Zimbabwe lawyer and editor arrested, 40,000 farm workers displaced

International Herald Tribune

The Associated PressPublished: May 8, 2008

HARARE, Zimbabwe: The editor of an independent Zimbabwean newspaper has been
arrested, and the country's largest farm union said Thursday that 40,000
farm workers have been displaced in postelection violence.

Davison Maruziva, editor of the Standard newspaper, was taken by police from
the newspaper's office Thursday, the publisher said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said prominent human rights lawyer
Harrison Nkomo also was arrested in central Harare on Wednesday. Police
could not be reached for comment.

Maruziva was accused of publishing "false statements prejudicial to the
state," said Iden Wetherell, group editor of the Standard, which is
published Sundays, and its sister paper, the Zimbabwe Independent business
and political weekly.

Nkomo faces charges of "insulting or undermining the authority of the head
of state," Human Rights Watch said.

Maruziva, a veteran Zimbabwean journalist who is in his 50s, also was
accused of contempt of court for publishing an article by opposition leader
Arthur Mutamabara in the Standard on April 20.
Mutamabara wrote of irregularities in the conduct of the courts, judicial
officials and President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party in the March 29
election. He also accused Mugabe of betraying the nation's independence and
coercing voters through violence and vote rigging, leaving the opposition
"bludgeoned and brutalized."

"This latest arrest represents a most serious attack on press and political
freedom in Zimbabwe," Wetherell said in a statement.

Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said the arrest of
Nkomo "may signal the government's escalation of its crackdown on perceived
opponents."

Nkomo is the first lawyer arrested for alleged opposition activities in a
crackdown that began after the March 29 elections, although others have been
harassed.

He recently secured bail for two journalists, one of whom works for the
opposition. It was while representing these clients that Nkomo allegedly
told a staff member at the attorney general's office, a nephew of Mugabe,
that Mugabe should leave office, the New York-based watchdog said in a
statement.

A 2002 law makes it a crime in Zimbabwe to criticize the president or his
office.

As Zimbabwe awaits word on when a presidential runoff will be held,
opposition party supporters are increasingly under attack.

It took Zimbabwe's electoral commission more than a month to announce
results from the March 29 first round of voting. Independent rights
activists have accused the ruling party of using that time to mount a
campaign of violence and intimidation to undermine support for the
opposition before a runoff.

More attacks have been reported since May 2, when electoral officials
announced that Movement for Democratic Change President Morgan Tsvangirai
won the most votes March 29, but not the majority needed to avoid a runoff
with Mugabe.

In the time since the election, militia groups have driven 40,000 workers
off farms in an effort to prevent them from voting in the run-off, according
to a report released in Johannesburg, South Africa, by the General
Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe.

In the election, Mugabe lost much of his traditional rural support to
Tsvangirai. But by intimidating and displacing enough farm workers, ZANU-PF
loyalists might be able to win the run-off, the union said.

John Worsley-Worswick, the head of the Justice for Agriculture Trust, an
advocacy group, said at the same news conference that attacks on farm
workers have escalated in the past week.

The report details beatings, burned huts, and intimidation. One former farm
worker was beaten with iron bars and sticks, and another farmer was
strangled with a wire, the group said.

The two organizations said 142 farms had been invaded since the election.
Many of the 400 remaining white commercial farmers have been assaulted.

Meanwhile, a Zimbabwean photographer for Reuters, Howard Burditt, was
released on bail Thursday after been held by police in Harare for three days
for allegedly using a satellite phone to transmit pictures, the agency said.

David Schlesinger, Reuters editor-in-chief, earlier said the agency had
complied with Zimbabwean media regulations.

___

Associated Press writer Devon Haynie in Johannesburg, South Africa,
contributed to this report.

Farm-workers flee Zimbabwe homes

16:00 GMT, Thursday, 8 May 2008 17:00 UK

Farm-workers have borne the brunt of the violence Some 40,000 farm-workers and their families have fled their homes in Zimbabwean election violence, a trade union official says. "They have been accused of voting for the opposition. Most of them are either on the roadside or sheltering at some farms," said Gertrude Hambira. Earlier, a South African observer said the country was too violent to hold a run-off in the presidential election. There are reports that the poll could be delayed by up to a year. A newspaper editor and a lawyer have also been arrested. No date has been set for the second round between President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, which should be 21 days after the official results. These, announced last Friday, said that Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe but not the 50% needed to be declared the winner. Mr Tsvangirai, however, says the results were fixed and insists that he did pass the 50% threshold. He has not said whether he would take part in a run-off, citing fraud and alleged state-sponsored violence against his supporters. 'Army uniforms' Ms Hambira said that people were being targeted in rural areas which voted for the opposition. "This population represents what might be termed the swing vote between the traditional [opposition] MDC strongholds in urban areas and the Zanu-PF strongholds in the rural areas," she said. You cannot have the next round taking place in this atmosphere; it will not be helpful Kingsley Mamabolo South African observer "They have been attacked by a group of militias wearing army uniforms," said Ms Hambira, General Secretary of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe. The army has denied allegations that it is involved in the violence. Much of the political violence in recent years has been on white-owned farms, but all but 400 of these have been seized by the state and redistributed. Of these, some 142 have been attacked since the 29 March elections, said farmers' lobby group Justice for Agriculture (Jag). Before the seizure of white-owned farms in 2000, there were were some 4,000 white farmers in Zimbabwe, employing some 200,000 people. Mr Mugabe blames Zimbabwe's problems on a plot for the white farmers and their western backers to reclaim their land. Kingsley Mamabolo said South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is trying to mediate in the crisis, had sent a fact-finding mission to the country. "You cannot have the next round taking place in this atmosphere; it will not be helpful," he said. Those arrested are: Reuters photographer Howard Burditt, accused of using a satellite phone illegally Davison Maruziva, editor of the Standard newspaper, arrested for running a piece by an opposition leader Lawyer Harrison Nkomo, accused of "insulting the head of state". 'Peace and transparency' Earlier, the head of the Pan-African Parliament observer team, Marwick Khumalo, said Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairman George Chiweshe had told him that the run-off could be delayed by up to a year. "He told me it was not possible to organise an election within the 21 days required by the constitution," said Mr Khumalo, a Swaziland MP. The opposition says its supporters are being systematically targeted "He said the election would be organised within the shortest possible time and this would not be longer than 12 months." Mr Tsvangirai has called for international observers to be sent to monitor the run-off - a call backed up by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Western observers were banned from the first round by the Zimbabwe government, which accused them of bias, after they said there had been fraud in previous elections. African Union head Jean Ping has told the BBC that the continental body would send extra observers to Zimbabwe for the run-off. He was speaking after meeting President Mugabe, as well as the leaders of Zambia and South Africa. "The assurances given to me were that the second round would take place in peace and transparency," he said. If Mr Tsvangirai does not contest the run-off, Mr Mugabe would automatically win. Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change says at least 25 of its supporters have been killed since the relatively peaceful first round on 29 March. But police and officials from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party have accused the MDC of staging attacks, while accusing the MDC of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

The face of post-electoral violence

 

    

SAMSON, who is three years old, was assaulted on Golden Star Farm in Shamva. His parents are former farm workers who remained on the farm after their employer was evicted. They were assaulted on April 21 by young militias in uniform who said: "The whites left you on this farm. You are MDC and you want whites to come back and look after you.”

 

Their houses and everything they owned was burned. The mother is at the hospital with Samson while her husband and two other children are somewhere in Shamva. She says she does not know where.

ZANU PF admits Violence

Zimbabwe Metro

By Staff ⋅ May 8, 2008
ZANU PF admitted on Thursday to foreign observers that there has been
violence against MDC supporters and that government militias were instilling
terror in the rural areas.

As the opposition alleged that 30 supporters had now been killed and a union
leader said 40 000 farmworkers and their dependents had been made homeless,
the authorities played down the levels of violence.

Meanwhile, six days on from the announcement of results from an inconclusive
March 29 presidential poll, there was still no word on when a second round
should take place nor whether the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) will participate.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who believes he secured an overall majority
over veteran President Robert Mugabe in the first round, has argued his
rival is trying to spread fear in the population to ensure his victory in
the run-off.

In its latest toll, the MDC said it now had information that 30 supporters
had been killed by Mugabe supporters in attacks in rural areas.

“What is worrying is that each day comes with gory stories of how human
beings are being treated,” said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa.

“This is why we are appealing on bended knees to the international community
to assist in ending the carnage.”

In a press conference in South Africa, the leader of a Zimbabwe farmworkers’
union said that 40 000 people had been driven off their land either as a
result of direct attacks by militias or through fear.

“Since the elections we have recorded a total of 40 000 people who have been
displaced,” Gertrude Hambira, general secretary of the General Agriculture
and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe, told reporters in Johannesburg.

“Our members and their families have been left homeless. They have been
attacked by a group of militias wearing army uniforms.

“They have been accused of voting for the opposition. Most of them are
either on the roadside or sheltering at some farms.”

A number of human rights groups, including the New York-based Human Rights
Watch, have accused security forces of complicity in attacks since the
elections on March 29 which have been concentrated in rural areas.

However the army has disputed the allegations, with a spokesperson saying
earlier this week that it “categorically distances itself and any of its
members from such activities”.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena admitted that almost 30 MDC members
have been killed but questioned the death toll, saying “Of the 30,three of
the cases had no basis whatsoever while others were under investigation.”

International disquiet however is growing, with the UN’s secretary-general
adding his voice to calls for international observers to oversee the
run-off.

Gordon Brown, prime minister of former colonial power Britain, has asked for
the run-off to be “monitored by the whole international community”.

In a statement, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said “future stages of the electoral
process must be conducted in a peaceful, credible and transparent manner in
the presence of international observers” while also voicing concern about
violence.

The run-off should in theory take place on May 24 but the electoral
commission has dropped strong hints that the deadline will be missed.

According to results released last Friday by the commission, Tsvangirai fell
just short of an overall majority needed to avoid a run-off but his party
says the figures were doctored to save Mugabe’s skin.

Catholic justice and peace body condemns Zimbabwe election commission

ekklesia, UK

By agency reporter
8 May 2008
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) can no longer be relied upon as a
"neutral and nonpartisan electoral umpire", according to the Justice and
Peace Commission of the Zimbabwean Catholic Bishops' Conference - reports
FIDES.

In a statement issued on Sunday 4 May 2008, the commission condemned the
climate of violence in the country and says: "All fair minded Zimbabweans
have lost faith and confidence in ZEC, which can no longer be trusted to
superintend a runoff."

On 2 May, the ZEC finally published the results of the presidential
elections held on 29 March, now over a month later.

The opposition's candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai received 47.9% of the
consensus, versus incumbent Robert Mugabe's 43.2%. Mugabe had been the head
of the country for 28 years.

According to electoral guidelines, an absolute majority (50% plus 1, of the
votes) is needed in order to win the first round. If none of the candidates
receive the absolute majority vote, a second round of voting must be held.
Tsvangirai affirms that, based on independent calculations, he had already
won elections, however the opposition appears to accept the second round.

The date of the second voting has not yet been determined and should take
place within 21 days, according to the law. The day after the second round
of voting was announced, the party of President Mugabe (ZANU-PF) announced
that it would file a complaint against the assigning of 52 seats of
Parliament to the opposition. The Movement for Democratic Chande (MDC),
Tsvangirai's party, also contested the 60 seats of the party in power.

As the country prepares for the vote, violence and intimidation on the part
of the military and militias, has increased. The teachers' union in Zimbabwe
has announced they were the main targets of the violence that followed the
elections.

According to union representatives, last week 133 teachers suffered assaults
and 496 were interrogated on "electoral matters." Over 1,700 teachers have
had to leave the country due to threats.

Facing this situation, the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bishops of
Zimbabwe have asked for intervention from the United Nations and the African
Union to supervise a planned presidential runoff.

US urges end to Zimbabwe violence

Yahoo News

2 hours, 33 minutes ago

CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) - The White House called on Zimbabwe President Robert
Mugabe and his supporters to end violence against their political opposition
as the country heads into a presidential run-off election.

"This violence and intimidation needs to stop. Mugabe and his supporters
need to refrain from this sort of activity against those who are supporting
the opposition," said US national security council spokesman Gordon
Johndroe.
He spoke as pressure mounted on Zimbabwe to admit foreign observers to
oversee a presidential election run-off amid fresh claims pro-government
militias were instilling terror in the countryside.

Zimbabwe, mired in a severe economic crisis, has also been locked in a
political struggle since March 29 presidential and legislation elections
that called into question Mugabe's nearly three-decade rule.

Morgan Tsvangirai, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change,
believes he beat Mugabe in the first round.

But the country's electoral authorities, after a one-month delay, issued
results giving the opposition leader 47.9 percent of the votes to Mugabe's
43.2 percent, without the majority needed to avoid a run off.

Washington considers the official results suspect, and the electoral
commission has yet to set a date for the second round.

"The people of Zimbabwe some time ago voted for change. The will of the
people of Zimbabwe should be respected," said Johndroe, who also urged
regional leaders to take a more active role in defusing the crisis.

"We would urge all the leaders in the region to play a constructive role so
that the people of Zimbabwe can get their country back on not only the path
to democracy but back on a sustainable economic future so they can support
themselves," he said.

Johndroe noted that Zambia President Levy Mwanawasa and other regional
leaders "have been very much engaged to try and resolve this electoral
crisis there. I understand they'll be meeting soon with the South Africans."

As Zimbabwe's opposition alleged 30 supporters had now been killed and a
union chief said 40,000 farmworkers and their dependents made homeless,
authorities played down the levels of violence.

Tsvangirai has argued his rival is trying to spread fear in the population
to ensure victory in a run-off.

ZANU-PF election trickery exposed

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)

Date: 08 May 2008

Recount appears to have been part of a ruling party strategy to force a
run-off and make sure Mugabe wins it.

By Jabu Shoko in Harare

The recount of votes in 23 constituencies ordered by ZANU-PF after the
disputed March 29 polls was a ruse to divert the nation’s attention from the
ruling party’s next move in its battle to extend its hold on power,
according to analysts and ruling party insiders.

The recount was earlier believed to have been an attempt by President Robert
Mugabe to rig the poll. But when it ended, the Movement for Democratic
Change, MDC, still had 109 parliamentary seats to ZANU-PF’s 97; and MDC
leader Morgan Tsvangirai still had more votes than Mugabe – but not enough
to avoid a run-off.

Before ZANU-PF demanded a recount, Mugabe consulted with the Joint
Operations Command – which includes the heads of the army, police,
intelligence and prisons service – and the ZANU-PF politburo, the party's
supreme decision-making body.

The petition for a recount alleged gross irregularities in the electoral
process. Mugabe claimed that Tsvangirai had sourced funds from the West,
particularly from British prime minister Gordon Brown, and had bribed
officials of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, ZEC, to secure victory in
the parliamentary poll.

But analysts and ruling party insiders said the recount was part of ZANU-PF
strategy to force a run-off and to make sure Mugabe wins it.

They said while attention was on the recount, Mugabe, with advice from his
securocrats, was moving with speed to deploy about 200 senior army personnel
to lead a violent campaign of retribution in former ZANU-PF rural
strongholds which had shifted allegiance to the opposition.

Part of the apparent strategy was the order to arrest a number of polling
officers, allegedly for defrauding ZANU-PF and Mugabe during the counting of
the ballot papers. The arrests, it seems, were intended to dissuade teachers
and headmasters from doing the same task for ZEC in the run-off, on the
grounds that the job was risky.

ZANU-PF insiders said Mugabe intended winning the second round of the
presidential race overwhelmingly and then staying on for about 18 months
before handing over to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the current minister of rural
housing and social amenities who serves as the ZANU-PF secretary for justice
and legal affairs.

Since the election, Mnangagwa has been Mugabe’s point-man on critical
national and international issues.

The recount demand "was a tactical retreat; it gave [Mugabe] time to
re-organise while all eyes were on the recount", said Takura Zhangazha, a
political analyst and acting director of the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media
Institute of Southern African.

"While people waited for the outcome of the recount, believing ZEC would
reverse the MDC’s gains in parliament, the country was being militarised
.... That's why we have soldiers, the youth militia and the state security
agents running amok in rural areas. It is a part of a wider strategy for a
presidential run-off which Mugabe desperately wants to win."

Eldred Masungure, a professor of political science at the University of
Zimbabwe, agreed that Mugabe used the period to distract the attention of
everyone, including the international community, which had been clamouring
for the release of the presidential results.

"That is why ZANU-PF and Mugabe are talking comfortably of a run-off," said
Masungure. "The recount gave ZANU- PF and Mugabe breathing space after their
shocking loss to the opposition. It has allowed them to come out of the
shock and they are now coming out vicious, judging by the pictures we are
seeing coming from the rural areas – where there is violence, some of it
blamed on uniformed forces."

Reports indicate war veterans and the youth militias are holding violent
night vigils to mobilise support for Mugabe. At the same time, senior army
personnel and police have reportedly been criss-crossing the country,
visiting barracks and police stations to ‘re-educate’ the population as part
of ZANU-PF's Operation Waka Votera Papi (Where did you cast your vote?).

The violent campaign has displaced thousands of MDC supporters and is
running in tandem with a massive propaganda campaign in the state media
meant to discredit Tsvangirai. Fake documents have been published, linking
the MDC to the British premier and displaced white farmers.

"All this was done while you people waited for the recount,’ said a ZANU- PF
politburo member, who spoke on condition he would not be named. ‘There is
also mobilisation of financial and social resources such as food for the
masses as we want nothing short of an outright victory. We cannot allow
ourselves to give a puppet this country on a silver platter."

Newsrooms have been inundated with chilling reports from the opposition and
its key allies in civil society organisations that people were being killed,
raped, maimed and assaulted in the rural areas.

The reports noted that there was a continuing trickle of state security
agents into rural areas as Mugabe stepped up the deployment of the army,
police and intelligence units countrywide to campaign for him.

Irene Petras, the executive director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights, ZLHR, agreed that Mugabe was leaving no stone unturned to bag the
run-off by also harassing would-be polling officers. She said more than 120
of those employed by ZEC had been detained since ZANU-PF demanded a recount.
She said she saw it as a strategy to win the run-off.

"ZLHR sees these arrests as persecution of human rights defenders, and as an
attempt to ensure that, in the event of a presidential run-off, such
officers will refuse to participate, thus allowing the state to justify its
use of law enforcement agents, intelligence officers, war veterans and
graduates of the National Youth Service Training Programme to manage the
electoral process to benefit one presidential candidate to whom they owe
their political and human survival," she said.

She warned Zimbabweans involved in the arrest or interrogation of ZEC
polling officers that they were acting unconstitutionally and would face
criminal sanctions under both national and international law.

Jabu Shoko is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.

Mugabe delays as he plots victory

Business Day

 08 May 2008

Dumisani Muleya

Harare Correspondent

ZIMBABWE’s election crisis is set to deepen as the presidential poll runoff
is now unlikely to occur within the scheduled three weeks, a situation sure
to paralyse the troubled country.

Sources said yesterday the runoff would be delayed by at least a month, or
even more, because President Robert Mugabe, defeated by opposition Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the first round, is
not ready for the poll.

A government spokesman at the weekend suggested it may even take a year.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), which failed to release the
presidential election results for more than a month, met on Tuesday to
discuss the issue and concluded there was not enough time to hold the runoff
in the remaining 16 days. The ZEC was quoted as saying it needed 40 days to
organise the poll.

ZEC chairman George Chiweshe, appointed by Mugabe and seen as his ally,
seemed to confirm the possible delay when he said: “If the 21 days are not
enough we have powers to extend.”

The government has no resources to organise a runoff, even though this is
now being used as a convenient political excuse. Zimbabwe’s economic
problems are deteriorating daily as volatility in the foreign exchange
market continues to increase after the liberalisation of the rate last week.

The exchange rate is

$1: Z$200m , up from Z$100m last week. This will fuel the 165000% inflation
rate and the dire poverty.

Companies continue closing and unemployment, which is at 80%, is rising.
Many shops are empty as there are no basic goods, and chronic shortages of
fuel and other essentials continue . Power and water cuts occur daily. The
economy has shrunk by more than 40% in the past eight years. The printing of
money on a massive scale is no longer an adequate measure to address the
financial problems of the bankrupt regime.

Yet Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party are still planning how to fight the
runoff poll at meetings to finalise their strategy.

Last week Mugabe’s point men on the runoff, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Patrick
Chinamasa, held meetings with top party officials and state- appointed
editors to discuss the issue. Mugabe has been plotting with his loyal
lieutenants in the Joint Operations Command, which comprise the army, police
and intelligence chiefs, on how to win the poll.

Sources said Mugabe and his loyalists are not ready because their plan of
employing a scorched earth policy to win the election is not fully rolled
out.

The MDC said yesterday 25 of its supporters had been killed in post-election
violence and weekend reports said up to 7000 had sought treatment for
politically motivated attacks.

At the moment the Harare regime has deployed only its activists — Zanu (PF)
officials, Green Bombers and “war veterans” — to campaign for Mugabe by all
means necessary. But reports say the army and other state security forces
have been deployed for specific campaigns. A list of military deployments
allegedly leaked from the army shows senior commanders and sizeable
contingents of crack troops were dispatched to provinces to mobilise support
.

SA’s ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, who is head of the country’s delegation
to the Southern African Development Community election observer team, said
yesterday Zimbabwe’s runoff election should not take place in the prevailing
atmosphere of violence.

Also yesterday, both the MDC and Zanu (PF) launched fresh challenges to the
outcome of the parallel parliamentary election. Previously, Zanu (PF)
secured recounts in 23 constituencies, but did not benefit from the
exercise.

Tsvangirai has met African leaders over the issue.

Zimbabwe's opposition still rejects run-off

Reuters

Thu 8 May 2008, 17:23 GMT

CAPE TOWN, May 8 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition said on Thursday that it
is still not planning to participate in a presidential run-off against
President Robert Mugabe.

"Our official position still remains the same that we are not
participating," MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti told reporters. But he
added that the MDC would hold important talks with civic society groups from
Zimbabwe on Saturday and hold a news conference "to put this issue to rest".

S.Africa's Mbeki to visit Zimbabwe to meet leaders

Reuters

Thu May 8, 2008 3:47pm EDT

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has
mediated in Zimbabwe, will travel to Harare on Friday to meet political
leaders, the Foreign Ministry said, as an election stalemate raised fears of
widespread violence.

"During his visit President Mbeki is expected to interact with the
Zimbabwean political leadership," Ronnie Mamoepa, a spokesman for South
Africa's department of foreign affairs, said on Thursday.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Zimbabwe Too Violent For Run Off Elections, Says SA Observer

RTTnews

5/8/2008 1:38 PM ET
(RTTNews) -  The head of the South African observer mission to Zimbabwe,
Kingsley Mamabolo, said on Thursday that the situation is Zimbabwe is
presently not conducive to hold the run off elections, as it is too violent.

"You cannot have the next round taking place in this atmosphere; it will not
be helpful," BBC quoted Kingsley Mamabolo as saying. "We have seen it, there
are people in hospital who said they have been tortured," said Mamabolo.

Mamabolo said that South African President Thabo Mbeki had sent the South
African delegation to Zimbabwe to investigate the violence and to make
recommendations on what could be done to bring the issue under control.

Mamabolo said that the delegation would submit their report on the situation
in Zimbabwe to South African President, who is the SADC appointed mediator
between Zanu-PF and the MDC.

Post-poll violence broke out in Zimbabwe after the ZEC failed to announce
the result of March 29 presidential elections on time. The ZEC released the
results last Friday, nearly five weeks after polling, giving opposition’s
Tsvangirai a narrow victory over President Mugabe but not enough to avoid a
run-off.

The opposition alleges that the run off is a ploy by the ruling Zanu-PF
party of President Mugabe to rig the results. They also accuse the Mugabe
government to using brute force to intimidate its supporters before the
re-run of the presidential election.

by RTT Staff Writer

Two WOZA members appear on trial at Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court

Two WOZA members appear on trial at Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court today;
remanded on $1 billion bail each

News update Thursday 8th May

Two WOZA members appear on trial at Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court today;
remanded on $1 billion bail each

In a surprising development, the two WOZA members, Trust Moyo and Cynthia
Ncube, who were arrested on Monday after a peaceful demonstration calling
for an end to politically motivated violence, were taken to trial this
afternoon at Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court.

The two had presented themselves to Bulawayo Central Police Station this
morning as demanded as part of their conditions of release. They were
informed that they would still be charged under Section 37 of the Criminal
Law (Codification and Reform) Act – ‘distributing materials likely to cause
a breach of the peace’ and the police now had their documentation in order.

On going to court mid-morning, the lawyer was informed that the State wished
to fast-track the case and that the trial would begin at 11.15 this morning.
Neither the magistrate nor the court interpreter appeared however and the
trial was postponed to 2.15pm. When attempts were made by the defence to
postpone the hearing until tomorrow, the prosecutor, Andrew Marimo, replied
that he was acting under strict instruction that the trial begins today.

The trial finally began in front of a packed court room (many of whom were
WOZA members coming to give solidarity to their comrades) with Magistrate
Rose Dube presiding. The charges stated that that the material that the two
were carrying, namely a banner stating that ‘we want bread and roses’ and
the Woza Moya newsletter, were obscene, abusive, threatening or insulting
and intended a provoke a breach a peace. The line from the newsletter that
the State had highlighted was “we immediately call on Robert Mugabe to hand
over power to the winner of the presidential election, Morgan Tsvangirai”.
The prosecutor attempted to argue that this line contravened laws that state
that no one should announce the results of the election before the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Mr Kacaca Phulu from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights represented the two
WOZA members. His defence was very simple; that none of the words or
messages on any of the material carried was obscene, abusive, threatening or
insulting. He went on to argue that contradictions in the Zimbabwean
Electoral Act mean that people could interpret the clause in a Schedule of
the Act as being correct. Therefore calling on Robert Mugabe to hand over
power was not insulting the President but merely citizens exercising their
right to an opinion.

The prosecutor tried to rebut by asking the court to consider the State’s
feelings but was interrupted by Magistrate Dube who argued that this was not
possible otherwise every Zimbabwean would be going through the courts for
saying what they think.

After arguments were heard, Magistrate Dube announced that she would deliver
her ruling on Monday 12th May and remanded Moyo and Ncube on $1 billion bail
each (approximately US$5 at current exchange rates).

In Harare meanwhile, WOZA leaders were attending the funeral of a
long-standing WOZA member, Josephine John. Josephine passed away on Sunday
4th after a long illness. She will be remembered for her commitment to
making a better future for herself and her children. Woza Moya!

Campaign of Terror Unleashed

United States Department of State (Washington, DC)

DOCUMENT
8 May 2008
Posted to the web 8 May 2008

The following is a fact sheet from the U.S. State Department:

In the aftermath of the March 29, 2008 elections, President Robert Mugabe’s
ruling ZANU-PF party has unleashed a wave of political violence designed to
cow opposition members and supporters into submission and deter them from
participating or voting their conscience in a possible runoff election.

Soldiers, police, war veterans and youth militia loyal to the ruling party
have been deployed in rural areas throughout Zimbabwe to systematically
intimidate voters through killings, beatings, looting of property, burning
of homes and public humiliation. Women, children and the elderly have not
been spared. Civil society groups, particularly those involved in election
monitoring, and humanitarian organizations charged with providing
desperately needed food assistance also have been targeted.

Victims (below statistics are as of May 5, 2008)

* Zimbabwe election environment. Over 700 documented victims have required
medical treatment for post-election violence-related injuries, including
over 200 requiring hospitalization and surgical procedures. Many more
victims are undocumented and there are increasing reports that government
authorities are preventing victims from accessing medical treatment.

* At least eighteen deaths have been confirmed.

* Victims have suffered severe beatings, fractured bones and severe burns.

* Hundreds of opposition supporters have fled their homes in fear. Homes and
businesses throughout rural areas have been burned and cattle and other
livestock slaughtered.

* At least 6,735 persons have been displaced.

* On April 25, police raided the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
party headquarters and took over 100 persons into custody. The detainees
were later released.

* Credible reports indicate the military has established torture bases
across the country.

* More than 130 white-owned commercial farms have come under siege by angry
mobs; out of these, some 30 farmers have been forced to abandon their
properties.

* Reports indicate women and girls have been sexually assaulted.

* Government security forces have raided civil society offices, confiscating
computers and files, destroying property and intimidating staff.

* Police raided the offices of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the
independent organization that monitored the March 29th election.

* Government security forces beat more than 50 members of the civil society
organization, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, for participation in a pro-democracy
protest on May 5; 11 persons were arrested.

Who will serve Zimbabweans?

Africa News, Netherlands

  Posted on Thursday 8 May 2008 - 09:58

  Zimbabwe’s political situation has been under the microscope since the
March 29 harmonized elections. Hundreds of thousands have fallen prey to the
marauding Zanu PF thugs, soldiers and war veterans who are rampaging rural
people for voting against President Robert Mugabe.

  The SADC regional leaders have convened an emergency summit meeting while
the United Nations tried to discuss the Zimbabwean crisis but no avail. The
SADC emergency summit resolved that ZEC should announce residential results
as a matter of urgency but nothing was done to that effect.

  Zimbabwe Electoral Commission(ZEC) only last Friday announced the figures
without verifying the results as entailed by article 14 of the Emergency
summit communiqué. ZEC failed to verify the presidential poll results such
that both contesting parties would agree and endorse forms in agreement.

  On the other hand, the UN security tried to discuss the Zimbabwean crisis
but South Africa which has been widely condemned for its stance on Zimbabwe
blocked the discussion of the Zimbabwean issue. And the crucial question to
hanging in many people’s minds is that “Who will serve Zimbabwe from the
political mess currently grappling her”

  Is SADC a functional body or is just an old boys association which does
nothing to help other nations in need. SADC has really failed on the
Zimbabwean issue because first it was mediation talks between Zanu PF and
the opposition MDC that crumbled.

  Hundreds of thousands of people are being killed on daily basis while
nothing is being done. On Monday, war veterans and soldiers continued
killing opposition supporters in the rural areas. A total of 11 villagers
perished in the rural areas of Chiweshe and 20 others seriously injured.

  Reports on the latest genocide revealed that Zanu PF’s newly elected house
of assembly member Cairo Mhandu, a retired soldier was instructing the
soldiers who also continued patrolling the areas door-to-door.
  MDC member Gilbert Kagodora confirmed that a total of 11 people had died
in
  the violence around Chiweshe. The violence is set to escalate with
indications that ZEC was likely to give a forty day period in which the run
off should conducted than the required 21 days. ZEC said they have all the
powers to amend the clauses of the electoral act.
  If this scenario happens then Zimbabweans should grace for tough times
because violence would increase forcing the people to vote for Presoident
Mugabe.

  Torture camps around the country’s ten provinces have been set with the
aim of eliminating opposition supporters.MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa
said the opposition knows about the camps and would issue a statement about
them on Wednesday.

  Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum’s latest report released this week claimed
that ZANU-PF had embarked on a “countrywide terror campaign” which mainly
targets rural dwellers thought to have voted for the opposition.

  The report shows that army officials were the main culprits of the brutal
campaigns. However, war veterans and youth militia members are not spared
from the blatant campaigns.

IBA: Zimbabwe's Mugabe Should be Investigated for Human Rights Crimes

VOA

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
08 May 2008

The International Bar Association says that the U.N. Security Council should
ask the International Criminal Court to investigate Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe for crimes against humanity. VOA's Delia Robertson reports
from our bureau in Johannesburg.

International Bar Association Executive Director Mark Ellis says he has been
calling for an investigation of Mr. Mugabe by the International Criminal
Court for four years.

"During the past four years the atrocities that have been committed against
Zimbabwean citizens have increased dramatically and so there is even more of
a reason for an investigation to be started today," he said.

Ellis tells VOA that under international law, crimes against humanity are
those carried out as an element of a systematic and widespread attack
against a civilian population and include killings, rape, torture,
displacement and the abuse of food, housing and medical care to punish
opponents of a government.

He says that this is what has been happening in Zimbabwe.

"So all of these acts have been committed, I think it is quite clear that
these acts have been committed," he said. "There is evidence to suggest that
this has been going on for a number of years and Mr. Mugabe, at a minimum,
is complicit in these acts because he is the head of state."

Zimbabwe is not a signatory to the so-called Rome Statute, the enabling
international law that brought the Court into being. Consequently, the only
way an investigation can be launched by the court, is for the Security
Council to request it.

The International Bar Association was founded in 1947 and has 30,000 member
lawyers that represent 200 bar associations and law societies from across
the globe. It has conducted a number of programs to promote the rule of law
and support lawyers in Zimbabwe.

Ellis was prompted to make his latest call following recent widespread
violence in Zimbabwe that independent rights organizations say is being
perpetrated by the ruling ZANU-PF with the support of the security forces.
Those being targeted say they are suspected of voting for the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change in March elections.

Mr. Mugabe rejects the allegations.

The Security Council has not asked the ICC to investigate charges against
Mr. Mugabe and his government, but Ellis says members took an important
first step when it added Zimbabwe to the council agenda.

Ellis says this sends a message to Zimbabweans that the international
community recognizes their suffering.

Last month Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu urged Mr. Mugabe to step aside,
saying it would give him an opportunity to leave office with some dignity
intact and perhaps prevent international legal steps against him.

Zimbabwe trade union chiefs taken into police custody

Monsters and Critics

May 8, 2008, 17:54 GMT

Harare - Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Lovemore
Matombo and secretary general Wellington Chibebe were taken into police
custody in Harare Thursday evening, their lawyer said.

Police accused the two of inciting violence and of falsehoods, lawyer Alex
Muchadehama said.

The move against the ZCTU come after Chibebe told a May Day rally in Harare
that post-election violence was on the increase. Chibebe said two teachers
had been beaten to death and warned people to know their enemies.

The ZCTU is closely linked to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC), which defeated President Robert Mugabe's party in March 29
presidential elections.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, a former ZCTU boss, also took more votes than
Mugabe in the concomitant presidential poll, but not enough for an outright
victory. A second round of voting between the two has been mooted.

Shortly after the elections Mugabe supporters began attacking suspected
opposition supporters in rural areas to punish them for their vote. A
handful of retaliatory attacks by MDC supporters have also been documented.

Detained Reuters photographer released in Zimbabwe

Yahoo News

Thu May 8, 12:11 PM ET

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A Reuters photographer detained for three days in
Zimbabwe for allegedly using a satellite phone to send pictures was released
on bail on Thursday.

Howard Burditt, a Zimbabwean national who was covering the aftermath of the
country's elections, had been held in jail since Monday.

David Schlesinger, Reuters Editor-in-Chief, said: "I am extremely relieved
that Howard has been released but disturbed that he should have been held in
jail for so long on such a charge."

Reuters had earlier called for Burditt's immediate release.

"As part of its pan-African news operations, Reuters has long had a
legitimate and fully accredited bureau in Harare, and has always complied
with Zimbabwean regulations with the aim of accurately reporting the news,"
a company statement said.

Zimbabwean authorities say it is illegal to use a satellite phone unless it
has been registered.

Tension has risen in Zimbabwe since elections on March 29, in which the
ruling ZANU-PF party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time
since independence in 1980.

Official results released last week showed that opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in a parallel presidential vote, but
not by the outright majority needed to avoid a run-off.

Tsvangirai says the outcome was rigged and has yet to say if he would
contest a second round. The date for this contest has not been announced.

(Reporting by Marius Bosch; Editing by Barry Moody and Janet Mcbride)

Pressure mounts on Zim amid violence

Mail and Guardian

Susan Njanji | Harare, Zimbabwe

08 May 2008 12:23

      Pressure mounted on the Zimbabwe government on Thursday to admit
foreign observers to oversee a presidential election run-off amid fresh
claims that pro-government militias were instilling terror in communities in
the countryside.

      As the opposition alleged that 30 supporters had now been killed
and a union leader said 40 000 farmworkers and their dependents had been
made homeless, the authorities played down the levels of violence.

      Meanwhile, six days on from the announcement of results from an
inconclusive March 29 presidential poll, there was still no word on when a
second round should take place nor whether the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) will participate.

      MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who believes he secured an overall
majority over veteran President Robert Mugabe in the first round, has argued
his rival is trying to spread fear in the population to ensure his victory
in the run-off.

      In its latest toll, the MDC said it now had information that 30
supporters had been killed by Mugabe supporters in attacks in rural areas.

      "What is worrying is that each day comes with gory stories of
how human beings are being treated," said MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa.

      "This is why we are appealing on bended knees to the
international community to assist in ending the carnage."

      In a press conference in South Africa, the leader of a Zimbabwe
farmworkers' union said that 40 000 people had been driven off their land
either as a result of direct attacks by militias or through fear.

      "Since the elections we have recorded a total of 40 000 people
who have been displaced," Gertrude Hambira, general secretary of the General
Agriculture and Plantation Workers' Union of Zimbabwe, told reporters in
Johannesburg.

      "Our members and their families have been left homeless. They
have been attacked by a group of militias wearing army uniforms.

      "They have been accused of voting for the opposition. Most of
them are either on the roadside or sheltering at some farms."

      A number of human rights groups, including the New York-based
Human Rights Watch, have accused security forces of complicity in attacks
since the elections on March 29 which have been concentrated in rural areas.

      However the army has disputed the allegations, with a
spokesperson saying earlier this week that it "categorically distances
itself and any of its members from such activities".

      In comments carried by the state-run Herald newspaper on
Thursday, police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena also cast doubt on the MDC's
claims about the death toll, saying "three of the cases had no basis
whatsoever while others were under investigation".

       International disquiet however is growing, with the UN's
Secretary General adding his voice to calls for international observers to
oversee the run-off.

      Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of former colonial power Britain,
has asked for the run-off to be "monitored by the whole international
community".

      In a statement, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said "future stages of the
electoral process must be conducted in a peaceful, credible and transparent
manner in the presence of international observers" while also voicing
concern about violence.

      The run-off should in theory take place on May 24 but the
electoral commission has dropped strong hints that the deadline will be
missed.

      According to results released last Friday by the commission,
Tsvangirai fell just short of an overall majority needed to avoid a run-off
but his party says the figures were doctored to save Mugabe's skin.

      The 84-year-old, Africa's oldest leader, has been in power since
independence from Britain in 1980.

       Once seen as a post-colonial success story, Zimbabwe has been in
economic meltdown since 2000 when Mugabe embarked on a controversial
programme of land reforms which saw thousands of white-owned farms seized by
the state.

      Inflation now stands at over 165 000%, unemployment is above 80%
while about a third of the 13-million population has fled the country.

      Reuters photographer detained
      A Reuters photographer covering the aftermath of Zimbabwe's
elections has been detained for three days for allegedly using a satellite
phone to transmit pictures, the global news and information company said on
Thursday.

      Reuters called for the immediate release of Howard Burditt, a
Zimbabwean national, who has been held by police in Harare since Monday. He
has not been charged.

      "As part of its pan-African news operations, Reuters has long
had a legitimate and fully accredited bureau in Harare, and has always
complied with Zimbabwean regulations with the aim of accurately reporting
the news," a company statement said.

      David Schlesinger, Reuters editor-in-chief, called upon the
Zimbabwean authorities to release Burditt immediately.

      Zimbabwean authorities say it is illegal to use a satellite
phone unless it has been registered. - Sapa-AFP, Reuters

ACHPR Depressed by Zim Human Rights Situation

MISA-Zimbabwe Communiqué
8 May 2008

Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Situation Depressing – ACHPR

The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) has described the
human rights situation in Zimbabwe and Kenya as depressing.

This was said by Commissioner Angela Melo, acting Chairperson of the ACHPR
during the opening ceremony of the 43rd Ordinary Session of the Commission
which kicked-off in Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland on 7 May 2008.

Commissioner Melo also expressed concern over risks faced by journalists and
the treatment they receive from governments which are hostile to democracy.
“Journalists are being arrested, detained, tortured and at times even killed
on the continent,” she said.

She called on state parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights to respect and protect the rights of all Africans as enshrined in the
African Charter. Article 9 of the African Charter protects the right to
freedom of expression.

Speaking on behalf of participants from Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) during the same occasion, the Executive Director of the Gambian based
African Centre for Human Rights, Hannah Forster, called on the ACHPR to pay
special attention to the situation in Zimbabwe which she described as a
recipe for disaster.

“Zimbabwe continues to amaze Africa and the world and consequently did not
escape the attention of the forum,” said Forster.

Forster said the ACHPR should encourage the government of Zimbabwe to
implement the 2002 ACHPR’s fact finding mission recommendations as well as
to leave up to its standards as provided in regional and international
instruments to which Zimbabwe is a party. Zimbabwe is a signatory to the
International Declaration of Human Rights (IDHR) and the African Charter on
Human and Peoples’ Rights among others.

Regarding the recently declared election run-off between President Robert
Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, said the ACHPR should request the
African Union (AU) to immediately constitute a fact finding mission to
Zimbabwe comprising, among others, the ACHPR Special Rapportuers on Human
Rights Defenders, Freedom of Expression and the Access to Information,
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons - to be deployed to investigate
reported cases of politically motivated violence.

“Respect for the right to freedom of expression continues to be a challenge
in our continent particularly in Angola, Swaziland, Lesotho and Zimbabwe,”
said Forster.

She expressed deep concern over the arrest and detention of journalists from
these and other countries and called for the immediate intervention of the
ACHPR to request for the release of one journalist, Moussa Kaka from Niger
who is a correspondent for Radio France International who has been
languishing in prison for the past seven months.

Swaziland’s Prime Minster Absalom Themba Dlamini officially opened the
session and emphasized on the respect of human rights as a hallmark of
justice, development and peace.

Meanwhile, the NGO forum which met prior to the commencement of the ACHPR
session adopted a resolution on the current situation in Zimbabwe. The
resolution called on the ACHPR to request the authorities in Zimbabwe to
immediately cease all forms of political violence in Zimbabwe being
perpetrated, especially local community levels, by all state actors and
non-state actors acting with the acquiescence of the state.
The forum also requested for the immediate issuance of public statements by
the commanders of all security forces and law enforcement agents (military,
police, prisons and intelligence services) and relevant ministers denouncing
violence, instructing their subordinates to cease all violence and assuring
voters that they will be protected regardless of political affiliation.
The forum also took note of the fact that the UN Human Rights Council had
just finished a session in Geneva 8 March 2008 and that the grave situation
in Zimbabwe did not feature prominently on the Council’s agenda. The forum
recommended that the UN Human Rights Council considers holding a special
session on Zimbabwe to avert what the UN Human Rights Commissioner has
rightly identified as potential disaster unfolding in Zimbabwe.
The 43rd ordinary session of the Commission will run up to 22 May 2008.
During that time, the Commission is expected to deliver its decision on the
matter taken before it by MISA-Zimbabwe together with the Independent
Journalists Association of Zimbabwe (IJAZ) and others on certain sections of
the repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)
which MISA-Zimbabwe and other complainants allege violate the African
Charter.

END

For any questions, queries, or comments, please contact
Nyasha Nyakunu

Research and Information Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe

The will of the people or the will power to govern – the Gono Factor

www.swradioafrica.com

Mutumwa Mawere
It is now 40 days since Zimbabweans voted and yet the outcome is not what
they may have had in mind.

President Mugabe and his team are still in charge and so is Gono.

It is evident that President Mugabe’s harmonisation project has gone sour
and he now finds himself in a corner of challenged hope that was planned to
be Tsvangirai’s permanent address.
Through Gono’s quasi-fiscal activities, the ruling party had designed a
subtle and sophististicated model to steal the election but Zimbabwean
voters at least saw through it.

For the first time since independence, ZANU-PF, the ruling party, is
challenging the parliamentary results in 53 constituences. Who would have
thought that in its petitions, Zanu-PF will, among other issues, contend
that MDC-T bribed election officials?
MDC-T is also challenging 52 constituencies.

If Zimbabwe was a normal country this turn of events would be laughable but
this is serious business, where even an observer from another planet would
agree that the electoral playing field was not level given the use of the
state machinery on partisan lines, where it is perfectly conceivable and
highly likely that the will of the people may be reversed by a judiciary
sufficiently tainted by Gono’s opaque activities.

Can any sane person trust the Zimbabwean judiciary? Is the Zimbabwean
judiciary still independent and impartial? Who is financing the judges and
the judiciary? We all know that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has now
replaced the executive and legislature and according to Gono, it now reports
to one principal, who unfortunately now finds himself an underdog with
abundant state resources at his disposal if the run off was to be held.

Gono’s appointment represented one of many schemes designed to assist
ZANU-PF’s electoral chances. To some extent Gono managed to do what
Professor Moyo had succeeded to do to the media. He managed to shift the
focus from a dysfunctional and failing state to third party non-state
actors.

Instead of using physical force, he used subtle methods underpinned by state
security agents’ support. This was meant to intimidate and whip into line
all potential pockets of opposition. Individuals were targeted and assets
were seized all in the name of national interest.
With Gono at the helm, ZANU-PF and its President could no longer be blamed
for causing the economic meltdown. He had over promised that he would be
able to turnaround the economy in as much as he had credited himself for
turning around the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ) while forgeting that
the so-called CBZ turnaround was a meer mirage.

State resources were channeled to CBZ and used to bolster the financial
performance of the bank with Gono appropriating to himself the credit.
Anyone who had studied the CBZ experience would have known that Gono at the
RBZ would behave no differently.

If anything, the past 28 years of President Mugabe in power has created a
new culture in Zimbabwe where the head of state is a victim of gossip and
lies to the extent that even now he may have been convinced by his system
that it is indeed true that MDC-T stole the elections through bribing.
President Mugabe cannot deny that the land, computers, generators and
tractors that were given to potential voters prior to the elections did not
constitute bribing. What is different is that the source of funds for
President Mugabe’s so-called generous donations was the state in which the
opposition also has a stake.

The RBZ has been transformed into a partisan election agent and it is
evident that the post election Monetary Statement was designed once again to
influence the run off elections. While Gono is busy at work using cash as an
instrument, the other organs of the state are also at work using physical
violence to send the message home that no change is good and believable
change.

It is common cause that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is an organ
of a state that has been operating in a partisan manner so is the Electoral
Court. Having been a victim of Unchena and Makarau’s injustice, I am acutely
aware of the risks that lie ahead for the MDC parliamentarians whose
constituencies have been targeted for reversal by ZANU-PF.

In my case, I have been a beneficiary of legally strange rulings by both
Makarau and Uchena to have no confidence that justice can be expected by
MDC. In the remote chance that the Electoral Court can rise to the challenge
in as much as the ZEC did in the politically motivated recount, I still
believe that President Mugabe does not respect the will of the people and
will do whatever it takes to remain in power.

At this stage, the legitimacy of an incumbent who lost the first round of
elections would be dented and yet there is no evidence that the state
machinery has internalised the possibility that President Mugabe’s tenure
may be limited. This begs the question of what Gono and his fellow
securocrats know that we do not know.

In the post election period, there is no evidence that partisanship is on
the wane in terms of how the state is conducting its affairs. Gono is still
operating as if change is a foreign word in Zimbabwe. Even the parliamentary
results would in normal circumstances act as a warning sign to state agents
who are bent on subverting the will of the people.

Many have observed that Gono is good barometer of what President Mugabe is
thinking. So far, I can say that the warning signs are all over that the
game is not over.

It is not entirely inconceivable that Gono may have already sufficiently
compromised even the opposition parliamentarians through financial
lubrication to the extent that the majority that Tsvangirai may think he has
may well be speculative.

It is common cause that Gono financed many of the candidates and to the
extent that we know his political allegiance, it is highly likely that a new
scenario may be in the works.
Diplomats and non-state actors are all beholden to Gono for foreign exchange
transactions at favourable exchange rates. To what extent has Gono poisoned
the democratic process and sufficiently compromised the democratic
institutional framework to the advantage of his principal is a matter that
should concern all.

It is remarkable that the opposition has not asked for SADC to assist in
investigating the role of Gono in the pre-election period as well as
identifying the beneficiary list of state largasse under his watch. The
world knows what the securocrats are doing to innocent people in Zimbabwe
but little is known about Gono’s works in undermining the will of the
people.

It is important that the conversation broadens to locate Gono in a broader
framework of the democracy project so that appropriate responses are put in
place before the will of the people is once again reversed by a judiciary
that historically has been impotent in terms of adjudicating on electoral
complaints of the opposition.

It is rational to expect that injustice will be expeditiously handed down in
the current electoral disputes and the complection of the parliament may
well change before the run off.

Zimbabwe deadlock hurts efforts on economy -cbank

Reuters

Thu 8 May 2008, 13:51 GMT

HARARE, May 8 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's election stalemate is harming prospects
for rescuing the battered economy and political opponents need to work
together to reach a solution, the central bank governor said on Thursday.

Gideon Gono said divisions in parliament could make it hard to pass laws.

"My ability to deal with inflation and the normalisation of the economy
might also be seriously compromised," Gideon Gono said in an opinion piece
in the Financial Gazette.

Cholera kills five in Zimbabwe

afrique en ligne

Harare, Zimbabwe - Health authorities in Zimbabwe said Thursday cholera had
killed five people, including a small child, in the northern resort town of
Kariba in recent weeks.

District medical officer for the area, William Mhundwa, said the disease was
concentrated on two settlements around the town, and is thought to be a
result of people eating contaminated fish from a nearby lake.

He said this was the second cholera outbreak in the area this year, and that
local health institutions and workers had been mobilised to bring it under
control.

"We suspect that these people consumed fish which was contaminated by
cholera bacteria after the fish had also consumed contaminated raw crocodile
affluent," he said.

Several cholera deaths have been reported in a number of areas in Zimbabwe
this year, a problem compounded by lack of medicines.

Among the dead in Kariba was a two-year old baby.

Harare - 08/05/2008

AU council skips debate on Zimbabwe

IPPmedia

2008-05-08 10:09:51
By Adam Ihucha, Arusha

The African Union Executive Council yesterday failed to discuss the Zimbabwe
election crisis. The chairman of the 11th extraordinary session of the AU
body, Bernard Membe, told reporters in Arusha that a discussion on Zimbabwe
had to be shelved since the report presented to them lacked the opposition�s
comments.

``We didn`t deliberate on the issue of Zimbabwe because the report of the
Chairperson of AU Commission, Jean Ping, missed comments from the
opposition,`` Membe said.
Ping was in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe to gather information on the
situation in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the 29th March elections.

In his brief report, Ping said as far as the Zimbabwe electoral law was
concerned, election re-run was unavoidable.

``In this respect, the AU urges the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to ensure
that the re-run is undertaken as provided for in the electoral law,`` Ping
told the extraordinary AU Executive Council in Arusha yesterday.

In the run-up to the second round of the presidential poll, the AU
re-emphasizes the need for Zimbabwe to implement conditions set out in the
declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, he
said.
Ping further said that the agreement reached and the conditions prevailing
prior to the 29 March polls should be upheld.

He appealed to the Zimbabwean political actors to conduct their activities
in a free, transparent, tolerant and non-violent manner so as to enable
eligible Zimbabweans exercise their democratic rights.

In the March 29 election, the Movement for Democratic Change presidential
candidate Morgan Tsvangirai won 47.9 per cent of cast ballots against ZANU
PF�s Robert Mugabe who got 43.2 percent. Simba Makoni and Longton Towungana
from small parties got 8.3 percent and 0.6 percent of the votes
respectively.

The AU Executive Council meeting has been convened to chart out strategies
on how to strengthen the union and its organs, a measure aimed at ensuring
that the continent was politically and economically integrated.

The meeting started with the tabling of an evaluation report on AU strength
and weaknesses by the chairman of a High Level Panel, Prof. Adebayo Adedeji.

The AU has instituted an audit of its institutions as debate mounts on the
appropriate form of a proposed union government, according to a report by
Regional Economic Development and Integration.

The report said AU had decided to finalize the audit before it can conclude
the debate on the formation of a continental government.

  SOURCE: Guardian

'Democratic recession' changing the world

Botswana Bans Sale of Bulk Fuel to Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa (London)

8 May 2008
Posted to the web 8 May 2008

Tichaona Sibanda

Botswana last week banned the export of bulk fuel to Zimbabwe, in a move
seen as welcome regional pressure on Mugabe's regime, to respect the will of
the people.

As Zimbabwe's fuel problems increased, reports said authorities in Botswana
began turning back buyers last week at the border posts in Kasane in the far
northeast, and Maitengwe about 130km north of Francistown, Botswana's second
city.

However, the main Plumtree border post, about 100km southeast of Bulawayo,
was still allowing single drums through. MDC MP for Makoni central John
Nyamande said the ban may signal Botswana's exasperation with the regime in
Zimbabwe.

'The ban is long overdue. This may be a message to the regime that other
countries are not happy with what is happening in Zimbabwe. On the other
hand authorities in Botswana are saying the bulk export of fuel to Zimbabwe
was crippling its own supplies,' Nyamande said.

Nhanhla Sibanda, a fuel dealer in the informal market, told a news agency
that the move by the Botswana authorities was surprising and that the
decision would seriously affect Zimbabwe's already crippled economy.

Before the ban trucks laden with drums and large plastic containers of fuel
used to be a permanent feature along the Bulawayo-Francistown highway, the
main road linking Zimbabwe to Botswana.

The state-owned National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NOCZIM), plagued by
allegations of widespread corruption and mismanagement, has had its problems
compounded by foreign currency shortages and rocketing inflation, leaving it
unable to meet local demand since 2000. Since then the country has been
forced to rely heavily on the entrepreneurial spirit of cross-border traders
and their parallel imports from bordering countries like Botswana. This has
been the only source of fuel for most Zimbabweans.

Letter to a Compatriot - opinion

www.swradioafrica.com

Dear Compatriot,

I have listened to the moaning and groaning as well as the criticism for a
long time. There has been little or no encouragement.
A generation is to follow and we must take responsibility for our actions or
inactions when confronting issues that affect us. That next generation Will
judge us as custodians of their history and by the nation we leave behind
for them.
This is a battle and in battle there are winners and losers. We must chose
what we are to be as individuals. Yes, there is security in numbers and
there is leadership as there are organisations in the forefront but,
individuals must draw their own battle lines and fight! In the struggle of
Zimbabwe today, a hostile and illegitimate Government, funded by you, the
taxpayer, is throwing everything at you, every resource of the state is
pitted against you, to convince you to concede just as Hitler's Germany
attempted to subdue the British in 1941. ZPF know that they cannot win a
fight where you and the people believe in winning. Already they behave and
act like losers and fear is their one and only remaining weapon.
We have to ask ourselves again, are we going to be the losers or the winners
? Are you going to make their task easier by handing them victory on a
plate?

This is not about bullets and guns but about who believes in victory the
most. Who is the stronger and not the weaker. There can only be that one
winner and we must ensure, at any cost, that that will be us. To lose, would
dishonour those that have suffered so much.
This struggle is going to be in the history books one day, not too far from
now, and is certainly the most notable of the 21st century thus far.
Will our generation be able to look our children in the eye one day in the
future and be able to say "we did our best"?

This battle is not about forex, inflation, the cost of living, but about a
whole Nation besieged by an unlawful authority. All Zimbabweans are victims,
bar the ruling elite, and it is up to us to draw the line in the sand
together, for everyone's sake and fight and not give up!
To finish, one of the best antidotes for depression and despondency, is to
place that wasted energy at the front line, in which ever way you can, to
confront the enemy. Join now, the brigade of unpaid volunteers who believe
in that victory and WILL win!
How quickly that victory comes, depends on how many compatriots, like you,
who find the courage to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

Simon Spooner

Passengers panic as Air Zim 'catches fire' at KIA

 

By Emelyn Nyoni 08 May, 2008 07:48:00

Air Zimbabwe that caught fire in Malawi

There was panic and anxiety among passengers, workers and onlookers at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe this morning (Thursday) when Air Zimbabwe's rear tyres caught fire.

The plane, a Boeing 767-200ER was coming from Harare, Zimbabwe destined for London, United Kingdom and had 91 passengers and 11 cabin crew members.

Eye witnesses told Nyasa Times, the 203-capacity plane had just left the runway at the airport when birds flew into one of its engines thereby rendering it ineffective.

"After the incident, the pilot immediately made an emergency stop that resulted in its eight rear tyres to burst into fire because of the force.

"Fortunately enough, fire brigades were just within and they managed to put off the fire before it caused disaster," an official from the airport's Immigration Department who hid his identity told Nyasa Times in an interview.

After extinguishing the fire, police and civil aviation officials rushed into the plane to evaluate the frightened and confused passengers into safety.

The speechless passengers were then left stranded at the airport for some hours as Air Zimbabwe authorities rushed up and down looking for an alternative, according to eye witnesses.

Meanwhile, an official from Air Zimbabwe office in Lilongwe, a Thawale, told Nyasa Times this afternoon the passengers have been re-routed in three groups.

"The other group was flown back to Harare to be put in another plane while others have left via Johannesburg and Nairobi, respectively," he explained.

Last month, the same Boeing 767-200ER failed to land at the same airport and was forced to proceed to Harare after the Department of Civil Aviation could not provide fire cover personnel.

The plane was coming from Dubai enroute to Harare and wanted to drop some passengers at the airport around 05.00 am.

Air Zimbabwe authorities were forced to commission another plane from Harare to ferry passengers to Lilongwe some four hours later.

Air Zimbabwe, privatised in 1997 is Zimbabwe's largest passenger carrier, with two Boeing 767-200ERs and three Boeing 737s. It also has to its fleet a sixth aircraft a BAe 146, which has been grounded for sometime now.

The B737s operate five regional routes- Nairobi, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Lusaka, Johannesburg and Mauritius while the two B767s operate mainly long haul to Europe, especially London Gatwick which is its busiest route.

Recently, Air Zimbabwe launched a code-share flight to Dubai from Harare via Lilongwe with Air Malawi.

Air Zimbabwe Acting Chief Executive Captain Oscar Madombwe said during the agreement signing ceremony in Lilongwe there were possibilities of introducing another frequency because of the growing demand but it is yet to be seen with such hiccups on the Malawi route.

JAG special appeal communique, Dated 8 May 2008

Email: jag@mango.zw : justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw

JAG Hotlines: +263 (011) 610 073, +263 (04) 799 410.  If you are in trouble
or need advice, please don't hesitate to contact us - we're here to help!
------
EDDIE CROSS ... APPEAL FOR FUNDS

Nobody could dispute the fact that Eddie is unparalleled in his commitment
to his country and its people. Particularly over the past few years he has
made huge sacrifices; financial, the welfare of his family, business and
health! Eddie has been unwilting in his resolve, his determination, his
courage, conviction and concern for others. In fact, most of Eddie's life is
about other people.

He is presently facing a life threatening situation and requires urgent
corrective surgery in South Africa.

Now is the time when we can all answer the call of our conscience and put
our hands in our pockets for someone who simply does not have the resources
left to fund this most needy expense. In fact, he is too proud and decent to
even ask for assistance and would be prepared to accept his fate because of
the situation in which we all find ourselves in Zimbabwe.
If you can help, even in the smallest of ways, this community of friends and
supporters must raise R150 000 by the end of May and you are all urged to
contribute wherever and however you can. Please kindly send donations to the
following relatives' bank account:

C.J. Cross
Standard Bank Fishoek
Account No. 073704555
Branch Code: 036009

Thank you for reading this message.
Simon Spooner
Friend and Fan of Eddie

Chinese arms ship is in Angola......heading to Congo Brazza

The Citizen

MPHO DUBE

JOHANNESBURG - The Chinese vessel Au Yue Jiang, containing a shipment of 70
tons of arms for Zimbabwe, has been found in the Angolan port of Lubito,
according to the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu).

The organisation representing stevedores in the port told The Citizen
yesterday the ship was trying to off-load the arms, but the Angolan dockers
had refused to do the job.

Satawu condemned the Chinese government and the Chinese ship owners, Cosco,
for creating the false impression that the vessel had been recalled. Satawu
also called on the UN to bring pressure to bear on the Chinese government to
demonstrate its commitment to recalling the ship, and “to stop using the
politics of deception”.

Randall Howard, general-secretary of Satawu, said the latest reports,
through the International Transport Workers Federation, confirmed the ship
had docked in the port of Labito in Angola, and off-loaded building
materials only.

He said the weapons were not handled by the Angolan dockers, and therefore
not off-loaded.

The vessel was now on its way to Congo Brazzaville to attempt to off-load
the weapons there, Satawu said.

“We again strongly call on all African governments and dock workers to
refuse the vessel docking access, and to refuse handling the weapons, with a
view to ensure that the vessel leaves African shores immediately,” said
Howard.

Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement, has urged Satawu
to continue to communicate with its counterparts to ensure the weapons are
not offloaded from the Chinese ship.
-----------------
Africa News, Netherlands

Chinese arms ship heading to Congo Brazza
  1.. Posted on Thursday 8 May 2008 - 12:02

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Frank Nxumalo, AfricaNews reporter in Pretoria, South Africa
  The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) says the
Chinese vessel An Yue Jiang carrying weapons for Robert Mugabe's beleaguered
regime in Zimbabwe is still on African waters looking for a friendly port
more than three weeks after being turned away from South African waters.

  The giant South African transport trade union played a pivotal role in
ensuring that the An Yue Jiang was not allowed to off-load its lethal cargo
on any southern Africa port by mobilising its own members and African and
international labour movement solidarity under the auspices of the
International Transport Federation (ITF) and the International Trade Unions
Confederation (ITUC).

  “Satawu can confirm that the An Yue Jiang is still on African shores
attempting to off load the controversial lethal weapons destined for
Zimbabwe. The latest reports from the ITF, our global trade union federation
confirm that she docked in the Port of Labito in Angola and off-loaded
building materials only. The report further confirms that the lethal weapons
were not handled by Angolan dockers and therefore not off-loaded.,” says
Randall Howard the general secretary of Satawu.

  “The vessel is now on its way to Congo Brazzaville where we believe a
further attempt will be made to off load the weapons. The Durban based ITF
inspectorate working with Satawu has been monitoring its movements and will
leave for Congo Brazzaville on an urgent basis to ensure that the weapons
are not off loaded there.”

  Howard condemned both the Chinese government and the Chinese Ocean
Shipping Company (Cosco) its owners for pretending that they had recalled
the vessel.

  “This so-called recall was clearly intended to deceive and remove the
massive groundswell of political pressure that had built up in a very short
period of time. Both the Chinese government and Cosco have demonstrated that
profiteering remains their over riding consideration over human solidarity
and saving lives,” he says.

  “It appears a judgement call has been made by them to wait around until
the Zimbabwean electoral crises is over, it will be a long wait in the
context of avoiding a return trip and wasted expenditure.”

  He said Satawu, its mother body, the Congress of South African Trade
Unions, the ITF and the ITUC had already been vindicated with regard to the
moral stance they had taken given the fraught situation in Zimbabwe at
present in the build up to that country’s presidential run off between
Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe following the March 29 general elections
in which there was no outright winner.

  “ We again strongly call on all African governments and dock workers to
refuse the vessel docking access and to refuse handling the weapons with a
view to ensure that the vessel leaves African shores immediately. We call on
the United Nations to bring pressure to bear on the Chinese government to
practically demonstrate their commitment to recall and stop using the
politics of deception,” he added.

  “Satawu’s interest only lies with the six containers of lethal weapons on
board being boycotted and returned to Beijing until the political crises in
Zimbabwe is resolved in the context of the possibility of genuine democracy
reinstated based on the will of the people there. To that extent, we urge
local, African and global media to ensure that this important humane story
remains in the public discourse until the vessel returns with the weapons on
board as the struggle did not end in Durban on 18 April 2008.”