http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Alex Bell
30 March 2011
The
Southern African Development Community (SADC) is being urged to finally
stand up to Robert Mugabe, and publicly pressure the ageing leader to end
worsening abuses and harassment at the hands of ZANU PF.
The regional
bloc’s security organ, the Troika, is meeting in Zambia from
Thursday and
the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe is on the agenda of the
talks. The
heads of state Summit is being chaired by the Troika’s chief,
Zambian
President Rupiah Banda, and will also be attended by South African
President
Jacob Zuma and his Mozambican counterpart President Armando
Guebuza.
The Summit comes as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has
continued with a
diplomatic offensive, briefing African leaders about the
situation back
home. On Wednesday he traveled to the DRC for talks with
President Joseph
Kabila, a known Mugabe ally. He was also set to meet with
Tanzania’s leader
President Jakaya Kikwete, before heading to Zimbabwe for
the Troika meeting.
Mugabe and an entourage, including Defence Minister
Emmerson Mnangagwa, were
also set to head to Zambia on Wednesday for the
Summit.
Tsvangirai has also been urging the leaders to ensure that a
proper roadmap
towards free and fair elections is established before any
poll is allowed to
go ahead in Zimbabwe. He has already met with leaders
from Swaziland,
Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa, and on Monday met with
Namibia’s
President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
Pohamba said that the
crumbling unity government should stay in place until
proper elections are
held in Zimbabwe, saying it would be “sad” if the
coalition
collapsed.
SADC leaders are meant to be the guarantors of the unity
government, after
drafting the Global Political Agreement (GPA). But to
date, the regional
bloc has done nothing to ensure that ZANU PF abides by
the agreement or
institutes any meaningful reforms. The bloc has been
accused of siding with
Mugabe and allowing him to keep his grip on power,
with no regard to the
human rights of Zimbabweans.
Human Rights Watch
(HRW) said on Wednesday that SADC now needs to stand up
to urgently
intervene in the worsening situation in Zimbabwe, and take a
tougher stand
with Mugabe and ZANU PF. Senior HRW researcher Tiseke
Kasambala told SW
Radio Africa that SADC can no longer “tip toe around the
situation.”
“We hope that they finally do something, or else we will
see a repeat of the
violence and chaos of the 2008 election period in
Zimbabwe, or even worse,”
Kasambala warned.
Kasambala added that
SADC’s policy of “behind the scenes diplomacy has
allowed the likes of ZANU
PF to manipulate the public agenda, and it simply
doesn’t work.” She
explained that tougher action, and a public condemnation
of the action of
ZANU PF was needed.
“However, if SADC is unable to stand up to Mugabe
then the African Union
should step in and the United Nations should step
in,” Kasambala said. “They
cannot just sit back and allow a situation like
this to unfold.”
The pressure from HRW comes as governments in Europe are
again being urged
to penalise SADC countires, over their failure to protect
Zimbabweans. A
petition by the London based protest group, The Zimbabwe
Vigil, has been
relaunched, calling for financial penalties against SADC.
The Vigil has
called on EU governments to suspend direct financial
assistance to SADC
governments until SADC meets its obligations over
Zimbabwe.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Mar 30, 2011 10:37 AM | By
Sapa-AFP
African leaders Thursday will try to defuse escalating tensions
in Zimbabwe,
where President Robert Mugabe is accused of cracking down on
rivals ahead of
polls expected later this year.
Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe's partner in a rocky unity
government, earlier
this month called on the 15-nation Southern African
Development Community
(SADC) to lay out a "road map" to new elections.
Tsvangirai and Mugabe
are expected to meet with the SADC's security organ,
known as the Troika,
during the summit Thursday in the Zambian tourist town
of Livingstone, near
the famed Victoria Falls.
The leaders of Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique
and Namibia will all attend
the summit.
But in the more than two
years since Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed their
unlikely unity government,
SADC has refused to step into their feuding.
The regional bloc brokered
the power-sharing accord meant to halt Zimbabwe's
stunning economic collapse
and to end the political violence that erupted
during the 2008
elections.
That deal envisaged a new constitution within 18 months
followed within six
months by fresh elections, but the process is running
nearly a year behind
schedule, with a constitutional referendum expected no
earlier than
September.
Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai, however, say they
are ready to move toward
elections that would end the unity
government.
The power-sharing arrangement has stemmed Zimbabwe's economic
decline,
largely by abandoning the local currency left worthless after years
of
world-record hyper-inflation.
While Tsvangirai's allies run most
of the ministries dealing with the
economy, Mugabe retains a firm grip on
the mining ministry -- overseeing the
biggest sector of the economy -- and
the security forces.
Now Tsvangirai complains that police are being used
to arrest and harass his
supporters, from villagers to top ministers, as
well as journalists and
activists.
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party is also
trying to squeeze cash out of the mining
ministry by requiring foreign firms
to sell majority stakes to locals --and
by exploiting vast diamond reserves
despite claims of military abuses
against workers.
Rather than
intervene, regional leaders are more likely to press the two
sides to find a
solution domestically, Zambian Foreign Minister Kabinga
Pande told
AFP.
"The desire of SADC is to see that there is unity in the government
of
Zimbabwe and we are certain that at the end of the summit, the parties
will
have resolved the differences," Pande said.
Zambia, which
currently chairs the Troika and has been more critical of
Mugabe than most
of its neighbours.
Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba is close to
Mugabe, while Mozambican
President Armando Guebuza avoids speaking out on
Zimbabwe.
South Africa President Jacob Zuma, the bloc's official mediator
in Zimbabwe,
is more critical of Mugabe than his predecessor Thabo Mbeki.
But Zuma's
personal visits and regular trips by his envoys have yielded few
tangible
changes.
"SADC does not and can not do anything for
Zimbabwe," said Takavafira Zhou,
a political scientist at Masvingo
University in Zimbabwe.
"To expect it to take a hardline stance in terms
of resolving the
outstanding issues of the (unity accord) or the restoration
of rule of law
would be daydreaming."
The Troika is also set to
discuss Madagascar, stuck in political limbo since
opposition leader Andry
Rajoelina toppled president Marc Ravalomanana with
the army's backing two
years ago.
http://www.voanews.com/
Chinedu Offor | Washington DC March 30,
2011
Human Rights Watch is calling on the Southern Africa Development
Community
[SADC] to press Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe on human rights
issues.
The group refers to what it calls harassment and arbitrary arrests
of civil
society activists and political opponents. This, as SADC prepares
to meet in
Zambia tomorrow to consider a report on Zimbabwe.
The
organization sent its latest petition to SADC after a similar protest
was
ignored in the past.
“We see it yet as another opportunity to highlight
our concerns with what’s
happening in Zimbabwe and our concerns of the
possibility of escalation of
violence in the country, which is something the
SADC cannot afford to
ignore,” says Tiseke Kasambala, senior researcher at
the African Division of
Human Rights Watch.
In the past several
international, regional and local groups have
unsuccessfully pressed
President Mugabe to call his supporters to order and
stop attacks on his
opponents by Zimbabwe’s security agencies.
“The reason why Mugabe has the
opportunity to ignore some of these calls is
because SADC has simply not
been strong enough in calling him to account,”
says Kasambala.
She
says President Mugabe is bound by an agreement he signed with the
Movement
for Democratic Change [MDC] to rein in his supporters and form an
inclusive
government.
“When you look at the Global Political Agreement, which paved
the way for
this inclusive government, it highlighted several points which
talked about
ending political violence and restoring rule of law,” she
says.
http://www.voanews.com/
Sources
said state officials told the IMF team in various meetings that
Zimbabwe is
broke as revenues declined by almost 35 percent in the first
quarter of 2011
due to diminished production in various sectors and lack of
significant
foreign direct investment
Gibbs Dube | Washington 29 March
2011
As the International Monetary Fund’s consultation mission in
Zimbabwe
prepared to wind down its business Wednesday, government officials
revealed
the country had no money to pay off its arrears to international
lending
institutions.
Sources said state officials told the IMF team
in various meetings that
Harare was broke as revenues declined by almost 35
percent in the first
quarter of 2011 due to diminished production in various
sectors and lack of
significant foreign direct investment.
The
sources said Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe made it clear
that
the country cannot meet its own financial needs as revenue collection
fell
from US$350 to US$150 million a month.
The government has even suspended
some capital projects due to lack of
funds. As a result, no money has been
set aside to pay off part of the
country’s US$7 billion external
debt.
Economist Eric Bloch said failure by the government to pay part of
its
international financial commitments is disastrous for a nation failing
to
attract foreign investors.
“Zimbabwe needs to modify its economic
policies radically, turn empowerment
laws into constructive ones, streamline
government spending by reducing the
size of the civil service and negotiate
with the international community for
debt redemption through the Highly
Indebted Poor Countries initiative,” said
Bloch.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
30 March
2011
Finance Minister Tendai Biti on Wednesday hosted another conference
trying
to encourage investment in Zimbabwe, despite the recent moves by ZANU
PF to
take over foreign owned companies.
The ‘Buy Zimbabwe Conference
and Exhibition’ got underway in Harare on
Wednesday, and was hosted by the
Finance Ministry. The conference was set to
focus on the promotion of the
production and consumption of local goods and
services.
“The
conference is a first of its kind focusing on growing Zimbabwe’s local
base
while taking into consideration the various trade agreements that
Zimbabwe
is signatory to,” organisers said in a statement.
“The conference is a
platform for different economic sectors driving
Zimbabwe to shift towards
practical implementation of solutions that will
help create value to local
companies struggling to meet consumer demand due
to a challenging economic
environment.”
The conference comes as foreign mining companies have been
given a six month
deadline to hand over a majority stake in shares to local
‘investors’, as
part of ZANU PF’s controversial indiginisation law. Affected
firms, with the
exemption of Chinese owned companies, have until May 9th to
submit their
‘indiginisation’ plans to the government and until September
25th to
finalise the handover.
This planned offensive against mining
companies is feared to be the start of
a wider ZANU PF takeover, reminiscent
of the destructive land grab scheme of
the past decade. Robert Mugabe over
the weekend stated that, “We are taking
back our country” and analysts have
warned that this sentiment is driving
potential investment away from the
country.
Commentators have argued that this is bad timing for yet another
investment
conference, as there is no confidence that any foreign businesses
will be
given a chance to succeed in Zimbabwe. Earlier this year, the
government
hosted a Euromoney investment conference, trying to persuade
investors that
Zimbabwe is a safe investment zone. That conference was
widely viewed as a
‘damp squib’, because all efforts to encourage investment
are being
undermined by ZANU PF’s ‘indiginisation’ plans.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au
Bruce Loudon
From: The
Australian
March 31, 2011 12:00AM
THE gruesome talk is of human
remains being carried to the surface from a
disused mine shaft - more than
1000 bodies buried in a mass grave at the
Monkey William Mine in Bembera
village near Mount Darwin, 150km north of
Harare, Zimbabwe.
For
weeks, state-controlled television and newspapers in the country,
slavishly
subservient to President Robert Mugabe, have focused on little
else,
providing saturation coverage of every detail of the exhumations and
the
cause celebre they have become for his ZANU-PF party.
And in this lies
evidence of the latest Machiavellian manoeuvre by the
87-year-old dictator
even as he suffers from prostate cancer that is
reported to have cost the
Zimbabwean exchequer $12 million over four months
for him to be treated by
doctors in Singapore and Malaysia.
Mugabe, with the junta of military,
police and security officials that
surrounds him, is determined to bring
about the collapse of the
power-sharing arrangement concluded two years ago
with opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai.
He wants to force an early
election on his own corrupt terms - an election
that, he reckons, he will be
able to rig through violence and intimidation
and thereby ensure
victory.
He wants the election held within months, before the drafting of
a new
constitution, a key element in the power-sharing arrangement which, if
it
went ahead and free and fair elections were held, would spell the demise
of
his odious regime.
In terms of the power-sharing arrangement -
forced on a reluctant Mugabe -
elections are not due until 2013. The only
way he can hold them sooner is by
forcing Tsvangirai and his Movement for
Democratic Change to walk away from
the arrangement, a farce that now exists
in little more than name.
With an eye to the fate of North African
despots, including his close friend
and ally Muammar Gaddafi, Mugabe is
cracking down hard on the opposition.
Even senior MDC ministers in the
power-sharing cabinet have been arrested.
There is talk of new moves
against Tsvangirai, who last weekend hurried to
see South African President
Jacob Zuma ahead of a crucial meeting of the
South African Development
Community, due in a few days to discuss the crisis
in
Zimbabwe.
Echoing the pleas from within the opposition for help against
Mugabe's
brutal crackdown, one local newspaper, referring to the force being
used
against Gaddafi, has pleaded for international intervention against the
Zimbabwean dictator. "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 on retaining political power
at any cost," the newspaper wrote. "Zimbabwe presents a perfect opportunity
for the African Union to demonstrate its 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."
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has joined the
clamour. In a
scarcely veiled reference to Mugabe, he has warned that
repressive regimes
in Africa could be targeted. "The action we have taken in
Libya shows the
international community does take gross violations of human
rights extremely
seriously," he has said. "In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe's
security forces
continue to act with impunity, ramping up intimidation in
order to instil
fear into their opponents."
Mugabe, however, even in
his dotage, appears unmoved. Hence the cynical use
of the human remains
being exhumed from Monkey William Mine and his attempts
to stir the pot
against Tsvangirai and the opposition.
The bodies, Mugabe's henchmen
insist, are those of men, women and children
killed by Ian Smith's white
Rhodesian regime during the chimurenga (war of
independence) 32 years ago,
their bodies thrown down the mineshaft.
The aim is clear: first, it is to
again stir up sentiment against the former
white regime, then it is to link
Tsvangirai and the MDC, which have close
links to foreign governments and
business interests, to the white regime and
remnants loyal to the old
Rhodesia.
ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo says he is not surprised that
despite the
huge importance being accorded the exhumations in the national
psyche, the
MDC has stayed away from the mine. "It's not surprising,
considering their
association with the Rhodesians and the West."
So
blatant is the regime's attempt to shamelessly use the exhumations as a
way
of stirring up emotions against the opposition and forcing a rigged
election
that some wonder about the circumstances surrounding the discovery.
While
the regime insists the bodies are those of freedom fighters, others
suggest
they are more recent - possibly victims of pro-Mugabe thugs who
wrought
violence and havoc during the 2008 election, or from among the
20,000 people
massacred earlier in Matabeleland by his North Korean-trained
5th Brigade
during the Gukurahundi genocide against his political opponents.
The
reality is that such is the endless litany of human rights abuses and
outrages in Zimbabwe that without proper forensic testing it is going to be
difficult to properly establish the facts. By seeking to exploit the
exhumations in the way he is, however, Mugabe is again demonstrating the
brutality of his regime as it seeks to perpetuate his murderous
rule.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Zwanai Sithole
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
09:11
HARARE - The ZIPRA Veterans Trust has called on the government to
order an
audit to establish the identities of human skeletons which were
recently
discovered at a disused mine shaft in Mt Darwin.
The ZIPRA
Veterans Trust chairperson, Retired Colonel Ray Ncube, said it was
dangerous
to assume that the human remains discovered in a disused mine
shaft were
liberation war fighters supposedly buried in the shaft by the
Rhodesian Army
during the liberation struggle.
"While it is a fact that a lot of our
comrades were killed by the Rhodesian
forces in the Mt Darwin and Rushinga
areas during the liberation struggle,
it is also a fact that a lot of ZIPRA
and ZANLA cadres died in the area
during the integration period in 1980
following internal clashes after the
formation of the first battalion 2.1
infantry battalion. It is also no
secret that a lot of MDC supporters went
missing during the run up to the
2008 harmonised elections" said Ncube who
operated in the area under the
Zimbabwe People Revolutionary Army during the
war.
Ncube said that the organ for National Healing and Recollection,
together
with the Joint Operations and Monitoring Campaign (JOMIC) should
take charge
of the exhumation programme. "As a former freedom fighter I am
really hurt
by what is happening. Where is the organ for National Healing
and JOMIC?
This is an abuse of all the people who fight for democracy in
this country.
The true identities of these people should be revealed,
otherwise the nation
will remain with a lot of questions than answers," he
said.
Ncube's sentiments were shared by Mbuso Fuzwayo of Ibhetshu Likazulu.
"To
start with, we are not sure who exactly those bones belong to. It might
be
Patrick Nabanyama, the MDC 's activist who disappeared in 2000.The
problem
is that Zanu (PF) has got selective memory" said Fuzwayo.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Chris Ncube
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
08:30
JOHANNESBURG - International human rights group, Amnesty
International, this
week called for police to refrain from violating the
rights of women in
Zimbabwe. This followed revelations, at the time of going
to print, that two
leaders of the social justice movement Women of Zimbabwe
Arise (WOZA), Jenni
Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, were being sought by
police. They were at
risk of arbitrary arrest and ill-treatment following
the organisation’s
ninth annual Valentine's Day peaceful protest in Bulawayo
last month.
Officers have also contacted a human rights lawyer, demanding he
bring the
two WOZA leaders to Bulawayo Central Police station. The officer
reportedly
stated that the two 'must prepare themselves for a long
detention'. However,
police have given no indication of the reasons why they
are searching for
the two WOZA leaders, causing fears that the two could be
arbitrarily
arrested and detained.
Following the reports Mahlangu and
Williams were on the police’s ‘wanted
list’, Amnesty is leading a campaign
to petition Deputy Commissioner-General
Innocent Matibiri, and the Member in
Charge of Bulawayo Central Police
Station. Amnesty urged Zimbabweans to
petition the senior officials urging
them to ensure that the in their
conduct, officers are mindful of and
respect the ruling by the Supreme Court
of Zimbabwe.
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Edward Jones Wednesday 30 March
2011
HARARE – Zimbabwean church leaders have condemned the escalation
in
political violence ahead of possible elections this year amid rising
tension
between President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party, which threatens their tenuous power-sharing
government.
Political analysts warn that Zimbabwe risks sliding back
into crisis with
Mugabe’s election plans.
In a pastoral statement,
the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Zimbabwe Catholic
Bishops Conference and
Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe urged political
leaders to "reflect
deeply" and work to resolve outstanding political
agreements before holding
elections.
“Churches are concerned about reports of politically motivated
violence in
the provinces of Mashonaland, Masvingo, Manicaland and Harare
caused by the
revival of the structures that perpetrated violence in the
run-up to the
2008 Presidential elections,” the church groups
said.
Mugabe is fighting to have elections this year, which ZANU-PF is
confident
it will win after the party’s loss to the MDC in 2008.
The
87-year-old leader was forced into a unity government with Tsvangirai
after
a flawed run-off vote but two years down the line ZANU-PF says it now
wants
to go it alone. The MDC has warned that a rushed election will lead to
violence.
The churches said they had witnessed a lack of impartiality
by police and
security forces countrywide and reported a surge in threats
and intimidation
and a revival of the deployment of militias and other
groups that
perpetrated the 2008 violence.
On Saturday police beat up
MDC members who had gathered at the party
headquarters for elections to
restructure the party ahead of its May
congress. The MDC says Mugabe
continued to use state security agents to
cling to power.
Police have
banned three consecutive rallies which Tsvangirai planned to
address, saying
the venues had been booked by ZANU-PF, although Harare city
council
officials say Mugabe’s party had not booked the venues.
The churches are
worried by the slow pace of national healing that was meant
to end the
trauma of past political violence and said political leaders
needed to do
more than the occasional of violence.
“The church is concerned about lack
of a clear national framework on the
healing and reconciliation process
which is a critical component of this
transitional period,” the churches
said in statement signed by their
leaders.
As political tensions
rise, the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation has stepped up its
attacks on the Tsvangirai and the MDC, in
what the former opposition party
says is a propaganda drive by the state
broadcaster.
The churches
said inflammatory language reported in the state media had also
contributed
to violence and undermined efforts on national healing.
Leaders of the
Southern African Development community should do more to
resolve outstanding
disputes over power-sharing before the next election,
the churches
said.
The churches however said they would hold prayer vigils for peace and
proposed the eventual formation of an independent truth, justice and
reconciliation commission to deal with "truth telling, acknowledgement of
past wrongs and restorative and transitional justice issues". --
ZimOnline
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Zwanai Sithole
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
18:11
BULAWAYO - Zanu (PF) has deployed heavily armed soldiers in the
three
southern provinces of Midlands, Matabeleland North and South provinces
in a
desperate bid to force locals to support the party.
Highly placed
sources in Nkayi and Lupane told The Zimbabwean that Zimbabwe
National Army
soldiers (ZNA) have now taken over party business in the
areas. In Nkayi the
soldiers are stationed at Panke lodge while in Lupane
they are staying in
tents pitched near Lupane State University.
"There are heavily armed soldiers
who are staying at Panke lodge in Nkayi.
Everyday in the early hours of the
morning, they march along the
Nkayi/Kwekwe road singing and chanting ant-MDC
slogans. Villagers are really
afraid of a repeat of the Gukurahundi era,"
said a Zimbabwean informant.
He said the soldiers were sometimes seen at the
Zanu (PF) district offices.
"Each ward in Nkayi has been assigned two
soldiers who are being assisted by
party youths to harass and force
villagers to join the party's structures.
The local youths are the ones who
are proving the soldiers with the list of
the names of key MDC supporters in
the area,” said a local who refused to be
named.
The MDC Senator for the
area, Robert Makhula, said he recently met soldiers
travelling in a convoy
of five pick-up trucks near Tohwe, about 30
kilometres north of Nkayi. "I
spoke to them and they said they are going out
to revamp Zanu (PF)
structures and deal with people who were in Zanu (PF)
but joined the
opposition. This sounds like a general intimidation pattern
which soldiers
will use to harass anyone who does not support Zanu (PF),"
said Makhula.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
Dear Friends,
Today,
30.3.11, the Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum ('the
Forum'), Mr Abel Chikomo, has been formally charged under
Section 6 (3) as
read with subsection 1 of the Private Voluntary
Organisations (PVO) Act. Mr
Chikomo has been allowed to go home today but is
required to report tomorrow
morning at the Law and Order section of Harare
Central police
station.
The investigation and interrogation of Mr Chikomo has been going
on since
the beginning of February 2011. The police are alleging that Mr
Chikomo has
been managing and controlling the operations of an illegal PVO.
The police
further allege that the Forum is required to register as a PVO
before it can
commence any of its activities as stipulated in its
constitution. By
directing the activities and instructing the staff of the
Forum to perform
such activities as well as raising resources for the Forum,
the police
allege that Mr Chikomo is knowingly acting in contravention of
the PVO Act.
Mr Chikomo has denied all the charges and allegations by the
police. He
states in his warned and cautioned statement that the Forum is
not a PVO and
is not required either by the PVO Act or any other law, to
register as a
PVO. To the contrary, the PVO Act exempts organisations like
the Forum from
such registration. To the contrary, section 2 (1) (v) of the
PVO Act exempts
organisations like the Forum from registering under the
Act.
Mr Chikomo states that the The Forum is a Common Law Universitas
recognised
by Section 89 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. He further states
that the
legal status of the Forum is beyond question as demonstrated by the
recognition of the legal existence and work of the Forum by the Courts of
Zimbabwe, including the Supreme Court. The courts would not entertain legal
suits lodged by the Forum if the Forum was not legally constituted. In
addition, the Forum works and collaborates with different Government
departments including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministerial Organ on
National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration.
The Forum is also
recognised by the Parliament of Zimbabwe and on several
occasions, the Forum
has appeared before various committees of Parliament
including the Thematic
Committee on Human Rights, briefing the committee,
on, among other things,
the role of human rights NGO's and the promotion and
protection of human
rights. All these bodies would certainly not collaborate
with an illegal
entity.
--
International Liaison Office
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai Karimakwenda
30 March,
2011
Officials from the MDC-T in Manicaland report that they have
approached the
Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) to
intervene after
more displaced villagers turned up at their head office in
Mutare, seeking
shelter from violent ZANU PF supporters. MDC-T provincial
spokesperson,
Pishai Muchauraya, said a team from JOMIC has agreed to meet
with the
victims on Sunday and hear their stories.
More assaults on
innocent villagers started last week after a ZANU PF
anti-sanctions rally.
Many were accused of not attending the rally and were
hunted down
door-to-door and severely assaulted. Over 200 reportedly fled
and some from
Cashel Valley crossed into Mozambique.
Muchauraya told SW Radio Africa
that about 50 are now being cared for at the
Mutare office and the number
continues to grow. “There has been no response
from the police in terms of
arrests even though we provided some names,”
said Muchauraya.
He
accused ZANU PF’s councilor Elijah Mugebe, Major Muresherwa and
traditional
leader Tichaona Undenge, of organizing the attacks against MDC
supporters
using armed youth militia and war vets.
Muchauraya said the JOMIC team
has also asked to meet some of the
perpetrators of the violence, which they
say is necessary to ‘start a
healing dialogue’.
Muchauraya said; “But
of course the perpetrators will not show up on Sunday
because they do not
want to be exposed or arrested.”
The police have continued with their
usual partisan approach to political
violence around the country, arresting
only MDC supporters. ZANU PF thugs
operate with impunity and at times with
police assistance. This led to
statements by the JOMIC co-chairperson,
Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga, who
last week said a “smart coup” had taken
place in Zimbabwe.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
30 March, 2011
The scores of youths who were picked up by
armed police officers early
Monday morning in Bulawayo Central are reported
to be in detention at
Saucertown police station. The MDC-T confirmed on
Wednesday that the youths
are party members who had gone missing after
police abducted them from the
Trenance and Richmond areas.
The MDC
said approximately 30 youths are in custody facing a variety of
charges,
including violence and cattle rustling. SW Radio Africa
correspondent Lionel
Saungweme said the arrests are related to squabbles
between ZANU PF and MDC
youths in the Trenance area.
According to Saungweme, ZANU PF member Himan
Tshuma defected to the MDC and
caused many other defections after he was
elected branch chairperson. This
angered ZANU PF youths and led to Tshuma
being assaulted by 2 army officers
on March 12th at Mvutshwa
camp.
The story became public after MDC youths reported it to the police
and spoke
to the local press. “The arrests are a warning to MDC youths to be
quiet
next time and not report any political attacks,” said our
correspondent.
The police have made no statements regarding this case and
it is not clear
when the remaining MDC youths will be released or brought to
court.
Meanwhile the trial of Energy and Power Development Minister,
Elton Mangoma,
resumed at the High Court Wednesday with the State witness,
Justin
Mupamhanga, being cross examined by the defence. Mupamhanga is the
Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Energy.
The MDC say Mangoma is
facing ‘fake’ charges of abusing his public office as
a minister by
authorising a fuel purchase from South Africa earlier this
year. The trial
failed to kick of Tuesday after prison officials said the
minister could not
be brought to court, as they did not have fuel.
The trial will continue on
Thursday.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Naume Muza Wednesday 30 March
2011
KAROI – President Robert Mugabe’s supporters have drafted
hundreds of
schoolchildren from Mashonaland West province to sign a petition
demanding
scrapping of Western sanctions against the veteran leader and his
top
allies.
Mugabe’s ZANU PF party hopes to collect at least two
million signatures for
the petition that shall be handed to ambassadors of
Western countries that
imposed the sanctions for onward transmission to
their capitals.
High schoolteachers and children here yesterday told
ZimOnline that ZANU PF
activists have in recent weeks disrupted learning at
several schools where
they have visited ordering both teachers and senior
pupils to sign the
anti-sanctions petition.
“When the youths came at
the school, we thought they wanted only the
teachers to sign the petition
but they later asked to address students in
their classes,” said a senior
teacher at Chikangwe High School in Karoi,
about 204 kilometres north-west
of Harare.
“All children with identity cards were told to sign the
petition,” said the
teacher who declined to be named for fear of possible
reprisal.
Education Minister David Coltart was not immediately available
for comment
on the matter. Authorities at Chikangwe and several other
schools visited by
ZimOnline refused to discuss the matter, referring our
reporters to
Mashonaland West provincial education officer Sylvester
Mashayamombe. He
refused to discuss the matter.
But the Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) criticised ZANU PF for
disrupting learning
at schools and accused Mugabe’s party of turning some
schools into centres
for signing the petition.
“We denounce the abuse of school facilities by
ZANU PF where some senior
education officers throughout the county are
forcing teachers to sign the
petition and also turning schools into petition
signing centres,”|said PTUZ
president Takavafira Zhou.
Mashonaland
West ZANU PF chairman Robert Sikanyika said schoolchildren must
sign the
petition because they are also affected by sanctions. But he denied
that
party activists were disrupting lessons at schools to collect
signatures
from teachers and learners.
“There is nothing sinister to have students
signing the petition as they are
affected by the sanction imposed by the
West. We want to surpass the two
million target’’ said Sikanyika.
The
European Union, United States, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand,
imposed targeted sanctions against Mugabe and his top officials about nine
years ago as punishment for allegedly stealing elections, human rights
violations and failure to uphold the rule of law.
Mugabe, who denies
violating human rights or stealing elections, says the
sanctions have had a
wider impact beyond the targeted individuals to damage
Zimbabwe’s once
vibrant economy. -- ZimOnline
http://www.radiovop.com
30/03/2011 15:40:00
Harare,
March 30, 2011 - The Zanu (PF) politburo met in Harare on Wednesday
still
smarting from its embarrassing defeat in which its national chairman
Simon
Khaya Moyo was walloped by Lovemore Moyo from the Movement for
Democratic
Change (MDC) T.
Insiders claimed the politburo – the Zanu (PF) supreme
decision-making
body-met to deliberate on the defeat with a possibility to
launch a witch
hunt on members of parliament that voted for a rival
candidate.
There were 203 MPs eligible to vote but 199 turned up for
poll. Of these, 96
each belonged to Zanu (PF) and MDC-T and seven to
Welshman Ncube MDC. Four
MPs – two each from Zanu (PF) and MDC-T – were
absent for various reasons.
With 96 MDT legislators in parliament,
Lovemore gained eleven votes, raising
strong suspicions that at least two
Zanu (PF) MPs voted for a rival
candidate.
“We are meeting this
morning as the politburo, the issue might be raised,”
said Zanu (PF)
spokesman Rugare Gumbo.
The voting pattern in Tuesday night’s election is
said to have devastated
Zanu (PF) which desperately wants to re-gain its
lost glory against Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC
T.
The MDC-T candidate, Lovemore Moyo won 105 votes against 94 for Zanu
(PF's)
representative who is the current party's chair, Simon Khaya Moyo.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
30 March
2011
For the first time since the MDC split in October 2005 the two
resulting
formations of the party on Tuesday temporarily buried their
differences and
united in re-electing the MDC-T’s Lovemore Moyo as Speaker
of Parliament.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party endured weeks of
sustained
harassment as over 7 MP’s were arrested on a variety of trumped-up
charges.
The ZANU PF strategy was to arrest enough MDC-T MP’s to whittle
down their
majority in parliament and be assured that ZANU PF candidate
Simon Khaya
Moyo won.
The crackdown however backfired, as the smaller
faction of the MDC announced
on Monday they would not sit by and watch while
ZANU PF tried to rig the
vote. Secretary General Priscilla Misihairambwi
Mushonga said they had
decided to urge their MPs to vote for the MDC-T
candidate because of their
belief in the fundamental values of justice,
freedom and democracy.
Various commentators pointed to the fact that a
united front by the two MDC
formations had helped deliver a humiliating blow
to ZANU PF’s political
thuggery. The two parties were urged to build on
Tuesday’s show of unity and
create a much more formidable alliance for the
next general election.
Lovemore Moyo, a guest on our Question Time
programme, was cautious about
the chances of a unity deal. He told us they
were not sure whether the
cooperation from their colleagues was a ‘one off’
or would continue. He said
the gesture from their former colleagues had
helped boost prospects of a
much sought after unity deal and he had made it
a point to thank them on
Tuesday.
Moyo’s victory will also come in handy
as a morale booster for the MDC-T,
given the party has had to endure
outright provocation by ZANU PF during the
run-up to the speaker
election.
Energy Minister and MDC-T MP Elton Mangoma, had been slapped
with dubious
corruption charges and was for brought to court in leg irons,
just to
humiliate him and his party. Co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone
went
into hiding also fearing arrest.
Little wonder MDC-T supporters
broke into wild celebrations across Zimbabwe
as news spread that Lovemore
Moyo had won. The symbolism of the victory was
not lost on the state
broadcaster ZBC, as it ignored the victory on the 8pm
main news
bulletin.
For all ZANU PF’s use of harassment, abductions, arrests and
violence, on
Tuesday the party was shown once again as being unable to win
an election.
The fact that two of their MP’s are said to have voted for the
MDC-T
candidate highlighted the factional fighting within their
ranks.
Lovemore Moyo polled 105 votes to 93 that went to ZANU PF’s Simon
Khaya
Moyo. A total of 203 MPs were eligible to vote, however owing to the
ZANU PF
instigated crackdown, several MDC-T MP’s were in police custody and
a total
of 199 MP’s were present in Parliament. One vote was spoiled and not
accepted.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Mxolisi Ncube
Wednesday, 30 March
2011 08:51
JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe will be sending representatives to the
2011 World
Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) Presidents' meeting,
scheduled for
April 11-13 in Dubai.
While a detailed program of the
three-day meeting is yet to be released,
exports from Zimbabwe’s
controversial Marange fields are expected to be high
on the agenda,
following accusations that the Kimberly Process Certification
Scheme did not
follow consensus in lifting a brief ban.
Peter Meeus, who chairs the Dubai
Diamond Exchange (DDE), said this week
that his organisation will, together
with the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
(DMCC), organise the "WFDB African
Summit," with the participation of a
number of mining ministers from leading
African diamond producing countries,
including Zimbabwe.
Among countries
to be represented at the summit are Zimbabwe, South Africa,
DRC and Angola.
"We're pleased that we have been able to integrate this
special summit into
a prestigious event such as the WFDB Presidents'
Meeting," said Meeus. "The
events and developments in the leading African
diamond producing countries
are fast-paced and this summit will enable all
participants to receive a
snapshot of the current developments in Africa's
diamond producing
centres."
Ministers expected to attend the first summit are Zimbabwe’s
Minister of
Mines and Mining Development, Obert Mpofu, his counterparts -
Martin
Kabwelulu Labilo of the DRC, South Africa’s Susan Shabangu and
Joaquim
Duarte da Costa David of Angola, who will be accompanied by Rui
Jorge
Carneiro Mangueira, Angola’s Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs for
Administrative Organization.
Also in attendance as guests of honour at
the WFDB Presidents’ meeting will
be former South African President, Thabo
Mbeki and the DRC’s Mathieu Yamba -
the KPCS Chair who recently quoted the
ire of human rights groups and the
international community with his decision
to allow exports to resume from
the Marange diamonds fields. "Our
organisation exists to protect and guard
the ethical standards on which our
industry is founded,” said WFDB President
Avi Paz.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by The Zimbabwean
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
06:33
HARARE – Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and MDC-N president
Welshman
Ncube look headed for collision at today’s SADC Troika summit, to
which
both have been invited.
The two are embroiled in an increasingly
acrimonious dispute over who leads
the MDC. "Yes we have been invited,"
Ncube told The Zimbabwean. "We have no
right to tell SADC who it should or
should not invite to its meetings. All
we know is that he (Mutambara) can
not attend as the MDC President, even if
invited as such, because he is
interdicted by a court order from attending
as MDC President because he is
not.”
Ncube obtained an interdict from Justice Nicholas Ndou that stopped
Mutambara from claiming he was still party president. Mutambara alleges Ndou
worked in cahoots with Ncube in granting the order. Ncube had also wanted
the High Court to stop Mutambara representing the party at the Troika
meeting, at which President Jacob Zuma will present his report on the
outstanding issues in the implementation of the GPA.
Ndou did not grant
that relief, but ruled that Mutambara was no longer MDC
president because he
had stepped down at congress and handed the baton to
Ncube.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Jane Makoni
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
10:32
HWEDZA - Thomas Zhuwawo (60) of Magwaza village, Hwedza, like other
villagers across the country, is both confused and disappointed about
suspicious police ban on MDC booked rallies. He invested so much trust in
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change party
that any frustration of the party’s activities makes him sick. Looking
forward to hearing Tsvangirai addressing party followers at Glamis Arena in
Harare on March 20, he sold his only goat to cover transport costs to the
long-awaited party gathering. He narrated to The Zimbabwean how his heart
was broken after realizing the rally would never take place, as armed police
and rogue Zanu (PF) youths had cordoned off the venue.
“I am a strong
rural MDC-T supporter who put his life on the line for
democracy to prevail
in the country. I have never been Zanu (PF) all my life
and joined MDC at
its formation 1999 after ceasing to be politically
neutral. “Sacrificing the
only family beast for the love of a political
movement is not an everyday
decision. MDC runs in my blood and can be felt
as one enters my homestead. I
love peace, justice and all other elements of
democracy. “On the eve of the
ill-fated Glamis Arena meeting, my family
unanimously agreed to dispose of
the goat in order for me to hear Tsvangirai
speak.
“Come Saturday,
unaware police had banned the rally to save interests of the
so called Zanu
(PF) anti-sanctions crusade, I walked the first 20 km of my
journey as the
area is not serviced by public transport. Later, I hitchhiked
private
transport to Nhekayiro Growth Point before catching a commuter
omnibus to
Harare. I could have waited for the cheaper conventional buses to
Harare,
but opted for the more costly but faster means of transport as I
wanted to
be at the rally venue before everyone else. Being the earliest
bird at the
venue would allow me to select the best seat as close as
possible to the
speakers, in order not to miss a single word.
“My expectations were rudely
shaken as riot police and hired Zanu (PF) thugs
chased and beat up suspected
MDC-T supporters destined for the gathering.
What disappointed me most was
the sight of state law enforcement agents
casting a blind eye while party
militia assaulted innocent people converging
at a legitimate rally. “Since
my left leg was broken in a Zanu (PF) attack
June 2008, I could not escape
from the thugs’ attack. My clothing was torn
off my body while my belongings
including cash were looted by the rowdy
thugs.
“Looking at the police,
who are mandated to protect defenceless citizens in
my situation, I was
bitter and disturbed to see them laughing as they
enjoyed observing my
plight. Some of them could be heard whistling,
suggesting they were urging
the hooligans to step up their criminal acts.
“After what seemed like an
eternity, the thugs let me go but without my
personal items. Proceeds from
the sale of my goat benefited the thugs who
left me without bus fare for the
trip back home.
“Passersby later advised me that the meeting was not
sanctioned as Mugabe
and his Zanu (PF) were scheduled to hold an
anti-sanctions meeting some 200
metres away. News regarding the ban had
eluded me as I have no television or
radio set. I received the shock of my
life to learn that the man I voted
President, Morgan Tsvangirai, could be
barred from conducting party
activities by the loser, Mugabe.
“Though I
was not sure of who called the shots in the GPA, I was completely
sure that
Tsvangirai overwhelmingly won March 2008 Presidential elections.
His party
won the majority in Parliament. Everybody including state
controlled media
confirmed the resounding MDC-T victory at the ballot.
“My son Godfrey, a
civil servant in Harare, confirmed that Tsvangirai as
Prime Minister was the
Head of Government. He would run the show in
government including the Home
Affairs Ministry which controls the police
force. So, how on earth could a
mere police force, a subordinate arm of
government ban the Prime Minister
from holding a political rally?
“Surely, since my vote and that of the
majority of the electorate gave
Tsvangirai the mandate to take overall
charge of state affairs, how could he
be bullied about by partisan Mugabe
police officers? Does Tsvangirai doubt
the people power behind him? Why
can’t he consult people on the best way to
deal with police brutality and
tyranny? Honestly, Tsvangirai should learn to
seize opportunities and take
dictatorship head on.
“A Good Samaritan offered me money for food and bus
fare for the journey
back home. I embarked on the long and painful journey
back to Hwedza where
my wife expected words of encouragement and hope from
Tsvangirai.
“My wife and my two sons were shocked by my news. They could not
say
anything but left the kitchen with sad faces and retired to
bed.
“Last week a teacher at the local school advised me that the abandoned
rally
was rescheduled for last Sunday, March 28. I pleaded with a local
well-to-do
neighbour for a piece job in order for me to raise bus fare for
another trip
back to Harare. This time the meeting point would be Zimbabwe
Grounds in one
of Harare’s oldest residential suburbs, Highfield.
“I
again found my way to the new venue – only to find that the rally had
been
banned again, by the same police, who claimed again that Zanu (PF)
would
have an event at the venue. How could Mugabe’s party have a function
at
Zimbabwe Grounds at the same time its fallen hero, the late Governor for
Harare Metropolitan, David Karimanzira, would be laid to rest at the
National Heroes Acre across town? This sounded like a direct insult to
Tsvangirai. But how could the usually brave Tsvangirai take the challenge
lying down? I found it difficult to accept that he had suddenly turned into
Mugabe’s punching bag. How things could change in such a short space of time
shocked me to the core.
“People demand dismantling of dictatorship and
nothing less. It is high time
MDC disrespects provocative police banning of
legitimate party gatherings.
Mugabe and the police are taking people for
granted. The people’s patience
has been stretched to the limit. If it means
losing life at the hands of
dictatorship in the struggle for democracy, let
it be. I am prepared to let
my blood water the first seed of the struggle
for freedom from tyranny. MDC
must speak to its supporters. Whenever the
meeting would be held, I would be
the first to arrive at the venue and
position myself where I will not miss a
single word.”
http://www.ipsnews.net/
By Stanley
Kwenda
HARARE, Mar 30, 2011 (IPS) - Kindness Paradza has a mission.
After he lost
his job as a journalist when the ZANU-PF government closed his
newspaper in
2004, he ploughed his life savings into a 2,000 ha farm he
received as part
of Zimbabwe’s controversial "land reform
programme".
Since then he has been patiently rotating land use between
crops such as
tobacco, wheat and maize. He now hopes to build a business
enterprise with
profits from his farm.
The launch of the new
commodity exchange could have come as a boon for him,
as he now has more
room to negotiate better prices. Previously this space
for negotiation did
not exist as the state-owned Grain Marketing Board (GMB)
was the sole buyer
of grain.
However, Paradza, like many new farmers, is not celebrating the
arrival of
the Commodity Exchange of Zimbabwe (COMEZ).
Although it
has been promoted as a mechanism to minimise exploitation of
farmers by
agricultural buyers and usher in orderly trading of commodities,
while
creating opportunities for farmers to get better prices, Paradza
remains
sceptical.
"We don’t know it and, surely, how does something that you
don’t know help
you?" Paradza asks rhetorically.
COMEZ is a
commodities market; commodities markets across the world trade in
agricultural products such as wheat, barley, sugar, maize and cotton, with
contracts based on them.
These contracts can include futures. A
simplified example would be: a maize
farmer can sell a futures contract on
her maize, which will not be harvested
for several months, and guarantee the
price to be paid at the time of
delivery.
The futures contract is
bought with a guarantee that the price will not go
up when it is delivered.
This protects the farmer from price drops and the
buyer from price rises.
COMEZ will initially trade grains, cereals and oil
seeds.
According
to the ministry of industry and commerce, COMEZ is meant to
"provide fair
and open prices" for agricultural produce as reflected on the
market.
The minister of industry and commerce, Welshman Ncube, told
IPS at the
launch of COMEZ two months ago that it would serve as a mechanism
to break
the state monopoly in the grain trade.
"We should create a
transparent, open and accessible commodities market
where both buyers and
sellers can participate, knowing the prevailing
prices," Ncube
said.
In the last 10 years, the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA)
determined
the prices of agricultural produce, while GMB was designated as
the sole
buyer of grain. AMA is the regulator of grain pricing in
Zimbabwe.
Tafadzwa Musarara, president of the Zimbabwe Grain Millers’
Association,
welcomes COMEZ but says it should be organised in line with
international
standards for it to work properly.
"It is welcome in
the sense that the contracts that farmers will enter into
with grain traders
and other buyers will give them bankable papers which
they can use to
capitalise their operations, rather than working on a cash
basis as is the
case right now," Musarara told IPS.
"Nevertheless, it is important that
we come up with structures that are in
line with international practice in
order to attract foreign buyers."
Most farmers still do not understand
what exactly COMEZ does and why it was
established. They would prefer to see
how it practically works before
committing any of their
produce.
Paradza complains that, "we know that it is not going to work in
our favour
because of the commissions that we will be asked to pay at the
warehouse,
auctions and traders -- just like they do at the Zimbabwe Stock
Exchange.
The traders will sell on our behalf and it is those traders who
will make
money".
Alice Machingauta, a Chihota farmer, told IPS while
delivering her tobacco
crop that, "I haven’t heard about it but if there are
merchants involved
then I don’t want it because the merchants are only there
to reap what they
did not sow".
Grain trader and economist Tinashe
Mawarire told IPS that COMEZ suffers from
the fear of the
unknown.
"Farmers are used to delivering their produce to GMB and waiting
for the
announcement of the price. The advantage with COMEZ is its
willing-buyer-
willing-seller arrangement, unlike in the past when everyone
was compelled
to sell to GMB only," Mawarire points out.
"If you are
not happy with the price, you don’t sell. It’s as easy as that."
Analyst
Brains Muchemwa cautions that, "farmers need to be educated on how
COMEZ
works and how they can get better prices". (END)
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by John Makumbe
Wednesday, 30
March 2011 10:14
The passing on of Dr David Karimanzira (May his soul
rest in peace) provides
Robert Mugabe with a golden opportunity to appoint a
MDC-T governor for
Harare Metro Province. Unfortunately, this is an
opportunity that Mugabe
will obviously miss out since he is determined to
frustrate the popular
Tsvangirai party to the bitter end. The dethroning of
Lovemore Moyo from the
position of Speaker of Parliament has forced the
beleaguered former
liberation party, Zanu (PF) to resort to playing dirty
politics in order to
survive. The past few weeks have witnessed the banning
of MDC meetings all
over the country for no apparent reason except to show
the split party who
is in charge in this country.
The Zanu (PF)
Repressive Police (ZRP) is currently hunting down and
arresting MDC-T
Members of Parliament (MPs) with a passion, and for trumped
up charges.
Tsvangirai is himself threatened with arrest for telling the
truth about the
nature of the judiciary in this country. Numerous MDC-T
supporters have
ridiculous cases pending before the courts.
Although there appears to be a
decline in politically motivated violence in
most urban areas, there is
actually a considerable escalation of acts of
violence in some rural areas.
People are being frog-marched to venues where
they are forced to append
their signatures to the useless anti-sanctions
petition, a Zanu (PF) project
of no relevance to this country.
At the time of writing, the MDC-T party has
been refused permission to hold
peace rallies in Harare four times by the
partisan ZRP. It certainly is time
that the Prime minister’s party should
take stock of its strategies to date
and make serious decision ns about the
best way forward. It is true that we
are dealing here with murderers and
rapists, but it is equally true that
there is a limit to what the people of
this country can allow or tolerate
before the chickens come home to
roost.
It is quite likely that by the time this contribution is published
Simon
Khaya Moyo will be the Speaker of Parliament. But that will not make
any
political difference to the reeling Zanu (PF) party, which has long been
rejected by the people of this country as the ruling party.
It is now
time for the MDC-T to mobilize its massive support to firmly and
physically
resist all of the Zanu (PF) machinations. It is time for outright
confrontation between the two major political parties if this country is to
be saved from the hand of evil people who are looting the resources of this
country with reckless impunity.
The dictatorship of the minority has to
be reined in as soon as possible,
and that can only be done through the
mobilization of the masses, most of
whom are ready for peaceful
demonstrations throughout the country. It is
obvious that the coercive
apparatus of the state will firmly resist any such
demonstrations and a lot
of people will be arrested and tortured for
participating in them. But that
is the price we all have to pay for our
freedom. It is quite senseless to
think that the dejected and rejected Zanu
(PF) party will give up political
power without a fight. This is a fight
that they will lose big time.
This
calls for a strong leadership in the MDC-T, and such a leadership could
emerge at the April congress of that party. This is not the time to elect
weak leaders that are not prepared to stand up and face the monster we call
Zanu (PF). It is time for the courageous leaders to be identified and
elected into appropriate positions so that the current stalemate may be
overcome. Forget about the SADC and AU, they can only respond to whatever
events we generate here within this country. Mira segamba utarise
mhandu.