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Tsvangirai: Mixed messages are hurting Zimbabwe

http://mg.co.za/

HARARE, ZIMBABWE - Sep 11 2011 06:52

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday said discord in the
country's power-sharing government was hampering economic recovery.

"The inclusive government cannot create jobs because of policy conflict,"
Tsvangirai told thousands at a rally to celebrate the 12th anniversary of
his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, warning that Zimbabwe's high
rate of unemployment was a time-bomb.

"[President Robert] Mugabe comes out and tells investors 'your investment is
safe.' The following day [Indigenisation Minister Saviour] Kasukuwere says,
'I want to close this and that mine.'

"This kind of policy conflict cannot create confidence. We need more
confidence, not less."

Tsvangirai was referring to Mugabe's reassurances to foreign companies that
they will not be nationalised if they comply with the country's new equity
laws.

Within days Kasukuwere threatened to revoke mining giant Zimplats' licence
for failure to submit their plan on how they intend to sell their majority
stake to local blacks.

Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing government with Mugabe to avoid a descent
into conflict and mend the country's economy in the wake of a bloody
presidential election run-off.

Stability, uncertainty
Although the unity government has brought some stability, uncertainty caused
by the government's indigensiation drive has scared away foreign investors.

Tsvangirai deplored recent violence in Harare by members of Mugabe's Zanu-PF
party and said his party is ready to go for elections if conditions are
conducive for a free and fair vote.

"We want an election but it must be an election with the support of SADC
[Southern African Development Community], the African Union and the United
Nations," he said.

"The constitution must be completed as well as the referendum, there should
be voter registration for those who are eligible to vote."

Zimbabwe will go to elections to choose a successor to the shaky
power-sharing government but the date is yet to be set.

The MDC was formed in September 1999 at a meeting of labour and civic rights
activities concerned about the deteriorating economic situation in the
country. - AFP


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Mugabe Isolated

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

JAMA MAJOLA | 11 September, 2011 10:23

President Robert Mugabe endured an extraordinarily miserable week, cutting a
lonely and isolated figure following the release by WikiLeaks of secret US
diplomatic cables.

The cables confirm beyond doubt that senior officials in Zanu-PF want Mugabe
to go now, mainly because of his age and ill-health.

Although it has always been known most Zanu-PF officials want Mugabe to
quit, there has never been irrefutable evidence of them speaking on record
about this. However, the confidential cables showed that Zanu-PF officials
have been secretly meeting US diplomats, confiding in them that they want
Mugabe out.

The cables also showed that Mugabe was suffering from aggressive prostate
cancer which has metastasised, spreading to other organs.

Coming just months before the party's conference in Bulawayo in December,
this is likely to intensify pressure on Mugabe to retire.

Senior government officials, who met US diplomats behind Mugabe's back and
discussed sensitive Zimbabwean issues - including his retirement, succession
and health - include Vice-President Joyce Mujuru and serving and former
ministers, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nicholas Goche, Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan
Moyo, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Dumiso Dabengwa, Olivia Muchena, and Walter Mzembi.

Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and top army commanders also met American
emissaries.

Officials close to Mugabe said this week that he was "shocked and
devastated" to realise his close courtiers were plotting his removal.

Mujuru met with US ambassador to Harare Charles Ray on December 12, 2009,
while she was acting president and three days after the Zanu-PF congress
where her faction, led by her late husband General Solomon Mujuru, had
crushed the rival group headed by Mnangagwa.

Mugabe was in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference.

The meeting was supposed to be a closely guarded secret.

Ray said the meeting was dramatic as it took place in a literally dark
setting on the outskirts of Harare.

"The meeting took place in an unoccupied house owned by Mujuru on the
outskirts of Harare. The affluent and powerful are not immune from frequent
Harare power cuts, and the neighbourhood was dark.

"While the house had electricity, irregular power had shorted most of the
lights," he said in the cable.

"We were met by a Mujuru employee who led us through darkened grounds to an
unfurnished living room (except for chairs and a plasma television) where
Mujuru and [former Zanu-PF MP and member of the Mujuru faction David] Butau
were waiting. The vice-president had managed to shed all of her (presumably
CIO-infiltrated) security. She herself poured tea. The meeting was friendly
and respectful; at the end Mujuru said she would like to meet again and
continue the conversation."

Ray said they discussed a wide range of issues, including Mugabe's
succession.

Insiders said Mugabe was "gutted and terribly upset" by the situation but
was unable to do anything because of the high-profile nature and scale of
the problem, which, if badly handled, might become his Waterloo.

"The president is shocked and devastated about these revelations. He would
have never thought his own party officials, who sit in the politburo and in
cabinet, could betray him like that," said a senior official who met with
Mugabe this week.

"He is in a dilemma about what to do about this situation which he has never
faced before. When you speak to him he sounds weighed down by anger,
frustration and disappointment."

Mugabe would have been enraged by forthright remarks, especially by
Kasukuwere and Mzembi, who unambiguously declared he must go.

The two cabinet ministers, who are in their 40s, were quoted insisting
Mugabe was too old and must quit. To make matters worse, co-Vice-President
John Nkomo was also said to have confided years ago, to the late Edison
Zvobgo, once considered Mugabe's natural successor, that the president
should retire.

According to cables by former US ambassador to Harare Joseph Sullivan in
2003, Nkomo wanted Mugabe to leave as well. This view was shared by the late
vice-president Joseph Msika. Msika died in August 2009 and was replaced by
Nkomo.

Zvobgo died in August 2004. Dabengwa and the late Mujuru, among others, also
wanted Mugabe to step down. Their views are still shared by many, as shown
by Moyo's daring stirring of the succession debate last month, further
piling pressure on Mugabe to quit.


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Mutasa Calls For Purging Of Wiki leaks ‘Sellouts’

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, September 11, 2011 – Zanu-PF senior member, Didymus Mutasa has
called for the punishment of Wiki leaks ‘sellouts’ that is likely to expose
divisions and further weaken the former ruling party.

Mutasa was quoted in the state controlled Sunday Mail saying those named in
the secret meetings with US diplomats are ''sellouts who must be punished".
Mutasa told party supporters in Mutare last Saturday that the issue of
Wikileaks has become a major challenge for the party.

"Those implicated should go through normal disciplinary procedures of the
party. If anyone is found guilty of having sold out he or she must be
punished accordingly”, he said.

Mutasa is the party secretary of administration and Minister of State for
Presidential Affairs in the President's Office.

Mutasa cautioned against selective application of the law saying ,"there
should be no selective application of the law. If some were punished in the
past for selling out, the same should happen to those implicated in the Wiki
leaks saga'' he added.

The explosive cables released last week exposed top Zanu-PF officials among
them Vice President Joyce Mujuru, Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono,
Ministers Saviour Kasukuwere, Sylvester Nguni among others and expressed
concern about President Robert Mugabe's continued stay in office.

Gono is said to have explained that Mugabe has prostrate cancer and will not
live beyond 2013.  Also implicated are the late Vice President Joseph Msika
and General Solomon Mujuru who both confirmed were against President Robert
Mugabe’s stay in power.

Mugabe is still to make public statements over the Wiki leaks saga. Last
week Attorney General Johannes Tomana told Radio VOP exclusively that "there
will be no sacred cows" in arresting those exposed by Wiki leaks.


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Zimbabwean diamond activist barred from leaving

Associated Press

Sep 11, 9:57 AM EDT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Lawyers for a prominent Zimbabwean human rights
activist say state security officials prevented him from leaving the
southern African nation for a conference in Ireland on rights violations.

Lawyers for Farai Maguwu said Sunday that his airline boarding pass was
seized Saturday along with his passport, laptop and personal notebooks.
Maguwu was jailed for five weeks earlier this year for allegedly releasing
information on killings and violence in eastern Zimbabwe's controversy-mired
diamond fields.

He was scheduled to speak at the Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders
Sept. 14-16.

The lawyers say Maguwu's luggage was taken off the plane and also "tampered
with."

No official explanation was given. Lawyers immediately sought a court ruling
allowing him to travel.


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Zimbabwe's dealings with Gaddafi to be reviewed

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT | 11 September, 2011 10:27

Sacked Libyan envoy Taher Elmagrahi has convinced the National Transitional
Council (NTC) to review all commercial deals between Zimbabwe and Muammar
Gaddafi's regime after submitting a dossier on the dodgy deals.

Through his first counsellor, Mohammed Elbarat, the diplomat indicated that
millions of dollars' worth of agricultural, mining, petroleum and tourism
projects might be annulled, as there was suspicion that they were personal
transactions.

"The NTC will investigate whether state funds were not abused by the Gaddafi
family for amassing wealth in Zimbabwe," he said.

He added that the interim leadership had been asked to cancel the deals,
since President Robert Mugabe's government did not recognise the new
administration.

"These deals were not done in good faith and we want the NTC to investigate
them because we do not have documentation to follow . on who benefited and
for what purpose," Elbarat said.

The North African state's investments in Zimbabwe, include a 14% stake in
CBZ Holdings Limited, a small portion of Rainbow Tourism Group and other
unlisted assets.

While the RTG stake is registered under the Libya Arab-Africa Investment
Company, the 97 million parcel of CBZ shares is registered under the Libyan
Foreign Investment Bank, which is listed as the second largest investor
after Mugabe's administration.

However, bank chief executive Nyasha Makuvise dismissed any potential
threats or disruption to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed financial group.

Apart from banking assets, Gaddafi's stricken regime sought to grab further
deals and contracts in real estate, farming and tourism, with his closest
son and economic point man Saif visiting the country last year on a business
trip.

As the deals and secretive transactions are in limbo now, a cabinet minister
said Zimbabwe remained unaffected by the NTC's planned action, as Saif's
visit was just an exploratory trip.

Ever since rebels launched an assault on Gaddafi's seat of power under a
western-backed initiative seven months ago, several global and African
governments, including South Africa, have ordered a freeze of his
international assets.

In March, President Jacob Zuma's administration froze Libyan investments,
including a major stake in Ensemble Holdings Limited, owner of
Johannesburg's plush Michelangelo hotel and apartments.

Pretoria said the portfolio was held under The Libyan Arab African
Investment Company and other opaque structures.

The companies also represent the oil-rich nation's $70 billion sovereign
wealth fund.

On the other hand, Uganda also froze $400 million worth of assets in its
banking, energy, hospitality and telecommunications sectors.


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Army chiefs turn on their boss Chiwenga

http://www.timeslive.co.za

JAMA MAJOLA | 10 September, 2011 13:37

Two senior army generals of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), the pillar of
President Robert Mugabe's rule, are in hot water after bitterly criticising
their commander, General Constantine Chiwenga.

They described him as a "political general" with "little practical military
experience or expertise".

High-level military and intelligence sources told the Sunday Times ZDF brass
were contemplating the court martial of Major-General Fidelis Satuku and
Brigadier-General Herbert Chingono for sniping their boss.

Satuku is the director-general for Policy and Personnel in the ZDF, while
Chingono is inspector-general of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA).

In 1999, Chingono, an artillery officer, was the last ZNA commander to train
at the US's National Defence University under the International Military
Education and Training programme, a component of US security assistance that
provides training to students of US allies on a grant basis.

Satuku received his military training in Britain. The two could be charged
with "treason or subversion" for secretly meeting Charles Ray, the US
ambassador to Harare, in January last year to discuss Zimbabwe's "sensitive
military issues and politics in contravention of the law, their code of
conduct and ethics", according to military sources.

The meetings came to light in the latest releases by WikiLeaks of secret
diplomatic cables dispatched to Washington by US envoys based in Harare.
WikiLeaks disclosures have created a political storm in Zimbabwe, as
elsewhere in the world.

"It is a very difficult situation. Some top army commanders see this as a
tale of traitors, betrayal and treachery and hence they want a swift
response," said a senior commander in the military.

"In the army, once you do such things, they charge you with treason and you
will be court-martialed."

Intelligence sources, however say Mugabe, as the ZDF commander-in-chief,
might baulk at taking action because the political consequences could be
devastating. An intelligence officer said: "It might actually serve these
two commanders because they are not alone in this, although as serving
officers they operate under different rules to politicians facing the same
problem."

Efforts to get official comment from the army failed. Emmerson Mnangagwa,
the Minister of Defence, was also not available for comment.

According to a top-secret cable by Ray, Satuku and Chingono took a serious
risk by meeting with US envoys and their identity should not have been made
known. Ray said if their identities were revealed, it could lead to
"treason" charges, as only those generals aligned to Mugabe and Zanu-PF were
allowed to dabble in politics.

"Except for those who are fully in bed with Zanu-PF, people keep their views
private to avoid being accused of treason, which can have fatal
consequences," he said.

During the meetings, the cables say, the two generals took time to explain
the situation and dynamics in the military. They also spoke about Chiwenga's
political ambitions, different views and opinions within the army,
conditions of service and politics, including sanctions.

Chingono and Satuku told Ray the current Zimbabwe situation could end in
conflict if not carefully managed. "To think that there would be little or
no conflict in such a government is naïve. That said, both sides in the
current lash-up must work out their differences - they owe it to the people
who elected them."

This view was expressed in a different cable by former Nigerian ambassador
to Harare, Kunle Adeyanju, after meeting Ray in January last year. "There
are many 'pools' of people in Zanu-PF waiting for Mugabe to die, and when
that happens there will be a mad scramble to grab power," Adeyanju was
quoted as saying.


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Faith Members Threaten Fresh Farm Invasions

http://www.radiovop.com

Masvingo, September 11, 2011 – Johanne Masowe Apostolic Faith members
threatened to clamp down o few remaining white commercial farms as payback
for bankrolling Zimbabwe’s ageing leader, President Robert Mugabe in the
2008 disputed election.

Masvingo District Administrator (DA) James Mazvidza confirmed that his
office is trying hard to calm down more than 1000 families from Johanne
Masowe who want to invade Chidza farm located about 30kilometers east of
Masvingo town.

The Faith members claim that they were used by President Robert Mugabe
during the previous elections and are threatening to go on a rampage and
invade some farms owned by the white community in Masvingo as a payback for
their votes.

Last Wednesday, Mazvidza pleaded with the church leaders who had gathered at
Bollarnt Farm in Chidza where they were about to allocate some potions of
land to their families.

“We are aware that some people are eager to give themselves land but we are
saying the process must be legal. We are fighting hard to cool down the
church members who are about to go on fresh farm invasions”.

“I am sure they will understand us and wait until professional provincial
lands committee team is invited to assess the situation and peg the land so
that the process is not haphazard,” added Mazvidza.

However, Mazvidza said he was not aware that the church members were pushing
for land as a way of expressing their anger against Mugabe’s empty promises.

“I am not aware of their motivation to fight for land,” he said.

But one of the key members in the Apostolic sect who refused to be named
insisted that they patiently waited for Mugabe to honour his promises for a
long time now.

“We have run out of patients now, the President through his various
representatives promised us to get land once he returned his position in
2008. We voted for him and supported him all the way but nothing good has
come our way as a way of appreciating our support.
“The people feel that the President duped them and they think it is time
ready to act,” he said.

Often churches are seen as compliant to the laws and they are usually least
expected to be seen fighting in order to be rewarded.


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State Agents Confiscate Rights Defender’s Property

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, September 11, 2011- Zimbabwe’s state security agents on Saturday
confiscated property belonging to diamond rights researcher, Farai Maguwu
and prevented him boarding a plane to attend an international conference
scheduled for Ireland.

The unidentified State security agents prevented Maguwu, the Director of the
Centre for Research and Development from leaving Harare International
Airport to attend the Sixth Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders in
Ireland scheduled to run from 14 to 16 September 2011.

The conference gathers human rights defenders at-risk, from every corner of
the world are scheduled to gather to share experiences, learn from one
another, discuss relevant issues and engage with decision makers from
governmental and inter-governmental bodies.

The unidentified State security agents, who conducted a body search on
Maguwu, confiscated his HP 625 laptop, power pack, wallet, Olympus digital
camera, cash, business cards, bank cards, notebooks, laptop bag and all its
contents.

The State security agents also seized Maguwu’s boarding passes, his travel
insurance, accommodation bookings and three notepads.

Attempts to engage the State security agents to understand the reason for
this action were not entertained as the officials chased Maguwu from their
office at the airport. They refused to identify themselves or explain
anything to him. They then ordered the diamond rights researcher to have his
passport re-stamped for entry into Zimbabwe after they foiled his trip to
Ireland.

Maguwu’s check-in luggage which was pulled off the Kenyan Airways plane by
the airline’s officials was also tampered with and Kenya Airways officials
refused to explain what had happened to his luggage.

Lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) accompanied Maguwu to
make a report to the police and were, by Saturday evening, finalising an
Urgent Chamber Application seeking to recover his impounded property and to
prevent State agents from harassing him further.


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Suspected MDC supporters denied voter registration

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Own Correspondent
Sunday, 11 September 2011 13:45

HARARE - Nyanga North Member of Parliament Douglas Mwonzora has complained
that people in his constituency are being turned away from registering as
voters at the district registrar’s offices.

Mwonzora said those suspected of being MDC members are being told that the
exercise had been put on hold when they turn up at the offices to register
as voters.

He said dozens of people had been turned away in the past few weeks.

“The district registrar is turning people away claiming the registration
exercise had been stopped. I have checked and verified this with the
registrar general’s office only to find out that it is a lie,” said
Mwonzora.

The MP said he was told there was no such directive stopping the on-going
process of voter registration. Sekai Gombe, the MDC Nyanga district
spokesperson confirmed to the Daily News that he had witnessed some of the
people being turned away.

Gombe said he witnessed Farai Kabudura and his wife, both from Ward 2 at
Avilla Mission being told to go back as voter registration had been stopped.

He said Shupikai Amos Katerere from Arufandika village in Nyanga is among
the dozens of people suspected to be MDC members who had been denied a
chance to register as voters.

“All these people were refused registration as voters despite being in
possession of their national identity documents and a letter from the
headman proving that they were residents of the area,” said Gombe.

He said employees at the district registrar’s offices identified as Maxwell
Mutereri and Norman Maoko are the ones who were sending back those suspected
to be members of the MDC.

“We have seen these two, Mutereri and Maoko in Zanu PF regalia and there is
no doubt they are Zanu PF members and doing all in their power to deny our
members a chance to register,” said Gombe.

Neither Mutereri nor Maoko were available for comment.

Manicaland provincial registrar Joyce Munamati could not be reached for a
comment.

However, an employee at the provincial registrar’s office who spoke on
condition of anonymity since he is not authorised to speak to the media said
the exercise had not been stopped.

“At no time have we been directed to stop voter registration. It is a lie
that voter registration has been suspended until further notice,” said the
employee.


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Zapu pins hope on diaspora

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Staff Writer
Sunday, 11 September 2011 11:44

HARARE - Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu) leader Dumiso Dabengwa is
pinning his hopes on the diaspora for support in next year’s elections.

Dabengwa told a meeting of his party’s supreme decision-making body
yesterday in Bulawayo that party members must now start mobilising support
for the party singling out the diasporas as a specific target.

He said the party’s faithful must ensure that at least a million people
among Zimbabweans residing in South Africa register to vote.

“We hear the elections will be held in March 2011, which is not a long time
from now. We have to work hard to win the elections. Most Zimbabweans look
upon Zapu as the only alternative, and some of them look at us as the last
resort. All we need is to do the right thing as per their perspective, and
you have got their vote,” Dabengwa said addressing the gathering which
included some of the party’s members based in South Africa.

“We must ensure that at least one million of them come and vote, and ensure
that at least 80 percent of them vote for Zapu, which will give us a head
start. Please emphasise to them the need to register as voters when they
come in December so that they are able to vote.”

Dabengwa whose party has recently been plugged by power struggles said it is
time for Zapu to go out and mobilise more members and supporters.

“We will concentrate on party mobilisation through workshops, meetings or
rallies, whichever is possible in each particular area. We are winning those
elections and there should be no excuses,” he declared.

He urged party members to update their monthly subscriptions to assist the
party to raise funds for programmes.

The party’s decision making body also came up with draft party policies on
the controversial indigenisation, empowerment, the land issue, youth and
gender among other national questions.


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Air Zimbabwe pilot who wrecked plane keeps wings after audit

http://www.monstersandcritics.com

Sep 11, 2011, 12:00 GMT

Harare - An Air Zimbabwe pilot who flew into a hailstorm and lost his
licence was defended Sunday by the chairman of the company's board, even as
the contents of an internal audit into the pilot's actions was published.

Captain Danai Taruvinga flew into a hailstorm in 2007 'despite having a
functional radar,' according to the internal audit, which was extensively
quoted in the state-run Sunday Mail.

The incident caused 'extensive damage' to the Boeing 737 he was flying.

But, although he was demoted for a period, Air Zimbabwe management in 2010
'requested under unclear circumstances that he resumes flying after his
licence has lapsed, which was granted.'

Board chairman Jonathan Kadzura said Taruvinga was a qualified pilot and 'a
Zimbabwean who must use the chance to create opportunity for his children.'

In May this year, Taruvinga recruited his son Nicholas as a civilian pilot -
possibly without letting other recruiters know of their relationship, noted
the audit,

Squabbles over unpaid pilots' salaries have meant almost all Air Zimbabwe
flights have been grounded since the end of July. There are also concerns
about the safety of the company's three ageing Boeings, which were deemed
unfit to fly earlier this year, but are supposedly being rehabilitated.

The report is likely to once again raise questions about the safety of
Zimbabwe's cash-strapped national carrier.


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Tsvangirai Rebuffs Mugabe Call for March 2012 Elections

http://www.voanews.com

11 September 2011

Prime Minister Tsvangirai urged his supporters to remain resolute, saying
the MDC was on the verge of forming the next government, which he said would
bolster investor confidence in the country

Thomas Chiripasi & Sandra Nyaira | Harare

Responding to President Robert Mugabe's recent demand that new national
elections be held no later than March 2012, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
has responded that a new ballot can only be held once key reforms have been
put in place and the timing of the poll is endorsed by the Southern African
Development Community, among others.

Addressing a rally in Harare on Saturday marking the 12th anniversary of the
founding of his former opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Mr.
Tsvangirai said that only when preconditions for elections have been
satisfied can they be held.

"We want an election, but it must be an election that has the support of
SADC, [the African Union] and the United Nations," Mr. Tsvangirai told the
crowd filling Gwanzura Stadium in the Harare suburb of Highfield, scene of
many political clashes.

"There are certain steps that must be taken for you to go to an election.
There is a road map to elections," Mr. Tsvangirai said, noting the need for
a referendum to approve the new constitution as yet not drafted, revision of
the voters roll, and the overhaul of the Zimbabwe Election Commission to
ensure a nonpartisan administrative staff.

President Mugabe told a national consultative assembly of his ZANU-PF party
September 2 that he intended to announce a date for elections in 2012
without consulting the two formations of the MDC with which ZANU-PF has
shared power since 2009.

Mr. Mugabe said that elections should be held no later than March 2012.

He added this week that he would not admit election observers from the
European Union or any countries that have imposed travel and financial
sanctions on himself and other senior ZANU-PF officials over alleged human
rights violations and electoral fraud.

The state-controlled Herald newspaper said he made the comments after
accepting the credentials of the new British ambassador to Harare, Deborah
Bronnert.

Mr. Mugabe expelled European Union election observers during the 2002
presidential election, contested by the MDC which alleged ballot-rigging.

He told the British envoy however that the door is open for dialogue with
the United Kingdom, especially now that the Conservatives are in power. Mr.
Mugabe in the past reserved some of his most vitriolic comments for Labor
Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In Highfield on Saturday, Mr. Tsvangirai tacitly criticized Mr. Mugabe,
deploring the wide policy differences in the unity government that have
hindered the economic recovery.

"That kind of policy conflict and discord cannot create confidence in our
country at a time when we need to expand the cake, when we need to expand
the job opportunities in the country. The biggest time bomb we face is when
these young persons are educated and unemployed. So we cannot afford policy
conflict. So we cannot afford to undermine the confidence in our country. We
need more investment, not less."

He urged his supporters to remain resolute, saying the MDC was on the verge
of forming the next government, which he said would bolster investor
confidence.

Despite fears that youth militants of President Mugabe's ZANU-PF might seek
to disrupt the rally following a rash of violent incidents in Harare in the
past week, witnesses said there were only minor scuffles outside Gwanzura
Stadium - though reports said two unnamed MDC members were abducted on their
way to the celebration.

Sources said some of the violence occurred between MDC factions.


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Elections in 2012 only after the full roadmap has been agreed

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has dismissed the declaration by
President Robert Mugabe that elections will be held in early 2012 saying
only after the full roadmap has been agreed and concluded to everyone's
satisfaction will the two leaders agree on the date for the next polls.
11.09.1101:34pm
by Chief Reporter

Mugabe has accused his rivals of stalling the process to write a new
constitution to prolong the life of the GNU, but Tsvangirai said he was
ready for a fresh poll.

"I want to make it clear today that the MDC is ready for an election anytime
and anywhere," Tsvangirai told a 12th anniversary rally of his MDC in
Gwanzura Stadium in Harare Saturday afternoon.

"Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC are ready for an election tomorrow, as long
as all the benchmarks have been met to ensure the security of the people’s
vote.

"So I am ready for elections! But we have agreed, with the backing of SADC,
that we will abide by a process, characterized by clear benchmarks so that
we do not repeat the ridiculous charade of 2008 when one presidential
candidate contested an election against himself and proudly declared himself
a winner. So I want to send a message today that we won the last election
and we are ready for you! "We will defeat you-again!" Tsvangirai said amid
rancorous applause.

The regional Southern African Development Community has been stepping up
pressure on the 87-year-old Zanu PF leader to call off polls until after a
referendum, due to be held in January.

But Mugabe has thrown down the gauntlet and said polls will be held before
March 2012.

"We cannot go beyond March next year," Mugabe said. "I will definitely
announce that (election) date. It does not matter what anyone would say,"
the official Herald newspaper quoted Mugabe as telling a meeting of his
ZANU-PF party.

"Once I announce the date, everyone will follow," said Mugabe, who was until
recently pushing for elections this year.

Elections are due in 2013 but Mugabe says the unity government has expired
and there must be a fresh poll. His rivals say there was never a sunset
clause in the global political agreement that gave birth to the GNU.

Tsvangirai said the MDC was heartened by the unstinting effort of colleagues
in regional bloc SADC in helping craft an election roadmap that will ensure
a credible election, an undisputed result and a legitimate government.

"A time-bound roadmap, with clear milestones and signposts to ensure the
people of Zimbabwe cast their votes in peace, with neither fear nor
coercion," Tsvangirai said. "A roadmap that will ensure that the outcome of
that election is respected and that the people’s will is protected. I urge
everyone in SADC, in Africa and the broader international community to be
global citizens; to be responsible citizens of the world who will fight for
freedom and democracy anywhere in the world, including Zimbabwe."

Tsvangirai called on the international community "to support the people of
Zimbabwe as they navigate through this delicate transition into a new
country, with new values and a new ethos."

Analysts say Mugabe's inner circle wants an early election, fearing the
veteran leader may not be able to cope with the demands of campaigning in
two years' time when he will be 89 years old.

Tsvangirai initially wanted early polls but his Movement for Democratic
Change party (MDC) says it will not take part in a vote without a new
constitution and electoral and security reforms.


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Blood-sucking diamond poachers

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
 
 

President Robert Mugabe's Zanu (PF) party has been accused of running a parallel fiscus through which diamond revenues are being fleeced for the benefit of the well connected, at the expense of national development.

Addressing a conference convened by the South African Institute of International Affairs and the Heinrich Boell Foundation on the subject of Zimbabwe's Diamonds, two prominent Zimbabwean civic leaders called for legislation to regulate the proper extraction and management of diamond revenues to benefit the Zimbabwean people.

Dewa Mavhinga of the Zimbabwe Crisis Coalition and Farai Maguwu of the Centre for Research and Development said they believed in the accurateness of Finance Minister Tendai Biti's reported estimates that at least US$1 billion in potential revenue to the national treasury remained unaccounted for.

Biti has been fighting a seemingly losing battle to exert more control over the diamond revenues from the Marange diamond fields which the state seized in 2008 after a diamond rush by illegal panners.

Mavhinga and Maguwu said the disappearance of diamond revenues was largely a result of the parallel fiscus that was being run by Zanu (PF) outside Biti's official finance ministry. From that parallel fiscus, diamond revenues were directed to uses that did not benefit the Zimbabwean people.

Maguwu presented a detailed report which showed that illegal mining activities by members of the state security apparatus still continued at Marange with the diamonds being smuggled through Mozambique. Other concessions at Marange were now being mined by consortiums of the Zimbabwean government and several Chinese firms.

It is obvious that Zanu (PF) officials are looting the Marange diamonds with very little going into the national coffers. Finance Minister Tendai Biti has frequently complained that the state receives only 'peanuts' from Marange. Does Zanu (PF) expect anyone to believe that they are acting in good faith on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe?

After the catastrophic violent land-grab, Zanu (PF) is now on the path to pull Zimbabwe’s mining sector into oblivion. The potential consequences of this scheme could be catastrophic indeed and much more far-reaching than the failed land grab.

Mining is Zimbabwe's largest source of income, dominated by a 1.5 billion-dollar

platinum complex owned by South Africa's Impala Platinum, the biggest producer in the world.

Failure of the mining sector in Zimbabwe could have fatal consequences for the whole country. These Zanu (PF) looters headed by Mugabe cannot be ignored anymore. Their actions are now so serious that they have the potential to wipe out generations.

Zanu (PF) must not be allowed to reverse the gains made by the coalition on the economic front by their ruinous activities. The mining industry was the fastest growing sector of the economy this year, recording 47 per cent growth.

Let’s stop these looters NOW. - ZBN

 


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New Mugabe mining plan

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT | 11 September, 2011 10:30

Zimbabwe's parliament is to discuss two crucial bills for the establishment
of a diamond mining policy and state-owned mineral exploration company, says
President Robert Mugabe.

The veteran leader also said that this was part of wider strategies and a
concerted effort to "plug leakages, and enhance accountability by players in
the sector".

"Work on the establishment of ... a vehicle (the Zimbabwe Mining Exploration
Company) to spearhead exploration of the country's minerals and maintain an
inventory of the country's mineral resource endowment is already in
progress," Mugabe said.

The announcement comes as the Deputy Minister of Mines Gift Chimanikire has
said that Harare was looking at partnering private sector players and
investors in building the proposed monolith.

"Private companies do exploration on a need-to-know basis and they don't
share whatever information they get with government, (it is in our interest)
... to know the country's exact mineral resource so that we are able to
market the deposits to potential investors," he told the Sunday Times
recently.

"It is surprising that the alluvial diamonds at Chiadzwa were discovered by
illegal gold panners, despite a lot of mining activity taking place in and
around the area for years.

"What it means is that the companies operating from the area have been
looting diamonds for long and we don't know how much they got away with,"
Chimanikire added.

Complaining that there was little exploration activity in the country, the
mines deputy said ZMEC was a hybrid and exemplary private-public sector
initiative to boost the country's prospects in this key economic sector.

Upon approval of the project by cabinet, Chimanikire claimed government
would also capitalise the company through the fiscus and the quasi-mining
parastatals would also play a key role "to ensure the project materialises".

However, analysts have queried the Zimbabwean government's ability to see
the project through, given its resource and technological challenges.

They also queried the wisdom of central government's involvement in services
like mining exploration at a time that there are greater demands for
privatisation and less government involvement in business.

Zimbabwe's public enterprises are riddled with corruption and
inefficiencies, which have rendered their capability to deliver meaningful
economic contribution and services useless.

The decision to launch a mineral exploration company comes as the country
has issued a $32-million tender for aeromagnetic exploration in eastern
districts also covering the controversial Marange gem fields.

By tendering for more exploration work, the government is hoping to
ascertain the extent of wealth and richness of the diamonds fields in
northern Zimbabwe and Masvingo.

Chimanikire said they had started securing and preparing those areas, or
sites, with precious stones, and further research and development was under
way.

Already, there are two private diamond miners and three joint venture
companies: Anjin, Marange Resources, Robert Mhlanga's Mbada Diamonds, Rio
Tinto-owned Murowa Diamonds and Beitbridge's River Ranch Limited.


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Report: Zimbabwe diamond mining firms to set up own power line

http://www.monstersandcritics.com

Sep 11, 2011, 9:18 GMT

Harare - A handful of diamond mining companies affected by crippling power
cuts in Zimbabwe have been forced to set up their own dedicated
36-million-dollar power line, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The five companies with operations in Chiadzwa diamond fields, in the east
of the country, would have to raise at least 60 per cent of the total cost
of installing the line, the official Sunday Mail reported.

According to the report, 'erratic' power supplies meant miners' efforts to
realize their full potential were 'stifled'.

The city of Mutare, about 100 kilometres from Chiadzwa, would be the source
electricity. Mutare and its surrounding areas are badly hit by power cuts,
which occur three or four days a week and often last for up to 16 hours.

Zimbabwe's cash-strapped state power utility is owed more than 100 million
dollars by consumers. Earlier this month, it caused an uproar by raising
tariffs by an average of more than 30 per cent.

If the mining companies pay for the power line, they will only be charged
half the going tariff, said the Sunday Mail.

Diamonds were first discovered in Chiadzwa in 2006, sparking a gold-style
rush to the area before the military drove out illegal miners in 2008. Human
rights groups said up to 200 of them were killed in the operation.

Separate reports Sunday said diamonds have recently been discovered in
Murehwa, 79 kilometres from the capital Harare, sparking another rush. Mines
Minister Obert Mpofu was quoted as saying he would send geologists to
investigate.


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Latest Wikileaks Releases Offer Zimbabweans Candid View of Political Parties

http://www.voanews.com/

11 September 2011

The United States embassy for its part strongly condemned the release of the
cables. Sharon Hudson-Dean, US Embassy spokesperson, says the disclosures
could put lives at risk and jeopardize national security

Violet Gonda | Washington

Zimbabwe is the latest country to be shocked by disclosures from US
diplomatic cables released by the anti-secrecy website Wikileaks, including
a memo that quoted Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono as telling a US envoy
in 2008 that President Robert Mugabe had cancer of the prostate gland and
might live no longer than 2013.

Other than that, however, the biggest scoop that Wikileaks sprung on
Zimbabwe was just how many senior Zimbabwean politicians were confiding in
then-ambassador James McGee and his staff – including a number of ZANU-PF
bigwigs.

Reports say President Robert Mugabe is furious over the disclosure of
details about his health and other sensitive matters to US diplomats by
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono.

Others in ZANU-PF are also displeased, showing this at the recent reopening
of parliament by booing colleagues mentioned in the cables, such as
Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, chanting, “Wikileaks,
 Wikileaks.”

ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo commented to the state-run, pro-ZANU-PF
Herald newspaper that those leaks were disturbing in particular because top
party officials had gone to secret meetings with what he called “hostile
forces.”

Things were nearly as bad on the other side of the aisle. Top Movement for
Democratic Change figures were also revealed to have met with officials of
the US embassy, sometimes quoted as disparaging party leader Tsvangirai.

Other tidbits from the Wikileaks shed light on the underside of Zimbabwean
politics. For instance, a cable said the late Solomon Mujuru engineered the
presidential candidacy of Simba Makoni after failing to build sufficient
support within ZANU-PF to oblige President Mugabe to step down.

The late Vice President Joseph Msika and then-ZANU-PF national chairman John
Nkomo, meeting separately with US ambassadors, said the only way forward was
for Mr. Mugabe to go.

ZANU-PF and MDC sources speaking on condition of anonymity say such
revelations have created serious tensions within the parties.

ZANU-PF spokesman Gumbo tells Voice of America’s Studio 7 that ZANU-PF is
witnessing an unfortunate tragedy and is launching an investigation in this
matter.

When asked to comment on the reports of President Mugabe’s health, Gumbo
responded by saying: “Why don’t you ask Dr Gono. The President as we know is
in good health, so I don’t know what people are talking about."

The United States embassy for its part strongly condemned the release of the
cables. Sharon Hudson-Dean, US Embassy spokesperson, says the disclosures
could put lives at risk and jeopardize national security.

Ozias Tungwarara, director of the Open Society Institute’s Governance
Monitoring and Advocacy project notes that confidential talks are a part of
diplomacy and individuals have a right to hold their own views. But he said
he fears the leaked cables will cause political instability.

“This should be looked at in the whole context of what constitutes freedom
of expression and whether the Wikileaks saga has actually taken freedom of
expression, freedom of media to other levels. These are expressions of
opinion and that this should not frame a basis for vindictive action, ” he
said.

Tungwarara says that given the lack of space for open political discussion,
many stand to see their reputations tarnished simply for sharing their views
with the diplomatic community.

Africa Confidential newsletter publisher Patrick Smith says one effect of
the Wikileaks releases in Zimbabwe will be to discourage senior officials
from sharing their thinking with diplomats even when given assurances of
confidentiality.

“But at the end of the day there are four or five very powerful countries in
the world – the US and China being the most powerful at the moment so I
think people are always going to want to talk to diplomats from Washington
and Beijing,” Smith added.

But commentator Takura Zhangazha says that the benefit of Wikileaks is that
Zimbabweans now have intelligence that would otherwise not have come out,
such as talk by ZANU-PF ministers about their desire to see a new generation
take charge.

Zhangazha also said: “My immediate impression is that of double standards
and individuals functioning at variance with the collective party position.”

Some have asked what was received in exchange for such disclosures. But
political analyst John Makumbe says he has attended similar briefings where
the only quid pro quo is a free meal.

He said: “Lunch, dinner, beer, soft drinks even (laughs). There is nothing
more than that.”

London-based analyst George Shire says the leaks consist of "mere gossip,”
but concedes that they show ZANU-PF’s foreign policy mindset is one of
hostility to the west, quite different from the close engagement pursued by
the MDC.

But Ralph Black, the US representative of the Tsvangirai MDC, says the
cables must be looked at in the context of how the disclosures were colored
by the views of US diplomats.

He added: “If there is any truth in the sentiments expressed. The question
we should be asking ourselves is why didn’t we have that internal
discussion? Why did we have to go and tell strangers? This is a culture that
needs to be changed.”

Ultimately the Wikileaks disclosures may not alter the course of Zimbabwean
history – but they have already given Zimbabweans a usefully candid
perspective on politics in Zimbabwe through the lens of US diplomacy.


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WikiLeaks ok but ...

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Staff Writer
Sunday, 11 September 2011 12:02

HARARE - United States ambassador Charles Ray on Tuesday was among the
dignitaries who attended the opening of the Fourth Session of the Seventh
Parliament by President Robert Mugabe.

Ray did not flinch during his mingling with both politicians from the main
faction of the MDC and Zanu PF.

Instead, he was relaxed; never showed any signs of embarrassment for a man
whose government’s future liaisons with key people in Harare and elsewhere
have come under severe scrutiny following leakages of confidential
information by whistle blower website — WikiLeaks.

Ray displayed the maturity and conduct of a grounded statesman, considering
he was in the midst of people battling inner storms as a result of the
WikiLeaks revelations. This was admirable! But this does not mean that the
US was and is happy with the WikiLeaks.

The WikiLeaks explosion has been a very welcome development to journalists
around the world as they can now disseminate useful information on what
happens in the corridors of power. Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks boss, is
probably the most popular man in the world among journalists for exposing
the secret meetings conducted by political leaders.

For Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the leaks will prove
crucial in judging their leadership credentials. For Mugabe in particular,
the leaks provided useful information on his politburo colleagues, who
during the day defend him like there is no tomorrow, yet in the middle of
the dark, they plot ways to unseat him and take over power.  This is the
kind information every journalist craves for.

At Parliament last Tuesday, anyone seeing Ray would not have thought his
secret meetings — with key aides of both Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai — had been laid bare.

This is the approach that Mugabe and Tsvangirai might probably need to take
and we have said this before. Mugabe, in particular, must concentrate more
on sorting out the problems exposed by his politburo colleagues on why they
want him to go and why they want leadership renewal.

While this, in the public realm, is damaging, the cables provide both Mugabe
and Tsvangirai an opportunity to fine-tune their parties.

At least Tsvangirai seems to have already diffused the situation in his
party, while Mugabe, who is obviously seething with anger, is yet to come to
terms with the reality that members of his politburo are the real merchants
of the so-called regime change more that Tsvangirai and the MDC.

Mugabe punished some party members in 2004 after the Tsholotsho meeting and
the result was even more paralytic to the unity of his party.

Tsvangirai fired Elias Mudzuri and saw the viciousness of his actions when
irate party members challenged outcomes of provincial elections, in the run
up to MDC’s congress early this year. This time around he quietly dealt with
the WikiLeaks and life is going on. WikiLeaks are a pain which both leaders
will have to live with!


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Wikileaks: 'Mugabe attempted ‘a coup on himself’

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

11/09/2011 01:09:00    by

Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe attempted a number of fake coups through
his CIO and other undetectable intelligence collaborators last year,
Wikileaks cable revelations reveal.

Several people approached the US, UK and Australian embassies begging for
weapons as they claimed they could easily remove president Robert Mugabe
through a coup and the most prominent leader of these groups has been
tracked and found freely roaming the country without problems, despite the
damning cables having been released ten days ago.

The fake coups would if succesful have helped to distract attention from
international outrage over Operation Restore Order by implicating the West
in an effort to overthrow the Government Of Zimbabwe. An Australian official
said he had declined to have the plan vetted and had also rejected requests
for financial and material assistance, noting that the Australian Government
did not support the violent overthrow of the Mugabe regime.

A cable dated 31st December 2010 reveals that in the eight months up to the
end of last year, a great number of people approached the UK, US, and
Australian governments requesting for assistance so they could topple Robert
Mugabe. One such person is one hunting safaris businessman Learnmore
Muzvidzwa who introduced himself as the Managing Director of one company by
the name Dreiford Trading. Muzvidzwa is the only person who managed to
obtain audience of the Australians although he was rejected by the US
embassy.

“Muzvidzwa repeated his claim to represent a group that had 500 men under
arms in the Chihota district. He wanted advice and support from the
 Embassy,” the cable reads.

The businessman claimed that he could coordinate a coup on Mugabe while the
president was out of the country.

Muzvidzwa was however dismissed by the US embassy after it was believed that
his plan could be part of a CIO effort to distract attention from the
government. “He said he had approached the Australian and UK embassies with
the same plan. Poloff told him the U.S. did not and would not
provide support for violent overthrow of Zimbabwe’s government and closed
the meeting,” the US envoy’s cable states.

The US findings may be true since more than a week after the Wikileaks cable
was made public, Muzvidzwa has been roaming freely in Zimbabwe without any
security problems or attacks from ZANU PF and Mugabe loyalists.

-FULL TEXT OF WIKILEAKS CABLE:

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001007

SIPDIS

NOFORN

AF FOR DAS T. WOODS
AF/S FOR B. NEULING
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE
DS FOR IP/AF AND IP/ITA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: ARMED RESISTANCE GROUP SEEKS US ASSISTANCE

Classified By: Charge d,Affaires, a.i., Eric T. Schultz under Section 1
.4 b/d

——-
Summary
——-

¶1. (S/NF) The Embassy has received several requests from
various groups for meetings with the Ambassador/CDA in the
past few weeks to discuss overthrowing the Mugabe regime. We
have rejected all of these meetings, out of concern that they
could have been attempts by the GOZ to implicate the USG in
such an agenda. However, the Australian Embassy did meet
with one of these groups and provided us with a readout. The
same group then obtained a meeting with an Embassy political
officer under false pretenses. The readouts of these
meetings indicate that there may be growing interest in armed
resistance on the part of some regime opponents. The MDC was
not implicated in the group,s plans. End summary.

——————
Australian Readout
——————

¶2. (S/NF) On July 13, the Australian DCM, Mark Lynch, called
on CDA to provide a readout of a meeting he had had the
previous day with Learnmore Muzvidzwa. Lynch said Muzvidzwa
had introduced himself as the Managing Director of Dreiford
Trading, a firm that specialized in hunting safaris. (N.B.
At CDA,s request, RMAS ran a background check on this
individual, which came up negative.) Lynch said Muzvidza had
said Zimbabweans were at the end of their patience with the
Mugabe regime. He had said he was part of a group with
contacts in the CIO, the military, and the police that
planned to overthrow the government. The group did not
include the MDC. He had claimed to have 500 men under arms
in the Chihota region southeast of Harare. The group,s
operations plan, which he had requested the Australians vet,
called for the coup to occur when Mugabe was out of the
country.

¶3. (S/NF) Lynch said he had declined to have the plan vetted
and had also rejected requests for financial and material
assistance, noting that the Australian Government did not
support the violent overthrow of the Mugabe regime. That
said, Lynch said Muzvidzwa had struck him as a credible
figure. He added that Muzvidzwa had said he was requesting
meetings with the American and British Embassies as well.
The CDA responded that he had already declined the meeting,
out of concern that it could be part of a CIO effort to
distract attention from international outrage over Operation
Restore Order by implicating the West in an effort to
overthrow the GOZ.

—————
Embassy Meeting
—————

¶4. (S/NF) On July 20, poloff met with Muzvidzwa, ostensibly
to discuss the plight of Zimbabweans as a result of Operation
Restore Order. Muzvidza repeated his claim to represent a
group that had 500 men under arms in the Chihota district.
He wanted advice and support from the Embassy. He said he
had approached the Australian and UK embassies with the same
& plan.8 Poloff told him the U.S. did not and would not
provide support for violent overthrow of Zimbabwe,s
government and closed the meeting.

——-
COMMENT
——-

¶5. (S/NF) It is probably inevitable that given the GOZ,s
turn to more repressive tactics to maintain its hold on
power, the idea of armed resistance may begin to appeal to
some Zimbabweans. Certainly there are plenty of weapons in
the country and plenty of experience using them. That said,
our judgment is that the military and the police remain
largely loyal to the regime and would be able to handle a
coup attempt or an armed uprising with little difficulty. We
will continue to monitor this situation but will also
continue to attempt to avoid direct meetings with groups such
as Muzvidzwa,s. The GOZ is quite capable of running such an
operation at us and of using the very fact of a meeting to
distract attention from the GOZ,s current travails.
SCHULTZ


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Archbishop shares our pain – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 10th September 2011

 

         

                                                                 Mugabe ready for Archbishop

 

The Vigil was pleased to hear of plans for the Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Zimbabwe as part of a tour of the Anglican Province of Central Africa which takes in Botswana, Malawi and Zambia as well as Zimbabwe. Apparently he is scheduled to be in Zimbabwe on 9th October and is seeking a meeting with Mugabe. This has been criticized in the British press, with some commentators saying it will provide a propaganda opportunity for Mugabe. We took a different view and decided to send the Archbishop the following letter:

 

Open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury from the Zimbabwe Vigil

 

Dear Dr Williams

 

The Zimbabwe Vigil welcomes your planned visit to Zimbabwe next month in support of besieged Anglicans under the rod of the unelected president Mugabe.

 

We have been bearing witness outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London every Saturday for nine years against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Most of us are Christians, many Anglicans.

 

The persecution of Anglicans in Zimbabwe has continued too long with little condemnation from the Christian community at large. Even brother churches in Zimbabwe have scurried from the crucifixion.

 

The Vigil is disappointed that Mugabe has been consistently received with honour by the Vatican when he has gone to Rome on his shopping trips.

 

We disagree with those who question the wisdom of your visit. We are encouraged that you share our pain, though we have no doubt that Mugabe will seek to use your visit for propaganda purposes.

 

We do not believe his regime – steeped in lawlessness, terror and greed – will make any meaningful concessions at your request. But we pray that your visit will highlight to the world the plight of our suffering brothers and sisters at home.

 

Vigil Co-ordinators

 

Other points

·         We were glad to have with us Ephraim Tapa, President of Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) and the recently formed Zimbabwe We Can movement. He spoke of the importance of Zimbabweans having a national agenda rather than identifying themselves as Zanu PF or MDC or whatever. ‘We are too divided as a nation’, he said. Zimbabwe We Can wants to change this mindset so that people can see the country’s problems as a whole.

·         Readers of the diary will know that there has been an attempt to take over ROHR. A website has been set up purporting to be the official website.  They have stolen all the information from the official website and claimed it as their own. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/ which is the only website that represents ROHR. One must be patient, these ticks drop off after a while. They disintegrate in the mire of their lies and deceit.

·         Vigil supporters attended a demonstration outside the Swaziland High Commission in London on Tuesday in support of our Swazi friends who, like us, are confronted with an oppressive tyranny.

·         A long-term Vigil supporter who has returned to Zimbabwe has communicated with us. He says ‘I am surviving. The situation looks okay on the surface but it’s really disturbing to see the reign of terror that pervades the whole nation. Don’t believe what visitors say. It takes a while to sense the unfreedom. Keep up the good work. The diary is popular reading. Greetings to all.’

·         There was much discussion at the Vigil of the Wikileaks revelations and the prospect that every politician in Zimbabwe will be prosecuted for treason. Among the latest revelations that struck us were:

-         Nelson Chamisa, MDC Organising Secretary, commenting on the allegation that he described Tsvangirai as ‘weak and indecisive’ said “There is no cohesion in terms of the so called cables which were just opinions by a mere mortal who was possibly doing so without realising that it will actually come out some time. So he is the culprit rather than somebody whom they just allege . . .”

-         According to documents released by Wikileaks, Mugabe had a secret meeting with UN Ambassador Charles Ray at one of his farms.  Ray said the place was in darkness and Mugabe was sitting alone on a throne in the bathroom. Between grunts he complained that the illegal sanctions had cut off the water . .

·         The respected London-based theatre company Chickenshed is producing ‘The Rain that Washes’ by Dave Carey with Zimbabwean Christopher Maphosa. It is described as a one-man show based on a true story. “Following the dream of majority rule, one man sees Ian Smith's Rhodesia become Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. From refugee camps in Botswana to air strikes in Zambia via Marxism in Bulgaria, he returns to Zimbabwe, only to witness the greatest betrayal of all . . .” They have been in touch with the Vigil and are keen that a group should go and have a meeting with the author. See ‘Events and Notices’ for further details.

 

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website – they cannot be downloaded from the slideshow on the front page of the Zimvigil website.

 

FOR THE RECORD: 59 signed the register.

 

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

·         The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organisation based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organisation on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents the views and opinions of ROHR.

·         ZBN News. The Vigil management team wishes to make it clear that the Zimbabwe Vigil is not responsible for Zimbabwe Broadcasting Network News (ZBN News). We are happy that they attend our activities and provide television coverage but we have no control over them. All enquiries about ZBN News should be addressed to ZBN News.

·         The Zim Vigil band (Farai Marema and Dumi Tutani) has launched its theme song ‘Vigil Yedu (our Vigil)’ to raise awareness through music. To download this single, visit: www.imusicafrica.com and to watch the video check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QukqctWc3XE.

·         ROHR Manchester Vigil. Saturday 24th September from 2 – 5 pm. Venue: Cathedral Gardens, Manchester City Centre (subject to change to Piccadilly Gardens). Contact; Delina Tafadzwa Mutyambizi 07775313637, Chamunorwa Chihota 07799446404, Panyika Karimanzira 07551062161, Artwell Pfende 07886839353. Future demonstrations: 29th October, 26th November, 31st December. Same time and venue.

·         ‘The Rain that Washes’ – Zimbabwean theatre production. Performances: Thursday 29th and Friday 30th September at 7.30 pm, Saturday 1st October at 6 pm, Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th October at 7.30 pm, Saturday 8th October at 6 pm. Venue: Studio Theatre, Chickenshed Theatre, Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 4PE. Tickets £8 (£6). To book, call 020 8292 9222, email bookings@chickenshed.org.uk or book online at www.chickenshed.org.uk. Chickenshed is between Oakwood and Cockfosters tube stations, and on bus routes 298, 299, 307 and N91. Free parking is also available.

·         ROHR Manchester Meetings. Saturday 8th October (committee meeting from 11 am – 1 pm, general meeting from 2 – 5 pm). Venue: The Salvation Army Citadel, 71 Grosvenor Road, Manchester M13 9UB. Contact; Delina Tafadzwa Mutyambizi 07775313637, Chamunorwa Chihota 07799446404, Panyika Karimanzira 07551062161, Artwell Pfende 07886839353. Future meetings:  12th November, 10th December. Same times / venue.

·         Vigil Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts.

·         Vigil Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/zimbabwevigil.

·         ‘Through the Darkness’, Judith Todd’s acclaimed account of the rise of Mugabe.  To receive a copy by post in the UK please email confirmation of your order and postal address to ngwenyasr@yahoo.co.uk and send a cheque for £10 payable to “Budiriro Trust” to Emily Chadburn, 15 Burners Close, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0QA. All proceeds go to the Budiriro Trust which provides bursaries to needy A Level students in Zimbabwe.

 

Vigil co-ordinators

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.

 

 

 

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