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Zimbabwe court orders release of PM aide
Associated Press
By
GILLIAN GOTORA, Associated Press – 7 hours ago
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A
Zimbabwe court on Sunday freed a minister in the
prime minister's party who
was arrested after he allegedly called President
Robert Mugabe a
liar.
Jameson Timba, a minister of state in Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's
office, was detained Friday. The special hearing Sunday of the
Harare High
Court ordered Timba's release, but police held him two more
hours after the
hearing.
Judge Joseph Musakwa ruled that the police
had "no justification" for his
arrest.
Police officials at the court
said they needed time to complete release
formalities, a claim attorneys
dismissed as unnecessary and further
harassment of Timba.
Timba's
lawyers said he was denied food and access to attorneys in jail
since
Friday.
Mugabe's party accused Timba of insulting Mugabe, an offense
under sweeping
security laws, when he said Mugabe lied over the outcome of a
recent
regional summit on Zimbabwe.
Despite protests from his
lawyers, police escorted Timba from Sunday's court
hearing to the main
Harare police station, where he was released two hours
after the verdict.
Police reinforcements had been called to the court.
After his release,
Timba said: "The police must learn how to do their job
properly."
Timba was not asked to post bail, defense attorney Selby
Hwacha told
reporters. The minister denied using the word "liar" but stood
by his
party's position on what happened at the summit, he
said.
Timba attended the June 12 summit in neighboring South Africa and
contradicted Mugabe's account that regional leaders withdrew a damning
report on the slow pace of reforms and continuing political violence blamed
on Mugabe's party.
Mugabe insisted the Southern African Development
Community, a regional
economic and political bloc, clear his party's name
over allegations
reported to the grouping by the chief Zimbabwe mediator,
President Jacob
Zuma of South Africa.
Timba gave his account of the
summit at the same time that Tsvangirai also
told a rally in central
Zimbabwe that Mugabe and his party leaders were not
truthful over the summit
findings.
Mugabe's party has also called for Tsvangirai's arrest for
insulting Mugabe,
accusations usually applied to remarks made by political
hecklers or those
who curse Mugabe in bars or on buses. Those convicted have
been fined or
briefly jailed.
Tsvangirai's party described it as
"strange" that Timba was arrested before
the weekend — a reference to a
common police practice of jailing suspects
over the weekend in filthy,
overcrowded cells in frigid winter conditions
until courts and judicial
offices reopen on Monday.
His arrest signaled another rift in the
28-month coalition formed by
regional mediators after violent, disputed
elections in 2008.
Tsvangirai's party said on Sunday Timba was traced to
a police jail in the
southern dormitory township of Chitungwiza, 15 miles
(25 kilometers) south
of the capital, after lawyers visited several police
stations around Harare
where officers denied holding him over the
weekend.
Uniformed officers said they were unaware of the minister's
arrest.
In the past, security agents loyal to Mugabe who often don't
answer to the
central police command have been accused of abducting Mugabe
party opponents
and human rights activists.
Minister detained immediately after his release
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
Jun 26, 2011, 13:00
GMT
Harare - A Zimbabwean government minister, who was arrested for
allegedly
calling President Robert Mugabe a liar, was apprehended again by
police
Sunday, shortly after a judge ordered his release.
Jameson
Timba, a minister in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's government,
disappeared on Friday. It later emerged he had been arrested over an article
in which he was quoted as saying that Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party had lied
about the outcome of a recent summit held by the Southern African
Development Community (SADC).
Judge Joseph Musakwa ruled that Timba's
rights had been violated, since he
was denied food and access to his
lawyers.
'There was a violation of his rights. He was not informed of the
charges he
was facing,' said Musakwa. 'Therefore, there is no justification
for his
continued detention.'
Timba said he was 'moved from one
police station to another' and had never
been made aware of any charges
brought against him.
But immediately after his release, three
plainclothes policemen prevented
him from getting into his vehicle and
ordered him into the back of an open
truck, leaving his wife in
tears.
Timba's arrest is likely to further strain relations within the
country's
fragile coalition government, which was formed by Mugabe and
Tsvangirai more
than two years ago.
The two leaders have clashed on a
number of issues, including on the removal
of sanctions and the full
implementation of the coalition deal.
Mugabe wants elections held this
year to end the coalition government, while
Tsvangirai insists that key
political reforms must be implemented first.
Zim
plunges into crisis
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Thelma Chikwanha, Community Affairs Editor
Sunday,
26 June 2011 15:24
HARARE - Zimbabwe has been thrown into a deep
crisis following last week’s
treasonous threats by army chiefs and Friday
evening’s “abduction” of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s aide, Jameson
Timba.
As a result, there are now real fears that the country could
plunge into the
kind of political and economic calamity that followed the
violent 2008
presidential elections in which more than 200 MDC officials and
supporters
were murdered in cold blood after President Robert Mugabe was
trounced by
Tsvangirai.
And so worried and angry is Sadc about
developments in Zimbabwe that an
emergency meeting could be held soon to see
how they can mitigate the
anarchy.
The Daily News on Sunday was
reliably told yesterday that
facilitator-in-chief to the Zimbabwe crisis,
President Jacob Zuma, was
“staggered” by the turn of events in the
country.
A source in Pretoria said the SA president had been especially
turned aback
by the arrest of Timba and the threat by military generals to
subvert the
democratic process that is underway in the country, amid fears
that this
could lead to the collapse of the inclusive government.
“I
know that we have asked this question before, but we will ask it again:
Who
is benefitting from this anarchy and how do the engineers of this
madness
hope to get away with it?
“President Zuma is staggered by the pace at
which the political climate is
deteriorating in Zimbabwe.
“But let
everybody be warned lest they cry foul later: South Africa has had
enough of
this and there will be consequences if it does not stop, and
soon,” the
source said without elaborating.
Timba was apparently arrested or, as it
now appears, abducted at the
instigation of Zanu PF politburo member and
serial political flip-flopper
Jonathan Moyo, who claimed that the MDC
international relations head had
undermined Mugabe’s authority by writing an
opinion that implied that Zanu
PF had misled the world on the outcome of the
recent Sadc summit that was
held in Sandton, Johannesburg.
This has
worsened perceptions that partisan law enforcement agencies are
getting
direct instructions to act on Mugabe’s opponents from Zanu PF
politburo
members.
But Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo yesterday dismissed both
this notion,
and Moyo’s apparent newly-found power in Zanu PF and government
— adding
that the former ruling party had no hand in Timba’s
misfortunes.
“The politburo doesn’t give instructions to the police. It
is fictional and
illogic,” Gumbo said.
But other Zanu PF sources said
Moyo had become very powerful again within
the party — largely because he
allegedly enjoyed “the ear” of some security
chiefs who wanted him to run
the party’s propaganda machinery.
Political commentators and members of
the public who spoke to the Daily News
on Sunday yesterday expressed fear
that the country was now sliding fast
towards “total anarchy” and that
meanwhile, Mugabe did not seem to care.
Prominent academic, publisher and
analyst Ibbo Mandaza expressed shock at
recent developments saying the
arrest of Timba was linked to the threats by
top military
personnel.
“What are they trying to do? This is unprecedented and it’s
creating an
unnecessary crisis. It is not an attack on Timba alone, but also
on the GPA
and the people of Zimbabwe.
“Unless these people are
stopped we are going to have a major crisis.
“I’m really shocked by this
behaviour. It is shameful and Sadc must do
something urgently to end this
nonsense,” Mandaza said.
Another analyst, Charles Mangongera said the
fact that a senior member in
Tsvangirai’s office was arrested in the same
week that Brigadier General
Douglas Nyikayaramba had called Tsvangirai a
threat to national security had
a negative effect on the inclusive
government.
“There seems to be a connection between the threatening
statements that the
general has been making and the actions of the police.
This seems to confirm
the suspicion that there is connivance between a small
clique involving
state security agents and hardliners within Zanu PF,”
Mangongera said.
“These are the people that are driving (negative)
processes in this country.
We have become a de facto military state and this
poses great danger to the
existence of the unity government and Zimbabwe in
general,’ Mangongera said.
He said the situation could explode if
regional leaders did not stop it.
Zim
army takes charge
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Sunday Times | 26 June, 2011 02:0510
Zimbabwe's
unstable inclusive government has been thrown into a fresh crisis
after
Jameson Timba, the Minister of State in Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's
office, was arrested on Friday for saying President Robert
Mugabe lied about
the SADC summit in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Timba has not been heard from
since, a lawyer from his party said yesterday.
An official at Harare
central police station on Friday confirmed to the
German Press Agency dpa
that Timba was being held there.
"We have been holding Jameson Timba
since Friday afternoon. He might appear
in court on Monday," the police
official was quoted as saying yesterday.
The arrest came two days after a
top army general sensationally claimed that
the military would not allow
anyone except Mugabe to be president of the
country.
And amid all of
this comes a report that Mugabe and his Zanu-PF ruling party
are unrolling a
paramilitary strategy and openly using the army to campaign
for them ahead
of the next crucial elections.
Civil society organisations grouped under
Crisis Coalition said in a report,
titled "The Military Factor in Zimbabwe's
Political and Electoral Affairs",
that there is need for urgent
security-sector reforms to restrict the
military to their
barracks.
The report also says Zimbabwe's military interference in
political and
electoral affairs has become the biggest threat to democracy
in the country
ahead of the elections.
The comprehensive report
covers topics which include the gradual
militarisation and politicisation of
electoral institutions, direct military
interference in electoral affairs,
political violence and intimidation, the
military's toxic role during the
2008 elections, patronage and military
entrenchment in the economy, and the
power-sharing government's failure to
subject the military to civilian
control.
The report also states that, as part of this broad strategy,
state
institutions have been militarised. It says that, through Mugabe's
patronage
system, the military is now bene-fiting from lucrative mining
deals and
other money-spinning ventures.
Events since the beginning
of this year have shown that Mugabe and Zanu-PF
have a clear strategy to use
the military as a weapon to win the next
elections, the report
adds.
"Earlier this year, various civic groups reported deployment of
soldiers
across the country to direct election campaigns for Zanu-PF and to
spearhead
violence and intimidation."
The report says the situation
will get worse, with plans by Zanu-PF to
deploy tens of thousands of youth
militias across the country before the
elections.
Meanwhile, Timba's
arrest signals the beginning of a renewed crackdown on
Mugabe's
opponents.
It also comes as the row intensifies between Mugabe and
Tsvangirai following
the recent SADC summit in Sandton, where the veteran
Zimbabwean ruler was
routed by his impatient colleagues.
Zimbabwe has
a long history of fierce political repression, manifested in
intimidation,
harassment, arrests, detentions, disappearances and killings
with
impunity.
Tsvangirai and senior MDC-T officials this week said they
feared for their
lives after an outbreak of a war of words between them and
the agi-tated
military.
Zanu-PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo,
reportedly close to the military,
publicly lobbied attorney-general Johannes
Tomana to investigate Timba and
to have him arrested.
Timba was
picked up soon after his arrival from Barcelona, Spain, where he
had
accompanied Tsvangirai to the World Justice Forum.
His comments were
published in the Sunday Times and he had also written an
opinion piece on
the same issue in the Standard Newspaper.
Moyo, who of late has been
complaining about "national security issues", has
also demanded that
Tsvangirai be probed for calling Mugabe a "liar" over the
outcome of the
SADC summit at a rally last weekend.
At the same rally in the Midlands
city of Gweru, Tsvangirai challenged army
commanders dabbling in politics to
remove their uniforms and join the
political fray as
civilians.
Addressing the World Justice Forum this week, Tsvangirai said:
"Every day
they (state security service chiefs) are dabbling in politics,
even seeking
to influence the date of elections and the conditions under
which those
elections will be held."
His hard-hitting remarks came in
the wake of recent statements by
Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayaramba,
saying the army wanted Mugabe to die
in office.
The military has also
said Tsvangirai would not be allowed to rule even if
he won the
elections.
Tsvangirai has said Mugabe told him he wanted to retire, but
suspicions are
that he is being held hostage by the army.
After the
publication of the articles in the Sunday Times and the Standard,
Moyo, a
former information minister and now Zanu-PF's chief propagandist,
launched a
campaign on state television, radio and in newspapers calling on
authorities
to arrest Timba and to question journalists from the independent
media,
saying they were working to undermine Mugabe.
Moyo is said to be close to
hardline securocrats who are blamed for gross
human rights abuses and for
keeping Mugabe in power.
Journalists in Zimbabwe are now living in fear,
as Moyo seems to have
relaunched a crackdown on the country's private
media.
During his reign, newspapers were closed while journalists were
being
arrested.
Diamond
looting sucks in minister
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Reagan Mashavave, Senior Writer
Sunday, 26
June 2011 15:40
HARARE - In a case that could suck in the Minister of
Mines Obert Mpofu,
procedures for cutting and polishing of diamonds was
suspended resulting in
a systematic free for all looting of the precious
gems worth tens of
millions of dollars.
So serious is the case that
cabinet is said to be considering investigating
the rampant looting of
diamonds from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of
Zimbabwe (MMCZ) with
dubious dealers getting state diamonds for a song and
selling them for huge
sums of money.
This is now a subject of investigations by the
police.
Investigations by the Daily News on Sunday have discovered that
while there
used to be strict measures at MMCZ, these were relaxed by Mpofu
who awarded
at least 28 companies, diamond cutting and polishing licences,
most of whom
did not have the equipment.
Some did not even have
offices while some companies were registered for the
purpose of looting
state diamonds.
When the scam was discovered, Mpofu rushed to cancel the
same licences he
had issued after investigations had revealed that the
companies would in
connivance with MMCZ employees, grab diamonds cheaply
either claiming that
they were industrial diamonds or buying grossly
undervalued gems.
The diamonds would be sold at market price and smuggled
to Dubai, India,
Lebanon and other diamond-dealing cities and
countries.
A source at the Attorney General’s office said: “It was a free
for all
looting which was obviously created at the Ministry of Mines when
they
allowed diamonds to be grabbed by dubious companies, some of which do
not
even have physical addresses. They did not even have any knowledge in
dealing with diamonds.
“A stone would be bought from MMCZ at say $2
000, claiming it was a rough
diamond and it would go out and fetch even more
than $200 000. It was a big
scam and the MMCZ employees who were arrested
over the issue are threatening
to bring out the big names
involved."
“That is why we quickly consented to bail because they were
threatening to
spill the beans. They are saying top officials at the
Ministry of Mines are
involved, and they are ready to testify in court.
Police wanted to move in
to arrest the top officials at the Ministry just
before the Sadc summit two
weeks ago but politicians interfered because they
did not want to embarrass
Zanu PF at the summit.
“But the point is
that there was a major scandal at MMCZ and the big guns
will be implicated.
The procedure was water tight until the Ministry of
Mines for some strange
reasons, decided to allow the diamonds to be looted.
It was deliberate and
heads will roll,” said a senior official at the AGs
office.
Sources
privy to the investigations said the MMCZ the Ministry of Mines are
culpable of not following proper due diligence exercises to avoid illicit
gems trading.
The DCSC was used to regulate diamond sales.
A
document titled, Procedures for Diamond Sales For Export, obtained from
investigators reveals that MMCZ used a variety of sales methods in
conducting exports of diamonds which were tight but Mpofu and his senior
officials suddenly changed them and followed a highly porous system called
Referred Negotiated Sales System.
The system which was used resulting
in the high leakages of diamonds
shockingly states: “The DCSC was suspended.
No vetting of clients is done —
no licence, no police clearance and director
details required. Most of the
clients who are able to pay for the diamonds
are not vetted and are not
prepared to be vetted.
“No details about
them or line of businesses are submitted but diamonds are
still sold to
them. The producer refers customer to MMCZ for diamond
purchases, the
customer is invited to view the parcels and make an offer.
The offer is then
compared to the reserve price and if acceptable, the sale
is
concluded.”
The Daily News on Sunday has also been told by MMCZ officials
that some
buyers were referred to them by senior government
officials.
Previously the producers of diamonds wrote to the MMCZ
stipulating the
‘‘quantity, type, grade and location of diamonds’’ that they
wanted to sale,
reads the document.
“The MMCZ evaluates the parcels
up for sale and conclude valuations with the
producer and they recommend
customers which would have been referred by the
DCSC.”
The selection
of customers, the document says depended on the ability to
hold large stocks
without “stress”, ability to pay for the “goods” within
agreed periods and a
commendation from the bankers.
The document says the customer must also
be recognised by the Kimberley
Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and that
they must adhere to United
Nations protocol on anti-money laundering. The
customer must also have
history in buying and selling diamonds.
But
most of the “clients” were not vetted” while the details of the
companies
were never submitted to the authorities.
Zimbabwe which has been battling
to sale its diamonds from Marange area was
given the green light by the KP
meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of
Congo last week but the decision
was heavily contested by the United States.
Reports indicated yesterday
that KP was under pressure to ensure that
stockpiles of diamonds smuggled to
Dubai and India be sold while the MDC
urged the Kimberly Process to allow
diamond sales as they want the money to
go through treasury where they can
be handled by Finance Minister Tendai
Biti.
At the moment diamonds
are being smuggled by top government officials
aligned to Zanu PF for
personal benefit.
Before the KP Kinshasa meeting, President Robert Mugabe
had vowed that the
country would sell its diamonds with or without sanctions
from Western
powers.
Minister Mpofu refused to comment.
U.S.
Expresses 'Deep Disappointment' At KP Intersessional's Outcome
http://www.diamondintelligence.com
26 June
2011
Following the conclusion of last week's Kimberley Process (KP)
intersessional meeting in Kinshasa, DRC, U.S. State Department Spokesperson
Victoria Nuland issued a statement on Friday, June 24, expressing America's
"deep disappointment" with the lack of consensus reached regarding
Zimbabwe's Marange exports. Below are excerpts from the
statement:
"The United States is deeply disappointed with the Kinshasa
Intersessional
as it related to Zimbabwe...The United States believes that
progress with
respect to exports from the Marange area of Zimbabwe can occur
solely
through a mechanism agreed to by consensus among KP
participants.
"Contrary to some reporting, the Kinshasa Intersessional
did not reach a
consensus text. The Chair has circulated a text to
participants which did
not attract consensus," Nuland emphasizes.
"We
believe that work toward a solution must continue, and that until
consensus
is reached, exports from Marange should not proceed," she
declares.
"We remain ready to work with the Kimberley Process Chair
and others to find
a solution. The Kimberley Process works best when
producers and consumers
are collaborating, and when civil society is an
active participant. The U.S.
would like to ensure the Kimberley Process's
future and enable diamond
exports to contribute positively to the region's
people and economy.
"Despite the continued challenges surrounding
Marange, the United States
welcomes the collaborative efforts toward
effective diamond sector
governance demonstrated during the intersessional
by a number of producing
countries, such as the Central African Republic,
Ghana, Guinea, and
Liberia," concludes Nuland.
US-Zim
trade increases
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Despite the frosty relations between the USA and
Zimbabwe, trade relations
continue to improve.
25.06.1101:21pm
Ngoni
Chanakira Harare
Sharon Hudson-Dean, Counsellor for Public Affairs at
the US Embassy in
Harare said in a recent interview the US was also very
actively involved in
many programmes and outreach opportunities to
"continuously improve and
expand US/Zimbabwe relations".
Relations
soured when the US slapped President Robert Mugabe and his former
ruling
Zanu (PF) party colleagues with targeted economic and travel
sanctions in an
attempt to pressurise for human rights reforms.
The political and
economic goons cannot trade with the US and their firms
are also not allowed
to export their products there.
"Through the first four months of 2011,
the US exported $17,7 million in
goods to Zimbabwe and imported $6,9 million
in goods from here.
"In 2010 total US goods exported to Zimbabwe were
valued at $67,6 million
and total imports were worth $58,9 million, which
meant that there was a
total annual bilateral trade volume of $126,5
million."
Total trade volume in 2009 stood at $107,6
million.
Current US First lady, Michelle Obama is visiting neighbouring
Botswana and
South Africa where she is addressing Young African Female
Leaders.
Mrs Obama is not visiting Zimbabwe but will have the opportunity
to address
two female young leaders from the struggling nation, once the
breadbasket of
southern Africa.
The US recently praised diamond-rich
Botswana and South Africa, saying they
are very "democratic", very open and
with an economic future unrivalled by
none regionally.
Zanu
(PF), CIO in constitution witch-hunt
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Zanu (PF) officials and CIO agents
gathered villagers here last Tuesday,
probing about views made by
individuals at a constitution outreach meeting.
23.06.1102:58pm
Staff
Reporter
“Zanu (PF) and CIO officials gathered villagers at premises
where a lower
six block is under construction at Dhirihori Secondary School.
They set up a
makeshift base in a nearby bush, where they interrogated
individuals about
proceedings at a recent constitution outreach meeting.
They recorded names
and views made by individuals at the constitution
meeting. We think the
interrogations were meant to intimidate villagers
ahead of other outreach
meetings which are scheduled for Muchemwa, Saint
Martins, Bopoma School,
Saint Ludgers Secondary and Muchakata Schools on
June 30,” said a villager
who declined to be
identified.
Interrogations were spearheaded by Shepard Kaserere, Zanu
(PF) losing
councilor for ward four and secretary to Zanu (PF) Member of
Parliament for
Marondera East, Tracy Mutinhiri. Zanu (PF) district
chairperson, Hebert
Hwenjere, also took part in the
interrogations.
Villagers continue to live in fear as members of the CIO
maintain a heavy
presence at constitution outreach meetings held in rural
areas. A senior and
notorious woman CIO agent, known only as Gumbo, is
attending the meetings,
instilling fear in people.
Last week MDC-T
activists, Themba Masimura, Rhodrick Shamu and Gibson
Masimura of wards 17
and 18, were abducted by CIO and CID operatives at Two
Boy Shopping Center.
They were later handed over to police on trumped-up
attempted assault
charges, after villagers had raised the alarm. Magistrate
Courts granted
them $20 bail each and they will appear again in court on
August 2.
War Vets
,Zanu (PF) Clash Over Sibanda Expulsion
http://www.radiovop.com
10 hours 10 minutes
ago
Masvingo, June 26, 2011-War veterans here have nullified their
national
chairman, Jabulani’s Sibanda’s expulsion from Masvingo by the Zanu
(PF)
provincial executive.
Last week, Zanu (PF) provincial executive
resolved at a provincial
coordinating committee meeting held at the Chief’s
Hall that Sibanda-who has
been preaching hate speech and inciting violence
and intimidating Movement
for Democratic Change supporters in and around
Masvingo province-should
leave immediately.
In defiance of Zanu (PF),
and in a move that is set to further divide the
fractious Zanu (PF) leaders
in Masvingo, the Zimbabwe National Liberation
War Veterans Association’s
provincial leadership here Saturday came out guns
blazing, saying Sibanda
was in Masvingo to stay.
“ZANU PF has no mandate to chase him out of
Masvingo. After all, they are
not the ones who invited him here. The war
veterans are sponsoring his stay,
not Zanu (PF),” said the association’s
provincial chair, retired colonel
Josphat Rupuwo.
Jabulani is accused
of going over bounds following the expiry of his one
year stay in Masvingo
conducting an operation code-named ‘Ngatibudirani
Pachena’.
“We
cannot be told what to do by a non-war vet. We fought the war and
ushered
them into structures and their offices.
“We are an affiliate of Zanu
(PF). Zanu (PF) is not the one to tell us what
to do. Sibanda is here to
stay until we are satisfied that the programme is
over,” said
Rupuwo
The association’s provincial secretary general, Spencer Mandipaka,
accused
Matuke of being a sellout.
Galileo
International threatens to withdraw its franchise from Air Zim
http://bulawayo24.com/
by Moyo
Roy
2011 June 26 11:43:54
Galileo International has threatened to
withdraw its franchise from Air
Zimbabwe Holdings, a move that could
paralyse the airline's operations, The
Sunday Mail Business reported on
Sunday.
Galileo Zimbabwe was established in May 1998 as a division of Air
Zimbabwe
as a result of the distribution agreement entered into between Air
Zimbabwe
and Galileo International.
In 1999, Galileo Zimbabwe became
Galileo Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Air
Zimbabwe, after registration with the
Registrar of Companies in
Zimbabwe.
Galileo Zimbabwe distributes a computerised reservations system
(CRS)
service to travel agents in Zimbabwe as its core business.
A
CRS is an automated system which processes booking data.
Documents in
possession of this paper reveal that Air Zimbabwe's acting
chief executive,
Mr Innocent Mavhunga, recently wrote a letter to the
Permanent Secretary in
the Ministry of Transport, Communications and
Infrastructural Development,
Mr Patterson Mbiriri, informing him about the
development.
"Galileo
International (Travelport) has threatened to terminate the
distribution
agreement and in its place wants to form a company to take over
the
functions of Galileo Zimbabwe.
"Travelport wants to terminate the
agreement so that they can take over the
Galileo Zimbabwe function through
the company they are forming with some
Zimbabweans who are being used as
fronts for Travelport, while they are
effectively in control," read part of
the letter.
The termination of agreement will negatively affect revenue
inflows at the
beleaguered airline and loss of market share as travel agents
who were on
Galileo will no longer support Air Zimbabwe as is the case with
the current
set-up.
The letter further states that: "It should be
recognised that the NDC
(Galileo Zimbabwe) generates strategic funds which
have been used to pay Air
Zimbabwe's distribution costs.
"Without
these funds the airline will not be able to pay the Galileo
Worldspan
distribution costs, which will result in the airline being cut off
as had
happened with Amadeus."
Air Zimbabwe further states that Galileo
International has in the past tried
to take over Galileo Tanzania and
Galileo South Africa without success.
However, the letter notes that Air
Zimbabwe has since met with Galileo
International's vice-president for
Southern Africa over the issue and they
indicated that they were not
agreeable to any suggestions that will see them
not withdrawing the
franchise.
"They want (Galileo International) an arrangement where they
are in the
driving seat and in total control of NDC," wrote Mr
Mavhunga.
Air Zimbabwe had suggested that they share the commission on a
20-80 percent
ratio with 20 percent going to the NDC to cover running costs
while 80
percent goes to Galileo International to cover Air Zimbabwe's
distribution
costs.
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Mbiriri proved
fruitless as he was said to
be out of the country.
Sources allege that
serious divisions have surfaced with counter accusations
within Air Zimbabwe
management of trying to sabotage the State-owned
enterprise.
"A storm
is brewing at the airline with counter accusations amongst the
management.
Recently there was a public fallout between the two general
managers
accusing each other of trying to act on behalf of Galileo
International,
violating indigenisation regulations.
"There is also a mass exodus of
people at Galileo Zimbabwe and they have
since been roped in by the new
company.
"A marketing manager at Galileo has already signalled her
intention to
resign in anticipation of the formation of the new company
although the real
mastermind is alleged to be the former general manager of
Galileo," added
the source.
Statistics contained in a 2009 report by
the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority on
tourists showed that five of the major
airlines serving Zimbabwe — Air
Zimbabwe, South African Airways, British
Airways-ComAir, Air Namibia and
South African Airlink — take up 93 percent
of the airline market share in
the country.
The report also notes
that the market share for Air Zimbabwe fell by 11
percent in 2009, which saw
South African Airways taking over the leading
position in terms of passenger
market share in the country.
The airline has in recent years grounded
several aircraft because they were
no longer worth flying and scaled down on
the number of flights per week to
rationalise operations and contain
ballooning costs.
Zimbabwe,
The Second Poorest Country In The World
http://www.radiovop.com
9 hours 46 minutes
ago
Bulawayo, June 26, 2011--Zimbabwe is the second poorest country
in the world
a New York based financial magazine revealed in its monthly
report this
week.
The report released by the monthly Global Finance
magazine on Thursday says
Zimbabwe is second poorest in the world after
Congo-Brazzaville which is at
the bottom of the list among 182 countries in
the wealth classification.
“The poorest 10 countries were by order of
their poverty Congo, Zimbabwe,
Burundi, Liberia, Eritrea, Niger, Central
African Republic, Sierra Leone,
Togo and Madagascar,” said Global Finance
report.
The report says Qatar is currently the wealthiest nation on earth
after it
steadily pushed up its way on the global rich list, aided by its
massive gas
wealth. The small European state of Luxembourg was the second
richest.
"The richest country is occupied by Qatar a GDP per capita of U$
90,149 in
2010. The poorest country is the Republic of Congo, with a per
capita of
only U$ 342." The report also showed the other 9 countries in top
10
richest nations include by order of their wealth Luxembourg, Norway,
Singapore, oil-rich Brunei, the United States, Hong Kong, Switzerland,
Netherlands and Australia.
Zimbabwe was hit by the economic meltdown
in the past decade with
International lenders last extended funding to
Zimbabwe in 1999 after
fallout with President Robert Mugabe, whose policies,
including the seizures
of white-owned commercial farms in 2000 led to an
investor flight.
Zimbabwe’s arrears to foreign lenders now stand at
US$6.4 billion and the
country has agreed to clear its debt through debt
cancellation and using
revenues from its minerals to settle part of the
money it owes.
However the southern Africa’s economy is on the mend since
the unity
government came into office in February 2009.
Stop
suppressing people: Mtukudzi
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Maxwell Sibanda, Entertainment
Editor
Sunday, 26 June 2011 15:33
HARARE - Music star Oliver
Mtukudzi says Zimbabwe needs a new constitution
that should uphold the
fundamental rights of its citizens as opposed to the
current law which has
been used to suppress people.
Mtukudzi said a normal life in Zimbabwe
would only be ushered by a home
grown constitutional document that spelt how
Zimbabweans wanted to be
governed.
In an interview with Daily News
this week, Mtukudzi said it was sad that
Zimbabweans were still using the
Lancaster House Constitution written by our
former colonisers.
“Today
Zimbabweans are still using the Lancaster House Constitution which
was
drafted by the colonial regime to suppress blacks. That same
constitution
has never changed; suffice to say it was now being used by
blacks to
suppress fellow blacks.
“We inherited even the policies that guide the
broadcasting sector, radio
and television. Those policies were meant to
suppress our voices and today
the scenario hasn’t changed. A new
constitution will definitely bring change
to the way radio is operating
today,” said Mtukudzi.
The music star said he did not believe that
political parties were
responsible for the violence that has rocked the
country over the years.
“Political parties are there to protect us, so I
do not think it is true
that they fuel violence. The violence should be
blamed on the people. The
people are responsible for injuring others, and
not political parties."
“Can someone send you to attack another person on
Mtukudzi’s behalf? Any
reasonable person would refuse that, but those doing
it, did it in their
personal capacities and I am sure they will not be
representing any
political parties,” said the lanky musician.
One of
Mtukudzi’s songs, Who is a Hero? although sung way back still raised
a
burning question in Zimbabwe where Zanu PF had monopolised the conferring
of
national hero status.
Mtukudzi said his music communicated to people in
an amazing way.
“My music works today, tomorrow and years beyond. That
song, Who is a Hero?
remains fresh and I am still questioning the criteria
used to confer hero
status.”
In 2000, Mtukudzi was among some of
Zimbabwe’s top musicians that took part
in the production of a government
song which promoted the idea of a new
constitution. Zimbabweans, however
later rejected the draft document in
favour of a “No” vote.
Then
(2000) Mtukudzi told international music journalist Banning Eyre:
“Well, I
was involved in the song that encouraged people to go and vote. I
really
wanted people to say out their feelings so that the government knows
exactly
what they feel about everything. And that really happened.
The elections
were very quiet, but at the end of the day, they had showed
their
feelings.
“My personal feeling is that from the time of the referendum
and the
parliamentary elections, it’s a step towards positive
change."
“I think everybody knows now what the nation feels. It’s not
just a matter
of being dictated to. People showed what they feel about the
whole
situation. People are tired of the same thing. They want a change,
something
different from the last 20 years.”
The end of an era for Zimbabwe's last white
farmers?
Despite the introduction of a power-sharing
government two years ago, state-backed farm seizures have continued. Colin
Freeman meets one of the last white farmers still at work in Zimbabwe.
Driving through
land his family have tended for half a century, Colin Cloete stops to inspect a
harvested tobacco field, rows of green stumps sprouting from a terracotta soil.
As a seasoned
professional farmer, he knows the field needs to be reploughed before pests
infest the weedy growths left behind. As a tired political campaigner, however,
he knows it is no longer worth his while.
"We should be
replanting these fields now, but I don't know who is going to benefit from the
next harvest," he says, shaking his head. "I will probably do it anyway, but I
do wonder whether it's worth it."
After an 11-year
struggle in which their ranks have been murdered, beaten, jailed and bankrupted,
the last of Zimbabwe's white farmers are finally facing defeat in
their efforts to resist President Robert Mugabe's land-grab programme.
Despite the
introduction of a power-sharing government two years ago, state-backed farm
seizures have continued, and earlier this month, Mr Cloete lost a final appeal
at Zimbabwe's Supreme Court to keep his one remaining property.
Next Monday, he will appear before a local magistrate to
answer a charge of trespass, for which the only way to avoid jail will be to
pack up and start looking for a new house in Harare, an hour's drive away.
With his departure
will also go the hopes of some 300 other white farmers - all that remains of a
community that was once 4,000 strong - for whom similar legal challenges had
offered some last chance of protection, or at least a stay of execution.
"They will
probably give me about 24 hours to get off my land, as they will say I have
dragged things out through the appeal process already," sighed Mr Cloete, whose
fields supply British American Tobacco, makers of Dunhill's and Benson and
Hedges.
"To be honest, I
don't really fancy the idea of moving to Harare, and the idea of giving up
farming is heart-rending. If I was going to serve a couple of years in jail and
then get the farm back, it might be worth it, but that's not how it is."
A former head of
the Commercial Farmers' Union, Mr Cloete has spent tens of thousands of dollars
in legal bills fighting the land reform programme, which put Zimbabwe on the
path to economic ruin a decade ago when black squatters were first encouraged to
"invade" white-owned farms.
Purportedly to
redress the injustices of white colonial rule, its effect has been largely to
create a new landlord class: the pick of white-owned land has gone to Zanu-PF
cronies, leaving an agricultural sector that was once the pride of Africa in the
hands of people with no experience of farming.
Hopes that Morgan
Tsvangirai's MDC might use their presence in government to halt the programme
have proved premature, with the party fearing that vocal support for farmers
could allow Mr Mugabe to portray them as the stooges of British rule.
However, the
prospect that the MDC might still curb the programme should they win the next
elections has encouraged Zanu-PF supporters to continue to grab the remaining
white-owned farms while there is still a chance.
"Morgan knows that
the land issue is too sensitive to broach because everything is tied in with the
liberation struggle," said Mr Cloete, who lives on the farm with his wife
Charmian, 57. "But do hope that at some point, we will get a new government and
there will be a change of stance."
Mr Cloete's
central claim to the Supreme Court was simple: he argued that as had bought the
farm after independence in 1980, it could hardly have been considered the booty
of a white colonial overlord, and therefore should be exempt from land-grab
laws.
That the judges
rejected it, though, came as no great surprise to him or his Harare-based
lawyer, David Drury.
Zimbabwe's courts
are dominated by Zanu-PF judges who are often beneficiaries of land-grabs
themselves, says Mr Drury, while the few judges who find in favour of white
claimants often end up losing their jobs.
Mr Drury, though,
says the intention was not to triumph against odds that were always stacked
against them, but to stage what he calls a "show trial" - a record of events
that some post-Mugabe government may use to help rectify matters.
"It is a chance to
provide a record of the injustice, in the hope that some sort of sanity will
eventually be restored to cloud cuckoo land," he said.
"I am the first to
support genuine land reform, and to support people who have been marginalised to
become productive. But handing land to people on the basis of party connections
is completely illogical."
In similar
fashion, the Zimbabwean government has also chosen to ignore what should have
been a legally binding 2008 ruling by a tribunal of the 15-nation Southern
African Development Community, made in response to a petition by 77 white
farmers, that the land reform programme was inherently racist as it operated
purely on the grounds of colour.
Legal challenges
by a few other white farmers are due to be heard by the Supreme Court in July –
with some claiming, for example, that they hold their land as a company rather
than an individual - but the way every other case has so far been struck down
means lawyers are already advising them to prepare to leave.
Even farmers who
thought they were on solid legal ground have had no protection.
South African Dirk
Visagie, another Chegutu farmer, has suffered constant harassment from farm
invaders intent on grabbing his land, despite it supposedly being protected
under a bilateral investment agreement between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Mr Cloete, whose
parents first came to Chegutu in 1955 and still live nearby, is in many ways
typical of the white farmer's dwindling breed.
He wears the
standard attire of khaki shorts and bush shirt, follows cricket keenly, and
contrary to Mr Mugabe's narrative of white farmers as uncaring feudalists, shows
a country squire's concern for the welfare of his black farm workers.
His mother, he
says, built the 700-pupil local school, his father sat on the local council, and
whenever his black neighbours need helping out - be it a fellow farmer borrowing
a tractor, or the local police borrowing fuel for their cars - it is his door on
which they knock.
"There is a
perception that we had an elitist, privileged lifestyle, and just took advantage
of our workers," he admits.
"And yes, I agree
that there are some difficult farmers about - I learned that while dealing with
them as head of the CFU. But there is never any talk about the schools we built,
the clinics we built. We have never tried to live in isolation from the
community."
He has already
handed over another farm he owns to a group of black settlers who turned up in
2006, since when, he says, he has done his best to be neighbourly.
He helps prepare
the land for cultivation and offers advice when they need it, although driving
through his estate, it is clear that some of what is now in black hands is being
used for little more than subsistence agriculture.
Such goodwill,
however, counts for little when groups of club-wielding "war veterans" -
ostensibly men who fought in Zimbabwe's war for independence, but in practice
often just hired thugs - turn up to demand a farmer's departure, as they last
did with Mr Cloete in late 2009.
The men, who he
suspects were sent by Colonel Norman Kapanga, the retired policeman who has
claimed his second, 450-acre farm, wielded clubs and lit a fire in his front
garden, although they eventually left without further confrontation.
What stung more,
though, were the "Go back to Britain" slogans they shouted - meaningless to a
man who is in fact of French Huguenot stock, has only ever held a Zimbabwean
passport, and has nowhere else to go even if he wanted to.
Infuriatingly, the
view that he has no longer a citizen of his own country is shared by the black
prosecutor who will oversee his trespass case next week, who has described him
in previous court appearances as merely a "visitor".
"I have never
viewed myself as anything other than Zimbabwean, and that is what hurts me
most," he said.
"We are not being
looked at as citizens of this country, yet my father was born here before Robert
Mugabe. What future do we have when you are fighting people of that mentality?"
Home Office a disgrace: objective evidence – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 25th June 2011
Iraqi friends dance for
liberation
Four Iraqi women joined our
demonstration today. After stopping briefly at the Vigil and moving on they
returned and said they supported our cause and joined in the dancing. It was
great to have them with us: they expressed such
liberation!
Iraqis – along with Zimbabweans –
are among the largest groups of asylum seekers in the
UK. The Vigil makes no claim to speak
for Iraqis but we both have a problem with the British Home Office, the gateway
to sanctuary in the UK.
Few Zimbabweans have much respect for the Home Office. In fact it is
generally regarded – in the words of former Home Secretary Dr John Reid – as
‘not fit for purpose’.
In the Vigil’s experience, the Home
Office is worse than this. Putting aside
the corrupt activities of some of its staff (as occasionally exposed in the
British courts) there is a seemingly institutional incompetence. Not a few of
our supporters have had their papers ‘lost’ in this Kafkaesque nightmare (apart
from the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants the Home Office has mislaid).
What prompts these remarks is a
letter from a Home Office official to a lawyer acting for one of our supporters
who is seeking political asylum. The official said this about a letter from the
Vigil supporting the asylum claim: ‘Objective evidence from www.nehandaradio.com raised public
awareness that the Zimbabwe vigil was exploiting asylum seekers in the
UK and would on the payment of a fee issue a letter to state attendance
at the vigil. Therefore, no weight is attached to the production of this
letter’.
Our supporter’s lawyer asked for our
comment on this ‘objective evidence’. Here is the response of one of our Vigil
Co-ordinators.
I attach a doc with the history of why Nehanda Radio wrote the
article decampaigning the Vigil (2 articles from Nehanda Radio and 2 of our
diary items). As you will see on 20th June 2009 Morgan Tsvangirai addressed the Zimbabwean diaspora in the
UK and was booed off. The Vigil was accused of orchestrating this
(totally untrue) and we wrote this riposte in our diary of 27th June
"But Vigil supporters were too fired up about another matter – the
silly allegations on some loud-mouthed Zimbabwean exile websites that the Vigil
and ROHR were behind the booing of Morgan Tsvangirai when he spoke to the UK
diaspora in Southwark Cathedral last week. Anyone looking at videos of the
occasion will see that the angry response was prompted by Mr Tsvangirai’s
remarks and was spontaneous and could not possibly have been planned." You will
see that we also outline our policy on asylum letters in this particular diary -
and our policy is still the same now.
Nehanda Radio's article of 30th June 'ROHR & ZimVigil exploiting
asylum seekers' is in retaliation for this. Even though we didn't mention them
by name they recognised themselves. The article is 2 years
old.
The Internet is full of low quality
Zimbabwe media websites set up by people with no particular authority and
their own agendas, ie they are not neutral and unbiased. I find it astonishing
that the Home Office / UKBA gives such credibility to this sort of trash.
Unfortunately a lot of the people working at the HO / UKBA seem to be quite low
calibre . . .
We are not an organisation set up to help asylum seekers: we campaign
against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe and all we can write about asylum claims
by our supporters is their visibility as activists because they attend our
protests – the more they come the more visible they are. We are entirely
self-funding: the charge of £10 for our letters is for admin costs to cover
paper, envelopes, print cartridges, phone calls, postage etc. Anyone who works
for the Vigil does so voluntarily - nobody is paid. For people who are good
attenders the admin fee for letters is not charged.
It strikes me that the Home Office is being disingenuous and
deceitful in using this article to discredit the Vigil. They seem to be
clutching at any straw. Their policy on
Zimbabwe anyway is bizarre. The Home Office must be particularly dim if they
don't realise that if the Vigil was a money-making business we would certainly charge more
than a measly £10 for all the trouble we go to. After all MDC leaders have been
known to charge hundreds of pounds for the same thing.
For our policy on administrative costs for letters, check:
http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/the-vigil-diary/171-zimbabwe-vigil-diary-27th-june-2009.
We are sending a copy of this diary to the Home Secretary Theresa May
in the hope that she will make the Home Office fit for purpose (according to
‘objective evidence’).
We were happy to be joined by Kudakwashe Chitsike of the Research
and Advocacy Unit (Zimbabwe). She had just arrived by plane
from Zimbabwe and was going on to introduce and take questions on the film ‘Hear
Us’ about political violence against women in Zimbabwe. Many of our supporters went on to the
Frontline Club to watch the film. She was introduced at the Vigil by Wiz Bishop
of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. Wiz also spoke of the
London service
of solidarity with
Zimbabwe’s
torture victims on 26th June (UN international day in support of
victims of torture) for which the Vigil was providing
the choir.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website – they
cannot be downloaded from the slideshow on the front page of the Zimvigil
website. For the latest ZimVigil TV programme check http://www.zimvigiltv.com/.
FOR THE RECORD: 96
signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
·
The Restoration of Human Rights in
Zimbabwe (ROHR) is
the Vigil’s partner organisation based in
Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the
Vigil to have an organisation on the ground in
Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission
statement in a practical way. ROHR in the
UK actively fundraises through
membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in
Zimbabwe.
·
ZBN News. The Vigil management team wishes to
make it clear that the Zimbabwe
Vigil
is not responsible for Zimbabwe Broadcasting Network News (ZBN News). We are
happy that they attend our activities and provide television coverage but we
have no control over them. All enquiries about ZBN News should be addressed to
ZBN News.
·
The Zim Vigil band (Farai Marema and Dumi Tutani) has
launched its theme song ‘Vigil Yedu (our Vigil)’ to raise awareness through
music. To download this single, visit: www.imusicafrica.com and to watch the video
check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QukqctWc3XE.
·
Stop the violence in
Zimbabwe: Vigil for democracy and rights. Monday 27th June from 1 – 2 pm outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London WC2R 0JR. This protest marks the anniversary of the fateful 2008 presidential ‘run off’ election
when Zanu PF ran a brutal campaign of violence including mass rape in a bid to
retain power. Zimbabwe may have elections within the year. We cannot let the violence
happen again. The protest is organised
by Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), the successor to the Anti-Apartheid
Movement. ACTSA will be presenting hundreds of stop the violence cards to
the Embassy. (Because
this is a human rights event the Vigil register will be
taken.)
·
ROHR Woking general meeting. Saturday 2nd July from
2 – 6 pm. Venue: Woking Homes, Oriental
Road,
Woking GU22
7BE. Contact: Sithokozile Hlokana
07886203113, Saziso Zulu 07861028280 or P.Mapfumo 07915926323 /
07932216070
·
ROHR
Liverpool general meeting.
Saturday
9th July from 1.30 – 4.30 pm. Venue:
Kensington Methodist Church, 294 Kensington,
Liverpool L7 2RN. ROHR national executive
members present. A well-known immigration lawyer available to talk about the new
country guidance ruling. Contact Anywhere Mungoyo 07939913688, Netsai Karota
07767483180, Panyika Anselm Karimanzira 07538534375, Sheilla Mironga 07578541227
or P Mapfumo 07915926323/07932216070.
·
Vigil Facebook
page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts.
·
Vigil Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/zimbabwevigil.
·
‘Through the
Darkness’, Judith
Todd’s acclaimed account of the rise of Mugabe.
To receive a copy by post in the
UK please email confirmation of your order and postal address to
ngwenyasr@yahoo.co.uk and send a
cheque for £10 payable to “Budiriro Trust” to Emily Chadburn, 15 Burners Close,
Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0QA. All proceeds go to the Budiriro Trust which
provides bursaries to needy A Level students in
Zimbabwe.
·
Workshops aiming to engage African
men on HIV testing and other sexual health issues. Organised by the Terrence Higgins
Trust (www.tht.org.uk). Please contact the
co-ordinator Takudzwa
Mukiwa
(takudzwa.mukiwa@tht.org.uk) if you are
interested in taking part.
Vigil
co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe
Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from
14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in
Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October
2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are
held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk
Threatening Chiefs in Chivi a Recipe for Disaster
I learned about
developments in Chivi North with great sadness. The
headline, “ Chivi
Chiefs’ Lives Threatened by ZANU PF Bigwigs” has a
disastrous ring to it.
What makes it such a sad and regrettable development
is the fact that the
alleged perpetrators are residents born in the same
area. I would expect
them to know better. Before I go any further, I should
declare my
abhorrence and disgust in finding my family name being associated
with these
distasteful allegations of threatening lives. For almost a
century,”
Huruva” has been a name synonymous with humanitarian assistance,
respect and
compassion not just in the whole of Chivi but also further a
field. Although
not a chief himself, Huruva was very much revered by the
Chiefs and all
their subjects. To this day this is the image that Huruva’s
sons and
daughters strive to project as a family. Any divergence from this
family
policy could only be a ZANU PF contamination. Of course I would like
to
think these are just newspaper stories as the truth is yet to be
ascertained.
Now, it is important to understand that with the advent of a
multiparty
democracy in 1980, citizens may have wrongly or rightly, assumed
that they
were now free to express their political views without fear of
arrest or in
a worst scenario, fear for one’ life as this was the main
objective of the
liberation war. During the war of liberation the same
Chiefs who are
allegedly now being threatened with their lives were in the
Front
(forefront) of the liberation war and I personally was there with some
of
them. The battles raged in their yards, valleys and in the hills. These
battles were successful because of the support and personal involvement of
our Chiefs. These Chiefs bore the same physical and mental scars just like
those who were in the Rear (at the bases in Mozambique). Some never even got
the opportunity to bury their loved ones who perished in these battles.
These Chiefs are the true heroes of our liberation struggle. I know there
are other areas in the country that did not witness the war but in Chivi
bloody battles raged. We fought for our liberation and we will jealously
guard against anybody who wants to bring back repression.
Now that we are
an independent country with no less than 15 legally
constituted political
parties, citizens should be spoilt for choice and not
feel threatened for
making their choices. Chiefs should be busy with their
civic duties that
are apolitical and should not be coerced into working for
a political
party.
What I will say to those who are not familiar with Chivi dna is,
temper with
the fabric of their society and you are guaranteed to come out a
loser.
Chieftainships and chiefdoms are part of that dna. The Chivians are a
very
resolute people. Politics is a matter of choice but not your
being.
The country should know that the sanctity of my family’s name has not
been
bequeathed to ZANU PF or to any political party. However, with
political
liberalisation, individuals are free to pursue politics of their
choice. We
gave the country to the people at independence. Now let’s listen
to the
people.
John Huruva
Jhuruva2002@yahoo.co.uk
CHIVI
Bill Watch - Parliamentary Committee Series [Public Hearing on Road Traffic
Regulations; Committee Meetings - 27-30 June]
BILL
WATCH
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE SERIES
[25th June 2011]
1.
Public Hearing on Road Traffic Regulations
The House of Assembly
Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure
Development will be
holding a public hearing on the Road Traffic
(Construction, Equipment and
Use) Regulations [SI 154/2010] in Harare.
Details are as
follows:
Monday 27th June at 9 am
Senate Chamber,
Parliament
Chairperson: Hon Chebundo. Clerk: Ms
Macheza.
The committee seeks the public’s input on the
regulations, parts of
which have under fire from both transport operators and
ordinary
motorists. Interested groups, business persons and organisations
and all
members of public are invited to attend the hearing, at which they
will
be given the opportunity to give evidence and make
representations.
Contributions made will be considered by the Committee in
compiling a
report to be tabled in Parliament. If you want to make
oral
representations at the hearing, please signify this to the
Committee
Clerk so that she can notify the chairperson to call on you. An
oral
submission is more effective if it is followed up in writing. If you
are
making a written submission, it is advisable to take as many copies
as
possible for circulation at the hearing.
If you are unable to
attend the hearing, written submissions and
correspondence may be addressed
to: The Clerk of Parliament, Attention:
Portfolio Committee on Transport and
Infrastructure Development, P.O. Box
CY298 Causeway, Harare. If delivering,
please use the Kwame Nkrumah
Avenue entrance to Parliament, between Second
and Third Streets.
For further information contact the committee clerk,
Ms Macheza.
Telephone 04-700181, 252931, 252941, extension 2222. Email
machezas@parlzim.gov.zw
Reminder
about the Regulations Following amendments made by Statutory
Instrument
44/2011, SI 154/2010 will come into force on 1st July 2011.
The regulations
that lay down a complete code of requirements for the
construction and
equipment of motor vehicles, replacing regulations
dating from the early
1970s. Provisions that have hit the headlines and
drawn criticism
include:
· prohibiting the importation into Zimbabwe after 31st
October
2011 of second-hand motor vehicles that are more than five years
old
· prohibiting the registration of left-hand drive motor
vehicles
after 31st October 2011
· prohibiting the use of
left-hand drive heavy vehicles after 31st
December 2015
·
requiring that all motor vehicles must have fire extinguishers
and red
reflective triangles complying with specifications detailed in
the
regulations from 1st July 2011.
In a recent public statement the Minister
of Transport, Communications
and Infrastructure Development indicated his
readiness to receive
representations on contentious aspects of the
regulations.
2. Committee Meetings Open to the Public
The
following committee meetings at Parliament are open to members of the
public
as observers only, not as participants, i.e. members of the public
can listen
but not speak.
Monday 27th June at 2 pm
Portfolio Committee:
Budget, Finance, Economic Planning and Investment
Promotion
Oral
evidence from Minister of Finance on Mid-Term Fiscal Policy
Review
Committee Room No. 4
Chairperson: Hon
Zhanda Clerk: Mr Ratsakatika
Portfolio Committee:
Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional and
Parliamentary Affairs
Brief
on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill
Committee Room No.
413
Chairperson: Hon Mwonzora Clerk: Miss
Zenda
Tuesday 28th June at 10 am
Portfolio Committee: Foreign
Affairs, Regional Integration and
International Trade
Oral evidence
from the Ministry of Regional Integration and International
Trade on the
First Quarter Budget Performance Report
Committee Room No.
3
Chairperson: Hon Mukanduri Clerk: Mr
Chiremba
Portfolio Committee: Industry and Commerce
Presentation
of background paper on the business environment in Bulawayo
Committee
Room No. 311
Chairperson: Hon Mutomba Clerk: Ms
Masara
Thematic Committee: MDGs
Oral evidence from members of the
MDGs National Task Force on the impact
of the 2011 Budget on programmes aimed
at addressing MDGs
Government Caucus Room
Chairperson: Hon Chief
Mtshane Clerk: Mrs Nyawo
Thursday 30th June at 9 am
Thematic
Committee: Human Rights
Meeting with the Human Rights Commission on the
Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission Bill
Committee Room No.
2
Chairperson: Hon Marava Clerk: Ms
Macheza
Thursday 30th June at 10 am
Portfolio Committee:
Education, Sport and Culture
Oral evidence from Minister of Education,
Sport, Arts and Culture on
tendering procedure and textbook distribution in
primary and secondary
schools
Committee Room No. 4
Chairperson:
Hon Mangami Clerk: Ms Chikuvire
Note: As there are
sometimes last-minute changes to the meetings
schedule, it is recommended
that those wishing to attend a meeting avoid
disappointment by checking with
the relevant committee clerk that the
meeting is still on and still open to
the public. Parliament’s
telephone numbers are Harare 700181 or
252936. If attending, please use
the Kwame Nkrumah Ave entrance to
Parliament. IDs must be produced.
Veritas makes every effort to
ensure reliable information, but cannot
take legal responsibility for
information supplied.
Mugabe
remains in Asia
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 19:41
BY OUR
STAFF
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has not returned home from Malaysia
despite his
delegation flying back home on Thursday, sparking fresh
speculation about
the 87-year-old leader’s health.
It was
not immediately clear if Mugabe was still holed up in Malaysia where
he was
attending the Langkawi Smart Partnership Dialogue, which ended on
Thursday.
Mugabe has this year frequented East Asia, particularly
Singapore, where he
has sought medical help for both himself and wife,
Grace.
Last month he admitted that he underwent surgery in the Asian
country to
remove a cataract in his eye. But speculation is rife that he was
seeking
treatment for prostate cancer.
Despite frequenting
Malaysia, the president may not have fond memories of
that place, as on one
of the visits he reportedly fell and was pictured with
a plaster across his
forehead.
While it was not clear why he remained behind, speculation
was rife last
night that he had again sought medical help in Asia. However,
there was also
speculation that maybe he could have gone to visit his
daughter, Bona who is
studying in Hong Kong. Insiders claimed Mugabe might
return today, although
they were not certain.
Mugabe has made several
trips to the East this year and when he last went to
have his eyes checked
it was reported that he demanded US$3 million from the
Finance
ministry.
It is reported that for the last trip, about US$7 million
could have been
provided for the president and his bloated entourage. Within
the first three
months, Mugabe had spent half the budget allocated to
government travel
activities in 2011. This travel budget sums up to US$25
million — more than
the government spends for health care measures for all
its public servants.
Higher civil servants are instructed to cancel all
foreign journeys if not
urgently required.
VP
Nkomo ruffles feathers in Matabeleland
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 17:38
BY
KHANYILE MLOTSHWA
BULAWAYO — Vice-President John Nkomo might have
forgotten how fellow Zanu PF
senior official Calistus Ndlovu destroyed his
promising political career
with a single statement, when he accused people
of Matabeleland of being
lazy.
Nkomo made the astonishing claims last
week after touring the Joshua Mqabuko
International Airport whose
refurbishment has taken over nine years to
complete.
Ndlovu, a respected
academic, has failed to win any election since he
described Zapu as a dead
donkey in the 1980s.
The statement has come back to haunt Ndlovu each
time he has tried to seek
political office. A similar fate may befall Nkomo
judging from the backlash
elicited by his statement on the emotive issue of
Matabeleland’s
marginalisation.
Nkomo has shieded away from
standing in elections in the recent past
claiming that he was a national
figure but indications are that he is under
pressure to find a seat in the
next polls.
Activists and political parties roundly condemned Nkomo’s
utterances saying
it showed that Zanu PF was out of touch with issues
affecting the region
whose development has stalled since President Robert
Mugabe’s military
campaign, code-named Gukurahundi.
The militant
Matabeleland Liberation Front (MLF), which is campaigning for
the creation
of a separate state in south-western Zimbabwe said it was not
surprised by
Nkomo’s claims.
“MLF is not surprised by statements by John Nkomo. To
start with, Nkomo has
never spoken out on our people’s plight since the
tragic loss of the
Mthwakazi hero, his excellency Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo
Nkomo,” MLF spokesman
David Magagula said.
“We note with
embarrassing regret that he has eaten fully the soup, bone and
marrow of
Zanu PF propaganda. He sees nothing wrong done by Mugabe to this
region.”
Accusations that the government has been neglecting Matabeleland
have
mounted over the years.
The sentiments were reflected in
last year’s constitution outreach programme
where most people demanded the
devolution of power to provinces as a way of
addressing the problem of
marginalisation.
MLF was formed last year and has drawn support from
Zimbabweans exiles in
South Africa, most of who ran away from the grinding
poverty in
Matabeleland.
Dumisani Nkomo, a Bulawayo-based analyst said
the VP must apologise for his
statement or face the wrath of the
people.
“Certainly, one would have to come from outer space not to
appreciate the
fact that the marginalisation of Matabeleland is a practical
reality,” Nkomo
said.
“It is a monumental scandal that government
ministers from outside
Matabeleland have seen what so-called leaders from
the region itself have
failed to realise and
aknowledge.”
Nkomo rated the same as governor Cain
Mathema
VP John Nkomo has been placed in the same bracket with Bulawayo
governor
Cain Mathema and Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya-Moyo who have claimed
that the
marginalisation of Matabeleland was just a myth.
The
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Industry and Commerce
minister
Welshman Ncube described Mathema’s statements as unfortunate coming
at a
time when companies in Bulawayo were closing down every day.
“We are
amazed that despite the undisputable fact that there has been
closure of a
minimum of 87 companies which has rendered over 2 000 people
jobless,
Mathema continues to say the closure of these companies is just a
fallacy,”
MDC provincial spokesman Edwin Ndlovu said.
“Of course we are aware
that for Mathema and his party the figure 2 000, of
people that have lost
their jobs is worthless considering that his party is
responsible for the
massacre of over 20 000 people from the region for
political
expediency.”
MDC said Mathema was divorced from reality, “a stranger
to Bulawayo and the
region, a man blinded by the love of 30 pieces of
silver.”
MPs
confirm ZBC rot
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 17:35
BY CAIPHAS
CHIMHETE
EQUIPMENT at all Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)
studios for both
radio and television is too “old, obsolete and
incompatible” with new
technologies in the broadcasting sector, a recent
parliamentary committee
report said.
The sorry state of the equipment has
greatly compromised the quality of
production in all studios
countrywide.
The revelations contained in the first report of the
portfolio committee on
Media, Information and Communication Technology on
the State of Public Media
in Zimbabwe confirms a story carried by The
Standard newspaper in November
last year. ZBC sued The Standard for US$10
million claiming that the story
was a lie.
“It is now very
difficult to have outside broadcasts and the broadcaster
admitted that
productions are now of poor quality,” reads part of the
report.
“They do
not have electronic news gathering cameras, microwave link, and
satellite
link to cover outside broadcasts.”
The detailed report said the
corporation has one functional editing machine
which had to be shared
between programming and news departments.
“As a result, they have to edit
programmes up to midnight or early morning
hours.”
The committee
found that the equipment, commissioned in the 1990s, now
needed to be
replaced by digital equipment by 2015 in compliance with the
deadline set by
the International Telecommunications Union.
MPs noted that it was now
difficult to get spares for “old and obsolete
equipment”.
The
state of affairs is equally bad at Montrose Studios in Bulawayo. There
are
no portable recorders.
Apart from that, the OB (outside broadcasting)
van is now grounded and ZBC
has to bring the one in Harare for events taking
place in Bulawayo, about
440 km away.
Workers are sometimes ferried in
“open” trucks to work.
The report also confirms that viewers are no
longer listening or watching
ZBC programmes because they are lowly regarded.
ZBC, said the report, was
therefore facing resistance in collecting licence
fees, particularly form
individuals.
Revenue generation by the
corporation remains very low. The report said with
transmission coverage of
30% for television and less than 45% for radio, it
is difficult for ZBC to
realise considerable amount of revenue from
licences.
“Regarding
salaries workers at Pockets Hill were concerned about failure by
the company
to meet pay dates, sometimes they were paid two weeks into
another month,”
the report said.
Mugabe
wades into AirZim fiasco
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 15:06
BY PATIENCE
NYANGOVE
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has refused to accept Air Zimbabwe,
board chairman
Jonathan Kadzura’s resignation from the board, The Standard
has learnt.
Officials who requested to remain anonymous said Mugabe’s refusal
to accept
Kadzura’s resignation was influenced by a letter written to him by
Air
Zimbabwe engineers who blamed a senior government official for the
airline’s
collapse.
The engineers accused the official in the
Ministry of Transport,
Infrastructure Development and Communication (name
supplied) of fuelling
corrupt activities.
“Air Zimbabwe engineers
wrote to Mugabe notifying him that this senior
official, through his corrupt
activities, had fuelled the rundown of
parastatals like Air Zimbabwe,
Net-One and the National Railways of Zimbabwe
among others that fall under
the ministry.
“That is when Mugabe refused to accept Kadzura’s
resignation.”
Kadzura had resigned early this month as pressure
mounted on his board to
reverse the decline at the airline. A diplomatic
Kadzura on Friday confirmed
that his resignation had been
rejected.
“It’s true my resignation was not recognised by the
shareholder,” he said.
“The main problem at Air Zimbabwe is
undercapitalisation and it continues to
be my number one priority to look
for a long-standing solution to the
problems.”
Kadzura, who did not want
to say much about the matter, said that although
he had not seen the letter
written to President Mugabe by the Air Zimbabwe
engineers he had heard about
it.
Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba could not be reached for
comment as he
is out of the country with his boss.
The national carrier,
just like most other parastatals, is reeling under a
huge debt and recently,
local suppliers of A1 Jet reportedly stopped
supplies over a US$1, 6 million
debt.
The airline was to cancel flights as result of the problem.
Pilots have also
gone on strike twice this year demanding outstanding
salaries.
Anglicans
remember Bernard Mizeki
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 15:15
BY KUDZAI
CHIMHANGWA
MARONDERA — At least 15 000 members of the Church of the
Province of Central
Africa led by Bishop Chad Gandiya successfully converged
at the Marondera
Show grounds yesterday to commemorate the life of martyr
Bernard Mizeki.
Gandiya, whose group is involved in an ugly fight for the
church’s
properties with renegade Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, said this year’s
commemorations had passed without any major incident.
“We have no
complaints, the police were here to protect us,” Gandiya said.
“Our
only complainant is about politicians in the background who did not
want to
see us at the shrine. My question is: Are these police the same
police force
we know or a rogue force, considering there is a heavy police
presence at
the shrine?
“Why is Norbert Kunonga commanding the
police?
Gandiya refuted allegations that his church supported homo-
sexuality
accusing Kunonga of spreading the falsehood, a claim Kunonga used
to break
away from CPCA.
Reverend Clifford Dzavo, the diocesan secretary
said they were not worried
about Kunonga’s threats that he would strip them
of their uniforms, saying
the Zanu PF leaning bishop was
excommunicated.
Archbishop Albert Chama represented other member
states from the Sadc
region. Mizeki was killed in 1896 and his death is
commemorated every year.
Chombo,
wife head for court
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 14:53
BY WALTER
MARWIZI
LOCAL government minister Ignatious Chombo and his estranged
wife Marian
will finally meet at the High Court tomorrow, over three years
after their
separation opened a window into the politician’s property
empire.
The Standard has it on good authority that contrary to reports that
the two
had struck an amicable way out of the divorce wrangle, the matter
has been
set down for hearing by Justice Antonia Guvava.
“The
reports that you heard last year that Chombo and his estranged wife had
agreed on sharing their property were false. There wasn’t any truth to
that,” said a source aware of the developments.
While Marian had
been represented by Sinyoro and Partners in the past,
latest information
indicate that she quietly hired firebrand attorney,
Beatrice Mtetwa to take
up the case in March.
The involvement of Mtetwa, an award-winning
lawyer and former president of
Law Society of Zimbabwe adds currency to
reports that Marian is determined
to get her
fair share of the property
acquired by the minister during the subsistence
of their
marriage.
A postnuptial agreement allegedly signed by the two parties
shows that the
couple acquired a multi-million dollar empire. Chombo however
denies the
authenticity of the list of properties insisting that it was an
exaggeration. He is on record saying the value of his property is nowhere
near that list, adding that he legitimately acquired whatever is in his
name.
These conflicting versions of his wealth are likely to be
addressed in court
as the agreement is going to be lodged with the
courts.
Economic
indicators crucial to investment: World Bank
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011
20:18
BY OUR STAFF
WORLD Bank country manager to Zimbabwe
Nginya Mungai Lenneiye says the
country has to improve on indicators to
attract the much needed investment
into the economy.
In his key note
address at the Zimbabwe Quoted Companies Survey 2011 awards
on Thursday,
Lenneiye said Zimbabwe was doing badly on the World Bank’s
Doing Business
Report indicators.
The Zimbabwe Quoted Companies Survey 2011 was
produced by The Standard’s
sister business paper, the Zimbabwe Independent
and sponsored by BancABC
under the theme: “Staying the
course”.
Lenneiye looked at five of the indicators — ease of
employing workers,
getting credit, protecting investors, trading across
borders and paying
taxes —and said an improvement on these facets would help
lure investors
into the economy.
Lenneiye said the country
had scored badly on the protection of investors
with a score of four and
said Zimbabwe “needs to get closer to the index of
six achieved by
Rwanda”.
He said the cost of production, especially labour, in
Zimbabwe was high as
compared to other countries. He said in 2010, Zimbabwe
experienced
redundancy costs of 446 weeks of salary. This is equivalent to
eight years
of full-time employment. Botswana on the other hand had
redundancy costs of
90 weeks of salary, Rwanda with 26 while Uganda had 13
weeks.
“An American employer incurred zero costs,” Lenneiye said.
He said investors
engaged by the World Bank had raised concern on the
unavailability of
reliable infrastructure.
Lenneiye said more
than 90% of the country’s road network was in a poor
condition and public,
private partnerships (PPPs) with the right legal,
regulatory and
institutional framework would help address the situation.
Power and water
supplies are erratic thereby affecting production.
On power, some
companies have resorted to generators thereby increasing the
cost of
production. He said the lack of credit was also hindering
investments
together with the issue of collateral in cases where credit is
available,
which complicated things for prospective investors.
Lenneiye said
government has addressed some of the concerns raised by
investors by
simplifying processes via the creation of a one-stop shop and
finalisations
of PPPs in infrastructure.
SundayView:
Timba arrest, another sinister Zanu PF plot
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 20:05
THE arrest of Jameson Timba, the
Minister of State in Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai’s office, and the way
police have denied his lawyer access to
him, is part of the systematic
harassment of MDC activists that is growing
by the
day.
Timba, who is also the MDC-T secretary for International
Affairs, was picked
up around 4:30pm on Friday as he walked out of his
office at Charter House.
Circumstances of his arrest remained unclear up to
late yesterday afternoon
with Timba’s lawyers frantically trying to locate
him.
Among other things, they filed an urgent High Court
application to compel
the police to disclose his
whereabouts.
The minister’s arrest came a few days after Jonathan
Moyo, a Zanu PF
apologist, called for Timba and Tsvangirai’s arrest for
allegedly
undermining the authority of the President.
After
Mugabe and his protégés tried to mislead the public over the outcome
of the
Sadc extraordinary summit held in Midrand, Timba felt compelled to
set the
record straight in an article carried by Sunday papers last
week.
Moyo claimed he committed a crime —undermining the
authority of the
President. But that spurious charge levelled against Timba
exposes the grand
scheme to annihilate the MDC through a systematic campaign
of prosecution in
the courts.
There is no doubt that Moyo and
his ilk are angling for the PM himself, whom
they see as the greatest
obstacle in their quest to prop up Mugabe’s shaky
rule.
It’s a
sinister campaign by a clique that is well aware that Mugabe, who has
pursued disastrous policies in the past, cannot win any free and fair
election.
In light of these developments, Timba’s arrest
should be condemned in the
strongest terms. By merely expressing his
opinions, Timba does not deserve
to be kidnapped, as his lawyer Selby Hwacha
suggested on Friday, and thrown
into a freezing lice-infested
cell.
One day someone will have to be answerable for these blatant human
rights
violations.
SundayOpinion:
Malema is not the problem
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 June 2011 19:49
By Tau
Tawengwa
“T hose of us who fret about the numerous threats
Julius Malema has made
since becoming president of the ANC’s Youth League
are worried because we
don’t understand what it means politically to have
such a wild card in our
midst. His abrasive, confrontational style is not
what we’ve come to expect
of our national leaders in the post-apartheid
era.” Heidi Holland — the
renowned author of the internationally acclaimed
Dinner With Mugabe.
Clearly, Julius Malema has many people worried
sick about the future of his
country. His “abrasive, confrontational style”
is excessively frightening
for many people, and hardly a day goes by without
seeing the media awash
with stories of Julius “Juju” Malema. With the
African National Congress
Youth League’s (ANCYL) elective conference over,
it may be interesting to
look into this apparent fixation the nation has
with Julius.
Recently, it was widely reported that Malema praised
former President Thabo
Mbeki for his high intellect and leadership.
Apparently, Malema went as far
as saying, “Mbeki is the best leader the ANC
has ever produced.” In light of
this comment, critics including one
independent political analyst, Elvis
Masoga, labelled Malema a “political
opportunist”, who is out to challenge
President Zuma’s bid for a second term
at the helm of the African National
Congress.
It would seem that Masoga
is somewhat correct, because, if Julius said that
former president Mbeki is
the best leader the ANC has ever produced, he
obviously meant that the
leadership of the former president surpasses that
of the current. However,
Masoga, to label Julius Malema as a “political
opportunist” is subjective.
It is necessary for one to research the matter
holistically.
Firstly, the ANCYL constitution, as amended and
adopted by the 23rd national
congress in April 2008 documents, the aims of
the organisation; one of which
is: “To champion the cause of the African
Renaissance.” For those who are
unaware, the African Renaissance is the
concept that encourages African
people and nations to overcome the current
challenges confronting the
continent and achieve cultural, scientific and
economic renewal. This
concept was popularised by former South African
President Thabo Mbeki. The
concept also encompasses the notion of “African
solutions for African
problems”.
Now, the current chaos in Libya
cannot be ignored. In terms of damage in
that country, the International
Committee of the Red Cross says that 530 000
people have fled the country,
hundreds of people are dead and thousands are
injured. The extent of
infrastructural damage is yet to be documented. And
even while the continent
knows that Colonel Muammah Gaddafi is no angel,
Africa is still puzzled as
to why South Africa voted in favour of a
no-fly-zone over Libya by means of
the UN Security Council’s Resolution
1973, which was meant to “protect
civilians against Gaddafi’s forces”. The
South African Communist Party
(SACP), one of the partners in the governing
tripartite alliance, recently
lambasted President Jacob Zuma’s decision to
vote in favour of the
enforcement of a no-fly zone in Libya, labelling it a
“foreign policy
blunder”.
As the Libyan crises drags on and as South Africa’s foreign
office
repeatedly shows its ineptitude to substantially intervene, it is
clear that
different political personalities in South Africa, including
Malema, are
nostalgic of the leadership of former president Mbeki in such
matters. It is
therefore simplistic to dismiss Malema’s comments as those of
a “political
opportunist.”
Secondly, Malema is a politician. Like
most (if not all) politicians of this
age, he desires popularity, and in the
last few years he has certainly won a
sizeable following for himself and for
the ANC. He was recently quoted as
saying: “We have grown the youth league,
the YL is a household name today. A
day doesn’t pass by without anybody
mentioning the YL.” Now, one might argue
(as many do) that Malema is a
demagogue, and that his pronouncements are
irresponsible and a bad example
for the youth. Noted. However, the youth are
neither deaf nor dumb in this
liberal democracy, and they can choose, if
they so wish, to reject the
so-called “irresponsible” example of Malema, and
follow the “responsible”
example of, say, Helen Zille. But why don’t they?
Maybe it is because some
of the sensitive issues that Malema touches are
actually relevant in this
society of increasing unemployment, poverty and
disparity.
Therefore, it is not Malema that is the problem,
because another demagogue
could rise and fan the same fire. Hence, until the
very social, economic and
political issues relevant to the youth of South
Africa are largely
addressed, there is more than enough room for the likes
of Juju to thrive.
SundayView:
Zanu PF claims over struggle undermine democratic principles
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 18
June 2011 21:49
Zimbabwe’s service chiefs have recently made remarks that
are unfortunate
and constitute a brutal and vicious assault on democratic
tenets and
beliefs, but these are also predictable and understandable given
our
political background.
The history of our country is such that the
security directorate is made up
of nationalists (not career soldiers) who
find themselves in the security
establishment by virtue of the accident of
having joined a nationalist
(political) movement which was forced to
militarise in order to solve a
political problem.
It has to
be pointed out that the political umbilical cord between the
current
security leadership and Zanu PF stretches back to the early
1970s.
The relationship is so interlocked and intertwined that
the career path of
the security top brass naturally leads to joining the
political leadership
of Zanu PF upon retirement from the security
establishment. This is evident
from past elevations of retired army officers
like retired General Solomon
Mujuru, the late Air Marshall Josiah
Tungamirai, the late retired general
Vitalis Zvinavashe and Nyambuya, among
others.
The above scenario replicates itself in all strategic
organs of government,
signifying Zanu PF’s omnipresence in all key levels
and levers of
government.
Accordingly, this is why some of us
shout from the mountain top that we have
an institutionalised de facto
one-party state in Zimbabwe. When the
security chiefs go public on their
support for Zanu PF, they do so on the
basis that they are an integral part
of the current ruling elite and also
Zanu PF political leaders-in-waiting.
They are merely defending their
political self-interests and post-retirement
careers. In short, the
security chiefs see themselves not only as
guarantors of Zanu PF tenure in
government but also as constituting the next
generation of the national
political leadership.
The reality
of the current political structure is that the people’s struggle
for
independence has been devalued to mean the Zanu PF struggle, the people’s
victory over colonialism to mean the Zanu PF victory. The children of
Zimbabwe who constituted the armed wing of the struggle are classified as
the children of Zanu PF. In this process, Zanu PF, the political party, is
made synonymous with and equated to the state — the people are Zanu PF and
Zanu PF is the people! This is a dangerous philosophy in a country
striving for multi-party democracy.
The deliberate
devaluation of Zimbabwe struggle for independence into a Zanu
PF affair and
the consequential enhancement of Zanu PF to the level of state
breeds the
mindset that an attack on Zanu PF is an attack on the state, and
that if
Zanu PF loses power, that becomes tantamount to the country sliding
back to
colonial rule. Accordingly, any opposition party that threatens the
political hegemony of Zanu PF, ipso facto, challenges the state machinery,
which instinctively goes into defensive mode against the intruding political
party.
The above stance is wrong. It distorts and rubbishes
the real objective of
the nationalist struggle against colonial rule. The
struggle was for the
establishment of a free Zimbabwe on the basis of “adult
suffrage” (we used
to refer to it as “one man, one vote”). We have other
similar struggles in
the world such as the French Revolution and the
American War of Independence
founded on the same noble cause. The
difference is that liberation wars in
other parts of the world have remained
national affairs unlike in our
situation where Zanu PF claims the glory and
the ownership.
Democracy allows people to ventilate their views
openly and freely and
prevents pushing opposing and dissenting voices
underground. Thus democracy
guarantees national stability and
security.
From
the Editor's Desk: Voter secrecy only way to stop electoral violence
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday,
26 June 2011 20:10
By Nevanji Madanhire
Voter secrecy only
way to stop electoral violenceWhenever the weak have
pain, both physical and
emotional, inflicted upon them by the powerful, they
desire revenge. They
look forward to the day they can fight back and
humiliate the perpetrators
of the violence. Violence when visited upon
adults is humiliating; every
adult wants to fight back and restore his
dignity.
During
colonialism when the white man treated adult Africans as children by
administering corporal punishment or giving them humiliating assignments to
do, the Africans often fought back in ways that sought to reduce the white
man’s standing among them. Those who worked as domestics often spat or
urinated into the white man’s drinking water and when they saw the white man
looking refreshed after a long swig they felt they had fought
back.
Political violence is rampant in Zimbabwe in the run-up to
any election.
Adult men and women particularly in the rural areas are beaten
up and
humiliated in front of their colleagues and their children by people
young
enough to be their offspring. The situation is not too different in
urban
areas with thugs often going door-to-door terrorising people as has
often
been reported in Mbare where a quasi-secret society called Chipangano
is a
law unto itself.
What Jabulani Sibanda, chairman of the
Zimbabwe War Veterans Association is
allegedly doing in Masvingo province
demonstrates the impunity which
perpetrators of political violence enjoy.
That his colleagues have voiced
their concerns about his actions shows the
extent to which he has humiliated
the people of Masvingo. The provincial
leadership now thinks that Sibanda’s
actions are too extreme and may turn
the whole province against Zanu PF.
In normal circumstances the
people of Masvingo would be itching for revenge.
They would suffer quietly
until the day they would demand their pound of
flesh; obviously that would
be the day of the polls when they would enter
the polling booths and put
their X into the box that would exact revenge on
their bullies. Countrywide
there should be thousands upon thousands of
people suffering quietly in the
same predicament as the people of Masvingo.
There is an inherent
contradiction in electoral violence; you beat up people
in order that they
vote for you! This doesn’t make sense at all especially
in a situation where
voting is done in secrecy. One cannot expect the people
he or she has
humiliated to vote him or her. But that is what happens in
Zimbabwe.
But why?
The perpetrators of violence are
aware that the people they have humiliated
hate them with a passion but they
don’t care. Jabulani Sibanda for example
knows pretty well that the people
he is terrorising daily in Masvingo loathe
him but he doesn’t care. He knows
how the philosophy of violence works: keep
them in perpetual fear before
elections; threaten them during elections and
punish them communally after
elections if some of them have voted in a way
you
dislike.
The most important stage of this three-pronged strategy
is the second:
threaten them during the polling process by reminding them
that their vote
is not secret; this is the fulcrum of electoral violence.
This point cannot
be harped on enough. If they were assured that they would
vote in secrecy
they would seek revenge.
It would seem civil
society organisations and political parties that should
harp on this until
policy makers’ ears begin to ring are guilty by omission
and commission for
perpetuating a flawed electoral process in Zimbabwe.
There are two types of
electoral violence in Zimbabwe.
The first is that between small
groups of members of different political
parties. It happens all the time in
all countries in Africa and other
developing regions. This is normal and is
difficult to eliminate entirely.
These little groups meet at townships or
even communal wells and because
they have failed to change the others’
thinking they resort to fist fights.
All political groupings without
exception are guilty of this at one time or
another.
This
kind of violence can be reduced if concerted efforts are made by elders
in
the communities to counsel peace or if a real national healing and
reconciliation strategy is put in place. This has been done successfully in
Ghana, Sierra Leone and Kenya.
In Ghana, for example, reports
say the United Nations worked with the
government, the electoral commission,
the media and civil society to ensure
that the 2008 elections were peaceful.
The process was an unqualified
success; the success was attributed mainly to
the existence of national and
local institutions capable of mediating
disputes peacefully.
The second type of violence is the obnoxious
variety which is
state-sanctioned. This is perpetrated by senior members of
political parties
in government, directly or through their proxies. These
people would be
protected by law enforcement agents who apply the law
selectively. The
police in this case would descend with full wrath on
certain groups while
allowing other groups to inflict pain and suffering on
their opponents with
impunity. The country’s prosecuting authority — in our
case the office of
the Attorney-General — usually remains supine in the face
of this. This is
the kind of violence Zimbabwe has continued to experience
in the past
decade. It is already rearing its ugly head in spite of the lull
of the past
two years with the deployment of military personnel into the
rural areas and
the reported resurrection of torture bases all over the
country.
This type of violence is almost impossible to stem even
if international
organisations such as the United Nations, or in our case
the Southern
African Development Community, intervenes. The only way to stop
it is by
removing its fulcrum or hinge, which is that people are not voting
in
secrecy. If voters are enabled to express their free will in secrecy
violence becomes entirely useless; it will, as it naturally should, turn
prospective voters against perpetrators.
As we reluctantly
totter towards another harmonised election, Zimbabweans
must interrogate
holistically the whole electoral process and identify those
facets of the
process that militate against voter secrecy.
The place to begin
could be the whole legislation pertaining to the
electoral process and the
agents such as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
that enforce the
legislation. The aim would be to reinforce voter security
in the polling
booth so that every voter is assured there is absolutely no
Big Brother
watching.