ZCTU leaders brutally assaulted by police in Harare

      By Tererai Karimakwenda
      14 September 2006

      The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions leaders and other activists who
were arrested in Harare Wednesday, after riot police crushed their planned
mass protests, are reported to have been heavily assaulted while in police
custody and are being denied medical attention. ZCTU spokesman Mlamleli
Sibanda told us a total of 256 protesters were arrested countrywide and no
charges have been preferred on them yet. The lawyer representing those
assaulted has applied at the High Court for an order to give them access to
a medical doctor.

      Of the 30 arrested in Harare 14 are at Harare Central Charge Office.
The other group of 16, which includes the ZCTU leaders, was transferred to
Matapi police station in Mbare late on Wednesday. Sibanda believes this was
done deliberately to facilitate the vicious assaults. He told us the Mbare
group was returned to Harare Central Thursday but police there refused to
accept them back, saying they were in such a bad state and they wanted to
ascertain who had assaulted them. Sibanda said they have now been shuttled
back to Matapi and have still not been allowed access to a doctor from the
Doctors for Human Rights, who is on call.

      Police are being tight lipped about the arrests and have allowed
access only to the lawyer Alec Muchadehama. Representatives from the
International Labour Organisation have also been denied access. Sibanda
confirmed that among the leaders in custody are ZCTU President Lovemore
Matombo, Secretary General Wellington Chibebe and First Vice-President Lucia
Matibenga. A ZCTU report said that Matombo and Chibebe could not stand after
the assaults and had to change the clothes they were wearing because they
were soaked in blood. Matibenga was reported to have swollen feet and could
not walk.

      We received information which suggests that known ZANU-PF activists
and youth had been brought in to conduct the assaults. One report
specifically mentioned a one-eyed female ZANU-PF activist who is known but
was in police uniform plus identifiable youths who were also in police
uniform but had been seen earlier in the week lurking around Harare Gardens.

      The leaders were arrested as people gathered in Harare for a mass
demonstration against low salaries, high taxes and workers' lack of access
to anti-retroviral HIV/AIDS drugs. A ZCTU statement said 50 people arrested
in Chitungwiza are still in police custody and have not been charged. 12
activists arrested in Chegutu are also in police custody and were denied
access to legal representation. They are all expected to be charged under
the Public Order and Security Act.

      SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Zimbabwe Unions Accuses Authorities of Denying Leaders Medical Attention

VOA

      By VOA News
      14 September 2006

Representatives of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) say
authorities are denying medical attention to several of their arrested
leaders.

Police in Harare used batons and rifle butts to beat ZCTU Secretary-General
Wellington Chibhebe and several other union officials during Wednesday's
failed protests.

The government has not made any comments about the assaults.

The union had planned marches in cities across Zimbabwe to protest low
wages, high taxes and workers' lack of access to anti-retroviral drugs that
fight AIDS.

The government declared the marches illegal ahead of time and placed heavy
security on the streets to prevent any demonstrations. The ZCTU says
authorities arrested some 170 union officials and protesters.

The unions are allied with Zimbabwe's splintered opposition party, the
Movement for Democratic Change. Earlier this year, the party issued its own
call for anti-government protests that have yet to materialize.

Zimbabwe is reeling from the effects of high inflation, record unemployment
and severe shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency. The nation's
agriculture-based economy has been in a freefall since the seizure of
thousands of white-owned commercial farms beginning in 2000.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

Police photograph assault of student leader

      By Violet Gonda
      14 September 2006

      State security agents, together with University of Zimbabwe security
officers, are reported to have given Promise Mkwananzi the President of the
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), a thorough beating before
arresting him on Thursday morning. The police officers also took photos
during the assault of the activist.

      ZINASU coordinator Washington Katema told us Mkwananzi was first taken
to the UZ security control room where he was assaulted while other police
officers were taking photos of the beatings. "He was subjected to wanton and
viscous attacks . they were taking photographs beating him and interrogating
him while he was insisting he wanted to see his lawyers."

      The ZINASU president was later taken to Avondale Police Station and is
expected to be transferred to Harare Central Police Station, where several
pro-democracy activists are being held.

      Mkwananzi is believed to have been picked up in connection with the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union protests.

      Lawyers for the NGO Human Rights Forum were frantically trying to get
access to their client.
      The student activist has seen the walls of prison cells several times
this year. In May, Bindura Police reportedly placed a notice at the station
ordering the arrest of the ZINASU president whether 'dead, alive or
decomposing.' At that time the police said they were looking for Mkwananzi
for the alleged crime of inciting students to burn down a building at
Bindura University. Students had been demonstrating against crippling fee
hikes announced in early February.
      Promise Mkwananzi's Thursday arrest brings to two the number of
detained ZINASU officials, after the arrest of Benjamin Nyandoro, a ZINASU
Programmes Officer on Wednesday.

      Eight other student activists were picked up at Masvingo State
University on Wednesday also in connection with the labour demonstrations.

      Observers said if anything, Wednesday's blocked protests exposed the
full scale of repression in Zimbabwe. In many cities there were more police
officers than civilians on the streets with an estimated 40 000 police
officers deployed to monitor people's movements across the country. Army and
air force were placed on standby and the Central Intelligence Organisation
was on high alert. The state controlled media also played a role in
intimidating workers by publishing threats and false reports about the
labour backed protests.

      William Bango, MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai's spokesperson, said in
a way the planned demonstration managed to stretch the regime to the limit
and if pushed some more the regime would not be able to cope. He said; "By
and large the ZCTU did a commendable job. They managed to bring Zimbabwe to
a standstill for those two or three hours. and we know that they (state) got
the message."

      Washington Katema also said the way the authorities violently dealt
with the demonstrators was a ploy to instil fear in Zimbabweans and to
silence the voiceless. He said; "Demonstrations are going ahead. We have
nothing to fear. As you know time is on the side of truth and victory
belongs to the fearless."

      The student union warned; "The police must be reminded of its duties
enforcing the law, rather than pursuing its newly found job description of
being security officers of the ruling party, executing the Zanu PF culture
of bloodshed and violence."

      The students have said they are going to embark on nationwide protests
next week saying; "Education must not be a preserve of the elite; it's a
fundamental right of every citizen by virtue of being human. If the police
and the state seek to redefine this globally accepted definition then both
its masters and the police itself have virtually become an illegitimate
force."

      SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Statement by Lord Triesman following crackdown on trade union demonstration in Zimbabwe

2006-09-14

      PRNewswire-GNN London 14 September

      London, 14 September /PRNewswire-GNN/ --

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE News Release  issued by The Government News
Network on 14 September 2006
"On 13 September the Zimbabwe Council of Trade Unions organised a
demonstration
to express concerns about the situation workers face in Zimbabwe.

"The Government of Zimbabwe responded by pre-emptively arresting the
President
and Secretary General of the ZCTU and over 130 individuals countrywide
who had planned to participate in these demonstrations.  These arrests
have in some cases led to assaults, as well as refusal of access to legal
representation and medical treatment. This action follows the Government of
Zimbabwe's suppression of a demonstration by "Women of Zimbabwe Arise!" on
11 September which resulted in the arrest of over 100 women, some of whom
were pregnant and/or with children.

"The British Government condemns these actions. The people of Zimbabwe,
suffering from economic decline caused by flawed policies, have the right to
voice their concerns through peaceful protest. This attack on the ZCTU is
the
latest in series of well-documented and brutal crackdowns by the Government
of Zimbabwe, to suppress any form of civic opposition. The violence
associated
with this suppression is a further abuse of human rights.

"Zimbabwe is in the midst of an accelerating crisis. This is an economy at
the
point of collapse. We urge the Government of Zimbabwe to start a process of
national dialogue, including all opposition and civil society, and undertake
a fundamental and sustainable reform programme based on national consensus."

FCO Press Office: 020 7008 3100

Press Office, Downing Street (West), London SW1A 2AL
Telephone: 020 7008 3100  Fax: 020 7008 3734

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Deported SA youth alliance threaten to retaliate with protests should Mugabe visit

        By Lance Guma
        14 September 2006

      The Progressive Youth Alliance in South Africa has reacted angrily to
the deportation of some of its members from Zimbabwe by immigration
authorities on Wednesday. At a press conference held in Johannesburg at
Cosatu House, the headquarters of the main labour body, the group condemned
the treatment of their colleagues at Harare's International airport. The PYA
has said they will respond with protest action against Mugabe and his
officials should any of them want to visit their country in the future.

      Five student leaders belonging to the alliance were deported amidst a
countrywide crackdown by security forces trying to contain labour backed
protests. Buti Manamela (Secretary General-Youth Communist League), Lucien
Sengli (Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum), Solo Lakedi (Centre for the study of
Violence and Reconciliation), Mothusi Meng and Kenny Motshega (Congress of
South African Students) arrived on a 12:20 flight on Wednesday. The group
was waylaid by a security official who pretended to be part of the welcoming
party and was waving a 'Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum' placard at the arrivals
lounge. Within minutes he had turned into one of those whisking the
delegation away to the departure lounge.

      The PYA say their members were manhandled by Zimbabwean security
details that tried to force them to sign Prohibited Immigrant (PI) orders.
They were forced to remove their shoes and trouser belts at the airport
before being searched. The students told journalists at the press conference
that they were treated like terrorists even though Zimbabwe's ambassador to
South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo and Deputy Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere,
initially approved of the visit. Nixon Nyikadzino an activist with the NCA
and Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition attended the press conference by the youth
alliance and says Zimbabweans present pledged to join in any future protests
against Mugabe.

      Nyikadzino bemoaned the fact they had actually missed an opportunity
to give Vice President Joyce Mujuru the same treatment when she visited
South Africa during the women's day celebrations last month. Zimbabwe has in
the past banned officials from the Congress of South African Trade Unions
from entering the country and the deportation of the students this week did
not come as a surprise.

      SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Division and fear take toll on Zimbabwe opposition

Business Day

Sapa-AFP

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

HARARE - A divided opposition, far-reaching security laws and fear of the
police have combined to neuter efforts to overthrow Zimbabwe's veteran
President Robert Mugabe, analysts said today.

"There is no way we can have a real struggle with ... leaders who are scared
of being beaten up or arrested for breaching the security laws," said
veteran commentator Bill Saidi.

The country's main union organisation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
(ZCTU), had to scrap a series of mass antigovernment rallies yesterday after
its organisers were arrested for planning unauthorised protests.

The day of action had been billed as the first test of the opposition since
a split in the ranks of its main political grouping, the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC), in November last year.

The cancellation of the protests, which failed to attract the thousands that
organisers had predicted, underlined the scale of the task for opponents of
the 82-year-old Mugabe, who has been in power since Zimbabwe gained
independence from the UK in 1980.

Even before the arrests of the masterminds of the protests in Harare and the
second city Bulawayo, the day of action had been severely undermined by the
decision of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai not to take to the streets.

While an MDC splinter group did endorse yesterday's protests, Tsvangirai's
camp merely voiced sympathy with the marchers' aims and said it was working
on its own independent strategy.

"The events of yesterday are a lesson that you don't win a revolution with
isolated efforts," said political analyst Takavafira Zhou.

"There is need for brave leadership and serious concerted efforts by all
political and civic groups. Otherwise, we will continue to have isolated
efforts and the danger is the general populace will lose hope and interest
in the resistance movement."

Demonstrations by the ZCTU, formerly headed by Tsvangirai, threatened to
bring Zimbabwe to its knees in the late 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of
people took to the streets. However, the heyday of the opposition has long
since passed and divisions in the MDC, sparked by Tsvangirai's decision not
to contest Senate elections, have played into the hands of Mugabe, who is
presiding over inflation at about 1 000% and unemployment of about 80%.

Saidi blamed the failure of the marches on "spineless" leadership who were
too focused on internal divisions. "What we need are leaders who are really
committed to change and are ready to take risks, people who are ready even
to die," he said.

The few demonstrators who managed to make it to the ZCTU's headquarters in
downtown Harare, which was supposed to be the main focus point of the day of
action, found themselves dispersed by baton-wielding riot police.

Demonstrations in previous years have been broken up with teargas, with
Mugabe summoning the army to provide backup to the police. A new public
order act, which only allows for demonstrations if they have received prior
approval, has been strictly enforced since 2002.

Jenni Williams, leader of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) pressure group,
said the opposition had to rethink its tactics and criticised the ZCTU for
revealing its hand too early. "You don't have to announce beforehand like
they did," said Williams.

Analyst Zhou said organisers of future protests should consider starting in
the suburbs rather than in city centres, where the chances of running up
against the authorities are higher. "The major weakness is that when people
organise their protests, they are usually in the city centre, where there is
a heavy presence of police," he said.

The opposition has traditionally been stronger in urban areas but support
for Mugabe has continued to hold up in the countryside despite the steep
economic decline of the last seven years.

Williams said the opposition needed to look beyond the cities. "We don't
think that they (the rural people) are being mobilised sufficiently and
empowered with information on their rights and on non-violent protests," she
said.

U.S. officials accuse China of weapons proliferation

USA Today

            Posted 9/14/2006 1:28 PM ET

      WASHINGTON (AP) - Top U.S. officials on Thursday criticized what they
called China's indiscriminate sale of weapons to rogue countries, suggesting
that Beijing's policies had made the world a more dangerous place.
      Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international
security, urged China to reevaluate its relationship with Iran and North
Korea, two countries with which the United States is locked in standoffs
over nuclear weapons development.

      "China's actions seem to us dangerously shortsighted," Rodman told the
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an advisory panel
created by Congress. "China's proliferation behavior, past and present, can
come back to haunt it, even placing its own political interests in
jeopardy."

      The United States, Rodman said, sees "in China a general willingness
to transfer a wide variety of technologies to customers around the world."

      He mentioned Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Cuba and Venezuela, and
also linked China to North Korea's July missile test launch of seven
missiles and to Hezbollah's use of Chinese-designed cruise missiles on an
Israeli naval vessel, also in July.

      Rodman said the United States export control laws and its oversight of
those laws, but hasn't done enough.

China comes to Zim's rescue

News24

14/09/2006 15:39  - (SA)

Harare - President Robert Mugabe has grabbed a huge financial lifeline from
China to boost Zimbabwe's ailing economy but analysts wonder what the
country had to offer in exchange for the loan.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono, tasked to turn around an
economy in recession for the last eight years, on Wednesday announced a
$200m facility from China as part of nearly half a billion dollars worth of
mainly foreign loans.

The facility would be the first major external loan extended to the southern
African nation since its isolation from former Western donors amid charges
of election rigging and over Harare's seizure of white-owned farms to
resettle blacks.

"My main question that has not been answered is what are we giving China in
exchange for that loan," said Eric Bloch, a Bulawayo based economist.

Trying to gain foothold

"The money is coming from a Chinese government body and not the private
sector but hopefully it will give a sense of confidence to other entities in
that country to do business with us," said Bloch.

Gono said on Wednesday Zimbabwe had met "conditions" for the Chinese loan
but declined to say what they were.

Shunned by the West and slammed by opponents for plunging the country into
its worst crisis since independence in 1980, Mugabe has been forced to
scramble for aid from the East.

The crisis has left Zimbabwe with severe foreign currency shortages and the
world's highest inflation at nearly 1 000%, making the local dollar a pariah
on international markets, while poverty levels increase.

China has been trying to gain a foothold in Zimbabwe's key mining sector to
explore the country's vast mineral reserves.

"All weather friend"

Zimbabwe has in the past year bought 12 military jets and several trucks
from China and last month Mugabe said the defence forces was learning new
military strategies from Beijing.

"China is an all-weather friend and our relations are growing from strength
to strength," Deputy Finance Minister David Chapfika told Reuters.

"This is the beginning of greater things to come under our look-east
policy," he added.

Critics accuse China, which is vigorously pursuing sources of energy and raw
materials for its booming economy, of dealing with governments that violate
human rights, including Zimbabwe.

Analysts said Zimbabwe, which has defaulted on its foreign loan repayments
with Western donors in the past and has also fallen into arrears on payments
for the military jets, would have to meet set conditions to secure future
funding.

Equal partners

"China can afford to gamble $200m to see the opportunities that can come its
way but future loans will only come if we meet terms for this facility
because even China cannot give us free money," said Bloch.

Local industrialists complain that the manufacturing sector, especially the
textile industry, has been hit by "Zhing-Zhongs", a term given to cheap
Chinese imports, while no investments have been seen.

Mugabe denies mismanaging the once promising economy, which he says is now
on a recovery path thanks to the "look east" policy.

"We have been unfairly treated by the West for political reasons but with
China our relationship has been consistent and they treat us as equal
partners," Chapfika said.

August Inflation Data Expected to Be Released Tomorrow

The Herald (Harare)

September 14, 2006
Posted to the web September 14, 2006

Harare

AUGUST inflation data will be released tomorrow if figures from provinces
arrive on time, says Central Statistical Office acting director Mr Moffat
Nyoni.

Calculations have already reached top gear, although some data is yet to be
received from a few provinces.

"We are hoping all the inflation statistics will be ready for release this
Friday," Mr Nyoni told the Herald Business yesterday.

"The department has faced some challenges in calculating the figures due to
inadequate funding needed in the delivery of data from the country's 10
provinces.

"However, the delays will not have any negative effect on the final
inflation figure because the initial inflation statistics had since been
collected."

There were fears among industry and other business players the delay in the
release of inflation data would distort the figures.

Traditionally, inflation figures are published on the 10th of every month.

Annual inflation for July stood at 993,6 percent, shedding 191 percentage
points on the June rate of 1 184,6 percent. July's fall was the second
consecutive decline following a modest 8,9 percentage decline a month
before.

The last time there was a consecutive two-month fall in annual inflation was
15 months ago when it fell from 133,6 percent in January 2005 to 127,2
percent the following month.

A further decline was witnessed the next month when March 2005 inflation
came in at 123,5 percent. The figure had risen to 585,5 percent by December
31 last year.

Analysts project August annual inflation will come in at over 1 000 percent
with predictions that it will remain in the four-digit territory at year-end
before tailing off next year.

How Mugabe holds on

iafrica.com

Thu, 14 Sep 2006
A divided opposition, far-reaching security laws and fear of the police have
combined to neuter efforts to overthrow Zimbabwe's veteran President Robert
Mugabe, analysts said on Thursday.

"There is no way we can have a real struggle with... leaders who are scared
of being beaten up or arrested for breaching the security laws," said
veteran commentator Bill Saidi.

The country's main union organisation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
(ZCTU), had to scrap a series of mass anti-government rallies on Wednesday
after its organisers were arrested for planning unauthorised protests.

First test for the new opposition

The day of action had been billed as the first test of the opposition's
since a split in the ranks of its main political grouping, the Movement for
Democratic Change, in November 2005.

The cancellation of the protests, which failed to attract the thousands that
organisers had predicted, underlined the scale of the task for opponents of
the 82-year-old Mugabe, who has been in power since Zimbabwe gained
independence from Britain in 1980.

Even before the arrests of the masterminds of the protests in Harare and the
second city Bulawayo, the day of action had been severely undermined by the
decision of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai not to take to the streets.

While an MDC splinter group did endorse Wednesday's protests, Tsvangirai's
camp merely voiced sympathy with the marchers' aims and said it was working
on its own independent strategy.

"You don't win a revolution with isolated efforts"

"The events of yesterday are a lesson that you don't win a revolution with
isolated efforts," political analyst Takavafira Zhou told AFP.

"There is need for brave leadership and serious concerted efforts by all
political and civic groups. Otherwise, we will continue to have isolated
efforts and the danger is the general populace will lose hope and interest
in the resistance movement."

Demonstrations by the ZCTU, formerly headed by Tsvangirai, threatened to
bring Zimbabwe to its knees in the late 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of
people took to the streets.

But the heyday of the opposition has long since passed and divisions in the
MDC, sparked by Tsvangirai's decision not to contest Senate elections, have
played into the hands of Mugabe, who is presiding over inflation at nearly 1
000 percent and unemployment of around 80 percent.

Failure blamed on internal divisions

Saidi blamed the failure of the marches on "spineless" leadership who were
too focused on internal divisions.

"What we need are leaders who are really committed to change and are ready
to take risks, people who are ready even to die," he said.

The few demonstrators who managed to make it to the ZCTU's headquarters in
downtown Harare, which was supposed to be the main focus point of the day of
action, found themselves dispersed by baton-wielding riot police.

Demonstrations in previous years have been broken up with teargas, with
Mugabe summoning the army to provide backup to the police.

A new public order act, which only allows for demonstrations if they have
received prior approval, has been strictly enforced since 2002.

Marchers should "rethink tactics"

Jenni Williams, leader of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) pressure group,
said the opposition had to rethink its tactics and criticised the ZCTU for
revealing its hand too early.

"You don't have to announce beforehand like they did," said Williams.

Analyst Zhou said organisers of future protests should consider starting in
the suburbs rather than in city centres, where the chances of running up
against the authorities are higher.

"The major weakness is that when people organise their protests, they are
usually in the city centre, where there is a heavy presence of police," he
said.

The opposition has traditionally been stronger in urban areas but support
for Mugabe has continued to hold up in the countryside despite the steep
economic decline of the last seven years.

Williams said the opposition needed to look beyond the cities.

"We don't think that they (the rural people) are being mobilised
sufficiently and empowered with information on their rights and on
non-violent protests," she said.

Former Diplomat in Court

The Herald (Harare)

September 14, 2006
Posted to the web September 14, 2006

Harare

SIMON Hlungwane Maplanga, the former diplomat accused of possessing four
blank passports suspected to have been stolen from the Registrar General's
Office, on Monday appeared in court for routine remand.

Maplanga (46) and his accomplice Shepherd Murerwa (32), a Norton
businessman, are charged with tampering with a document or item by making
material alteration, erasure or obliteration as well as possession of
property suspected to have been stolen.

They were remanded out of custody to September 25 by Harare magistrate Ms
Olivia Mariga.

The State, led by prosecutor Mr Servious Kufandada, alleges that the offence
surfaced on August 24 this year, when a Harare man, Mr Hillary Mhindo,
reported to police that there were some people who wanted to illegally sell
him a Zimbabwean passport.

A trap was set by police at the corner of George Silundika Avenue and Third
Street where the deal was to be conducted.

It is the State's case that Mr Mhindo called Maplanga on his mobile phone
and he came driving a metallic grey Mercedes Benz with Murerwa.

Detectives immediately arrested the two men and searches were conducted on
them, resulting in the recovery of four blank passports from Maplanga's
pockets while two forged passports were recovered from Murerwa.

South African president urged to sanction Mugabe

      September 14, 2006

      By Nqobile Ndlovu

      Johannesburg (AND) The South African youths have called on president
Thabo Mbeki to institute an immediate ban on Zimbabwe president Robert
Mugabe and his cabinet team following the deportation of a coalition of the
South African Youth Solidarity Forum.

      The South African youths from various national bodies were deported
upon arrival at the Harare International Airport.

      Among other deported youth leaders comprise Young Communist League
(YCL) National Secretary-General, Buti Manamela, South African Students
Council Provincial Secretary for North West, Mothusi Tsineg, SA Youth
Council executive official Nduluza Gceba,
      Young Christian Students Secretary-General, Bheki Mcetywa, Students
Union for Christian Action, Thoko Ntone and Lucian Segami of the Zimbabwe
Solidarity Forum.

      Addressing journalists this afternoon at the Cosatu House, Manamela,
said the people of South Africa now want president Mbeki to effect a ban on
the "increasingly becoming unreliable Zimbabwean government".

      In today's meeting, several South African NGOs Coalition (SANGOCCO),
Cosatu, South Africa Communist Party (SACP), South African Transport and
Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and several other civic organisations were
represented.

      The organisations at the press conference called with one voice urging
the African National Congress (ANC) and president Mbeki to put a travel ban
on Mugabe and his ministers following the youths leaders' deportation on
Wednesday.

      The deportation came hard on the heels of an attempt by the ZSF
delegation to visit Zimbabwe in solidarity with the Zimbabwe Congress of
Trade Unions (ZCTU).

      Mothusi Tsineng of the South Africa Students Congress, North West
Provincial Secretary,castigated this move by the government of Zimbabwe
saying that the rule of
      law had now become a non-existent feature.

      "The rule of law is not respected in Zimbbabbwe, and our passports
were scratched by the CIO officers at the airport. The manner in which
people are picketing in Zimbabwe shows that all is not well in the country,"
said Tsineng.

      There are claims that the deported delegation were unofficially
escorted by CIO officers from the Johannesburg airport.

      "The CIO must operate and carry out its activities on Zimbabwean soil.
It is not proper that they should be seen invading the South African
territory to come and do their intelligence activities here," said Buti
Manamela, the secretary general of the South Africa Communist Party (SACP)
youth league wing.

      He said it was ironic that their own South Africa government did not
subject them to such surveillance and said that it was saddening and
alarming that they were now under the surveillance of a foreign intelligence
organisation.

      He said the decision to deport the delegation was indicative of the
increasingly repressive and dogmatic attitude of the ZANU (PF) government.

      "The intransigence and unwillingness to engage even non-hostile groups
does not bode well on the efforts to find solutions to the current crisis in
Zimbabwe," said Manamela in a press statement made available to African News
Dimension (AND).

      The visit by the ZSF was made with the intention of making
interpretations of the current socio-economic and political situation in
Zimbabwe, meet with the government, the ruling ZANU-PF, civic society and
the opposition to gain a wide understanding of the present
      political situation in Zimbabwe.

      The visit by the ZSF was also an attempt to gain first hand insights
into the impact of the wave of the displacements associated with Operation
Murambatsvina.

      Manamela pointed out that prior to this visit they had spoken
extensively to the ministry of youth development and minister Savious
Kasukuwere in particular and the Zimbabwean ambassador, SK Moyo.

      "It is this kind of repression that contributes to the migration of
Zimbabweans into South Africa. Without lasting solutions the crisis in
Zimbabwe will continue to directly affect us here in South Africa," said the
Secretary General of SACP.

      The Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum is a network of progressive South
African civil society
      organisations, including youth, women, labour, faith-based, human
rights and student formations engaged in the promotion of solidarity for
sustainable peace, democracy, and human rights in Zimbabwe.

      Johannesburg Bureau, AND

ZDF commander denies conflict of interest charges

From The Daily Mirror, 14 September

Daily Mirror Reporter

Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) General Constantine Chiwenga
has denied charges of conflict of interest in a deal in which a company
belonging to his wife, Jocelyn, was awarded a contract to supply ZDF with
protective clothing in the mid 90s. Chiwenga told a parliamentary portfolio
committee on defence and home affairs that he is not a director of ZimSafe
and is not involved in the adjudication of the contract. "The matter of
reflective materials was presented to parliament by my spouse some years
ago, around 1994 or 1995. "When ZimSafe was established, and by the way I am
not a director of ZimSafe, I then wrote a letter to express that if matters
of ZimSafe contracts arise, I don't have to adjudicate," Chiwenga said.
Recent media reports alleged that ZimSafe had been a longstanding supplier
of luminous protective clothing to ZDF, prompting speculation of conflict of
interest by the general. The ZDF boss revealed that ZimSafe had only
supplied 51 reflective vests to the army. "In 2005, we got 15 reflective
vests from ZimSafe. "Later on during the same year we got another 36 vests.
The reflective materials are mostly used by the Ministry of Mines and Mining
Development and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)," Chiwenga added.

Trust Maphosa, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, added his
voice saying: "At the moment ZimSafe does not have any contract with the
Ministry of Defence. "But in the past it has won contracts, through open
tender, to supply reflective materials." Peter Muchakazi, a procurement
specialist in the Ministry of Defence, also said the awarding of tenders was
not a matter that the ministry or Chiwenga could manipulate. "Tenders are
the prerogative of the State Procurement Board (SPB). The influence of
ministries or user departments is not there at all. To say companies
belonging to members of the Defence Forces (have clinched army contracts) is
not a proper appreciation of the process of tendering," Muchakazi added.
During the same portfolio committee meeting, Chiwenga took a swipe at the
SPB for blocking decentralised procurement practices. Chiwenga said there
was urgent need to evaluate the costs of continued centralised procurement.
He told the committee that the ZDF was currently procuring its supplies in
Harare, before transporting them to all its bases across the country. "The
wear and tear concerned, the fuel involved, it is not cost effective. It
will be in the interest of taxpayers that some of these things we are
talking about are produced locally in the areas surrounding army bases, and
that we allow our stations to purchase them in their localities," the ZDF
chief said.

Maphosa also attacked the State Procurement Board for failing to possess an
extensive supplier list, and added that the board only knew Harare based
suppliers. The committee also found out from Maphosa that most suppliers
registered with the SPB were middlemen, who ended up profiteering at the
expense of taxpayers. Maphosa hinted that there was need to evaluate the
country's indigenisation policy vis-à-vis army procurements. "There is a
political element in these so-called 'middlemen' and indigenous companies.
If we (the Defence ministry) go to established companies for our supplies,
we achieve our goals and end up saving money. "On the other hand if we go
these middlemen, we are destroying the (indigenisation) policy we are
following up on," Maphosa said. The portfolio committee meeting, chaired by
Bikita West's legislator, Claudius Makova had sought to establish the
current status of ZDF supplies procurement and also assist in streamlining
the army's procurement process.

'Zimbabwe will nationalise mine sector'

Business in Africa

Posted Thu, 14 Sep 2006

Harare - Zimbabwe would not back down on proposed changes to its mining laws
which would give the state a majority stake in foreign-owned firms, a
minister said on Thursday.

"There is no going back on the 51 percent mining ownership structure policy
structure for the government and 49 percent for outsiders," said junior
mines minister Tinos Rusere.

"There have been various submissions with some proposing a 30 percent stake
for locals, but there is no going back on what we have said."

"Very soon the actual (Mining and Minerals Amendment) Bill will be tabled in
parliament which will clarify everything," he added.

President Robert Mugabe last week sought to reassure mining firms in
Zimbabwe over the proposals, saying, somewhat ironically as the state would
not be paying for stakes in full, that they would not lead to property
grabs.

Platinum mining giant Zimplats has met with Mugabe to try to persuade the
government to reduce the proposed 51 percent stake for the state to 30
percent.

"Thirty percent being offered is out of the question," Rusere added.

Zimbabwe was in the throes of an economic crisis, with inflation topping 1
000 percent and severe shortages of fuel and food in the Southern African
country.

A key pillar of the economy along with agriculture, the mining sector last
year accounted for 44 percent of Zimbabwe's total foreign currency revenues,
according to Reserve Bank figures. The sector employs close to 45 000
workers.

"We made an offer of 30 percent to the government and we are still waiting
for a response," Jack Murehwa, Zimplats' spokesman said.

South Africa's Implats owns 86.9 percent of Zimplats, which operates
Zimbabwe's only platinum mine. It produced 494 tonnes of platinum last year.

Under current laws, locals were entitled to a 15-percent stake in
foreign-owned mining ventures, but only a handful of takers have come
forward to take up the offers. Sapa-AFP

Zimbabwe exchange moves to electronic system

Reuters

Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:15pm ET

HARARE, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's bourse launched an electronic trading
board on Thursday, becoming the third African country to move from a manual
system and paving the way for investors' to have access to real time data,
officials said.
The system, makes the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) the third after
Johannesburg and Cairo, and the 60th in the world to install an electronic
display, which will also supply data from the Zambian and Malawian bourses.

"We hope we will be able to improve our liquidity and turnaround in terms of
how we have been trading," ZSE Chief Executive Emmanuel Munyukwi told
Reuters after the launch.

"Previously, we were calculating our indices manually ... now its real time,
even when we are trading, we are churning out those figures. It will be good
for the investor because we will be able now to disseminate the information
much more quickly and much more reliably."

The Zimbabwe bourse, the second largest in southern Africa after the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange, boasts 80 counters and has a market
capitalisation of around $6 billion.

Maggie Makanza & Mduduzi Mathuthu on SWRA

Reporters Forum/ Wednesday
New Zimbabwe.COM editor Mduduzi Mathuthu joins the forum this week.
Reporters' Forum traces the formation of the website and how he has kept it
together over 3 years. Controversy has never been far from Mathuthu's
doorstep. Is this deliberate, strategic or coincidental? Lance Guma
questions him on his relationship with Jonathan Moyo and his constant verbal
brawls with Geoff Nyarota. Does he agree the website has a heavy slant
towards Matabeleland? Don't miss this two-part interview?

Behind the Headlines/ Thursday
Maggie Makanza is a Director at the Gender Education and Training Network
(GETNET) in South Africa. She recently presented a paper entitled 'The
anatomy of the Zimbabwean problem' at a public discussion hosted by the
Zimbabwe Social Forum (Pachedu/Sisonke) and Institute for Justice and
Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa. Makanza is the guest on Behind
the Headlines and talks about that presentation. She also talks about the
death of 'outrage' in Zimbabwe and says its people are remaining passive in
the face of extreme provocation i.e. Operation Murambatsvina. Where is the
opposition getting it wrong? Makanza answers that question.

On the Pulse
Upcoming artists Jusa, Alistair and Joe Shyna are guests On The Pulse. The
trio who represent the new generation of Zimbabwean artists based in the
diaspora recently gave quite a performance at the Miss Zimbabwe UK beauty
pageant. Don't miss the programme as all of them will be asked to sing an
impromptu promo for SW Radio Africa during the interview. Who will produce
the best one? Tune in to find out.

For the programme schedules visit:
http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/schedule.php

You can also visit our archives after broadcast at:
http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/archives.php

Lance Guma
Producer/Presenter
SW Radio Africa
+44-777-855-7615
www.swradioafrica.com

SW Radio Africa is Zimbabwe's only independent radio station broadcasting
from the United Kingdom. The station is staffed by exiled Zimbabwean
journalists who because of harsh media laws cannot broadcast from home.

Full broadcast on Shortwave 4880 KHZ  between 6-8pm ( British Summer time)
and 24 hours on the internet at www.swradioafrica.com.

Non-aligned, or 'axis of evil'?

Bangkok Post

Havana (dpa) - Barely 150 kilometres from US soil, Cuba will play host to
many of the leaders from what Washington terms rogue states, and might well
even consider adding to its "axis of evil."

Heads of state and high level delegations from North Korea, Iran, Syria,
Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Burma and Belarus will arrive Friday and Saturday in
Havana for the conclusion of the 14th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.

Cuba has declared Havana the "capital city of the Third World" as it gets
ready to host presidents including Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

The attendance of President Fidel Castro will be doubtful until the very
last minute, but the possible presence of the host country's 80-year-old
revolutionary leader has also raise expectations.

"When I read some news coming from regions other than ours, I am left with
no option but to imagine that the 'axis of evil' is growing, and if we go by
some press reports it will soon include 118 nations, namely those that make
up NAM," Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno joked this week in
Havana.

NAM is currently made up of 116 countries, with Haiti and St Kitts and Nevis
set to join the bloc later this week.

The United States was invited to the summit as an observer, but
unsurprisingly declined. The invitation issued by the communist island of
Cuba had of course been less than enthusiastic - a formality given the US
had attended the last NAM summit, in Malaysia in 2003.

Still, some allies of Washington are also expected in Havana, among them
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan. But
the NAM summit at the very least has an anti- US flair, hiding with varying
degrees of success under the bloc's defence of "multilateralism."

The meeting's current draft declaration, to be approved by leaders on
Saturday, contains abundant, more or less explicit criticisms of
Washington's foreign policy.

NAM leaders "reject the use of the term 'axis of evil' by certain states to
stigmatize other states with the pretext of the fight against terrorism,"
the draft says.

Close US ally Israel does not escape unscathed either. NAM, which counts
among its members such prominent Israel critics as Iran, Syria and Lebanon,
condemns the recent "merciless aggression against Lebanon."

It further rejects "the imposition of unilateral measures and plans aimed at
allowing Israel, the occupying power, to impose an illegal unilateral
solution" in its conflict with the Palestinian people.

The draft also stresses the "unconditional support (...) for Syria's just
demand to restore the full sovereignty of the occupied Syrian Golan
Heights."

On the other side, the draft speaks in favour of fiery opponents of
Washington like Iran, Venezuela and, of course, Cuba.

On Teheran, NAM "stresses the inalienable right of developing countries to
take part in the investigation, production and use of nuclear energy for
peaceful ends," the draft says.

NAM also expresses its concern over "agressive" US policies against the
government in Caracas, and "the increase in the actions of the US aimed at
affecting the stability of Venezuela."

As usual, the Non-Aligned Movement draft demands the lifting of the US trade
embargo on Cuba, in force since 1962.

"I would not say that the draft has very strong elements ... They are simply
the NAM principles of international law, principles contained in the UN
Charter," Deputy Foreign Minister Moreno said this week.

In a clear reference to the US, Moreno added that anyone who considers the
draft too strong disagrees with the principles of international law.

Given the high number of leaders that have confirmed their attendance at the
summit, analysts in Havana consider it highly likely that Fidel Castro will
make an effort to appear, as he recovers from surgery undergone six weeks
ago.

Castro is bound to enjoy the opportunity to appear in a "family picture"
with such enemies of the US as Ahmadinejad or Syria's Bashar Assad.

Makwavarara's son infected 6 UK girls with HIV

New Zimbabwe

By Staff Reporter
Last updated: 09/15/2006 01:03:17
SEKESAI Makwavarara's son was Thursday accused of infecting six British
girls with HIV, the virus that causes Aids.

The tabloid Sun newspaper reported Thursday that caravan salesman Everson
Banda, Makwavarara's son from an earlier relationship, had sex with scores
of women while he worked illegally at a British campsite.

Makwavarara, the controversial chairperson of the commission running Harare
City Council who was imposed by the government to replace elected mayor,
Elias Mudzuri, last night confirmed Banda was her son.

Banda, 29, was deported back to Zimbabwe last month before news of his
disease fully emerged.

He worked at a caravan park in Essex for two years and slept with 13 members
of staff and a number of holidaymakers during three seasons.

It was only after immigration officials had removed him that they discovered
letters in his caravan from lawyers of women who claimed he had given them
HIV.

They named up to five distraught lovers infected with the virus -- which
causes Aids -- after having sex with Banda who calls himself 'Ace'.

Panic spread through the Orchards Holiday Village near Clacton-on-Sea and a
staff member also tested positive -- she said Banda was the only man she had
slept with.

The burly African, whose own health had been failing, was removed by the
immigration service on August 19.

He was arrested for overstaying and thrown out after he admitted his claim
that he faced imprsionment, torture or death in Zimbabwe was false.

A Home Office source said that if they had known Banda had the infection
before he flew home he may have faced a police investigation.

Carriers of the virus who knowingly infect sexual partners have already been
convicted of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm in British courts.

It is thought Banda entered Britain six years ago on a tourist visa but
overstayed. He lied about his immigration status to first land a job as a
security guard at the village and then work as a saleman.

Although Banda lived in a tower block in central Southend, Essex, he was
given use of a site caravan, which is where he seduced many of his
conquests.

He is said to have wooed girls at the campsite's pubs and bars, plying them
with drink before walking them back to his berth.

He was told in April last year to become a registered security guard if he
wanted to continue working there.

But he could not provide a passport or visa for the post and talked bosses
into appointing him as a caravan salesman, selling mobile homes priced
£17,000 to £75,000.

He became the lover of another salesgirl who has so far not tested positve
for HIV.

Banda is believed to have infected another colleague who regularly became
ill with colds and after going to her doctor was horrified to discover she
was HIV positive.

His most recent girlfriend was a Polish barmaid who recently returned to her
homeland unaware of his dark secret.

A source in the camp told The Sun: "In the three seasons he had been here,
Banda's health had been slowly deteriorating.

"His skin had been falling off his face and scalp, and he had been losing
his hair. "He started out quite muscular but in recent times he had lost a
lot of weight. At the time people blamed it on stress, they said he had
immigartion problems.

"When the guys went into his caravan, they also found a lot of medication,
tablets in silver foil wrappers.

"Perhaps he was leaving them as a sign to say what he had done and to tell
his lovers they must get tested."

Holidaymakers come to the popular seaside campsite form as far away as
Belgium, Poland and Germany.

Home Office sources confirmed Banda had been 'removed' back to Zimbabwe
after dropping a political asylum claim following his arrest for
overstaying.

A source said: "It wasn't until after his arrest that we became aware he was
HIV positive. "This has no relevance to our handling of the case but came to
light in the course of our enquiries.

"Banda claimed asylum soon after his arrest for overstaying - then dropped
his claims and agreed to be removed back to Zimbabwe.

"Perhaps he realised it was a good opportunity to get away from the terrible
situation he had created."

An immigration service spokesman refused to comment on Banda's case saying
"We do not comment on individual cases."

A spokesman for The Orchards Holiday Park said: "We are now carrying out a
full investigation and are in contact with the Home Office and Immigration
Directorate to discover how Everson Banda was able to enter this country
with forged documents and gain employment.

"This is a most unfortunate situation and we are co-operating fully with the
Home office, police and any other interested parties to find out the truth
of the matter."

Last night, Makwavarara only spoke to a New Zimbabwe.com correspondent to
confirm Banda was her son, but declined further comment, saying it was a
"private matter".