http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 19:51
BY
PATIENCE NYANGOVE
POLICE chanting liberation war songs on Saturday
raided MDC-T headquarters
at Harvest House in Harare beating up party
activists from Mufakose that had
converged to hold their primary
elections.
The police officers are alleged to have failed to gain access into
the
building after alert MDC-T security officers sealed the
entrance.
The raid comes as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
yesterday met with South
African President Jacob Zuma over the current
arbitrary arrest and
persecution of senior members of MDC-T and human rights
defenders.
The motive of the raid is still unknown but it
comes in the wake of the
re-arrest last week Friday of Energy and Power
Development Minister Elton
Mangoma for alleged abuse of office
charges.
Mangoma’s arrest comes amid reports that nine other MDC-T
MPs that include
Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, Home Affairs
co-minister Theresa
Makone, dethroned Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo,
Glen View MP Paul
Madzore and Chipinge West MP Sibonile and Nyamudeza are
among those also
targeted for arrest.
Party spokesperson Nelson
Chamisa yesterday described the raid as a
sustained attack on the MDC-T
party.
“We are extremely concerned by the attitude being exhibited to
the MDC,”
said Chamisa. “We have become a target for harassment,
demonisation and
persecution.
Efforts to get a comment from the
police were fruitless as police
spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena’s mobile phone
went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke
Tamborinyoka yesterday confirmed
that the PM met with Zuma in South Africa
to update him on the “dire
situation in Zimbabwe.”
“The PM met
Zuma today (Saturday) to update him on the dire situation in the
country and
the culture of impunity which has caused a serious threat to the
life and
health of inclusive government.”
Tamborinyoka said Tsvangirai this
week will take his case to Namibia,
Democratic Republic of Congo and
Tanzania.
Zuma’s advisor for International Relations Lindiwe Zulu
also confirmed that
the two leaders met yesterday.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 19:55
BY PATIENCE
NYANGOVE
MDC-T Iron lady Theresa Makone (pictured right) has fallen
out of grace with
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and there are attempts to
sideline her
together with other members of the “Kitchen Cabinet” ahead of
the party’s
watershed Congress next month, authoritative sources have
said.
Theresa, together with her husband Ian, who is Tsvangirai’s
Chief of Staff,
are said to have developed “incompatible personal
differences” with the
Prime Minister in the past few months.
At one time,
the couple were said to be too close to Tsvangirai for the
comfort of other
party members, who accused them of making most of the
crucial decisions that
affected the party.
As a result of the differences, said the
sources, there is huge plot in the
party to replace Makone as the party’s
women’s assembly chaiperson, with
long-serving party member and MP for
Dzivarasekwa Evelyn Masaiti.
“Relations between Tsvangirai and the
Makones have gone sour,” said one
source. “So there are some senior party
members capitalising on it. They no
longer want them to hold senior
positions in the party. All along there was
a feeling that they were imposed
on the people because they have money.”
Masaiti yesterday could
neither deny nor confirm that she was going to
contest Makone.
“I feel
that if people want me to take up the position then I will take it,”
said
Masaiti. “I will take whatever position people want me to
lead.”
Apart from having personal difference with Tsvangirai, sources
said, Makone
has lost support because of her infamous visit to the dungeons
to see
Presidential Affairs Minister and Zanu PF politburo member Didymus
Mutasa’s
son last year.
This is despite that there are so many
other MDC-T activists that have been
arrested but she never visited
them.
The other problem, said the sources, Makone is viewed as too
elitist and
divorced from ordinary women in the party.
Makone and
other members of the kitchen cabinet are said to be fighting
strongly
against the planned coup ahead of the April congress, expected to
be
attended by 5 000 people in Bulawayo.
Repeated efforts to get a comment from
Makone were fruitless as she kept
hanging up her mobile
phone.
Several other senior party members are also being
challenged.
The Standard also understands that Tabitha Khumalo has
expressed interests
in contesting Thokozani Khupe for the party’s
vice-presidency.
For the second time Ian Makone will compete against
Finance Minister Tendai
Biti for the post of secretary general while former
trade unionist, Lucia
Matibenga will battle it out with Lovemore Moyo for
the national
chairmanship.
The party’s deputy organising
secretary, Morgan Komichi, Minister of Water
Resources Development and
Management, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and one Gift
Mabhena are said to be eyeing
the post of organising secretary, currently
held by former Energy Minister
Elias Mudzuri.
But party spokesperson, Chamisa said no nominations
have been done yet for
national posts as they are still busy with those for
lower structures first.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
20:20
BY TATENDA CHITAGU
MASVINGO — Jockeying for seats in
Zanu PF has reached fever pitch here, with
seasoned politicians facing stiff
challenges from party activists who are
hoping that elections would be held
sometime this year.
Among the bigwigs who face challenges are ailing party
politburo member and
Higher and Tertiary Education minister Stan Mudenge,
Copac co-chairperson
Paul Mangwana and Tourism minister Walter
Mzembi.
Mudenge will face a challenge from Zanu PF returnee, retired
Army Major
Kudzai Mbudzi.
Mbudzi, a former Mavambo senior official, has
confirmed that he is
interested in challenging Mudenge in Masvingo
North.
“I have come back to Zanu PF and this time I want to stand in
Masvingo
North,” declared Mbudzi, a former Zanu PF provincial information
secretary.
Mzembi, who is riding high after being crowned the Tourism
African Minister
of the Year, may not have it easy in Masvingo South
constituency.
An army colonel, Philip Toperesu, is eyeing his
constituency, sources in
Zanu PF said.
Toperesu could not be
reached for a comment but a party official said it was
an open secret that
he wanted to stand in the constituency if elections are
held. In a telephone
interview, Mzembi said he would “not lose sleep over
someone dreaming to be
a legislator.”
Mangwana, who is the MP for Chivi Central
constituency, faces a challenge
from one Ephraim Gwanongodza, who also hails
from the same constituency.
Sources said the challenger, a trade
unionist, has the backing of a powerful
Zanu PF Chivi clique that is against
Mangwana.
“Of all the senior guys, it is Mangwana who faces the
greatest challenge,”
said another source. “Gwanongodza is a little known
political quantity but
has the blessings of senior officials who also hail
from Chivi.” Former
Masvingo Governer Josiah Hungwe is thought to be among
these officials.
Gwanongodza was very confident that he would beat
Mangwana in the party’s
primary elections when The Standard reached him for
a comment.
“I am no pushover,” said Gwanongodza. “I am here to put up
a spirited fight
in the race to represent Zanu PF.”
But Mangwana
was equally confident.
“The door is open, everyone is allowed to
campaign and stand, but I am ready
for the challenge,” he said. “I am always
on the ground.”
In Masvingo Urban, a seat which the MDC-T has held on
to, Zanu PF losing
candidate Joosbie Omar’s name has been touted for a
potential contest with
TeleAccess boss, Daniel Shumba.
Shumba,
who recently returned to Zanu PF, could not be reached for comment
but Omar
expressed interest.
Jostling for posts heightened after Zanu PF
political commissar Webster
Shamu said there should be no imposition of
candidates.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
20:20
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO — Police authorities in
Bulawayo last week allegedly directed
members of the state force to attend
the launch of provincial anti-sanctions
programme and append their
signatures to the petition calling for the
lifting of the embargo, The
Standard has learnt.
However, Police spokesperson Assistant
Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena denied
that officers were being coerced to
sign the petition.
“The anti-sanctions program-me is a
voluntary exercise,” said Bvudzijena.
“There is nothing like that (forced to
sign).”
The launch was held at Stanley Square in Makokoba suburb and
was attended by
over 1 000 people, mostly Zanu PF supporters and members of
the security
services.
Sources said prior to the launch of the
programme, Officer Commanding
Bulawayo, Senior Assistant Commissioner
Stephen Mutamba had allegedly sent a
directive to police camps in the city,
urging officers and their spouses to
attend the
function.
Officers who spoke to The Standard confirmed being forced
to attend the
launch and sign the petition or risk censure.
“We
were under order to attend the launch at Makokoba,” said one police
officer
who requested anonymity. “It was not mentioned how those who do not
attend
to append their signatures will be identified and censured.”
Another
officer added: “Authorities at various police stations in the city
were
moving around police residences at police stations to check on those
who did
not sign the anti-sanctions petition and urging them to go and
sign.”
The report of police officers being forced to sign the
anti-sanctions
petition comes soon after villagers countrywide complained
about being
coerced to do the same. Even journalists from the state media
have appended
their signatures to the anti-sanction document mostly under
duress.
President Robert Mugabe, who launched the anti-sanctions
campaign in Harare
recently, said over two million signatures were required
to push for the
lifting of the sanctions imposed by the West and the
European Union.
Zanu PF said the petition would be submitted to the
Southern African
Development Community which would be asked to take it to
the African Union.
The continental body in turn is expected to speak with
one voice on the
matter at the United Nations.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
20:17
BY JENIFFER DUBE
Controversial youth empowerment outfit,
Upfumi Kuvadiki, says it wants a
stake in the telecommunications sector
accusing leading players in the
industry of employing foregners and
sub-contracting foreign firms.
The group’s executive last week told
journalists that they would soon embark
on a programme to challenge various
“flawed” deals, including those in the
telecommunications
sector.
“We have realised that there are a lot of flaws in the
telecommunications
sector whereby mobile service providers are engaging
foreigners saying
Zimbabweans are incapable,” the group’s deputy finance
secretary, Wesley
Bvekerwa, said.
He added, “Some are engaging
Tanzanian companies to build base stations and
these companies come here and
engage Zimbabweans to do the job. Some of our
members have been affected by
this. We also have some companies who employ
foreigners in their top
positions as if Zimbabweans were incapable.”
Mobile service providers
Econet and NetOne have been putting up base
stations in various parts of the
country.
Telecel Zimbabwe has Aimable Mpore from Rwanda as its chief
executive.
However, all telecommunications companies in Zimbabwe are
controlled by
locals, with minority foreign stakes.
The grouping
said it would go to the courts and also approach Parliament on
these
issues.
Alson Darikai, the group’s spokesperson said Upfumi Kuvadiki was
going to
take some action soon.
“In the next few days, you will see us
coming up with more challenges to
address all deals we feel should be
revised,” he said.
“Among other sectors, we are looking at
challenging flawed deals in the
media, retail, mining and telecommunications
sector.”
After the telecommunications sector, the media would be
among the next in
line. Bvekerwa said the local media industry was still
dominated by South
African publications and they would push for reforms in
media ownership.
“We want young Zimbabweans to start businesses in
this sector,” said
Bvekerwa. “Why can’t we have a group of journalists
forming a consortium and
starting a media house? If there are limiting
factors which might be the
country’s laws, that should be changed and if
it’s lack of resources; that
should be looked into and addressed. Government
and banks should avail the
money because the products to be produced therein
will be consumed by
Zimbabweans.”
Upfumi Kuvadiki, which is
viewed as a Zanu PF project, surfaced early this
year when they wrangled
with the City of Harare over the EasiPark deal.
The group said their
legal team was exploring ways of staging a legal
challenge in the Easipark
deal, vowing never to rest until it has been
terminated or
revised.
They also said Chinese, Nigerian and other foreign investors
coming into the
country in the name of the Look East policy should start
businesses in the
manufacturing sector and move out of retail sector, which
locals are capable
of running.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:15
By
NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO — Zapu says it has resolved to conduct a
parallel process of
exhuming the remains of its members who died before and
after the country’s
independence.
War veterans, who are closely
linked to Zanu PF, have been exhuming bodies
which they claim are of freedom
fighters who died in the liberation
struggle.
The
programme has however courted controversy with Zapu accusing Zanu PF of
carrying the exhumations for political gain ahead of elections expected
later this year.
Zapu spokesperson Methuseli Moyo said Zanu PF
wanted to distort the country’s
history by claiming that mass graves being
exhumed in Mt Darwin contained
the remains of only Zanla ex-combatants
killed during the liberation war.
“We are in the process of
organising a parallel process of exhuming the
remains of our members to
counter Zanu PF’s attempts to distort history,”
said Moyo, who could not
divulge when the process would start.
Zapu, which is led by former
Zanu PF politburo member Dumiso Dabengwa, has
always accused Zanu PF of
trying to distort the history of the liberation
struggle and downgrading
Zipra’s contribution to the war.
Zipra was the military wing of
Zapu.
“Zapu believes the exhumations have been engineered by Zanu PF
to stir
emotions among the people for its own political mileage as we go
towards
elections,” said Moyo.
Former Zipra combatants last week
took aim at Zanu PF for not consulting
them before exhuming remains at
Monkey William Mine in Mt Darwin in
Mashonaland Central
province.
They dismissed as lies that remains exhumed were of Zanu PF
comrades killed
during the liberation struggle.
Moyo also said
the party is “seriously considering organising the exhumation
of Gukurahundi
victims for the world to see and appreciate what Gukurahundi
was all
about.”
“Gukurahundi evidence is plenty and fresh,” said Moyo. “The
fact that some
of the architects of the genocide are still with us makes the
task easier
because they can give evidence and pin-point the mass graves we
do not yet
know.
“We are afraid that the Zanu PF-managed
exhumations may be used to cover-up
evidence of the Gukurahundi
atrocities.”
An estimated 20 000 people are said to have been killed
during the
Gukurahundi disturbances in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces
after
President Robert Mugabe sent a North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade to
crack
down against dissent to his rule.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:15
BY
PATIENCE NYANGOVE
THE government has launched an investigation into
how MPs used the
Constituency Development Fund (CDF) after it received
reports that several
legislators had embezzled the money, The Standard has
heard.
The MPs were each given US$50 000 last year to develop their
constituencies
but initial indications are that many of them have since
converted the money
to personal use.
Acting Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Constitutional and
Parliamentary Affairs,
Virginia Mabiza confirmed that her ministry was
carrying out an audit into
how MPs had used the funds.
Mabiza said the ministry had been inundated with
phone calls from the public
complaining about how MPs were blowing away the
money.
“We are carrying out an audit and MPs are warned to be
cautious on how they
are using the money,” said Mabiza.
“We are
sending our teams on fact-finding missions in their
constituencies.”
Mabiza could not disclose how many MPs were alleged
to have misused the
funds saying investigations were still in
progress.
She however said there was a lot of public concern that the
money was not
being used for its intended purposes.
Mabiza said
among the many complaints raised were that the funds were not
only
personalised but were politicised by the MPs. There was also a general
lack
of transparency in their use.
The Acting Permanent Secretary said most MPs
were failing to furnish them
with receipts of what they had used the money
for.
There is a statutory requirement that MPs should submit returns,
stating how
the funds were utilised.
MPs should follow what is
stated in the CDF constitution and the accounting
officer’s manual or
instructions already supplied to them by the Ministry of
Constitutional and
Parliamentary Affairs.
Separate investigations by The Standard have
revealed that some MPs (names
supplied) bought school furniture and
stationery for not more than US$5 000
and donated them to schools in their
areas before squandering the rest of
the money.
Other MPs are
alleged to have bought a few bags of seed maize from the US$50
000 which
they donated to their communities. Some MPs are required to
account for at
least US$40 000.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:13
BY JENNIFER
DUBE
A visiting German national, Yvonne Paperndorf, was on Friday
evening
abducted by unidentified men while attending a meeting of human
rights
defenders in Harare.
Her whereabouts were unknown until
late yesterday when the German ambassador
to Zimbabwe Albrecht Conze
received information that she had been deported.
Conze said
Paperndorf had been bundled into an Ethiopian Airways flight at
midday
yesterday by immigration officials.
“What is scandalous about this
whole thing is that the embassy was not
informed and this is a violation of
UN laws,” Conze said.
“My attempts to stay in the loop about what was
happening were futile as
both the Foreign Affairs ministry and the
immigration department kept us out
of the picture.
“Her hosts,
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) are the ones who told
us about her
deportation after making their own independent search.
“I have since
called the director for consular affairs registering my
protest over this
and I will be following up on it on Monday.”
Paperndorf was attending
a meeting organised by the ZLHR when she was picked
up by unidentified
people.
The ZLHR said eyewitnesses had informed them that “when
Paperndorf was
seized, she was advised that she was being taken away as she
was working
without a work permit.
“Eye witnesses also indicated
to ZLHR that the unidentified men were
travelling in two cars — one white
Isuzu truck registration number GIMM-12
and a Toyota Yaris ABD
3719.”
ZLHR believed that the Isuzu vehicle belonged to Zimbabwe
Immigration
officials.”
The ZLHR said earlier, on her arrival in
Harare on Thursday, she had been
“arbitrarily detained and interrogated” by
officials believed to be from the
Immigration Department and the dreaded
members of the Central Intelligence
Organisation that are housed at the
Harare International Airport.
The interrogators, said ZLHR, had
seized some information and documents
which were in her possession before
releasing her.
Early this month, Conze was himself attacked by
unknown assailants. He
escaped unhurt.
Police spokesperson Assistant
Commissioner Wayne Bvu-dzijena professed
ignorance of the
abduction.
“I do not have details about that one at the moment,” he
said. “Call me
after about an hour.”
Efforts to get him later were
fruitless.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:12
BY
RUTENDO MAWERE
MINISTER of Water Resources Development and
Management, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo
has ordered all councils to have a separate
water account to ensure that
revenue collected from water is ploughed back
into improving water services.
Sipepa Nkomo said his ministry had
taken this measure to ensure that revenue
collected by local authorities
from water charges would not be used for
purposes other than maintenance and
improvement of water and sewage
services.
“I have given a
directive to all councils that was also signed by Minister
Chombo for
councils to have separate water accounts,” said Sipepa Nkomo.
“This
will ensure that revenue collected from water is re-invested back in
the
provision of clean water.”
He said the directive is effective
beginning of March and the ministry will
be sending auditors to all councils
to ensure compliance.
The minister, who was speaking at the
commissioning of the Range Booster
pump station in Gweru, said most
residents do not pay their water bills
because services had not
improved.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:09
BY
TATENDA CHITAGU
MASVINGO — Thirteen MDC-T activists from Zaka district
have been arraigned
before the courts facing charges of public violence and
the murder of a Zanu
PF activist, Antony Masava, in the run-up to the bloody
June 27 2008 runoff
elections.
Masava from Ward 21 in
Zaka was found dead with his body badly bruised near
his homestead on June
13 2008.
The 13 appeared before Zaka resident magistrate
Godfrey Gogo on Friday.
They were further remanded out of custody to
March 29. Their lawyer Martin
Mureri of Matutu, Kwirira and Associates said
his clients’ trial failed to
commence despite the fact that they had been
coming to court since 2008.
Mureri said he had applied for refusal
for further remand. “My clients have
been religiously attending court since
2008 but their trial is failing to
take off,” said Mureri.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:07
BY
CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
IN an unexpected move, former Zipra combatants have
approached a senior army
official, blamed for the Gukurahundi massacres, for
assistance in the quest
to have their members appointed to senior government
posts, security forces
and parastatals, The Standard has
established.
The former combatants met the Commander of the
Air Force of Zimbabwe, Air
Marshall Perence Shiri (pictured right) on
February 16 and complained about
the serious marginalisation of their
members despite the signing of the
Unity Accord in
1987.
Sources said the former Zipra combatants want Shiri,
who they view as “more
accommodative” than anyone else in the Zanu PF
monolith, to present their
case to President Robert Mugabe and other
security commanders.
Ironically, Shiri is one of the commanders that
led a military campaign that
resulted in the death of over 20 000 people,
including Zipra members in
Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the
1980s.
In a letter dated March 11 2011 addressed to Shiri, the former Zipra
commanders protested against their exclusion from mining diamonds in
Chiadzwa and appointments to commissions.
The letter was a
“reminder” to a secret meeting held on February 16 2011,
between Shiri and
the Zipra commanders.
“In spite of the Unity Accord, promotions in
the security forces and its
leadership has largely remained in favour of
former Zanla (Zimbabwe African
National Liberation Army),” said the
letter.
“Most former combatants are destitute, unemployed without
accommodation and
have become a mockery to society.”
Zipra was
the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu)
now being
led by Dumiso Dabengwa, a former Zanu PF Politburo member.
The
two-page letter was signed by the chairman of Zipra’s finance and
projects
committee Frederick Charles Mutanda and chairman of the high
command
management committee Retired Brigadier General Collin Moyo.
It was
also copied to the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), the
director of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Commissioner
of Prisons.
Mutanda, at first refused to comment, demanding to
know the source of the
story and the person who had given the letter to The
Standard.
He later said: “We believe and accept that our political
leadership sat down
and agreed on this Unity Accord, although fraught with
problems as it is,
our desire is that all former Zanla commanders be open
with us on whether
they would want to work with us or not, because now we
feel that they want
us in the background so they can run the country on
their own.”
Mutanda refused to comment on why they approached Shiri,
who is one of the
commanders blamed for the Gukurahundi
atrocities.
But sources said the former Zipra commanders approached
Shiri because he is
one of the few commanders who have expressed remorse
over the Gukurahundi
killings.
“Apart from that he is
approachable,” said one source, “Shiri listens when
you talk and proffers
solutions unlike the other influential commanders.”
Efforts to get a
comment from Shiri and Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa were
unsuccessful last
week.
Ex-Zipra fighters also want properties seized from them by
government in
1982 returned. They said they have been virtually shut out of
Chiadzwa
diamond mining activities. The allocation of mining concessions
remain a
closely guarded secret, they pointed out.
In the same
letter, the former Zipra combatants said most of their members
were being
harassed at their farms by civilians who never participated in
the
liberation struggle using State and Zanu PF apparatus.
In some
instances, they claimed, Zipra High Command members were being
harassed by
junior former Zanla cadres.
“We are also requesting that former high
ranking Zipra officers be deployed
in the national land task force to
represent our interests,” they said.
The former Zipra cadres also
want properties taken by government between
1982 and 1987 during the
political disturbances handed back.
In 1980, Zipra combatants
contributed money towards the purchase of various
businesses and properties
as a way of empowering themselves. These were
taken by government during the
height of political disturbances in that
region.
EX-ZIPRA
FIGHTERS WANT SEIZED PROPERTIES RETURNED
Ex-Zipra fighters also want
properties seized from them by government in
1982 returned. They said they
had been virtually shut out of Chiadzwa
diamond mining activities. The
allocation of mining concessions remains a
closely guarded secret, they
pointed out.
In the same letter, the former Zipra combatants said
most of their members
were being harassed at their farms by civilians who
never participated in
the liberation struggle using State and Zanu PF
apparatus.
In some instances, they claimed, Zipra High Command
members were being
harassed by junior former Zanla cadres.
“We
are also requesting that former high-ranking Zipra officers be deployed
in
the national land task force to represent our interests,” they
said.
In 1980, Zipra combatants contributed money towards the
purchase of various
businesses and properties as a way of empowering
themselves. These were
taken by government during the height of political
disturbances in that
region.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
19:38
BY INDIANA CHIRARA
Many people in the country are dying
of diabetes annually because they lack
proper information about the disease,
a senior official in the Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare has
said.
Deputy Director of Non-Communicable Disease in the Ministry of
Health and
Child Welfare Clemenciana Bakasa said the number of people dying
from
non-communicable diseases, which included diabetes, surpassed those
succumbing to HIV and Aids.
“Many people are dying from
non-communicable diseases including diabetes
more than those who are dying
of Aids, there is need for more information
dissemination about the
disease,” she said.
As a result, she said, the Ministry of Health and
Child Welfare and the
Zimbabwe Diabetes Association had embarked on a
training programme for
nurses in a bid to create awareness about the
disease.
“We aim to strengthen management of diabetes through
equipping service
providers after the realisation that information on
diabetes was not well
known compared to that of other disease,” said
Bakasa.
She added, “diabetes can be well managed. There is no reason
why people
should die of the disease. Through taking medication and the
recommended
diet, one can live a very normal life.”
Zimbabwe Diabetes
Association chairman Ngoni Chigwana said the training
programme had covered
most parts of the country.
“So far, we have trained 30 nurses from
each province, which include
Bulawayo, Masvingo, Chiredzi, Kwekwe, Gweru and
Mutare,” he said.
“We are left with Mashonaland Central, East, West
and Matebeleland South and
North and we hope by end of year we would have
covered all the districts.”
A survey on people with diabetes carried
in 2006 reported that 10% of the
country’s population is diabetic.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
19:37
BY INDIANA CHIRARA
For four years, Cephas Makahamadze’s
vision was so blurred that he was
forced to quit his job as a
driver.
But the 59-year-old man leapt with joy last week after his
sight was
restored by a team of Chinese doctors, who are currently in the
country
offering free cataracts operations to disadvantaged members of the
community.
Makahamadze, who hails from Honde Valley in
Manicaland province, is one of
the people who had their sight restored after
a successful eye operation at
Chitungwiza General Hospital last week.
“My
life is now back to normal, I can feed my family again and see my
beautiful
wife.”
The operation has become the bond that cements Makahamadze’s
relationship
with the Chinese.
“I used to hate these Chinese people
because of their unreliable products
but from today onwards they are now my
friends because they have restored my
sight,” he
said.
Makahamadze’s previous efforts to have his sight restored
failed because he
could not raise the money that hospitals were
demanding.
Another beneficiary, Enock Mutanga of Bulawayo said he had
had problems with
one of his eyes for the past four years.
The
55-year-old said his right eye lost sight in 2008 but he could not have
the
problem rectified due to lack of funds.
“When I heard of the free
treatment programme, I decided to try my luck.
Fortunately it worked out for
me because I am now able to see with both my
eyes,” Mutanga
said.
Chitungwiza General Hospital ophthalmologist, Dr Boniface
Macheke, said the
free eye operation programme was a continuation of the one
which was carried
out last year in November, which saw 317 patients being
operated on.
“This Bright Journey camp programme is a follow-up
programme which is
targeting at operating 500 patients as the resources are
only allowing that
number,” he said.
The programme, which is
being funded by Anjin, a construction and mining
company, comprises four
Chinese doctors and three nurses.
Macheke said more that 50% of the
patients who were operated on their eyes
were elderly.
He added
that people who are diabetic were more prone to developing
cataracts in
their lives.
“One in every six patients who had the operation last
week was diabetic
which means that the disease must be monitored,” he
said.
Other people develop eye problems due to the nature of their
jobs or
chemicals they come into contact with in their daily
routines.
Government hospitals do not have enough Chaco machines,
equipment which is
used to operate cataracts, while private clinics charge
exorbitant prices.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
20:46
Dennis Zaranyika
Farmers’ unions
FARMERS are the
backbone of all agricultural systems, without farmers there
would be no food
and inadequate raw materials. Farmers are facing the
following
challenges:
Inadequate funding, especially long-term loans
and capital funds.
Low viability due to low producer prices.
Inadequate
farm equipment and irrigation infrastructure.
All our farmers’ unions should
work 24/7 to mobilise farmers and lobby for
their various requirements
including conducive policies on agriculture.
Land
Availability of
suitable land is vital for agriculture and the whole farming
community is
urged to ensure that the land is used wisely following all
principles of
land conservation so that we become highly productive.
Security of tenure
should also be looked at critically so that farmers can
invest adequately on
their farms.
Seed houses and other input suppliers
There are 10 seed
companies in Zimbabwe and hard work has been put into
breeding adaptable
varieties with high yields, disease and drought
tolerances. The seed
industry managed to produce more than adequate maize
seed (+40 000 tonnes).
Seed Co alone produced 22 000 tonnes in 2010 and
there is no need for seed
imports into Zimbabwe. This will save a lot of
foreign currency that can be
used for other priorities.
Seed is now readily available in almost all shops,
hardwares and other
agro-dealers. Seed alone carries 20% of the potential
yield, the rest is
determined by the crop management. Fertilisers supply the
essential crop
nutrients for crop growth and good yields. Fertiliser and
crop chemicals
availability has improved quite significantly, most outlets
have stocks of
fertiliser and crop chemicals.
Finance
institutions
Banks have agribusiness units that fund farmers and financing
agriculture
has been a challenge due to collateral issues. However, banks
have been
bold and funded our farmers despite the loan security issues.
Suitable
long-term loans that cover the crop growth cycles are required and
we urge
banks to provide farmers with the required working capital as well
as
capital funding requirements (tractors, implements, centre pivots
etc).
Government and extension services
Government has consistently
kept agriculture moving forward, even under the
hyper-inflation conditions.
This was done through inputs and infrastructure
support (seed, fertiliser,
tractors and implements). The agriculture sector
requests government to
continue supporting farmers in order to build their
capacity. Agritex plays
a pivotal role in the provision of much needed
agronomic and other extension
support. Agritex also co-ordinates all pillars
of agriculture to achieve
food security. Other farmer organisations should
work with Agritex and the
government to execute projects that benefit the
farming community and the
whole economy.
Agro-dealers
Agro-dealers provide the vital link
between input suppliers and the farming
community. Inputs and other farm
requirements are available in the farming
areas (at the door step) through
the agro-dealers.
Most agro-dealers stock seed, fertilisers, crop chemicals
and farm
implements. Farmers should buy their requirements from nearest
agro-dealers
to reduce on transport and other buying costs. There are a
number of
initiatives being implemented by NGOs and donors to strengthen
agro-dealers
through the voucher system. Lets all support these noble
initiatives that
will improve farm inputs.
Weather
The rainfall
pattern for this country can be a big challenge to the
agriculture sector.
This is particularly so in years of drought and poor
distribution of the
rainfall. Farmers are encouraged to invest in irrigation
systems to mitigate
the effects of drought and the impact of climate change.
Weather forecasts
and their interpretations are key for proper planning of
agricultural
activities. Agritex and other extension staff should assist
farmers to
interpret the weather forecasts and plan
accordingly.
Markets
Availability of suitable markets provides a pull
factor for growers to
produce more and more. All stakeholders must pay
competitive prices for the
produce from our farmers. Farmers’ unions and
others must link all farmers
with the markets as this is paramount for
continued production. There is
need to explore foreign markets for surpluses
as the seed sector is at the
verge of having surplus seed for
exports.
Recommendations
All farmers’ unions should continue
mobilising farmers for organised
production and lobby for conducive policies
on agriculture.
Security of tenure should be quickly addressed so that
farmers can invest
adequately on their farms.
Seed production, fertiliser
and crop chemicals availability should be
accessible to farmers
timely.
Suitable long-term loans should be extended to farmers.
—
Dennis Zaranyika is the managing director of Seed Co Zimbabwe.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
20:35
BULAWAYO — Cabinet has approved two bills that provide the legal
framework
for the implementation of reforms and restructuring in troubled
parastatals.
State Enterprises and Parastatals minister Gorden Moyo
told The Standard
that the State Enterprises and Parastatals Management Bill
and the State
Enterprises Restructuring Agency Bill were approved by a
cabinet meeting in
the capital on Tuesday.
Moyo will now
work with the Attorney General’s Office to prepare draft bills
for
consideration by the cabinet committee on legislation. — By Nqobani
Ndlovu
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:34
FROM
KHOLWANI NYATHI IN ADDIS ABABA
The African Union Commission (AUC)
and the Economic Commission for Africa
(EAC) have warned against the
nationalisation of strategic companies at a
time when Zimbabwe is
threatening to seize foreign-owned firms.
President Robert Mugabe
said his government would take over Western
companies whose governments
maintain a travel embargo and an asset freeze on
his family and inner
circle.
The veteran ruler is also pushing an indigenisation policy that seeks
to
force multinationals to cede their majority shareholding to
locals.
Companies that have been singled out for hostile
takeovers include South
African- owned Zimplats and Swiss food giant Nestle,
which refused to buy
Mugabe’s milk in 2009.
Emmanuel Nnadozie,
the director of the economic development and Nepad
division in the ECA and
AUC director for economic affairs Rene Kouassi told
journalists that
previous attempts at nationalisation in Africa had been a
monumental
failure.
The two spoke on Thursday as experts kick-started
preparations for the 4th
joint annual meetings of the ECA and AU conference
of ministers of Finance,
Planning and Economic Development that opens here
tomorrow.
Organised under the theme: “Governing development: The role
of the State,”
the conference will discuss ways of strengthening African
governments’ role
in economic development.
Responding to a
question on the raging nationalisation debate in Zimbabwe,
Nnadozie said
although African countries had varied development challenges,
grabbing
already thriving companies would be retrogressive.
“This conference is
definitely not about nationalisation but strengthening
the role of the State
in the development agenda,” he said.
“I will remind everyone that the
history of nationalisation in Africa has
not been a very good one.”
He
said instead of taking over already thriving enterprises, governments
must
be looking at ways of stimulating growth such as stimulus packages and
soft
loans for small to medium-scale enterprises.
Zimbabwe wants to
nationalise multinational companies a few years after
grabbing white-owned
commercial farms on the pretext that it was correcting
a colonial land
imbalance.
The majority of the farms, which were parcelled out to
Mugabe’s cronies, are
lying idle and the country has fallen from being a net
exporter of food a
decade ago to rely on donors to feed its
population.
In Addis Ababa, the ministers, academics and senior
officials from regional
and international organisations that include the
United Nations system and
the World Bank will discuss health
financing.
The green economy and leveraging opportunities for
accelerated economic
growth.
The organisers say the need for a
rethink on the role of the state in Africa’s
development had been
necessitated by the realisation that the modest
economic growth being
recorded had not translated into poverty reduction and
higher
employment.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:32
The
tobacco-selling season, which has been experiencing hurdles, has kicked
off
on a better note following the resurgence of the Boka Tobacco Auction
Floors.
The reopening is set to increase buyers’ competition
which would translate
into favourable prices to
farmers.
By Friday, a number of farmers, most of whom are
A1 and communal farmers,
had already besieged the floors in anticipation of
better service and prices
for their crop as Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF) had
been the only option.
Statistics by the Tobacco Industry and
Marketing Board (Timb) show that by
day 26 of the selling season, up to 433
073 kg of tobacco worth US$1 279 688
had been sold at the
TSF.
Most bales were selling at an average price of US$2,95 with
the highest
price being offered at US$4,55.
Chinese contractor
TIAN ZE on the same day had sold 68 216 kgs worth of
tobacco valued at US$
235 055 at an average price of US$3,45.
Farmers’ payments were being
processed at the Boka Floors and there was
little activity in terms of
spending that is usually characteristic of the
new tobacco
farmers.
Despite the decentralisation of bookings and registration
procedures, a
number of farmers have opted to travel to Harare, where they
anticipate
maximum returns on their crop.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 19:41
By chipo
masara
IN today’s world where people are generally willing to do just
about
anything for riches, most would go to the most outrageous lengths to
self-enrich.
This has inevitably led to the world now seeing the worst
cases of
environmental degradation as man makes maximum use of resources
without much
thought about environmental implications.
Economists have
for years attempted to convince the public that the end
justifies the means
as they fast destroy the little we have left of the
environment.
This is especially so in the developing world where
the natural environment
is being devastated in attempts to find short-term
economic gains, with
Zimbabwe most certainly not an exception.
There is a
clear conflict between resource utilisation and economic
viability.
Last week, we discussed how the mining industry in
Zimbabwe, in spite of
undoubtedly being an industry capable of seeing the
country economically
getting back on its feet, is currently causing
unprecedented harm to the
environment.
Unfortunately, it is far
from being the only culprit.
The agricultural sector has done its
share of harm, mostly owing to the fact
that the majority of the “new
farmers” who were allocated farms under the
land reform programme evidently
have very little, if any, clue on
conservative methods of
farming.
Because they have had little or no education on safe farming
practices, the
farmers tend to take very little responsibility for the
long-term health of
the land they cultivate, something that has resulted in
great land
degradation, making it less and less productive by the
day.
Under the guise of clearing the land to expand their
agricultural
activities, the “new” farmers have wiped the country of the
trees that once
nicely enveloped the farming areas.
Besides using
the wood from the cut trees to supplement the erratic power
supplies, some
of the small-scale farmers have taken to selling them as
firewood on the
highways along their farming areas.
The manufacturing industry is
also doing little to preserve the environment
and studies show Harare to
have been rated the worst city in the world.
The variables that were
used in the rating included, among many others, the
following: cleanliness,
destruction of water bodies and river encroachment
by the land grabbers,
population and the lack of sufficient open space to be
used as parks and
children’s playgrounds.
Isn’t it about time that more and indeed all
players in the country’s
industry take up the challenge to integrate social
and environmental
concerns in all their business
activities?
Although the primary objective of any business
venture is to make profits,
it is necessary that we look at our operations
holistically and ask
ourselves whether the total value of our enterprises
can ever equate with
the environment’s value to all of us.
When
South Asia was devastated by a Tsunami in 2004, anecdotal evidence
showed
that the mangrove forests that had once existed, but had long
depleted,
would have protected the region.
The destruction of the forests
that had been converted into farms, urban and
resort areas was seen to have
massively contributed to human losses in the
natural disaster, worth
billions of dollars and lives.
Is it not just unfortunate how human
activity is generally driven with
economies in mind without the slightest
concern for the environment and the
devastating results
thereafter?
Increasing production without consideration for the
environment and the
capacity of the natural resources would inevitably lead
to worsened
environmental deterioration and reduced production in
future.
There is need to put the future generations into
consideration and think
about the type of environment we would want them to
inherit.
It would be in the best interest of the economy to protect
the environment
that is operated in because the two (economy and
environment) are closely
interrelated and inseperable. Government should
seriously consider providing
incentives for environmentally-friendly
planning so that benefits can be
long-term and sustainable.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:28
The
ongoing exhumations of hundreds of human remains from Monkey William
Mine in
Bembera village, Mt Darwin, continue to raise more questions than
answers.
These questions are not only of a moral character but also
interrogate the
veracity of claims by a new and shadowy group calling itself
the Fallen
Heroes Trust. The group insists the remains are those of
liberation war
fighters and innocent women and children caught in crossfire
in Zimbabwe’s
brutal 1970s bush war.
Journalists who
visited the site recently questioned whether the remains,
some of which are
still intact and dripping in body fluids, are indeed from
that era, more
than 30 years ago. Morally, observers ask if it is right to
exhume the
bodies in the haphazard and unscientific manner in which the
process is
being carried out.
The exhumers are not trained archaeologists and
are not working under the
supervision of a pathologist as should be the
case. Also, they are using n’angas
to identify the remains, this at a time
when another n’anga story — the
diesel saga which turned out to be the
greatest hoax of all time — is still
fresh in the minds of all
Zimbabweans.
Sceptics allege that the exhumations may be a cover-up
for crimes committed
in the first decade of the new millennium when the then
ruling Zanu PF party
is known to have committed gross crimes, such as the
murder of political
opponents.
Indeed many people disappeared
during that time. Other critics say that the
bodies may date back to the
early 1980s Gukurahundi genocide when 20 000
people are said to have been
massacred by the North Korean-trained 5
Brigade.
Many of these
criticisms may be dismis-sed as counter-revolutionary hogwash
by those
gaining political capital from the exercise. Indeed, Zanu PF is
whipping up
people’s emotions ahead of an election it dearly wishes to force
through
this year.
But even if indeed the remains are from the liberation
war, the truth has
got to be known about what really happened during that
period — and to whom.
Now that controversy is raging, the exhumations must
stop forthwith and a
commission of inquiry set to investigate the truth.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:27
The greatest
paradox about most politicians is that they lack common sense;
their lives
become dominated and obsessed with ambition to the extent that
they live in
delusions, and they often close their eyes to painful realities
and act in
optimism even against greatest odds.
This emanates from the
fact that politicians find it impossible to admit
their mistakes publicly
and hence want to portray an infallible image
despite all challenges. Their
lack of common sense is illustrated vividly by
their inability to learn from
history. History books are full of countless
examples of leaders who failed
to learn from the past. Hitler failed to
learn about the Russian winter from
Napoleon and he met the same fate, as a
result he lost World War
II.
Closer to home, Ian Smith failed to learn from Hitler that no
government can
last for a thousand years, when he said there shall be no
majority rule in
Rhodesia a thousand years. It only took about 15 years to
have majority rule
when liberation fighters waged war against his
forces.
The revolutionary winds blowing in the Arab world should have
sent clear
messages to the leaders of all these countries. The governments
of these
countries had all overstayed, with Tunisian president having been
in power
for almost 24 years, in Egypt Mubarak had been 30 years in power
while
Gaddafi had been in power for 42 years.
These leaders
have insatiable appetite for power. If one remains in power
for two decades,
who the hell do they think they are? Do they think their
countries are
private properties? Do they think no one else has the right to
govern except
them? The lessons learnt from these revolutions is that
dictators do not go
over night, they fight for their space; it took a solid
18 days to depose
Muburak.
Consistency and commitment is needed to achieve results,
Mubarak initially
offered to go by September and the people wanted him to
leave immediately,
and amazingly Mubarak said he wanted to remain in power
to defend national
interests; this is cynical to say the least. What
national interest do
dictators have to defend except enrich themselves at
the expense of everyone
else? Those who genuinely want to defend national
sovereignty should show
this by listening to the voices of the masses. Any
leader who thinks they
know what is better for their country, regardless of
the concerns of the
people is a counter-revolutionary.
When
public demonstrations started in Libya what everyone expected to see
was
Gaddafi packing his bags and heading somewhere to enjoy the looted
billions,
but Gaddafi responded by pronouncing a death decree to the
demonstrators.
Gaddafi said that he was going to cleanse Libya from house to
house; he
instructed his people to attack and kill the “rats”. The bombing
of
civilians awakened resistance, as to the Moslem world, dying in a just
cause
is considered martyrdom and a great achievement. The revolutionaries
soon
started defending themselves.
The results, we all know thousands of
lives have been lost. The United
Nations Security Council once again came
under the spotlight; its readiness
to handle the crisis is far from
satisfactory. Once again the Russians and
Chinese proved that they think the
UN Security Council seats mean only
defending national and selfish
ambitions. To them the death of Libyans is
nothing as long as it is a
setback to western domination. The belated
resolution to impose a no-fly
zone over Libya should have come as great
relief to the revolutionaries in
Libya as Gaddafi had pronounced that no
mercy would be shown to rebels in
Benghazi.
For those who want to ask, whether it is wrong for any
government to defend
its self from rebels, the answer is simple: I don’t
remember Gaddafi being
elected by the people in that country. The people of
Libya, as in most
countries in Africa, do not hold legitimate elections to
install and remove
governments. Hence, the argument that Gaddaffi was
defending a legitimate
government is not valid to some
extent.
Another argument is that the West is pursuing selfish
interests in Libya.
This is true to some extent, the West indeed never
intervenes in poor
countries like Somalia with no oil to loot. But in either
case, Gaddafi was
looting billions of dollars from oil revenues and the oil
was not benefiting
all Libyans. Maybe, the critical question should be why
the West is not
intervening in other undemocratic countries like Saudi
Arabia and Bahrain.
It is shocking to hear the level of criticism
that is targeted against the
US and its allies from African states and the
Arab League. The argument that
the US had invaded a sovereign country should
be dismissed with the contempt
it deserves. Does it mean any government has
the right to kill its subjects
without interference?
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March 2011
20:25
It has been all too easy for regional institutions like the African
Union
(AU) to ignore all the indicators of imminent crises in various
countries
but swiftly condemn any intervention from other quarters. Events
in Libya
are a case in point, the AU now leads a chorus of criticism of the
UN
Security Council’s intervention when it could have taken proactive steps
early on to prevent Libya’s plunge into the abyss.
It is highly
commendable that the international community, through UN
Resolution 1973,
has finally invoked the responsibility to protect principle
and intervened
to stop a dictator’s bloodbath in Libya. The regret is that
such
intervention is coming so late after considerable loss of life and that
the
AU is not leading the initiative. Libya’s dictator Colonel Muammar
Gaddafi,
and his allies, if he has any left, cannot invoke the principle of
sovereignty as an excuse to massacre civilians.
State
sovereignty does not give a state the right to perpetrate human rights
violations with impunity.
Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame,
himself acutely aware of their own history
of the 1994 genocide in which —
in the absence of international
intervention — a government-backed militia
killed over a million people in
just 100 days, has come out strongly
supporting the urgent need for the
international community to stop Gaddafi.
The AU must support the principle
of intervention in the interests of
protecting civilians from violence and
harm, especially by their own
governments.
Dictators the world over must know that the days of
committing human rights
violations against their people with impunity are
numbered. State
sovereignty is not about absolute power but is all about
obligations to
protect citizens and ensure their basic rights and security.
It is the
sacred duty of any state to protect all its citizens. But in the
case of
Libya, and also Zimbabwe, state institutions have been transformed
into
instruments of terror.
In Zimbabwe detainees tell stories of
horrific torture while in police
detention and of partisan sections of the
security forces being used to do
the bidding of a regime bent of retaining
political power at any cost.
Despite repeatedly presenting credible evidence
to Sadc and the AU that all
indications on that ground are the Zimbabwe’s
political crisis continues to
fester and that if not checked will take the
country to the brink of
collapse, the regional bodies are not taking
concrete steps to check
Zimbabwe’s forward march to doom.
Sadc
and the AU’s failure to act timely to anticipate and prevent conflict
in
Zimbabwe exposes the entire southern Africa region to
conflict.
Compared to the other four regions of Africa, southern
Africa had done
relatively well in terms of conflict management, but a
failure to deal
decisively with Zimbabwe would undo much of that progress.
Regional bodies
and the wider international community should not wait for
rivers of blood on
the streets for them to act.
Zimbabwe presents
a perfect opportunity for the AU to demonstrate its
commitment to the
respect for human rights and for the UN Security Council
to show that even
where there is no oil, gross human rights abuses are
enough to trigger
international intervention.
The international community must
intervene impartially in all situations of
gross human rights abuses in
exercising their obligation and responsibility
to protect civilians
regardless of economic or other interests.
The AU and the UN should
seize the opportunity to set a country firmly on
the path to
democratisation, restoration of rule of law and sustainable
development.
Zimbabweans still have faith in the power of elections
to bring about
peaceful change, but are fully aware of the many obstacles to
holding
democratic elections. Significant obstacles that the AU and the UN
should
tackle include an infrastructure of violence comprising sections of
the
partisan security forces and youth militia who enjoy longstanding
impunity
for human rights abuses. The AU and the UN must insist on nothing
less than
a complete separation of Zimbabwe’s military from political and
civilian
affairs.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 26 March
2011 20:24
Two African presidents declared their opinions on the
intervention of
Western cou-ntries in the Libyan affray. Ugandan President
Yoweri Museveni
came out with guns blazing accusing the West of double
standards and saying
that the countries that have imposed a no-flying zone
over Libya were after
its oil.
“I am totally allergic to foreign,
political and military involvement in
sovereign countries, especially
African countries,” Museveni wrote in a
statement published in the
state-owned New Vision daily. The statement was
reproduced verbatim in local
daily The Herald last week.
“The Western countries always use
double standards. In Libya, they are very
eager to impose a no-fly zone. In
Bahrain and other areas where there are
pro-Western regimes, they turn a
blind eye to the very same conditions or
even worse
conditions.”
He referred to the rebels and the civilians being
protected by the Western
forces as “Quislings” which means
sell-outs.
On the other hand Rwandan President Paul Kagame came out
in support of the
Western intervention.
He wrote: “My country is
still haunted by memories of the international
community looking away. No
country knows better than my own the costs of
the international community
failing to intervene to prevent a state killing
its own people. In the
course of 100 days in 1994, a million Rwandans were
killed by
government-backed ‘genocidaires’ and the world did nothing to stop
them.
“So it is encouraging that members of the international
community appear to
have learnt the lessons of that failure. Through UN
Resolution 1973 we are
seeing a committed intervention to halt the crisis
that was unfolding in
Libya.”
Museveni’s statement was a defence
mechanism. He is in a Freudian state of
reality
anxiety.
According to Freud (Anna, not her more famous father
Sigmund), reality
anxiety is fear of real-world events. Museveni has in the
past few months
seen dictators of his ilk in North Africa and the Middle
East fall to people
power. The uprisings in these countries can be easily
replicated in his
country.
The reasons why this is possible
are there for all to see. Museveni has
ruled Uganda since 1986 when his
guerrillas shot their way into Kampala.
Since then he has ruled with an iron
hand suppressing dissent and killing
thousands of his own people in various
regions of the country. He has
repeatedly proclaimed himself winner of
periodic elections.
He has used all methods in the book to retain
power, including intimidation
and the elimination of opponents. Last month
he was declared landslide
winner of a national election. Ugandans are
obviously tired of this and want
change. The opposition has often protested
against election results.
The United Nations Security Council-backed
intervention in Libya has opened
a new chapter in international relations.
The international community is now
saying it cannot “look away” as it did in
Rwanda in 1994 resulting in the
massacre of a million people. This has got
Museveni worried.
Museveni is a warmonger. The world should
remember his close relationship
with former US President George W Bush. The
grip-and-grin pictures of him
with Bush in the White House on June 10 2003
and another on at Entebbe
Airport in Uganda almost a year to the day later
must still haunt those he
would like to call
“Quislings”.
According to New York-based Black Star News (BSN)
report, during the Bush
era Uganda was converted into a virtual large
aircraft carrier from which
all types of military and “humanitarian”
missions were launched into central
and eastern Africa. In addition to
Entebbe air base, which is now one of the
best equipped and supplied on the
African continent, several other military
installations exist in Uganda that
house Special Forces units and other US
Army personnel.
Museveni
believes in violence as a legitimate means to bring about
“revolutionary”
political change and in using the army as an important
pillar of political
power, says BSN.
The report says both before and since becoming
president the themes of
violence and military action have played central
roles in his speeches and
writings. His people have been degraded to a
peasant society and have lost
the dignity that was the envy of the
continent. He is the “lap dog” of
America and nothing is going to change
except Ugandans will become poorer
and have their hopes blocked by the
continuing self-serving praise of his
presidency by a few powerful people in
that country.
With Bush’s departure, the world has taken a new
outlook. The new outlook
was perhaps defined and ushered in by US President
Barrack Obama in a speech
on June 5 2009 at Cairo University in Egypt where
he called for a new
beginning in America’s relationship with the Muslim
world. His speech had
universal undertones. He pledged his commitment to
governments that reflect
the will of the people.
He said: “Each
nation gives life to this principle (the will of the people)
in its own way,
grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does
not presume to
know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume
to pick the
outcome of a peaceful election.
But I do have an unyielding
belief that all people yearn for certain things:
the ability to speak your
mind and have a say in how you are governed;
confidence in the rule of law
and the equal administration of justice;
government that is transparent and
doesn’t steal from the people; the
freedom to live as you choose. These are
not just American ideas; they are
human rights. And that is why we will
support them everywhere.”
In his statement Museveni is overly aware
that the honeymoon is over so he
is rationalising his anxiety. The statement
sounds rational and is presented
in a logical manner but it avoids the true
reasons for his behaviour. Look
at how he attributes achievement to his own
qualities and skills while he
blames failure on other people and outside
forces.
Museveni may succeed in preventing his anxiety and protecting
his
self-esteem and self-concept but the truth will confront him sooner
rather
than later.
Kagame’s last words are salutary: “The
uprising in Libya has already sent a
message to leaders in Africa and
beyond. It is that if we lose touch with
our people, if we do not serve them
as they deserve and address their needs,
there will be consequences. Their
grievances will accumulate — and no matter
how much time passes, they can
turn against you.”