From http://www.marekinc.com/BusBriefsDefense.html
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is reported to have spent about $6 billion in unbudgeted public
funds over the past year-and-a-half on its DR Congo military deployment. The
Financial Gazette reported on February 3 that government sources admit that
such expenditures reflect only direct costs of maintaining President Kabila
in power and do not address such items as purchases of arms. When asked for
a breakdown of costs, Defense Minister Mr. Moven Mahachi explained that
specific costs are not available now and will not be available until
Zimbabwean troops have left the DR Congo. "We will give out an audit of the
war once it is over," he stated. With a severe shortage of foreign currency,
the country's fuel requirements are not the only item being squeezed. Army
troop allowances, for example, are paid in US dollars. Military salaries,
fuel, food and maintenance activities also need to be paid for. More than $7
billion in materiel is thought to have been lost in the DR Congo operation
and must be replaced. Such monies would be a drain on the national economy
at any time, but most members of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces had their
salaries nearly doubled in January. Nearly one-third of the country's army
has been deployed to the DR Congo; government officials have refused to
disclose death counts. One method by which Zimbabwean officials apparently
hope to recover some costs is to engage in joint diamond ventures with the
Congolese. Kinshasa has granted major mining concessions in the diamond
center of Mbuji-Mayi, reportedly the largest such resource in Central and
Southern Africa. ZIMCON (Zimbabwe-Congo), a joint venture between the
Zimbabwean and Congolese governments, has already been formed and is
operating in Mbuji-Mayi.nd other developmental issues and avoid fuelling
inflation."
Please send your replies to : support@mdc.co.zw
MDC Support Centre
Newsletter – 28th March 2000
Bindura Rally – 27/03/00The Rally held at the Bindura Showgrounds on Sunday
afternoon was an inspiration; with an estimated audience of 18000 people.
Party T Shirts were everywhere and clearly a major transport coordination
exercise had been mounted to get the people to the grounds. Food and cool
drinks were available and there was a wonderful carnival atmosphere. We
counted nine TV crews, most of them foreign, as well as journalists for the
other media. The speakers included Provincial Party women and men, Nelson
Chamisa, Youth League Chairman, Elliot Pfebve, Mashonaland Central
Provincial Chairman, Gift Chimanikire, Deputy Secretary General, and the
main address by President Morgan Tsvangirai. All speeches were
enthusiastically received and consensus was that it was an outstanding
success in terms of winning voters.
Victims of violence earlier in the day were interviewed and photographed by
the media.
The Mash Central Provincial Support network clearly had put in a lot of work
in support of the Rally and demonstrated how helpful a well organised
structure can be in promoting the party and securing votes. They have bought
and distributed thousands of T-shirts on their own initiative. If anyone is
looking for some guidance and advice, they should contact Campbell Dunlop in
Bindura.
Provincial Rallies
It is imperative Party Structures are in place and organised so that
Provincial Rallies can take place. Programmes, dates and speakers, are being
worked out with Party and Provincial leadership. Hendrik O’Neil at the
Support Centre is co-ordinating this. We appeal to all sections of the
community to support these rallies. When arranging rural meetings it is
imperative that traditional leaders are consulted and involved.
Election Process
The re-registration exercise expires at the end of March. After that the
Provisional Voters Roll will be open for inspection and it is imperative
that as many people as possible check that they, and others around them, are
on the roll. Discrepancies need to be documented and if they become
significant, the party will have to decide what action to take. Please
assist as many people as possible to inspect the roll.
If you know of instances where voter re-registration has been frustrated or
prevented and want to draw attention to the fact, please prepare some
statements and documentation on the incident. If these are to be of any
value, full details including names and addresses of people, times, dates
and places must be recorded, and people must be prepared to sign sworn
affidavits.
Operation Cascade
Establishment of Constituency Support Committees across the country at an
impressive rate. However some areas, notably Midlands and Masvingo, need
help. If anyone knows people in these areas, please "convert" them. There
are senior people at the centre who are ready to travel anywhere in the
country to help set up or strengthen structures, just email them at the
Centre.
Help Hotline Support
We want to set up hotlines for people who are in distress to phone for
guidance, moral support and advice. We are looking for volunteers who have
done this type of social work before, and are willing to help. If you wish
to help, or know someone suitable, please email the centre initially for
someone to contact you (please entitle your email "hotline".
Monitoring
The Election Monitoring exercise is going to be a mammoth task. Polling
agents have to be trained and registered and then finally deployed at
Polling Stations throughout the country during the Election. We are
requesting people to start thinking about this exercise and register with
their Provincial/Constituency Support Committees. If you don’t know who
yours is, email the Support Centre with your address and we will put you in
touch with the nearest committee.
Most useful will be those with the where-with-all to volunteer themselves
for the really remote stations.
Candidates
The Candidate selection process is still in hand and any prospective
candidates should submit their applications to the MDC Secretary General,
MDC Offices, 127B Fife Avenue, Harare. These should be hand delivered as
soon as possible.
Any queries or comments regarding candidates should be similarly addressed.
Foreign Donations
Arrangements to facilitate receipt of donations from foreign sources are
still in progress and will be block emailed and publicised on the Website as
soon as available. Please be aware that unscrupulous people can change the
payment details and addresses on forwarded email. If you are suspicious
please check the website (www.mdc.co.zw) or email the Support Centre
support@mdc.co.zw).
Shopping List
The MDC is running short of the following items and would appreciate if any
Harare residents or businesses can help.
We need general office stationery such as:
Bond paper, A4 size envelopes, heavy duty stapler and staples, heavy duty
punch, files and folders, computer diskettes, cartridges for an Epson Stylus
Colour 640 printer, rulers, scissors etc.
We are also trying to source cellphones, with or without lines, and Buddy
Cards (unused!)
Please drop any donations into the MDC Support Centre (8th Floor, Gold
Bridge, Eastgate) and they will be very gratefully received.
MDC Support Grows in spite of Intimidation !
Keep up the support!
Regards,
MDC Support Centre
Maitiro Chinja / Guqula Izenzo
8th Floor, Gold Bridge
Eastgate
CFU FUEL REPORT - 28th MARCH 2000
The fuel supply situation is at last improving after reaching its lowest
levels last week.
Supply Situation
Beira Port Although stocks were low at Feruka and Msasa depots the
pipelines have resumed pumping as a result of two ships having docked
within
the space of a few days. The first ship docked on Friday 24th and
started
discharging its cargo of 12.5 million litres petrol, 19.2 million litres
diesel and 6.3 million litres jet on Saturday 25th. It completed
unloading
at the end of the weekend and was replaced by a second ship containing
11
million litres petrol, 6 million litres jet and 14 million litres diesel
which it is presently discharging. The ship which docked on 24th is
said to
be returning for another load which should comprise 12 million litres
petrol, 6 million litres jet and 19 million litres diesel and hopefully
it
will return to Beira about 2nd May.
Road and Rail
There are now stocks of 1.7 million litres petrol at Beit Bridge which
have
come in via road from RSA. Fuel via rail from Sasol is coming in at the
rate of about a train a day via Botswana and this is benefiting mainly
the
South, Midlands and Hwange.
Direct Importation of Fuel
On 7th March we sent a memorandum to all Regional Executives and all
farmers
on email advising that oil companies were now entitled to import fuel
directly for their clients provided clients could supply the appropriate
forex in the form of FCAs. Details of how to access the facility were
provided in the memorandum.
On 21st March the RBZ rescinded the facility. We immediately met with
senior representatives of the oil industry and requested that they or
Noczim
approach RBZ to reinstate the facility. Noczim's chief executive was
able
to persuade RBZ who advised that, recognizing the fact that there were
numerous outstanding orders and the importance of the facility to
industry,
they would re-introduce the scheme for "a short period". On Friday
24th,
Tom Walter, the spokesperson for the oil industry, advised that the
facility
was back on track and all that is required is for RBZ to officially
confirm
with the commercial banks. We understand that oil companies are now
allowing clients with a minimum order of 40 thousand litres to
participate.
The Future
Independent Petroleum Group of Kuwait has extended a 90 day credit line
to
Noczim and has undertaken to supply 3 x 35 000 tonne tankers of fuel a
month
to Zimbabwe via Beira starting April. This is equivalent to about 100
million litres a month. Normal monthly usage of all fuels countrywide
is
about 144 million litres per month. The meeting was cautiously
optimistic
about the arrangement and was of the opinion that there was a good
chance
that the deal would go through.
CAVEAT
Although there is a flush of fuel coming into the country at last,
farmers
are reminded that present stocks are right down and it will take a
couple of
weeks before reliable supplies become available. It is well to remember
that we are still in a crisis situation with fuel.
JOHN DICKENS
CFU COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE
Cornered By Opposition, Mugabe Cracks Down On Corruption - Panafrican
News
Agency - March 27, 2000 - by Rangarirai Shoko
Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - "I will not drop a tear if a relative of mine
is
caught in that net against corruption," President Robert Mugabe,
promising a
police crackdown on graft in government, declared in February.
Used to empty promises in 20 years of his uninterrupted rule, few
Zimbabweans believed the veteran leader's sincerity. Many simply took
the
pledge as Mugabe's electioneering for the upcoming parliamentary polls
in
which his governing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
party is
facing a possible defeat by an opposition capitalising on top level
corruption.
"Those guilty of corruption, and they are several, will go to court and
be
judged. Some of them will be great names and there is no one who will be
given mercy," insisted the Zimbabwean leader.
"The net against corruption must work widely because there is a lot of
corruption in our system," he admitted.
Within a month, Zimbabweans were pleasantly surprised by the speed and
scale
Mugabe moved to fulfil his pledge to crackdown on graft, estimated to
have
cost the government billions of dollars over the years.
Widespread corruption in government, and an economic crisis Zimbabwe is
going through, has exacted an enormous toll on Mugabe's political
standing.
The first ports of call for the police were the troubled energy and
agriculture ministries, where alleged corruption by top officials almost
brought the country's farming-based economy to a halt.
The permanent secretary in the energy ministry, the managing director of
a
state-owned fuel company and several senior officials were nabbed and
charged with siphoning off more than 25 million US dollars from the oil
firm.
The alleged financial looting at the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe,
until
recently Zimbabwe's sole fuel importer, left the country with a
crippling
shortage of the commodity from which it has yet to recover.
The officials, whose cases are before the courts, are accused of
manipulating oil tenders, among other corrupt activities, for personal
gain.
To keep up the anti-corruption momentum, police next netted agriculture
Minister Kumbirayi Kangai, his permanent secretary and the managing
director
of a state-owned grain company on fraud allegations involving nearly
12.5
million dollars.
The arrests, particularly that of Kangai, threw the country into a
frenzy of
approval, and Zimbabweans dramatically changed their earlier scepticism
of
Mugabe's sincerity.
"He (Mugabe) seems to be serious. No government minister has been
arrested
in the last 10 years," college student Amon Phiri said, recalling the
Zimbabwean leader's anti corruption drive in the late 1980s which netted
several ministers.
News on the latest arrests, especially at the energy ministry where
corruption appears to have been more deeply-rooted than elsewhere in
government, have been well received.
Mugabe had earlier taken direct control of the troubled energy ministry,
following the resignation of the minister in February over the fuel
shortage.
Then 76-year-old Zimbabwean leader proceeded to strike a short term fuel
supply deal with a Kuwaiti company, giving the country some respite in
the
sector.
Mugabe's anti-corruption crusade seems to have struck the right chord
with
the electorate, but critics say it is merely a ploy to deflate attention
from his poor management of the economy.
"The president and his party are making the sacrifices they need to if
they
are to retain the confidence of the people of this country. But time, it
seems, is not on their side," a University of Zimbabwe political
scientist
said.
He speculated that more arrests of senior officials on corruption
charges
were in the offing in the run up to the parliamentary elections
originally
slated for April but now delayed for one month.
Annan considers DRC ceasefire mission - IRIN
JOHANNESBURG, 14 March (IRIN) -
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has
urged
the United Nations to move an observer force into the war-torn
Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) as quickly as possible. He made the remarks
after
meeting in the capital, Harare, with UN Under-Secretary-General for
Peacekeeping Operations, Bernard Miyet, news reports said on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe is believed to have deployed around 12,000 troops in the DRC
backing President Laurent-Desire Kabila's government soldiers against
rebels
supported by Rwanda and Uganda. Mugabe insisted there would be no
unilateral withdrawal of Zimbabwean troops from the DRC without the
prior
exit of Rwandan and Ugandan soldiers.
His remarks came as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday said the
Security Council has authorised a mission to monitor the ceasefire in
the
war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed last July. Speaking
in
London at the commemoration of Commonwealth Day, Annan said: "The
Security
Council has authorised a mission to monitor the ceasefire and facilitate
the
implementation of other provisions of the Lusaka Peace agreements,
including
the 'national dialogue' between Congolese parties."
Annan continued: "The Security Council has given me the heavy
responsibility
of deciding when conditions are ripe for deployment of this mission -
and my
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bernard Miyet, is
currently in the region making an on-the-spot assessment."
INFORMATION ROOM
LAND INVASIONS UPDATE - 29 MARCH 2000
To date 794 farms have been affected by invaders, 458 of which are
currently occupied. 112 properties have been affected since Monday 20
March 2000, 83 of which are currently occupied.
Midlands
In Zvishavane invaders have started clearing land - police have been
called in to react.
At Bonstead Farm (Paul Nel), invaders broke into the house and
fortunately the police reaction unit arrived in time to prevent an
incident.
At an MDC rally in Kwekwe, war vets disrupted the meeting and stole 150
t-shirts worth $10 000. MDC supporters retaliated and Birdale
building was burnt down. 15-20 war veterans have been arrested.
Mash Central
Isolated incident in the Victory Block. Continued political activity
following from a MDC meeting on Sunday. An MDC support centre was
petrol-bombed in the early hours this morning, two Bindura Haulage
trucks were burnt from petrol bombs. A farmer's vehicle has been stoned
and the individual threatened in Mutepatepa. This is a potentially
volatile situation.
Matabeleland
3 new properties invaded in the Figtree area.
Masvingo
Quiet - nothing to report.
Mash West South
Quiet - nothing to report.
Mash West North
Five farms were invaded in Chinhoyi on Tuesday 28 March, with large
numbers of people. By the 29th, most people had moved off and only
left a few to have a presence.
Mash East
Quiet - nothing to report.
Manicaland
Quiet - nothing to report