Timetable via Veritas press release:

Posted by Sokwanele

ZANU PF infighting blamed for Gono-Grace story

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
27 October 2010

Serious infighting within ZANU PF is said to be at the centre of leaks
claiming Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace has been having a secret affair with
Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono.

The country erupted into frenzied speculation when the South African Sunday
Times newspaper ran a story over the weekend claiming Gono had been bedding
Mugabe’s wife over a 5 year period. The two allegedly met as often as three
times a month at Grace’s Gushungo Dairy Estate, at expensive hotels in South
Africa and on foreign trips to Asia.

Gono is considered Mugabe’s blue-eyed boy and this is what made the story
even more sensational. But as more and more details of the story are
dissected by journalists and ordinary people alike, the general consensus is
that many parts of the story do not add up convincingly.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa, New Zimbabwe.com editor Mduduzi Mathuthu said
certain events in the Sunday Times story did not tally with the time frames
given. ‘Like for instance they said the allegations about Mrs. Mugabe and
the Reserve Bank Governor were mentioned to the President on the 26th July
(by his ailing sister Sabina), between the hours of 7 and 8pm, I believe.’

‘But on the day the President was actually attending an African Union summit
in Uganda. And we also know that the said security guard or bodyguard (Cain
Chademana), who is supposed to have overheard this conversation, was no
longer in the President’s service after being discharged on condition of
poor health around May or June. Those were two of the most significant flaws
in the story.’

In the Sunday Times story it was alleged that Chademana was poisoned because
he admitted to Mugabe that he knew about the affair. The allegation was that
Mugabe had him poisoned to keep the story quiet. Those who know Chademana
however say; ‘He had an illness known to all and it was neither poisonous
nor mysterious.’ The story also said he was a ‘decorated veteran of the
liberation war’ yet he was only 36 when he died, making him too young to
have fought in the war.

So how did this story find the legs to walk into a newsroom and get
published? We asked Mathuthu and he said there is some suggestion that the
governor and Mrs. Mugabe are very close, and this may have fuelled
speculation around their relationship. He said because ZANU PF was ‘a party
that is built on patronage, it’s very easy for such a party to crumble over
issues of money’ suggesting Gono had made enemies in the party as its chief
‘money man.’

Several factions within ZANU PF after fighting each other in attempts to
eventually take over the leadership from Mugabe should he step down.
Depending on which faction Gono has aligned himself with, it is very
possible a rival faction is trying to have him ousted by creating mistrust
between him and Mugabe. Others are suggesting he knows too much in terms of
senior party officials who looted money from the central bank and would like
to have him replaced.

Meanwhile the country’s notorious Central Intelligence Organization sent
four senior officers to meet separately with editors from the privately
owned newspapers. Reports say they warned the newspapers not to cover the
story of the alleged affair, going as far as threatening ‘someone might die’
if they repeated the allegations made by the Sunday Times paper.

There was speculation on Wednesday that Gideon Gono’s office would be
issuing a statement denying the alleged affair with Grace Mugabe. It’s also
reported he met Mugabe on Monday for lunch to discuss the damaging
allegations.

CIO in chilling warning to independent media over Grace-Gonogate

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

27 October, 2010 05:35:00    By Nkululeko Ndlovu

ZIMBABWE State security agents have given chilling warning to editors of
privately-owned newspapers who they urged not to repeat South African and
British newspaper claims that Robert Mugabe’s all sorts wife, Grace, has had
romping sessions with Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, amid reports of
family feud over Mugabe's wealth as the source of the latest besmirching.
Aides of both Gono, who is married, and Grace Mugabe, nee Marufu, strongly
reject the allegations and some sources have linked the story to the family
feud between Grace and Mugabe clan over the wealth of the feisty Zimbabwean
dictator.
A family sources said, at the centre of the family feud is the Reserve Bank
Governor Gideon Gono who is fighting in the corner of Grace Mugabe and the
President. On the other side there is the rest of the Mugabe clan led by Leo
Mugabe who is the son of President Mugabe’s late sister Sabina.

On Tuesday, four senior Central Intelligence Organisation officials met
newspaper editors separately in Harare and issued various threats, according
to an editor who attended the meetings, but who wanted his publication to
remain unnamed.

“They basically claimed they knew that our paper was planning to report the
story, which sounded like fishing to me. I pretended I had no clue what they
were talking about and forced them to go over it.
“They said someone might die if we go on and repeat the allegations, they
made that very clear,” he said.

The editor said the CIO operation appeared aimed at "getting the threats in
before the midweek papers and weekend editions" of the Financial Gazette,
News Day, Zimbabwe Independent and Standard newspapers.

An online publication linked to Zanu PF said Mugabe met Gono for lunch on
Monday, and advisers of the two men had met on Tuesday and Wednesday morning
to map a strategy of tackling the damaging reports first carried in both the
UK and South African Sunday Times newspapers.

A source familiar with the discussions said: “These have been intense
discussions. Their lawyers have advised them that they have strong grounds
to sue the Sunday Times newspapers for libel, but the political advisers are
split.

“Some are saying they would rather the matter be totally ignored, but those
on the opposite end of the planning say this would create a permanent
impression that reports of the affair were true – something which would dog
the rest of Mugabe’s presidency and subject both Gono and the First Lady to
unending public ridicule.”

Meanwhile, Robert Mugabe and his wife made their first joint public
appearance since Sunday at the burial of his brother in law at Kachere Farm
in Concession on Tuesday.
Bonny Brian Gumbochuma, who died aged 57 last Saturday, was married to Grace
Mugabe’s elder sister. Mugabe described the late Gumbochuma as a humble
person who helped him “integrate into the Marufu family”.

However, speaking to the media in private, an associate of a family member
of the Marufu family revealed that although Gono and Grace are related,
their relation was not strong until after Grace had married Mugabe.

“Grace is aunt (mainini) to Gono” the associate said, adding that this
relation is common with villagers in a Chieftainship who may sometimes not
see each other for a whole lifetime. It is in this light that the associate
alleges that is possible Gideon Gono and his just become-rich ‘aunt’ Grace
could form an affair without remorse or restraint.

In the early 80s Gono was assigned by the CIO to spy on white executives at
National Breweries where he infiltrated the company executives as a tea boy
in a text book sting operation that eventually forced the Senior Managers of
the Brewery to flee the country and leading to the eventual takeover of the
company by the quasi-State owned Delta Corporation.

In the years gone by, Mr Gono has been at the centre of the President and
his family’s complicated business network both at home and abroad and this
has not gone down well with the rest of the Mugabe clan who feel more and
more ostracised as his wife's relatives take more influence in his wealth.

At the same time when Mr Gono gained prominence and influence in the
President’s wealth, Leo Mugabe who used to be the President’s favoured and
trusted family member has hit hard times as all political avenues and
business prospects have been closed for him by Grace Mugabe’s people who are
surrounding the President leading to bitter family feuding and skulduggery
and the latest media briefing in a South African newspaper.　

Mugabe has staffed most key positions in the government with Grace Mugabe’s
relatives particularly in the Justice and Foreign Affairs Ministries.

Sources close to the family said the fall-out over President Mugabe’s wealth
has escalated and got worse since the death of Sabina Mugabe amid reports
that the President took two Harare houses owned by his late sister and gave
them to his daughter Bona and his son Robert Mugabe Jr. much to the outcry
by everyone in the Mugabe clan.The majority of the members of the Mugabe
family are accusing the President and his wife Grace of "killing" Sabina
Mugabe using witchcraft.

The pair is also accused by family members of causing the ill health to the
President’s younger sister Bridgette Mugabe who has been in intensive care
in a Harare hospital for four months and she has requested that the
President and his wife be kept away from her.

All of President Mugabe's sisters and close relatives have fallen out with
First Lady who they accuse of twisting their brother's head. Mugabe used to
travel to his Zvimba every weekend, but this has since been reduced to three
trips in a year.　

Civil Society groups pressure SADC to send election monitors

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 October 2010

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has been presented with enough credible
evidence to convince SADC to send an advance election monitoring force to
Zimbabwe before next year’s elections, a leading pro-democracy activist has
said.

Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe regional coordinator, Dewa Mavhinga, told SW
Radio Africa on Wednesday that Zuma should not have any excuses why he
cannot urge the regional bloc to lend its assistance in the management of
elections and in setting up mechanisms to prevent violence.

‘It is no longer the preserve of ZANU PF to have a say on who gets invited
to monitor elections. There is an inclusive government that was brought
about by the intervention of SADC.

‘With all the credible evidence before the facilitation team, it is prudent
for SADC to assist in the management of elections and in setting up
mechanisms to prevent violence because the next election may be no different
from the chaotic and violent June 2008 polls,’ Mavhinga said.

Mavhinga, a lawyer by profession, added; ‘We are confident that as long as
we keep up the pressure on Zuma and SADC, there is reason to be optimistic
about far reaching reforms to the electoral law and addressing key issues
such as the voters’ roll.’

Zimbabwe’s civil society last week urged Southern African leaders to ensure
the country’s next elections comply with regional benchmarks for democratic
polls, requiring an independent body to run polls and ensuring the military
do not interfere with voting.

In submissions to Zuma’s facilitation team in Pretoria, the groups said SADC
must insist that Zimbabwe elections comply with its principles and
guidelines governing democratic elections – including impartiality of
electoral institutions and non-interference in electoral processes by the
state security agents.

Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai bowed to regional pressure to form a
unity government in 2009, to end the ZANU PF violence and dangerous
political stalemate which followed the elections in 2008.

‘The same regional pressure can be used to force all parties to comply with
SADC guidelines and there is no excuse why SADC cannot enforce that when
they are already involved with Zimbabwe,’ Mavhinga said.

Zuma’s facilitation team heard from the civil society that the 2008
presidential election, in which Mugabe lost the first round vote to
Tsvangirai, effectively failed to produce a winner after the army stepped
into the fray, waging a ruthless campaign of violence and murder, forcing
Tsvangirai to withdraw from the race .

‘The reason we want SADC heavily involved in the next election is that we
may end up with the same situation as in 2008. To avoid that, as explained
to Zuma’s team, SADC should deploy its monitors six months before the
planned elections. The monitors should remain in the country for another six
months after the polls to ensure there is no post-election violence similar
to what happened two years ago,’ the CCZ regional coordinator said.

Bulawayo residents hold protest march against ZESA

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
27 October, 2010

The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) held a demonstration
Wednesday to protest the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority’s
unaffordable bills being sent to residents.

Our correspondent Lionel Saungweme followed the march through Bulawayo’s
central business district and spoke with the group’s organizing secretary,
Ambrose Sidindi. He said that a group of approximately 500 Bulawayo
residents took part in the demonstration, which was delayed for over an hour
by police official Rungani, from Bulawayo Central Station, who tried to ban
the event claiming that the police knew nothing about it.

Saungweme said the residents presented Officer Rungani with a High Court
order clearing the march and the police then allowed it to begin. The
residents had also collected 14,500 signatures for a petition to be
presented to ZESA. This meant an average of about 500 signatures were
collected from each of the 29 Wards in Bulawayo.

The Residents Association’s secretary told Saungweme that the Competition
and Tariffs Commission ruled against ZESA in September and ordered their
charges to be reduced by 43%. But ZESA did not comply. Instead the
parastatal continued sending summons to defaulting consumers, threatening
legal action and cutting the service in some cases.

It is all these unfair actions by ZESA that led to the Bulawayo residents
taking to the streets on Wednesday. The march ended without any incidents
and no one was arrested.

Zim charter ready in time for polls

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Patricia Mpofu and Tobias Manyuchi     Wednesday 27 October 2010

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s constitutional committee said Tuesday it will push to
have a referendum on a new constitution in early 2011 to pave way for
adoption of the new charter before elections that President Robert Mugabe
has said must take place by mid-next year.

The Constitution Select Committee (COPAC), which is running several months
behind schedule on constitutional reforms, had previously said it would be
able to hold a referendum by June 30 next year, raising fears Zimbabwe next
polls could be held under the present and defective constitution.

But COPAC joint chairman Douglas Mwonzora told journalists in Harare that
the committee was next weekend resuming public hearings on the new charter
abandoned in the capital last month because of political violence and that
it would move to complete the reform process in the first quarter of next
year.

“It is possible to have the referendum during the first quarter of 2011 but
it all depends on the government making the necessary funds available,” said
Mwonzora.

“We can meet that deadline and indications are that the referendum should be
earlier than we had anticipated,” added Mwonzora, who represents Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party on the multi-party management
committee of the COPAC.

Zimbabwe is writing a new constitution as part of reforms agreed by Mugabe
and Tsvangirai to entrench democracy and ensure the next elections are free
and fair.

But an exercise to gather public views to be put in the proposed
constitution has been marred by reports of violence and widespread
intimidation blamed on Mugabe’s supporters wanting to pressure Zimbabweans
to endorse a new constitution that will not bar the 86-year old President
from standing for re-election, while banning the post of prime minister.

Public hearings had to be called off in Harare and the nearby dormitory town
of Chitungwiza after violence broke out during meetings more than two weeks
ago, leaving at least one person dead and scores of others injured.

Mwonzora said public meetings will resume in Harare on October 30 and 31,
adding that political parties will be urged to ensure supporters desist from
violence and intimidation.

He said: “The political parties will publicly…. in a document signed by
their secretaries general, denounce violence, intimidation, racism and other
malpractices during the outreach programme and implore their supporters to
desist from these activities.”

Mwonzora also called on the police to ensure peace and security during the
public meetings.

Zimbabweans hope a new constitution will guarantee human rights, strengthen
the role of Parliament and curtail the president's powers, as well as
guaranteeing civil, political and media freedoms. -- ZimOnline

MDC Defies Police Ban

http://news.radiovop.com

27/10/2010 10:31:00

Harare, October 27, 2010 - The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday moved swiftly to defy a police
ban on their consultative meeting that was scheduled for the Cyril Jennings
Hall in Highfield claiming that there was no curfew in Zimbabwe.

Police officers from the notorious Machipisa and Southerton Police Station
had advised the MDC-T officials and supporters that their meeting could not
go ahead because it was being held during the evening and therefore prone to
violent attacks from other political parties.

The MDC-T supporters maintained their stance that they had properly notified
the police about their intention to hold the meeting within the stipulated
time in terms of the law and declined to leave the venue.

Co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone later told the over 250 supporters
at the venue that she had to call police commissioner-general Augustine
Chihuri so that the meeting where
Tsvangirai was to address could proceed as planned.

“There is no curfew in this country and therefore no-one should tell us when
and where we should have our meetings as a party. You are aware that we
could not hold this meeting last week because the police claimed we had not
advised them in advance. We have followed the laws of this country and this
meeting should go ahead,” said Makone.

She said the country could not afford a police force that is political.

“We don’t deserve police officers who behave like political commissars of
Zanu (PF),” she said.

Tsvangirai told his party supporters that the inclusive government was not a
permanent establishment and that they should brace for “violent free”
elections next year.

“We are not going to pull out of the GNU because we were elected by the
people despite all the challenges that we are facing. The constitutional
making process is that we are in is going to give us a transitional document
that will help us get into the elections according to the GPA,” said
Tsvangirai.

He said his party has noticed that the constitutional outreach meetings were
not transparent after villagers were terrorised by state security agents.

“We want an election which shall observe the will of the people and would
free, fair and credible,” he said.

Tsvangirai also had an opportunity to respond to questions from the
supporters who were mainly worried about the violence from war veterans led
by Jabulani Sibanda, diasporans’ right to vote and their rights to assembly
freely without being arrested by the state security
agents.

The MDC-T leader said the ongoing constitutional making process was meant to
provide answers to the majority of the questions but has since proved to be
a defective process with the involvement of the military.

He declined to discuss his party’s strategy to respond to the Zanu PF’s
violent campaign method being spearheaded by Sibanda in rural areas.

MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti also told the supporters that his party
was fully behind the leadership of Tsvagirai and urged them to remain
united.

“We are one political party with one clear vision of delivering democracy to
Zimbabwe. You now know what your party can do ever since we got into the
inclusive government in 2009. The schools and hospitals were not working but
the MDC has managed to breathe new life
into all that,” said Biti.

He urged the supporters to come in their numbers for the “replay” of the
constitutional outreach meetings that will be held in Harare on 30 and 31
October 2010. The meetings will be held 42 centres that we disrupted by
rowdy political party supporters last month.

Debt-ridden ZESA struggles to kickstart generation

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Tony Saxon
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 09:45

HARARE - The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) is struggling to
recover debts to rehabilitate power generation in the country, according to
Minister of Energy and Power Development Elton Mangoma.
In an interview with The Zimbabwean, Mangoma said: “ZESA is owed about
US$400 million from consumers who have failed to settle their bills. By any
standards this is a lot of money. It is critical for ZESA [to recover this
money] towards the rehabilitation of the power supply.” Many electricity
consumers have complained about the estimated bills sent to them by the
power utility company.
“We are arguing that the amounts do not match the actual usage of
electricity. Some consumers are receiving astronomical bills and it becomes
very difficult for us to pay in this world where United States dollars are
elusive,” said Hebert Muusha.
Business people have also raised the same complaints. Mangoma maintained
that the amount ZESA was owed was critical for investment.
“We need that money to invest in power generation and maintenance. There are
a lot of people not paying the bills and this cuts across to industries and
the farming community. The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries has pledged
to urge its members to pay up,” said Mangoma. On the problem of estimates,
the minister said Zesa was making strides in introducing a prepaid metering
system.

Economists & Analysts Say Zimbabwe Cannot Afford National Elections Now

http://www.voanews.com/

Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently acknowledged that holding elections
will strain the budget, estimating that the cost of holding presidential and
general elections in 2011 could run as high as US$200 million

Gibbs Dube | Washington 26 October 2010

Economists and social critics are warning that if Zimbabwe holds national
elections next year it will have to sacrifice key social programs to
reallocate the estimated US$200 million it will cost to hold the ballot.

They said the government is likely to have to divert resources from social
service sectors like health and education to cover election costs, and the
expense will also limit the state's ability to increase public sector worker
salaries.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently acknowledged that holding elections
will strain the budget, estimating that the cost of holding presidential and
general elections in 2011 could run as high as US$200 million.

Economist Prosper Chitambara told VOA Studio 7 reporter Gibbs Dube that the
government may have to tap revenues from the Marange diamond field and raise
taxes to cover the significant cost of national elections.

Economic commentator Masimba Kuchera said the proposed elections will drain
the treasury. “Zimbabwe does not have the capacity to hold even a
by-election due to financial problems," Kuchera remarked.

Zimbabwe Civic Groups Voice Concern On Unclear Political Environment

http://www.voanews.com/

Recommendations from the civil society consultation were to be presented on
Wednesday to cabinet ministers, leaders of the main political parties and
ambassadors from SADC and European Union countries

Patience Rusere & Tatenda Gumbo | Washington 26 October 2010

Zimbabwean civil society representatives are voicing concern about what they
describe as a confused political environment with some parties calling for
new elections before a constitutional revision is completed, and others
calling for “Yes” or “No” votes in a looming constitutional referendum when
no constitutional draft as yet exists.

About 150 civil society delegates met in Harare on Tuesday to come up with a
common position and strategy on the general political impasse within the
Harare unity government and the country at large.

Organized by the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and
the Southern African Development Community Council of NGOs, the gathering
brought together civic activists, church and business leaders.

Organizers said members of the Joint Operation Monitoring Implementation
Committee, a body created to report on compliance by parties in the unity
government with the 2008 Global Political Agreement for power sharing - but
which has not had any significant role in mediating the political turmoil
within the government - would also take part.

Recommendations from the meeting were to be presented Wednesday to
ministers, leaders of the main political parties and ambassadors from SADC
and European Union countries.

NANGO Deputy Director Muchinda Marongwe told VOA Studio 7 reporter Patience
Rusere the meeting was prompted by concern about the country’s “confused”
direction. Youth Initiative Director Sidney Chisi said the present
environment no longer reflects the concerns of Zimbabweans but revolves
around the objectives of political interests.

Elsewhere, the Platform for Youth Development warned that calls for new
elections by top unity government figures without broad reforms are
dangerous, saying elections should only be held once a new constitution is
in place.

The group said the constitutional revision process under way for most of
this year has failed by excluding youth at every level, warning that it is
the moral right of youth to reject the new constitution in an eventual
referendum.

Group Secretary General Clifford Hlatywayo told reporter Tatenda Gumbo that
political parties have mobilized youth to commit violence while the
parliamentary committee in charge of revision had no strategy to involve
youth.

Zimbabwe State Enterprises Minister Moves to Restructure & Revive Parastatals

http://www.voanews.com/

Many of the state-controlled business, though not all, are financially
distressed and heavily indebted following years of mismanagement and,
according to most economists familiar with their histories, pervasive
corruption

Jonga Kandemiiri | Washington 26 October 2010

Zimbabwean State Enterprises Minister Gorden Moyo said Tuesday that his
ministry plans to revive or restructure state-operated enterprises ranging
from the moribund Grain Marketing Board to the mobile provider NetOne.

Other state enterprises to be revamped include the perennially disfunctional
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe,
the the Cold Storage Company, the National Railways of Zimbabwe, the
Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (now seeking a strategic partner) Air
Zimbabwe and fixed-line operator TelOne.

Many of the state-controlled business, though not all, are financially
distressed and heavily indebted following years of mismanagement and,
according to most economists familiar with their histories, pervasive
corruption.

Moyo told VOA Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that despite this grim
picture, public entities are important as they account for about 40 percent
of gross domestic product and provide employment to many Zimbabweans.

Interview: Roy Bennett Behind the Headlines

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Lance Guma
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 11:17

On Behind the Headlines SW Radio Africa journalist Lance Guma speaks to MDC
Treasurer General Roy Bennett (Pictured). Almost 20 months ago he was
nominated by his party to be the Deputy Agriculture Minister but Mugabe’s
regime have simply refused to have him sworn into the post. Lance finds out
why the saga will not end? Does he think it was a mistake for the MDC to
join the coalition government? What are his views on the diamond industry
and alleged infighting within the MDC?

Interview broadcast 21 October 2010
Lance Guma: Good evening Zimbabwe you are listening to Behind the Headlines.
My guest this week is the MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett. Almost 20
months ago he was nominated by his party as the deputy agriculture minister
but with the political soap opera that is Zimbabwe, Mugabe the man who lost
the last credible elections has refused to swear him in citing a dubious
court case in which Roy was eventually acquitted. Roy, thank you for joining
us on the programme.
Roy Bennett: Pleasure, thank you Lance.

Guma: Now the High Court acquitted you on charges of terrorism, banditry and
insurgency. The entire world heard Mugabe tell CNN you would be sworn in to
government once you were acquitted, why hasn’t this happened?
Bennett: Lance I think for reasons known to the military junta ruling
Zimbabwe. I think Mugabe is a senile old man, he no longer has control of
events in Zimbabwe and the military junta, that forced him into the run-off
and committed the atrocities throughout the length and breadth of Zimbabwe
to secure the false election of Mugabe in the so-called president run-off,
call the shots and basically as far as they are concerned they don’t want me
sworn in because any form of admission to anything from the MDC reflects
upon the people as a transfer of power and that’s one of the issues.

Guma: Now in September we reported on complaints from your lawyer, Beatrice
Mtetwa who revealed that plainclothes policemen visited several properties
owned by you. The next we heard was that the judge who cleared you, Justice
Chinembiri Bhunu was claiming you defamed him. What was that all about?
Bennett: That’s an absolute load of rubbish Lance. As far as I understand it
and from what I’ve seen from the documents sent to me by Beatrice is that
the Zimbabwe Guardian which is an internet, one of these internet ZANU PF
sites I am alleged to have made a statement to them. I have never spoken to
them in my life and it’s around that statement that Justice Bhunu is suing
me. (Bennett is alleged to have said the judge hearing the case was
compromised and he would not get a fair trial.)

Guma: Now there has been speculation over why of all the ministers appointed
by Tsvangirai you became the one the regime chose to target, is this a race
issue? Is it Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa still harbouring bitterness
because you pushed him in parliament all those years ago? What is it?
Bennett: It’s the deep-seated racism within and inside ZANU PF and Mugabe.
It’s also the deep-seated hatred of honesty and transparency. They don’t
want anything that will expose the truth of what has taken place with inside
the agricultural ministry in Zimbabwe and with inside the government whilst
ZANU PF were ruling and when they brought it to the knees before the MDC
went into the Global Political Agreement to give people hope again and to
give them food in the shelves and to give them a currency that operates.

Guma: Let’s say hypothetically you had been sworn in as deputy agriculture
minister, what are some of the issues you would have wanted to see
addressed?
Bennett: Well I think the first thing you need to address is the production
of agriculture, the timely access to inputs for legitimate agriculturists
and growers across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe. I think it is vital
that that is addressed initially and then to expose the total corrupt
patronage that has taken place or the totally skewed political handout of
farms and farming equipment to the political elite that has never even
touched the people in Zimbabwe.

Guma: Do you think having said that the agriculture ministry was a very
sensitive area for them and they would not have wanted a former commercial
farmer like yourself in the ministry?
Bennett: Absolutely, well they wouldn’t have wanted anybody who would have
exposed any form of truth of what’s taken place, of the vast quantities of
farm equipment, massive combine harvesters and tractors lying in the yards
of Patrick Chinamasa and Joseph Made in Headlands, in warehouses in Harare
where there’s masses of equipment that was acquired through the Reserve
Bank, Gideon Gono, where they just used state funds and allocated them to
political individuals. Obviously they don’t want that exposed and they don’t
want that brought to the public eye.

Guma: You spoke earlier on Roy about hardliners in ZANU PF, a lot of people
feel it’s an argument that gets Mugabe off the hook because they wouldn’t
get away with what they’re doing if they didn’t have his consent.
Bennett: Well I don’t think it’s got anything to do with his consent at all.
I think it’s to do with the ruling military junta and I think it’s your
Sidney Sekeramayi, your Emerson Mnangagwa and then the military generals
around appointments in the securocracy, plus you know the Brigadier General
Sangos of this world that are controlling the whole process of what happens
in Zimbabwe.

Guma: So do you believe Mugabe has simply become a figurehead in the power
matrix?
Bennett: Absolutely, you watch an interview where he stays awake for more
than 20 to 30 minutes without falling asleep. He’s an old man, he’s way past
his time, and it’s basically these people that are driving the process and
he’s the figurehead to legitimise that junta.

Guma: Now two weeks ago Tsvangirai addressed a press conference at which he
basically stood up to Mugabe and his unilateral appointments of governors,
judges and ambassadors. Was it a case of the PM finally doing the right
thing because people were beginning to think he was getting too comfortable
with Mugabe?
Bennett: Well I think all along the prime minister has been very strong on
the fact that the Global Political Agreement needs to be implemented to the
letter and the word and I think the unilateral appointment again shows the
hand of the military junta because Mugabe would be meeting with the PM
assuring him of things and yet behind the scenes there’s a completely
different scenario developing and therefore the unilateral appointments that
have taken place over time outside the Global Political Agreement and
outside SADC’s endorsement.
If we look back Lance, and we look back at the last SADC Summit it was
clearly a resolution that came out of that SADC Summit that the governors
would be appointed to the letter and the word of the Global Political
Agreement under the formula agreed in that Agreement and SADC pushed that
issue. Not only has Mugabe totally ignored the letter and word of the Global
Political Agreement he has totally dismissed SADC as a nothing and gone
ahead with these unilateral appointments.

Guma: Do you think the standoff over the appointments, where has that left
the coalition government because technically it seems the arrangement is
dead, there’s no good will, Mugabe is doing as he pleases, the state media
have accelerated their hate speech and the constitutional outreach basically
has showed the violent DNA of ZANU PF? Is there a government to talk of as
things stand?
Bennett: Well there’s the Global Political Agreement arrangement that stands
and of course that government is in existence and must remain there as is
towards election and the focus is now on elections. You will see that Mugabe
has now come out and announced the fact of elections, MDC is ready to meet
those dates of elections and basically all that needs to be ensured now is
that there’s an absence of state interference in those elections and an
absence of violence and there’s a history that’s taken us to this Global
Political Agreement that SADC have underwritten and that SADC are basically
responsible for.
And that is a violence-free election where the people of Zimbabwe are able
to choose a government of their choice. And therein lies the challenge Lance
as to whether SADC, the African Union and the world at large are going to
sit by and watch another violent election take place, another unleashing of
state apparatus upon innocent people of Zimbabwe who wish to enter into an
election and vote in a government of their own choice.

Guma: Do you not think maybe the MDC has relied too much on SADC and to some
extent the African Union when over the years it’s been proven these regional
blocs will always support Mugabe no matter what?
Bennett: I don’t think that’s quite correct Lance, I don’t think that’s
quite correct at all. SADC is a body of which Zimbabwe is part of and the
MDC are part of SADC, like it or not, that’s where we are and unless we have
faith in our own institutions and unless we put trust in our own African
brothers nothing is going to come to the fore so all of these things are a
process.
You’ve got to go down the road to be able to expose what’s there and that’s
basically what the MDC has done. What option did the MDC have other than to
go into this arrangement? To allow the country of Zimbabwe to implode? To
allow the people of Zimbabwe to suffer to a worse degree of what they were
suffering when this Global Political Agreement was signed?
The issues around the people of Zimbabwe, it’s around lives, it’s around
suffering and sure, you might not have everything in your way but at least
the MDC through the leadership of the prime minister are trying to make sure
that we go through a democratic process in Zimbabwe that delivers the
peoples’ will without violence and without huge suffering of the people.
Whether that will be avoided at the end of the day or not, who knows Lance
but let’s just put it on record and the evidence is there to see that the
MDC have done everything in their power to try and restore legitimacy to the
Zimbabwean people, to open the hand of friendship to Robert Mugabe and ZANU
PF, to the human rights abusers in Zimbabwe, the military who’ve killed
people unilaterally, two sets of ethnic cleansing, the ethnic cleansing of
Matabeleland and the 20,000 murders that took place there in the ‘80’s, the
ethnic cleansing of the whites on the pretext of land, these are issues that
are severe human rights abuses that have taken place.
Yet the MDC went into this government to offer a hand of joining to build a
country and make things better for the average Zimbabwean and let’s face it,
things have got better for the average Zimbabwean, enter the MDC into the
Global Political Agreement. But what the future holds, what other violence
is going to be unleashed and how it all ends up towards the suffering of the
Zimbabwean people, the MDC and Morgan Tsvangirai are on record as having
tried their best to make the best of a very bad situation, to ease the
suffering of the Zimbabwean people.

Guma: Now if I may move on to another subject, much has been made in the
media of alleged infighting within the MDC, the media occasionally accuse
the Secretary General Tendai Biti of trying to unseat Tsvangirai as party
leader. As somebody who’s inside the ranks of power in the MDC, is there any
truth in these reports?
Bennett: Well I think anybody who understands the animal called ZANU PF, the
intelligence organisation called the CIO, its a mere fact that they are
trying to create a further split in the MDC, they are trying to create
falsehoods in order to look as if there’s lack of unity in the MDC. We’ve
just finished a strategic meeting, there was a meeting in South Africa, I’ve
never seen the MDC more united and more focussed on its goal to deliver for
the people of Zimbabwe and basically what ZANU PF is doing using the CIOs to
try to hide behind its own divisions.
If we look at ZANU PF as it sits today you have Brigadier General, the
commander of the army Chiwenga as the blue eyed boy, Rex Nhongo, Major,
Brigadier General Mujuru having been sidelined, pushed out the way. You have
Emerson Mnangagwa and Sidney Sekeramayi calling the political side of things
and telling Mugabe what to do with the support of the likes of Chiwenga,
there’s massive infighting within ZANU PF and all is not well there so as
far as the MDC are concerned it’s never been more united and there’s never
been such a thing as infighting. It is the CIO trying to portray something
that’s not there.

Guma: Do you think the party has been infiltrated by moles or people of a
dubious character who are working to undermine the party? There’s some
suggestion some party officials are becoming comfortable and getting trapped
by the trappings of power, posh cars, lots of money, corruption – is this
setting into the party?
Bennett: Most definitely not Lance. If you look at, you’ll always in every
party anywhere in the world, have opportunists and people that are in there
to infiltrate and feed back to he who pays the dollar so they’ll always be
there but surely they’re a very small minority and certainly have absolutely
no influence or say onto the political machinery of the MDC.
You know the whole issue of the smart cars is one that needs to be put to
bed. When the MDC went into the Global Political Agreement, all those
vehicles had been purchased already by the Reserve Bank governor, they are
the property of the government of Zimbabwe, they had nothing to do with the
MDC, they were there.
There’s no ways the government as it stands today are going to sell those
vehicles and if the MDC did not take those vehicles and use them how are
they to move around and what were they to do? All those vehicles would go to
ZANU PF so I think, let’s be fair on what the MDC have achieved and focus on
what they have done and moved for the people of Zimbabwe and forget about
petty issues about vehicles that were purchased by the ZANU PF regime and
certainly would never have been purchased by an MDC government.

Guma: Right let me move on to another issue which I think is right up your
alley – the discovery of diamonds in the country. Instead of ushering in a
new era of prosperity it’s become a curse with people in the military and
others connected to ZANU PF plundering the resource. Now your farm,
Charleswood Estate was taken from you several years ago and we hear diamonds
have been discovered there. I’d like to get your thoughts on the diamond
industry in Zimbabwe.
Bennett: Well again very sadly it’s a game of money and it’s a game of
corruption and it’s a game of the region, it’s a game of South Africans
involved with corrupt ZANU PF officials around illegal concessions. If you
have a look at the Marange Concession where you have Mbada and Canadile,
both those concessions are illegal, they were never signed off by the
minister of Economic Investment.
Those are illegal concessions and entry into foreigners looting the wealth
of the people of Zimbabwe is evident for everybody to see. The real
benefactors of the Marange diamonds should be the Marange people. Instead of
moving the people from Marange somewhere else and allowing foreigners to
come in and plunder the wealth of Zimbabwe, that should belong and should be
uplifting the community of Marange and the same with the diamonds on
Charleswood.
I mean had I still been the owner of Charleswood and discovered those
diamonds certainly they would have played a major role in the upliftment of
the Chimanimani community, of the Ngorima and Chikuku communal lands and
back to the people that live in those areas and the nation in a greater good
on a social agenda by using the natural resources to empower people. Instead
you have Russians mining in conjunction with ZANU PF heavyweights, looting
what basically belongs to the Zimbabwean people.

Guma: Do you think the MDC could have done more within government to
highlight some of these things because there’s a feeling they’ve been
slightly quiet and not as vociferous in exposing most of these things?
Bennett: Well I think they have been speaking out but it’s just never been
pushed out as far as the government’s concerned. I think we will see more
and more as time goes by of the MDC’s part in government involved in
exposing the total illegality of those concessions and the fact that the
people of Zimbabwe are being denied their natural resources.
The MDC has talked about nationalising those mines and handing them back to
the people with credible developers coming in and moving them in that way so
the MDC has come out and said that and I’m sure that going down the road
there will be more involvement to expose that total farce.
Guma: And my final question for you Roy, you are currently out of the
country, you have a judge back in Zimbabwe who’s trying to have you charged
for defaming him, you’ve got CIOs, plain clothes policemen visiting your
properties so we do know where this is going. Will you be going back?
Bennett: I will. You know I rely on my leadership and the decision that
comes out of there Lance. I’m certainly not going back to go to Zimbabwe, to
go back to jail where I can be ineffective in the position that I was chosen
by the people so it all depends on the whole political landscape moving
forward, we’re going into an election and if my time is better served
outside the country travelling the nations of the world to raise resources
to fight the Mugabe regime, so be it, that’s what I will do. So I wait and
will hear from my party who I am a member of as to which is the best route
that I should take.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe, that’s the MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett. Just to
remind you almost 20 months ago he was nominated by his party as the deputy
agriculture minister but the political soap opera that is Zimbabwe, Mugabe
has refused to do so. Roy thank you so much for taking time to talk to us.
Bennett: Pleasure Lance, thank you very much.

You can listen to the programme here:
http://swradioafrica.streamuk.com/swradioafrica_archive/bth211010.wma

JAG open letter forum - No. 723- Dated 26 October 2010

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

Please send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
jag@mango.zw

with "For Open Letter Forum" in the subject line.

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jag@mango.zw with subject line "subscribe" or "unsubscribe".

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1.  Cathy Buckle - We have not forgotten

2.  Battered but not beaten

3.  Stu & Paddy Taylor

4.  URGENT APPEAL FROM VAWZ

=================================================

1.  Cathy Buckle - We have not forgotten

Dear Jag

Both Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai are openly talking about elections being
held in 2011. Just the word "elections" reminds us of the
hell of 2008: a time and place we never want to go back to.

In January 2008 we were all going across our borders to buy basic
supplies because our own shops were empty thanks to government price
controls which had resulted in all production coming to a halt. My own
shopping list on a trip to South Africa had dozens of items on it and
included flour, rice, beans, tinned goods, sugar, salt, margarine,
cooking oil, tea, milk powder and even toilet paper.

In February 2008 the monthly salary of civil servants and people in
general employment was only enough to purchase one single loaf of bread
and a two litre bottle of cooking oil. In March a loaf of bread cost 7
million dollars and a dozen eggs were 30 million dollars. In reality
these prices were actually in the billions but Reserve Bank Governor
Gideon Gono removed zeros from the currency just before the elections. On
the 29th March Zimbabwe voted. After casting his ballot Mr Mugabe said:
"The moment the people stop supporting you, then that's the
moment you should quit politics."

Throughout April 2008 the election results were not announced and a
tsunami of violence swamped the country. Newspaper headlines screamed:

"Murder, torture, terror" and "Hundreds flee Zanu
PF."

In May 2008, 5 weeks after the poll, election results were finally
announced. The MDC had won the majority of seats in parliament and Mr
Tsvangirai had more votes than Mr Mugabe in the Presidential vote. It was
announced that the Presidential majority wasn't large enough and
another poll was to be held. Violence swept across the land and multiple
thousands of people were killed, maimed and tortured for "voting
the wrong way." A loaf of bread soared in price to 40 million
dollars.

A run off Presidential ballot was held in June 2008; Mr Mugabe was the
only candidate as Mr Tsvangirai pulled out because of widespread
violence. One man at my local hospital arrived with two broken arms, a
broken leg and a fractured skull; he was accused of having supported the
MDC. On the 29th June 2008 Mr Mugabe was again declared the President of
Zimbabwe.

In July 2008 hundreds of people arrived at foreign embassies in Harare
begging for sanctuary and humanitarian assistance. The MDC said that at
least a quarter of a million people had been displaced from their homes
by violence. The Reserve Bank Governor set a maximum daily withdrawal
limit from banks of 100 billion dollars. At that time a five day
penicillin-based antibiotic cost 2 trillion dollars. There was no bread
to buy and a single scone cost 140 billion dollars. 5000 people a day
were arriving every day at a Home Affairs refugee reception centre in
South Africa.

In August 2008, five months after the elections, Zimbabwe was still in
limbo with no parliament and no MP's having been sworn in. In
September Zimbabwe began hearing about power sharing where losers became
winners and vice versa.

October 2008 saw inflation at 231 million percent and there were only
cabbages and condoms to buy in major supermarkets. There was no seed
maize or fertilizer to buy as the rainy season began and in November 2008
hospitals didn't even have disposable gloves let alone medicines,
drips or bandages.

Two years later we don't have democracy, but thanks to an MDC
Finance Minister who put the brakes on, we do have imported food in the
shops, US dollars in our purses and inflation under 10%. Zimbabwe has not
forgotten the hell of 2008, who took us there and who brought us back.
Until next time, thanks for reading, love Cathy

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2.  Battered but not beaten

Dear 'Almost Weary Farmers Wife'

You are so right. It takes a woman to reach the heart and soul of the
matter. The biggest lesson I have learnt in the last ten years is that
nothing is distinctly black. Life is made up of many hues of grey and
white, with splashes of color in-between. We were all wrong in ways, and
we were all right in ways. But what is the best way forward?  For us, for
our children and their children?

Battered but not beaten

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

3.  Stu & Paddy Taylor

It's high time that Zimbabweans realise that we must control our own
destiny; this country has not had an effective government since around
the year 2000 and we're still going, albeit at a limp. This shows the
resilience and determination of the people. With Mugabe and Zanu still in
the equation things continue to be a mess politically. Tsvangirai is not
the guy who'll get us out of the woods - he has played his role - what we
need now is a master panelbeater who knows how to add and can
differentiate between politics, common sense and economics. The current
"government" must learn to prioritise; are there not more pressing issues
than to argue over whether a deceased person should be declared a
national hero or not? Why can't we have a little more guts and stand up
for our rights, like the South Africans? Mugabe's "army" will not turn on
the people - they're just as pissed off with him as all of us are - or
maybe that will be playing into Mugabe's hands; he wants
instability so he can wring the country dry while he still has a bit of a
chance. Stay safe - Stu Taylor.

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

4.  URGENT APPEAL FROM VAWZ

Dear Jag

Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ) in conjunction with
National Parks are trying to urgently translocate 15 buffalo that have
been held in a boma for over a year, in an area called Matike Hills,
close to Masvingo. The herd was originally 45 strong, but they have been
abandoned with no food and water. A report was made to National Parks
yesterday and a member of Masvingo National Parks visited the site and
reported back that the remaining 15 buffalo are in very poor condition
and are very weak. Meryl Harrison is going to the site on Monday to
assess the situation. Urgent funding is required for vitamin injections,
food, darting and translocation. If anyone is able to assist please could
they contact Gwen Wawn on 0772321399 or gwen@safafrica.com.

Many thanks

Kindest Regards

Gwen

(on Behalf of VAWZ

Gwen Wawn

Managing Director

Elusive African Safaris (Safari Consultants)

Cell: + 27 82 376 6634

Skype:gwen.safafrica

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All letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions
of the submitters,

and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice for Agriculture.

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