Remarks of Sen. Lamar Alexander on Zimbabwe
United States
Congress (Washington, DC)
DOCUMENT
June 13, 2003
Posted to the web
June 16, 2003
Lamar Alexander
Washington, DC
Following are
remarks on the Senate floor by Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who
chairs the
Subcommittee on Africa.
I rise today to bring to the attention of the
Senate the oppression of
democracy and freedom that is now underway in
Zimbabwe. As I mentioned a
moment ago, a number of senators, including the
senators from Kentucky and
Arizona have led this body in discussions about
oppression in Burma, and I
share those concerns, but as Chairman of the
Foreign Relations Subcommittee
on African Affairs, I would be remiss if I did
not discuss the struggle in
Zimbabwe because that bears at least some
similarity to the events in Burma.
As in Burma, the leader of the
democratic opposition in Zimbabwe has been
imprisoned by an illegitimate
government in a cruel attempt to maintain
power. The so-called president of
Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has engaged in a
systematic campaign of
intimidation, torture and terror to oppress
opposition to his rule over
Zimbabwe.
Since the election of 2000, when Mugabe’s ruling party rigged
the election
in its favor and terrorized voters for the opposition, Zimbabwe
has been
thrown into a downward spiral.
Youth brigades, not unlike the
Hitler Youth or Chinese Red Guard roam the
streets and invoke terror on those
who resist Mugabe’s rule. The country’s
infrastructure which was fairly good
prior to this time has deteriorated
rapidly.
In the last week, the
situation has grown worse. A little over one week ago,
for the second time
this year, the people of Zimbabwe stood up and said
enough is enough. Strikes
and work stoppages occurred throughout the country
as many citizens engaged
in a massive protest of Mugabe’s illegitimate
regime.
Many rightly
blame Mugabe, not only for political turmoil but also economic
decay led by
food and fuel shortages. The government’s response was swift
and brutal.
Armed troops descended upon neighborhoods where opposition
members lived.
They violently beat those suspected of opposing Mugabe. More
than 800
individuals were arrested. Many of them were tortured. According to
the most
recent reports I’ve seen, about 150 individuals have now been
released, but
only after paying an “admission of guilt” penalty of $3,000 to
$5,000, a new
sort of get out of jail card – admit your guilt, pay a huge
fine, and out you
go.
Here is Mugabe’s justification. He is quoted as saying, “The actions
are
blatantly illegal in that they are aimed at an unconstitutional removal
of
the country’s head of state.”
He’s essentially saying that by
protesting his rule, protestors are
committing a crime. And he’s arresting
and torturing them as a result. The
only crime being committed here is the
continued rule of Robert Mugabe.
Just prior to the first crackdown in
March, which followed a similar protest
and work stoppage, Mugabe said, and
I’m quoting here, “I am still the Hitler
of the time.” Let me say that again.
He said, “I am still the Hitler of the
time.” He purposely chose to compare
himself to Adolf Hitler, perhaps the
most evil leader of the 20th century.
After that announcement in March,
military forces loyal to Mugabe burst into
homes in pre-dawn raids, raping
and beating many of those suspected of
supporting the Movement for
Democratic Change, Zimbabwe’s opposition party.
Torture tactics included
rape, electrocution, forced consumption of chemicals
and urine, cigarette
burning, whipping with steel cable and barbed wire, and
sustained beatings.
What makes these events especially tragic is that
prior to Mugabe’s actions,
Zimbabwe was not a dilapidated country ready to
collapse. On the contrary,
it was a leading African nation with a strong
economy and infrastructure.
Zimbabwe’s roads were among the best in Africa,
and its agricultural sector
was a major exporter. As an example of the rapid
decline Zimbabwe faces, its
GDP has shrunk from $9.3 billion in 2001 to only
$5.4 billion today – it has
been cut nearly in half in only two
years.
The latest news from Zimbabwe shows that Mugabe is now actively
imprisoning
and torturing leaders of the opposition party, the Movement for
Democratic
Change or MDC. Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the MDC, is in
prison and
charged with treason as are hundreds of party activists.
Tsvangirai lost
last year’s rigged presidential elections and has begun legal
proceedings
against Mugabe because the elections were not conducted properly.
I can only
hope that and the MDC survive Mugabe’s violent rampage against
them.
Mr. President, the White House and the State Department have
responded to
this crisis, and I hope will continue to work to achieve a
change of
leadership in Zimbabwe. President Bush recently imposed sanctions
on the
Mugabe government. The sanctions, which began on March 7, prohibit any
U.S.
corporation from making business deals with Zimbabwe and also freeze
any
assets top Zimbabwean officials in the Mugabe government may have in
U.S.
banking institutions. The State Department has condemned Mugabe’s
actions,
and taken other appropriate diplomatic action.
Mr. President,
the people of Zimbabwe deserve better. They deserve better
than a regime that
commits violence on its own people. They deserve better
than to see their
economic infrastructure destroyed by a
dictator-on-the-rampage. And they’ve
been standing up for themselves by
actively demonstrating against this
terrible regime. I hope other countries
in the region will join with the
United States and others in opposing this
brutal regime in the hope of
bringing new, democratic leadership to power in
Zimbabwe.
JAG Security Update June 16,
2003
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Dear
All,
Jean Baldwin's house has been invaded at Just Right Estate by
four
terrorists who are armed. They fire their weapons over/at the
workers'
houses almost every night. The police have been instructed to ignore
Jean's
calls for assistance. Jean and, daughter, Ruth are very frightened at
this
stage.
These two brave women need assistance and support. They
also want the whole
world to know how they are being harassed and
intimidated.
Jean has won all her court cases against the forced land
acquisitions. Just
Right has five separate villages mushrooming on land with
marginal
rainfall, and therefore a fragile eco-system not suitable for dry
land
cropping. There is no irrigation available. The damage being done to
the
forests is an environmental disaster, due to the primitive slash and
burn
method of land clearing.
Jean and Ruth refuse to move to the
safety of town because, as Ruth says
"what these people are doing is
wrong!"
Jean and Ruth are at present living in the second homestead on
the
estate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FURTHER
HARASSMENT OF THE CAWOODS
After narrowly escaping rape and death at the
hands of politically
motivated (instructed and drugged) villagers on their
farm Kleinbegin, at
the end of last month, the tables have been turned and
the elderly couple
are being charged in court on Monday, in
Beitbridge.
Despite continual pleas and promises from people at various
high levels,
including Ministerial, no charges have been laid against either
those
involved or the perpetrators of their life-threatening siege. The
police
have carried out no investigation despite numerous visits since
then.
This elderly couple who have spent their lives developing one of
the best
Brahman herds in the country have, like most of the commercial
farming
sector in Zimbabwe, been confined to their homes for most of the last
three
years. This type of existence is degrading and demoralising, especially
for
farmers who have always been so active. Farmers through necessity plan
for
the future because farming is a life's work. They can no longer work
and
they can no longer plan for the future. What future?
All their
life's work, infrastructure and capital has been destroyed around
them by a
government who is suppressing the truth and at the same time
pleading with
the outside world to provide food for its own people which it
is
systematically starving and manipulating. Donor agencies are flocking in
and
falling over each other to feed a nation which otherwise is fed on
politics,
hatred and rhetoric. The people (and government) have become
totally reliant
on food aid and are doing nothing to improve the situation.
Instead should
they not consider supplying the fishing rod and not the
fish?
There
are reports that Zambia has been for the first time exporting maize.
What an
achievement after years of government mismanagement. Unfortunately
(for
Zimbabwe) it is our deported commercial farmers (refugees) who are
producing
this bumper harvest there - rather than here at their home farms
where they
have been unceremoniously evicted from.
Sam and Janet Cawood are both in
their 70s and why should they move to a
foreign country at their age. They
are luckier than many people of their
age in that they have a roof over their
heads, although their income from
their only farm has been all but removed.
At their home there is a constant
battle trying to keep the house water
supply tank full, and to supply a
rationed amount of water for a very limited
amount of surviving wildlife.
There were 14 fully equipped boreholes on their
ranch, which were
interlinked by a network of pipelines, but now only one
works, as the
"settlers" have sabotaged the others. This one supplies Sam's
home, but the
settlers expect him to pump water free of charge for some 1000
of their
cattle. Impossible - the borehole does not have the capacity (nor
can Sam
afford it).
One evening about a month ago settlers were
"pinching" water from Sam's
game trough at his home and when Sam went out to
speak to them they became
aggressive, so as Sam retreated back home he
squirted a pepper spray into
the air as a "warning shot". For this the same
police who have not pressed
charges against those who held Sam under siege
are laying false charges.
The same police who had to be "herded" there after
30 hours. The same
police who are strongly suspected of orchestrating the
farm attacks. The
same police who previously arrested Sam and locked him up
on another false
charge.
How can an old man retire gracefully and
peacefully with his wife in their
home of nearly 40 years? Do settlers,
police and government at a time when
he should be sitting back and
reminiscing over his achievements in life and
enjoying his grandchildren doom
him to continual harassment?
They should be sitting back and chronicling
all their valuable experience
for the use of future generations in their
quest to produce food in one of
the harshest agricultural areas of
Zimbabwe.
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Gary
Van Zyl
Today, Sunday 15 June 2003, the Manager of Bulembe Estates, Mr
Piet Van der
Riet, was arrested and taken into custody by the Police at Fort
Rixon,
approximately 37 km East of Bulawayo, because he defied an order by a
bunch
of thugs and "Green Bombers" to vacate his home so that a mugabe lackey
may
steal it for his own use. Green Bombers is a colloquial name for youths
who
have been indoctrinated by mugabe's regime into beating up
anyone
considered to be remotely opposed to the total mayhem that is going on
in
Zimbabwe at the present time. They will beat up or even murder their
own
parents or grandparents should mugabe's cronies decide that it is
necessary
for their own survival. They are somewhat similar to the Hitler
Youth of
the Nazi era.
Mr Jimmy Goddard, the owner of Buleme Estates,
was busy trying to salvage
as much of Mr Van der Riet's possessions as he
could before these thugs
moved their beds into and settled themselves into Mr
Van der Riet's home.
Mr Van der Riet's mother in law is totally blind.
The only home she knows
is the one she lived in with her daughter and son in
law. She has had to be
moved to totally unknown surroundings. This is Fathers
Day, which should
have been a happy day for Mr Van der Riet, and his poor
family and mother
in law have been totally distraught by the days
happenings.
Eye witnesses have stated that the thieves of the property
were seen to be
driving a cream Land Cruiser, registration number, 597 703
B.
This incident, amongst many others, comes months after mugabe assured
the
World that the land grabbing is over, and that no more will take
place!
Many influential people were taken by these lies including the
President of
South Africa, Thabo
Mbeki.
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THE
JAG TEAM
Email: justice@telco.co.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Internet:
www.justiceforagriculture.com
JAG
Hotlines:
(011) 612 595 If you are in trouble or need advice,
(011)
205 374
(011) 863 354 please don't hesitate to contact us -
(091) 317 264
(011) 207 860 we're here to help!
(011) 431 068
JAG OPEN LETTER FORUM
Email: justice@telco.co.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Internet:
www.justiceforagriculture.com
Please
send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
justice@telco.co.zw with "For Open Letter
Forum" in the subject
line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
1:
Dear Sir,
I wish to submit the following letter for
publication.
"May I firstly commend you on your recent editorial, June 5,
in which you
clearly illustrate precisely why this dictator must go. Comment,
coming
from as far afield as Jamaica, brings hope and encouragement to
the
beleaguered population of Zimbabwe.
However, I wish to correct the
perception of most of the world's media,
regarding the so-called land Issue,
with the exception of those with an
intimate knowledge of Zimbabwe. For
example you make reference to " ..the
legitimate issue of landlessness among
the country's black majority
population.....a handful of white farmers
controls over 90 per cent of the
country's best land.."
May I point
out the following:
1. Over 80% of farms have been purchased by the
present legal owners since
Independence in 1980 with a Certificate of No
Present Interest from
government and transfer taxes paid to government, not
"the spoils of
colonial conquest". Commercial farming controls only 22% of
the landmass.
(18.5% white owned) as at 2000 before the "fast track" so
called land
reform programme. Interesting to note that commercial
agriculture as at
1980 controlled 41% of the land mass (almost) all white
owned; not the 70%
as so often quoted.
2. The most productive (best)
land is, in actual fact, made up of the
poorest classified soils (tobacco)
and not suitable for food crops.
3. Farms in Zimbabwe are large
commercial enterprises run as businesses
and are the largest single employer,
contributor to GDP and foreign
currency earnings. Over 2 million people
living on farms now face
destitution.
4. Commercial farms are largely
owned and run by Zimbabweans. It is the
media, political opportunists and
those with a colonial hang-up who
describe the owners as "white", a racial
categorization which is
unconstitutional in a supposedly non racial Zimbabwe
and therefore deemed
unlawful before the courts.
5. The only truly
indigenous people are the SAN or bushmen who were
slaughtered to extinction
by the Bantu when they arrived in this country.
Some of the tribal groups
arrived here at the same time as those of
European origin.
6. The
majority of the population is not landless but jobless, futureless
and
hopeless. Independent surveys show that 93% off rural high school
graduates
have no intention of owning land and farming and only 3% of them
will ever
gain employment.
Please do not do any justice to the madness of ethnic
cleansing being
perpetrated by those who administer what is fast becoming
known as one of
the world's most ruthless dictatorships."
Yours
faithfully,
Simon
Spooner
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
2: Kevin Grant
After the total devastation of Commercial agriculture in
Zimbabwe it would
now be fitting to finally have some solidarity in sympathy
with citizens
who have been denied their human and constitutional rights.
With about 10%
of commercial farmers left it is time the CFU, ZTA etc to join
forces with
JAG TO CAMPAIGN AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE. Soon they will be so
involved with
helping the thugs farm that they will forget about the
injustices that have
been made to their real members Make this the year to
show some backbone
before there are none of us left Even the ZTA may soon ,if
not already, be
controlled by the thugs The government and the world people
think we are a
weak bunch of arseholes showing no resistance at all . To
support the
solidarity campaign Iwould suggest no Oscars no support for
Agricultural
shows and not vigorously supporting the thugs on the farms. It
's ludicrous
to be supporting this evil when so may people black and white
have lost
their basic human rights. We should keep lobbing and pressurizing
human
rights organizations world wide especially the U.N. (old Mr. Koff) has
not
even raised the issue or hardly of human rights abuses in Zim. Even
lobby
Mr. Mbeki who is campaigning so vigorously for NEPAD while on his
doorstep
chaos reigns Let the ZTA change their role, rather than setting
up
development trusts etc for the "new settlers" set up some positive
action
for the old settlers.
Sadly I have lost both my farms so was no
longer able to make a living in
Zimbabwe but I am prepared to assist when
ever I can in supporting a
vigorous campaign for human rights. However, the
leadership of our
associations must set the pace to give the whole thing some
credibility. As
the world sees it at the moment it looks we are working with
the regime as
if nothing is wrong. Surely time to forget the apolitical
stance of the
past as things are far from normal in Zim and only political
change can
bring about any hope for the revival of a once great country and
economy It
has gone beyond negotiation because there is nothing left to
negotiate
for-- that will surely come after regime
change!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
3: Ann Hein
Re: The Oscar Debate.
If we are to continue with the
what-ho-aren't-we-awfully-good-chaps
attitude (which is one of the reasons we
are in the situation we are in)
and persist in giving out Oscars, may I
propose Mr. John Bredenkamp for the
Oscar? It seems appropriate to me, in
light of his contributions to
Agriculture in Zimbabwe.
And I trust
that only paid up members of the Commercial Farmers Union will
attend the
Cocktail Party. As one of the payees, I object strongly to any
"freeloaders"
(not my term,) being
invited.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
4: Mr Henry
Dear Peoples,
RE: FARMING OSCAR
NOMINATIONS
Propose that a Farmer with courage and wisdom be put forward
for this
nomination. (And since none exist, and this conclusion is derived
from the
many letter sent to this Forum.) there is no one suitable for this
OSCAR.
In my view this situation we are in will continue as long as there
are
farmers supporting the Government by means of production.
To date
I have not seen any letter that shows an understanding as to the
real reason
for the land issue. Until the real issue is understood all of
you will
continue fighting in the DARK, so
speak.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
5: Neil Lucas
Dear Sir/Madam
I'm hoping you are able to help. I
went to boarding with a friend between
1969 and 1974. My friend Arthur
Purkiss and his parents are farmers in the
Lions Den area. On many occasions
during my high school years I stayed with
Arthur and his family. The last
time I saw Arthur was when I visited
Zimbabwe in May 1997. I went to their
farm, which I think is called Kudu or
Kiku Farm (I just can't quite remember
the name). The farm is off the main
Chinhoyi to Karoi road.
For many
obvious reason I would love to know of their well being. In my
quest to try
and find and contact the Purkiss family I would really
appreciate any
help.
Here
hoping
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All
letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions
of the
submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice
for
Agriculture.
IOL
Zimbabwe's last white judge 'retires'
June 16 2003 at 01:30PM
Harare - The last white judge in
Zimbabwe's High Court retires this
week, and state officials said he was
leaving due to his age and not because
of clashes with President Robert
Mugabe.
Judge George Smith, appointed to the bench in 1984 after
serving
Mugabe and former Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith as cabinet
secretary,
reached the statutory retirement age of 70 in April, officials
said. Smith
was unavailable for comment.
"I confirm that Justice
Smith is retiring this week and we shall be
appointing new judges in the near
future," Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa told the official Herald
newspaper.
More than half a dozen black and white High and Supreme
Court judges
have quit or been forced to leave the bench in the last two
years, including
the country's former white chief judge Anthony Gubbay, over
disagreements
with Mugabe's government.
'We shall be
appointing new judges in the near future'
Mugabe's government clashed
with Gubbay after the Supreme Court ruled
against its controversial seizures
of white-owned farms for blacks.
Mugabe, 79, Zimbabwe's ruler since
the former Rhodesia gained
independence from Britain in 1980, is battling
deepening political and
economic crises that many blame on his
policies.
Critics say Mugabe has targeted the judiciary, private
media and human
rights campaigners in a drive against growing opposition to
his government.
Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
leader Morgan
Tsvangirai was arrested on June 6 after a five-day national
protest that
shut a majority of Zimbabwe's business and commercial services.
He was
charged with treason for allegedly trying to overthrow Mugabe through
street
protests and remanded in custody until July 10.
Tsvangirai has applied to the High Court for bail and a ruling on
his
application is expected this week.
The Times
June 16, 2003
Mugabe hangs four
to 'intimidate Tsvangirai'
From Michael Hartnack in
Harare
Four men have been hanged at the prison
complex where Morgan
Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwe opposition leader, is awaiting
trial on treason
charges, prompting allegations that President Robert Mugabe
was seeking to
intimidate his political rival.
Mr
Tsvangarai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) described
the hangings as a
brutal show of force.
Campaigners in Zimbabwe for abolition
of the death penalty
slated the sudden execution of the four, which took
place without any prior
warning to their families. The crime for which two of
the men were hanged
took place six years ago, in highly controversial
circumstances.
Mr Tsvangirai, detained on June 6 on fresh
charges of high
treason, is awaiting a High Court ruling on his application
to be released
on bail, which is expected later this week.
The new charges arise from the MDC's campaign of public
protests, which took
place from June 2 to June 6, to demand an end to Mr
Mugabe's 23-year
rule.
Mr Tsvangirai and two other MDC leaders had been free
on bail
during their ongoing trial on previous allegations of committing
treason by
plotting the assassination of Mr Mugabe, who is
79.
David Coltart, the Shadow Justice Minister, linked the
timing of
the executions to Mr Mugabe's statement to a rally on Friday that
he was
"glad Tsvangirai is in state house prison now".
"The hangings are typical, entirely consistent with Mugabe's
vindictive
nature," said Mr Coltart.
"They are appalling, given the
deterioration of our justice
system -- there is deep concern innocent people
might go to the gallows."
The last executions were in June
2002. Since 1980 Mr Mugabe's
Government has sent 73 men to the gallows
despite a prolonged campaign led
by Catholic churchmen. In 1988, 13 hangings
were kept secret during a state
visit by Pope John Paul.
David Mangoma, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Justice,
confirmed the
latest executions to the state-controlled daily, The Herald,
but no formal
notification was given either to the public or the men's
families, say
lawyers.
Two of those executed, Stephen Chidhumo and Elias
Chauke, were
among a group of four who made a daring escape from Chikurubi
Maximum
Security Prison, on the outskirts of Harare, six years ago, while
serving
sentences for robbery. One of them, shot dead before recapture,
snatched a
rifle and killed a warder.
The fourth escapee
broke his leg and after recapture was
controversially left in a prison cell
to die from his unattended injuries.
In a ruling reminiscent
of Britain's notorious Bentley and Craig
case, Judge (now Chief Justice)
Godfrey Chidyausiku sentenced Chidhumo and
Chauke to death, saying "it did
not matter who fired the fatal shot".
A recent constitutional
amendment prevented their obtaining
clemency because of their long sojourn on
death row.
No details were released of the crimes for which
William
Mukurugunye and John Nyamazana were also hanged on Friday. Both were
alleged
to be murders without extenuating circumstances.
Abolitionist campaigners say the low standard of legal
representation given
many poor rural persons makes the death penalty
inherently unfair. Mr Mugabe
has rejected calls for it to be removed, as in
neighbouring South
Africa.
Human rights groups allege that at least 200
opposition
supporters and 13 white farmers have been murdered with impunity
by
pro-government activists since Mr Mugabe lost a constitutional referendum
in
February 2000 and launched his "fast track" seizure of 5000
white-owned
farms.
BBC
Even Zimbabwe's dead need
fuel
|
By Themba Nkosi
BBC, Bulawayo
|
The dead have
become the latest victims of Zimbabwe's endless fuel shortages.
Petrol queues have become part of
everyday life | Some dead people have had to endure humiliation by fuel
attendants and garage owners, who demand to see the corpses before they can sell
fuel to hearse drivers enroute to cemeteries.
When the fuel shortages became serious, undertakers
were given priority at petrol stations.
But then conmen started masquerading as undertakers
and hearse drivers and bought large quantities of fuel from garages and sold it
at exorbitant prices on the black market.
In some cases, the conmen managed to produce what
looked like genuine burial certificates at petrol stations and were given fuel
by unsuspecting attendants.
Proof
The government and civic groups have condemned the
practice with church leaders describing it as "satanic".
But garage owners have defended the practice saying
it is the only way to avoid selling the scarce liquid to conmen masquerading as
undertakers.
The final trip can be a hard
one |
"We have been getting a lot of people claiming to be
from funeral parlours, some of them carrying fake burial certificates," said one
garage owner.
"In the end we discovered that conmen had exploited
the privileges given to undertakers from genuine funeral parlours."
Funeral parlours fall under the Essential Services
Act.
In Harare, undertakers were forced to take four
bodies to a service station after the garage owners demanded proof that the
driver of the hearse was genuine.
In some cases, the funeral parlours tell bereaved
families to source their own fuel before bodies can be transported to cemeteries
for burial.
The undertakers have lodged their complaints with the
Minister of Energy and Power Development, Amos Midzi. |
ZIMBABWE: UK denies backing opposition
IRINnews Africa, Mon 16 Jun
2003
JOHANNESBURG, - The British government has denied any involvement
in
the week-long stayaway by Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for
Democratic
Change (MDC) earlier this month.
The statement was
issued after the official The Herald newspaper last
week reported President
Robert Mugabe as saying that the MDC had received
funding from Britain and
help from the British High Commissioner to
Zimbabwe, Brian Donnelly, to stage
the anti-government protests.
Mugabe reportedly said: "If he
continues doing it we will kick him
[Donnelly] out of this
country."
In a brief statement the British High Commission said:
"The British
government supports the fundamental rights of Zimbabweans to
freedom of
expression and freedom of association. How Zimbabweans choose to
exercise
those rights is entirely a matter for them. The British government
and the
British High Commission had no role in funding or organising, in any
way
whatsoever, last week's stayaway or protests."
The exchange
comes amid already poor relations between Zimbabwe and
Britain, the former
colonial power, sparked mainly by a dispute over
compensation for white
farmers whose properties have been listed for
acquisition in the country's
controversial land reform programme.
Meanwhile, news reports said
the office of South Africa's President
Thabo Mbeki was handed a petition by a
group of Zimbabweans living in South
Africa, calling on Mbeki to exert
pressure on Mugabe to release opposition
leader Morgan
Tsvangirai.
Last week the group staged a hunger strike outside the
Union Buildings
in Pretoria, which houses the South African
administration.
Tsvangirai has spent over a week in jail waiting
for bail on a treason
charge related to the stayaway, which was declared
illegal by the
police.
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humanitarian
information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of
the United
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UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs 2003
Plans to Withdraw $500 Note Welcome
The Herald
(Harare)
EDITORIAL
June 16, 2003
Posted to the web June 16,
2003
Harare
Zimbabwe, after several years of high inflation and
the laundering of vast
sums through cash transactions, needs currency reform
urgently.
We gather the authorities have come to the same conclusion with
reports that
the $500 note will be phased out as the $1 000 note is
introduced.
High denomination notes are needed, but they should
be introduced for the
benefit of people who have to make cash payments in
ordinary day-to-day
shopping, not for those who wish to launder the proceeds
of a black-market
deal.
So it makes excellent sense to have a $1 000
note, since at the present
price of fuel a full tank can use up to 20 of
these. It could also make
sense to have a $5 000 note, and even the $10 000
note, although precautions
would have to be taken to avoid the mattress
banking and illegal cash deals
now becoming so common.
Many other
countries have had to do this. The United States, for example,
used to have
many very high denomination notes. The largest US bank note is
now the US$100
and the higher value notes are withdrawn as they come into
the banking
system. The reason for the change was clear; the high-value
notes were too
useful for laundering, dubious and criminal deals and were
not all that
useful when buying groceries.
Withdrawing the $500 note in Zimbabwe would
follow a policy used
successfully in many other countries when it has become
obvious that a
particular bank note is being used to finance too many illegal
deals. The
ordinary person can easily change the notes they keep in their
wallet or in
a safe place at home for emergencies.
The person with a
few million dollars in Zimbabwean bank notes outside the
country, or a trunk
at home as part of his efforts to evade taxes, has
problems. How does he
explain the huge sums he is keeping?
The Zimbabwean authorities, when
introducing the new notes, also have to
think about the rules regarding cash
transactions and cash withdrawals. Many
countries impose quite low limits on
what can be withdrawn in currency notes
and coins from a bank account in a
single day or even a longer period.
Those needing large sums of cash are
encouraged to use bankers' cheques,
electronic transfers and debit or credit
cards in swipe machines. Large
transactions using the anonymity of bank notes
are positively discouraged
since such anonymity is too often used to hide tax
evasion or criminal
activity.
So as part of their efforts to clean up
the currency in Zimbabwe, the
authorities need to encourage banks to provide
at reasonable cost, and
certainly no more than the cost of cashing a personal
cheque, fast and
accurate alternatives for larger deals.
The number of
swipe machines in stores is growing, but fuel stations and
small shops lag
behind, and far too many machines are linked to a single
bank rather than all
banks.
Banks tend to charge high sums for their own cheques, even though
building
societies manage to issue these for free, and electronic transfers
are still
in their infancy.
So even honest people have to swop, at
times, suitcases of bank notes when,
for example, buying or selling a car.
The obvious way of moving a few
million dollars in such a deal would be a
direct transfer from one account
to another with confirmation of the move in
seconds.
The problems faced by ordinary people in recent months in having
to queue
for smallish sums needed for shopping, and having to carry bundles
of
low-denomination bank notes to pay for a tank of fuel or buy a
week's
groceries, need to be fixed.
We believe they can be fixed in a
way that retains bank notes for smaller
transactions and more modern methods
for larger cash transactions, so long
as the banks can be made to
co-operate.
The authorities are on the right track in cleaning up the
mess of $500 note
hoarding by withdrawing that note and introducing higher
value notes for
shopping convenience, but they need to go further if they do
not wish a
repeat.
MDC PRESS
16 June 2003
Move to
Ban Strikes in Public Sector Is A Clear Sign Of Weakness
Moves by the illegitimate Mugabe regime to ban huge
swathes of public sector workers from engaging in strike action underlines once
again the success of the recent 2-6 June stayaway, which marked a significant
step forward in the peaceful struggle to restore democratic legitimacy to
Zimbabwe. The scale of the Mugabe regime's violent and repressive response to
the stayway is a testament to the impact that the stayway has had. The regime
has clearly been weakened by its realisation that it has no popular support.
The arrest and detention of MDC President Morgan
Tsvangirai on another spurious treason charge, and the arrest of over 800 MDC
supporters for engaging in peaceful acts of protest, offers a clear insight into
the increasing level of nervousness that is now permeating a regime conscious
that its time is running out. Banning core public sector workers from engaging
in strike action is yet another example of this nervousness. This desperate, and
flagrantly undemocratic move, is doomed to failure.
If the regime believes that banning people from
exercising their basic democratic rights will deter future stay always it should
think again. Such moves simply serve to highlight the size of the chasm between
the regime and the people. Violence and
repression do not weaken people's desire for democratic change. Violence and
repression do not address an individual's social and economic grievances.
The hundreds of thousands of workers, both private
and public sector, who heeded the call to stay away from work between 2-6 June
did so because the regime has failed them. Job security is a luxury, food is
either scarce or unaffordable, whilst the acute petrol shortage means that
travelling to work is either impossible or exceptionally arduous. For those in
the public sector, working conditions have, in many places, reached unacceptable
levels due to the policy failures of the Mugabe regime.
Against such a background of discontent no amount
of violence or repression is going to be sufficient to cow people into
submission. Instead it will strengthen the people's desire to intensify peaceful
acts of civil disobedience aimed at securing democratic change.
Paul Themba Nyathi
MDC Secretary for
Information and Publicity
ZBCWEF report on economic situation in Zimbabwe dismissed
17 June
2003
The Department of Information and Publicity in the office of the
President
and Cabinet says reports on the economic situation in the country
based on
the so-called countries survey released recently by the self-styled
World
Economic Forum-WEF are part of the western propaganda assault on
Zimbabwe.
In a statement, the department said the reports, which have
been published
by the usual british media mouthpieces are meant to tarnish
the image of the
Zimbabwean government for embarking on far-reaching land
reforms designed to
empower its citizens.
The statement also noted
that the empowerment programme which challenges
British and Western interests
cannot be expected to attract praise from
surrogate organisations like the
WEF, whose purpose is to defend and promote
Western economic
interests.
The department also said this transformation of the Zimbabwean
economy is
taking place in an environment in which there is open hostility
and
unjustifiable, illegal and unilateral sanctions.
The statement
added that it is cynical and unacceptable for the Western
countries to use
their surrogate organisations and media mouthpieces to
judge the performance
of the same economy they are working hard to stifle.
It noted that
despite these setbacks Zimbabwe’s trade with its major
partners continues to
grow, with the country’s trade with South Africa
having grown by 16 percent
over the past few years.
The department pointed out that such a growth
demonstrates the resilience of
the country’s institutional capacity and
economic perfomance under the most
adverse conditions that do not obtain in
countries that have been lumped
together with Zimbabwe in the
survey.
It emphasised that Zimbabwe will continue with its broad-based
national
programmes, undeterred and undistracted by such false surveys
and
sensational media reports fully confident that the empowerment
programmes
will be the basis of sustainable economic growth and
development.
JAG PR Communique
Due to changes that have been forced upon farmers and their families,
there
has been a shift in the role and responsibilities of the ladies
"farmers
wives". In order to help identify and address these issues we invite
you
all to attend the following meeting to be held at Art
farm.
FARMERS WIVES LADIES DAY
"VISION OF HOPE"
Wednesday
18th June 9.00a.m.
ART FARM.
OUR CHILDREN OUR FUTURE
Kevin
Ricquebourg
FOOD FOR THE SOUL, HEALTHCARE,
Ingrid
Landman
STRESS AND ANGER MANAGEMENT
Debbie
Jeans.
TEA
HEALING AND RECONCILIATION
Beatrice
Bwerudzai.
SENIORS IN OUR COMMUNITY:
Wikus Botha
FARMERS
WIVES
Kerry
Kay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I
HAVE received the following inspiring message from a friend in Poland,
which
I would like to share with other Zimbabweans at this defining moment
in our
history:
"We read with horror on the developments in Zimbabwe nowadays.
We know how
you must be just feeling, as we have gone through all of these -
shortages
of everything, skyrocketing inflation and political oppression - in
the
not-so-distant past in Poland. You feel so humiliated, helpless
and
vulnerable then, but it is only appearances. True, the rulers are able
to
harass or even to kill you, but they are totally unable to conquer
your
minds. And this is decisive to their failure in the long run.
Our
experiences show that it is actually the resistance of these
"helpless"
people which is going to win. Sometimes it takes years, but it is
they who
finally do it. So it is very important to stay put, not to be
"persuaded"
by harassment to leave the country. Zimbabwe will need all its
people and
resources for reconstruction. Anyway, we keep our fingers crossed,
hoping
for a quick improvement of your situation, and we wish you all
success."
Wanda Poland In Other News: ZANU PF scoring another own goal
<9385.html> US
treating Mugabe with kid gloves <9386.html>
Article unfairly critical of
service stations <9387.html> Enjoy lion's
share but remember us <9388.html>
Employers will act in solidarity
<9389.html> Sue them <9390.html> Remain
one <9391.html>
Your minds are invincible <9392.html> We can't let ZINASU
go down the
drain <9393.html>
JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES COMMUNIQUÉ - June 16,
2003
Email: justice@telco.co.zw;
justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Internet:
www.justiceforagriculture.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Business
Link course
By Richard Winkfield
Scores of skilled men and women who
managed complex agricultural businesses
euphemistically known as farms have
been forced to turn to alternative
sources of income. Many were well prepared
for the unexpected change and
not all their earnings went back into the
basket from whence they came. But
just as many were not and today are still
in a state of shock, unable to
grasp the awful finality of their
predicament.
It is only when they are jolted out of their inertia, by the
realization
that there is life after farming, that they will become
motivated. We
constantly hear how skilled our farmers were in the management
of people,
natural resources, engineering, agronomy, animal husbandry, civil
and
mechanical construction, repairs and maintenance, and the myriad
peripheral
skills they had to acquire. Then add to this the development of
their
characters through working with communities, associations,
public
utilities, corporations and co-operatives.
There are hundreds
who have remained in Zimbabwe but who are occupied by
menial tasks and chores
and even uncreative employment that is leading
nowhere. These hugely valuable
people will probably never go farming again
but are nonetheless worthy of a
lot of recognition. They need to be
informed of what is available, to help
them to regain their confidence and
put their skills to use.
I
recently attended an introduction to a course designed to help people to
do
just this. Loss of confidence has been the most common effect of the
trauma
they have all experienced. The course is quite a long-term
investment in
time, dedication and money, but in my view an offer that
cannot be
ignored.
The initial commitment is for twelve months, during which it is
virtually
guaranteed to pick the participants up, dust them down and put them
back on
their feet, but not necessarily where they started.
Stan
Parsons, known to many of us as an internationally recognised
business
management consultant, started what he now calls 'The Business Link'
in
1968 in Zimbabwe. A hands-on course on strategic management
specifically
designed for small and family owned businesses. This is the
course that I
am talking about. Today, over 6000 people from the United
States, Australia
and Zimbabwe, can testify to the extraordinary change it
has made to their
lives.
The last of a series of free introductory
sessions is on Wednesday 25th
June in Harare. The first of four modules of
this course starts on July
10th. As one who has despaired for forty years at
the lack of attention
that many farmers have paid to training themselves and
their employees, I
think this personal investment is long overdue. The reward
could be
incalculable. A lot of our friends who were forced off their farms
took up
the International Computer Drivers Licence course. Others
brokering,
book-keeping, trucking and one farmer we know has bought a
restaurant.
Whatever the circumstances, the Business Link course is
applicable.
The Farm Families Trust, together with our partners in the
UK, will be
subsidising a limited number of applicants. Obviously we will
interview all
those whose names are given to us by Stan and his team. There
is also a
limited amount of money and only those who genuinely cannot afford
the full
fees and who in our opinion would very greatly benefit will be
considered.
By the time you read this in The Zimbabwe Farmer, it will be
too late for
the last of the free introductory sessions that were held in
Harare and
Bulawayo. Nonetheless, contact Lorna Pearson on lorna@businesslink.co.zw,
or (04)
498 915 for further details and to see if you might be fitted in.
JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE LEGAL COMMUNIQUÉ - June 16, 2003
Email: justice@telco.co.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Internet:
www.justiceforagriculture.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
With
the current offensive and so called final push on farms to try and
dislodge
the few remaining farmers, many of whom have not challenged their
Section 8
orders, for whatever reason, in some cases because they are faced
with
perfect process and no procedural grounds to challenge, there is merit
in
these farmers; especially those with grounds to request urgency in
the
application, bringing a small constitutional challenge case much along
the
lines of the Quinnell Case citing one or two of the constitutional
issues
in the Quinnell Case that are applicable. JAG has recommended this as
the
way forward for some time now and a number of farmers have
brought
individual cases and have achieved protection under, either the
interim
relief ruling granted in the Quinnell Case, or the Matabeleland CFU
Propol
Matabeleland North and South Case. With the current onslaught
and
cognisant of the fact that JAG is legally constituted to do so; there is
a
great deal of merit in (at this point in time) bringing a
representative
action under the JAG banner that would protect all farmers if
successful
until the issue is clarified either by the Quinnell Case and/or
the
Administrative Court hearing ones individual case.
If at this time
we can get together half a dozen or so farmers with grounds
of urgency we at
JAG will be in a position to bring this case as a
representative action on
behalf of all farmers. This could also have a
positive affect on displaced
farmers who have been prevented from accessing
moveable assets left behind on
farms. Certainly from a costs perspective
and blanket effect basis this
appears to be the way to go, in the light of
recent events on farms, and in
the courts with judgements granted so far.
Please could any farmer in a
position of being threatened with forced
illegal eviction and with grounds
for an urgent application get in touch
with JAG urgently to discuss this
initiative as an option. Individual
actions along the above lines have been
costing in the region of
Z$200,000.00 each. A representative action would
not cost much more,
however, the interim relief granted would pertain to all
JAG members at
least, if not all farmers.
J C WORSLEY-WORSWICK
VICE
CHAIRMAN
JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE
011 612 595
The Herald
State Will Crush Any Moves to Usurp Power, Says
President
The Herald (Harare)
June 14, 2003
Posted to
the web June 16, 2003
Harare
President Mugabe yesterday warned
that the MDC would never again be allowed
to hold a mass action aimed at
toppling the legitimately-elected Government
of Zimbabwe as the State would
crush any moves to usurp power through
unconstitutional
means.
Addressing thousands of people at a rally at Esidhakeni Farm in
Umguza
district, Cde Mugabe warned people against supporting the MDC in its
bid to
oust the Government violently.
He said MDC leader Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai would never achieve his dream of
marching to State
House.
"They said by Friday, MDC would be in power and Tsvangirai would
be at State
House. I am glad he is in State House now (prison). That's the
State House
he wanted," said Cde Mugabe.
Government would never watch
while the MDC seized power through a mass
action. "We will never allow the
MDC to hold another mass action. That will
never happen again. So take care,
know where you belong and go where you
belong. You are Africans not British,"
he said.
Cde Mugabe said whites in Zimbabwe had never accepted a black
government
even though the ruling party had extended a hand of reconciliation
at
independence.
Government's gesture of reconciliation was meant to
foster a spirit of unity
among blacks and whites. But whites "just wanted to
take and refused to
give".
"They never accepted our rule. They never
accepted that Zimbabwe was an
independent country . . . they continued living
in Rhodesia in their
imagination. Up to now, they are still Rhodies but this
is Zimbabwe. They
should go to Rhodesia.
"They owe no allegiance to
us. They owe no loyalty. They despise our
Government and more than that they
want to destroy it. We refuse to be
destroyed. Instead we will destroy them,"
said President Mugabe.
He said whites did not deserve a share of the
country's land because they
continued to undermine the Government, especially
after it embarked on land
reform.
"Only yesterday, they were
organising mass action with the British. You saw
what they did. They closed
their industries, even schools were closed for a
week. So by Friday, MDC
would be in power.
"To fold our hands as they arrive at State House.
Befika besithi Mugabe suka
esihlalweni. Can that ever happen? Do they know
who we are? Where we came
from? They shouldn't play with fire," said Cde
Mugabe.
He said MDC was agitating for change to reverse the land reform
programme.
"They say we will continue to stay away to change things.
Zvinonzi chinja
maitiro. Isu maitiro edu ndeye independence. Giving back land
to the people.
We cannot change because change is to give back to the
whites.
"We are moving on the revolutionary path of satisfying our people
with all
possible needs, the first being land.
"Who comes first on the
list, uKhumalo or Pilosoff. Mina owami nguKhumalo.
uPilosoff angimazi.
UPilosoff ngoka Tsvangirai," Cde Mugabe said.
He said young people in
Zimbabwe should safeguard and cherish their
revolutionary heritage so that
they can pass it on to future generations.
The young should guard against
being used by foreign-sponsored organisations
for financial
benefit.
"If you embrace their ideas for the sake of money, you will get
hurt and
what for?" said Cde Mugabe.
The Government would assist
people in times of need. Resettled farmers would
get tillage, fertiliser and
seed while dams and irrigation schemes would be
established to assist new
farmers.
Salaries of civil servants had been increased while allowances
for chiefs
and other traditional leaders would also be looked
into.
Cde Mugabe urged teachers to desist from engaging in strikes, as
they were
detrimental to the education of children.
"Teachers,
mastrikes please no. When you strike really, in your mind do you
think you
are doing justice to your profession? Do you ever think of the
harm you are
inflicting to the little children?
"I was a teacher myself and so it's a
profession I value above my current
one (politics)," he said.
Cde
Mugabe said Zimbabweans should cherish the legacy of the late
Vice-President
Joshua Nkomo and remain united in the face of an onslaught on
the country by
the British.
"Let us be one in the party. Remember the words of Umdala
wethu esithi yena,
remain united and let the land question be resolved in the
interests of our
people," the President said.
Cde Mugabe visited
Umguza district as part of his national tour to assess
various developmental
projects, recovery from last season's drought, the
state of Zanu-PF and
explain the task of the land review committee.
Cde Mugabe, who was
accompanied by Zanu-PF national commissar, Cde Elliot
Manyika, and the
Minister of Agriculture, Dr Joseph Made, was met by the
Governor of
Matabeleland North, Cde Obert Mpofu and other senior
Government
officials.
Comment from The Mercury (SA), 16 June
Tsvangirai creates a poser for
his party
Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change is in a dilemma
about how to react
to the continued detention of its leader, Morgan
Tsvangirai. MDC leaders had
considered embarking on another strike to demand
Tsvangirai's release, but
opted to heed the advise of his lawyers - led by
George Bizos - to refrain
from threatening any form of protest until the high
court rules on
Tsvangirai's bail application. He is being held on a second
charge of
treason. But militant members of the party are insisting that the
MDC should
call for a national strike, similar to the one that shut down
Zimbabwe for a
week, unless Tsvangirai is released. "It is a very tricky
situation. If we
embark on some sort of action, there is the danger that we
might aggravate
the situation against Tsvangirai and our party. If we do not
do anything, we
are disappointing many of our supporters and sending a signal
of
capitulation to Mugabe," said a top MDC official. After a series of
meetings
this week, the MDC national executive committee decided to wait for
the
outcome of tomorrow's proceedings in court before deciding on their
next
move. "If they don't give him bail, then it means the hawks in the party
may
carry the day after all. The hawks want immediate action now, either in
the
form of another job stayaway or some other action," said another
official.
MDC deputy president Gibson Sibanda, who had earlier
threatened mass action
unless Tsvangirai was released, issued a guarded
statement at the end of the
national executive meeting on Thursday urging
Zimbabweans to remain calm in
the face of provocation. "We maintain that our
president and members of MDC
arrested by the state agents are innocent. The
arrests are nothing more than
harassment and intimidation of the MDC," the
statement said. "We urge all
Zimbabweans to remain calm in the face of
repeated attempts to provoke them
so as to get a pretext to crush their
resolve through violence. We should
remain focused on our objectives and
calculated in our actions." Tsvangirai
is spending his second weekend in jail
after a high court judge said she
needed time to consider his bail
application. Judge Susan Mavangira
adjourned the case to today after hearing
arguments by Tsvangirai's lawyers
asking the court to release him on bail.
The state has opposed bail and
wants Tsvangirai to be kept in custody for a
month before it proceeds with
the new treason trial. Tsvangirai was arrested
10 days ago and charged with
treason for calling a hugely successful national
strike which shut down
Zimbabwe for five days. The state charged him with
treason for allegedly
calling for the overthrow of President Mugabe during
the strike, dubbed "the
final push".
The opposition leader faced
humiliation this week, being brought to court
dressed in khaki prison garb
and wearing handcuffs and leg irons. Many legal
analysts have described
Tsvangirai's arrest as unreasonable. When he was
arrested over the first
treason charge against him, in which he was accused
of plotting to kill
Mugabe, he did not spend a night in custody. The police
recorded a warning
and caution statement and released him later the same day
despite the
seriousness of the allegation. Analysts said his continued
imprisonment over
a demonstration, which was within his rights to call, was
vindictive.
Mavangira, the judge hearing the matter, has shown no urgency in
dealing with
the case. She was promoted from the attorney-general's office
to the bench
last year at the height of Mugabe's campaign of weeding
independent judges
out of the judiciary and replacing them with cronies.
Legal analysts said
they saw no reasonable justification why Mavangira
needed a whole weekend to
decide on a mere bail application. "She is not
dealing with the substantive
aspect of the case and I see no reason why she
cannot make a decision on bail
on such a straight- forward matter," said a
lawyer who preferred anonymity
because he appears before high court judges.
Another lawyer said that
Tsvangirai's release on bail was by no means
guaranteed. "It will not be
surprising if the judge agrees with the decision
of the lower court that
Tsvangirai be jailed for a month until the next
hearing," he said. "It will
also not be surprising if the judge does not
even decide on the matter,
saying she still needs more time to make a
decision."
Mugabe has been
making repeated statements about the case during his current
tour of rural
areas in Zimbabwe. He has vowed repeatedly to "teach
Tsvangirai a lesson".
Mugabe said his government would crack down harder
against the MDC if the
party continued to defy his government. "We hope they
have learnt their
lesson. If they haven't they will learn it the hard way
... the harder way,"
he was quoted as saying in Friday's state-run Herald
newspaper. Tsvangirai
and two other senior MDC officials are currently
standing trial on a separate
charge of treason arising from the alleged plot
to kill Mugabe. Tsvangirai
has now made history by becoming the first
Zimbabwean to be slapped with
double treason charges. Even during the
struggle against white minority rule,
successive governments of Rhodesia
never charged a single nationalist leader
with multiple treason charges.