voter inspection will run
concurrently, contrary to what had been expected.

“In other words we will not separate 30-day periods for registration and
additional 30-day period for inspection,” Makarau told journalists.

She said that while the previous exercise had suffered from serious
underfunding, the Commission had this time received $20 million for the
current exercise.

Bulawayo-based SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel Saungweme, said the
registration started at a slow pace in the city, with officers at Milton
Primary School attending to just one person in two hours.

“But to ZEC’s credit, this time there seems to be an effort to publicise the
campaign. For example, there are visibly located posters in the city centre
announcing the exercise and also encouraging people to register.

“The registration centres are well-signposted, and this morning, officers
travelling in a van were going the suburbs announcing the exercise,”
Saungweme said.

However, on the issue of aliens wishing to change their citizenship,
Saungweme said there were concerns that while it may be relatively easier
for those in urban areas to do so, those in rural areas will still face
challenges.

“This is because not all centres will have the equipment to produce identity
documents. So the aliens in farms and other rural areas may still find
themselves being asked to travel to district offices,” Saungweme said.

The voter registration is expected to run until July 9th.

Meanwhile the state-run Herald newspaper, which usually signposts ZANU PF’s
intentions, reported Monday that government was considering barring civil
society groups from carrying out any voter education initiatives.

The ZANU PF mouthpiece said this was to prevent the groups from manipulating
the electoral process by incorporating information carrying political
messages, favouring certain parties.

The paper accused the democratic governance group, the Electoral Institute
for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), of promoting the MDC-T party in
its campaign material.

The Herald reported that messages such as: “Nyoresa uunze shanduko.
Usasaririre (Register to make a difference. Do not be left out), resonate
with the MDC-T’s change agenda

“The change mantra being insinuated in the messages is associated with the
MDC-T slogan, ‘Chinja maitiro’, and highly-placed sources said in view of
this, Government was contemplating limiting voter education to political
parties,” the Herald report said.

EISA, which has vast continental experience relating to elections, has been
contracted by ZEC to carry out a voter awareness exercise.

Since the year started officials from several civic groups, including the
Election Resource Centre, ZimRights, and the Zimbabwe Elections Support
Network have either been summoned by the police or appeared in court accused
of conducting voter mobilisation without the permission of ZEC.

Voter Registration Information

Mtetwa trial continues as postponement plea dismissed

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
10 June 2013

The trial of human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa continued on Monday after
attempts by the rights defender to postpone the case were dismissed by the
magistrate.

Mtetwa herself had filed for a postponement of her trial to August, arguing
that she has pressing cases to attend to. She is acting as lead counsel in
her own case along with fellow human rights lawyer Harrison Nkomo.

Her trial resumed over the weekend but was temporarily delayed after the
original magistrate, Tendai Mahwe, recused himself from the case. Mtetwa had
requested this, stating that Magistrate Mahwe has heard evidence from one of
her witnesses in another case.

A new magistrate presided over the trial when the case resumed Monday
morning, and his first piece of business was to dismiss Mtetwa’s
postponement application. The state, led by prosecutor Tawanda Zvekare,
opposed the application saying Mtetwa’s circumstances had changed and, as an
accused person, the court cannot be lenient to her.

The trial continues on Saturday.

Mtetwa was arrested in March during a raid on the MDC-T offices in Harare
and charged with ‘obstructing the course of justice’, on allegations she
insulted police officers who were arresting her clients. She has been
accused of using abusive language against the police officers, with the
State alleging she called the officers “confused cockroaches” and “Mugabe’s
dogs”.

Human rights defenders and supporters in and outside Zimbabwe meanwhile have
seen the targeting of Mtetwa as a deliberate attempt to stop her and the
important work she does.

This work is being celebrated and highlighted in a new documentary, the
first ever to be made about Mtetwa, her work, and the struggles she has
faced in defence of the rule of law. The film, “Beatrice Mtetwa and the rule
of law” is being premiered in London next week Tuesday.

The film’s director Lorie Conway told SW Radio Africa about her awe and
respect for Mtetwa, saying “she has inspired me on so many levels.”

“The rule of law is like a religion for Beatrice. What struck me is how hard
she works knowing that the politics of the case are often going to make her
lose the case. And yet she goes at it day after day, despite this crooked
judiciary,” Conway said.

Describing her as “the bravest woman I have ever met,” Conway said Mtetwa
“proved to me over and over again through litigation, that it is not about
winning, but recording the crime.”

“That litigation is creating a record and a narrative of abuse that has
occurred in the country with impunity,” Conway said.

She also explained that the movie, while about Zimbabwe, has an important
global theme.

“We talked about producing this film to provoke dialogue and provoke change
in Zimbabwe. But when you have a central character as inspiring as Beatrice
and about the rule of law and accountability… that’s a universal message,”
Conway said.

MDC-N calls on MDC-T to investigate violence reports

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
SW Radio Africa
10 June 2013

The MDC-T hit the headlines this weekend after a journalist from the
privately owned Zimbabwe Independent newspaper was assaulted, allegedly by
party youths inside the party headquarters in Harare on Friday.

In Mutare a party councillor received medical treatment after violence broke
out among MDC-T members in Chikanga-Dangamvura on Thursday ahead of primary
elections in Manicaland province this past weekend.

Journalist Herbert Moyo was covering internal disputes by MDC-T members who
were protesting against the imposition of candidates in Sunningdale, when he
was blocked by a group of youths from covering the demonstration.

Moyo told reporters he was forcefully pulled inside Harvest House where he
was beaten thoroughly.

The journalist was only freed when a colleague alerted the MDC-T spokesman
Douglas Mwonzora by phone to tell him what was happening.

It is reported a journalist with the state controlled Chronicle newspaper,
Mashudu Netsianda, had also been attacked the previous day in Bulawayo while
he was covering a meeting between Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the
business community. The youths are said to have confiscated his notebook and
deleted recordings he had made of the event.

The incidents, coming from a party that has over the years called for media
freedom and non violence is particularly damaging, especially as the MDC-T
is currently calling for media reforms ahead of forthcoming polls.

The MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube issued a statement on Monday
condemning the attack on media practitioners and called on the MDC-T to
deliver these “bloodletting thugs to the police without delay.”

MDC National Spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube said: “We view this attack as a
blatant violation of freedom of the press. That this is carried out by the
MDC-T at their citadel and head quarters is blood chilling and shocking.

“It is a clear intimidation tactic from the MDC-T to try and muzzle the
media from covering their intra party shenanigans. Evidently the MDC-T took
this cue from their cousins ZANU – PF and they learned it well in typical
monkey see – monkey do fashion.”

But MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa told SW Radio Africa that his
party has been a victim of violence and described what happened as
“abominable” and unacceptable.

Chamisa said his party is investigating the reports, saying this could have
been the work of infiltrators who are bent on portraying the MDC-T as a
violent party.

“It’s a possibility that these are people who are bent on discrediting the
party and who are probably infiltrators. We have no evidence to suggest
these are MDC people and we have no reason to believe that these could be
our people.”

Chamisa went on to say the Ncube led MDC accusations are misplaced and out
of order, but warned: “If it is found that these are our people, then
definitely there is going to be gnashing of teeth and there is going to be
the force of a hippopotamus in the pursuit of these individuals.”

Meanwhile, the rivalry between Housing Minister Giles Mutsekwa, who is also
the MP for Chikanga-Dangamvura, and prominent human rights lawyer Arnold
Tsunga, who is an aspiring candidate, took an ugly turn when intra-party
violence broke out in this constituency resulting in one of Tsunga’s
supporters –Mutare councillor Chrispen Dube – sustaining serious injuries.

Dube told the Standard newspaper that he was beaten up in full view of the
Housing Minister. “Mutsekwa came in the company of his youths at Mega Watt
where I was with Tsunga. I had the impression that they were going to
assault Tsunga and that is when I tried to restrain them and I was badly
assaulted,” said Dube.

Violence broke out after Tsunga’s camp accused the other side of trying to
manipulate the voter verification process. Mutsekwa’s camp denies rigging
the voting process but accuse their rivals of trying to discredit the
minister in order to push for primaries.

The dispute led to the suspension of the confirmation exercise in this
Mutare constituency on Sunday. If Mutsekwa fails the this process he will
automatically run against Tsunga.

Commenting on the violence that broke out in Mutare, Chamisa, who had once
said the MDC-T is allergic to violence, said it is possible to have an
allergic attack once in a while.

He said his party had successfully finished all the provincial elections in
12 administrative provinces without any ‘blemishes’. He added: “The fact
that you have a black spot on a white cloth does not make the cloth black.”

Chamisa says MDC-T ‘ready to form new government’

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

Tichaona Sibanda
SW Radio Africa
10 June 2013

The national organizing secretary of the MDC-T, Nelson Chamisa, said on
Monday their party is the only one capable of defeating Robert Mugabe and
ZANU PF party in the forthcoming elections.

Describing the Morgan Tsvangirai led party as a ‘government in waiting’
Chamisa blasted ZANU PF for being a ‘party of yester-year, people who cannot
answer tomorrow’s problems.’

‘Zimbabwe is not yet ready for elections but the MDC is ready for them. We
were ready yesterday, we are ready today and we will be ready tomorrow,’
said Chamisa, a day after the party successfully completed its confirmation
and primary elections in all of its 12 provinces.

The final phase of the confirmation and primary elections were held in
Masvingo on Saturday and Manicaland on Sunday. Only three MPs were not
confirmed in Masvingo where the MDC-T holds 14 parliamentary seats, while
almost all the 20 legislators in Manicaland were retained.

Countrywide, only 27 sitting MPs out of 97 failed to be endorsed during the
confirmation exercise and will have to face their challengers in primaries
set for this weekend. Chamisa disclosed that the party has also successfully
elected its candidates to stand as councillors in all the rural
constituencies.

‘Apart from the 27 constituencies, we will also have elections for
councilors in all our urban councils. I would like to thank the MDC family
for conducting themselves well during the last few weeks,’ he said.

The 35 year-old MP for Kuwadzana, who stood unopposed in his Harare
constituency, explained that they are making preparations to enter into the
final
phase of locking horns with ZANU PF.

‘We are now going into that stage of profiling our parliamentary and
presidential candidates. We want to make sure we will not leave any stones
unturned in our process to accompany our President to State House,’ he said.

During this weekend’s primaries journalist Grace Kwinjeh was elected to
represent the party in elections following a closely contested battle in
Makoni central constituency.

The Brussels based Kwinjeh becomes the only former print journalist to join
the MDC-T band wagon after three former ZBC broadcasters were elected two
weeks ago. These are James Maridadi, Eric Knight and Ezra ‘Tshisa’ Sibanda.

Kwinjeh, who has not been in Zimbabwe for six years since going into exile
in Belgium, she was overwhelmed by the support she got from the people of
Makoni central. She said it was obvious distance and time had not separated
her with the people there.

Her election on Sunday was however marred by a car accident that involved
five members of her campaign team. The five were rushed to hospital on
Sunday with serious injuries after the vehicle they were travelling in was
in a head on collision as they returned home.

‘I’m praying for them to be alright, it’s sad that they are in this
situation after I spent the whole day yesterday communicating with them. It
has dampened our celebrations and we are at the same time seeking
humanitarian assistance for them,’ Kwinjeh said.

Among those elected on Sunday is Jaison Matewu, who becomes the 5th UK based
activist to win the right to stand on an MDC-T ticket. Matewu, a former
national organizing secretary for the MDC-T UK, polled 975 votes against 71
by his nearest rival Leonard Usavi in Buhera West.

In Makoni South, Pishai Muchauraya easily beat his bitter rival Geoff
Nyarota, despite the fact that the confirmation exercise was held while he
was in police custody.

The MP was picked up by the police in Mutare on Friday, accused of
threatening Nyarota’s campaign manager, Amos Kutiya, with death.

He appeared in a Rusape court on Monday where the magistrate granted him
bail. However the state immediately invoked the notorious section 121 which
will keep Muchauraya in custody for the next 7 days.

Already the MDC-T provincial spokesperson is standing trial facing
allegations of making death threats against Nyarota, who only managed to get
44 votes against Muchauraya’s 445.

Parties rally behind Tsvangirai

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Monday, 10 June 2013 15:42

HARARE - Ex-Zanu PF stalwarts Dumiso Dabengwa and Simba Makoni have launched
a final plan to “unseat” President Robert Mugabe’s party by uniting with
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC.

As discussions on the formation of a grand coalition against the Zanu PF
strongman, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) and Zapu leaders, among others, have
strongly hinted that talks are underway with the mainstream MDC. The
discussions also include Reketai Semwayo’s Zanu Ndonga.

“All that we are saying is that there has got to be a purpose and we share
the same objectives (with other political parties) and last week we put
those shared values on the ground.

“We are waiting for those parties if they think they share the same values
with us. We are ready to discuss and arrive at something,” said Dabengwa.

“As Zapu we are prepared to work with any party that will bring change to
our country.”

Dabengwa’s statement resonates with Tsvangirai’s call last week for
like-minded political parties to form a united front as the country plunges
into a watershed election.

Said Tsvangirai, “circumstances dictate behaviour” and expressed hope that
all “progressive parties must unite to achieve the change that the people
expect”.

“Let us set aside our personal interests and problems; let us all unite. It
is in everyone’s interest to have this change and my party is committed to
that,” said Tsvangirai.

With the die cast for a potentially bruising battle between Tsvangirai and
Mugabe, who according to opinion polls are almost tied in terms of popular
support — an alliance could be the decider in the impending watershed
elections that should be held by July 31.

Mugabe however, cannot count on the support of his erstwhile ministers
Dabengwa and Makoni, who in 2008 ditched the former ruling party to pursue
their own political project, where Makoni contested for presidency with the
backing of Dabengwa.

Although, Dabengwa later ditched Makoni to lead a resurgent Zapu, political
fortunes for the two ex-Zanu PF ministers have never been bright
notwithstanding the fact that they still command a lot of respect across the
country.

Asked whether he is willing to join forces with Tsvangirai, Makoni, who
leads MKD said, “I am willing to work with all Zimbabweans who are working
on solving the country’s problems.”

Reketai Semwayo, who leads Zanu founding father Ndabaningi Sithole’s Zanu
Ndonga, said he has already made up his mind and will soon engage all
political parties to rally behind Tsvangirai.

“We have already started talks with other parties having already finished
talks with the MDC.

“The people are saying we should come up with one position so we are calling
upon other parties to rally behind Tsvangirai as president of the
 coalition,” said Semwayo.

Industry and Commerce minister Welshman Ncube-led MDC, which is also in
government, has however ruled out the possibility of forming a grand
coalition with the Tsvangirai-led MDC saying the two parties are like oil
and water and cannot mix. On the other hand, people like Dabengwa, who still
has a bone to chew with Zanu PF, say in order to correct past injustices a
coalition is the solution.

In its 33-year-old rule, Zanu PF has been accused of gross human rights
violations, including the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities, when the North
Korean-trained Fifth Brigade brutally crushed dissent in the Midlands and
Matabeleland regions where thousands of innocent civilians were caught in
the crossfire.

As a result of perceived past wrongs such as the Gukurahundi atrocities and
betrayal on the other hand, there is no love lost between Zanu PF ,Makoni
and Dabengwa who are regarded within the guerrilla movement as sell-outs.

Last week, when opposition leaders ganged up against Mugabe, Zanu PF
secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa called upon Makoni and Dabengwa
to grow up.

Mutasa’s ridiculing was, apparently, spurred by a rare display of unity
among opposition leaders who included Tsvangirai, Dabengwa and Makoni when
on Wednesday last week they coalesced vowing not to participate in an
election without the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement.

No European Observers at our polls: Zanu-PF

http://www.herald.co.zw/

Monday, 10 June 2013 14:48

Herald Reporter
ZANU-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo has reiterated that countries
that imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe will not observe the forthcoming
elections due by end of next month.

He made the remarks when diplomats from the European Union paid separate
courtesy calls on him at the Zanu-PF headquarters this morning.

“As a country this is not the first elections that we are having since
independence and at no time have we been told that we are not able to hold
them,” he told Germany’s Regional Director for Sub Saharan Africa Mr Egon
Kochanke.

“Countries that imposed sanctions on us will not observe our elections
because they cannot be seen to be fair. We are very principled on this one.
We want to work with everyone but certainly not with countries that have
declared illegal sanctions on us.”

Cde Khaya Moyo later told Spain’s deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Ximena
Sartori that Zimbabwe would not change its position.

“We are concerned about those countries that imposed illegal sanctions on us
so we are not going to allow them to come and observe our elections.

“This is a Zimbabwean election, an African election which we are going to
conduct in the manner of free and fair elections,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

America can go to hell, says Zanu PF

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Fungai Kwaramba, Staff Writer
Monday, 10 June 2013 15:42

HARARE - President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF has dismissed calls by the United
States (US) to allow international observers to monitor the forthcoming
harmonised elections, saying the superpower “can go to hell”.

As Washington called on the southern African nation to open its doors to
foreign observers on Friday, party secretary for administration Didymus
Mutasa scoffed at the remarks yesterday.

“They should allow us to travel all over the world. If they are imposing
sanctions on us economically why should we allow them to come here? What do
they want when they are punishing us? They can go to hell,” he said.

This comes after US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki had said: “The
United States sincerely hopes Zimbabwe will hold peaceful, credible
presidential and parliamentary elections this year. We believe the
credibility of these elections would be enhanced if a broad range of
international monitors led by Sadc were accredited to observe,” she said,
adding “this would help to verify that the elections are truly
representative of the will of the Zimbabwean people.”

Despite a thaw in relations between Harare and the West, a development that
has seen top diplomats from America and the European Union (EU) come into
the country on a re-engagement exercise, Mugabe’s government is seemingly
reluctant to return the favour.

Zimbabwe is being ruled by a coalition that was formed in 2009 at the behest
of Sadc after an inconclusive poll in 2008 that was derailed by
State-sanctioned violence.

Principals in the coalition government, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and
Mugabe are divided over the issue of inviting foreign observers.

Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, is adamant that
Western countries that include the US will not be allowed to observe the
watershed elections that should be held, according to a Constitutional Court
ruling, before July 31.

On the other hand Tsvangirai, whom Mugabe’s party brands a front of Western
powers, say observers should come from any part of the globe.

However, it is Mugabe who appears to have the upper hand having blocked
Western nations from observing the constitutional referendum that was held
in March.

On Friday the US said Zimbabwe should allow outside observers led by a
regional consortium of African nations to monitor elections to ensure the
vote is peaceful and credible.

The 15-member Sadc grouping is looking at ways of helping Zimbabwe raise an
estimated $132 million needed for an election and a summit that was supposed
to discuss the matter was postponed indefinitely.

The summit that was planned for Maputo, Mozambique was called off reportedly
after President Robert Mugabe said he would not be able to attend.

The regional group wants to avoid a rerun of a disputed poll five years ago,
which sparked violence and prompted a flood of refugees into neighbouring
countries.

Although there is no formal opinion poll, surveys in the last year by
Freedom House, a US political think tank, and African research group
Afro-Barometer have given Mugabe a narrow lead over MDC-T leader and current
Prime Minister Tsvangirai.

Finance minister said on May 28, uncertainty over the election was pushing
the country’s fragile economy closer to recession.

A repeat of the 2008 election violence could end Zimbabwe’s economic
recovery.

On Friday, the International Monetary Fund said it was willing to negotiate
an economic monitoring programme with Zimbabwe, the first step in a process
that could see the country fully restore relations with the global lender
and donors

Mawere must follow procedures: Mudede

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

09/06/2013 00:00:00
     by Staff Reporter

REGISTRAR General (RG) Tobaiwa Mudede has denied refusing to give Mutumwa
Mawere a Zimbabwean passport and told the South Africa-based businessman to
follow laid down procedures in order to regain his citizenship.

Mawere, who holds South African citizenship, last month, said the registrar
general had blocked his application for a new national identity card telling
him that dual citizenship remained illegal even under the country’s new
constitution.

After their meeting at Mudede’s Harare offices, Mawere subsequently wrote to
the RG asking him to put his objections in writing to enable the former SMM
Holdings owner to launch a challenge at the courts.

But in his response, Mudede said he never refused to restore Mawere’s
citizenship but merely outlined the procedures he needed to follow.

“The Registrar General did not refuse to restore Mawere’s citizenship
(rather, he) was advised as to the procedures to follow to enable his
required restoration of the citizenship of Zimbabwe,” Mudede said.

“It was noted that Mawere voluntarily acquired the citizenship of South
Africa and is the holder of a South African passport. He renounced his
Zimbabwean citizenship in favour of South African citizenship.

“Furthermore, he is a resident of South Africa who entered Zimbabwe and was
granted seven days stay as a foreigner entering Zimbabwe. He is required to
resume his residency status through the Zimbabwe immigration office in order
to restore his citizenship.”

Mudede said Mawere must also renounce his South African citizenship.
“Once granted residency of Zimbabwe, he will bring the proof to the
Registrar General of Citizenship’s office to complete forms for restoration
of Zimbabwean citizenship and will be required to formerly renounce the
South African citizenship he is holding,” said the RG.

Mawere has however, described as absurd Mudede’s assertion that he should
renounce his South African citizenship.
“Renunciation of (South African) citizenship is not permissible unless the
person concerned has another citizenship lest the person is rendered
stateless which is not allowable in terms of the country’s constitution,”
Mawere wrote in a letter to the RG.

He added: “You will appreciate that I also want to participate in the
forthcoming general elections that will be held in terms of the new
Constitution that clearly confers on persons like me the right to
citizenship and consequently the right to participate in the elections as a
voter."

7 million have no access to hospitals: Biti

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

10/06/2013 00:00:00
     by Staff Reporter

HALF Zimbabwe’s population of 13 million people is not using conventional
medicine due to poverty, according to Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
As a result, thousands of Zimbabweans are dying needlessly every year as
they seek help from traditional healers and self-styled prophets.

Biti, speaking during the launch of the Poverty Income Consumption and
Expenditure Survey Report last Thursday, said the government had to review
its expenditure to increase health services access for the poor.

He said: “Half of the country’s population is not using morden health
services and facilities, varikuenda kumapostori nen’anga, the marabous and
the igwes.

“It’s frightening that after 33 years of independence, 50% of the population
does not have access to modern health facilities.”

President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last year spent
US$45.5 million on foreign travel, accounting for 1.2 percent of total
public expenditure.

Biti says the government should urgently cut non-essential expenditure –
including foreign travel for government officials – and redirect resources
to the health sector.

Two million tourists expected next year

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Monday, 10 June 2013 12:40
HARARE - About two million international visitors are expected in Zimbabwe
next year, with some spending at least a day at Victoria Falls, a top
American diplomat has said.

Sharon Hudson-Dean, the US Embassy Public Affairs head, said one third of
those will be Americans.

“Tourism is also a big growth sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Contributing
$94,3 billion to the region’s economy in 2012, travel and tourism as a part
of the region’s GDP is expected to increase by 5,1 percent over the next 10
years through much-needed economic expansion and job creation,” she said.

The top American diplomat also said when discussing Zimbabwe, most Americans
equate the word “tourism” with the Victoria Falls.

“The falls, which form part of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, will
be under the spotlight in August when the two nations host the 20th United
Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly meeting,” said
Hudson-Dean.

“One of the seven wonders of the natural world, a Unesco World Heritage
site, and on many ‘bucket lists,’ Victoria Falls is breath-taking,” she
added.

According to the US Travel Association, an average US international tourist
spends $4 300 and those tourist dollars directly support 1,2 million jobs.

If properly managed and handled with foresight, Zimbabwe’s travel and
tourism can promote other key economic issues such as wildlife conservation,
handicraft skills and cultural preservation.

With American tourist arrivals on the increase, US ambassadors to Zimbabwe
and Zambia Bruce Wharton and Mark Storella, went on a bike ride last month
to check out opportunities, and growth potential on both sides of the
falls — an iconic landmark.

On the Zambian side, Miss USA 2012 Nana Meriwether also jumped on a bicycle
to promote this key economic sector.

The ambassadors’ “Bike Across Borders” included stops to see
Washington-funded projects such as national parks and local communities.

“One of the ambassadors’ key messages was the importance of an improved
business climate to attract private investment. The (envoys) cycled through
the border... learned about anti-poaching efforts, and toured the
Livingstone Museum; all activities that promote education and sustainable
livelihoods through tourism.”

Mugabe’s nephew ordered to surrender ‘stolen’ office space

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
10 June 2013

Robert Mugabe’s nephew Leo Mugabe has been ordered by the High Court to
surrender the premises of a Chinese owned firm in Harare that he illegally
seized last week.

Leo took over the offices on Nelson Mandela Avenue last Wednesday, when he
reportedly ordered all the firm’s employees to leave the premises. He then
allegedly secured the office with new locks, stating he wanted to put in new
management at company.

The firm affected is a Chinese run group called Hwange Coal Gasification
Company.

The firm’s lawyer, Everson Samukange, accused Mugabe’s nephew of applying
the “laws of the jungle.”

“He (Leo Mugabe) had taken the law into his hands. He had no court order
authorising him to act in that manner. He was applying the law of the
jungle, that is the reason why we went to court,” Samukange is quoted as
saying by NewsDay.

Samukange said Leo Mugabe had declared to have taken over the firm with the
intention of changing the management board and the whole company set-up.

The actions by Mugabe’s nephew have been described as a symptom of a wider
ZANU PF-created problem in Zimbabwe, where property rights no longer have
any value.

For years, ZANU PF used the land grab campaign as a political weapon,
rewarding its top officials with farmland and promising its followers the
same.

The focus has now shifted to companies, with the indigenisation policy
replacing the land ‘reform’ policy. This policy requires foreign owned
companies to cede half of their shares to local Zimbabweans. But the
programme is being described as part of ZANU PF’s electioneering strategy.

Economic analyst John Robertson said the policies have left foreign owned
firms vulnerable, to the point that investment has dropped off
significantly. He emphasised that “none of the answers lie in the economic
field because the problem is purely political.”

Gono stripped of security as he falls out of Mugabe’s favour

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
10 June 2013

Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono has reportedly been stripped of security
details, as the former ZANU PF top dog continues to fall further out of
Robert Mugabe’s favour.

Close sources quoted by The Standard newspaper reportedly stated that when
Gono came back from a recent meeting in Egypt, he discovered that his police
officers had left their posts. An RBZ board member said Gono had briefed the
board about the development.

“The governor briefed us on this development, which surprised us all because
it is unprecedented. Even in South Africa and the region, central bank
governors are enjoying police protection at their residences,” he said.

It is understood that Gono reported the matter to Mugabe and Finance
Minister Tendai Biti, who allegedly said that they were powerless to do
anything.

As Robert Mugabe’s and ZANU PF’s main money-man for many years, Gono was
responsible for helping lead Zimbabwe down the road of economic turmoil. As
the head of the Reserve Bank, Gono implemented destructive policy after
destructive policy, including grand scale theft from foreign currency
accounts.

Since the MDC-T joined ZANU PF in a coalition government, Gono’s role, as
the go-to personal banker of Mugabe’s party, became largely redundant with
MDC-T Minister Biti taking over at the helm of the Finance Ministry.

The party has now turned to other sources of off-budget financing, widely
suspected to be the diamond and mining industries.

Gono meanwhile has been in ZANU PF’s bad books for a number of reasons,
including disagreeing with party’s indigenisation policy and stating in
previously confidential meetings with US officials that Mugabe had cancer.
This was revealed in leaked diplomatic cables, released by the online
whistleblower WikiLeaks.

The removal of his security details is now seen as a sign that Gono is no
longer in ZANU PF’s favour.

Mugabe not keen to meet Sadc

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Monday, 10 June 2013 15:42

MAPUTO - President Robert Mugabe is not too keen on a regional meeting in
Maputo this week, as pressure mounts on African leaders to tackle his
attempt to fast-track an election without crucial reforms.

Mugabe, who has been buoyed by a Constitutional Court ruling directing him
to hold elections by July 31 amid renewed civil society and opposition-led
criticism, will brief leaders from the Southern African Development
Community (Sadc) at the special summit, who were scheduled to meet yesterday
in Maputo, but deferred the meeting after Mugabe requested for time to
confer with his colleagues in government and in his party.

Maite Nkoana Mashabane, South African International Relations and
Cooperation minister told reporters in Pretoria on Friday that the meeting
was still pencilled for later this week, pending confirmation from regional
leaders.

“Will there be an extraordinary summit? Yes. But there are still
consultations to find a convenient date for the majority of leaders,” Nkoana
Mashabane said.

Diplomatic sources in Maputo told the Daily News, a meeting had been
tentatively set for Tuesday in Maputo, but Mugabe reportedly advised that he
will be unavailable again as he will be chairing Cabinet on that day and
will also chair a politburo meeting of his Zanu PF party on Wednesday to
deliberate on the Constitutional Court ruling.

The Sadc secretariat was said to be facing a logistical nightmare as first
the meeting was moved to Pretoria, where civil society was mobilising to
picket the special gathering, before it was moved back to Maputo later this
week, pending confirmation from Mugabe.

Regional leaders called the Sadc meeting to discuss a request to fund the
Zimbabwe poll and preparations for the elections which analysts say threaten
to destabilise the region if it is disputed.

Zimbabwe needs $132 million for the poll, but Mugabe has already rejected UN
funding saying he will not accept cash with strings attached.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who
has entered an opposition coalition against Mugabe, is holding out for more
reforms ahead of the poll and alignment of laws to a new Constitution
ushered in on May 22.

Tsvangirai proposes an October poll, and says there is a constitutional
provision allowing for a four-month extension from the   date Parliament
dissolves on June 29.

The election dispute has raised tensions in government.

The meeting, scheduled for later this week in Mozambique’s capital Maputo,
is expected to draw 14 heads of State.

Mugabe meanwhile has said Zimbabwe was moving ahead with plans to stage
polls before July 31 saying he does not want to rule for long by decree when
Parliament expires on June 29.

The MDC and its allies in the coalition says the playing field must be
levelled ahead of the  municipal, parliamentary and presidential vote.

Mugabe, the country’s sole ruler since independence from Britain in 1980,
says the MDC is receiving funding from his Western foes to topple him from
power.

The MDC has denied the charges, and the Western countries have started
relaxing sanctions on his regime.

Southern African countries have remained largely quiet on the Zimbabwe
crisis, but Botswana President Ian Khama has regularly broken ranks,
speaking out against Mugabe’s excesses.

South African International Relations minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane says a
Sadc summit is on this week. - Gift Phiri in Mozambique

Confusion as evicted farmer brings offer letter

http://www.herald.co.zw/

Monday, 10 June 2013 01:41

Herald Reporter

THE land wrangle pitting a white Beatrice commercial farmer Mr Grant
Patterson and a newly-resettled farmer Mr John Hapazari has taken a new
twist with the former last week producing an offer letter a day before the
expiry of his court deadline to leave the farm.

High Court Judge Justice Francis Bere in April ordered Mr Patterson to wind
up operations and vacate Roslin Farm on or before May 30 and pave way for a
land reform programme beneficiary, Mr Hapazari who had a valid offer letter
issued by the then acquiring authority Minister of State for National
Security, Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement in the President’s Office in
2008.

Instead of leaving the farm as per the High Court order, Mr Patterson, who
has been resisting eviction since 2007, produced another offer later dated
May 29, 2013 signed by Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Herbert
Murerwa.

Another person, Mr D. Patterson, who is believed to be Mr Grant Patterson’s
son was also issued with an offer letter for part of the same property on
the same date.  Mr Hapazari’s offer letter is still valid and has not been
annulled or withdrawn.

Roslin Farm, measuring 681,58 hectares, was identified for compulsory
acquisition and gazetted in 2002 for resettlement purposes and Mr Hapazari
was allocated 390,58 hectares of the farm under the Model A2 Scheme.

Mr Hapazari, who has been battling to occupy the land at the farm since
2007, approached the High Court which ruled in his favour.
In his judgement, Justice Bere said Mr Hapazari was the holder of a valid
offer letter, entitling him to occupy the farm.

“It is not in dispute that this farm was properly acquired by the Government
of Zimbabwe for purposes of resettlement,” he said.
“The respondent (Patterson) being the former owner of this farm has
stubbornly refused to give vacant possession of the farm to the plaintiff
(Mr Hapazari).”

Justice Bere ruled that Mr Patterson failed to bring witnesses to testify on
his behalf and justify his continued occupation of the farm.
He said neither the Ministry officials nor the Governor referred to in Mr
Patterson’s testimony were called to testify on his behalf “despite it being
clear that the onus was on him to justify his continued occupation of the
land in light of the plaintiff’s documented entitlement to occupy the same
land”.

Justice Bere said in the absence of evidence from the Ministry officials or
the Governor, it could be clear that Mr Patterson was “merely” determined to
soil the integrity of the officials in question. But the situation has been
thrown into confusion following the issuance of the offer letter to Mr
Patterson after Justice Bere’s judgment.

Sally knew about our affair - Grace Mugabe

http://www.iol.co.za/

June 10 2013 at 10:44am
By POLOKO TAU
C

Johannesburg - Before hinting at a romantic interest in Grace Marufu,
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was nothing but a “father figure” to her.

This is according to Grace, his youthful former secretary and now his wife.

She was speaking on Sunday night in the second instalment of the magazine
programme People of the South on the lives of the Zimbabwean presidential
couple and some of their children.

The South African-born Zimbabwean first lady said she had not “in the least”
expected Mugabe to propose.

Presenter Dali Tambo enjoyed a vegetarian lunch with the couple and their
children Bona, 24, and Bellarmine, 16, at State House while engaging them on
family life, romance and controversies that have dogged the first family.

Grace grew up in Benoni. She said she dated Mugabe while his terminally ill
wife Sally was still alive.

Mugabe, she said, had told her that he had informed Sally about their affair
and children, adding that Mugabe had hinted he and Sally had “an agreement
one way or another” about their affair.

Sally died in 1992. Mugabe married Grace - 42 years his junior - four years
later.

The Star

Politicking blunts Zim's circumcision drive

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Monday, 10 June 2013 11:21
HARARE - Zimbabwe's efforts to circumcise nearly one million men by 2015 are
in jeopardy, as the country’s health authorities are frustrating the use of
alternative devices and methods to the key programme.

This comes amid indications that the vital medical procedure may not only
result in a 60 percent reduction in new HIV/Aids infections, but Harare can
also notch up net savings of up to $20 billion in anti-retroviral treatment
or therapy in the short-term.

While the Health ministry permanent secretary Gerald Gwinji was unavailable
for comment at the weekend, government insiders say a South African-based
company Tara Klamp’s offer to augment the process was hitting a brick-wall
as officials in the department preferred a western-backed operator known as
Pre-Pex.

“There has been an offer before Henry Madzorera’s Health ministry for a
cheaper and equally-reliable male circumcision device, but one cannot simply
understand the indifference and sloth to embrace alternatives in our
collective efforts to deliver on this crucial social project,” they said,
adding self-interest might have been at the centre of this contrived
indolence.

“Frankly, some guys in Gwinji and Madzorera’s office have not been diligent
enough, and their principals have to come clean on this state of affairs or
laissez-faire attitude. And l don't know what one has to do to try and
provide workable alternatives in our cash-starved nation.”

Even, though, Tara Klamp had been given the go-ahead at government level mid
last year — under efforts, which also included Deputy Prime Minister
Thokozani Khupe — it is incomprehensible how the device has not being given
a run when the current operator was struggling to meet targets.

With the recommendation for the device coming after a Council of Ministers
presentation then, the deputy Movement for Democratic Change leader — a top
figure in a global women’s coalition against HIV/Aids — reportedly supported
the bid on the basis that enhanced male circumcision could also help reduce
cervical cancer in women.

Under use in countries such as South Africa (SA), the World Health
Organisation (WHO)-approved device and technology has also been embraced in
neighbouring Mozambique — which is due to unleash a $50 million pilot
project — and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Fronted by Tariq Yussuf’s Intratrek (Private) Limited — the sole distributor
of the Asian-made product in Africa — the product has not only proven to be
competent enough for use or application on the continent, but the Tara Klamp
plan comes with a $100 million roll-out funding offer or backing.

“Our company is ready to immediately start the rollout (of the Tara Klamp)
and with the first funding promise of $100 million, we will circumcise no
less than two million people by the end of next year,” the South
African-based entrepreneur said by telephone from Germany.

“With this product, it takes four minutes to complete the process of
circumcision and we have committed to training your nurses, and doctors for
the use of this product,” said Yussuf, adding he had secured quite a number
of donors to support the project across Africa.

Efforts to secure comments from Intratrek Zimbabwe director Wicknell Chivayo
were unsuccessful, as he was said to be in Dubai on business.

In SA’s KwaZulu-Natal province, for instance, Intratrek has been given a
near R50 million contract to help with the HIV/Aids fight  — under a
programme, which also has the endorsement of King Goodwill Zwelithini.

As Zimbabwe’s male circumcision programme stutters due to an unavailability
of resources and other necessities such as field work staff, and other
professionals, only a 100 000-plus have accessed this service.

Ever since the mass market campaign was launched in the country about four
years ago, it has always been dominated by players such as Population
Services International and other partners.

Prior to the latest programme, male circumcision had only been available at
private health institutions and mainly for reasons other than diseases
control. - Staff Writer

Increasing surveillance on PTUZ offices and officials

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

PTUZ Secretary-General
DATE: 10 JUNE 2013

Of late, we have noticed a disturbing trend in which unwarranted
surveillance of our offices and officials has increased following the
Constitutional Court ruling that harmonized elections in Zimbabwe be held
not later than July 31, 2013. It is our considered view that this barbarism
has to do with an anticipated announcement of election dates.
On Saturday the 8th of June 2013, around 9pm, our security personnel saw
five suspicious vehicles parked in front our head office gate. The occupants
were playing their music noisily and they were many. It appears they wanted
to ascertain whether or not they were at the correct physical address of the
organization. They were also heard threatening unspecified action to us at a
later date.

The surveillance on, but not limited to, the Secretary-General has been
re-activated and beefed-up. All officials are being visited by suspicious
cars at odd hours at their places of residence more frequently. All of them
have reported being followed by suspicious cars every time they travel. Some
have received telephone calls late in the night from people they do not know
inquiring about the political programmes and position of the organization.

Last night, the 9th of June 2013, one of our head office officers was
summoned by the police to report at the Harare Central Police station at
0730 hours the following day (10 June 2013) for questioning in connection
with the June 6 Commemorations, which we organized and commemorated last
week on Thursday, the 6th of June 2013 under the banner of Concerned
Affiliates of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. When she went today, she
was interrogated for more than 30 minutes by the police who wanted to know
the organisation’s political allegiance.

We, however, want the world to know that we are a genuine and non-aligned
teacher union whose terms of reference are defined by the laws of Zimbabwe.
We do not have any political agenda as an organization save for lobbying and
advocating for the restoration of the dignity of the teaching profession,
which is in the intensive care unit at the moment. We believe we have no
apology to make to anyone about this legitimate struggle we are engaging as
bona fide citizens of this country. Therefore, no amount of harassment,
bullying and victimization will deter us.

PTUZ Secretary-General, Raymond Majongwe

SAPES Trust Policy Dialogue Forum

POLICY DIALOGUE FORUM

THURSDAY, 13TH JUNE,  2013

SAPES Seminar Room

 

4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare

ZIMBABWE’S RE- ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: THE RESUMPTION OF THE IMF PROGRAMME

 

 

                     Speaker:     Tendai Biti , Minister of Finance

                 Chair:           Kumbirai Katsande, President, CZI

ALL WELCOME

SAPES Seminar Club Membership Forms available at entrance

Feel free to visit our website at www.sapes.org.zw

 

 

Polls: court decision a palpable absurdity

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

09/06/2013 00:00:00
     by Percy F. Makombe

IN ARRIVING at judgements, it is important that courts do not cultivate the
unsavoury impression that they are hell-bent on taking us back to the Court
of Chancery in Dickens’ Bleak House. The Court of Chancery was entrusted
with the responsibility of making fair and reasonable judgements but it was
not fulfilling its function.
The word chancery itself is a term in the art of boxing. If you are
in-chancery, it means your head is held in someone’s hand and he punches
you. If one gets into Chancery Court, one is thumped, one is hammered. That
was the feeling I got after reading the decision of Zimbabwe’s
Constitutional Court ordering President Robert Mugabe to hold elections by
31 July, 2013.

The majority decision is an exercise in legal sophistry. It is much easier
for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for this decision to
make sense. The decision is not only poorly argued but represents a clear
and present danger to the holding of credible elections in the country.

At the heart of the contestation is how parliament ought to be dissolved and
how soon elections take place after this dissolution. According to the
constitution there are two ways by which Parliament can be dissolved. It is
either through a presidential proclamation or at any rate an automatic
dissolution after the parliament’s five-year term comes to an end on 29
June, 2013.  Either way it is clear that elections must be held four months
after parliament is dissolved.

Section 58 (1) of the constitution which is cited as the basis of the
majority decision penned by Chief Justice Chidyausiku is clear and
unambiguous on when elections must held. It states that:
A general election and elections for members of the governing bodies of
local authorities shall be held on such day or days within a period not
exceeding four months after the issue of a proclamation dissolving
parliament under Section 63 (4) as the president may, by proclamation in the
gazette, fix.

The majority decision advances the position that there are two ways of
reading this section depending on what the chief justice calls “punctuation
and emphasis”. In Reading A, section 58 (1) would be read as if there was a
colon after the word “on” : A general election and elections for members of
the governing bodies of local authorities shall be held on: such day or days
within a period not exceeding four…”

As constitutional expert Derek Matyszak has clearly articulated the
introduction of the colon dramatically changes the section to mean that the
election has to be held “on” the dissolution of parliament and not “within a
period not exceeding four months”.

Says Matyszak: "Inserting the colon in Section 58 (1) after the word 'on'
has the effect of removing the application of the phrase 'within a period
not exceeding four months after' from the portion of the section referring
to automatic dissolution under 63(4). With a proper and grammatical reading
of the sentence, the phrase must apply to dissolution by proclamation and to
automatic dissolution."

Elsewhere in the judgement the Chief Justice makes the fair comment that in
interpreting the Law, the courts must follow an interpretation that does not
lead to an absurdity. The mind boggles why the Chief Justice decides to
introduce a colon in a sentence that does not have one and thus unwittingly
leads the court to an absurdity.

In giving the president two months to hold the elections, the decision cites
the holding of the March 2008 harmonised elections as an example. Digging up
Statutory Instrument 7 A of 2008, the Chief Justice gives the example of
this proclamation which was issued on January 24, 2008, and dissolved
Parliament with effect from midnight leading to elections in slightly over
two months. One imagines that the reason why this example is given is to
buttress the point that it is possible to organise elections within two
months. This understanding is misleading to say the least because the
context is remarkably different to the one in 2008.

For starters, Zimbabwe is following two constitutions in the sense that
although Chapter 7 of the new Constitution is the supreme law regarding
elections it has to be guided by the Lancaster House constitution on the
timing of elections. More importantly, the two constitutions must be read
together with the Sixth Schedule of the new Constitution which outlines
provisions meant to assist the transition from the old Constitution to the
new Constitution. The amount of legal work that needs to be done before
elections can take place is massively different from what was required for
the March 2008 elections.

According to Section 8 of the Sixth Schedule, elections must be conducted in
terms of the Electoral Law of which law must comply with the new
Constitution. Put simply, the Electoral Act as well as other laws and
regulations related to elections must be amended so that they are in
compliance with the new Constitution.

Having read the full judgement of the constitutional court, there is no
reason, however magnificently maintained that persuades me that the
honourable justices who proffered the majority opinion sufficiently engaged
with the new constitution and understood the various legislative provisions
which make the July 31 deadline an impossibility. It is still not clear how
the proportional system of representation mandated by the constitution will
operate.

There is need to amend the Local Government Act and the Provincial Councils
Act. Reforms also beckon on criminal procedure and the justice delivery
system as well as clarity on the operations of the Electoral Court itself.
Making all these reforms is not a walk in the park and elections cannot
proceed without these reforms.

What is more, the various amendments must sail through both Houses of
Parliament and be signed into law by the President before he can announce an
election date. Indeed according to section 157(5) of the new Constitution
all amendments to the Electoral Law and to any other provisions relating to
elections must be made before the proclamation of the election date.

There are also other processes that need to be considered that have
implications on the absurd July 31 deadline. Section 6(3) of the Sixth
Schedule makes it mandatory for a 30-day intensive voter registration
exercise to kick in after the publication of the new constitution. The
beginning of this process depends on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)
being properly financed and resourced.

ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau says voter registration will begin
Monday, June 9, and will run concurrently with the inspection of the voters’
roll. If we take the bare minimum scenario then voters’ roll inspection
would close on Monday, July 8.  The nomination court would sit 14 days later
(that takes us to 22 July), and after 30 days (takes us to 21 August) of the
sitting of the Nomination Court, elections can take place.

If we master the suspension of disbelief necessary for a feigned belief in
our ability to fast-track things it would still be impossible to meet the
July 31 deadline. The only fast-tracking that can be done is if we assume
that all amendments have been done and are operational. This would mean that
an election date is announced during voter registration but even then it can
only be announced 15 days before the conclusion of the voter registration
exercise. This would mean the earliest elections can be held is 6 August.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is not desirable that the President and the
executive can continue up to four months while parliament is absent, but it
certainly is not unconstitutional. It seems to me that the proper balance
would have been to extend the life of parliament for at most six months so
that it can align the various laws and regulations with the new
constitution.

Those with short memories are peddling the fiction that President Mugabe is
a true democrat because he does not want the country to function without a
parliament for four months; nothing can be further from the truth. Lest we
forget, in 2008, parliament was dissolved in January and only convened in
August of that year and Mugabe was happy to run the show on his own. And no
one should argue that Mugabe is a stickler for court orders because he is on
record aiding and abetting the disobedience of court orders that are not
palatable to him and Zanu PF.

In Dickens’ Bleak House, fog is an important symbol, and it is that
condition in which things are mystified and people cannot see one another.
The Court of Chancery is the source of this fog; it has a disastrous
occupation with forms at the expense of solutions. It is the master of the
bleak world and its attitude is that of polite smug and pretence.

While it is too early to suggest that Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court has
gone the Court of Chancery way, its judgement does not inspire confidence.
The judgement is full of palpable absurdities and is to put it mildly,
preposterous. The only way that the July 31 deadline can be met is through
violating the constitution.

Percy F. Makombe is a development practitioner based in South Africa and can
be contacted on: pfmakombe@yahoo.com

A hunger map of Zimbabwe

http://www.politicsweb.co.za

 

 

Politicsweb.co.za

10 June 2013

World Food Programme says malnutrition a serious problem, with a third of all children stunted

According to a report in Farmer's Weekly (May 29 2013) Minister of Public Works Thulas Nxesi praised Zanu-PF government's policies of racial land redistribution in Zimbabwe at a recent function attended by farm workers and labour unions in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. Nxesi told his audience: "The land reform movement in Zimbabwe has been successful: 6 000 white owners were replaced by over 200 000 small black farmers. Under white ownership, the farms employed around 250 000 workers. Today, around 1 million derive a living from smaller scale commercial farming."

Below are two extracts from the World Food Programme project document "Responding to Humanitarian Needs and Strengthening Resilience to Food Insecurity - Zimbabwe" (January 18 2013) that was presented to the WFP's Board in February 2013. The duration of the project is from May 2013 to April 2013; the maximum expected number of beneficiaries (yearly) is listed as 1,230,000; and the food tonnage requirement is given as 144,021 mt.

The first extract is the project analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe. The second is a map of the proportion of food insecure households in Zimbabwe derived from the ZimVAC Rural Livelihood Assessment of May 2012.

EXTRACT ONE:

ANALYSIS AND SCENARIO

Context

1. Zimbabwe is a low-income, food-deficit country ranked 173rd of 187 countries on the Human Development Index and 118th of 146 countries on the Gender Inequality Index.1

2. Deteriorating economic conditions between 2000 and 2008 culminated in the collapse of the economy. The country experienced hyperinflation, political turbulence, extensive de-industrialization, large-scale emigration, a significant decline in domestic food production and cuts in human and financial resources for health, education, social services and agriculture. The result is high unemployment and increased poverty.

3. The Global Political Agreement and the introduction of a multi-currency system in 2009 helped to stabilize the economy, facilitate the transition to recovery and promote private-sector engagement to support food security. But the situation remains fragile: Zimbabwe is vulnerable to social, economic, political and climatic shocks.2 General elections are scheduled for early 2013, and there is optimism that social and economic improvements will be political priorities.

4. The number of people living with HIV has decreased in the last decade, but Zimbabwe still has the fifth-highest prevalence in the world at 13.7 percent. Its capacity to fight the disease is limited: only half of the people living with HIV have access to anti-retroviral drugs, and 68 percent of tuberculosis (TB) carriers test positive for HIV.3 The number of new infections is 3 percent annually, and an average of 1,370 people die each week. There are 1.6 million orphans and other vulnerable children.4

5. Recent restrictions by the South African Government on asylum claims from third-country nationals transiting through Zimbabwe and other neighbouring states have increased the number of returnees and asylum-seekers stranded in Zimbabwe.

The Food Security and Nutrition Situation

6. As a result of drought in 2011 and 2012, rural food insecurity in 2013 is projected to be 7 percent higher than in 2012. According to the 2012 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) assessment of rural livelihoods,5 1.7 million people - 20 percent of the rural population - will need emergency food assistance during the peak of the lean season early in 2013.

7. Cereal production fell from 1.6 million mt in 2011 to 1.08 million mt in 2012 - a 33 percent decrease from 2011 and the lowest harvest since 2009. With a national cereal requirement of 2.1 million mt, Zimbabwe faces continued deficits.6 Despite the promotion of drought-resistant crop varieties, the area of land planted and agricultural production have declined over the last four seasons.

8. As a result of inadequate cereal production and limited employment opportunities, many rural households consume their food reserves and exhaust their cash assets during the lean season,7 when cereal prices in grain-deficit regions can be twice as high as in grain-surplus regions, typically peaking between December and March.

9. Most livelihoods in drought-prone grain-deficit areas are agriculture-based. Alternative sources of income include non-farm labour, vegetable production, mining, livestock production, trade and increasingly unreliable foreign remittances. The erosion of household assets, typically through distress sales of livestock, has compromised people's resilience and capacity to cope with shocks.

10. Malnutrition is a serious problem that is seen as the result and driver of poverty. A third of all children are stunted:8 prevalence has increased since 2009 and exceeds 35 percent in 24 of 64 districts; the highest rate of stunting - 47 percent - is in Mutare.9,10 Fewer than 10 percent of children under 2 receive an acceptable diet. Acute malnutrition (wasting) among children appears to be stable at 2.4 percent, but it reaches 19 percent among adults with HIV.11,12

EXTRACT TWO

Footnotes:

1 United Nations Development Programme. 2011.Human Development Report 2011. New York.

2 Zimbabwe is in the World Bank's list of fragile states with a country policy and institutional assessment of 1.954 - well below the 3.0 cut-off for countries considered to be "core" fragile states.

3 The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, HIV Annual Report for 2011.

4 Zimbabwe National AIDS Strategic Plan II (2011-2015).

5 ZimVAC rural livelihoods assessment, 2012.

6 Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development, second-round crop and livestock assessment, March 2012.

7 The lean season is October-March, with a peak in January-March.

8 Zimbabwe National Security Agency and Inner City Fund International. 2012.Demographic and Health Survey 2012. Harare.

9 Food and Nutrition Council National Nutrition Survey - 2011.

10 Stunting prevalence of 20-29 percent is "medium", 30-39 percent is "high" and 40 percent is "very high". World Health Organization, 1995; see:www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/en

11 WFP monitoring data, 2011.

12 Wasting prevalence of 5-9 percent is "poor", 10-14 percent is "serious" and above 15 percent is "critical". World Health Organization, 1995; see:www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/en

Source: World Food Programme

Power hunger too strong for SADC quotas to work

http://www.sokwanele.com/

Sokwanele : 10 June 2013
 

Comment by Nancy Forokah

The South African weekly newspaper, the Mail & Guardian, published an extraordinary story in its issue of March 15-21, 2013.

Headed "Red carpet for dead Malawi President" it described in shocking detail to what astonishing lengths his relatives and political lieutenants within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party had gone to conceal Bingu wa Mutharika's death.

They flew his decomposing body to South Africa under the pretext that a post-mortem needed to be conducted and that time was needed to allow preparations for his burial to be made .All this was done while keeping Malawians and the world in the dark about Bingu's passing.

The Mail & Guardian reported how during a flight to South Africa wa Mutharika was "strapped to a stretcher with a tube placed in his mouth to make it appear that he was still alive".

Finding itself in an impossible diplomatic situation, the South African government was obliged to arrange a red-carpet welcoming ceremony when the chartered plane landed .

Why did a group of the late president's closest lieutenants find it necessary to subject him to such indignity after he had breathed his last? The answer is simple but preposterous. They needed time to fine-tune their plot to subvert the Malawi constitution, all to fulfil personal power ambitions.

Specifically, they wanted to ensure they would have control over who would fill the presidential vacancy created by wa Mutharika's sudden death after he had collapsed in his office.

While the Malawi constitution stipulates that the vice-president should take over control of the country in the event of the head of state's sudden death, the plotters were dead against letting power slip through their fingers.

The vice president at the time of wa Mutharika's death happened to be Joyce Banda, a woman who had challenged the deceased president's plans to unconstitutionally anoint his brother his successor.

Naturally, the brother who had been in line to inherit unlimited power as well as continue the Mutharika dynasty's rule in Malawi, Peter wa Mutharika, was the mastermind behind the plot to keep Banda out.

As is now well-known Peter wa Mutharika and his co-conspirators failed dismally to bring their crooked plan to fruition and are now being prosecuted for treason.

The woman they were determined to keep out is now the president of Malawi. She is the second female head of state in Africa to hold the post in her own right after rising through the ranks in her country's political structures and being elected.

Banda was elected to the position of vice-president which put her constitutionally in line to succeed Bingu wa Mutharika. The other is Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

This attempt in Malawi to stop the winds of change was not only macabre but ironic. It occurred at a time when Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries that include Zimbabwe are supposed to be pushing for gender diversity and equity in politics and other spheres.

Such a brazen attempt to use crooked means to keep power in the hands of a specific clique at the very top must be troubling not just for advocates of gender equality in Malawi but other SADC member states such as Zimbabwe. What chance is there for affirmative action to work at the lower echelons of politics if power hunger is still so ferocious at the top?

How likely is it that the Protocol on Gender and Development which SADC heads of state signed in Johannesburg in 2008 will have any appreciable impact in the foreseeable future/?

Events on the ground are not encouraging. Figures show that most of the signatories will not meet the target of having at least 50 percent representation of women in decision-making positions by 2015. By 2008, only five SADC member states, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Angola had attained at least 30 percent representation in parliament. At that stage Zimbabwe languished at about 19 percent attainment.

The Malawi debacle shows that while SADC leaders can pay lip service to the 50/50 representation principle, putting it into practice fully is still a long way off as it has to be done through still largely patriarchal parliamentary set-ups.

Perhaps gender activists should not just push for numbers but also evaluate the conduciveness of the environment for even the small number of women in decision –making positions to make an impact. Questions should be asked whether these women are free to become actual decision makers or mere cheerleading implementers of policies still crafted by males.

An incident that happened in Zimbabwe about five years ago will help to amplify this contradiction: when President Mugabe's party, Zanu-PF, imposed his nomination as Life President of the party (and thus of the country), his most vociferous and fanatical support came from the women's league. The leader of the party's women's wing, Oppah Muchinguri threatened that women would take off their clothes and demonstrate on the streets naked if Mugabe was not made president for life. Here was the same women's league that advocates equal representation championing perpetual male domination at the very top rung of national leadership.

Gender equality and diversity should start right at the top, at the level of heads of state and heads of government. But each time a presidential election is held in an African country, women candidates are conspicuous by their absence from their parties' tickets.

In the landmark Kenyan elections held in March only one woman, stood as a presidential candidate. Even then she stood as an independent after being ignored by her political party.

There will only be one woman presidential candidate in Zimbabwe's forthcoming elections. Irene Bete has entered the race as an independent, and is the only woman among 29 males vying for the top job in the land. Bete, an entrepreneur, is only the third woman since 1980 to attempt to break the pattern of exclusion on the basis of gender.

Margaret Dongo took the first step to challenge the taboo when she declared her candidacy in the 1990 presidential race. She was, however, disqualified on account of being under-aged.

Next to try to swim against the current was the late Isabel Madangure who ran for president in 2002 under the colours of the Zimbabwe Democratic People's Party.

Dongo made her brave move after parting ways with Zanu-PF and forming the Zimbabwe Union of Democrats.

It seems certain that there will still be no female presidential candidates from the main political parties, Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.

While it would be problematic to impose gender quotas for presidents, a protocol obliging political parties to embrace the idea of fielding both male and female candidates in national leadership elections is not outrageous.

A number of African countries have or have had women vice–presidents who have acquitted themselves well, and so it is not a question of a lack of suitable candidates.

It is often forgotten that in times of national crisis or transition when a unifying figure is needed, a number of countries have turned to women.

This is how Ruth Perry became Africa's first female head of state in 1996 when she led a transitional government in Liberia . Her country turned to her during the upheavals that followed the capture and execution of Samuel Doe. Likewise, a woman served in a similar transitional role in the Central African Republic following 'Emperor' Jean Claude Bokassa's deposition.

In South Africa, Pumzile Mlambo-Ncquka and Baleka Mbete have both served as vice presidents during transitional political stages in that country. Zimbabwe has Vice President Joice Mujuru. The unanswered question is why these women have not been able to make the short leap to the top job in their countries after making it as far as they have done.

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