http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Gift Phiri, Senior Writer
Monday, 07
November 2011 08:52
HARARE - What started off as a cool Sunday turned
bloody yesterday when
dozens of MDC activists were seriously injured at
Chibuku Stadium in
Chitungwiza when suspected Zanu PF thugs descended on
them.
Using catapults, iron bars, machetes and stones, the thugs stormed
the venue
in the early hours of yesterday morning and attacked MDC activists
who were
preparing for a rally which was due later in the day.
Some
of the activists suffered broken bones, head and body injuries, while
some
were bleeding heavily and were being treated at different hospitals in
Harare.
The first group of militias raided the stadium early in the
morning
demanding to use the stadium for a soccer match but the MDC
activists
reportedly told them the stadium had been booked for a
rally.
Witnesses said a misunderstanding ensued, resulting in
violence.
The Zanu PF group is said to have initially retreated but
returned about two
hours later with reinforcements and armed with different
weapons and started
bashing the MDC activists.
A perimeter wall at
Chibuku Stadium collapsed during the violence.
According to witnesses, as
they were clobbering the MDC activists, they were
singing revolutionary
songs and damaged the PA system and stole other
equipment.
The MDC
said during the more than an hour-long assault, the police were not
present.
MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti told a news conference at
Harvest House
yesterday the MDC was regrettably forced to cancel the
rally.
“As I am speaking to you right now there are seven of our
activists
including director of organising Zebedia Juaba who are in hospital
and have
sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of these wanton
and mad
assaults by Zanu PF,” Biti said.
“Over and above these seven
people, there are literally hundreds of people
that have been beaten up and
that have been stoned by Zanu PF.
“They have suffered bruises, tissue
injuries and various degrees of
injuries. In addition, we have also had
seven motor vehicles which have been
destroyed. Our car for the Chitungwiza
province had windscreens shattered
and
seven motor vehicles have been
destroyed in wanton acts of violence by Zanu
PF.”
When the Daily News
crew visited the Avenues Clinic yesterday, lynched
victims nursing various
injuries could be seen writhing in pain.
Biti said the “Zanu PF thugs”
even stole the PA system that was supposed to
be used by Tsvangirai to
address the crowd.
“Over and above this, our own public address system —
we are a poor party —
the last two years we bought a public address system,
the PM’s PA system,
our president’s address system, which cost us US$7 000,
they have destroyed
that public address system,” Biti told
reporters.
“They have stolen key components of that public address system
including the
mixer and microphones for the PA system. And all this was done
by Zanu PF in
the morning. As a result of this we are therefore unable to
continue with
our rally.”
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo yesterday
denied that his party was behind
the violence.
He claimed that the
MDC provoked the violence as it force-marched people to
its
rally.
“Well I don’t know much about what happened because I am not in
Harare right
now, but from what I have been told, it is the MDC that
provoked the
violence,” Gumbo told the Daily News.
“They had a convoy
of 20 vehicles and were intimidating people to attend the
rally. Beyond
that, I don’t have much information.”
Biti said the MDC was alarmed by
the “systematic and continuous acts of
violence by Zanu PF and by other
State actors, in particular the police.”
“This particular rally, we gave
police an application in terms of Section 12
of the Public Order and
Security Act three weeks ago. So the police knew
that we were going to have
this rally today. They did not protect us, they
watched as these Zanu PF
youths marauding, destroying our property and
assaulting our
members.”
Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka rejected
the
allegations and said police wanted a peaceful and stable
environment.
Asked to respond to MDC allegations that the police were not
protecting its
supporters, Mandipaka retorted: “It’s not a question of
protecting X or Y,
its acting in accordance with the law.
“What the
law requires us to do, we should do and we do. Home Affairs
minister Theresa
Makone said she was “disgusted” by the violence flare-up. I
am disgusted but
as I have said before and I will continue to say,
violence is the only weapon
at the disposal of Zanu PF because they have got
no message for
Zimbabweans,” Makone told the Daily News at the Avenues
Clinic where she was
visiting the victims.
“They have got nothing to offer Zimbabweans. They
cannot talk about hope,
they cannot talk about peace, all they can do now is
to disrupt democratic
political activities. They want a reaction from us so
that they can turn so
violent that the police and the army will be forced to
take over."
“It is very clear that they have got no candidate, they need
time to
regroup, and that is why they are brewing this chaos,” said Makone.
http://www.timeslive.co.za
Sapa-AFP | 06 November, 2011
18:58
Young supporters of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe stoned and
beat
backers of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday, blocking a
planned
rally of his Movement for Democratic Change
party.
"Unfortunately we are unable to do this rally because of
incredible acts of
wanton violence, malicious violence that we have suffered
at the hands of
ZANU-PF this morning," Tendai Biti, MDC secretary general,
told a news
conference.
ZANU-PF is Mugabe's political
party.
The rally, which Tsvangirai was due to address, was slated to be
held in the
sprawling Harare suburb of Chitungwiza, 30 kilometres (19 miles)
southeast
of the capital.
Biti said seven MDC activists were admitted
to hospital, while five party
vehicles were damaged.
"There are
literally hundreds of people that have been beaten up, that have
been stoned
by ZANU-PF supporters, They have suffered bruises, tissue
injuries, various
degrees of injuries", he said.
He said police failed to protect the
MDC.
"They watched us as these ZANU-PF youths destroyed our property and
assaulted our members," he said.
Police were not immediately
available for comment.
Biti, who is also Zimbabwe's finance minister in
the power-sharing
government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, accused ZANU-PF
of using violence
to provoke fear in the run-up to elections expected to be
held as soon as
next year.
"It is self-evident that ZANU-PF is
already building up to the next
election. It is quite clear that we are in a
chaos scenario where they are
unleashing violence," he said.
"We will
remain committed to non-violence despite provocation."
Zimbabwe's unity
government has been riven by problems since it was formed
in February 2009,
after a bitterly disputed first round 2008 vote where
neither candidate won
an absolute majority.
That election sparked a wave of attacks where more
than 200 MDC supporters
were killed. Tsvangirai pulled out of the second
round against Mugabe to end
the violence.
The power-sharing pact was
meant to introduce security sector reforms that
would prevent a repeat of
the violence, but Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe of
failing to uphold his end
of the deal.
November 7, 2011 3:03
pm
Today, the MDC was once again forced to cancel its rally at
Chibuku Stadium
in Chitungwiza after unruly Zanu PF militia led by the
notorious Chipangano
attacked the organisers of the rally. For the record,
police had been
advised of this rally and they had cleared it yet there was
absolutely no
protection from the police when our members were
attacked.
Part of the Chipangano gang led by Jimmy Kunaka demonstrate at
the Heroes
Acre alongside other ZANU PF youth during the burial of the late
army
general Solomon Mujuru.
The Zanu PF youths attacked the MDC
staff organising the rally and members
of the public with iron bars,
machetes, stones and other crude
weapons.Thirty MDC supporters who were going
to the rally were attacked and
suffered tissue and various other injuries.
Seven activists have been
hospitalised in Harare, while about 15 others were
referred to a Chitungwiza
hospital for treatment.
Five MDC vehicles
and the party’s public address system worth US$7 000 were
destroyed with key
components of the PA system such as the mixer and
microphones were stolen.
Money meant for paying essential services for the
event was looted resulting
in the cancellation of the rally. The rowdy thugs
stole the national and the
Party flags and five banners.
The MDC is deeply concerned by these
activities, which are clearly designed
to close all the democratic spaces in
Zimbabwe and prevent the MDC from
carrying out its lawful activities.There is
a clear history of Zanu PF’s
recent disruptions of various MDC public
meetings across the country.
Thug in Chief: Jimmy Kunaka reportedly leads the
notorious ZANU PF
Chipangano gang
On 17 October, Zanu PF
supporters disrupted the Parliamentary hearings on
the Electoral Amendment
Bill in Marondera. Similar disruptions took place
in Mutasa on 18 October,
on 19 October in Masvingo, 20 October in Midlands
and 21 October in
Bulawayo.
The perpetrators were identified but not arrested. On 23
October, police
denied President Tsvangirai from holding a rally in Nkayi,
Matebeleland
North. Similar disruptions took place in Lupane on 28 October,
Lupane
despite the MDC being granted a peace order, in Binga on 29 October
and 30
October in Victoria Falls.
There have been further disruptions
of the Prime Minister’s government work
programmes especially in Matebeleland
North. We are concerned once more that
these attacks are clearly meant to
prevent our President and the Prime
Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai
from addressing the people of
Zimbabwe on key issues affecting the
country.
Zimbabwe is in chaos. Zanu PF is harvesting from its harvest of
fears it
planted in 2008 and the MDC is seriously concerned by the use of
violence as
Zimbabwe cannot have a free and fair election.
It is clear
that Zanu PF and its junta are terribly frightened of free and
fair elections
and are engaging in these activities as a way to delay the
elections. Zanu
PF is showing all signs of desperation. Its actions are
the acts of a regime
that is in the late summer of its life.
What has happened over the past
two weeks, bring to the fore the need to
address all the outstanding issues
on the roadmap to a free and fair
election.These include the total
eradication of all state sponsored
violence; the return to the rule of law;
security sector reforms and
realignment; democratisation and opening up of
the media space.
Once again, the MDC remains committed to non-violence
and will not engage in
any form of violence in its struggle for a better
Zimbabwe. We remain
committed to non-violent democratic ways of achieving
change. Nothing will
swerve us from this path. The MDC is ready for
elections anytime once all
the guarantees for a free and fair election are
put in place.
The people’s struggle for real change: Let’s finish
it!!
MDC Information & Publicity Department
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
Nov 7, 2011, 11:43
GMT
Harare - President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
are to
meet Monday after Mugabe supporters attacked a pro-Tsvangirai rally
on
Sunday, local media reported.
Tsvangirai attempted to meet
loyalists in Chitungwiza, just south of Harare,
but his group was driven
away by Mugabe ZANU-PF party youth members.
Tendai Biti, secretary
general of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change, told local media
there was 'absolutely no protection from police.'
Local police rejected
this, saying they would crack down 'ruthlessly'
against violence. An
official added however that no arrests were made in
Sunday's skirmish, which
resulted in some 30 injuries.
A week earlier, police thwarted a similar
pro-Tsvangirai rally that had been
given the go-ahead by a court.
The
power-sharing government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai has been
struggling
for 30 months to draw up a democratic constitution ahead of
upcoming
elections, expected to be held within the next two years.
In an attempt
to quell tensions, Mugabe and Tsvangirai agreed to meet
Monday.
'The
prime minister is meeting the president today to update him on the
violence
... and to forge a common position to deal with violence,'
Tsvangirai's
spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka said in a press statement.
Southern African
leaders had been attempting to broker an end to 11 years of
sporadic
violence, but their talks broke down over the weekend.
Peace negotiators
tried to forge a compromise between Tsvangirai, and an
ailing Mugabe
tightening his 31-year grip on power in the face of
competitive candidates,
Western diplomats said.
The 87-year-old is rumoured to be gravely ill. It
is unclear who will
succeed him.
Mugabe made his eighth trip this
year to Singapore for what diplomats say
were prostate cancer
operations.
Questions had been raised regarding travel expenses for those
medical
trips - as well as for trips taken by Tsvangirai.
The men
have spent a combined 29 million dollars on travel so far this
year.
Tsvangirai defended the outlays for his rival Mugabe's medical
trips abroad.
'The responsibility of the state is to look after its
leaders. If the
president is sick, he should be attended to,' Tsvangirai
said last week.
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
i
by 1
hour ago
Harare - Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai warned
Monday that
elections expected within two years would be 'a sham' if
violence being
perpetrated around the country by security forces and thugs
loyal to
President Robert Mugabe was not stopped.
He was speaking at
a press conference following a 90-minute meeting with
Mugabe, his partner in
the country's volatile nearly three-year-old
coalition, at which they
discussed two successive weekends of violence that
forced Tsvangirai to
cancel scheduled rallies.
'If the current situation prevails, then the
election will be a sham,'
Tsvangirai said. 'We have to create conditions for
free and fair elections
that are universally accepted. There is no other
alternative.'
Up to 30 people were injured on Sunday when supporters of
Mugabe's Zanu-PF
party armed with stones, iron bars and machetes drove away
Tsvangirai's
supporters from a rally in the town of Chitungwiza just south
of Harare,
according to the premier's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
party.
There was 'absolutely no protection from police,' Tendai Biti, MDC
secretary
general said.
Local police rejected this, saying they would
crack down 'ruthlessly'
against violence.
The previous Sunday police
refused to allow Tsvangirai to address rallies in
two towns in Zimbabwe,
despite court orders instructing them not to
interfere with the
meetings.
Monday's meeting was an attempt to quell
tensions.
Tsvangirai said he had also given Mugabe detailed documents,
photographs and
the names of perpetrators of violent incidents, including in
the case of a
white farmer and his wife who were severely assaulted by
Mugabe supporters
trying to seize their farm last week.
The
power-sharing government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai has been
struggling
for 30 months to draw up a democratic constitution ahead of
elections
expected to be held within the next two years.
Southern African leaders
have been attempting to broker an end to 11 years
of sporadic violence, but
their talks broke down over the weekend.
Peace negotiators tried to forge
a compromise between Tsvangirai, and an
ailing Mugabe, tightening his
31-year grip on power in the face of
competitive candidates, Western
diplomats said.
The 87-year-old president is rumoured to be gravely ill.
It is unclear who
will succeed him.
Mugabe made his eighth trip this
year to Singapore for what diplomats say
were prostate cancer
operations.
Questions had been raised regarding travel expenses for those
medical
trips - as well as for trips taken by Tsvangirai.
The men
have spent a combined 29 million dollars on travel so far this
year.
Tsvangirai defended the outlays for his rival Mugabe's medical
trips abroad.
'The responsibility of the state is to look after its
leaders. If the
president is sick, he should be attended to,' Tsvangirai
said last week.
By Tichaona
Sibanda
7 November 2011
The MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is publicly blaming ZANU PF for the violence that rocked Chitungwiza on Sunday that forced the party to cancel its rally at Chibuku stadium.
The violence,
which was reportedly orchestrated, targeted and well planned by ZANU PF, was
sparked when its militia led by the notorious Chipangano attacked the organisers
of the rally from the
MDC-T.
There is strong suspicion the violence had been well financed as scores of ZANU PF reinforcements were bussed in to Chibuku stadium armed with iron bars, machetes, and stones.
A statement from the MDC said five party vehicles and their public address system worth US$7,000 were destroyed and that key components of the PA system, such as the mixer and microphones, were stolen, in full view of the police.
‘Money meant for paying essential services for the event was looted resulting in the cancellation of the rally. The rowdy thugs stole the national and the Party flags and five banners,’ the statement added.
But on Monday police in the dormitory town arrested two MDC-T youths, Julius Marambakutongwa and Kuda Muchemwa, on allegations that they were behind the disturbances. The two are detained at St Mary’s Police Station.
Tendai Biti, the MDC-T Secretary-General told journalists on Sunday that around 50 of their supporters suffered varying degrees of injuries. He said seven activists had been hospitalised in Harare, while about 15 others were rushed to a Chitungwiza hospital for treatment.
A seething Tsvangirai met Robert Mugabe for one and half hours and discussed the Chitungwiza violence at length at their weekly Monday meeting. The MDC-T leader reportedly told Mugabe not to allow perpetrators of the violence that has erupted in the past month to go scot free as has been the practice with other incidences in the past.
Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa said Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare that his meeting with Mugabe was tense and that before the two met, police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri had briefed Mugabe on what transpired in Chitungwiza.
‘The Prime Minister said Mugabe was given wrong information by Chihuri, most of which were lies and baseless accusations against the MDC-T.’
During his media briefing at his Strathaven home, Tsvangirai laid the blame on Sunday’s disturbances on ZANU PF Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Chitungwiza councillor Tichaona Chapfika.
It is also believed the MDC-T has in its possession, a dossier of culprits who have incited, mobilised, transported or funded the militia or Chipangano to attack party activists. The list contains cabinet ministers, several MPs and councillors, serving and retired military officers and even church leaders.
http://www.zimeye.org/?p=39292
By Tinashe Murambanaye
Published:
November 7, 2011
Harare - A Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation (ZBC)
reporter has been named
among the Chipangano violence strategists at last
Sunday’s aborted MDC-T
rally in Chitungwiza.
The overzealous ZBC news
reporter Tafara Chikumira according to the MDC was
coordinating operations
with one of the leaders of the violent Zanu (PF)
terror group Jim
Kunaka.
“A reporter with ZBC, Tafara Chikumira was part of the team
coordinating
Zanu PF’s Chipangano terror group. He was heard communicating
constantly
with Jim Kunaka on what Zanu PF was doing,” said the MDC in
statement.
Chikumira has also been spoted on several occasions in the
local pubs
bullying MDC supporters and others opposed the Zanu (PF). He has
very close
links to the Youth Minister Saviour kasukuwere’s young brother
Tonderai who
was also part of the terror campaign group which caused mayhem
at the MDC
rally on Sunday.
Members of the deadly Chipangano group
were responsible for the violence
include “Jim Kunaka, the Zanu PF Harare
province youth chairperson, Zanu PF’s
Chitungwiza district coordinating
committee (DCC) chairperson, Wilfred
Gwekwete, Luke Luke of Ward 25,
Chitungwiza North and Godknows Muzenda, a
Zanu PF Harare youth provincial
member.
Others are; Nyasha Dziva, Chitungwiza DCC secretary, Dennis
Fisher, Lloyd
Bhunu, Tichaona Chapfika and Tonderai Kasukuwere.”
The
MDC has experienced a number of skirmishes with political rivals Zanu
(PF)
where its members have turned out to be the victims at the hands of the
police despite having been attacked and injured.
The MDC has since
taken the issue of violence to the SADC and other regional
and international
stakeholders
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare, November 07, 2011
-The country’ political environment has gone back
to where it was in 2008
with some no go areas being created by Zanu-PF
making it impossible for
other political parties to have political freedom,
the country’s independent
election watchdog has said.
Prior to the holding of the discredited
Presidential run-off election in
June 2008,Zanu-PF disrupted political
rallies organised by mainstream
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T), beat
up people perceived to be MDC
supporters and created some no go areas in the
country for any other
political party other than Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF
also used state security agents to clamp down on opposition members.
This
is exactly what has emerged in the country over the past week where the
police once again barred MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s rallies in
Matebeleland North.
Last Sunday, Tsvangirai was also forced to
abandon his star rally set for
Chitungwiza’s Chibuku stadium after violent
Zanu-PF youths bulldozed the
stadium, destroyed two MDC-T party vehicles,
some party equipment and
injured seven people.
In an exclusive
interview with Radio VOP Monday in Harare, Zimbabwe Election
Support Network
(ZESN) National Director Rindai Chipfunde Vava said another
bloody election
is looming adding that some political parties are wielding
knives and
spears.
“Early warning signs we are observing at the moment are that
there are
certain political parties which are wield their knives and spears
they are
instead sharpening them. They are preparing themselves for yet
another
battle when election time comes.
“As ZESN we are saying and
have been always saying those perpetrating
violence should stop for the sake
of peace and reconciliation. Violence
should stop for the sake of national
development. If violence persists we
are not going to have a peaceful
election. It does not help anyone to have a
violent election which will get
us back again to where the country has
been,” she said.
“In terms of
democratic reforms, Zimbabwe is moving like tortoise .We have
gone nowhere,
I do not know, maybe it’s because some people are afraid that
too much
democratisation of the political space gets them out of power or
makes them
loose political grip,” lamented Chipfunde Vava.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Alex Bell
07 November
2011
Health concerns in Harare have continued to rise as scores of
residents are
now being monitored in the wake of a typhoid outbreak in the
city.
At least 50 people are under observation and 21 have been
hospitalised
following the confirmation of typhoid in two cases. The
bacterial disease
causes fever and diarrhea and the public are being urged
to use good hygiene
to prevent the situation from worsening.
The
typhoid fears come as residents are already on high alert for a
potential
return of cholera, which is similar to typhoid in that it is
spread most
easily through dirty water.
The city and surrounding areas have been
struck by severe water shortages,
with some areas not being supplied with
clean water for many weeks. The
shortages have resulted in residents
fighting each other while trying to
access water from the limited number of
boreholes across the city.
The boreholes were sunk back in 2008 when an
outbreak of cholera swept
through the city. The worst affected areas were
Glen Norah, Budiriro and
Glen View, and once again these areas are facing
serious water shortages.
To make matters worse, temperatures have reached
record highs recently, with
36 degrees Celsius recorded in the capital last
month.
Simbarashe Moyo from the Combined Harare Residents Association
(CHRA) told
SW Radio Africa on Monday that the water shortages and
intermittent water
supply is still leaving many areas in “permanent
crisis.”
“The council has admitted that the problem is beyond their
control. But we
think it is shocking that we as residents are receiving such
shoddy
service,” Moyo said.
He also explained that, while boreholes
had helped prevent the water
shortages from plunging the entire city into
crisis, these are only
available in some areas.
“Other residents
don’t have access to boreholes so they are getting water
from other places,
and this means that the risk of drinking dirty water is
very high. So we are
on constant watch for diseases like cholera and
typhoid,” Moyo
said.
He added: “Right now we are mobilising our members and talking
about
possible action against the council.”
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Pindai Dube
Monday, 07 November 2011
16:38
BULAWAYO - The opposition Zapu has threatened to hold its
future public
meetings without clearance after police in Umzingwane
District, Matabeleland
South province on Saturday banned the party’s road
show claiming they did
not have enough manpower.
In a statement on
Saturday after the banning of the road show, Methuseli
Moyo the Zapu
information director, said the party is losing patience on
dictatorship and
will go ahead with future meetings without police
authority.
He said
they believe the police were acting on instructions from Zanu-PF not
to
allow Zapu to campaign.
“We call on the co-ministers of Home Affairs and
the rest of the inclusive
government to prevail on the Zanu PF establishment
to allow Zimbabweans to
freely conduct political activities.
“Zapu is
fast losing patience with the dictatorship. If the situation
remains
unchanged, our party will in future go ahead with its activities,”
Moyo
said.
Moyo said the Zapu road show was scheduled for areas around
Mbalabala,
Nswazi and Mawabeni in Umzingwane before police banned
it.
“Zapu initially planned holding the event on Wednesday November 2,
but the
police advised us to give them more time to prepare and suggested
Saturday,
which we agreed to. We were surprised when Esigodini police called
on Friday
and told us we could not go ahead with the event."
“The
police claimed that they did not have enough manpower and resources to
cover
all the areas we wanted to visit,” he said.
The ban on Zapu road show
comes just a week after police in Victoria Falls
and Lupane in Matabeleland
North province blocked Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and his MDC party
from holding rallies despite court orders which
gave them
permission.
Hundreds of villagers had gathered at St Pauls Mission in
Lupane last
weekend for an address by Tsvangirai but riot police chased them
away before
the MDC leader’s arrival.
The police, who have been
accused of selective application of the law in the
past, also prevented the
Premier from holding a rally at Chinotimba Stadium
in Victoria Falls.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Police in Chitungwiza have arrested two
MDC youths, Julius Marambakutongwa
and Kuda Muchemwa on allegations that
they were behind the disturbances that
rocked the town
yesterday.
07.11.1103:49pm
by MDC Information & Publicity
Department
The two are detained at St Mary’s Police Station. Zanu PF
youths yesterday
disrupted, attacked and looted from the organisers of the
rally scheduled to
be addressed by President Tsvangirai at Chibuku Stadium
in Chitungwiza.
The rally had to be cancelled after the disturbances,
which happened in full
view of the police. At least 50 MDC members had to
seek medical treatment at
various health institutions.
However, what
is shocking is that the police have decided to arrest MDC
youths in
connection with the disturbances, which were perpetrated by known
Zanu PF
youths.
When MDC officials tried to make a report on the riots, a police
officer at
Makoni Police Station, Constable Mudambiwa refused to open a
police docket.
Instead, the police are now targeting and arresting known
MDC youths in
Chitungwiza who were attacked while preparing for the cleared
rally by
overzealous thugs from Zanu PF.
The MDC identified some of
the perpetrators of yesterday’s violence as; Jim
Kunaka, the Zanu PF Harare
province youth chairperson, Zanu PF’s Chitungwiza
district coordinating
committee (DCC) chairperson, Wilfred Gwekwete, Luke
Luke of Ward 25,
Chitungwiza North and Godknows Muzenda, a Zanu PF Harare
youth provincial
member.
Others are; Nyasha Dziva, Chitungwiza DCC secretary, Dennis
Fisher, Lloyd
Bhunu, Tichaona Chapfika and Tonderai Kasukuwere. Kasukuwere
is a young
brother to Zanu PF Politburo member Saviour Kasukuwere.
A
reporter with ZBC, Tafara Chikumira was part of the team coordinating Zanu
PF’s Chipangano terror group. He was heard communicating constantly with Jim
Kunaka on what Zanu PF was doing.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
07 November
2011
A US$5 million dollar housing scheme that would have seen new
housing units
being built for the poor in Mbare has now been moved to
Dzivarasekwa, after
the notorious ZANU PF Chipangano gang demanded 51
percent of the houses.
The project which would have seen the Harare City
Council rehabilitating the
dilapidated Matapi Flats in Mbare was made
possible via a donation from the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The
Microsoft founder and his wife are
also sponsoring similar projects in
Malawi and Angola.
Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda recently admitted they
had to move the
project to Dzivaresekwa because they risked losing out on
the funding if
they gave in to Chipangano’s outrageous demands.
Speaking
to SW Radio Africa on Monday, the Director of the Combined Harare
Residents
Association (CHRA), Mfundo Mlilo, said they have previously warned
of the
“progressive militarisation and zanuisation of public facilities
spearheaded
by Chipangano.” He said the youths were hiding under the ZANU PF
‘empowerment’ agenda and ‘accessing resources illegally.’
Mlilo said
they estimate Chipangano are raking in over US$30,000 per day by
charging
‘ranking fees’ at bus terminuses in central Harare and other parts
of the
city. The mobs have also taken over several council markets like
Siyaso and
Mupedzanhamo, charging vendors extortionate amounts in fees.
Chipangano have
also taken over a council building, Carter House, in Mbare,
and the council
has been threatened into silence over the matter. SW Radio
Africa
understands the building has now been turned into a terror base for
the
group.
Underlying their impunity, the youths earlier this year rampaged
through
Town House, in full view of police officers, and beat up council
employees.
The same mob invaded Parliament, beating up MP’s and journalists,
but no
arrests were made.
The youths are making a lot of money from
their illegal activities and are
repaying ZANU PF for their protection by
beating up MDC-T supporters.
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare,
November 07, 2011 - Vice President Joyce Mujuru says she is still in
the
dark on the cause of the death of former Retired General Solomon Mujuru
who
died at his farm in Beatrice last August.
The police are making a
second round of probe to try and establish the cause
of Mujuru’s
death.
Addressing sugarcane farmers at Mkwasine Estates in Masvingo
last Friday
Mujuru said “I am still in the dark about how exactly my
husband died and
the Mujuru family is still waiting for an explanation on
how he died. I am
still in the dark like all of you who also want to know
what exactly
happened to him’’ she is quoted in The Herald as
saying.
She further says Zimbabweans did not expect the late freedom
fighter to die
that way.
“I do not think that you expected him to
go that way. We are now waiting for
an explanation so that we can be free’’
she said.
Mujuru said she was humbled by people who are paying
respect for the late
retired general whose suspicious death united
Zimbabweans in mourning him
when he was buried at the national
shrine.
However, her remarks come as media reports at the weekend
indicated that
police have launched a second round of investigations into
the late Mujuru
death with strong suspicion that he could have died before
the fire gutted
his farmhouse.
Police commissioner general
Augustine Chihuri said a report was compiled and
submitted to the courts for
an inquest.
Media reports at the weekend claim that police are now
making another round
of investigations amid suspicion that former army
general could have died
before the fire started hence implicitly suggesting
there was ‘’human hand
behind’’.
It is further suggested that
there were conflicting statements from the 23
witnesses interviewed among
them farm workers, police officers manning his
farm and other security
details.
The late Mujuru was burnt beyond recognition at his Beatrice
farm in August
which raised eyebrows.
Mujuru’s death is reported
to have further divided Zanu-PF as some
unconfirmed reports link his death
to the succession battle.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/
06/11/2011 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
MPs are pushing for exemption from paying Zesa bills
claiming they cannot
afford to pay for electricity on their present
salaries.
Speaking at a pre-budget meeting in Victoria Falls Mberengwa
East MP,
Makhosini Hlongwane (Zanu-PF) urged the utility to consider a full
or
partial exemption for the legislators.
“Can MPs have an exemption,
even a partial exemption from paying (for)
electricity? If that is not done,
most of them might suffer the
embarrassment of having their power
disconnected,” Hlongwane said, drawing
applause from fellow
legislators.
But Zesa Holdings chief executive, Josh Chifamba, who also
attended the
meeting, shot down the proposal and told the MPs to seek relief
from
treasury.
“We do not have that dispensation. Tariffs should be
cost reflective. When
we make that exemption, there have to be transparent
otherwise the poor
people in high density suburbs might end up subsiding the
rich in
Borrowdale,” he said.
The legislators claim they are poorly
paid and owed millions by the
government in unpaid sitting and other
allowances going back to 2009.
They have also been fighting treasury over
car loans with many of them
refusing to acknowledge their debts arguing
whatever they owe government for
the vehicles has been off-set by the unpaid
allowances.
The MPs are entitled to a US$75 sitting allowance and fuel
proportional to
distance travelled to Harare from their constituencies.
Those living in
Harare get an allowance of US$50, while those from other
parts of the
country have their accommodation paid for directly by
Parliament.
Meanwhile energy and power development deputy minister,
Hubert Nyanhongo
said there was nothing ZESA could do to help farmers who
paid in advance for
their electricity using Zimbabwe dollars but did not
have their accounts
credited when the country switched to foreign
currencies.
“I want to say tough luck. We don’t have replacement in terms
of those who
had deposited their Zim dollar in advance,” Nyanhongo
said.
“When we dollarised we lost out everything in Zim-dollar, so tough luck
for
those people.”
http://www.diamondintelligence.com
07 November 2011
Zimbabwe Finance Minister Tendai Biti
has said on record that the
government's initial budget projections for 2012
will now have to be revised
to take into account proceeds from diamond sales
following last week's
Kimberly Process (KP) Plenary agreement approving the
immediate resumption
of rough diamond exports from Marange.
"Our
budget is worth US$3.4 billion. We have based this on the anticipated
revenue. We had not factored in the diamond revenue that will increase
following the decision by the KP," reports New Zimbabwe, quoting Biti from
Harare last week. "I will engage with the Ministry of Mines and Mining
Development because I am seriously considering increasing the Budget to
factor in the KP decision," Biti added, as quoted by the news
source.
According to Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu,
Zimbabwe
will earn over US$2 billion from renewed diamond sales. Sources
estimate
that there are 4.5 million Marange diamonds stockpiled.
"Our
current diamond production is estimated by volume, to be in excess of
25% of
the world production, and going by the values realised to date per
carat,
Zimbabwe is set to earn in excess of USD$2 billion annually in gross
revenues," Minister Mpofu told journalists after the KP Plenary, as cited by
Radio VOP.
"The ministry has the pleasure that it is ready to lead
and champion the
economic recovery of this country through a robust, dynamic
and aggressive
policy to grow mining sector in Zimbabwe whose growth is
currently bullish
and set to contribute in excess of 50% of our GDP," Mpofu
added, according
to the news source.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
05/11/2011 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
AT least 12 legislators are facing possible prosecution for
fraud after
allegedly misappropriating up to US$50 000 allocated to
constituents by the
government through the Constituency Development
Fund.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Eric Matinenga
is
expected to present a report before parliament, possibly leading to the
prosecution of the suspects whose names have been withheld pending the
completion of investigations.
An audit by the ministry found that the
12 legislators – drawn from both
Zanu PF and the MDC-T – used the funds to
issue personal loans while others
spent it on undisclosed
‘goodies’.
Acting permanent secretary for the ministry, Virginia Mabiza
said
preliminary investigations suggested the MPs had embarked on “a
self-enrichment spree”.
“Our audit team is still finalising the
report. It is, however, clear that
several legislators abused the facility,”
she told The Sunday Mail.
“It appears the concerned members went on a
self-enrichment spree, obviously
spending lavishly and spoiling themselves
on goodies.”
Mabiza added that after the ministry received returns for
173 out of 210
constituencies at the end of October, it was clear more
lawmakers were
involved in conduct “bordering on fraud, improper use and
dishonesty”.
“While we wait for the affected MPs to respond, our position
remains that a
crime has been committed and, soon, the law must take its
course,” she said.
“Of course, such cases of suspected fraud have come
up. However, some
members have done well. The projects our teams have seen
show that the money
was put to good use.”
Another 37 MPs were
presently receiving expert assistance after failing to
submit returns before
the October 21 deadline claiming they were not
conversant with the
procedures.
"Some of the MPs have said they cannot compile returns on
their own. That is
the reason why we have availed our team of experts to
assist them," Mabiza
said.
Finance Minister, Tendai Biti allocated
the CDF some US$8 million in his
budget last year with each constituency
getting US$50000.
The fund is supposed to be administered by committees
comprising the local
legislator, two councillors and district administrators
and used to finance
development projects in their respective constituencies.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
THE United States (US) has testified
that Zimbabwe is a country with great
local and regional potential,
identifying notable achievements the Southern
African country has carried
out for the sake of its people.
07.11.1106:18am
by Staff
Reporter
This comes at a time when America is at loggerheads with
Zimbabwe on a
number of issues such as huma rights violations and electoral
reforms.
Giving a testimony about Zimbabwe and her relations with US last
Wednesday
in Washington, DC in America, the US Assistant Secretary, Bureau
of African
Affairs, Johnnie Carson, described the country as having great
prospects to
reach the top but acknowledged that it still had a few
challenges to solve.
“Zimbabwe is a country of enormous economic,
agricultural, and regional
potential. While some visible improvements have
been made, serious
challenges remain,” he said.
Assistant Secretary
Carson recognised that the country was progressing well
despite slight
hitches in its inclusive government.
He mentioned some of the successes
Zimbabweans were experiencing and said
humanitarian needs had decreased
significantly projecting that by January
2012 a million people will require
help rather than the seven million in
2009.
“Schools and health
institutions previously closed due to lack of staff and
supplies have
re-opened and are providing vital social services to the
Zimbabwean
people.
“A tri-partisan parliamentary committee has sought input for a
new draft
constitution from millions of Zimbabweans. Zimbabwe’s economy,
which
dollarised in 2009, has made a remarkable recovery. The International
Monetary Fund estimated that Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product grew at nine
percent in 2010,” he reflected.
The US official also spoke about
politically motivated harassment across all
parties saying it impeded
development.
Assistant Secretary Carson said as America it would do what
it can to
promote Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and to highlight
opportunities for
investment that will benefit both countries’
businesses.
“We will continue to provide guidance to U.S. businesses
interested in
taking advantage of opportunities in Zimbabwe about how they
can move
forward in a way that complies with U.S. law,” he said.
The
US official noted how careless of him it would be not to stress that
Zimbabwe’s importance to the southern region, as it was a critical transport
hub and a country with great economic potential.
He also added that
problems affecting Zimbabwe also have a negative effect
on her
neighbours.
“Zimbabwe shares borders with South Africa, Botswana, Zambia,
and
Mozambique. It is a rich resource of talent. The unstable political
situation in Zimbabwe affects all the countries around it. Zimbabwe’s
neighbors are still feeling the effects of the refugee flows and economic
collapse,” he said.
Assistant Secretary Carson said it was imperative
that America recognises
progress and change in Zimbabwe in line with other
concerns.
He noted Zimbabwe is a young nation with a long colonial legacy
to overcome
explaining that: “social, political, and economic advances do
not happen
quickly, realising that nor will they necessarily follow an
American or
western model.”
Assistant Secretary Carson said he also
had faith in the Southern African
Development Community because it took its
mediating role seriously in
guiding the inclusive government.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
07 November 2011
By Lance
Guma
The ZANU PF MP for Guruve South, Edward Chindori-Chininga, who was
expelled
three weeks ago from the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee
(COPAC),
turned to social networking site Facebook on Sunday to vent his
anger.
Chindori-Chininga was sacked for allegedly leaking the ZANU PF
position
paper on the constitution to the two co-chairpersons from the MDC-T
and
MDC-N, Douglas Mwonzora and Edward Mkhosi. But writing on his facebook
page
the MP blasted Didymus Mutasa, the ZANU PF secretary for administration
for
persecuting him “in public and on national television” for something he
claims he did not do.
Chindori-Chininga claimed his expulsion from
COPAC was done without
following ZANU PF’s constitution, disciplinary
procedures and parliamentary
rules ‘since COPAC is a parliamentary select
committee.” He said: “ZANU PF
is not owned by an individual,” and that he
was “a member and shareholder in
it” alongside the people of Guruve and
Mashonaland Central who voted for
him.
“These are the people who put
me in Parliament for the past 15 years. It is
them who will decide to retain
me or drop me depending on my performance in
the elected job they gave me to
do,” Chindori-Chininga said.
The former Mines Minister claims he is being
‘punished’ for something else.
“Is this really a COPAC issue or could my
work as Chairman on parliamentary
oversight on Mines and Energy be causing
me to be punished? In Shona they
say kurova imbwa wakaviga mupini (beating a
dog while hiding the stick)
hoping I get the message.” He did not elaborate
on why or who might be
punishing him.
There was to be some sarcastic
consolation for Chindori Chininga from MDC-T
National Executive member
Charlton Hwende, who went onto the MP’s facebook
wall and wrote:
“We
will pray for you in the same manner we have prayed for thousands of
victims
of ZANU PF’s brutality. It is clear that this issue has nothing to
do with
Copac we all know the person who supplied us with the document and
we are
actually encouraged by the comments you made encouraging inclusivity
in the
copac process. They say joining ZANU PF kukwira bere ukada kuburuka
robva
rakudya- joining ZANU PF is like riding a hyena, when you want to get
off it
will eat you.”
On Friday both Mwonzora and Mkhosi claimed the document
was actually leaked
to them by Paul Mangwana, the ZANU PF co-chair of the
constitution making
committee. A heated debate on the matter resulted in a
near fist fight
between Mangwana and Chindori-Chininga.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Staff Writer
Monday, 07
November 2011 17:20
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party
says Zimbabwe is not
interested in re-joining the Commonwealth grouping of
nations.
The party’s national chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo told the
Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) at the weekend that Zimbabwe does
not plan to
re-join the grouping made up of former British colonies save for
Rwanda and
Mozambique which applied to join.
Moyo’s comments are
however at variance with the position of southern
African countries which
lobbied hard for the country’s re-admission at a
meeting of the grouping
held at the end of last month in Perth, Australia.
The comments also come
as members of the grouping have been indicating that
Zimbabwe will only be
re-admitted after making “genuine” political reforms
which will lead to a
free and fair election next year.
Moyo said it is surprising that
Zimbabwe never expressed its willingness to
re-join the group of nations
which he said had become racist.
The remark will be seen as a rebuff to
the efforts by the regional
countries, particularly Zambia, whose Vice
President Guy Scott led a
campaign for the return of his southern neighbour
to the grouping.
Zimbabwe was suspended in 2003 following a largely
disputed election the
previous year where observers from Commonwealth and
European Union (EU) were
barred from the country. The election which like
many previous elections in
the country, was marred by violence was declared
a sham by the international
community.
As part of the reasons for the
suspension, the grouping is also concerned
about the escalation in human
rights abuses. At the time, Mugabe labelled
the grouping a tea
party.
Zimbabwe and Fiji, where a military junta is in charge, are the
two
countries currently serving suspensions while Sri Lanka, the host of the
nest Chogm is facing various human rights allegations, it however
denies.
Several countries, particularly from the West have threatened to
boycott the
next Chogm if Sri Lanka does not act on the
allegations.
In the past, countries such as Nigeria were suspended when
it was still
under military rule.
In a communiqué released after the
Commonwealth meeting in Perth, the
grouping said they look forward to the
return of Zimbabwe but on condition
that the Global Political Agreement
(GPA) is implemented “faithfully and
effectively.”
The Commonwealth
countries said they continue, “To look forward to the
conditions being
created for the return of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth and
continue to
encourage the parties to implement the GPA faithfully and
effectively.”
The Zimbabwean issue was not part of the meeting’s
original agenda but was
discussed after several African countries insisted
that it be looked into.
The countries, particularly those drawn from the
Southern African
Development Community (Sadc) grouping argued that the
country’s suspension
must be reviewed because of the changed political
dynamics in the country
brought about by the GPA.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Bridget Mananavire, Staff Writer
Monday,
07 November 2011 17:18
HARARE - Information, Media and Publicity
Minister Webster Shamu watered
down his feud with his Information
Communications Technology (ICT)
counterpart Nelson Chamisa over the visit by
a Namibian minister last week.
Namibian ICT minister, Joel Kaapanda,
visited the country last week and
ended up being hosted by Shamu instead of
Chamisa as is the norm with
ministers with the same
portfolios.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday Shamu appeared to be
watering down
the dispute saying Kaapanda’s visit had benefited all the
information
ministries.
“I want to emphasise that because of the way
our portfolios are structured
in our two countries, Kaapanda had to relate
to three ministries in
Zimbabwe, among which the areas of Information
Telecommunications and ICT
are shared,” Shamu said.
“Kaapanda and his
delegation paid a courtesy call and working visit to the
minister and
ministry of Information Communication Technologies.
I am reliably
informed that the contact was both warm and fruitful,” he said
thanking his
counterparts for warmly receiving Kaapanda.
In a joint communiqué, Shamu
and Kaapanda re-iterated the need to meet
bi-annually to ensure successful
implementation of the agreed areas of
cooperation in line with the existing
Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) on
information between the two
countries.
Amongst the discussions in the communiqué was expansion of the
existing Mou
on information to encompass postal, telecommunications and
ICTs.
Moreover, they also discussed on the progress made in pluralising
the
broadcast airwaves and the possibility of extending investment
cooperation
in regional broadcasting.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Kumbirai Mafunda, Own
Correspondent
Monday, 07 November 2011 16:57
HARARE - Feisty human
rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has been robbed of an
honorary degree that had
been bestowed on her by the Women’s University in
Africa (Wua) in
controversial circumstances.
Wua Vice-Chancellor Professor Hope Sadza had
advised Mtetwa on October 21
that the university would on October 28 confer
a Master’s of Development
Studies degree on the human rights lawyer for her
“outstanding and
noticeable contribution in areas associated with arts,
education,
agriculture, sociology, management, gender and the community over
a long
period.”
The university, which claims that its quest is to
enhance women’s capacity
through the provision of education had also listed
prominent entrepreneurs
Grace Muradzikwa and Divine Ndlukula as
beneficiaries of the honorary
degrees.
“The official conferment will
be conducted at the Wua 2011 graduation
ceremony to be held on Friday
October 28, 2011 at the Celebration Centre in
Borrowdale.
“You are
cordially invited to attend this special occasion…….I would like to
congratulate you on this honour bestowed on you by Wua,” reads part of
Sadza’s
letter to Mtetwa which was seen by the Daily News.
But on
October 28 Mtetwa was surprisingly scratched among those honoured by
Wua at
a ceremony held at Celebration Centre in Harare after she was advised
on the
eve of the graduation ceremony by Sadza that the university’s
selection
committee on honorary degrees had reconsidered the honour.
Sources told
the Daily News that Wua only bestowed the honorary degrees to
Muradzikwa who
obtained a Master’s in Business Administration and Ndlukula
who was
conferred with a Masters in Development Studies and skipped Mtetwa’s
name
during the graduation ceremony even though her picture was beamed on
screens
as being among the graduands.
Wua’s honorary degree selection committee
includes Sadza, Professor Francis
Gudyanga, Dr John Saungweme, Lyn
Mukonoweshuro and Professor Fred Zindi.
Sadza told the Daily News after
the graduation ceremony that her university
could not fulfill its honour to
Mtetwa in the nick of time because of some
anomalies which she could not
spell out.
“The process hadn’t been done properly. It goes through
certain stages. It
will have to be done again next year if she is nominated
again,” Sadza said.
When reached for comment, Mtetwa said; “I have no
comment. As far as I am
concerned I respect the university and people who
run it. There is no need
to attach controversy to an institution which is to
the benefit of women who
have been marginalised.”
Mtetwa, a member of
the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), has
successfully represented
President Robert Mugabe’s opponents among them MDC
treasurer Roy Bennett,
the party’s deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma and
crusading human rights
campaigner Jestina Mukoko who had been under
persecution for allegedly
plotting to unseat the octogenarian leader’s
administration.
She has
also represented journalists who have been continually hounded by
the
regime.
Renowned educationist and the country’s former Education Minister
Fay Chung,
who is also the university’s chairperson of the board of trustees
bestowed
more than 400 graduates with degrees.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=94157
HARARE, 7 November 2011
(IRIN) - Poverty, abuse and cultural practices are
preventing a third of
Zimbabwean girls from attending primary school and 67
percent from attending
secondary school, denying them a basic education,
according to a recent
study which found alarming dropout rates for girls.
''Sexual harassment
and abuse by even school teachers and parents, cultural
issues, lack of
school fees, early marriage, parental commitments and early
pregnancies are
some of the contributing factors to the dropout by the girl
child,'' said
the authors of "Because I am a Girl" by Plan International, a
nonprofit
organisation that works to alleviate child poverty.
Maira Gwati's
education ended two years ago, at the age of 14, when her
family in rural
Guruve, some 160km northeast of Harare, the capital, forced
her to marry a
60-year-old man.
''My grandfather killed a woman who had refused to be
married to him many
years ago and her family wanted a virgin as compensation
to appease her
spirit. I was chosen and given to an old man in marriage, but
he often beat
me up and even though I fell pregnant I could not stand the
abuse,'' Gwati
told IRIN.
She fled to Harare where she found refuge
at a shelter for pregnant girls
until her daughter was born, but the child
died after only six months.
Gwati said she was not a particularly gifted
student but was an aspiring
athlete who had dreamed of completing her
secondary education and becoming
the next Marion Jones (a record breaking
African-American sprinter). She has
no plans to return to school, bur has
joined a small athletics club in the
capital.
''Many girls out there
are victims of the kind of abuse that has made me
suffer so much. Most of
the girls at the shelter end up as prostitutes, and
they do all the bad
things you can imagine to earn a dollar. Our future does
not promise much,
but for me the lack of a source of income will not keep me
from becoming a
popular runner,'' she said.
Makaitei Tevedza, matron of the home that
gave Gwati shelter, told IRIN: ''I
have been helping poor and abandoned
pregnant girls for more than 10 years,
and it seems the number of victims
seeking our support is increasing all the
time. Most of the girls say they
were impregnated by relatives, teachers or
lovers, who then chased them
away.''
According to the Plan International report, the long distances
that children
in rural areas have to travel to reach school, and the burden
that girl
children face because they often have to assume the
responsibilities of
being head of the household after the death of their
parents, are other
factors contributing to the high dropout rate for
girls.
Forced removals
A 2005 government programme of forced
evictions, known as Operation
Murambatsvina (Drive out Trash), which
uprooted some 700,000 people from
urban areas across the country, compounded
the difficulties of accessing
education for girls from affected
households.
Amnesty International, in its report ''Left Behind: The
Impact of Zimbabwe's
Forced Evictions on the Right to Education'' released
in October 2011,
documents the ways in which the evictions disrupted the
primary and
secondary education of an estimated 222,000
children.
During Murambatsvina many households were forcibly removed to
rural areas
and transit camps without educational facilities, and in some
areas school
buildings were demolished. Thousands of livelihoods were
destroyed, making
school fees an expense that families could no longer
afford.
Joyce Rusike's single mother, then a vegetable vendor, was
struggling to
support her family when she was ejected from her rented room.
''We were
resettled at Hopley [a squatter settlement] because we didn't have
anywhere
else to go. My mother got so affected that she immediately fell
ill, and my
brothers and I had to stop going to school because we could not
afford the
fees and bus fare to our old school,'' she told
IRIN.
Rusike now sells cigarettes at a nearby long-distance bus terminus
during
the day and is a commercial sex worker at night, while her siblings
spend
their days hunting birds or helping passengers with their luggage at
the bus
terminus.
The Amnesty International report notes that many
girls at Hopley became sex
workers, entered relationships with older men, or
married at a young age
after eviction from their homes, and the government's
failure to support
them to re-enrol in school.
''Operation
Murambatsvina inflicted a severe blow to the right to education
for the
affected population, who were already amongst the poorest and most
disadvantaged in Zimbabwe," wrote the authors.
Zimbabwe's education
system, once considered a model for other African
countries, has been
steadily declining over the last decade due to the
economic crisis. Many
schools lack text books and other supplies.
A Situational Analysis on the
Status of Women's and Children's Rights in
Zimbabwe: 2005-2010, carried out
by the government and the UN, found that
almost half of the children did not
proceed from primary to secondary
school.
The government, in
partnership with the international donor community and UN
agencies, launched
the Education Transition Fund in 2009, with the aim of
addressing the
shortage of learning materials in schools.
A second phase of the
programme was launched this month. According to a
statement by UNICEF
Representative Dr Peter Salama, this phase "will focus
on equity and access
to quality education for all children, in particular
responding to the
gender disparity of students in secondary schools, and
giving children not
in school an opportunity for a second chance for
education".
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations]
ZANU PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo is the guest on Question Time and speaks to journalist Lance Guma while answering questions from SW Radio Africa listeners. He responds to speculation on Mugabe’s health; how ZANU PF will deal with the WikiLeaks saga; why they are instructing police to block MDC-T rallies; why does ZANU PF rely on political violence instead of selling its manifesto among other questions.
Interview broadcast 02 November 2011
Lance Guma: Hello Zimbabwe and thank you for joining me on this edition of Question Time. My guest is the ZANU PF national spokesman Rugare Gumbo who joins us to answer questions from you the people of Zimbabwe. Mr. Gumbo, thank you so much for your time.
Rugare Gumbo: It’s a pleasure.
Lance: Now like I’ve already explained the format of the programme is, we get questions from listeners and a lot of speculation in recent months has centred on the health of President Robert Mugabe, your party leader, predictably we have a lot of questions from our listeners on this subject. Mugabe has been to the Far East for more than eight times in ten months, according to speculation and the question on everyone’s lips is – is he still up for the job?
Gumbo: No look here, I never discuss my president’s health and so on. He has his physician; he has his spokesman so they are the ones that can answer that position. I deal with party issues only.
Lance: But I suppose the issue we have and most of our listeners are asking this, that some say the standard retirement age in most countries is 65 and your party leader is 87 years old, so are you not as Zanu PF guilty of keeping someone in a job who really medically and politically should be resting after 31 years in power?
Gumbo: No we don’t have to apologise for our leader’s age. If he feels he is strong, what is wrong with that? If the people of Zimbabwe said they want him as their leader, what is wrong with that?
Lance: There’s a general sense though that Zanu PF is very protective about his health, I mean he is human just like the rest of us but it seems the party cannot fathom the fact that people are calling into doubt his fitness to lead the country. Would that be something you understand as fellow human beings, that people will be bound to speculate on someone that age?
Gumbo: Well look, as a party there is a formula for selection of leadership, for choosing leaders. If the people of Zimbabwe are happy, what is wrong with that? As far as we are concerned, it is the people of Zimbabwe who decide on the leaders of the party.
The biggest problem we have is that the people who are concerned about his health are not Zimbabweans. If they are Zimbabwean they are opposed to his leadership. The people who tend to oppose, tend to talk about his health are outsiders, foreigners, who have nothing to do with what is happening in Zimbabwe.
Lance: But is it correct to assume that anyone who asks about his health and his age is necessarily in the negative camp? Cannot the people of Zimbabwe speculate about the person leading the country? Why does it have to be necessarily negative?
Gumbo: Well I don’t know why it should be negative but the point is that the man is leading and there is no harm in him leading. There are all sorts of connotations which are brought in about his health, his age. You know as far as we are concerned, as far as Zanu PF is concerned, we are quite happy with what is happening.
Lance: Manguba Njibatshiba on Face Book sent us a question for you – he says what is the purpose of the Zanu PF Congress next month when the party has already said Mugabe is the candidate?
Gumbo: No there are quite a number of issues which we are going to deal with, conference congress is not just about electing a leader. We have to discuss the forthcoming general elections, the constitution making process, all sorts of things, there are so many things that we need to do, indigenization for instance empowerment – are we doing the right thing, are we, determining what we are doing. All sorts of things that we will be discussing at the conference.
Lance: Recent revelations by the whistle-blowing web site WikiLeaks have shown that senior Zanu PF politicians were leaking confidential information about the party and its leaders to US diplomats. A case in point is Jonathan Moyo who allegedly colluded to topple Mugabe with a British tycoon. How comfortable are you as a party working with such allegedly two-faced individuals?
Gumbo: Well we have said that we are studying the documents, we are studying the WikiLeaks, we are studying, we want to see the original version in the WikiLeaks because there is a tendency for some of our journalists to exaggerate, to comment about these things, so until we conclude our study we are not going to say much about what will be done to people who have done that or not.
Lance: So do you actually have in place a formal process that is doing this?
Gumbo: Well we are looking at it, we are studying it and when we conclude our study, we will come out with a position.
Lance: Okay I suppose that answers Gerald’s question, he sent us an email from Harare wanting to know from you how is Zanu PF going to be dealing with the so-called WikiLeaks traitors?
Gumbo: Hm hm…..
Lance: Should you complete the investigations, do you see yourself expelling people from the party?
Gumbo: No no no I don’t want to cross the bridge, until I get to it.
Lance: From Bulawayo comes a question from Miriam who says in the space of two weeks, the police acting on the instructions from senior Zanu PF politicians have blocked over four rallies that were meant to be addressed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Lupane, Victoria Falls and other areas. Her question is – “is it not a bit embarrassing for your party to be resorting to these sorts of tactics?”
Gumbo: Where on earth have you seen a party instructing police people to carry out those kind of activities. It’s a figment of the imagination of the people, we don’t control the police. There is a police spokesman, why don’t you ask him those questions?
Zanu PF is like any other political parties and we abide by the procedure, the rules and the regulations of the police when we want to hold meetings, where to hold meetings what procedure to follow when we want to have a meeting.
Lance: Well let me give you a solid example – in Matabeleland North, the Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai has made it clear he will not be tolerating any MDC activities in that province, so clearly that’s a party cadre who holds a senior position in the police force making such statements so you cannot seriously be disassociating Zanu PF from people who are openly saying things like that.
Gumbo: Look, Edmore Veterai is a policeman; talk to the Bvudzijena the police spokesman, talk to the Commissioner General on these statements. You can’t ask me those questions because I’m not a police officer, I’m only a party spokesman.
Lance: Okay let me quote for you – co-Home Affairs minister Theresa Makone had a rally disrupted by Zanu PF youths this time with the help of the police in Hatcliffe. Makone said she will be presenting a petition to cabinet because it seems the police are waging a war against her party. Now she will also ask them to explain why they are only disrupting MDC meetings and not Zanu PF gatherings. Are you not worried then in terms of perception, that when people see MDC rallies being disrupted, they will obviously blame Zanu PF?
Gumbo: Look the issue of Theresa Makone’s alleged disrupted rally, it’s really a fake if I may use that word. She is not being honest. They wanted to address a meeting at Hatcliffe, there were no people there, Makoni, Mwonzora, the other leaders got there, there was nobody there, there were just a few people.
They had to bus people from Chitungwiza, from other districts to come and disrupt the meeting which Zanu PF was holding in terms of auditing party structures and they were verifying party structures and they were hundreds of metres away from where the rally was supposed to be carried out but they were surprised that Theresa Makone would do that sort of thing, they know for a fact that they didn’t have enough people, they wanted to bus people from outside to go to Hatcliffe. That’s the report that we get from our people and even the pictures which we have displayed, it was clear that Zanu PF was conducting its meeting in a peaceful manner.
Lance: Now we have just spoken with Theresa Makone coincidentally and she says she left a church service and she was meant to be addressing that rally at 2pm and Zanu PF mobs were there trying to disrupt and when they tried to disrupt the MDC supporters forced them to retreat and it was only then that the police intervened because the Zanu PF people had been overpowered. That’s the other version of events.
Gumbo: Well what do you expect from Theresa Makone? She says she’s a co-Home Minister who is responsible for police. She has no control over those police. She talks of retaliation or retribution and you are a minister in government, inclusive government and you make that, those kind of ridiculous statements.
I really don’t understand what her role is. They are supposed to be the ones to come in, and the violence, the motions that are there but no, she decides she wants to retaliate to fight against Zanu PF. Incredible.
Lance: Let’s give an example – in Lupane armed riot police attempted to stop Tsvangirai’s tour of St Paul’s Hospital and later dispersed crowds who had gathered for the rally he was to address, the police barricaded the entrance to the hospital with chains to prevent the tour from taking place;
In Victoria Falls police cordoned off Chinotimba Stadium as early as 6am on Sunday morning to block another Tsvangirai rally. It does sound unbelievable though that grown-up people are actually planning such things and blocking a tour of a hospital. Are you not worried about the political consequences of the perception that you have a hand in this as a party?
Gumbo: Ah well I was not in Lupane, I was not in Victoria Falls so I really can’t comment about it. As I said before, if it is that the problem lies with the police, find out the information from the police. From what it transpired out there, from what we hear, the, Chamisa, the organizing secretary of the MDC was asked whether this thing was done by Zanu PF or by police.
He said categorically it was done by the police, Zanu PF had no input in the whole thing so the way I understand, you know what I’m saying? So as a party, my only comment is look we don’t know anything about what happened in Victoria Falls, we have not been briefed. What we have been briefed is that the police out there had reasons for, whatever reasons for doing what they did and it is up to the police so if you talk to the police I’m sure they’ll give you an answer.
Lance: But a growing number of incidents showing police bias for Zanu PF and police bias against the MDC – that’s the question – are you not worried about the perception because it’s quite clear they are taking instructions from Zanu PF.
Gumbo: What is this perception? Whose perception are you talking about? You with your Facebook, radio?
Lance: It’s probably common sense if people are seeing MDC rallies being disrupted, it will be common sense who is behind that. Why would the police be disrupting MDC rallies?
Gumbo: I don’t know. Why don’t you ask the police?
Lance: Okay we will do that, we will do that. When Zanu PF is holding rallies, do you need, because here is a question from some of our listeners, they were saying why should Tsvangirai or the MDC need police permission to address a rally, the Public Order and Security Act, POSA says nothing about requiring police permission. It clearly states that you only need to inform the police. Does Zanu PF need police permission for rallies?
Gumbo: I think usually. If you listen to me carefully I said as far as Zanu PF is concerned we try and follow the rules and regulations, the procedures of holding meetings. Those are clearly tabled in the police book so we follow that but the MDC tend to defy. They want to be their own thing. If they want to do their own thing, it’s their own fault but they should not cry to us and say Zanu PF is doing this when we are not doing it because we are following…
Lance: Okay you say you are following that. There was a High Court order allowing the rally to go ahead in Matabeleland North. That High Court order was defied by the police so if you are going by the book surely that does not suggest so?
Gumbo: Well I said I don’t know anything that is happening in Matabeleland. The court ruling, we read it in the paper, what happened I don’t know. Find out from the police.
Lance: Okay we have questions on political violence. The issue of political violence refuses to go away. As Zanu PF in the coalition, you control the police, the army and the CIO and most of our listeners are saying if you really wanted to stop political violence you could do so and the question is why are you relying on a strategy that always costs you votes during election time?
Gumbo: Well what violence, what sort of violence are you talking about? We don’t tell the police what to do. Police are under the inclusive government. Why are the people in the inclusive government not dealing with the issue of…
Lance: No we’re not talking about the police now here, we are talking about, let me give you examples – a few months ago, known Zanu PF thugs invaded parliament and beat up MPs and journalists, no-one was arrested; in Mbare the Chipangano group are a law unto themselves extorting money from market traders and beating up perceived opposition supporters – still no arrests so you would have to assume Zimbabweans are blind and cannot see all these things.
Gumbo: Look, even your language, you can tell that you are biased. You talk of Zanu thugs, you talk of, and so on.
Lance: Well I don’t know how to describe people who invade parliament and beat people up. I don’t know, should we call them gentlemen?
Gumbo: You can call them whatever, I’m just saying the use of your language…
Lance: The word thugs? You are objecting to the word thug?
Gumbo: Yah, you are biased.
Lance: No I don’t think so. I think I am just calling a spade a spade. If somebody invades parliament and beats up people, that’s…a thug
Gumbo: Look, look do you want us to have a dialogue as you asked me in the first place to be or you are here to insult me? Because when you talk of Zanu thugs and so on and so on, I mean it doesn’t make sense. There’s no point of us carrying on talking because already you are biased.
Lance: Okay let’s address the Chipangano issue in Mbare.
Gumbo: Those questions, I beg your pardon?
Lance: Chipangano, Chipangano in Mbare. Why has nothing been done about Chipangano?
Gumbo: I don’t know what happened there, it’s up to the police to deal with that kind of thing. We don’t do police crime, crimes are controlled by police. You know so don’t ask you about those kind of things, I deal with policy issues of the party and when you asked me to do this meeting I said yes I’ll do it, I’ll try and contribute but dealing with the party politics not criminal cases or anything of that matter.
Lance: Well it seems from what’s happening that it is a party policy to encourage these sort of things because it’s happening by… let me give you a solid example if you say it’s not a party policy. Jim Kunaka in Mbare who leads your youth wing has clearly been implicated in several incidents of violence. He’s someone you know and nothing has been done about what he’s been involved in so is that not a worry for you?
Gumbo: Why should it be a worry? Jim Kunaka was assaulted, injured badly. Who injured him?
Lance: Well let’s move on to another subject then. There’s still lots of questions from our listeners. Rominic Mhende wants to know how Zanu PF is responding to the case involving the suspicious death of the late retired army general Solomon Mujuru? He says much has been written about it with suggestions that it has the potential to split the party with several members not happy about the police secrecy around their investigations. I don’t know if you would like to answer his question?
Gumbo: Well the police have said that they are going or proposing to have an inquest and the police have not published a report so we can’t comment about that kind of thing. We wait until the police have published the report and as they are having an inquest we wait to hear what the inquest says.
Lance: Well I suppose that secrecy around the report, if the police have completed their investigations, the last we heard was that it had been referred to court, for a court process to carry out an inquest and people are asking all sorts of questions why is the report being kept under wraps?
Gumbo: Well it’s not being kept under wraps. It’s the police who have said that it is with the courts then it is up to the court to decide so it’s now sub judice; we can’t be commenting about something that is in the court.
Lance: A few of your members of parliament have clearly said so in parliament they are not happy with what happened. Some are giving interviews to journalists talking about how unhappy they are with the process. Is there a worry that this is an issue that could divide you?
Gumbo: No I don’t see it dividing us because we tend to follow the law of the country; the police are there to make sure that investigations are done properly, they produce a report, they refer to an inquest, if they refer to the courts for an inquest, we support that. The members of parliament of the party have their views and that’s what we call democracy isn’t it?
Lance: In four months time you are reaching almost three years of this coalition government, how has it been for you as Zanu PF? Lots has been said that you benefitted from this arrangement having lost the elections in March and it’s given you an opportunity to restrategise and regroup. What’s your take on it?
Gumbo: Well what we have always said is that the GPA or the inclusive government has done a good job, the economy has improved, there is a micro economic turnaround. There are certain issues which we obviously are concerned with because in the first place when we had the GPA, you agreed that you are going to remove sanctions and no effort has been made by the partners to the GPA.
So that is our really major concern and also when you come to the implementation of certain policies there are all sorts of delays and there reversals of government position. For instance indigenization – Tsvangirai said in Cape Town it’s a good thing, we must have this thing, then all of a sudden when he’s in London he says no I don’t agree with that.
Then there’s the issue of gays and sometime last year he spoke in Chitungwiza with the president said he does not support the gay movement, then all of a sudden he goes to London, perhaps he confers with prime minister (David) Cameron, then he changes his mind and he says now we protect gay rights.
You know that kind of thing doesn’t help the inclusive government and those are the unfortunate side effects of the inclusive government but we said right from the beginning that we believed that the elections of 2008 were inconclusive and therefore Zimbabweans should work together.
Lance: It’s an interesting word to use, to say inconclusive because you lost your majority in parliament; Tsvangirai polled more votes than Mugabe so when you say inconclusive, what does it mean?
Gumbo: Well he did get the 51% which he…
Lance: Well that is very technical, he still polled more than Mugabe.
Gumbo: No it’s not technical because it’s in the constitution. The problem is that you want to read something which is outside the constitution. The constitution of the country said anyone who wants to be leader or president must get 51%, over 50% and Tsvangirai didn’t get that.
Lance: That was a new amendment. If it had been an election in a previous year for example 2005 or 2002 rather, he (Mugabe) would have lost would he not? So it’s very technical, you had to rely on a constitutional provision to remain in power?
Gumbo: Which was done by who? Wasn’t it done by all the parties? So you pretend, you select what you want to portray to people. The reality of the matter is that someone who is going to be president of the country must get 51%; Tsvangirai did not get that.
Lance: Okay did it mean anything to you the fact that Tsvangirai polled more than Mugabe in the first round? What did that say to you? What message did you pick from that?
Gumbo: It’s true, everyone knows that the MDC got I think 80-something and we got about some other figure but it’s immaterial because he did not get the majority to run the government. Why didn’t he go to the Welshman Ncubes of this world to try and run the government? They couldn’t because they didn’t agree.
Lance: One final issue that we would like to touch during the interview before we let you go – the issue of intolerance. That seems to be a big problem, this is why we have political violence and things like that. We have a question from a listener who says why doesn’t Zanu PF rely simply on selling their policies and what they have to offer the electorate without things like Chipangano, without things like CIO abducting people, without police blocking rallies? You could win an election just by selling your policies without having to rely on all that?
Gumbo: It’s fine to say that kind of thing, the issue of tolerance. I agree there is need for tolerance but tolerance is not a one-way issue. It is a two-way issue. Everyone who is involved in Zimbabwe, every Zimbabwean must tolerate the other person who has different views so it doesn’t necessarily to be a Zanu person who has to be tolerant, everyone must be tolerant.
In any case what we, when someone says Zanu PF has to rely on its programmes, we are the only party which has a programme; MDC has no programme. We talked about the land, we have given land to the people, people may not like it but we have given land to the people. Secondly we are involved in indigenization; we are involved in empowerment of our people. So MDC have nothing, no programmes, not even…
Lance: So why don’t you rely on that? Why did we have this scenario in 2008 where people were killed in election violence, abductions and things like that?
Gumbo: It doesn’t help us just to go back.
Lance: On that note we come to the end of Question Time. Our special guest was the Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo joining us to answer questions from SW Radio Africa listeners.
To listen to the programme:
http://www.swradioafrica.2bctnd.net/11_11/qt021111.mp3
Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com http://twitter.com/lanceguma or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma
SW Radio Africa – on line 24 hours a day at www.swradioafrica.com and daily broadcasts on 4880 kHz in the 60m band between 7 – 9 pm Zimbabwe time. Twitter : Facebook : RSS feed You can now get SW Radio Africa on the Tunein Radio smart phone app.