Tsvangirai vows to end impunity and to arrest farm invaders

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
27 March 2009

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has vowed to take tough action against the
perpetrators of the ongoing farm invasions sweeping the country, stating on
Friday that the culture of entitlement and impunity in Zimbabwe has 'stained'
the country for too long.

Tsvangirai was speaking to stakeholders from civil society, the business
community, employment sector, plus gender and development partners, at the
opening of a one-day consultative forum in Harare on Friday morning. The
workshop was organised to give the unity government the opportunity to hear
the views and concerns of ordinary Zimbabweans, including representatives
from the farming sector, who were also present. The Prime Minister stated
during his opening speech that the ongoing farm invasions, "which are being
done in the name of the land reform process, are actually acts of theft,
using fraudulent offer letters."

"Those continuing to undertake these activities will be arrested and face
justice in the courts," Tsvangirai said.

The comments have highlighted the deep divisions that are present in
Zimbabwe's so called 'unity' government, as they are completely opposite to
the sentiments of Robert Mugabe. The ageing dictator, who initiated the
original land grab campaign in 2000, once again condoned the often violent
action during his lavish birthday celebrations last month, declaring that
the remaining commercial farmers are not welcome in Zimbabwe. His comments
saw the current land attacks intensify, leaving many hundreds of farm
workers destitute and stopping critically needed production of food. SW
Radio Africa's Harare correspondent, Simon Muchemwa, explained on Friday
that Tsvangirai's comments "have come too late for many, especially since
Mugabe has already encouraged the attacks."

The farming community has been left reeling by the fresh wave of farm
attacks that started mere days before Tsvangirai was sworn into the unity
government as Prime Minister last month. More than 100 farmers are now
facing prosecution on trumped up charges of 'occupying state land illegally',
as part of a two pronged campaign to remove the remaining commercial
farmers. The second, and more sinister part of the campaign, has forced many
farmers off their land and into hiding, as violent farm evictions have
intensified.

How Tsvangirai plans to keep his word is yet to be seen, as it is not the
first time, since becoming Prime Minister that he has condemned the farm
attacks - condemnation that has not sparked any meaningful action. The
offensive against the farmers has been ignored and in many cases supported
by police officials, and even local magistrates have been instructed by the
Attorney General to ignore court orders protecting the farms and fast-track
the prosecution of the farmers. There is therefore doubt that Tsvangirai
will be able to sway the proven allegiance of either the police force or
members of the judiciary to secure the arrest and prosecution of land
invaders, as in many cases, they are themselves beneficiaries of Robert
Mugabe's land grab campaign.

The President of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), Trevor Gifford,
explained on Friday that the Prime Minister's comments are welcome, despite
him making similar promises in the past. But Gifford also acknowledged that
Tsvangirai's comments "are going to be difficult to keep," because of the
involvement in the farm attacks of police, members of the judiciary, and
ZANU PF loyalists in the government. Gifford expressed hope that the land
issue, which was finally raised in Cabinet this week, will start to gather
positive momentum in the wake of Tsvangirai's promises, saying that the
farmers "just want to get on with the business of reconstructing agriculture
and growing food for the nation."

S.Africa's Zuma criticizes West over Zimbabwe

http://news.yahoo.com

Fri Mar 27, 10:06 am ET
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African ruling party leader Jacob Zuma on
Friday criticized Western powers for holding back aid to Zimbabwe while
President Robert Mugabe was still in power.

"This is very unfair to the Zimbabwean people. Because here is Mugabe, he is
a factor. He is there. He leads a party that has been in government for over
20 years," Zuma told Reuters in an interview.

Zuma said the creation of a unity government where Mugabe and opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai share power had begun Zimbabwe's stabilization, but
it was only a starting point.

"You cannot say it has stabilized but it has entered a phase of
stabilization politically," Zuma said, adding that the unity government
agreement, pushed by southern African leaders, "was the only option. There
was nothing else."

Western powers, who accuse Mugabe of ruining the country and violating human
rights, are reluctant to begin pouring in aid to repair the devastated
economy while the veteran leader remains as head of state.

In the highest-level African criticism of this stance, Zuma said it was
wrong to hold back aid.

"When there was an election, it is not as if not a single human being voted
for Mugabe in Zimbabwe. He had a very big percentage himself. He has a
sizeable support."

Western donors have made clear they will only provide a large aid package to
help rebuild the country once economic reforms are in place.

Much will depend on whether Mugabe and Tsvangirai can work together after
years of animosity. Any new power struggle that divides the new government
could undermine efforts to win the confidence of donors and foreign
investors.

(Writing by Barry Moody; editing by Michael Georgy and Philippa Fletcher)

Statement by Participants in Zimbabwe Like-Minded Meeting

http://www.state.gov

Bureau of Public Affairs

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

March 27, 2009

The following statement was agreed upon by the countries attending a meeting
held at the United States Department of State on March 20, 2009.

Begin text:

Representatives from Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States,
the European Commission, the European Union Council Secretariat, the World
Bank, African Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, and United
Nations met on Friday, March 20 in Washington, D.C., to discuss how best to
support the people of Zimbabwe as they work to bring peace, stability,
prosperity and democracy back to their country.

We agreed to maintain and, to the extent possible, increase our current
levels of humanitarian assistance based on identified needs. In 2008, we
provided over $670 million in total assistance to the people of Zimbabwe. To
date this year, we have provided an additional $300 million in assistance.
Our assistance is targeted at the most urgent needs of the people and
includes assistance for food, health services, water sanitation, HIV/AIDS
and cholera.

We agreed to work with the transition government to achieve specific goals
identified in the Global Political Agreement (GPA), notably the restoration
of the rule of law, economic stabilization and growth, freedom of assembly
and commitment to the democratic process, respect for human rights and
personal security, and full access to humanitarian assistance.

We commend the reform efforts undertaken by the transition government and
the progress achieved to date towards these goals. We urge the government to
take additional steps to demonstrate its commitment to reform such as the
immediate release of all political prisoners, the end of farm seizures, the
cessation of politically-motivated violence, the establishment of a credible
and transparent Central Bank team, an end to harassment and intimidation of
the media, and a commitment to credible elections in a timely manner.
Provided positive developments in regards to these political and economic
reforms, the donor community is ready to support Zimbabwe's rebuilding with
development assistance.

We will work closely with the guarantors of the agreement - the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) - to monitor
and encourage swift and effective implementation of the GPA. Subject to
performance from the transition government, we will work with the
international financial institutions to develop an appropriate framework for
reengagement.

End text.

Tsvangirai, Mugabe for crisis talks on economy

From The Cape Argus (SA), 27 Matrch

Stanley Gama

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is to hold a crisis meeting with
President Robert Mugabe next week to try to resolve the problems that have
prevented the West bailing out the inclusive government. Local and
international pressure is mounting on Mugabe to genuinely reform if Zimbabwe
is get the US$2 billion needed to revive a collapsed economy. Although
Southern African Development Community leaders are due to meet in Swaziland
on Monday to try to come up with a rescue package for Zimbabwe, it is
unlikely that they will be able to raise the amount needed. Tsvangirai,
whose wife died early this month, is said to have been alarmed by reports of
an imminent collapse of the economy if aid does not flow in. He is anxious
to discuss the crisis with Mugabe, one of his aides says. "The Prime
Minister is concerned with the response of the international community to
calls for assistance. "He believes the government has to make major
re-forms, especially on the rule of law, if any donors are to come in. He is
worried about the fresh farm invasions, the continued detention of political
prisoners, the repressive media laws and the lack of respect for property
rights. These are the issues he will discuss with the President when he
returns to work on April 1. Pressure has been mounting in the past few days
with countries like the US, Norway and Denmark saying they have to see
genuine reforms if they are to assist us," he said. So deep is the crisis in
Zimbabwe that on Wedmesdau Mugabe, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara
and Finance Minister Tendai Biti made separate and desperate calls for
assistance to avoid a catastrophe.

Government to Review RBZ Act: Mutambara

http://www.radiovop.com


HARARE, March 27 2009 - The government will soon reform the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Act before addressing the appointment of the RBZ
governor Gideon Gono, the deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has
revealed.

Speaking to civil society leaders at a meeting on the role of the
civil society in the all inclusive government in Harare on Friday, Mutambara
also charged that Gono' s appointment was a violation of the RBZ Act and the
Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed by the three political parties.

"We are rejecting Gono as the two MDC formations, his appointment and
that of Tomana (the Attorney General) was done in violation of the RBZ Act
and the GPA, there shall be reforms to the RBZ Act and to the central bank
itself and the issue of the incumbency of Gono is still outstanding,"
Mutambara said.

He cited fresh revelations from the visiting International Monetary
Fund (IMF) team that the RBZ owes Zimbabweans an excess of USd 1 billion in
unaccounted for funds.

He said the IMF team raised concerns on some 'areas of activity' by
the RBZ, which the government will deal with.

Mutambara also lashed out at President Mugabe for saying elections
will be held in two years time and said the issue of the duration of the
all-inclusive government was not agreed upon.

"Contrary to claims by President Mugabe that elections will be held in
two years time after the creation of a constitution, the issue is that we
did not agree us (MDC-M) and Tsvangirai wanted elections to held after two
years but Mugabe wanted to complete his term after five years, so in the end
the issue of the duration of the government was left like that," Mutambara
said.

Mutambara said the parties then agreed that they will not speak about
the duration of the all-inclusive government in public.

"We are quite surprised when Mugabe indicated that he now wants
elections in two years time because he refused when we suggested that
elections be held in two years, maybe it is because he now has the
legitimacy that he needed but he will be butchered if he calls for elections
in two years," Mutambara said.

Mutambara has not made his dislike of Gono a secret, immediately after
he was sworn in as deputy Prime Minister, Mutambara told business leaders to
ignore the monetary policy announced by Gono.

Gono reacted angrily and charged that the monetary policy would not be
reviewed.

Meanwhile the state controlled the Herald on Friday revealed that the
government has set up a team comprising two ministers and the State
Enterprises Restructuring Agency (SERA) to carry out a cost benefit on all
parastatals to assess their suitability for privatisation or
commercialisation, as Government steps up efforts to mobilise funding for
its operations.

"The team comprises of Finance Minister Tendai Biti and the Minister
of State Enterprises and Parastatals, Joel Gabbuza Gabuza and SERA
officials. Speaking after their first meeting on Wednesday, Minister Biti
said they had been given two weeks to come up with a comprehensive report on
the parastatals, which they would present to cabinet,' said the Herald.

"We will be taking a scientific approach in order to come up with a
detailed report that we will present to cabinet," Biti was quoted as having
said.

The exercise comes at a time Government has recently unveiled a US$1
billion budget and the Short-term Emergency Recovery Programme that will
require
USd5 billion.

The commercialisation and privatisation of parastatals started in the
early 1990s but since then only a few companies have been privatised. These
included CBZ Bank, Dairibord, the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, Zimre and
Rainbow Tourism Group. The privatisation of these former parastatals
transformed them into very profitable entities that are competing favourably
in the market.

Government however still holds 100 percent shareholding in the
National Railways of Zimbabwe, Zesa Holdings, Cold Storage Company, Air
Zimbabwe and the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe.

Others include the Industrial Development Corporation, TelOne, NetOne,
The Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, Minerals Marketing Corporation
of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority.

Efforts to privatise some of these, which continue to be a drain on
the fiscus, has not yielded any fruit to date.

NCA boycott Tsvangirai's stakeholders' forum

http://www.swradioafrica.com

Violet Gonda
27 March 2009

Lovemore Madhuku, chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly, said
his pressure group did not attend the Stakeholders Forum opened by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday, because it was 'not a genuine meeting
but a mere talk shop.'
The Prime Minister opened a consultative forum with stakeholders from civil
society, the business community and the employment sector, as well as gender
and development partners, to hear the concerns of Zimbabweans regarding the
crisis in the country.
But the civic leader accused the Prime Minister and his team of trying to
undermine the NCA constitutional-making process. Madhuku said the inclusive
government wants a 'parliament driven' constitution, whereas his group is
calling for a 'people driven' constitution.
"We now know that the Prime Minister and his team have an idea of
undermining the NCA so that they can get their defective process of making a
constitution through. They are trying to sideline and undermine the NCA and
create some groups in civil society who will just sing their tune."
A statement from the Prime Minister's office had said:  "The one-day
workshop will afford the inclusive government the opportunity to hear the
views and concerns of ordinary Zimbabweans regarding economic stability,
food security, restoration of basic services, guaranteeing of rights and
freedoms, and improving international relations."
But Madhuku says the forum was convened by a government which believes the
role of civil society is just to support it - and not to hear the other
side.
According to the civic leader, his group was not invited as NCA but was
invited by the National Association of Non Governmental Organisations
(NANGO) and not through the Prime Minister's office. He said the NCA is not
a member of NANGO and therefore cannot be represented by this group. Madhuku
said there was a misrepresentation that the whole process was to go as a
cluster, and then NANGO would in turn present their position to the plenary.
The NCA objected to this.
He maintains the Prime Minister and Eric Matinenga, the Minister of
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, are already aware of the NCA's
position and therefore meeting them again this time will provide nothing
new. He said this was a talking workshop and no grievances would have been
solved.
Critics of this approach have expressed disappointment at Madhuku's
attitude, saying that this was an opportunity to ask tough questions of the
new government - an opportunity that Zimbabweans rarely have.

Minister confirms Mugabe refusing to swear in Bennett

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
27 March 2009

Sam Sipepa Nkomo, the MDC Minister of Water Resources and Development, has
confirmed a report SW Radio Africa broadcast on Wednesday, that Robert
Mugabe is refusing to swear in MDC National Treasurer Roy Bennett, as the
Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

Nkomo was speaking on Friday's Hot Seat programme, where he discussed a
number of wide ranging issues, including the water crisis

The Minister said Mugabe's argument is that Bennett is facing serious
allegations in the courts, but Nkomo said this is totally wrong. He said
Bennett is still innocent until proven guilty. The former commercial farmer
is facing trumped up terrorism charges, of plotting to acquire weapons.

Nkomo said Mugabe made the statement about Bennett during a meeting that was
attended by the Deputy Minister Arthur Mutambara and that it was the Deputy
Prime Minister who told them about it.

Nkomo said Prime Minister Tsvangirai has a right to appoint his own
Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, and Mugabe's job is only to formalise
the appointments. "We will not accept it. Bennett is our man and he will
have to be sworn in whether Mugabe likes it or not," said the water
Minister, who is also the MDC's Secretary for Home Affairs.

He said the biggest challenge he is currently facing in his ministry is the
issue of funding, to buy much needed water purification chemicals, for
sewage management and borehole rehabilitation.

But Nkomo admits the problem of funding will remain a problem if ZANU PF
does not accept reform. The international community has refused to come to
Zimbabwe's aid until there are clear signs of change. Minister Nkomo said he
does not blame the west's stance on Zimbabwe, saying there are some 'hygiene'
issues that still need to be resolved in the coalition government.

Major outstanding issues revolve around the distribution of governors,
permanent secretaries, ambassadors and the ongoing farm invasions, plus the
continued detention of political prisoners.

Nkomo believes his party should get South Africa and SADC involved, since
they are the guarantors of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

"I think the MDC itself must put its foot down and say this is an agreement
and we must follow that agreement to the spirit and latter of the agreement.
And I think until that happens we could be playing games."

He went on to say: "I think until we do that they will just believe that
because we are already in government, therefore everything is alright.
Everything will be alright - once we comply with the GPA."

Cosatu sceptical of unity government

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Friday, 27 March 2009
JOHANNESBURG-The influential Congress of South African Congress of
Trade Unions (COSATU) remains skeptical of the unity government in
neighbouring Zimbabwe.

COSATU president Sidumo Dlamini mentioned South Africa's northern
neighbour in the same breath as politically volatile countries such as
Swaziland, Western Sahara Democratic Republic of Congo and Burma.
He said this had put a damper on achievements that have been made in
the region and the continent as a whole.
"Despite many other achievements, there is still a lot to be done,
which is why we say that working together we can still do more on such areas
as; Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Western Sahara, Burma, Congo and many other such
places where serious challenges remain. In relation to Zimbabwe, our
Polokwane resolutions and manifesto are clear that we must intensify efforts
to find a democratic and lasting solution to the crisis.
Addressing the International Strategy workshop towards the
International Solidarity Conference, held in Johannesburg, He added, "No
doubt in Swaziland, the release of PUDEMO President, Mario Masuku and the
speedy transformation of that country into a multiparty system and not
royalist monopoly system, is urgent. No doubt the region for us is a matter
of priority, hence the high premium we place on the Swaziland-Zimbabwe
issues and will work with the ANC to ensure that these are dealt with
immediately."
COSATU, part of the tripartite that also includes the ruling African
national Congress and the South African communist Party, has said previously
refused to endorse Robert Mugabe as the democratically elected president of
neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Dlamini's comments come amid reports some senior officials from Mugabe's
ruling ZANU (PF) were bent on derailing the unity government while farm
invasions by ZANU (PF) supporters continue unabated.

Operation Garikai Beneficiaries Face Eviction

http://www.radiovop.com


BULAWAYO, March 27 2009 - The Ministry of Local Government, Public
Works and Urban Development is reportedly terminating lease agreements of
some Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle beneficiaries and allocating them to other
Bulawayo residents.

A former beneficiary who spoke to RadioVOP said he received a letter
informing that his lease was being terminated on Thursday.

"When I got home I found a letter informing me that my lease was being
terminated for three reasons, the first being that I had failed to occupy
the house, that I have not developed the house and have not been paying my
monthly rentals to the Bulawayo City Council.

"What is shocking to me is that when we were given these houses, we
were told that they were for the poor and that since we had no money to pay
for them we could take our time to repay and build. I have since approached
my lawyers who are looking into the issue," said a Bulawayo resident.

He said he had also been informed by the Bulawayo Progressive
Residents Association that more than a 150 other residents had been issued
with the eviction letters.

The Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle programme was mooted after the government
destroyed thousands of homes during Operation Murambatsvina. The houses were
meant to benefit society's underprivileged but have only benefited a few who
are aligned to the ZANU PF party.

University of Zimbabwe not opening Monday due to high fees

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 March 2009

Almost 10 000 students from the University of Zimbabwe have failed to pay
their fees for the first term of the 2009 academic year, and this has forced
the institution to postpone opening its doors on Monday next week.

The UZ initially resumed lectures in January this year but was forced to
close, following demonstrations by students after authorities asked them to
pay their fees in foreign currency.

Clever Bere, the President of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
told us each student was being asked to pay at least US$800 for this
academic term. He told us government's attitude towards students was
creating ground for conflict.

'Our parents are being paid US$100 a month so where do authorities think we
get that sort of money from,' asked Bere.

The student leader said 95 percent of students at the UZ had failed to pay
for their fees. He said this represents about 10 000 out of 13 000 students
registered with the institution.

'When we demonstrated against the high fees in January, they had asked us to
pay US$200 but that amount has since gone up to US$800. It's unfortunate
that most of us can't afford that amount,' Bere said.

He added; 'We are actively involved in talks with the stakeholders but so
far these negotiations have not yielded anything positive. In fact, the
higher education minister Stan Mudenge has been avoiding us, so how do you
hope to solve this problem when the major player is not sincere.'

The student leader said the hold up to the academic year was a major blow to
many students who were hoping to graduate this year. Already many students
have lost a year of studies following a series of clashes with university
authorities.

Dutch farmers still hope for justice

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Friday, 27 March 2009

HARARE - The Dutch Farmers Association has been involved in a long and
tortuous process to secure justice for its nationals whose property in
Zimbabwe was invaded and stolen by agents of the Mugabe regime as part of
the violent and fraudulent misnamed "land reform programme".

Proceedings at the international ICSID closed on February 25th, and
the farmers are awaiting a decision. The ICSID proceedings brought them one
step closer to the beginning of the end of a four year process that was
formally started on April 15th 2005 and is the direct result of farm
invasions followed by expropriations some four to five years earlier in
2000/2001.
"All in all it has been a very difficult eight or nine years," says a
statement from the farmers issued this week.
"As Dutch investors we have maintained confidence in the
internationally legally binding agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe
and the Government of the Netherlands, which guarantees bilateral protection
and due compensation in the case of compulsory acquisition of nationals of
either country investing in the other," the statement continues.
"Although the process was extremely long and costly, the GOZ
recognised both the legality of the process and the fact that compensation
was due, the main area of contention being in the details and the actual
valuation. At this stage we cannot say how the tribunal ruled as we have yet
to be informed of the outcome; we can however confirm that at all times the
communications between the claimant and the respondent were cordial and in
good spirit."
The farmers said they were encouraged by the current changes that are
taking place in Zimbabwe and hoped that things would continue to improve
sufficiently to woo investors back into a wonderful country which can do so
much better for its people.
"We trust that the GOZ will honour its responsibility by accepting and
fulfilling the decisions of the tribunal, thereby proving to the
international community, donors and future investors that Zimbabwe is a
country where future investment may be safe.  No doubt the investment
environment in Zimbabwe will be a topic of consideration at the forthcoming
donors' conference."

Zesa Fixes Jan-Feb Tariffs

http://www.tmcnet.com

Harare, Mar 27, 2009 (The Herald/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- ZESA
Holdings has fixed the electricity tariff for January-February at US$4,1c
per kWh, spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira said this week.

He said the January-February compromise tariff was arrived at after
consultation with the Confederation of Zimbabwe and all various
stakeholders.

Meter readers, said Mr Gwasira were already on the ground and consumers
should start expecting January-February bills next week.

The January-February bill was based on a tariff of below the approved
average tariff of US$7,5c kWh. The March tariff is the one based on the
US$7,5c per kWh approved by the Government.

"Consumers are therefore urged to settle all outstanding and current bills
so as to avoid the inconvenience of possible disruption of services," he
said.

Mr Gwasira said the tariff would be reviewed further in June this year.

Domestic electricity users will benefit from a lifeline tariff for the first
50 kWh which are charged at a lower cost of US0,31c kWh.

The measure is designed to cushion low income domestic customers and provide
electricity to them for basic household requirements.

Mr Gwasira noted the Zesa bill would now reflect the actual consumption of
power and customers are urged to conserve energy to cut costs.

"If consumption is not contained, the cost can actually be significant."
Zesa has been charging tariffs, which were not cost reflecting for years
resulting in poor services resulting in households going for days without
power.

Load shedding by Zesa has been a blow to the economy.

Mr Gwasira assured customers there would be corresponding qualitative
improvement in the quality of service with the new forex billing.

"Recovery is a process and not an event given that the organisation was
charging uneconomic tariffs for over a decade. The new tariffs will enable
Zesa to stock up on materials such as cable kits, fuses, poles, transformers
and transformer oils which will mean shorter waiting periods or faster
turnaround responses to faults on network." There would also be greater
ability to pay for power imports from regional suppliers with greater
supplies, thereby reducing load shedding.

Zesa is understood to be owing regional power utilities in unpaid power
bills.

University of Zimbabwe students further remanded

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Friday, 27 March 2009

A Harare magistrate has further remanded three University of Zimbabwe
students to 23 April 2009. The three Vitalis Mudzonga, Tawanda Katsuro and
Justice Chikanya appeared before the magistrate on routine remand hearing
this morning. The magistrate also altered their bail conditions by deleting
reporting conditions. Since 09 February they were reporting at Harare
Central Police station every Friday.
The three were part of a group of eighty students who were arrested on
05 February at the University of Zimbabwe when students demonstrated against
a new fees structure that was announced by the University authorities. The
demonstration was part of the National Campaign against Dollarisation of
Education in Zimbabwe (NACADEZ).After a screening process at Avondale police
station the three were transferred to Harare Central Police station for
further interrogation. The University of Zimbabwe is set to open on 30 March
following its closure on February 06 after the demonstration.
Meanwhile, former University of Zimbabwe student leader and
spokesperson of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Madock Chivasa,
Farirai Mageza, Simbai Chivasa, Hillary Zhou and two others are set to
appear before a Bikita magistrate on charges of public violence which arose
during the March Harmonized Election. The six were arrested on the eve of
the 29 March harmonized election when they were concluding the "G o Vote
Campaign" at Chaduka business center in Bikita.

Reserve Bank hit hard by new policies - what will Gono do now?

Irked by the Merc Perk!

Understanding and Embracing the New Dispensation in Zimbabwe - Mutambara's Parliamentary Maiden Speech

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/3839

MR. SPEAKER, Sir, Cabinet Ministers, Honorable Members of Parliament I rise
to make my maiden speech in this august House.

We are at a stage in our country where we are building bridges. We are at
that juncture where we have found each other. We have come together; we must
stay together, work together and deliver on the promise of our revolution.
This is national interest time.

We have embarked on an irreversible process of inclusiveness with the clear
understanding that the GPA of 15th September 2008 is the only workable
arrangement in our country. There is unprecedented unanimity among our
citizens on this position. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this was clearly amplified by
the vote in this august house for Constitutional Amendment No. 19, where 184
out 184 members endorsed it, and the 72 out of 72 Senators did the same.

As I present my views, let me emphasize that my intention is to build, and
not to destroy; unify, and not disunite. However, I will seek to challenge
us as Zimbabweans by speaking frankly on the matters we are facing. Is it
not that they say a problem realized is half solved? Moreover this august
house is the distinguished arena of both rational disputation and robust
democratic dialogue. Consequently, I will be remiss in the discharge of my
duties if I did not deliver a no-holds-barred maiden speech.

There will be no prisoners taken today.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Government that I am part of, this inclusive
institution, is a creature of abnormal circumstances. We are a product of
the SADC dialogue process. But why did we have to negotiate? Honorable
Members, lest we forget, we were forced to talk to each other in this manner
because we had some problems with our elections, to put it politely. If we
are to be candid and brazen about it, we have to accept that we had
fraudulent elections on March 29th 2008.

What is worse is that the run-off Presidential election on June 27th 2008
was a complete farce, a nullity. Understanding this background allows us to
clearly articulate the agenda of our inclusive government. The sum total of
our mandate is to ensure that at the next elections Zimbabweans can vote
freely and fairly. This means that creating conditions for free and fair
polls is the overarching duty and obligation of this inclusive government.
The question is then how do you achieve this?

This is done by carrying out radical political and economic reforms
underpinned by five key activities; healing the nation, adopting a new
constitution, resolving the humanitarian crisis, recovering and stabilizing
the economy, and transforming our economy. Our people and country went
through trauma and brutality in the June 27 2008 elections. The national
healing process must achieve a never again framework. Never again should
Zimbabweans slaughter each other over political differences.

Never again should Zimbabweans question each other's patriotism because of
political affiliation. Most of the challenges that confront us as a nation
are due to a dysfunctional, ineffective and undemocratic constitution. In
adopting a new constitution, it is important that the process of developing
it is as important as the final contents. Hence, this inclusive government
seeks to facilitate the development of a truly people driven, democratic
constitution, with total buy-in, and ownership by the entirety of civic
society, in particular the NCA, ZCTU, the student movement, the churches,
the business community, and other political parties not involved in the GPA.

By definition a constitution is a consensus document, and not a contested
piece of paper produced by three political parties. In addition to the
constitutional reforms, there must be other political reforms including the
removal of AIPPA and POSA from our statutes and drastic media reforms. Our
local media should be sufficiently empowered to report freely without bias.
The international media, such as BBC and CNN must be immediately allowed
back into the country. On economic recovery and stabilization we are
stepping in the right direction with STERP. Beyond recovery and
stabilization we must seek to transform our economy through establishing a
long term economic vision and strategy. Let us lay the foundation for this
ambition during the tenure of this government.

Mr. Speaker Sir, there are three themes that we must grasp in order to
deliver on the agenda that I have outlined. The first one is that; "Change
has come to Zimbabwe and we cannot behave as if it is business as usual."
All of us, Zimbabweans and those external players interested in the matters
of our nation, need a paradigm shift in the way we think, and operate. The
days of a unitary government driven by one party are gone. We now have an
inclusive government with three political parties in cabinet.

There used to be, for all intents and purposes, one center of executive
authority in our constitution, the Presidency. The Cabinet was essentially a
compliant rubber stamp institution. In the new dispensation, executive
authority now clearly resides in three locations; the Presidency,
Premiership, and Cabinet. Masamba asiyana. There are only three things that
the President can constitutionally do without consulting the other two
centers of power, that is; declare war, declare martial law, and appoint his
two deputies. On any other decisions there has to be discussions with the
Premiership and Cabinet. Any behavior outside this framework is illegal, and
will be challenged, institutionally, politically and in the courts.

Honourable members, even your work here in Parliament has to change. You
need a paradigm shift as well. There are no longer any opposition benches,
or ruling party ones. You can no longer operate on a partisan basis, as we
are all now in one government together. So how are you going to do your
work? When a Cabinet Minister brings a position or policy to Parliament, it
will be after the inclusive Cabinet has agreed by consensus. When Minister
Biti or Minister Mumbengegwi comes to Parliament with issues they will be
having the backing of the leadership of the three political parties. How are
you going to respond? Obviously, you cannot do it as you used to do it, on
partisan basis. You have to argue each issue on its merit. Honorable
Members, now you have to put your thinking caps on all the time.

Masamba asiyana.

The new dispensation also means we cannot continue with the destructive
behavior of politicizing national institutions and activities. For example
you cannot have the organ of one political party determine and declare
national heroes. When you do so two things happen, you undervalue and
cheapen the heroism of the recipient of the status; and more importantly you
leave out other deserving heroes.

The deaths of two distinguished Zimbabweans two weeks ago serve to
illustrate this matter. No one in this august house doubts or questions the
heroism of General Vitalis Musungwa Gava Zvinavashe. He was a soldier of
soldiers, a commander of commanders. However, when you have him declared a
hero by the Zanu-PF politburo, you devalue his heroism.

You make him half a hero.

On the other had let us consider the death of Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai. If
one considers her role in our nation, and the number of people who mourned
her in the country, region, continent and the world, she deserves to be
accorded heroic status. Yet, she was not even considered for such
recognition.

This is a travesty of justice in our country.

By any measure and judgment of heroism Mrs. Tsvangirai is a heroine of
heroes, the mother of our struggle, and the mother of our nation. Going
forward, we want Cabinet to develop a policy on the determination and
declaration of national heroes, and set up a Cabinet Committee that will
consider potential recipients of such honors.

With the inclusive government in place it is important that all behaviours
associated with a unitary government be challenged in our public and private
organizations; government institutions, media houses, educational
institutions, local authorities, universities, and business entities. We
need a paradigm shift and a new way of doing things across the breadth and
length of our country. What informs and drives our polity must change. A new
value system rooted in inclusiveness is imperative.

The second theme we have to embrace is that in whatever we do, "Zimbabweans
must take charge of their lives. We must be masters of our destiny." This
should be the clarion call. As we develop our economic recovery plans, and
address matters affecting our nation, we must be driven by the
Kennedy-Gandhi doctrine.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we must paraphrase Kennedy and say "Ask not what other
nations can do to salvage Zimbabwe, but rather what we can do as citizens to
drive our country." The primary financing of STERP, our recovery plan must
come from us through improving exports, increasing capacity utilization,
economic growth, revenue generation, increased trade and then collection of
taxes and tariffs. Domestic investment, including Diaspora efforts, should
lead and drive foreign direct investment.

Yes we need humanitarian assistance, budget support, and balance of payment
support; but these external inputs should only come in to buttress our own
efforts. In any case, in the long run, it is investment driven economic
development that will sustain our radical transformation into a globally
competitive, prosperous and democratic nation. Only we, working together as
Zimbabweans, can achieve this. Let us listen to Gandhi as he encourages us
"to be the change we seek to see in Zimbabwe".

Mr Speaker, Sir, this brings me to the thorny issue of sanctions. It is my
considered view there are two types of sanctions. There are sanctions we
impose on ourselves and those imposed on us by others. For the past 10 years
Zimbabweans have been imposing sanctions on themselves through corruption,
poor governance, incompetence, mismanagement, fraudulent elections,
political violence, and the breakdown of the rule of law. Before we even
begin to ask others to remove whatever measures they have imposed on us, we
must remove these sanctions we have imposed on ourselves.

Charity begins at home, Mr Speaker, Sir. If these destructive activities and
transgressions we have been inflicting on ourselves, were all in the past, I
could say we are making progress. No, No, No, it is getting worse!! As I am
speaking right now, there are fresh farm invasions, abductions, illegal
arrests, disregard of court orders, wanton violation of the rule of law,
violence among our supporters, the language of hate and division, and
general disregard of the rule of law.

To add insult to injury, there are unresolved outstanding issues in the
implementation of the GPA. The matters involving provincial governors,
permanent secretaries, ambassadors, and the appointments of the RBZ governor
and the attorney general have not been resolved nearly two months after SADC
communiqué of the 27th of January 2009, which consummated the GPA.

This is disgraceful. All these nefarious activities mean that the current
inclusive government is actually imposing new sanctions on the people of
Zimbabwe. Let me make this very clear and unequivocal.

I am the Deputy Prime of the State of Zimbabwe.

My government is guilty as charged. We are behaving as an irresponsible and
rogue regime. We must address these matters urgently. We have an obligation
to build credibility of, and confidence in this inclusive government. If we
do not, we will then not have any moral authority to ask any nation to
remove any measures imposed on us. Even if the allegation that there are
fresh farm invasions is false, the perception is very damaging. In any case,
perception becomes reality. We must deal with whatever is leading to any
such perceptions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if we do not address these current
sanctions we are imposing on ourselves there will be no humanitarian
assistance, budget support, revival of tourism, and investment coming our
way. We will be doomed and this government will definitely collapse.

Having taken a clear position on what we need to do as Zimbabweans, I now
turn to the second type of sanctions. We are saying to the international
community we understand why you imposed sanctions on us, and why you have
not removed them.

We understand your skepticism.

However, we are also saying we are clear on the challenges we are facing and
the transgressions that we are committing. We are determined to solve these
matters. As they say a problem realized is half solved. We believe these
challenges are not insurmountable, they are teething problems. We are
determined to overcome them. We are working day and night.

As we do this, please help us help ourselves.

Here is our message to the US, the British, and the Europeans; you must
remove all sanctions, any type of measures, call it what you may, that you
have imposed on our country. You cannot adopt a wait and see attitude. You
cannot give us conditions, such as signs of progress, inclusiveness and
entrenchment of democracy and the rule of law. While these are also our
targets, to achieve them we need financial resources and assistance.

It is not possible for us to achieve these milestones while sanctions are in
place. It becomes a chicken and an egg situation. I wish it was possible, to
get half a chicken and half an egg. What all this means is that when the
West gives conditions before reengagement, they are setting us up for
failure. It will simply lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Let me emphasize that the continuation of sanctions on Zimbabwe is both
illogical and irrational. By imposing or maintaining sanctions on the
inclusive government it means you are applying those measures on Cde
Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, who among other things is in
charge of supervising policy implementation.

Even the so-called targeted measures do not make sense.

For example, Chinamasa and Mumbengegwi are now a critical part of the PM's
team, how do you apply restrictions on them without undermining the PM. We
must take note that, if the government fails because of lack of support, it
is the people of Zimbabwe who are the biggest losers. More, importantly, it
will not be Mugabe who would have failed. He has failed dismally many times,
and he cannot fail any more than he has already done. It is Tsvangirai and
his team, including all of us who came in from the opposition, who will be
disgraced.

Furthermore, a collapse of this government will drive this country into dire
crisis that will make Somalia look like child's play. Is this what you want,
America, Britain and Europe? Whose interests are you serving?

It is in this context that we denounce in the strongest of terms the
extension by one year of sanctions on Zimbabwe by President Barrack Obama.
It is my view that this unfortunate decision was based on ignorance and
arrogance.

How can you say "The actions and policies of the government of Zimbabwe pose
a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the
US?" Is that even the correct way of phrasing your concerns? We all thought
of paramount importance were the people of Zimbabwe and their aspirations,
and not US foreign policy. Yes, we have challenges in implementing the GPA,
but grant us the common sense and intelligence that we know what we want as
a nation.

There is unprecedented unanimity among our citizens that this government
must succeed. Why is a US President with African roots making irresponsible
decisions without consulting Zimbabweans, Africans and African institutions?
We take particular exception to this unmitigated ignorance and arrogance.

Mr. Speaker Sir, there was one long term solution, the effective medicine,
to both types of sanctions that I have discussed, in this house. This takes
the form of rebranding our country. We need to work on the image of our
nation and be known for different things. We must seek to be known for the
following; effective unity and inclusiveness, political stability, a
hardworking population, outstanding human capital, adherence to laws,
observance of the rule of law, respect for property rights, business
confidence, a safe destination for investment, high technology hub, a
transportation and services hub, a broad industrial base, and a strong
exploitable resource base.

We must also make sure that our personal and corporate brands are aligned
with the aspired national image. This country branding initiative is a
twenty year journey that should start today. Once we embark on this national
imaging task we will effectively shake away both types of sanctions.

The third and last theme I will discuss is the case for; "Institutional
creativity and innovation rooted in imaginative thought leadership." There
is need to think outside the box. There is need to exercise our minds as if
there is actually no box. We need to rethink our understanding of
leadership, institutions, governance and their respective roles. We need to
embrace transformational and servant leadership styles. Leadership is about
making others leaders. It is about creating leaders, and not followers.
Leaders should seek to serve, and not to be served.

The ultimate test of leadership is whether you can effectively make yourself
irrelevant, by empowering others. If you are a CEO of a company for 20 years
and you have not produced a number of CEOs you are not a leader. If you are
a director on the board of 8-10 companies, and you have not produced or
enabled others to become directors, you are not an effective director, and
neither are you a leader. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you are Speaker of this house
for 20 years and you have not produced a single Speaker, you are not a
Speaker!

Honorable Chamisa, if you are a President of a country for 29 years and you
a have not produced a single President, you are not a leader. You are not
even an effective manager.

We need also to appreciate and leverage the difference between performance
based and learning organizations. This is the new institutional thinking
that should guide our work. We must rethink the role of the state and the
market. The primary role of government should be that of an enabler, a
facilitator in the economy. We leave business to business, and let the
market forces play their part. We must move away from command and control.
We must allow the market to determine prices, salaries and exchange rates.

The State must play its role using smart and effective regulations and not
unimaginative and prohibitive controls. We must attract and facilitate
private capital into aspects of the economy traditionally the purview of the
State, such as infrastructure. Let us allow private sector investment into
roads, water and power. This can be achieved through public-private
partnership (PPP) or built operate transfer (BOT) models.

For example, if we make pricing and tariffs competitive in the energy
sector, draw up power purchase arrangements; a private investor can invest
in power generation, sell 40 percent to the national grid and export the
balance 60 percent. Let us be creative and imaginative. We also need to
engage the global climate change agenda, and embrace the notion of green
jobs and green technology.

In all our endeavors in the affairs of our nation, we must understand that
it is not enough to have a vision, mission or strategy. It is not enough to
have strategic correctness, policy correctness or directional correctness.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We must spend time doing
implementation planning.

There is need for timelines, milestones, targets, ownership of work streams,
incentives and penalties, measures and metrics of success, and a feedback
mechanism. Mr. Speaker, Sir, thereafter the mantra is execution, execution,
execution. In all we do, we need to reject the "it cannot be done syndrome."
We must become possibility thinkers, we must exercise possibility thinking.
On this one, we are together with Obama,

"Yes we can!!" should be the slogan.

In conclusion, Honorable members, Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important that we
understand the historic nature of what is expected of this particular
Parliament. Let us premise our thinking by looking at Maslow hierarchy of
needs. Maslow was a psychologist, who postulated that human beings at the
basic needs level start by seeking food, shelter, and other essentials as
they move up the hierarchy of needs. What is the highest stage in this
framework, honorable members? Yes, he defined it as self-actualization.

But I have news, and education for you honorable members, Mr Speaker, Sir.
We have since officially disagreed with Maslow and improved on his work.
There is a higher stage, the ultimate aspiration, which we call
self-transcend, go beyond self, and leave a legacy.

I challenge this august House to go beyond self-interest, transcend partisan
ambitions, and deliver a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe.
Honorable members must become players, who are also winners in the agenda of
accomplishing a globally competitive nation. This will be our cross-party
generational result, our collective legacy.

Mr Speaker, Sir; Honorable Members, I thank you.

Arthur G.O. Mutambara, Deputy PM
25th March 2009; Harare, Zimbabwe

This entry was posted by Sokwanele on Friday, March 27th, 2009

Harare Council tour makes shocking discoveries

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk


Friday, 27 March 2009

It has come to the attention of CHRA that the tour of the water
infrastructure that was recently done by the Harare City Council has made
some shocking revelations of the gross incompetence of ZINWA amidst the
continued delay and confusion in the hand-over of the management of water
and sewer reticulation services from ZINWA to the City of Harare.
  One of the Councilors who were part of the delegation on tour (name
withheld) revealed to CHRA that Council discovered that the Firle Water
Works has not been operational since 2005 when ZINWA took over the
management of the water services in Harare. As a result, ZINWA was actually
depositing raw sewer into Manyame River and Lake Chivero; a situation that
has rendered the Harare water to be heavily polluted. The Councilor said
that this could be the major reason why ZINWA was finding it difficult to
provide clean water to residents as treating the heavily polluted water was
proving to be quite expensive. A total of eight different chemicals are
needed to purify the Harare water while other cities like Mutare need only
one chemical for water treatment. This means the whole city had to rely on
the Morton Jeffrey Water Works in Norton which was often affected by power
cuts and the obsolete equipment at the Treatment Plant; a situation that led
to the acute water shortages in Harare and the subsequent cholera outbreak
in August 2008. Councilors have pointed out that both Firle and Morton
Jeffrey are in need of a massive capital injection for them to operate
normally.
Furthermore, a water pump that has been reportedly lying idle for
thirty years was discovered by the City of Harare at Prince Edward water
works while residents endured persistent water cuts that exposed them to
cholera. This revelation is evidence to the negligence that was exercised by
the authorities in charge of water and sewer management. ZINWA continuously
blamed the Harare water woes on the obsolete equipment that the water
utility reportedly inherited from the City of Harare and yet a sound water
pump was lying idle without the knowledge of ZINWA. It is also clear that
ZINWA did not conduct a thorough audit of the water infrastructure when it
took over the management of water and sewer reticulation services from the
City of Harare. The discoveries that have been made by the Council are clear
evidence of ZINWA's incapacity that has plunged Harare into the worst
cholera outbreak ever.
This is the reason why residents are keen to have the City of Harare
regain complete control of the water affairs of Harare so that the confusion
that surrounds the hand-over of the management of water services can come to
an end. A Council official who requested anonymity for fear of victimization
said that the truth on the ground is that no progress has been made in the
hand-over process. The Council has not yet convened to discuss the issue of
the hand-over. The source pointed out that the reports that have come out in
the media where City of Harare officials have said that they will bill water
using the ZINWA rates is just a matter of public relations because ZINWA
seems to be still in control. He however confirmed that the ZINWA management
is actually reporting to the Harare Town clerk.
These reports are worrying especially considering the fact that the
water situation in Harare needs to be improved urgently so as to avoid loss
of more lives to the cholera pandemic. The confusion that is between ZINWA
and the City of Harare is the last thing that residents need at this point
in time. CHRA urges the new government to look into this matter and ensure
that the management of water and sewer reticulation services is not
politicized by people who are just interested in extorting money from
residents. The City of Harare should regain total control of the water and
sewer reticulation services in Harare and proper water management systems
must be set up so that constant supplies of clean water to residents can be
resumed.
CHRA will continue to advocate for good, transparent and accountable
local governance as well as the delivery of quality and affordable municipal
services. - CHRA Alert

Daily cholera update and alerts, 26 Mar 2009

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 145.1 Kbytes)

* Please note that daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the numbers. Any change will then be explained.

** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may occasionally result

A. Highlights of the day:

- 228 Cases and 8 deaths added today (in comparison with 235 cases and 5 deaths yesterday)

- 65.0% of the districts affected have reported today 39 out of 60 affected districts)

- 91.9 % of districts reported to be affected (57 districts out of 62)

- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate 1.7%

- Daily Institutional CFR = 2.2%

- One case reported previously from Umzingwane district in Matabeleland South was a long distant truck driver who had travelled from Harare to Beitbridge and then to Bulawayo, develop signs and symptoms of Cholera at Mbalabala.

Daily cholera update and alerts, 27 Mar 2009

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 144.3 Kbytes)

* Please note that daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the numbers. Any change will then be explained.

** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may occasionally result

A. Highlights of the day:

- 208 Cases and 5 deaths added today (in comparison with 228 cases and 8 deaths yesterday)

- 75% of the districts affected have reported today 45 out of 60 affected districts)

- 91.9 % of districts reported to be affected (57 districts out of 62)

- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate 1.7%

- Daily Institutional CFR = 2.4%

A letter from the diaspora

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:
Friday, 27 March 2009

Dear Friends.
According to a Zimbabwean journalist whose comments I read this week,
it is now considered to be 'unpatriotic' in some circles to criticise the
Government of National Unity - or Inclusive Government. Neither label
precisely describes the strange hybrid that now purports to run the country
but many Zimbabweans both in and outside the country must be finding it hard
to come to terms with the notion of sharing power with the very same people
who were intent on beating your brains out yesterday. Indeed, it's pretty
difficult to be whole-heartedly in favour of this arranged marriage when one
considers the very mixed messages coming out from the country. Events over
the last week perfectly illustrate this point.

The so-called Government of National Unity has been in place for 44
days. On the surface all is sweetness and light; no more overt inter-party
violence and the ordinary man and woman in the street now see supermarket
shelves loaded with goods. Strange that no one tells us where all these
goods have come from! Are we really supposed to believe that Zimbabwe's own
food industy has suddenly swung into production again?  The truth, I
suspect, is that these are all imported goods. Incredibly, most people - at
least in the urban areas - seem able to access foreign currency to pay for
them. It's s very different story out in the villages. A friend phoned me
the other day from my old hometown, right on the edge of a huge rural area.
My friend wanted to thank me for a parcel I had sent him back in January.
(It had just arrived!) Of course, I asked him about life now and how he was
getting on under the new political dispensation; his cheerful answers amazed
me. Admittedly, he is not the brightest or most astute political observer
there is, but what worried me was the fact that he seemed to have been
completely hoodwinked by the sugar, cooking oil and other goodies that he
can now buy over the counter. I assume that my friend is now paid in foreign
currency so he can find the necessary rands or dollars. "But what about
Baba?" I asked, "How is he getting on down there in Mount Darwin? He hasn't
got US dollars, how is he managing?" There was no real answer to that
question but he did admit that 'Nzara' was still the problem down there in
the rurals. 'Nzara' means only one thing, of course, no mealie meal for
sadza, that's the only food that really counts for rural Zimbabweans, unlike
their urban brothers and sisters who can fill their empty stomachs with
western take-away food. In the rural areas, food relief is controlled by the
chiefs and they are not known for their even-handed approach to members of
the opposition. What opposition you may ask? According to Robert Mugabe's
comments to the Norwegian envoy this week, "We no longer have an opposition
and we are working together towards the same goals we have set as
government."  Ah, so now, it all becomes very clear! This is what Robert
Mugabe and his party mean by 'A unity government' The MDC cannot claim that
they were not warned; if you join this sham of a Unity government, you will
be swallowed up by Zanu PF. Already after just 44 days Zanu PF chefs are
telling people out in the rurals that there is no longer any opposition
party, they have merged with Zanu PF and all those people who had deserted
the ruling party must now come back to the one true party, Zanu PF, that won
them their liberation from the hated British imperialists. Will the people
swallow that lie? The answer, sadly, is that they may very well do just
that. After the long years of suffering and hardship under Mugabe's
disastrous misrule, people are only too ready to believe that Zanu PF have
had a change of heart and now want a genuine power-sharing government. The
sight of old enemies hand in hand, like the Deputy Prime Minister and the
Vice President at the recent Women's Day celebrations, seems to suggest that
all is indeed sweetness and light but fine words and hand clasps are not
enough to convince me that this is genuine unity. We should not forget that
Zanu PF as a political party is always in election mode and even now their
collective minds are concentrated on the next election in two years time.
If this is a true 'transition' government than 2010 will be the year
when Zimbabweans go to the polls again. We are told that the process of
constitutional reform is about to begin in accordance with the Agreement
signed between the parties. Let's hope that Zimbabweans have not forgotten
the deluge of violence that followed after the last Constitutional
Referendum when the people voted NO in February 2000. That defeat as I
remember was blamed on the whites, though even then they were less than 1%
of the population. And if Mugabe has his way there will be no white farmers
left at all in Zimbabwe by 2010. Fewer than 100 of them now remain
apparently and violent farm invasions have gone on all week. The MDC appears
powerless, or unwilling, to stop them for fear, perhaps, that such a move
will wreck the so-called Unity Government. The Finance Minister, Tendai
Biti, says that if Zimbabwe does not get financial assistance from the west
very soon the Unity Government will collapse and complete anarchy will
ensue. Perhaps the Honourable Bits needs to be reminded that the rest of the
world is watching events in Zimbabwe very closely and have made it
absolutely clear that there will be no budgetary assistance until human
rights, including property rights, are restored and all political prisoners
released. Robert Mugabe and his Foreign Minister Samuel Mumbengegwe both
deny that Zimbabwe has any political prisoners in its lice infested stinking
gaols but at the same time the MDC releases the names of abducted activists
whom they want released. Meanwhile, Mugabe refuses to swear in the MDC's
Deputy Agriculture Minister on the grounds that he is facing a serious
criminal charge.
My 'unpatriotic' question is what is really going on in Zimbabwe? Jan
Raath, a respected journalist wrote this week that it brought a lump into
his throat when he saw for the first time in ages municipal workers in his
hometown of Harare clearing away piles of stinking, rat-infested garbage
from the city streets. On the face of it, that certainly seems a sign that
things are changing for the better but set that beside eye witness accounts
of the conditions in Zimbabwe's gaols where men and women are dying on a
daily basis of starvation, reduced, said Roy Bennett, to emaciated skeletons
that he likened to Holocaust victims. And this is happening under a 'Unity'
government! The truth is that 'Unity' is a meaningless concept unless it is
a true partnership of equals. Looking in from the outside, I see very few
signs that Mugabe and Zanu PF are really committed to equal partnership and
true change in the country. It is much more than 'changing Zimbabwe's image'
as Professor Mutambara would have us believe; it's about changing the
reality of life for all Zimbabweans.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH. aka Pauline Henson author of
Going Home and Countdown, political detective stories set in Zimbabwe.and
available on lulu.com.
According to a Zimbabwean journalist whose comments I read this week,
it is now considered to be 'unpatriotic' in some circles to criticise the
Government of National Unity - or Inclusive Government. Neither label
precisely describes the strange hybrid that now purports to run the country
but many Zimbabweans both in and outside the country must be finding it hard
to come to terms with the notion of sharing power with the very same people
who were intent on beating your brains out yesterday. Indeed, it's pretty
difficult to be whole-heartedly in favour of this arranged marriage when one
considers the very mixed messages coming out from the country and if that
comment can be regarded as 'unpatriotic' then I'm happy to plead guilty.

Comment from a Correspondent

ZESA PLEASE STOP DISTRUBUTING POWER UNFAIRLY WHEN WE ARE PAYING THE SAME
ESTIMATED BILLS.

I live in Kuwadzana Phase 3 close to Dzivaresekwa  ,since 2006  ZESA has
been switching us off on a daily basis and sometimes people are made to
contribute Forex towards the reconnection of Electricity .My question to
ZESA is ,Why is it that there is preferential treatment when it comes to the
load Shedding. We are being switched off every day of our lives .We are
switched off between 5.30 AM to around 12 or 3 PM ,from 3 to five is the
time when we are given power only to be switched off at around 5.30 PM only
to be reconnected at around 10 PM .  Given this scenario this simply means
we are getting less than seven hours time to use electricity of which most
of the time  will be around midninght.We are calling the ZESA authorities to
investigate whether these power cuts are genuine or are  done to facilitate
the oil drainage from substations as this is the time when ZESA employees
steal oil or their accomplices because a laymen from the street can not just
go into a sub station and drain oil ,honestly where does one start ? I have
checked with other areas and there are no severe power cuts as the ones we
are experiencing therefore we are calling upon the relevant authorities to
investigate these disruptions. We are not saying there should be no power
cuts but why is it that we are the ones who are always being cut off .Other
areas which are close to us do not even experience any power cuts.

ZESA SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND STOP SUCH LOAD SHEDDINGS WHICH ARE CAUSED BY
INDIVIDUALS WHO SOMETIMES DO IT FOR THEIR OWN BENEFITS ,SOME HAVE FIREWOOD
BUSINESSES SOME RUN CANDLE BUSINESSES AND SOME BENEFIT FROM THE
CONTRUBUTIONS FROM RESIDENTS.I WILL BE MONITORING THE SITUATION AND WILL BE
UPDATING DAILY ON THESE UNFAIR PRACTICES.