"What matters now is what we, as Zimbabweans, think is the best way to move
ourselves out of this crisis. Are we brave enough? Are we strong enough? Are we
angry enough?" On March 29th the people of
Zimbabwe won an historic victory. That historic and resounding victory should have heralded a new and joyful
era for all Zimbabweans. Instead Zimbabweans have endured confusion, pain, death
and despair as the result of a violent onslaught against the people by Zanu
PF. As is now well documented, my opponent in this race has decided to turn his
thugs on the people. The former liberator has turned his back on the people of
Zimbabwe and on the entire continent of Africa. It is very, very sad for me to call Mugabe a former liberator. It is sad for
me to say that he has turned his back on both his people and his continent.
Mugabe was once my hero too. Because of his sacrifices, millions of our citizens
are well educated and had great opportunities to grow and prosper. But something happened to Mugabe on our long walk to freedom, something
happened that hardened his heart. Something happened that made him abandon the
very people he once fought to free. He has unleashed violence on his own children, the people of Zimbabwe. And for those carrying out the violence on the ground, the police, the
militia, the army and the so called war veterans now is the time to give very
serious thought to the implications of further attacks on innocent civilians.
You are breaking Zimbabwean and international laws and the whole world is
watching. The time is now for our professional security services to follow their hearts
and become professional again, rather than follow a former liberation hero on
his path to destruction. You will be in Zimbabwe long after Mugabe is gone. In view of the unfolding post-election tragedy, the leadership of the MDC,
civil society, and all democratic forces have had a very difficult decision to
make. We know the betrayal of ballots being followed by bullets. We know that
another election may bring more violence, more gloom, more betrayal. We know there should not be a runoff election – there was only one reason the
ZEC announced results before completing verification. We know the verified total
would have revealed the full extent of the dictatorship's defeat – and the full
extent of the peoples' victory. But we also know a runoff election could finally knock-out the dictator for
good. A runoff election could be the final round in a very long fight to
liberate ourselves from our former liberator. We know that we have won, but do we nevertheless decide to contest a runoff
election to hasten the end of this debacle? Or do we wait and hope for the
political environment to improve, for mediation to start, for mediation to
end….all the while the people continue to suffer? I have asked the MDC, civil society and other democratic forces to assess the
feeling of the people on the ground. Do they want a runoff election? Will they
vote despite the violent attacks? Could they possibly have confidence in the ZEC
again? To be honest, the answers are very mixed. Some report that they believe the
people are too afraid to vote, that they are displaced by the destruction of
their homes and not even near their polling stations any more. Others point to
the fact that the ZEC betrayed them once and will do so again. Others say it is
simply not fair to push the people into an election. I consider all of these valid points of view. No one can dispute that going
into an alleged runoff of an election that you have already won – an election
controlled by an opponent whose election tactics unapologetically include
stealing and killing - is a risky venture indeed. What matters now is what we, as Zimbabweans, think is the best way to move
ourselves out of this crisis. Are we brave enough? Are we strong enough? Are we
angry enough? The overwhelming sentiment that emerged from the people of Zimbabwe is that
they are ready for change now, not later. They want a chance for a better life
now, and they believe that the MDC can give them that chance. They believe that
we as nation are brave enough, we are strong enough and we are angry enough to
fight an election once again. We as MDC believe our people would feel betrayed
if we shied away from the final knock out. We have lost hundreds of people in
the democracy movement since 1999. Their sacrifices must not be in vain. We must
fulfill the dreams of our people who have been betrayed and traumatized since
March 29th. The MDC has decided that we will contest the runoff and the people will
finally prevail. The people have spoken before, and the people will speak again.
I am ready and the people are ready for the final round. Legally this election should be no later than May 24th, two weeks from today,
and that is the date we are preparing for. If Zanu PF and the ZEC hope to retain
what little credibility they have left they will abide by the law and declare
the Presidential runoff election between today and that date. Therefore I shall return to Zimbabwe within the next two days. I shall return to Zimbabwe to begin a Victory Tour. Some might say this term
"Victory" is cold and callous given the hardships endured by the people. But the people are victorious. And they are being punished for their victory.
We must free ourselves from those who would steal victory from fellow brothers
and sisters by using guns, sticks and screwdrivers. In the last four weeks many leaders have rallied to the cause of Zimbabwe. To
SADC Chairman Mwanamwasa and African Union Chairman Kikwete, and many of your
colleagues, I want to say thank you. When Zimbabwe rejoins the family of
democratic nations, history will remember what you did for your brave, peace
loving African brothers and sisters now living in fear of their own
government. I want to thank the labor unions and Cosatu for refusing to allow the
illegitimate regime of Zanu PF to access more weapons for use against its own
people. To Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and others in the international community,
we thank you and appreciate all your work. We will continue to count on you,
SADC and the AU, to ensure the upcoming runoff is administered fairly, with
transparency, neutrality and professionalism. And finally, I thank the people of Zimbabwe for their courage and devotion to
democracy. And I ask them not to lose hope. Together let us finish the job.
Together let us have faith that this time, the ballot paper will truly liberate
our country. I thank you. Subscribe to receive mailings by sending an email to elections2008@sokwanele.com.
Visit our website at
www.sokwanele.com
Zimbabwe's opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai at a news
conference in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, May 10, 2008.
Statement by Morgan Tsvangirai : 10 May
2008
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Reuters
Sat 10 May
2008, 8:25 GMT
JOHANNESBURG, May 10 (Reuters) - The leader of Zimbabwe's
main opposition
group said on Saturday he would return home within two days
to prepare for
an election run-off in which he hopes to unseat veteran
President Robert
Mugabe.
"I shall return to Zimbabwe within the next
two days," Tsvangirai said in a
statement.
Tsvangirai left Zimbabwe
shortly after the elections and has been engaging
in regional shuttle
diplomacy to garner support. (Writing by Caroline Drees;
editing by Sami
Aboudi)
africasia
HARARE, May 10 (AFP)
On the streets of Harare, supporters of Morgan
Tsvangirai greeted news of
his imminent return with relief on Saturday after
weeks of uncertainty and
rumours he had given up on his
homeland.
Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition Movement for
Democratic Change
(MDC) party, left Zimbabwe days after disputed elections
on March 29 and has
not returned since.
Before he announced his
return "within two days" on Saturday, he had refused
to say whether he would
take part in a presidential runoff to end political
stalemate that has
gripped the country since the polls.
"The party (MDC) needs him around as
they plan the way forward after the
election," said a female shopper walking
out of a supermarket in Harare's
Avenues area.
"He has been absent
for too long and people were making all sorts of
interpretations and guesses
with some even saying he was no longer coming
back."
Some had begun
to question the opposition leader's judgement amid
suggestions he was losing
momentum in his bid to unseat veteran President
Robert Mugabe.
Fred
Parandura, a mobile fruit vendor in the capital, told AFP: "Tsvangirai
should come back home and tell the people where he stands. People are
wondering whether he has developed cold feet or if he is running
scared."
Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the first of the voting by 47.9
percent to 43.2
percent, falling short of the 50 percent plus one vote
required for him to
be declared a winner.
Results from the first
round were delayed by the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission for five weeks and
no date has yet been given for the
second-round run-off.
"He should
not hesitate about participating in the run-off (that) he will
win, like he
won the first time," Parandura said.
"The only problem will be the
violence and intimidation but there is no way
they (Mugabe's party) would
harm him because all the world's attention is on
Zimbabwe," he
added.
Since the announcement of parliamentary results the country has
been hit by
a wave of violence with the MDC claiming at least 30 of its
supporters were
killed and thousands displaced in retributive
attacks.
The government also accuses the MDC of going on a violent
campaign targeting
ruling party supporters.
Tsvangirai's decision
also brings personal risks for the former trade union
leader.
Twice
charged but cleared of treason in the past, he again faces a threat of
treason charges. In March 2007, he was badly beaten while in police
custody.
But, despite fears of further violence, his supporters welcomed
his imminent
homecoming.
Evans Mahapa, a supervisor in a supermarket,
could not hide his joy at
Tsvangirai's decision to once again take on
Mugabe, Africa's oldest leader
who has been in power since the country's
independence in 1980.
"This is a good move," Mahapa said nodding his
approval.
"And the decision to participate in the run-off is most
welcome. He won in
the first round and there is no way Mugabe can win even
if he tries to rig
the election."
The Zimbabwean
Saturday, 10 May 2008 14:44
PRETORIA: The
United Movement for Democratic Change (MDC led by
Mutambara and Tsvangirai)
confirmed in Pretoria Saturday they are going for
an election run off which
legally has to be held on the 23rd of May.
MDC president Morgan
Tsvangirai said the party had considered going
for a run off and that he was
prepared regardless of possible threats on his
life.
“The people
are ready and I am ready for the run off as this gives the
people of
Zimbabwe to participate in the final knock out round on Mugabe,”
said
Tsvangirai
Addressing media at Burgers Park Hotel in Pretoria Central
both
Mutambara and Tsvangirai said their contest in the run off was meant to
give
Zimbabweans yet another chance to fight the illegitimate Mugabe
regime.
However the MDC with its alliance partners from civic
organizations
agreed to get into the run off with conditions that were
highlighted by
Morgan Tsvangirai in his press briefing.
“Our key
conditions in this run off are, total cessation of all
violence by the ZANU
PF thugs and total demilitarization. The elections
should be open to all
international observers to monitor.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
has been highly compromised hence a
need for it to be properly constituted
as it has lost its independence
especially its chairperson George
Chiweshe.
“Media should be accredited to cover without conditions and
SADC
should have peace keeping missions according to Article 15 of the
communiqué,” said Tsvangirai.
Mutambara in a solidarity speech to
the media said Mugabe was under
siege from the MDC and democratic forces
adding that people of Zimbabwe on
the 29th of March voted for change but
that said that change was under
threat.
“I am here to declare total
war against Robert Mugabe. This run off is
Robert Mugabe against the people
of Zimbabwe and what I can promise is that
all Zimbabweans will campaign
vigorously for Morgan Tsvangirai,” said
Mutambara to a rapturous
applause.
Political commentator Takura Zhangazha in an interview with
the
Zimbabwean said after making all considerations the MDC had to take the
risk
of going into the run off.
“This is a risk worth taking,” said
Zhangazha.
In a sign of unity the front row at the press conference was
occupied
by top three of Tsvangirai and two of Mutambara, Morgan Tsvangirai,
Arthur
Mutambara , Gibson Sibanda, Lovemore Moyo, and Thokozane
Khupe.
The press conference was being controlled by Nelson Chamisa, the
spokesperson of the MDC.
Reuters
Sat May
10, 2008 4:43am EDT
PRETORIA, May 10 (Reuters) - The leader of
Zimbabwe's main opposition group
said on Saturday full access for
international observers and media was a
pre-condition for his participation
in a run-off against President Robert
Mugabe.
"We want unfettered
access of all international observers. The ZEC (Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission) has totally discredited itself to a point now they are
partisan
to the (ruling) ZANU-PF. The reconstitution of ZEC is therefore
paramount,"
Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said.
"Media
access should be unfettered, both print and international media," he
said at
a news conference in South Africa, listing the conditions for his
participation in the run-off after disputed March 29 polls. (Reporting by
Phumza Macanda; Writing by Caroline Drees; editing by Sami Aboudi)
africasia
PRETORIA, South Africa, May 10 (AFP)
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai said Saturday that a runoff
poll in the country's presidential
elections had to be held on May 23 to be
considered legitimate.
"The
election has to be held on the 23 of May," he said, referring to
Zimbabwean
law which stipulates that a second round has to be held within 21
days of
the first-round results being published.
"The ZEC (Zimbabwe's electoral
commission) has a legal obligation to fulfil
that next step," he
added.
"If they don't fulfil that, then they will have set off on a
campaign of
delegitimising it (the runoff)," he said.
First-round
results were published on May 2.
Reuters
Sat 10
May 2008, 9:45 GMT
HARARE, May 10 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's justice minister
on Saturday ruled out
accepting any pre-conditions for a presidential
run-off after the opposition
leader said he would only participate if
international monitors had full
access.
"The runoff will be held
within the framework of the constitution and the
electoral laws. There will
be no conditionalities that will be outside this
framework," Justice
Minister Patrick Chinamasa told Reuters.
Movement for Democratic Change
leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Saturday he
would only contest the run-off
against President Robert Mugabe if
international observers and media were
granted full access to ensure the
vote is free and fair. (Reporting by
MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Caroline
Drees; editing by Sami Aboudi)
15:51 GMT, Saturday, 10 May 2008 16:51 UK
|
The announcement by the Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai that he will take part in the presidential run-off is hardly surprising.
The party has always claimed an outright victory in the March election, and insisted that there was no need for a second round. But in reality, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had little choice. To announce a boycott would have handed victory to President Robert Mugabe by default, and quite possibly spelt the end of the MDC as a political force in Zimbabwe. As Mr Tsvangirai told a news conference in Pretoria, South Africa, if he decided not to take part, his supporters would have felt "betrayed". "I am ready and the people are ready for the final round," he said. MDC demands In agreeing to contest the election, the MDC has made a calculated gamble that it can steam-roll its way through any attempts to rig the poll by sheer weight of numbers. The party clearly believes it has majority support. According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Morgan Tsvangirai won 47.9% of the vote, with Robert Mugabe taking 43.2%.
By the MDC's own count, its leader won 50.3% - hardly a resounding endorsement. The MDC can probably depend on the support of many of the 9% or so of voters who backed the third-placed Simba Makoni. But more importantly, some analysts believe that while the ruling Zanu-PF party has cowed many of the MDC's supporters with its campaign of violence, the sheer scale of the attacks has driven even more voters into the arms of the opposition. And the fact that Zanu-PF officially lost control of parliament for the first time in its history has shown voters that the great party of liberation can, in fact, be beaten. That is why the MDC has demanded the presence of international observers as well as foreign media and even peacekeepers to try to tamp down the level of violence that otherwise seems set to rise as the campaign continues. 'Wedding invitations' Zimbabwe's Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa appeared to dismiss the MDC's demands, but he still held the door open by saying "the run-off will be held within the framework of the constitution and the electoral laws. There will be no conditionalities outside this framework." The form of words leaves room for some compromise - few of the MDC's conditions would be in breach of the law.
But Zanu-PF has repeatedly said it would not invite international observers from countries or organisations that have previously criticised its handling of elections, and which it accuses of covertly supporting the MDC. In the rather colourful words of the deputy information minister Bright Matonga: "When you have a wedding, you invite your friends. You don't invite your wife's ex-boyfriend." The government has also said it has no interest in hosting international media organisations which it accuses of supporting British attempts to reclaim control of Zimbabwe using "MDC proxies". It is also highly unlikely to accept peacekeeping forces that would be seen as threatening Zimbabwe's sovereignty - the defence of which the government has repeatedly said lies at the very heart of this political struggle. Little appetite Even so, the fact that the MDC has now formally agreed to take part, throws the focus back onto the government. There is likely to be considerable pressure on Harare to agree to greater international oversight of the elections, if not from the UN, at least from the African Union and other African civil society organisations. There will also be growing calls for an end to the violence - something the government has denied any involvement in.
But before any elections can take place, the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) must first announce a date. According to the law, the second round of voting must take place within three weeks "of the previous election". The ZEC interprets that to mean within three weeks of the day it announced the results. It made that announcement on 2 May, although its chairman has not yet formally announced the date and he has hinted that it could take up to a year if the conditions are not right for a free and fair run-off. There remains speculation that the two sides are negotiating through intermediaries to establish a government of national unity, and that Zimbabwe may never actually get to a run-off vote. Certainly neither side seems to have an appetite for another campaign, and there are powerful incentives to find a negotiated settlement. As long as the ZEC holds back from naming a day for the poll, the prospect of some form of government of national unity remains a prospect. But until then, both sides appear to be preparing for a struggle for control
of Zimbabwe that seems likely to be as physical as it is political. |
OhMyNews
Zimbabwe Prepares for Second Election
Nicolas van der
Leek
Published 2008-05-11 03:31 (KST)
"The MDC … will contest
the run-off. I am ready, and the people are ready
for the final round," said
Morgan Tsvangirai at a press conference in
Pretoria. However, the leader of
the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change has set conditions for his
participation in the election. He has
demanded that the media and other
international observers be granted full
access to ensure a fair ballot. He
also requested that the SADC (Southern
African Development Community) send
peacekeepers to verify the credibility
of the election.
The Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC), a government-run body, will decide
the date for
the second election. Legally, parties have a three-week grace
period until a
second round election is held, but the ZEC also has the power
to postpone
dates as it sees fit. While the opposition leader's demands
might have an
impact on when the election takes place, given Justice
Minister Patrick
Chinamasa's noncommittal response to Tsvangirai's
conditions, it seems
unlikely.
The background to the extended electioneering has been
President Robert
Mugabe biding his time, patiently delaying and putting off
announcements,
while a shipment of weapons has been steadily seeking to dock
at various
points on the subcontinent in order to make delivery. Currently,
the An Yue
Jiang is cruising off Africa's West Coast, along the Congolese
Coast. The
authorities had first spotted the ship on April 25 as it
attempted to dock
at the Angolan port city of Luanda.
The same ship
previously attempted to offload its weapons (including AK-47
rifles and
three million rounds of ammunition) at the South African port of
Durban, but
was refused. At the time, inexplicably, South Africa's President
Thabo Mbeki
offered no resistance, indicating instead that the transaction
was between
China and Zimbabwe and that South Africa would not interfere.
Dockworkers in
Durban refused to cooperate and the ship set sail, apparently
for China, but
later appeared on the opposite side of the subcontinent.
Since the first
election Mugabe has bought himself time to establish
additional controls
over the beleaguered electorate in Zimbabwe. On a daily
basis reports filter
in of MDC activists who have been murdered. It is
difficult to predict which
result will spill the least blood: a Mugabe
victory or Tsvangirai winning.
With Mugabe holding all the keys and cards,
and imminently capable of
re-arming his militias (such as the war veterans),
a Tsvangirai win will in
all likelihood be either foiled through hokey
administration or squashed
militarily. It has been obvious thus far that
Mugabe does not intend to lose
or give up his stranglehold.
More troubling is that Tsvangirai, who has
been beaten before by Mugabe's
cronies, faces a return to his homeland with
Mugabe still shaking a big
stick, and having communicated information
regarding the recruiting of
snipers. As such, the opposition leader faces a
real risk of assassination
following his return to Zimbabwe to contest a
second election.
News24
10/05/2008 14:27 -
(SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe's ruling party hopes a second-round run-off
between
veteran President Robert Mugabe and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai
will take
place "as soon as possible", the country's justice minister said
on
Saturday.
"As for us in Zanu-PF, we are geared for the run-off. We
want it as soon as
possible and get on with normal business," Justice
Minister Patrick
Chinamasa told AFP.
Zimbabwean opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai said on Saturday he would
contest a presidential run-off
poll in the violence-wracked country, but
called for it to take place on May
23 in accordance with the law.
Results from the first round were delayed
by five weeks and no date has been
given for the second-round runoff despite
the legal requirement for it to
take place within 21 days of the first-round
results being announced.
First-round results were published on May 2 but
electoral officials have
hinted that a second round could take up to a year
to organise.
Tsvangirai had previously refused to say whether he would
take part in a
run-off - even though failure to do so would have handed a
victory to
Mugabe - and also claimed outright majority in the first
round.
"They indicate that they are turning right and then turn left,
they said
they won and they will not participate in a run-off now they say
they will
participate in the runoff," Chinamasa added.
He also
implied Tsvangirai was only taking part because he had been ordered
to do so
by former colonial power Britain.
"They are participating because their
master has ordered them to do so. We
can almost predict that if Tsvangirai
loses he is going to condemn the whole
process," he said.
The Zimbabwe Times
By
Kenneth Gandanga
May 10, 2008
ZANU-PF desperately needs the MDC for
its own survival. They have been
trying to coax the MDC government into a
presidential run-off.
They desperately need the MDC so that they can
legitimise their illegal
rule. More than 40 000 people have so far been
deliberately displaced so
that the MDC will lose the election. People who
have been displaced will not
be allowed to vote since they will be away from
their constituencies. Those
who will still be around will be afraid to vote
or will fail to do so
because they will not have IDs that have been
destroyed in fires or have
been confiscated.
What Zanu-PF wants is to
claim 'victory' so that they can borrow funds from
UNDP, UN, World Bank or
the African Bank as the legitimate government of
Zimbabwe. By refusing to go
into a run-off, the MDC has robbed them of that
false legitimacy. There also
seems to be a power struggle going on in
Zanu-PF. Mugabe stayed on only to
serve the troubled party from tearing
itself apart. Those who support the
Mujurus would have sabotaged the
Mnangagwa candidacy and vice
versa.
Mugabe knew this and that is why he stayed on so as to hold the
party
together. His plan is to win through hook and crook then cede power to
Mnangagwa. He knows that this will guarantee the party some five years with
international support which will give the party plenty of time to reform
itself.
If Mugabe cedes power to Mnangagwa after this fiasco without
any elections,
he will not get any international support or that of other
former 'political
heavy weights' within Zanu-PF, thereby hastening the
demise of Zanu-PF. A
few years ago, they almost secured a financial package
from South Africa.
Such deals are unrealistic, taking into account the
current situation and
the changes occurring in South Africa
itself.
The violence that has been unleashed on the ordinary citizens
helps to show
how desperate Zanu-PF is to gain control through 'elections'.
If Mugabe was
above the law, then he would have long told the whole world go
to hell and
forget about Zimbabwe elections. He cannot do that because the
economy is
not stupid.
A lot of prominent people in Zanu-PF have gone
very quiet recently proving
the fact that they are not happy with what is
going on. Even if the MDC had
decided to participate in the elections,
Mugabe's victory would not have
been guaranteed because some ordinary people
within Zanu-PF itself have had
enough of suffering. They will simply vote
for Morgan even if they may be
adorning Zanu-PF T-Shirts.
Elections
and ultimately change may seem far away at the moment, but in
reality,
change is imminent.
SABC
May 10, 2008,
18:45
Zimbabwean people can solve their own problems and the rest of the
world
should just assist, said President Thabo Mbeki today. "The solutions
to the
problems of Zimbabwe rest in the hands of Zimbabweans," said Mbeki in
a
transcript of an interview he gave with Al-Jazeera in Doha,
Qatar.
The transcript was released by the presidency earlier today. "It's
not South
Africa that is going to solve the problems of Zimbabwe or indeed
anybody
else." He said he had sought over many years to say to the people
and
leaders of Zimbabwe "please get together and identify the problems. And
say
what needs to be done to solve the problems.
Mbeki said the task
should not be shifted to defining what Zimbabwe should
look like to
foreigners. South Africans had negotiated their own resolution
to end their
problems - of apartheid - and Zimbabweans should do the same.
"[In South
Africa] we knew if somebody else came in and imposed their
solution on us,
it wouldn't last because it wouldn't be our solution. And
the Zimbabwe
question, the people who must find the solution, they are the
people of
Zimbabwe, the leaders of Zimbabwe.
"The rest of us must
assist."
Yesterday, Mbeki flew to Zimbabwe to hold talks lasting more
than three
hours with president Robert Mugabe over Zimbabwe's post-election
crisis.
Mbeki said Southern African Development Community facilitation's
with
Zimbabwe's ruling party and opposition had deliberately been kept
private.
"We have avoided discussing those processes publicly because we do
not
believe that it is correct to conduct negotiations through the media."
Speaking about the electricity crisis in South Africa, Mbeki said the power
problem was a function of growth and economic development of South Africa.
Mbeki said government would be building new power stations.
SA's
transition smooth
"We will be building for instance, new power stations
mainly gas fired and
the reason they are gas fired is because they are
quicker to build." Mbeki
said government was planning on changing the mix of
energy sources used
including nuclear, coal-fired and renewable power
sources. He said that when
it came to land redistribution, interventions
needed to be made not just to
get land to the people but to equip them to
use it well.
He said that since the end of apartheid South Africa had
become a "normal
citizen of the world." Many of the issues addressed by
Mbeki were also
raised at a summit that began on Friday between the African
National
Congress and its alliance partners, the SA Communist Party, the
Congress of
SA Trade Unions, and the SA National Civic
Organisation.
Yesterday, leaders of the ruling party's alliance partners,
the SACP and
Cosatu, made it clear that they expected real change from the
new ANC
leadership. SACP general-secretary Blade Nzimande called for a
"reconfiguration" of the alliance. What was occurring at present in
government was "fire fighting," for example the crisis at the SABC, he
said.
Nzimande said the SABC's board was "imposed on all of us by force"
and
citing the electricity crisis as another example, Nzimande said when the
issue of privatisation was raised by the alliance partners, they were told
that they did not see the bigger picture. Cosatu general secretary
Zwelinzima Vavi described the current political environment, with different
leaders at Luthuli House and in the Union Buildings, s "difficult" and told
delegates it would be "unwise" for them to ignore this matter.
The
summit is continuing until tomorrow - Sapa
The Zimbabwean
Friday, 09 May 2008 11:58
“Abolish postal ballot to prevent massive
rigging”
HARARE
Ninety percent of the police force voted for
Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC
in the March elections, a senior police
officer told a meeting of the force
last week.
Supt Mumba of PPU (Police
Presidential Unit), Tomlinson Depot, Harare,
revealed this at a meeting of
members of the police force and their
families. They were then formally
instructed to vote for the Zanu (PF)
candidate, Robert Mugabe, in the
proposed presidential election run-off.
Official documents leaked to The
Zimbabwean on Sunday include a police force
mandate dated 7 May, 2008, which
summoned all members of the force and their
families in Mashonaland East to
the provincial headquarters last week.
A serving member who was present at
the meeting said he was ashamed at the
depth to which his superiors had sunk
in their craven support for the aging
dictator. He said he was amazed that
his superiors had failed to take into
account the poor salaries and working
conditions of the junior officers,
that had deteriorated drastically under
Mugabe’s rule, “because they want to
defend their luxury lives at the
expense of us”. He begged the MDC, “the
nation at large” and the
international community to ensure that the postal
ballot be abolished –
otherwise “they will rig this run-off”.
The source reported that Mumba told
those present:
“I am talking to the security forces who know how to keep
official secrets.
As members of the ZRP we are loyal to the President who
happens to be the
leader of the ruling party, which is Zanu (PF). “During
the previous
election, 90% of you officers voted for the opposition party
which is MDC,
and this is a surprise to me that even to note that Chikurubi
Dept. has a
carrying capacity of about 1000 members, but only 20 members
voted for the
ruling party.
“I am here with on order from the top to tell
you that this time around you
don’t have to repeat a mistake. We let you
free to go and vote in your
wards, knowing that you will vote for Zanu (PF)
one common party. And you
betrayed us.
“The order here is that no single
member is going to vote at ward level.
Which means that every police officer
will vote by POSTAL BALLOT, so that
you won’t betray the party again.
“We
all agreed here that we are all members of the Zanu (PF) and every
single
member is going to cast their ballots in the presence of their
Officer in
Charge. Whether you are there or not the Officer in Charge will
use a
Nominal Roll and will cast for you. And this includes those of the C
Branch
(Nieghbourhood Watch) because they are as well police officers.
“This is a
force, that’s why it is termed Police Force. Because we work by
orders and
this is an order from the superiors. And this does not only
applies to the
Police force but to the disciplined forces that are ZNA and
ZPS. That now as
I speak the other superiors of our friendly force are
addressing meetings at
different places for the same mandate.”
President Mbeki can go some way towards restoring his legacy if he finally
reaches the conclussion that Africa and the rest of the world arrived at weeks
ago -– namely that there is only one result that is generally acceptable and
that is the replacement of the current Zimbabwean president and parliament with
the one duly elected by the people of Zimbabwe. Since my last article a week ago, we have seen human rights groups and
observers confirming an upsurge in the violence to the extent that some are
saying that it would be impossible
to hold a run-off at this time. This violence, in the overwhelming majority of cases, stems from the military
and those loyal to Mugabe. Leaving aside the fact that the opposition does not
have the arms, it would not be in their interest to start a civil war at this
point in time. Opposition leaders are being killed and tortured while their supporters are
intimidated or driven into exile. In addition there are reports of 40 000
farmworkers being displaced as well as the editors of a newspaper and trade
union leaders being arrested –- all because they dared to criticize this
abominable government. If President Mbeki wishes to undo a lot of the harm that his policies on
Zimbabwe have occasioned then he must return with a proposal from Mugabe
regarding his exit–strategy. This must waive any rights to a run–off, recounts
or any other delaying tactics. Zimbabwe can’t afford a run–off financially and every day that passes makes
the humanitarian disaster worse. Why is it that everyone else can see this but
us? Mugabe and the Zanu–PF have been criticized by the African Union and the Pan
African Parliament for the way in which the election was conducted, as well as
the government and president’s refusal to accept the wishes of their people.
In the AU and PAP, calls for independent observers, an end to intimidation
and the need for parties to accept their voter’s decisions, we see confirmation
from African leaders that Mugabe and the Zanu–PF have failed their people. If
you get an opportunity, read their reports and translate their reccommendations
for the future as confirmation of what Mugabe has failed to do during this
election. Abroad, the calls are coming thicker and faster for intervention as countries
start to comprehend the scale of this disaster. In one regard the election has
been beneficial in highlighting the plight of Zimbaweans. Even the New
York Times carried an editorial on the situation which showed far
deeper insight than we are used to seeing from American newspapers regarding
African issues. Whatever happens, I believe that Mugabe and the Zanu–PF will battle to steal
this election. There are too many tangible factors which prevent this : Mugabe’s only hope of staying in power lies in being the “gangster African
leader” described by a Times of London columnist recently –- that is to
run the country as nominee for a foreign power such as China. He gets to “rule”
while Beijing instructs him on what to do. Wouldn’t that be ironic? The great liberator ushers in a new dawn of African
colonialism. Overseas powers using power–crazy politicians to front the next
rape of Africa. Once started in Zimbabwe, it would soon spread like wildfire as
world powers vie for control of resources. Far fetched? Why were Chinese arms being sent to Zimbabwe? Why were Chinese troops seen in
Zimbabwe? Why were Zimbabweans being told they would learn Chinese in schools?
Why was China blocking Security Council intervention in Zimbabwe? Robert Mugabe loves only Robert Mugabe. If he cared one iota for those people
he would have stepped back and allowed events to take their course.Instead he is
happy to stall the planet and watch his people die while he works out his
options. As I see it, a nominee ruler is all that’s left and judging by his
conduct, I would bet that selling out his country to China beats Zimbabweans
voting him out of power every time he thinks about it. One of the tragedies, for me, is that the Zanu–PF could have taken so much
from this election. All they had to do was step back, appoint a new credible
leader and go into opposition. With all the aid that would pour in from around
the world, Zimbabwe would soon start its recovery. They would then have been in a position to challenge the MDC at the next
election -– relying on policies, ideas and decent candidates rather than guns
and a meglomaniac’s readiness to shoot his own people. Let’s face it, nobody but an elite handful can enjoy living like this. Even
those with jobs can’t earn enough to feed themselves. Why would anyone want to
continue killing people who disagree with Mad Bob? Unfortunately things may well have gone too far and once Zimbabwe is free,
the Zanu–PF might disappear from sight faster than the National Party did in
South Africa post 1994. Maybe they can reinvent themselves -– use a new name. What’s the Shona for “Kortbroek”?
National Post, Canada
Peter
Goodspeed, National Post Published: Friday, May 09, 2008
Violence
has been the hallmark of Robert Mugabe's career. The former school
teacher,
who is inordinately proud of an academic record that includes seven
graduate
and postgraduate degrees, has often publicly boasted he also "has a
degree
in violence."
Now, as he clings to office despite a March 29 election
defeat, he is once
again resorting to violence and intimidation on a grand
scale.
More than 30 opposition figures have been murdered, critical
journalists
have been jailed and 40,000 farm workers who dared to vote
against the man
who has ruled Zimbabwe since its creation 28 years ago have
been beaten,
terrorized and driven from their homes.
On Friday,
Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights said its members have treated
more than
900 victims of torture and assault since the presidential poll.
The
doctors estimate they have seen only a fraction of the real number of
victims since many cases of intimidation and assault go
unreported.
John Worsley-Worswick, head of the Justice for Agriculture
Trust, an
advocacy group for Zimbabwe's farmers, says attacks on farm
workers who
supported opposition parties in the election have escalated in
the past
week.
There have been reports of beatings, burned huts and
intimidation, he said.
The attackers are usually young men wearing military
clothing.
In one case, a farm worker was beaten with iron bars and
sticks, while
another was strangled with wire.
The advocacy group
says since the election 142 farms have been invaded, with
Mashonaland, the
northern region that used to be the backbone of Mr.
Mugabe's rural support,
the hardest hit.
This week, members of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum
and a farm workers
union said Mr. Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwean African
National Unity-Patriotic
Front party (ZANU-PF) has launched "a countrywide
terror campaign" to
discourage opposition voters from voting against him in
a runoff election.
Up to 40,000 farm workers and their families have been
forced to flee their
homes by armed youth militias loyal to Mr. Mugabe,
Gertrude Hambira, head of
the General Agriculture & Plantation Workers
Union of Zimbabwe, told a news
conference in Johannesburg.
"We have
had security agents going out to the farms, addressing the farm
workers.
Some of them have said, ‘We need to discipline you because you
voted for the
opposition,' " she said. "It is really bad."
If the farm families are not
in their home districts when the runoff is
held, they will be unable to
vote.
According to Zimbabwe's constitution, the runoff should be held on
May 24,
three weeks after results of the March 29 election were officially
announced.
It took the election commission more than a month to make
the announcement,
which officially showed Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the
opposition Movement
for Democratic Change, beating Mr. Mugabe with 47.9% of
the vote to 43.2%.
The MDC insists Mr. Tsvangirai won the election
outright, with more than 50%
of the vote, and says there is no need for a
runoff.
A week after the results were announced, the MDC still has not
said if it
will participate in a runoff election. Opposition groups insist
Mr. Mugabe's
supporters may have launched the latest wave of attacks simply
to discourage
the MDC from challenging him again.
"It will be very
difficult for them to win the runoff because the people
have been thoroughly
intimidated," said John Makumbe, a political scientist
at the University of
Zimbabwe.
"A lot of people have been displaced. The political field is
grossly uneven
and ZANU-PF is using all this extra time to rig the
elections. They are
already marking ballot papers for Mugabe. They are
likely to rig this
election in overdrive so the MDC has little chance of
winning."
Before he will agree to take part in a runoff, Mr. Tsvangirai
is calling for
international observers to monitor the poll. He has been
backed by Ban
Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General.
Mr. Mugabe banned
Western observers from the first election, accusing them
of bias after they
said there had been widespread fraud in previous Zimbabwe
elections.
Now, amid reports of mounting violence and growing
uncertainty, Harare is
starting to lash out at other critics.
On
Thursday, police arrested Davison Maruziva, editor of the independent
weekly
newspaper The Standard. He has been charged with "publishing false
statements prejudicial to the state" for printing an article critical of Mr.
Mugabe by an MDC leader, Arthur Mutambara.
At the same time, police
arrested Harrison Nkomo, a prominent human rights
lawyer, for "insulting or
undermining the authority of the head of state."
After bailing two other
journalists out of jail, Mr. Nkomo apparently told a
staff member in the
attorney general's office Mr. Mugabe should quit.
Unfortunately for him, the
civil servant was a nephew of Mr. Mugabe.
A 2002 law made it a crime to
criticize the president or his office.
Georgette Gagnon, Africa director
of Human Rights Watch, says the two sets
of arrests "may signal the
government's escalation of its crackdown on
perceived opponents."
It
may also be an attempt to intimidate Mr. Tsvangirai into conceding the
runoff before it is even announced. Officials with the MDC have said Mr.
Tsvangirai will make a "definitive statement" on his intentions during a
news conference in South Africa Saturday.
Los Angeles Times
Few war veterans benefited from the redistribution of land. Now the
question
that will hang over a possible MDC government is whether a small
circle of
powerful people will retain ownership of seized
By Robyn Dixon,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
7:31 AM PDT, May 10, 2008
HARARE, ZIMBABWE
-- When Ishmael Dube got his own small plot of land, it
felt like justice.
He'd grown up a black child under a racist white regime
when this country
was called Rhodesia. Half his youth was gobbled by
darkness: war and
prison.
He got the farm in 2000, two decades after Zimbabwe's
independence from
Britain, when President Robert Mugabe urged liberation war
veterans to
invade white farms. For the war veterans, it was a time of
exhilaration and
violence. For white farmers, it was a time of bitterness
and terror.
"When the land invasions started happening,
people were excited," Dube said.
"When we were fighting, land was one of the
things that we were fighting
for."
But Dube lasted just one year;
farming was much more difficult than he had
expected. After 12 months, the
veterans were evicted from the land by a
ruling party
heavyweight.
Mugabe, who has ruled since 1980, often draws on land,
history, blood and
race in the bitter liberation rhetoric that peppers his
speeches. He called
the March 29 elections a new phase in the war over land,
describing the
opposition as British puppets poised to give back property to
white farmers.
But the dire warnings are no longer working. Even many of
the war veterans,
who helped Mugabe oust the British and stay in power for
nearly three
decades, aren't listening. And that could mean the end of the
liberation
hero's long reign.
"People have seen through that kind of
cheap propaganda," Dube said.
Mugabe's rhetoric about land and the
liberation war now has a tiny, but
extremely powerful, circle of supporters:
the cronies who still have farms,
mainly Mugabe relatives, ministers,
generals, judges and intelligence,
police and security chiefs. Many of them
own several farms, most of them
unproductive.
"Mugabe is now losing,
because of his greed," said Percy Gombakomba, 53, a
war veteran and former
bureaucrat in the president's office. "I believe that
if Mugabe walked in
the streets, he would be stoned.
"People ask, 'Why did you go to war?
What were you fighting for?' If you say
you were fighting for the land, they
will laugh at you."
So few have benefited from the land redistribution
that Mugabe's broader
support has been undermined among traditional allies
such as the war
veterans. But he was careful to ensure that the top military
and security
commanders, on whom he relies for protection and survival, got
one or more
farms.
With Mugabe looking increasingly precarious,
analysts believe that in the
end it will be the "securocrats," the 20 or so
commanders who form the
strategic Joint Operation Command, who will
determine whether the president
goes.
Mugabe began the land seizures
in 2000, after he faced his first serious
political threat: the emergence
the year before of the opposition Movement
for Democratic Change from the
union movement, supported by white farmers.
Last month, Mugabe's regime
began a new wave of evictions of the few
remaining white farmers after it
lost control of parliament for the first
time since independence in 1980. He
sent out his security forces in a
campaign of intimidation targeting
farmers, opposition supporters and
activists.
But many influential
Mugabe supporters in the ruling ZANU-PF party don't
believe the violence is
working this time. Most believe that Mugabe will
lose an expected second
round of voting in the presidential election.
"I think we allowed
corruption to go uncontrolled to the extent that it
affected the majority of
the people," said one influential ruling party
figure and war veteran who
spoke on condition of anonymity. He said public
support for Mugabe had
eroded because of corruption in the ruling elite.
"They're saying if you
live with thieves and protect them, you are also a
thief."
One reason
Zimbabwe's economy imploded was Mugabe's failure to manage the
expectations
of war veterans. The more he revisited the liberation war
rhetoric, the more
the veterans expected pensions, land, businesses or jobs.
War veteran
Gombakomba said Mugabe should have given them "a good reward"
for their
wartime sacrifices.
"That's why we thought of grabbing the farms. People
had to jump into farms
before they saw any fruits of the liberation
struggle," he said. But after
Mugabe paid out lump sums to war veterans in
1997 and pledged monthly
pensions, the Zimbabwe dollar collapsed, never to
recover.
When they seized farms in 2000, war veterans such as Dube had no
idea how to
farm. There was no hope of bank loans for equipment without
title deeds to
use as security.
Agricultural production, the
country's biggest export earner, plummeted and
the economy lurched further
into crisis.
Gombakomba and eight war comrades invaded a farm near Lake
Kariba. He said
the owner had fled to Zambia. But like Dube, he did not last
long.
"The thing is, I was never a farmer myself," he said. "I didn't
know what
farming was, to tell you the truth. And there was no equipment, no
financial
support. It was difficult. And that's when we began to understand
that
farming was not a picnic.
"We had the place for two years. We
wanted to put in soya and maize but when
we were ready for plowing, a big
man came from the president's office and we
had no power and we were chased
off.
"One by one, all the farms were given to these
bigwigs."
Belatedly, Mugabe's regime is trying to the counter the
widespread cynicism
over the land redistribution with promises to hand over
more farmland.
Twice before the recent elections, a ruling party chief
approached Dube
offering him a new farm in place of the one confiscated from
him and his
comrades in 2001. They refused, seeing the offer as a belated
attempt to buy
back their support.
"He tried to convince us to
return," Dube said. "But even if we went back to
the land, what were we
going to do? There's no equipment. We simply said we
were angry with the
first decision."
As the farmer-generals contemplate the ruling party's
defeat, what worries
them most is losing their farms. When it comes to land,
most of them
distrust MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the senior ruling party
figure said.
Without a clear guarantee from Tsvangirai to top military
commanders that
they can keep their land, "there will be chaos."
"
And if, as soon as he comes in, he tries to reshuffle the army, he won't
be
able to control them. There will be chaos, serious chaos."
robyn.dixon@latimes.com
Dixon
recently was on assignment in Zimbabwe.
Mail and Guardian
Percy Zvomuya | Johannesburg, South
Africa
10 May 2008 06:00
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) may seem
hopelessly undecided about
whether to fight or boycott the presidential
run-off against Robert Mugabe,
but sources confirm it will go to the polls
in run-off election, the date of
which still has to be announced.
MDC secretary general
Tendai Biti continues to insist that
"we won the
election".
But he also said the party's exiled leader,
Morgan
Tsvangirai, would make an announcement on the run-off this Saturday.
"It's
futile to talk about a run-off, but if we have to embarrass Robert
Mugabe
again we will do so," he said.
Tsvangirai
beat Mugabe in the initial poll by 47,9% to
43,2%.
What remains unclear is whether the MDC will attach
conditions to its
participation. Biti insisted that if "there is to be a
run-off election it
has to be held in conditions that respect the rule of
law", adding that the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) would
have to play a
supervisory role.
The MDC has no illusions about the
uphill task it faces.
Biti, who has not visited Zimbabwe since he left at
the beginning of last
month, said that "fascism continues in Zimbabwe" as
the "regime embarks on a
vicious mode of
retribution".
Nelson Chamisa, the party's
Zimbabwe-based spokesperson,
acknowledged that "the conditions have always
been unfavourable but are now
at their worst".
The
MDC "had a humanitarian crisis on its hands to
address", he said, referring
to the hundreds of supporters who have fled
election-linked violence and
sought shelter at Harvest House, the party's
headquarters.
Jestina Mukoko, national director of
the Zimbabwe Peace
Project, a civic organisation, confirmed that "many
people are being
harassed and displaced" and that if the violence continued
"many people will
be disenfranchised".
Mukoko said
that ongoing violent intimidation presented
the MDC with grave logistical
problems, as the election would be ward-based.
Those who had fled their
homes would not be able to vote.
Most of the violence
was concentrated in Mashonaland east,
west, central and in the Midlands
provinces, former Zanu-PF strongholds
where the MDC had scored significant
victories.
Many party supporters who openly wore MDC
regalia during
the first round of polling are now being targeted. She
estimated that up to
3 000 families had been displaced by
violence.
An immediate election could work in two ways,
analysts
said. The MDC might lose some of the support it recently gained as
the
voters buckle under the onslaught of Zanu-PF militia. Alternatively,
Zanu-PF's first parliamentary and presidential election defeats have left it
in disarray and could embolden voters to deliver a coup de
grâce.
The MDC could also cash in on the wave of
popular anger
against Zanu-PF. One analyst predicted that the longer it
takes to stage
elections the slimmer the MDC's chances of victory -- unless
the elections
are supervised by SADC.
In one sense
the MDC is in a strong position: either it
wins or it loses on a playing
field the world, and increasingly Africa, will
see as grossly
uneven.
A victorious Mugabe would also have to explain
how factors
other than violence enabled him to increase his share of the
vote by more
than 6% -- particularly as the other first-round candidates,
Simba Makoni
and Arthur Mutambara, have pledged to support Tsvangirai in the
run-off.
Rindai Chipfunde-Vava, national director of
the Zimbabwe
Election Support Network, said the MDC has little choice but to
contest the
run-off, as a refusal to do so would hand another five-year term
to Mugabe
by default.
But she conceded the adverse
conditions. "They have to
participate in the elections. although the ongoing
violence might work
against them."
By Our
Correspondent
BULAWAYO, May 10, 2005 (thezimbabwetimes.com) - Politically
motivated
violence, which is flaring countrywide, could worsen as the
presidential
run-off approaches and disenfranchise thousands who have been
displaced or
had their identity documents burnt, a human rights activist has
warned.
Jestina Mukoko, head of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) issued
the warning
Thursday while addressing journalists during an election
reporting workshop
here.
Mukoko, whose organisation monitors and
documents human rights violations,
blamed Zanu-PF supporters, including
so-called war veterans, the youth
militia and soldiers for instigating and
perpetrating the violence.
“The masters of the violence, according to our
findings are Zanu-PF, their
agents and the war veterans,” she
said.
“Mainly, the violence has so far been most concentrated in
Mashonaland East
province. We have people there who are bearing wounds all
over their bodies
because of beatings. Some had their houses and property
burnt and they are
coming to our office for assistance.”
The
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) estimates that as many as 25 of its
supporters have been killed in the aftermath of the March 29 elections, as
Zanu-PF
continues to mount a nationwide wave of retribution against
an opposition it
accuses voting for the MDC.
In addition, the
party said at least 5 000 had been displaced from their
homes, especially in
the rural areas.
While Mukoko did not say how many people ZPP had
established to have been
killed, she said according to their count, at least
3 000 have been uprooted
from their homes.
“The violence is serious
because it does not end with perceived MDC
supporters being assaulted with
their houses being torched,” she said. “We
have some people who say their
cattle have been killed in the countryside
and you can imagine the situation
when it goes to that extent. Zanu-PF thugs
have set up what they refer to as
bases, but we call them torture camps.”
Her organisation has graphic
details, including pictures and video
recordings, showing the extent of the
torture of MDC activists. Mukoko said
this evidence had been presented to a
South African fact-finding mission
that visited Zimbabwe this
week.
The violence has received international condemnation, heaping
more pressure
on the beleaguered President Robert Mugabe.
On
Wednesday, an independent electoral watchdog, the Zimbabwe Election
Support
Network (ZESN) urged the police to curb the violence. The African
Union,
Southern African Development Community and South Africa have all sent
emissaries to Zimbabwe to discuss the post-election environment, the
impending presidential run-off election as well as the growing violence. The
United States has also condemned the mayhem.
In addition to MDC
activists, human rights advocates and local observers to
the March 29
elections are being attacked, said Mukoko.
As the beatings, torture and
displacements continue Mukoko fears that a
humanitarian challenge could be
in the offing.
“These are people who are left with nothing apart from the
clothes they have
on,” she said.
“They have no food and no clothing.
This is a humanitarian disaster in the
making. Many of them could be unable
to vote because this will be a
ward-based election, so when you are
displaced and are afraid of returning
to vote in your ward, you are
disenfranchised. Others have lost their
identity documents when their homes
were burnt and without an ID you cannot
vote.”
Commenting on the
alleged burning of huts belonging to Zanu-PF activists in
Mayo, Mashonaland
East Mukoko said, if MDC supporters were involved, then
they were only
retaliating.
“It is Zanu-PF which starts violence,” she said. “So in
events such as in
Mayo, it is highly probable that the Zanu- PF people
attacked MDC people
first and the latter just acted in retaliation. But what
you see on ZBC is
when (First Lady) Grace Mugabe dishes out assistance to
the alleged victims
of violence, but (does not address) its cause.”
The Zimbabwe Times
By Ntando Ncube
JOHANNESBURG, May 10, 2008
(thezimbawetimes.com) - The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum
(ZEF) on Friday urged the
African Commission to condemn the atrocities and
political violence
perpetrated by armed youth militias loyal to President
Robert.
The
forum said the outbreak of post-election violence in Zimbabwe would soon
amount to crimes against humanity if regional leaders failed to censure
Mugabe and his ruling party Zanu-PF.
The Pretoria-based rights group
which last year attempted but failed to have
Mugabe prosecuted in Canada
accused him for unleashing terror against
opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) supporters ahead of
forthcoming presidential run-off
polls.
In a letter addressed to the Africa Commission on Human and people’s
Rights
(ACHPR) Gabriel Shumba, the ZEF executive director said the violence
against
the opposition was swelling and over 32 civilians has been killed in
gruesome deaths.
‘ZEF calls upon the African Commission to further
condemn the atrocities in
Zimbabwe, and to work with the African Union to
ensure that loss of life in
the country is prevented because of the alarming
instances of post-election
violence that could amount to crimes against
humanity in Zimbabwe.” Shumba
said
“In the aftermath of elections,
violence against opposition MDC supporters
and civil society actors has
escalated with the result that to date, about
32 people have died gruesome
deaths, while thousands of people have been
displaced, after their
homesteads and villages have been burnt down and
destroyed. “he
added
ZEF also called upon the AU Special Rapporteur for Refugees and
Internally
Displaced Persons to assess the human rights situation and
treatment of
Zimbabweans in South Africa and Botswana in the context of
continued
violence in Zimbabwe.
“The post election atrocities in the
country have inevitably let to yet
another exodus of Zimbabweans to South
Africa and Botswana. ZEF calls upon
the AU Special Rapporteur for Refugees
and Internally Displaced Persons to
renew his call to visit South Africa and
Botswana to assess the human rights
situation and treatment of Zimbabweans
in these countries,” he said
Zimbabwe Today
How Zanu-PF is attempting
to make sure that if votes are cast, they are for
Mugabe
While the
bullying, beatings and killings continue in the countryside, in
the towns
it's a case of death threats, imprisonment, and dirty tricks.
Zanu-PF
appears willing to try every move in the book to make sure that if
there is
a full re-run of the presidential election it will end in victory
for Robert
Mugabe.
Whether the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and
its leader
Morgan Tsvangirai will agree to the re-run still hangs in the
balance at the
time of writing. But meanwhile the Mugabe men are going into
overdrive.
In prison this morning are two journalists - Davison Maruziva,
editor of the
weekly independent Standard, and Howard Burditt, a Reuters
photographer.Their crime, apparently, is being
journalists.
Specifically, Maruziva is accused of publishing an opinion
piece by Arthur
Mutambara, leader of the small MDC splinter group. He's been
charged on two
counts under the Criminal Codification Act, which relates to
"false
statements prejudicial to the state."
Burditt, a Zimbabwean
national, has been detained apparently for using a
satellite phone to file
pictures while covering the aftermath of the
elections.
Joining them
in jail is a lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, who sinned when defending
a client of
his, another journalist called Frank Chikowere, who faced
charges of
committing public violence. Apparently in presenting his client's
case in
court, Nkomo made an "insulting statement towards the state" -
something it
must be difficult not to do when defending someone in those
circumstances.
Meanwhile my sources in the police force say their
masters are going to
great lengths to ensure their re-run votes all go in
the right direction.
Various young officers - and their wives - have been
told that their voting
papers will carry their serial numbers and names, and
that any who vote for
Tsvangirai will be shot.
To their credit, many
officers are saying that their pay is now so minsicule
and worthless, they
will still attempt to vote out the President. "If they
want to shoot me, let
them do so," a young constable in Bulawayo told me
defiantly.
Now the
country waits to see if the re-run becomes a reality. I understand
the MDC
is insisting on four conditions. They are:
1. The cessation of all
government violence
2. Sadc to verify all results.
3. Results to
be published within 48 hours of polling.
4. International observers
allowed in before, during and after the poll.
Stand by for an
announcement any time this weekend.
Posted on Saturday, 10 May 2008 at
08:47
www.cathybuckle.com
Saturday 10th May 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
It's hard
to believe that six weeks ago the MDC won a parliamentary majority
and their
leader Morgan Tsvangirai got more presidential votes than Mr
Mugabe. It's
even harder to believe that the parliamentary and presidential
losers have
managed to completely obfuscate the entire process and remain in
positions
of power and authority as if nothing had happened - as if we'd
never had an
election at all.
How can this be happening, is the question we are all
asking. Its like being
stuck in an impossible horror story. The will of the
people has not been
heard. The aspirations of a broken nation have been
ignored. The voices of
the majority have been obscured in fear and betrayal.
We all thought that by
now the breath of life would have begun blowing
through the country bringing
desperately needed food, fuel, medicine and
stability. Perhaps even some of
our family and friends, in exile for eight
years, may have begun thinking
about coming home. So far the inevitable
conclusion has not taken hold and
every day has become a blur of utter
exhaustion and real trauma for ordinary
people. Trauma of finding food and
having enough money to buy it and extreme
trauma associated with the orgy of
violence, intimidation and retribution
which has engulfed our
countryside.
While Zimbabwe remains paralyzed in time, every day lost
this May 2008 is
condemning us to yet more hunger. We are now in the main
wheat planting
season and yet farmers everywhere are in crisis. With
inflation at 160
thousand percent, no fuel for ploughing or transporting
inputs and virtually
no electricity for irrigation, there seems little hope
that we can grow
anywhere near enough wheat for the coming year. The
situation is being
exacerbated as farm workers have now been caught up in
the brutal political
punishment campaign.
This week the agricultural
workers union said 40 thousand farm workers and
their families had been cast
out, beaten up and were destitute. The Union's
Secretary General, Gertrude
Hambira, said: "Our members and their families
have been left homeless. They
have been attacked by a group of militia
wearing army uniforms. They have
been accused of voting for the opposition.
Most of them are on the
roadsides. We are trying to find ways of taking food
to them."
Every
day the international talk is of a global food crisis and yet Zimbabwe
seems
hell bent on adding to it. Blessed with fertile soils and a temperate
climate and once proud to be called the breadbasket of Africa, to our shame
Zimbabwe is wasting another wheat growing season. It seems that bashing
heads and breaking legs is far more important than growing food this winter
because losers simply won't accept defeat.
With so much negative
news, there is still hope because, even though
convinced he won, Morgan
Tsvangirai has agreed to take part in a re-run
Presidential election.
Hopefully this means the President-in-waiting will
now come home and see for
himself the hell his supporters are enduring.
Until next time, thanks for
reading, love cathy.
Zimbabwe Metro
By Philip
Mangena ⋅ May 10, 2008
Despite the MDC unity pact,the imposition of losing
MDC candidates and MDC
heavy weights Welshman Ncube,Gibson Sibanda and Paul
Themba Nyathi,in the
looming by-elections in Redcliff,Gwanda and
Pelandaba-Mpopoma is being
heavily resisted by MDC-Tsvangirai
candidates.
Samuel Sandla Khumalo,the MDC-Tsvangirai candidate for
Pelandaba-Mpopoma,told Metro this morning that he is not stepping down as he
was chosen by the people.
“I don’t know where those reports are
coming from,as far as I am concerned I
am the candidate for MDC
-Tsvangirai,anything else is just speculation.”
The Independent reported
this week that Vice President Gibson Sibanda will
instead stand in
Pelandaba-Mpopoma in place of the Tsvangirai candidate,the
replacements will
also be repeated in Gwanda for Nyathi and Redcliff where
Welshman Ncube is
reportedly eyeing.
Tapera Sengweni and Nephat Mdlongwa won MDC-Tsvangirai
primaries in Redcliff
and Gwanda South respectively.
But Khumalo
poured water over the report,”Those spreading those rumours are
just
desperate to get back to Parliament,I will represent MDC-Tsvangirai in
the
by-election.”
The Pelandaba-Mpopoma by-election follows the death of
incumbent MP MDC
Milton Gwetu,he will fight it out with information minister
Sikhanyiso
Ndlovu who lost a re-election bid twice in 2000 and
2005.
MDC -Tsvangirai sweep all House of Assembly seats in the second
largest
City,all but one in the Senate and swept the Bulawayo City Council
elections
as it won 23 of the 29 seats, the Arthur Mutambara faction, which
previously
held 18 seats, walked
away with six. Thirteen sitting
councillors lost their seats.The new
councillors will be electing a mayor
and his deputy soon.
Khumalo is a two term councillor for ward 13.Three
years ago his dreadlocks
once reached down to his chest. All that remains of
them now are prickly
halos of hair that surround several centimeters of
split, swollen scalp.
The 45-year-old was among the first to arrive in
2003 outside then governor
Obert Mpofu’s office in Mhlahlandlela in Bulawayo
for a peaceful protest
against high cost of living. Several dozen
demonstrators had barely begun to
gather when police charged the
crowd.
Khumalo received two cracks to the head before police officers
dragged him
by his dreadlocks for nearly a kilometer, until they reached a
police
station where they thrashed him with their batons and ripped out his
matted
tresses with their bare hands. Khumalo and two other protesters were
then
blindfolded and driven 20 km out of town, beaten again and dumped in
the
bush.
Khumalo’s ordeal is just one skirmish in President Robert
Mugabe’s war on
dissent. Over the past six weeks, Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF is
being accused
of killing 30 MDC supporters and a union leader said 40 000
farmworkers and
their dependants had been made homeless.
The Central
Intelligence Organization, is reported to have seized X-rays and
medical
reports from state hospitals to suppress evidence of assaults.
The Zimbabwe Times
By Kudakwashe
Nyoka
May 10, 2008
DEAR Dr Gono,
I read your opinion piece in your
newspaper, The Financial Gazette, and was
astounded by your insincerity and
dishonesty in avoiding to point out the
real issues affecting our country
today.
You want us Zimbabweans and the world at large to believe that the
current
economic malaise afflicting the country is a result of Western
sanctions
period. Not only is this dishonesty at its most abominable level
but it goes
a long way to show the type of person who is charged with
looking after the
nation’s treasury. In your vacuous and long-winded article
you talk of a
pre-run off PACT between the prospective contestants yet you
are busy
funding the agents of Zanu-PF to commit acts of barbaric terror
against
defenceless members of the opposition. It is common cause that
without the
resources they are getting from your bank these thugs would not
be capable
of committing the atrocities they are committing.
Your
continued funding of organs of state terror is designed to create an
atmosphere of fear among opposition supporters so that they become too timid
to vote or are displaced from their constituencies so as to give an unfair
advantage to Zanu-PF. As a result Zimbabweans have since a long time ago
lost any confidence in your ability to turn around the fortunes of the
country and as a result your own credibility has been sullied by your close
association with a regime which seems to want to cling to power at all
costs.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police, if we may dignify this increasingly
corrupt
and inept ruling party militia by calling it thus, is receiving
funds from
you to enforce the law selectively. Recently they have arrested
lawyer
Harrison Nkomo, ZCTU officials Lovemore Matombo and Chibhebhe and
Editor
Davison Maruziva on very spurious charges. At the end of the day we
all know
that their cases will fall away for lack of evidence. Instead it is
Zanu-PF
officials like the not-so-bright Bright Matonga, Police Commissioner
Augustine Chihuri et al who are making inflammatory statements and who
should be arrested for being a serious threat to national security.
You
are complicit in the current acts of violence that are being committed
by
Zanu-PF thugs against perceived opposition activists because you are
paying
the so-called war veterans. Some of us who witnessed the war
first-hand know
that these are not veterans of any war. They are instead
state sponsored a
rent-crowd thugs who have been paid handsomely by your
bank to act in the
manner they do.
You know very well that as we speak the last batch of
commercial farmers are
being driven out of their farms by violent
state-sanctioned thugs to the
further detriment of food production which has
dwindled to a trickle. What
the nation needs at this hour are honest and
prudent leaders who are able to
tell Zanu-PF that its time is up, that they
have systematically destroyed
the country by their ruinous policies of
patronage and the printing of money
when industry is not producing.
They
must be told that as long as they want to protect their own selfish
interests the country shall not be able to attract any foreign investment,
that as long as there is no observance of due process and the rule of law
Zimbabwe shall continue to wallow in its present economic quagmire.
No
amount of quasi-fiscal policies or introduction of huge denomination
notes
is going to tame inflation. This is not rocket science .It is basic
elementary economic and common sense. We exist in a global market and cannot
afford remain isolated for any longer.
The dinosaurs in Zanu-PF had
better realise this. If they want to become
extinct so be it but they should
be fossilised in their own history and let
those who care about Zimbabwe
carry on in with resuscitating and
rehabilitating this comatose and
traumatised country without further delay.
You, Dr Gono, emphasised in your
article that what you were writing were own
personal sentiments. My own
personal advice to you is that your position is
now untenable. Your
association with Zanu-PF has severely compromised your
ability to discharge
your duties diligently and without favour. You have now
become part and
parcel of the problem.
(Kenneth Kudakwashe Nyoka is a former public
prosecutor and magistrate.)