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Bennett’s defence applies for his discharge

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27799

March 8, 2010

By Our Correspondent

HARARE – The State on Monday closed its case against MDC treasurer general
Roy Bennett, paving the way for Bennett’s lawyers to immediately file for
discharge of the MDC top official’s terrorism charges.But Attorney General
Johannes Tomana opposed the application.

“The State has not proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” said top human
rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who is leading the defence.

“Evidence produced is so manifestly unreliable.

“My Lord, we respectfully submit that on the fact of this case, evidence led
on behalf of the prosecution, the accused is an appropriate candidate for
discharge at this juncture.”

By allegedly being found in possession of weaponry for purposes of banditry
and terrorism, said Mtetwa, Bennett was being charged for an offence under a
section of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) that was repealed in
2004.

Mtetwa said the State had failed to prove the offence was committed when the
cited section was still operational.

The State says the crime was committed between 2002 and 2006.

Mtewa told the court the state had also failed to prove that Bennett made
the alleged deposit of 5000 American dollars into a Mozambican bank account
owned by Peter Michael Hitschmann, Bennett’s co-accused.

She added, “Having an account in Mozambique does not constitute a nexus
between Bennett and the bank account.”

The state says the funds were intended for the purchase of weapons for use
to overthrow President Robert Mugabe’s former administration.

Mtetwa further said it was unthinkable and ridiculous for Bennett to be
charged with an offence which his co-accused Hitschmann was acquitted of in
his own trial in 2006.

Hitschmann, who was now key witness for the state, served two years for a
less serious charge of possessing unlicensed weapons.

He was impeached for giving contradicting statements during Bennett’s trial.

Mtetwa further argued that if at all Bennett had indeed connived with
Hitschmann in the alleged offence the police would ordinarily have made an
independent investigation targeting him, instead of relying on the purported
confessions of Hitschmann.

“The police did not make any attempt to go to Bennett’s house, see his bank
statements, try to see his computer and so forth,” said Mtetwa.

The said confessions were ruled inadmissible at the commencement of the
trial after Hitschmann claimed he gave them under torture by state security
agents.

Mtetwa said the State has also failed to provide forensic proof the emails
allegedly downloaded from Hitschmann’s laptop during police investigations
constituted authentic communication between the alleged co-conspirators.

“My Lord, the State summary consists of fiction, which does not meet the
criteria of placing the accused person on his defence. Virtually none of the
allegations has been proved,” said Mtetwa.

Tomana will file his opposing submissions when trial resumes on Wednesday.


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“Against all odds they did, so we can” : ‘Music by Prudence’ wins an Oscar!!!

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/5516
 

Prudence Mabhena

What an amazing tribute to Prudence and all the wonderful members of Liyana. The full acceptance speech is posted below and can be read on the official Oscar’s page here.

I was expecting the usual Oscar-style thank-you speeches that we all have yawned through, but the producer, Elinor Burkett – who lives in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – was on a mission! She cut in to the director’s speech with an intense sense of purpose. I was already emotional, blown-away by the fact the film had actually won an Oscar, but tears literally poured down my face when Burkett, who looked emotional herself, said

In a world in which most of us are told and tell ourselves that we can’t. Liyana, the band behind this film, teaches us that we’re wrong. Against all odds they did, so we can.

I can’t hear the words “Against all odds they did, so we can” without thinking of Zimbabwe because we are a nation daring to hope for a future without fear and tyranny, and we are a people who feel that all our hopes are fragile  and flimsy when stacked up ‘against the odds’  hurled at us by a tyrannical Zanu PF.

“We can’t”  is a daily struggle for me, and I know its a daily struggle for lots of Zimbabweans; in fact, I’d say that “we can’t” is probably one of the biggest obstacles confronting us.

It’s hard to square up to the enormity of the obstacles facing us and think, ‘we can do it’; it becomes even harder to do this when just as you think  that maybe we’ve taken a small positive step forward, Zanu PF comes along and blindsides us with yet another ill-conceived policy that disrespects the nation and her people.

The film is all about an astonishing young woman named Prudence, and the Liyana band members, but the words “Against all odds they did, so we can” grabs what is an unashamedly ostentatious and glitzy American moment by its throat, and roots it strongly back in the brutal and bloody context the film emerges from: a country still struggling to recover, a nation still hurting from decades of human rights abuses, citizens still too afraid to hope that maybe we can pull ourselves through to the other side, families still divided across different countries and continents. Ours is a world where despair and hopelessness thrive.  How do we dare to hope, and how do we dare to find the strength to believe that there might be a better future?

I hope that the individual band members who have overcome so much, and then came together to achieve so much, are enjoying every moment of pride that they are entitled to in this moment.  An Oscar is … like… wow, wow, WOW!!.

But the most spectacular gifts that this band can potentially offer Zimbabweans are gifts of courage and self-belief – qualities that we desperately need to save and heal our wonderful country and to unite our communities. When the headiness if the red-carpet moment fades, it should be these inspirational gifts to Zimbabweans that Prudence and the band members should feel the most proud of, because these are the qualities that may save our country and quite literally save lives.

“Against all odds they did, so we can” – Amen to that! Congratulations! More about Liyana here.

Full acceptance speech:

Roger Ross Williams:

Oh my god. This is amazing. Two years ago when I got on an airplane and went to Zimbabwe, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d end up here. This is so exciting. This is so exciting. So exciting.

Elinor Burkett:

…Let the woman talk. Isn’t that the classic thing? In a world in which most of us are told and tell ourselves that we can’t. Liyana, the band behind this film, teaches us that we’re wrong. Against all odds they did, so we can. So the bottom line is, to me, my role models and my heroes, Marvelous and Energy, Tapiwa, Goodwell, the whole rest of the band and especially Prudence.

Roger Ross Williams:

And Prudence who is here. Who is back there. Prudence is here tonight. This is for Prudence.


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Mugabe's ZANU-PF Deals Serious Blow To Unity Government

http://www1.voanews.com/

Zimbabwe's president strips power from three MDC ministries; move seen as
deliberate attempt to provoke party into leaving power-sharing deal

Peta Thornycroft | Harare 08 March 2010

Zimbabwe's unity government has suffered its worst blow since its formation
a year ago, according to the Movement for Democratic Change and several
Zimbabwean political analysts and commentators. President Robert Mugabe has
stripped effective power from three ministries, and assigned them to ZANU-PF
ministers.

University of Zimbabwe political scientist Eldred Masungure says the move
stripping power from three MDC ministries was a "unilateralist" action and
deliberate effort to tempt the party to quit the unity government.

He said there was no rational basis for the new law announced by the
government on Friday. He said the move was a violation of the political
agreement which brought the unity government into power and is designed "to
induce the MDC to walk out as they did in October last year."

The MDC disengaged from the unity government when its treasurer, Roy Bennett
was arrested.

Tendai Biti, secretary-general of the MDC who also serves as finance
minister, said the political agreement of September 2008 did not "give
anyone the right to unilaterally alter a mandate." He said there had been a
"serious breach of the political agreement and that the MDC would not take
this lying down."

Biti said the MDC will meet on Wednesday to address the matter.

David Coltart, an executive of the smaller MDC party which split from the
main branch and is also in the unity government said "at first glance this
was a very serious breach of the political agreement because there was no
consultation."

He said he hopes that this latest directive was not a decision of Mr.
Mugabe's and that it can eventually be reversed.

ZANU-PF justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, who has inherited some of the
powers previously held by MDC ministries, was not available for comment
Monday.
 


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Mugabe shrinks MDC Ministers’ powers – again

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
8 March 2010
The MDC-T has sharply criticised the latest ‘provocative’ moves by Robert
Mugabe to reassign fundamental roles from ministries belonging to the MDC. A
government gazette published on Friday reallocated and diverted certain
responsibilities and portfolios for ministries that are controlled by the
MDC  to those controlled by ZANU PF.
MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa accused Mugabe of trying to reverse the
spirit of power-sharing by unilaterally trimming down the powers of the
MDC-T ministries of Information, Communication Technology; Constitution and
Parliamentary Affairs; Science and Technology; Parastatals and State
Enterprise and the MDC-M’s Regional Integration and International
Co-operation Ministry. The MDC says this is in gross violation of the Global
Political Agreement.
Chamisa said the Principals – Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur
Mutambara - were meeting to discuss the issue on Monday. There was no update
on the outcome of the meeting by the time of broadcast.
However Chamisa said: “This is all trying to have the MDC as an accessory… a
mere decorative element without necessarily being part of this government.
Failure to solve this would mean a disaster for the inclusive government.”
Although Mugabe is entitled under the law to assign functions to ministers,
he still has to consult his partners in government on the allocation of the
ministries, according to the GPA.
This is also the second time that he has stripped Chamisa’s powers and
transferred them to ZANU PF transport Minister Nicholas Goche. The first
time there was such an outcry that he had to backtrack.
There are also fears that serious repression will continue, since the
draconian Interception of Communications Act, which was under Chamisa’s
ministry, has now been transferred to the President’ Office – home of the
Central Intelligence Organisation.
The legal monitor, Veritas, pointed out that several other Acts have
surprisingly been assigned to the President’s Office and Cabinet instead of
to a minister. The pressure group pointed out that there is no
constitutional provision for Acts to be administered by the Office of the
President and Cabinet.

Veritas said the assignments which are ‘legally questionable’ include; The
Emergency Powers Act (previously with Home Affairs); Zimbabwe National
Security Council Act (a new Act not previously assigned); Procurement Act
and the Commissions of Inquiry Act;

In another surprise move the MDC-T’s Eric Matinenga, who is the Minister of
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, will not be responsible for the
Electoral Act nor the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Act and Human Rights
Commission Act. These have been assigned to ZANU PF’s Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa. A very worrying move that does not bode well for the next
election.
These latest developments come barely a month after the controversial
indigenisation policy was gazetted, allegedly without the MDC’s knowledge.


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Biti calls for new diamond laws in Zim

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
08 March 2010
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has called for a complete overhaul of the laws
governing the country's diamond trade, saying all the mining leases that the
government has awarded to firms in the Chiadzwa diamond field should be
cancelled.
The Supreme Court has ready ordered the state authorised companies mining
the fields to halt their operations, over the ongoing ownership wrangle for
the claim with a UK based firm. Currently Mbada Diamonds and Canadile
Miners, which are both joint ventures the government formed with two South
African firms last year, are mining diamonds at Chiadzwa. They took over
from the London based African Consolidated Resources (ACR), who were forced
out of the claim at gunpoint in 2006, despite having the legal title to mine
the diamonds.
Biti said over the weekend that the leases awarded to Mbada and Canadile
were done so 'fraudulently', explaining that the MDC's national executive
resolved to have all mining operations in Chiadzwa stopped until a clear law
on diamond mining is established. He added that there is also no revenue
entering the government's coffers despite millions of diamonds being mined
by the firms.
"There is nothing coming from Chiadzwa. There is nothing coming to the
fiscus from Chiadzwa," Biti said at a rally over the weekend.
"Chiadzwa represents the biggest find of alluvial diamonds in the history of
mankind. In the interest of transparency, all mining licences, leases,
special grants that have been given in Chiadzwa must be cancelled forthwith.
All mining operations must cease. There must be a new diamond law in
Zimbabwe," Biti said.
The Finance Minister's comments come as an independent monitor ordered by
the international diamond trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process, has arrived
in Zimbabwe. Abbey Chikane, the head of the South African Diamond Board and
a former Chairman of the Kimberley Process, was finally appointed as a
monitor for the diamond fields after four months of fighting over a suitable
candidate. He arrived last week and has been meeting with mines ministry
officials and the state-authorised mining firms operating in Chiadzwa.
Chikane's presence in the country forms part of a list of guidelines set out
by the Kimberley Process last year to try and bring Zimbabwe back in line
with international trade standards. Zimbabwe escaped a widely supported ban
from trade over human rights atrocities at the diamond fields. But the
Kimberley Process instead gave Zimbabwe until June to sort out its diamond
industry, ordering it to follow the guidelines.
Such guidelines have largely been ignored and role of the Kimberley Process
has also been publicly shunned by the government. Mines Minister Obert Mpofu
recently warned that Zimbabwe will sell diamonds without Kimberley Process
certification (KP) should the watchdog rule that efforts to comply with its
standards are inadequate. Mpofu's threats echo comments made by Robert
Mugabe more than two weeks ago, when he also threatened to withdraw from the
Kimberley Process.

"If the KP is unsatisfied with our efforts and wants to be difficult saying
that we have failed to comply with their requirements... we will not lose
sleep, but rather we will just pull put and not lose anything," Mpofu said.
"The KP does not own the diamond trade markets. Zimbabwe will pull out of
the KP and sell its diamonds to those markets," he said.
Gabriel Shumba, from the Zimbabwe Bloods Diamonds Campaign, told SW Radio
Africa on Monday that such threats must be taken seriously, saying: "ZANU PF
will find some way to sell these resources to fund their politically
motivated repression ahead of elections." Shumba explained that, despite the
existence of the Kimberley Process, which was tasked with ending the trade
in conflict diamonds, there are still ways of selling diamonds "regardless
of the abuses taking place when these stones are mined."
 


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Zim owes $1,3 billion


http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by Tsungai Murandu
Monday, 08 March 2010 17:11
.no new money until it's all paid back
HARARE - Zimbabwe will need to devote almost all its projected revenue for
2010 before unlocking new financial aid from the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and other multilateral funders.
Respected economist John Robertson said last week that Finance Minister
Tendai Biti had to somehow come up with US$1.3 billion - more than 90
percent of the government's anticipated revenue for 2010 - before becoming
eligible for fresh aid.
The IMF last month restored Zimbabwe's voting rights after seven-years, but
told the country to settle its arrears to the Poverty Reduction and Growth
Trust before it could be allowed access to the Fund's General Resource
Account.
"The IMF has also reminded Zimbabwe of two critical issues. Firstly, the
country's eligibility for new loans will not be fully restored until it has
paid off a total of US$1.3 billion, the combined debts to the IMF, the World
Bank and the African Development Bank," the economist said.
Harare's access to IMF resources would also be subject to the Fund's
policies on the use of such resources and to the country achieving a track
record of sound policies.
The IMF and other organisations are keen to see evidence that Zimbabwe
accepts policy changes that would restore the country's ability to earn
foreign exchange.
Raising US$1.3 billion would prove a daunting task for the cash-strapped
Harare regime which is relying on donor assistance to finance the recovery
of social services battered by a decade of poor policies.
Biti has budgeted for total revenue of US$1.44 billion for the 2010 fiscal
year, the bulk of which would go towards reviving collapsed health and
education sectors and paying salaries for restive civil servants unhappy
about low remuneration.


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WOZA marks International Women's Day with education protest in Bulawayo

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by WOZA
Monday, 08 March 2010 15:34

SIX HUNDRED members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) marched to the
High Court in Bulawayo today in protest against the utterances of the
Minister of Education, Senator David Coltart, made in Parliament last week.
The Minister said that he would not stop teachers from receiving the illegal
incentive payments demanded from parents. Minister Coltart had been invited
to receive a petition that the peaceful demonstrators were delivering but
could not attend due to a prior commitment. A clerk at the court received
the petition instead.
WOZA vigorously oppose the practice of teachers refusing to teach children
until their parents provide them with cash incentives. These 'top-ups', over
and above the usual school fees and school levies which most parents are
unable to afford anyway, are just another nail in the coffin of the
education system in Zimbabwe. In a recent report on education released in
January 2010, entitled 'Looking Back to Look Forward - a WOZA perspective on
education in Zimbabwe', WOZA demanded that the Ministry of Education stop
this practice immediately. It is therefore incredibly disheartening for the
Minister to publicly state that they have no intention of doing so.
Four simultaneous protests began and converged upon the High Court.Police
officers and clerks at the court merely watched the peaceful protest,
listening to the song sung by the demonstrators - "women are crying for an
education for their children. Their tears are sorrowful."  WOZA chose
International Women's Day for the protest as the education of their children
is an issue close to the heart of every mother.
WOZA National Coordinator, Jenni Williams addressed members outside the
Court, explaining that Minister Coltart's utterances in parliament were
unfortunate as they promoted illegal incentives and corruption.Magodonga
Mahlangu lead the singing and sloganeering that finally dispersed the
peaceful group.After the protest dispersed, two plain-clothed police
officers cornered Williams and Mahlangu outside the Post Office. As they
called for back up the activists calmly walked away.
WOZA leaders were recently summoned by the co-ministers of Home Affairs and
instructed to notify police of any processions despite the fact that WOZA
does not need to notify police under the current exceptions as it is not a
political organisation. Before being dismissed, Minister Giles Mutsekwa of
the MDC delivered a subtle threat that they could be ambushed on their
return to Bulawayo that day.  It is unclear as to if it was intended as an
active threat but in the current security situation, activists remain
vigilant about continued reports of threats on civic society leaders.


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Tsvangirai to honour wife with charity foundation

http://www.swradioafrica.com

SW Radio Africa
8 March 2010

In May this year Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will launch a charity
foundation in honour of his late wife, Susan, who died in car crash in March
last year.

The weekly Zimbabwe Standard reported that the new foundation would seek to
empower ordinary, grassroots people, to make a difference in their lives.

The Prime Minister was speaking in Harare on Saturday at a memorial service
to commemorate one year since the passing of his wife. Robert Mugabe
attended the memorial.

Hundreds of people attended the service at the Glamis Arena in the capital
Harare. Tsvangirai is also quoted saying that after a year of self-searching
and consultation, he had decided to launch the Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai
Foundation.

'The foundation would be driven by Susan's philosophy that one person can
make a difference. If we all share this belief, all of us can make a
positive difference in someone's life,' Tsvangirai is quoted as saying.

He added; 'We celebrate Susan's life for reminding us of the importance of
service and caring. She was a very generous person. Sometimes we forget that
we are people in need.'

Despite Mugabe's attendance at the memorial, his party supporters in
Marondera tore down almost all posters advertising the commemoration.

 


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Mugabe “touched by Tsvangirai’s death”

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27775

March 8, 2010

By Raymond Maingire

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe made a surprise appearance on Saturday at a
church service held in Harare in honour of Susan Tsvangirai, wife of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is the leader of the mainstream MDC.

Mugabe said he was so touched by Susan Tsvangirai’s death that he would
still have attended the church service even without any invitation from MDC.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai paid tribute to his late wife and described
her as his pillar during his trouble-ridden political career.

Tsvangirai told over 5 000 people who attended the first anniversary of his
late wife’s tragic death that he was lucky to have been married to someone
who constantly encouraged him when his political life became dangerous and
difficult.

“I was so lucky that in the world of politics, you share the same passion,
the same vigilance, the same resilience and the same fighting spirit,” said
the MDC leader, who was in a jovial mood.

The former trade union leader has endured assassination attempts, arrests,
beatings and criminal charges at the hands of President Robert Mugabe’s
government. He is now Prime Minister in a coalition government with Mugabe.

Tsvangirai said some marriages had broken up due to restive spouses who
feared victimisation by the State and their opponents.

He said his wife was a courageous person and his adviser

Tsvangirai also described his wife as generous.

He said: “We are here to celebrate her life, her belief that one person can
make a difference. All of us can do something to help somebody else.

“We celebrate Susan’s life for reminding us of the importance of serving and
caring.”

He urged supporters of his MDC not to mourn forever.

“We cannot mourn in perpetuity,” he said. “The best we can do is to remember
her through this kind of celebration.”

Susan, Tsvangirai’s wife for 31 years, died at 51 in a tragic car accident
on March 6 last year.

The Glamis Arena is the same venue where over 10000 party supporters bade
farewell to her last year, moments before her body was transported to Buhera
for burial.

Among those who attended Saturday’s memorial service were some senior MDC
officials, party MPs, civic society representatives and church members from
Susan Tsvangirai’s Methodist church.

The crowd also included relatives from Tsvangirai and his wife’s Mhundwa
families.

During Saturday’s ceremony, speaker after speaker also commended the works
of Susan Tsvangirai before her tragic death in the car accident.

MDC women’s assembly chair Theresa Makone, who was a close friend the
deceased Tsvangirai, said the late MDC leader’s wife was a mother to all and
was “free from any scandals”.

MDC national chairman Lovemore Moyo described her as an idol, heroine,
patriot and “mother of our struggle”.

Joshua Chinyere, President of ZINASU, said Susan Tsvangirai’s death and that
of other MDC activists should be probed.

He said she deserved her own place among national heroes who lie buried at
the national shrine.

National Constitutional Assembly chair Lovemore Madhuku and Lovemore
Matombo, president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions also spoke of
the kindness Susan Tsvangirai had shown to them when they had been assaulted
by the police and were hospitalised alongside her husband.

Harare based musicians Tongai Moyo, Fungisai Zvakavapano and Raymond
Majongwe entertained the crowd.

Susan Tsvangirai died less than a month after her husband was sworn in as
Prime Minister in the new unity government, formed between President Mugabe’s
Zanu-PF and the two MDC parties.

Mugabe and his family, Zanu PF ministers and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
governor Gideon Gono attended a church sermon held in her honour.

The solemn event will perhaps help calm tensions stemming from nearly 10
years of bitter rivalry between Mugabe and the MDC leader.


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‘Empowerment law meant to fight sanctions’


http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Own Correspondent Monday 08 March 2010

HARARE – Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has said the
controversial empowerment law that came into effect last week was also meant
to counter sanctions Western nations imposed on President Robert Mugabe and
his ZANU PF party top brass over alleged human rights abuses.

"Sanctions worked because the economy was being controlled from outside the
country,” Kasukuwere told journalists at the weekend. “Who can assure me
that the economy will not be in trouble if the programme does not take off.”

Kasukuwere said some foreign-owned banks were not keen to fund locals.

“These British banks, should change their attitudes; either they support our
people or there is no need for them to be in First Street."

The Indigenisation Minister who is from ZANU PF said there was no going back
on the law although he was prepared to listen to industrialists’ concerns.

"There is no going back. Forget it. We are going forward. We are prepared to
engage and discuss with these companies, but it's time to do things. We
shouldn't be scared to take painful decisions," said Kasukuwere.

He said, ever since he was appointed minister, he was now getting
invitations from some Western diplomats who were now keen to engage him.

The regulations that came into effect last Monday give foreign-owned
companies 45 days to submit proposals to the Indigenisation Ministry on how
they plan to bring on board locals to take 51 percent of their businesses.

The rules have been a source of controversy and besides dividing the unity
government along party lines, they have rattled foreign investors who
analysts say may continue to stay away from the country.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe has
been struggling to win donor support from the West, who want the government
to implement irreversible economic and political reforms.

Critics fear Mugabe’s ZANU PF wants to press ahead with transferring
majority ownership of foreign-owned companies as part of a drive to reward
party loyalists with thriving businesses.

Analysts say the empowerment programme could see Zimbabwe being shunned by
investors again who fear a repeat of the land seizures, at a time the new
government is out to attract to grow an economy that was in decline for ten
years.

Kasukuwere, just like Mugabe is on both the EU and US sanctions list which
effectively bars him from travelling to these countries. – ZimOnline


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Aid agencies suspend work after threats

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27771

March 8, 2010

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO - Relief aid agencies have suspended operations in the
hunger-stricken Gutu district of Masvingo Province after a senior Zanu-PF
official in the province threatened to take over the distribution of the
food aid in the area.

The move has landed thousands of people, among them, the elderly and HIV/
Aids sufferers, in dire straits.

CARE International and Christian Care said Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial
chairman Lovemore Matuke threatened to take over the distribution of food
from them.

Officials of the two relief aid agencies on Saturday told The Zimbabwe Times
they had temporarily stopped food distribution after the threats.

"We have had problems with Lovemore Matuke," said an official who requested
anonymity. "He vowed to take over the distribution of relief food aid.

"He ordered that we should surrender all the food to the Zanu-PF political
leadership in the district but we refused to comply.

"We have since stopped giving food to the people as we try to find common
ground with him."

The MP for Gutu Central Oliver Chirume, who was elected on an MDC ticket,
confirmed the developments.

"I only received complaints from concerned villagers that some Zanu-PF
officials wanted to take over the distribution of food aid," said Chirume.

Matuke on Saturday, however, told The Zimbabwe Times he had no regrets over
his actions. He said some NGOs were politicising the distribution of relief
food.

"We are saying the distribution of food should be left to the local
leadership in order to avoid politicisation of these products," said Matuke.

"NGOs that come and engage in politics should stop operating and leave those
that stick to their core business."

Both Zanu-PF and the MDC have traded accusations over politicisation of food
aid.

Zanu-PF has over the years claimed NGOs were campaigning for the MDC through
food programmes. During controversial elections in 2008, the government
ordered all relief agencies to stop operations and subsequently reapply for
licenses.

On the other hand, the MDC says the previous regime of President Robert
Mugabe has used its food distribution programmes to victimise MDC members.

The suspension of food programmes by aid agencies in Gutu has left Gutu
residents in dire straits. Hunger and starvation have become endemic in the
district after most families exhausted their food reserves.

The United Nations estimates that over 2 million people will need urgent
relief food aid in Zimbabwe.

A crop assessment conducted by the government has shown that Zimbabwe will
require an additional 500 000 tonnes of cereals this year due to crop
failure.


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No going back, Kasukuwere declares

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27787

March 8, 2010

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - Youth, indigenisation and empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere
says his ministry will proceed to seize shares from foreign-owned companies,
in spite of strong protests from the mainstream MDC component of the
inclusive government.

Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere

"There is no going backwards," he said, "There are those who think the
regulations would be changed. Forget it. Forward ever, backward never."

Kasukuwere, who was briefing journalists at a cocktail party on the
controversial law in Harare over weekend, was referring to last month's
gazetting of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment (General)
Regulations 2010 by his ministry.

The regulations spell out the country's indigenisation policy.

Kasukuwere, a Zanu-PF stalwart, rebuked fellow ministers within the
inclusive government and urged them to stop interfering with his duties.

"I am the Minister of Indigenisation. I published those regulations. I have
not repealed them. I have not done anything to them. So they are very much
in force. Every minister has his area and you will not hear me talk about
other people's areas.

"We agreed in the council of ministers that any change that has to be
brought into those regulations will come through this very minister. No
minister must speak on behalf of this very minister. They are in force. They
are law."

This was in apparent reference to comments by Industry and Commerce Minister
Welshman Ncube of the Arthur Mutambara-led MDC, who pointed out that the
indigenisation regulations had not been submitted to a cabinet committee for
debate on their legality and whether they were consistent with government
policy.

"The regulations are now in place," Kasukuwere said, "We are now working
from the 1st of March we started and we would be moving forward."

The MDC says the law is too harsh on those wishing to inject much needed
investment into the country economy.

The MDC also sees the law as a campaign strategy by Zanu-PF which has lost
support among the majority of Zimbabweans.

Kasukuwere denies this saying it was passed long before any thought of an
election was conceived.

He also denied his party was opposed to foreign direct investment and
seeking the personal aggrandizement of a few.

Kasukuwere deputy Thamsanqa Mahlangu, a mainstream MDC ministerial
appointee, has distanced himself from the indigenisation programme, saying
he stands by his own party's position.

Kasukuwere said essentially there were no fundamental differences with the
MDC on the need to empower Zimbabweans.

The MDC says the process must be gradual. It favours a "broad-based"
strategy that would first end massive unemployment that has seen hundreds of
thousands of citizens leaving the country over the past decade to seek
employment abroad.

In implementing the regulations, Kasukuwere denied disrespecting his
supervisor Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who says the regulations must be
frozen as they were gazetted both without his knowledge and also outside the
proper procedures.

Kasukuwere castigated journalists whom he accused of have developed the
habit of opposing every policy that comes from Zanu-PF without giving
themselves the opportunity to study its intensions.

He said clever journalists should seize the opportunity to also empower
themselves through the vehicle.

He said the law provided the most viable opportunity for downtrodden
Zimbabweans to break free from their poverty and regain direct control of
their natural resources.

He said it was unthinkable for a Zimbabweans to go to a western country and
be allowed to freely exploit their resources.


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Chegutu Gold Rush Sparks Running Battles

http://www.herald.co.zw/

Freeman Razemba

8 March 2010

Harare - Police and panners in Chegutu are engaged in running battles
following the discovery of gold near Hintonville suburb in this farming
district of Mashonaland West Province.

Hundreds of panners besiege the town at night seeking the precious metal and
there are fears of an upsurge in cases of armed robbery and housebreaking in
the town.

The skirmishes escalated a fortnight ago when panners invaded the town. They
were so daring that they attacked policemen.

When The Herald visited the area last Friday, there were empty teargas
canisters strewn all over the mining site and some empty FN rifle
cartridges, evidence of fighting between police and the panners.

The gold deposits were reportedly discovered at a site belonging to Exor
Service Station near the town centre last year.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri last Friday confirmed the
rush for gold in Chegutu, but said the situation was now under control.

He said construction work was taking place at the service station site last
November when the workers stumbled upon the "gold".

Supt Phiri said Exor decided to discontinue construction after the discovery
but the news spread like veld fire, resulting in hundreds of people
descending on the site to search for the gold ore.

Supt Phiri said 10 people were arrested for contravening the Mines and
Minerals Act.

"They appeared in Chegutu court on March 2 and others at the end of February
and were each fined US$20," he said.

He said although some people were still going to the site to search for
gold, the situation was under control.

The situation had escalated when more people got the news of the gold
findings and thronged the place with trucks to collect gold ore, which they
processed elsewhere.

There are also unconfirmed reports that some policemen were clandestinely
involved in gold panning after chasing away the panners.

Said Supt Phiri: "They (panners) are coming at night but police are raiding
them and they will remain on the ground."

However, police sources said a group of about 200 panners, including
hardcore gold dealers from as far as Kwekwe, Shurugwi and Sanyati, had
descended on the small suburb last week.

The Herald observed a convoy of vehicles with people coming with sacks to
load ore, which they believed contained gold.

Some of the panners assaulted two policemen from Chegutu Police Station who
had descended on the area to conduct investigations.

Although the policemen were armed, they failed to control the situation as
the panners attacked them with stones, shovels, knives and clubs. The
policemen fled the scene before returning with reinforcements.

Several panners took cover in nearby bushes, playing hide and seek with the
police.

Hintonville residents said they often hear gunshots and were sometimes
affected by tear- smoke. Some of the panners rushed to the suburb for cover
during skirmishes with the police.

The panners said they would continue playing cat and mouse games with the
police because they wanted to eke out a living.

"It's better to search for this gold than to steal. They should give us a
chance so that we make money as well," said one of the panners who preferred
anonymity.


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Dabengwa castigates Sipepa-Nkomo over audit

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27807

March 8, 2010

By Our Correspondent

BULAWAYO - Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (MZWP) chairman Dumiso
Dabengwa has castigated Water Resources Minister, Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo, for
what he described as rushing into auditing the water project's operations.

Nkomo last week told Parliament that his ministry had engaged the services
of a Comptroller and Auditor-General to undertake a thorough and
comprehensive audit of the MZWP operations. He said he had recently received
a report from the Reserve Bank on the amounts of money disbursed to the
MZWP. The findings of the audit would be made public with all concerned
stakeholders being consulted on the way forward, Nkomo said.

Last year Nkomo announced the government's takeover of the project, saying
it was meant to ensure that the project was led by the government for
purposes of improving accountability and enhancing the probability of
attracting international investors.

"We wonder why the minister is so much in a hurry to audit this project's
operations. We are not criminals. They can go ahead we have nothing to hide.
We also hope the ministry has money to pay for the service of those
auditors. We have our own auditors from Ernest and Young but they were
rejected," Dabengwa who is also the interim leader of the opposition ZAPU
party, told The Zimbabwe Times on Monday.

The MZWP was set up by leaders from the Matabeleland region who accused the
previous Zanu-PF government of lacking the political will to push the US$500
million project through.

MZWP which was first mooted by the colonial government back in 1912 involves
three phases. Phase One envisages the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam
while Phase Two involves construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam to Bulawayo
Pipeline. Under Phase Three a pipeline will be constructed from the
Gwayi-Shangani Dam to the Zambezi River. By the end a 450km pipeline will
supply water to the city of Bulawayo and create a green belt along its
route.

Construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam - expected to provide a reservoir for
the project - began in September 2004 but has been hampered by lack of
funds.

Successive budgetary allocations for the project either turned out to be a
drop in the ocean, or were diverted by the Zanu-PF government, fuelling
perceptions in the region that Matabeleland was being "marginalised".

Political leaders in the region say the unreliable water supply has forced
many companies or potential investors either to shun the area or to relocate
to Harare.


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Editor’s dismissal test case for new ZUJ

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27759

March 7, 2010

By Ray Matikinye

BULAWAYO – An editor employed by a state-controlled newspaper, who was fired
last week on allegations of posting certain comments on a website, now
charges that the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) is reluctant to take up
his case with his employers.

Wellington Toni, a sports editor with the state-owned Sunday News, a weekly
newspaper published by Zimbabwe Newspapers’ in Bulawayo says he has been
left out in the cold by ZUJ although he is a fully paid up member of the
union.

Journalists say the case has become a litmus test for the recently elected
ZUJ executive members, who are mostly state media journalists, particularly
its president Dumisani Sibanda.

Toni was sacked following what he believes are “spurious allegations” of
having commented on a website giving details of corruption at sister
newspaper, The Chronicle.

Toni becomes the second line editor to be fired by the company recently. The
editor of Umthunywa, a weekly vernacular newspaper published by the same
company, was dismissed allegedly for using a picture showing a woman being
carried to a clinic in a wheel barrow.

Management at the newspaper decided that publication of the picture was a
negative portrayal of health provision in Zimbabwe’s rural areas.

“They hired outside computer technicians to try and establish which computer
the e-mailed comments had emanated from,” Toni said of his own case.

“The team failed to pin it on me because newsroom computers are shared by
many reporters. Not satisfied, management took the IT department to task and
brought pressure to bear on them to confirm that the comments had been
posted from the computer even though initially the IT department had said it
had not found any evidence.”

Until recently, ZUJ had a tradition of having a blend of members from the
independent press and the state media to counter the possibility of undue
pressure on ZUJ executive members from employers when defending its members.

Sibanda is the news editor of the Sunday News and it remains to be seen
whether he has the courage to challenge Zimbabwe Newspapers, his employer.

“We have advised Toni to appeal to the board and seek legal advice on the
matter,” Sibanda said.

Documents available reveal that the decision to fire Toni was made after a
hearing committee recommended his dismissal to the board.

In the past, ZUJ has hired lawyers to represent its members but although the
union members have at times won court cases against either suspension or
unfair dismissal of members, management at state-media organisations has
routinely ignored the court verdicts with impunity.

For example, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings went ahead and dismissed
employees who were accused of not doing enough to campaign for Zanu-PF in
the parliamentary elections of March 2008.

Fired editor says ZUJ abandoning him

By Ray Matikinye

BULAWAYO – An editor employed in the state-controlled media who was fired
last week on allegations of posting certain comments on a website now
charges that the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) is reluctant to take up
his case with his employers.

Wellington Toni, a sports editor with the state-owned Sunday News, a weekly
newspaper published by Zimbabwe Newspapers’ in Bulawayo says he has been
left out in the cold by ZUJ although he is a fully paid up member of the
union.

Journalists say the case has become a litmus test for the recently elected
ZUJ executive members, who are mostly state media journalists, particularly
its president Dumisani Sibanda.

Toni was sacked following what he believes are “spurious allegations” of
having commented on a website giving details of corruption at sister
newspaper, The Chronicle.

Toni becomes the second line editor to be fired by the company recently. The
editor of Umthunywa, a weekly vernacular newspaper published by the same
company, was dismissed allegedly for using a picture showing a woman being
carried to a clinic in a wheel barrow.

Management at the newspaper decided that publication of the picture was a
negative portrayal of health provision in Zimbabwe’s rural areas.

“They hired outside computer technicians to try and establish which computer
the e-mailed comments had emanated from,” Toni said of his own case.

“The team failed to pin it on me because newsroom computers are shared by
many reporters. Not satisfied, management took the IT department to task and
brought pressure to bear on them to confirm that the comments had been
posted from the computer even though initially the IT department had said it
had not found any evidence.”

Until recently, ZUJ had a tradition of having a blend of members from the
independent press and the state media to counter the possibility of undue
pressure on ZUJ executive members from employers when defending its members.

Sibanda is the news editor of the Sunday News and it remains to be seen
whether he has the courage to challenge Zimbabwe Newspapers, his employer.

“We have advised Toni to appeal to the board and seek legal advice on the
matter,” Sibanda said.

Documents available reveal that the decision to fire Toni was made after a
hearing committee recommended his dismissal to the board.

In the past, ZUJ has hired lawyers to represent its members but although the
union members have at times won court cases against either suspension or
unfair dismissal of members, management at state-media organisations has
routinely ignored the court verdicts with impunity.

For example, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings went ahead and dismissed
employees who were accused of not doing enough to campaign for Zanu-PF in
the parliamentary elections of March 2008.


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Bill Watch Special of 8th March 2010 [Parliamentary CommitteeMeetings 8th - 11th March]

BILL WATCH SPECIAL

[8th March 2010]

House of Assembly Portfolio Committees and Senate Thematic Committees: 8th to 11th March

The meetings listed below are open to members of the public, but as observers only, not as participants. [See note at the end of this bulletin on public attendance/participation at different types of committee meetings.]

Monday 8th March at 10 am

Public Accounts Committee

Oral evidence from:

i)               Ministry of Science and Technology

ii)             Ministry of Local Government

iii)            Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education

Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson: Hon Mashakada                                  Clerk: Mrs Nyawo

Portfolio Committee: Mines and Energy

Oral evidence from Mbada and Canadile Companies

Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson: Hon Chindori-Chininga                        Clerk: Mr Manhivi

Portfolio Committee: Higher Education, Science and Technology

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education

Committee Room No. 3

Chairperson: Hon SM Ncube                                    Clerk: Miss Chikuvire

Monday 8th March at 2 pm

Thematic Committee: HIV/AIDS

Oral evidence from Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Activists Union

Government Caucus Room

Chairperson: Hon D Khumalo                                   Clerk: Mr Ndlovu

Portfolio Committee: Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs

Oral evidence from the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs

Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson: Hon. T Matutu                                     Clerk: Miss Zenda

Tuesday 9th at 9 am

Portfolio Committee: Mines and Energy

Oral evidence from the Permanent Secretary for Mines

Government Caucus Room

Chairperson: Hon Chindori-Chininga                        Clerk: Mr Manhivi

Tuesday 9th at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade

Oral evidence from the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Committee Room No. 3

Chairperson: Hon Mukanduri                                     Clerk: Ms Macheza

Portfolio Committee: local Government, Rural and Urban Development

Oral evidence from City of Harare

Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson: Hon Karenyi                                          Clerk: Mrs Khumalo

Wednesday 10th March at 9 am

Portfolio Committee: Mines and Energy

Oral evidence from Minister of Mines and Mining Development

Government Caucus Room

Chairperson: Hon Chindori-Chininga                        Clerk: Mr Manhivi

Thursday 11th March at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Media, Information and Communication Technology

Public hearing on the provision of telecommunication services by fixed and mobile operators

Government Caucus Room

Chairperson: Hon Chimanikire                                  Clerk: Mrs Nyawo

No Meetings on Fridays

 

Public Attendance at and Participation in Committee Meetings

These portfolio and thematic committee meetings are open to the public to attend as observers only. Members of the public wishing to attend a meeting should telephone Parliament first [on Harare 700181], to check with the relevant committee clerk that the meeting has not been cancelled. If you are attending, please use the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue entrance to Parliament. IDs must be produced. Members of the public are only free to participate when committees call public hearings. Veritas will send out separate notices of these public hearings and outline the procedures. Committees also sometimes have meetings where invited stakeholders [and those who notify Parliament that they consider themselves stakeholders and are accepted as such] are able to make representations and ask questions. These meetings will be highlighted in these notices. Portfolio and thematic committees meetings for deliberations are not open to the public, and these are not listed in these notices.

 

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.

 


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Bill Watch 9/2010 of 8th March 2010 [Negotiations to be Referred Back to Guarantors]

BILL WATCH 9/2010

[8th March 2010]

The Senate will resume on Tuesday 9th March

The House of Assembly has adjourned to Tuesday 16th March

Indigenisation Regulations Discussed by Council of Ministers

The regulations were discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday 4th March.  Strong objections were voiced to  some provisions and it was agreed that the responsible Minister, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Savior Kasukuwere, would prepare amendments for consideration at the Council’s next meeting on Thursday 11th March.  The Minister’s public remarks in the meantime leave little room to expect significant changes. 

Update on Inclusive Government

Negotiations on GPA Disputed Issues:  The MDC-T have said that negotiations on the disputes between the two main parties in the inclusive government are deadlocked.  They held a National Executive Council meeting on Thursday and a National Council meeting on Friday and it was decided that they would ask the South African facilitator and SADC to step in.  [National Council resolutions available on request]

Elections:  President Mugabe declared last Thursday that the Global Political Agreement has a two-year lifespan which means that if the constitution-making process succeeds there will be an election and if it fails that, too, would lead to an election.  [In fact there is nothing in the GPA to indicate its lifespan.]  The President said he would be standing for re-election if his party nominated him.  Speaking at a MDC-T rally over the weekend Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, referring to the next elections, said "We want a peacekeeping force, so that we can have a free and fair environment for the election to keep our people free so that they can vote. We can use AU and Southern African Development Community forces for peacekeeping during the election period."

“Sanctions”:  US President Barack Obama extended the travel and financial restrictions on Mr. Mugabe and other individuals until 6th March 2011.  During his State visit to the United Kingdom last week President Zuma pressed the British government for the removal of all “sanctions” against Zimbabwe, but the British Prime Minister said there first needed to be clear evidence of improvement in human rights, reform of governance and freedom of speech.  He reiterated that the EU's sanctions did not target Zimbabwe or Zimbabweans but "individuals who are responsible for violence and a number of businesses linked to them."

National Security Council [NSC] Meeting:  The NSC met on Friday 5th March, and is now scheduled to meet on the first Friday of every month, monthly meetings being required by the NSC Act.  It has taken a year to arrive at this point.  What has not been established is whether JOC continues to meet.

In Parliament Last Week

The House of Assembly met on 2nd, 3rd and 4th March.  The Senate was in recess.

House of Assembly

Speaker’s Ruling on Submission of Notices of Motions:  To avoid the disorder that arose in the House last month when a motion was introduced without prior warning, the Speaker confirmed the previous practice of Parliament under which the Speaker has had sight of motions before their announcement on the floor of the House, thereby enabling the Speaker to assess the admissibility of all motions and to withhold from publication or to amend any motion not complying with Standing Orders.  “In future, therefore, all Notices of Motion must be submitted to the Clerk’s Office by 11 am on the day on which Notice is to be given.  Notices of motion not abiding by this ruling will not be allowed.”  

Motions: The House approved Hon. Bhasikiti’s motion calling on the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara to “engage the European Union, the United Nations, the British and American governments to urgently and unconditionally remove the illegal sanctions imposed at their instigation on the government and people of Zimbabwe as confessed in the British Parliament by the Foreign Affairs Secretary Mr David Milliband”.  Curiously, although MDC-T contributors to the debate challenged the motion’s attribution of responsibility for sanctions to Mr Tsvangirai and demonstrated that Mr Miliband had been misquoted, they did not move amendments to the motion, which was approved without apparent opposition.

BIPPA between Zimbabwe and SA approved:  At the request of the Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion the House approved  the Agreement between Zimbabwe and South Africa for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments.  [Electronic copy of agreement available on request.]

Coming up in the Senate this Week

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill:  The Committee Stage of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill is on the agenda for the Senate’s sitting on Tuesday 9th March.  Senator Mutsvangwa of ZANU-PF has tabled major amendments; Senator Gutu of MDC-T has tabled one amendment.  [Bill as amended by House of Assembly available on request.]

Court Cases Affecting Parliamentarians

High Court Ruling Expected on Validity of Speaker’s Election:  Last year Jonathan Moyo [at that stage an Independent MP, but now back in ZANU-PF] went to the High Court seeking the setting aside of the August 2008 election of Lovemore Moyo as Speaker of the House of Assembly.  The complaint was that voting had not been conducted by secret ballot as required by the Standing Orders of the House.  Justice Patel is expected to hand down his decision on Tuesday 9th March. 

MDC-T MP Acquitted of Fraud:  Tichaona Mharadze, MDC-T MP for Masvingo West, has been acquitted of fraud at the close of the State case; the charge alleged misuse of agricultural inputs allocated to him under the Master Farmer Scheme. 

Bennett Case resumes March 8th.

POSA Amendment Bill

The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs have finished holding public hearings on the Bill around the country.  The opinions from the public expressed at these hearings indicate that most people would like POSA repealed and a simpler new Act drafted from scratch, based on the intention of protecting the public when exercising their right of assembly and freedom of expression, rather than one that can be used by the State to repress these rights and freedoms.  In the meantime the amendments were considered a step in the right direction.  Also raised repeatedly in the hearings was the need for retraining and reorienting the police force.  The Committee will meet again on 8th March to discuss its draft report, and may invite the co-Ministers of Home Affairs and Hon Gonese, the sponsor of the Bill, to appear before the Committee for further discussions.  The Committee will then finalise its report on the Bill for presentation to the House of Assembly during the Second Reading debate.  The Parliamentary Legal Committee will meet on Tuesday 9th March to consider the constitutionality of the Bill.  [Available [1] POSA with all amendments to date; [2] POSA annotated to show the effect of the changes proposed by the Bill.]

Update on Constitutional Commissions

Media Commission [ZMC]: President Mugabe said during a meeting with editors and journalists last week that the new Media Commission should get down to work without delay and deal with the accumulated applications for registration of media houses and journalists under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [AIPPA] that await its attention.  They do not need to be sworn in before commencing their duties.  There is still a legal question mark over whether or not AIPPA needs updating, as there is now a Constitutional Media Commission as opposed to the former statutory Commission to which AIPPA refers.

Electoral Commission [ZEC] and Human Rights Commission [ZHRC]:  The Judicial Service Commission and Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders are being consulted on these appointments, as required by the Constitution.  [The proposed chairpersons are former High Court Judge Simpson Mtambanengwe [ZEC] and Prof. Reg Austin [ZHRC].] 

South African Court Judgment on SADC Tribunal Farm Case

Having obtained the registration in South Africa of the SADC Tribunal’s rulings in the Campbell cases, legal practitioners for the three farmers who applied for the registration have said that the next step could be legal proceedings to attach Zimbabwean Government properties located in Cape Town in order to recover the costs awarded to the applicants by the Tribunal.  The properties are said to be “non-diplomatic”, i.e., not protected by the immunity from legal action applicable to buildings and land used for the purposes of Zimbabwe’s diplomatic mission in South Africa.  [SA court order available.]

Chiadzwa Diamonds Case

African Consolidated Resources [ACR] has alleged that mining is continuing in the area in dispute between ACR and the Government’s joint venture partners, notwithstanding the Chief Justice’s order that there must be no mining there pending the Supreme Court’s decision on the Government’s appeal against Judge Hungwe’s September 2009 decision in favour of ACR.  ACR has also indicated its intention to contest the recent administrative action taken by the Permanent Secretary for Mines and Mining Development to cancel its mining rights under the Mines and Minerals Act.  Minister of Finance Tendai Biti, lamenting that Government has received no royalties from the exploitation of the diamond field, has suggested that: “In the interest of transparency, all mining licenses, leases, special grants that have been given in Chiadzwa must be cancelled forthwith.  All mining operations must cease. There must be a new diamond law in Zimbabwe."

Legislation Update

Acts:  No Acts were gazetted last week or this week.

Bills passed by Parliament last year awaiting gazetting as Acts:  Financial Adjustments Bill, Public Finance Management Act and Audit Office Bill.

Bill in House of Assembly:  POSA Amendment Bill.

Bill in Senate:  Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill awaits its Committee Stage.

Statutory Instruments:  SIs 35 to 67/2010 dated 4th March [available on request] notify the assignment to Ministers of responsibility for the administration of Acts of Parliament.  [See Bill Watch 8/2010 of 6th March 2010 for an explanation of these statutory instruments.]

 

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied

 


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The Zimbabwe Situation is 10 years old this month

Who would believe that we could go on this long?

It all started when the farm invasions began early in 2000.  Karen and I and several others met regularly on an online message board, and everyone was
worried about what was happening in Zimbabwe and anxious for news.  So Karen set up a website and gathered news from various sources.  I helped out occasionally and she asked me to take over when she went away on holiday in September..... heavens, I said, you don't think there will still be a "situation" that needs reporting on in September?... how little we knew.

Time passed, the website grew, changed from just a private blog - people wanted to know what they could do, so we collected addresses of prominent people to write to, and various other useful resources.  We felt too that we had to spread the news to the world which was then very ignorant of Zimbabwe.  More and more people wanted news, and we started newsletters.

Today our audience is mainly people in Zimbabwe who feel starved of news, and Zimbabweans around the world who want to know what is going on.

Some time ago Karen found she did not have the time to spend on the everyday work, and so I have been doing it on my own.  How long this can continue I don't know - as well as our tenth anniversary, this year will also see my 70th birthday, and getting up at 5am every day to do the work is becoming harder and harder!  But I do know that my life is not as hard as that of those in Zimbabwe, and I will go on as long as I can.

I just hope it is not another ten years


Barbara

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