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Zim
leaders divided over Libyan ambassador
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tererai Karimakwenda
01
September, 2011
The political crisis unfolding in Libya has put
Zimbabwe’s own situation
under scrutiny, with senior leaders in government
divided over this week’s
expulsion of the Libyan ambassador, Taher Elmagrahi
and his staff.
On Tuesday Elmagrahi was given three days to leave
Zimbabwe by ZANU PF,
after he defected to the National Transitional Council
(NTC), who are now
widely accepted as the new authorities in Libya. Reports
said he was leaving
the country on Thursday.
The unilateral decision
by ZANU PF, whose leader Robert Mugabe is a close
ally of deposed Colonel
Muammar Gaddafi, highlighted the weaker role played
by the two MDC
formations in Zimbabwe’s unity government. Both commented on
the expulsion
but have no power to change the decision.
The MDC-T condemned the
expulsion of Elmagrahi and his staff, calling it a
“despicable act” by ZANU
PF. The MDC-N led by Professor Welshman Ncube said
while ZANU PF’s decision
was “unacceptable”, the party had not yet reached
an official position on
the issue.
But the Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, on Wednesday
defended the
decision to expel the Libyan envoy. Speaking in parliament he
said Zimbabwe
still recognizes Gaddafi and Elmagrahi lost his diplomatic
credentials when
he defected to the NTC. This view was dismissed by some
observers who said
Mutambara does not represent anyone in
Zimbabwe.
Political analyst Bekithemba Mhlanga said it is clear the
expulsion was a
ZANU PF decision and technically the MDC-T can always
disassociate
themselves. “From a moral high ground they can say in the
future that they
were opposed to it. But the decision should have been
discussed”, Mhlanga
added.
He also pointed to the fact that there had
been no official statement from
the MDC-T regarding the expulsion of the
Libyans, and responses had come as
comments from party officials. “They have
been careful to discuss it first
because in the past they were accused of
being western puppets,” Mhlanga
said.
Meanwhile South Africa’s
President Jacob Zuma reportedly criticized NATO’s
bombing of Libya, saying
it went beyond U.N. resolutions to protect
civilians. Speaking to
journalists during a state visit to Norway, Zuma said
he would boycott a
conference on Libya taking place in Paris on Thursday,
because Libya’s
future should be headed by the A.U. and the U.N.
Observers have accused
the A.U. of trying to negotiate a coalition
government in Libya, similar to
the one in Zimbabwe, allowing the loser to
stay in power. This would be a
way to protect their ally Gaddafi, who would
face prosecution for his abuses
in Libya.
Professor Ken Mufuka from the Zim Global Forum agreed. He
explained that
most African leaders do not like to leave office because they
know they will
be prosecuted for their past atrocities. And this is why the
A.U. is now
calling for a Libyan solution that includes Gaddafi.
But
Mufuka said it is too late for the A.U. to determine Libya’s future,
having
failed to negotiate elections between Gaddafi and the rebels.
“Gaddafi
could have avoided prosecution by losing a legitimate election and
the A.U.
should have intervened sooner and organized that. But now it is too
late”,
the professor explained.
Deputy Prime Minister Says Libyan Envoy Deserved
Expulsion
http://www.voanews.com
31 August
2011
Deputy Minister of Justice Obert Gutu said Harare over-reacted
as the
National Transitional Council is now the de facto government and
former
leader Moammar Gadhafi is no longer in control in
Tripoli
Violet Gonda & Irwin Chifera
Zimbabwean Deputy
Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara on Wednesday defended this
week's expulsion
Libyan Ambassador Taher Elmagrahi saying the envoy violated
the terms of his
diplomatic mission and that Harare has not yet recognized
the National
Transitional Council taking power in Tripoli after toppling
Moammar
Gadhafi.
Responding to a question in Parliament from Highfield East
lawmaker Simon
Hove on the decision Tuesday to give Elmagrahi until Friday
to leave the
country, Mutambara said the envoy lost his diplomatic rights
when he
declared his defection to the NTC.
The Libyan Ambassador and
his staff last week burned the flag of the Gadhafi
government that for all
intents and purposes appeared to have been driven
from power, then announced
their defection to the revolutionary government
in Tripoli.
Mutambara
said the fact that Zimbabwe has not recognized the Transitional
Council
means that it still recognizes the government of Moammar Gadhafi.
Yet
Mutambara added that the Libyan question was complicated and that the
government must collectively come to a decision whether or not to recognize
the National Transitional Council as the legitimate new government of
Libya.
Asked if Gadhafi has entered Zimbabwe or whether the Harare unity
government
would offer him political asylum, Mutambara said that the
question has not
yet been addressed, adding that in any case it would have
to involve all the
parties in government.
Deputy Minister of Justice
Obert Gutu of the Movement for Democratic Change
formation led by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai disagreed with the Foreign
Ministry. He told
Studio 7 reporter Violet Gonda that Harare over-reacted,
as the National
Transitional Council is now the de facto government and
Gadhafi is no longer
in control.
Gutu said that under the law diplomats are accredited by a
sovereign nation
to another, thus they are not sent abroad to represent a
particular leader
but the country.
“It would have been better, it
would have been wiser, indeed cleverer, if
perhaps the Zimbabwean officials
would have bid their time and waited to
make an observation as to see how
the Libyan political scenario is
unfolding," Gutu said.
But rival MDC
formation leader Welshman Ncube said Elmagrahi put himself in
an untenable
position by publicly shifting his loyalties, noting that his
diplomatic
credentials were issued by the Gadhafi government. Ncube said
Elmagrahi
should have bided his time until Zimbabwe had recognized the new
government
in Libya.
Ncube said political and moral sympathies regarding the Libyan
situation are
neither here nor there, as the envoy cannot represent an
entity Harare has
not yet recognized.
“He cannot represent Libya
unless he holds valid letters of accreditation to
Zimbabwe and those which
were valid were given to him by Colonel Gadhafi,"
Ncube said.
"The
Transitional Council has not given him any accreditation and secondly
it’s
not yet recognized in Zimbabwe," he said.
Ncube said the Foreign Minister
Simbarashe Mumbengegwi presented the facts
during Tuesday's meeting of the
Cabinet cabinet meeting which could not be
disputed at law.
At least
20 African countries and many western nations have recognized the
transitional council as the new government of Libya.
Zim
Journalists Arrested At Libyan Embassy
http://www.radiovop.com/
Harare, September 01, 2011 -
Zimbabwean police on Thursday arrested two
journalists working for
Associated Press for allegedly filming the Libyan
embassy in Harare. Two
plainclothes policemen arrested Farai Mugano, a
cameraman for Associated
Press and Gillian Gotora, a journalist working for
the American news agency
and accused them of filming the Libyan embassy
without
authority.
Gotora was released and Mugano was detained at the Libyan
embassy. Eye
witnesses who witnessed the arrest told Radio VOP that an
embassy
official first gave chase to Mugano who was filming the embassy
before the
plainclothes policemen arrested the two journalists.
The
police and the embassy officials accused the journalists of entering the
Libyan territory without authority.
On Tuesday, the Zimbabwean government
gave the Lybian ambassador, Taher El
Magrahi to Zimbabwe 72 hours to leave
the country after he
defected to the National Transitional Council last
week.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Samuel Mumbengegwi told journalists at
a
press conference that El Magrahi had been asked to leave Harare
within
three days.
The ZANU (PF) side of government accused the Libyan envoy of
hoisting the
North African state’s new flag before forcing him to later pull
down the NTC’s
flag.
KP Acts On
Marange Torture Claims
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare, September 01 2011 - The Kimberly
Process has asked the Zimbabwean
government to respond to allegations of
rampant torture at the Marange
diamond fields made in a recent British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
documentary.
KP chairman Mathieu
Yamba from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said
they were interested
in exchanging information with the BBC.
In a letter dated August 22,
Yamba said the KP was also seeking
clarifications from the government of
Zimbabwe.
“The KP stands ready to use all relevant KP monitoring
mechanisms and to
fully engage in gathering information relevant to these
allegations,” the KP
boss said in the letter.
The KP is a United
Nations endorsed body set up to halt the sale of diamonds
from conflict
areas where funds are used to support illegal operations.
BBC through its
Panorama programme last month aired testimonies of victims
who claimed that
they were tortured and sexually assaulted at an army camp
in the diamond
mining area.
The Zimbabwean government dismissed the documentary saying
it was British
propaganda meant to stop the country from selling its
diamonds on the
international market.
Yamba was instrumental in
pushing a KP resolution that allowed Zimbabwe to
start exporting the Marange
diamonds in June despite opposition from Western
countries.
Revelations that the KP had sprung into action following
the BBC torture
claims coincided with a report released on Tuesday by the
United States
based Human Rights Watch alleging that human rights abuses
were still going
on in Marange.
Another report by Partnership Africa
Canada accused several Zimbabwean
financial institutions of facilitating
sales of Marange “blood” diamonds.
But South African owned Standard Bank
dismissed the allegations.
“Standard Bank refutes the allegation by
international human rights group
Partnership Africa Canada that it or its
affiliates own shares in Zimbabwean
banks that have ties to the Marange
diamond field,” the bank said in a
statement.
“This allegation is
unfounded and based on a misunderstanding of the
fiduciary between
relationship between Stanbic Nominees and its clients.”
Zimbabwe has
battled to have the Marange diamonds sold openly on the
international market
with little success because of the alleged human rights
violations.
Marange
miners: testimonies of abuse
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Ten Marange miners interviewed recently by
Human Rights Watch have reported
being mauled by dogs and beaten by private
security guards.
31.08.1101:53pm
by Mxolisi Ncube
The victims
said the majority of incidents involved security guards working
for Mbada
Mining, a South African and Zimbabwean joint venture, whose guards
were
identifiable by their black uniform.
“The Mbada guards are the worst.
They don’t hesitate to set the dogs upon
you and they also beat you up,”
said one miner.
“Human Rights Watch was unable to interview Mbada Mining
officials during
the mission, because they were not reachable by phone,”
said the
organisation.
In one incident, private security guards
working for Mbada set four dogs on
a handcuffed miner caught digging for
diamonds close to the fields mined by
Mbada.
“I was attacked by all
of them. The dogs were biting me and I was screaming.
It was terrible,” said
the man, who is in his 20s.
A clinical officer in the town close to the
fields told Human Rights Watch,
“We have had so many people coming to the
clinic with dog attacks. It’s easy
to tell they’ve been bitten by dogs. You
see the marks. Every week we treat
around five or more miners with dog
bites. They tell us that private
security guards working for Mbada are the
ones who set the dogs upon them.”
HRW research found that in many cases
dogs were used not just to restrain
the victims, but to inflict as much
injury as possible, with miners
reporting that security guards would shout
at the dogs to “attack” even if
the miners had surrendered or stopped
running.
A provincial hospital clinical officer told the researchers that
he had seen
at least 15 victims of dog attacks since April, in one of which
the victim
died from his injuries.
Local miners and civil society
activists reported that the numbers of dog
attack victims could be much
higher, but that the majority of victims chose
not to seek treatment as
hospitals often required a police report.
They also said police often
carried out joint operations with private
security guards in advance of
visits to the fields by senior government
officials or foreign
delegations.
For example, police and private security guards carried out
operations to
clear the fields of diggers in advance of visits by President
Robert Mugabe
in March and delegates from the African Diamond Producers
Association in
April. Some of the worst incidents occurred in the days
before these visits.
A local clinical officer described a joint operation
between the police and
private security guards to drive away miners in late
May and early June:
“Three came on one day, with wounds similar to tears –
not just teeth
punctures. The injuries showed that the dogs were tearing the
flesh and not
just biting to restrain the miners. Such wounds are difficult
to treat. I
also treated three guys who were shot by the police. They were
shot from the
back and behind their legs. We tried to operate on them but
their injuries
were serious and we transferred them to the provincial
hospital.”
Testimonies of abuse
Some of the cases recorded by
HRW:
Blessing G., 21: “Six of us were digging in the bush when we were
caught by
these private guards led by a white man. They had four dogs. One
of the
guards had a gun. When they saw us they released the dogs. I tried to
run
away and fell. My friends escaped. Three dogs attacked me. One caught me
on
the leg and the other one on my hand. The other dog bit me on the
stomach. I
lay on the ground begging them to call the dogs off. After two or
so
minutes, it felt like a long time they called off the dogs and told me,
“We
don’t want people like you mining illegally for the diamonds.” I
couldn’t
walk for several days because of my injuries.”
James T., 27:
“I was digging for diamonds next to the Mbada area when I
heard a shout,
“Catch.” The guards were with a white man. There were four
dogs and I was
attacked by all of them. The dogs were biting me and I was
screaming. One of
the guards came, pulled off the dogs and then handcuffed
me and then he
shouted, “Attack” and the dogs came back and started biting
me as I lay on
the ground. After a few more minutes they grabbed the dogs
off and marched
me to their diamond base where they bandaged my wounds and
then drove me out
of the fields. I didn’t go for further treatment. I just
went
home.”
Peter N., 20: “During one operation we were caught by private
security
guards and police. There were many of us. The guards had dogs and
teargas,
which they threw at us. We started running, and they let the dogs
loose.
Many of us were bitten. They had many dogs. The guards were wearing
dark
uniforms. The police were also there and they had guns. At some point
they
started shooting. I kept running but when the police started shooting I
stopped and surrendered. That’s when the dogs came and started biting me. I
know that some of the others were shot by the police because I saw them
fall. I don’t know if anyone died.”
Richard L., 22: “I haven’t gone
back since I was bitten by the dogs and hit
by the guards. It was around May
and there were 10 or 15 of us. We were
working in a syndicate with the
soldiers and they had told us which area to
dig for the diamonds. Suddenly
we heard shouting and the security guards
came running after us. They were
not armed. They shouted at the dogs,
“Attack” and then we all started
running. I was caught by one dog. I don’t
know how many dogs they were. The
dogs bit me on the legs and stomach.
Afterward some of the guards came and
started kicking us saying we should
learn not to dig for diamonds in that
area. The Mbada guards are the worst.
They don’t hesitate to set the dogs
upon you and they also beat you up. I
didn’t go to the hospital I just went
home and healed by myself.”
Theft
of Anglican properties: Archbishop seeks Mugabe meeting
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Dr Rowan
Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the world’s
77- million
strong Anglican Communion, wants to meet President Robert Mugabe
when he
visits Harare in October in the hope of regaining churches and
church
properties effectively stolen by renegade “bishop” Nolbert
Kunonga.
30.08.1104:45pm
by Trevor Grundy
In its 21 June 2008, an
article in the Roman Catholic weekly magazine The
Tablet written by
Professor Terence Ranger wondered if Zimbabwe's Henry V111
( Robert Mugabe)
was taking on Christian churches, the last bastion against
the state. Henry
V111 stole vast amounts of church property in the 16th
century enriching his
family and Tudor cronies in the process. In its 21
June 2008, an article in
the Roman Catholic weekly magazine The Tablet
written by Professor Terence
Ranger wondered if Zimbabwe's Henry V111 (
Robert Mugabe) was taking on
Christian churches, the last bastion against
the state. Henry V111 stole
vast amounts of church property in the 16th
century enriching his family and
Tudor cronies in the process.
A spokesperson for the Archbishop said
Williams would be visiting Zimbabwe
as part of a wider trip that would take
him to Malawi and Zambia. “It is a
pastoral visit to show support for the
Anglican church there,” she said.
The former Bishop of Harare (Anglican)
Nolbert Kunonga, a close ally of
Mugabe and friend of Zanu (PF), has seized
the cathedral in Harare as well
as churches and other valuable
property.
He was excommunicated in 2008 after he declared his diocese to
be
independent of the Anglican Communion.
A recent court decision in
Zimbabwe gave custody of Anglican properties to
Kunonga who has declared
himself the head of his own church.
As a result, about 80 Anglican
priests have been ordered to leave their
rectories and vicarages which have
been seized by Kunonga’s supporters, who
claim to represent “the real”
Anglican church in the face of the Western
church’s liberal attitude towards
homosexuality.
Mugabe’s office has not yet decided whether he will meet
the archbishop,
said a report in The Times ( 27 August, 2011). Ruth
Gledhill, the paper’s
religious affairs correspondent, said that in
Zimbabwe, theological
“justifications” have been levelled to sanctify what
are in fact land and
property grabs.
Chad Gandiya, the Harare bishop
for the Anglican province of Central Africa,
said Williams was pressing to
meet Mugabe over this burning issue.
“At the moment there are
parishioners being banned from church buildings by
Kunonga with help of the
police. They are worshipping in open spaces, under
trees or booking other
church buildings,” said Gandiya.
Churches taken over by the
‘Kunonga-ites’ include Borrowdale church, the
main cathedral in Harare (St
Mary’s), Dzivaresekwa Kuwadzana and many other
Anglican parishes where
police have been seen chasing away worshippers
remaining with the true
Anglican church.
Kunonga is also in charge of Anglican schools under the
diocese despite his
ex-communication. The ownership dispute is before the
courts.
The Anglican Diocese of Harare has appealed a recent chamber
ruling by
Zimbabwean Supreme Court Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku giving
Kunonga
custody of all parish properties. The full bench of the Supreme
Court sits
as a constitutional court in such matters.
Lawyers for the
Anglican diocese filed an appeal last week arguing that
Chidyausiku’s ruling
is null and void because it contravenes sections of the
constitution.
It said Kunonga voluntarily left the church only to
return with the support
of the Zimbabwean police to eject Anglican
parishioners from their
longstanding places of worship. Kunonga’s agents
have threatened and
harassed diocese clergy, and drive many out of church
properties.
Neither Kunonga not his spokesperson were available for
comment. The Kunonga
camp has until 5 September to respond to the Supreme
Court appeal. - African
Forum News Services (AFNS)
World
Bank Worried About 'Ghost Workers'
http://www.radiovop.com/
By Ngoni Chanakira, Harare,
September 1, 2011 - The World Bank says its is
extremely worried about
Zimbabwe's "thousands" of "Ghost Workers" that are
allegedly gobbling
millions from the nation's coffers, Radio VOP can
exclusively
reveal.
Insiders said the "ghost workers" could "conservatively"
amount to more than
160 000 who daily mill around government offices selling
various trinkets
and food stuffs in corridors, while some are actually
dead.
Kundhavi Kadiresan, World Bank Country Director responsible for
Malawi,
Zambia and Zimbabwe said: "We (The World Bank) have been holding
discussions
with ministers in charge of the economy and what is being done
about the
alleged thousands of ghost workers who are still being paid by
government.
"We asked the Government of Zimbabwe to tell us what they are
doing about
this issue."
She said her "World Bank Team" in Harare
also discussed Zimbabwe's stance on
the new Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment regulations that have caused
headaches for the business
community especially the banking and mining
sectors.
Both sectors
have said the new regulations will stifle much-needed
investment and
seriously affect the nation's liquidity increasing further
its economic
malaise.
The Minister of Indigenisation and Employment Creation, Saviour
Kasukuwere,
has threatened major commercial banking institutions including
Barclays Bank
Zimbabwe Limited (Barclays), which is listed on the Zimbabwe
Stock Exchange
(ZSE), and Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe Limited
(Stanchart) as well as
major mining firms such as Anglo American Corporation
Limited and Impala
Platinum Mines that he would take away their operating
licences if they did
not play ball and co-operate with
government.
The new regulations stipulate that locals must own at least
51 percent of
any firm that has a turnover of at least US$1 million in
Zimbabwe today.
"We discussed the new regulations on indigenisation as
well as the banking
and liquidity issues," Kadiresan said in
Harare.
"We also discussed several issues with the Minister of Finance,
Tendai Biti,
about issues dealing with the country's economy and the way
forward.
Zimbabwe has a liquidity problem and we also discussed this with
the
ministers."
She said the World Bank Team had also discussed
government's debt
reconciliation programme.
"There is a lot of
potential in Zimbabwe," she said.
"You have a very high growth rate of
about 9 percent, low inflation of about
three percent, and are showing
strong signs of stability. Zimbabwe's
potential is enormous."
The
very influential World Bank says while it strongly supports
indigenisation
of African economies, Zimbabwe's latest regulations are
"unclear" and have
resulted in major investors sitting on the fence.
"The cost of doing
business in Zimbabwe is very high and the investment
climate is still not
conducive," Kundhavi Kadiresan, Country Director for
Malawi, Zambia and
Zimbabwe said in Harare after visiting several financial
institutions and
meeting senior ministers whose ministries deal with
economic
issues.
"Since there is no clarity on issues many investors are sitting
on the
fence. We (World Bank) are looking carefully at your indigenisation
and
economic empowerment regulations and how they will affect your
economy."
Kasukuwere has given the Western business community a
tongue-lashing
accusing it of "reaping where it has not sown" by grabbing
all "profits" and
taking them to their capitals in London (United Kingdom),
Paris (France) and
Washington D.C (United States).
His new
regulations on indigenisation have riled even local business tycoons
especially those in the mining sector who point out that Zimbabwe does not
need such "draconian" regulations coming at a time when the country is
seriously in the red and does not have sufficient balance of payments
support from the international community.
Under the new
indigenisation and economic empowerment regulations,
Zimbabweans must earn
at least 51 percent of any firm taking home US$1
million in
turnover.
In an exclusive interview with Radio VOP, business mogul and
prominent
banker, James Mushore, Chief Executive of NMBZ Holdings Limited
(NMBZ), said
Zimbabwe's indigenisation regulations were "unclear" and
"opaque".
NMBZ is dually listed on the Zimbabwe and London Stock
Exchanges.
It is currently the only indigenous commercial services group
to achieve
this feat.
"Zimbabwe's economy is agricultural-based,"
Mushore told Radio VOP.
"Agriculture used to provide 65 percent of inputs
into manufacturing. It
follows, therefore, that to create employment we need
to fund agriculture
which will lead to a resurrection in
manufacturing.
"To fund agriculture we need access to lines of credit
which will allow us
to advance loans of 270 days or more as this is the
typical see to harvest
period."
He revealed that NMBZ was currently
seeking US$10 in lines of credit for
this from the international
community.
Commenting on the indigenisation regulations that have
apparently riled his
colleagues in the financial services sector, Mushore
said: "To access lines
of credit we need to be able to get lenders to
reassess their views on what
they perceive to be political risk in
Zimbabwe.
"We can do this in a number of ways - one of which is to have
legislation
that is clear. We all want indigenisation but the perception out
there is
that our indigenisation laws are opaque and capable of many
interpretations
and, therefore, manipulation. Investors thrive on certainty.
Our empowerment
and indigenisation laws need to be crafted in a way that is
clear and
unambiguous."
The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (COMZ),
currently being led by Gapare as
President, has told government that 25
percent and not 51 percent could be
used for the economic empowerment
purposes.
But this suggestion was rejected by Minister
Kasukuwere.
The World Bank's Kadiresan said: "Zimbabwe has a fragile
policy environment.
The World Bank is working on trying to improve the
country's business
environment.
"The political economy must be
improved. This should be underpinned by the
Global Political Agreement (GPA)
with SADC support.
"The Bank is contributing by sharing best global
practices in critical
issues affecting the business environment, especially
property rights in the
context of agrarian reforms and economic
empowerment."
ZANU
PF expel Tracy Mutinhiri over MDC-T links
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
01 September
2011
ZANU PF on Wednesday decided to expel Tracy Mutinhiri, their MP for
Marondera East, following long running accusations that she was
de-campaigning the party and building a relationship with the MDC-T.
Mutinhiri is also the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social
Services.
According to party spokesman Rugare Gumbo, “It was unanimously
agreed that
she should be dismissed from the party with immediate
effect.
Politburo has taken that position and the secretary for
administration
(Didymus Mutasa) will advise her. We go by the decision of
the disciplinary
committee.” It’s now more than likely Mugabe will remove
her as Deputy
Minister in government.
There was confusion over
Mutinhiri’s status following reports last month
that she had been suspended
for 5 years. It later turned out the decision
was made by the Mashonaland
East provincial disciplinary committee, subject
to approval by the party.
Mutinhiri appealed the decision, but on Wednesday
ZANU PF’s supreme decision
making body, the Politburo, sealed her fate and
expelled
her.
Mutinhiri’s troubles mirror the infighting within ZANU PF. Her
problems
started when she and fellow ZANU PF MP for Goromonzi West, Beatrice
Nyamupinga, were accused of betraying the party and supporting the MDC-T
candidate for Speaker of Parliament, Lovemore Moyo. Since then she has had
her farm in Marondera invaded by thugs sponsored by State Security Minister
Sidney Sekeramayi.
Mutinhiri hit back and accused ZANU PF of
trying to kill her in the same
manner that they had killed MDC-T supporters.
She specifically pointed to
the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
currently headed by Sekeramayi
and said the CIO wanted to kill her and dump
her body in the Wenimbe dam,“like
they did to hundreds of innocent suspected
MDC supporters in June 2008.”
Other reports are suggesting that Mutinhiri
is being punished for allegedly
calling Mugabe ‘old’. Tracy is also a former
wife to the notorious retired
army Brigadier-General, Ambrose Mutinhiri,
cited as directing several
incidents of political violence against MDC-T
supporters. Ironically, it’s
likely she will now lose the farm that she and
her husband invaded and
seized with the help of war vets in 2002.
Zanu-PF
fires lawmaker for calling Mugabe 'old'
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Sapa-dpa | 01 September, 2011 10:3221
Comments
A Zimbabwean lawmaker has been expelled from President
Robert Mugabe's
Zanu-PF party for calling the 87-year-old leader "old", the
party announces.
Tracy Mutinhiri now risks losing her parliamentary seat
for the Marondera
East constituency, and her position as deputy labour
minister in the
power-sharing government.
"It was unanimously agreed
that she should be dismissed from the party with
immediate effect," Zanu-PF
spokesman Rugare Gumbo was by the official Herald
daily as
saying.
Mutinhiri was charged with being disloyal to Zanu-PF, and
bringing the party
into disrepute. She is alleged to have told party members
in Mashonaland
East province that former opposition leader and current
premier, Morgan
Tsvangirai, would be the next president as "President Mugabe
was old."
She was also accused of failing to attend party meetings and of
failing to
discharge her duties as a party representative. Gumbo said the
politburo
took the decision to expel Mutinhiri on the recommendation of the
Zanu-PF
national disciplinary committee.
Mugabe has been in power for
31 years. He still wields most of the authority
in a two-year-old power
sharing government with Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change.
Row
over Mujuru escalates
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Nkululeko Sibanda, Senior Writer
Thursday, 01
September 2011 14:16
HARARE - An explosive Zanu PF indaba is in the
offing tomorrow as it emerges
that close associates of late army commander
Retired General Solomon Mujuru
are set to push for an explanation from the
party on the circumstances that
led to the former army boss’
death.
The party holds its National Consultative Assembly meeting
tomorrow in the
capital at a time when there is mounting tension over
Mujuru’s death.
Questions have emerged over Mujuru’s death as party
members refuse to buy
the argument that the Retired General’s death was
caused by a “mere candle”
fire.
Efforts to sell what the Mujuru
faction calls a dummy — that the former army
commander was killed by a
candlelight-inspired fire — have left party
members suspecting foul
play.
Indications are that there are attempts by unknown people in the
system to
divert attention and spread the rumour that Mujuru could have been
killed by
the Israeli mafia over diamonds.
Party sources said
tomorrow’s meeting could be a tense affair as party
leaders could be put in
a tight corner to explain what could have transpired
leading to Mujuru’s
death.
Mujuru died a few weeks after a showdown with some novice
politburo members
who were accusing him of working with the
MDC.
President Robert Mugabe, at the burial of the late Retired General,
bemoaned
that Mujuru was killed by a fire.
“Rex Nhongo. We believed
in you yesterday when you led the trouncing of the
whites. We celebrated
with you. You played a great part in politics, you
executed your role well
as a Member of Parliament. You were a farmer of
note.
“You ducked
bullets and landmines during the liberation war. Even lions and
snakes
failed or hated to get you. But how did you allow this one (the fire
incident) to take you away like that? I was afraid that Rex would be shot
and killed during the war of liberation. I did not think that a fire would
take you away in such a painful way. Go well, son of the soil,” said
Mugabe.
Vice President Joice Mujuru, who at first appeared calm as
suspicion of foul
play swirled around her husband’s death, has added her
voice to the mystery
on her husband’s death.
Speaking to Zimbabwe’s
national women’s soccer team that visited her home
last week, Mujuru said it
was surprising that her husband could succumb to a
fire given the design of
the family’s bedroom.
“We have not been told what happened between 8pm
when he arrived at home
until the next morning when the fire was
discovered. We are just told that
he was killed by a fire and that is it.
There is nothing else that is said,”
said the vice
president.
Moreover, Mujuru said it was unclear how Mujuru could fail to
escape the
fire through the windows when they were not even secured by
burglar bars.
The Mujuru faction seems to be spurred on by a report by
private
investigators that suggested there could have been foul play in
Mujuru’s
death.
The report, compiled by South African investigators,
is said to have shocked
and devastated family members.
The contents
of the report are yet to be made public.
Fissures between the Mujuru
faction and the one led by Emmerson Mnangagwa,
which is said to be
determined to succeed President Mugabe, are seen
deepening following the
Mujuru saga.
A party source said there was a push by the faction to raise
the issue at
tomorrow’s meeting.
“It is very clear to all who care to
observe that the party, save for the
condolence messages that came from
members and other arms of the
party, has kept silent on this saga,” said a
source.
“It was expected that something was going to be said by the
leadership at
either the family home or the burial about the party’s
position regarding
Mujuru’s death."
“That deafening silence is what
is pushing members to the resolution that
the matter must be raised at the
Friday meeting because there is no way such
a death can just be allowed to
die like that,” added the source.
Sources said party members would
request that a party position be spelt out
regarding the Retired General’s
death.
“We are pushing that the matter be discussed towards the end of
the meeting.
We are aware that for other reasons, the top leadership of the
party might
decide not to put it on the agenda for the Friday meeting. But
we will
ensure that it is discussed,” the source said.
Zanu PF
spokesperson Rugare Gumbo could not be contacted for comment
yesterday as
his phone went unanswered. It emerged yesterday that he was
locked up in a
politburo meeting.
‘Harare worst
city to live in’
http://www.iol.co.za
September 1 2011 at 05:56pm
A top
research group rates Zimbabwe's capital as the worst of 140 world
cities to
live in.
The British-based Economist Intelligence Unit, in a study
available Thursday
in Harare, said its researchers excluded cities in Libya,
Iraq and other war
zones.
Harare, where power and water outages occur
daily, scored a 38 percent
“livability rating.”
The group said the
threat of civil unrest and the availability of public
health care and public
transport were intolerable. Energy and water supplies
were undesirable, it
said, calling phones and Internet services
uncomfortable.
Zimbabwe
formed a shaky coalition government in 2009 after years of
political
violence and economic meltdown. Melbourne and Vienna were the two
easiest
cities to live in.
The group is a respected economic and risk consultancy
linked to the
Economist magazine. - Sapa-AP
Probe
on Biti bombing yields nothing so far
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Nkululeko Sibanda, Senior
Writer
Thursday, 01 September 2011 19:02
HARARE - Police remain
clueless on who was responsible for bombing Finance
minister, Tendai Biti’s
Chisipite house three months ago despite on-going
investigations.
Police spokesperson senior assistant commissioner
Wayne Bvudzijena told the
Daily News yesterday police were still hoping to
get information that could
help in the investigation.
“Apparently,
nothing has come out of those investigations (into Biti’s
houses’ bombing).
They are still on-going,” said Bvudzijena.
“We hope that someone
somewhere will come forward with information that
could help us. We call
upon members of the public to come forward if they
have anything that can
help in our investigations on the matter,” Bvudzijena
said.
Biti’s
house was bombed on June 6 by unknown assailants who threw an
explosive into
the MDC secretary-general’s home.
The explosive damaged part of the
security wall erected to protect the
residence.
It is reported that
only the guard was at home when the incident happened.
The incident took
place days after Biti was pressurised by Zanu- PF and
demonstrators
purporting to be war veterans, to increase civil servants’
salaries.
Biti at the time argued that there was no money that
allowed him to sanction
the anticipated pay hike.
The civil servants were
later awarded a $31 increment, with the lowest
worker taking home around
$270.
Civil servants were recently shocked when government splashed about
$20
million on top-of-the-range and state-of-the-art luxury vehicles in what
has
come to be known as “Luxurygate.”
Biti has distanced himself from
the purchase of the vehicles, arguing that
questions over the acquisition of
those vehicles should be directed to
Transport and Communications Minister
Nicholas Goche.
Goche, in recent media reports, also distanced himself
from the acquisition
of the vehicles.
He was quoted as saying he was
not in charge of Treasury, hence he could not
respond to the issues of funds
that were released for the acquisition of the
vehicles.
Eyebrows Raised as Zimbabwe MDC Formation Launches Politics
School
http://www.voanews.com/
31 August
2011
Youth Initiative for Democracy Director Sydney Chisi said
political parties
have a right to educate youths on their thinking and
methods so long as such
training does not promote anti-democratic
notions.
Tatenda Gumbo | Washington
The smaller of Zimbabwe's
two formations of the Movement for Democratic
Change on Friday was to launch
a school of politics for young party members,
leading some to voice concern
that the former opposition party was going
down a pathway similar to that
taken by President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF in
indoctrinating young
Zimbabweans.
The MDC formation led by Industry Minister Welshman Ncube
said the training
sessions in the party's Bulawayo offices are intended to
educate young
activists on Zimbabwean history and the development of the
former opposition
party, which split in 2005. The larger MDC formation is
led by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Ncube MDC officials said the
curriculum is designed to teach a new way of
politics that breaks with the
ZANU-PF dominated politics of the past 30
years. The party intends to
eventually offer such classes in MDC provincial
offices across the
country.
Some observers said the MDC school of politics at first glance
resembles the
model of the ZANU-PF-controlled Border Gezi National Youth
Service training
centers.
But Ncube MDC formation spokesman Nhlanhla
Dube told VOA reporter Tatenda
Gumbo that this is not so as the MDC school
will instruct on various
political philosophies.
ZANU-PF spokesman
Rugare Gumbo says the MDC is welcome to train its youth -
but warned against
launching a program designed to educate dissidents.
Responding to MDC
criticism of the National Youth Service training centers,
he said they are
open to all Zimbabwean youths, not only those loyal to
ZANU-PF.
Commenting on the MDC school plan, Youth Initiative for
Democracy Director
Sydney Chisi said political parties have a right to
educate youths on their
thinking and methods so long as such training does
not promote
anti-democratic notions.
Zimbabwe
empowerment law not nationalisation
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
REUTERS | 01 September, 2011
12:013
Zimbabwe's empowerment law, which requires foreign miners to
transfer 51
percent equity stakes in local entities to black investors, is
"flexible"
and does not aim to seize or nationalise assets, a government
official said
today.
The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act,
signed in 2008, has been
driven by President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party,
but has been criticised
by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who shares
power with Mugabe in a
fragile coalition.
"It is a flexible law and
investors are given time to comply. It's not about
seizure of assets, it's
not about expropriation," Zimbabwe's minister of
economic planning and
investment promotion, Tapiwa Mashakada, said at an
industry conference in
Perth, Australia.
Last month, several foreign mining firms, including
Zimplats a unit of
Impala Platinum, and the Mimosa platinum mine owned by
Aquarius , Rio
Tinto's Murowa diamond mine and Caledonia's Blanket gold mine
received
letters directing them to submit fresh empowerment plans within 14
days or
risk losing operating licences.
The local units of British
banks Barclays and Standard Chartered Bank and of
British American Tobacco
were also given the two-week ultimatum.
Some of the letters were dated
Aug. 17 and others Aug. 19, and so the
deadlines would hit on Wednesday or
Friday this week. Several such
deadlines, however, have passed without
incident.
Last week, the chief executive of Impala Platinum (Implats)
said its
Zimbabwe operations would "limp along", but that its operations
would be
hampered by the empowerment law.
Mashakada said the law may
prove difficult for some miners, but he said that
some exemptions to the law
have already been made, pointing to Indian
conglomerate Essar
Group.
"For big mining firms, you may not be able to readily get a
partner who can
take up the 51 percent. The 51 percent is not going to be
nationalised. It's
not going to be expropriated," Mashakada
said.
Essar agreed to buy 54 percent in the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel
Company
(ZISCO) for $750 million, with the government keeping 36 percent and
10
percent owned by minority investors.
MISA:
AG withdraws charges against Standard journalists
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
MISA-Zimbabwe Alert
Update
1 September 2011
AG withdraws charges against Standard
journalists
The Attorney-General (AG)’s Office has reportedly withdrawn
part of the
criminal charges against Standard reporter Patience Nyangove and
editor
Nevanji Madanhire.
The three are being jointly charged with Alpha
Media Holdings (AMH) human
resources manager, Loud Ramakgapola. AMH are
publishers of the Standard,
Zimbabwe Independent and
Newsday.
According to the Newsday’s edition of 1 September 2011, their
lawyer Linda
Cook on 31 August 2011 submitted before Harare magistrate
Donald Ndirowei
that the AG’s Office had decided not to proceed with the
charges under
Section 31(a) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act.
The section criminalises criminalises the” publishing or
communication of
false statements prejudicial to the State and statements
undermining public
confidence in a law enforcement agency, the Prison
Service or the Defence
Forces of Zimbabwe.
The State, however, is said to
be proceeding with the charge of criminal
defamation.
Meanwhile,
Madanhire’s reporting conditions were also set aside.
Cook also applied for
the release of Nyangove’s cellphone on the next date
of their appearance in
court on 14 September 2011 if the matter fails to
proceed to
trial.
Background
The trio who are also being charged with criminal
defamation as defined
under Section 96 of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act, were
arrested following the publication of a story carried in
the weekly Standard
issue of June 26 – July 2, titled: MDC-T fears for
missing Timba. The story
alleged that the Minister of State in the Prime
Minister’s Office Jameson
Timba had been arrested by police officers who
included “the notorious
Chrispen Makedenge” when the latter was allegedly
not involved in the
arrest.
End
For any questions, queries or
comments, please contact:
Nyasha Nyakunu
Senior Programmes
Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe
Zanu
PF militia threatens villagers
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Nkululeko Sibanda, Senior
Writer
Thursday, 01 September 2011 19:09
MUTOKO - Kapondoro
villagers in Mutoko East constituency are living in fear
after Chipangano,
the Mbare-based notorious Zanu PF mob, threatened to
export its violent
activities to the area.
The group, which is known for unleashing
violence in Harare and assaulting
people perceived to be MDC supporters,
said it would visit the village to
flush out MDC members in the Mutoko
area.
Villagers in the area told the Daily News yesterday that members of
the
group visited the area last Sunday threatening to deal with MDC
activists.
“The group was invited last Sunday by Lingidzai Kapo-ndoro,
who is the Zanu
PF chairperson for Ward 18 in Mutoko East. “They held a
meeting where they
were briefed about the situation in the area,” said one
villager.
“After that, they told everyone who attended that meeting that
they would
return very soon for a clean-up exercise where they would deal
decisively
with MDC activists.”
Investigations by the Daily News have
revealed that Zanu PF leadership in
the ward had already compiled a list of
suspected MDC activists.
“Kapondoro, who is a village head, is using his
post and access to registers
in the area to compile a list of people who
live here. After that list has
been compiled, he then ticks off all those he
believes are MDC activists.
These are the ones that will be subjected to the
clean-up exercise they want
to conduct here,” another villager
said.
The Chipangano group which visited the area were led by Ronald
Hondo
Mhukayesango.
Mhukayesango and his group are said to have
openly expressed their
displeasure with the increasing number of MDC
supporters in the area.
“They told the Sunday meeting that they were
disappointed their Zanu PF
colleagues had not flushed out those from the
MDC, adding that when they
(Chipangano) would return, they would ensure that
the village was cleaned of
MDC activists. No one feels safe here now because
you never know when they
will come back,” said another villager.
It
is alleged that Kapondoro has also barred Non-Governmental Organisations
operating in the area from distributing food to suspected MDC
members.
They told everyone who attended that meeting that they would
return very
soon.
Zimbabwe MPs shun Thokozani Khope's
circumcision call
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
1 September
2011 Last updated at 10:28 GMT
Zimbabwe's male MPs are not enthusiastic about a
call for them to be
circumcised to set an example in the fight against Aids,
the BBC has found.
Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe made the call,
following evidence that
circumcised men are 60% less likely to get infected
with HIV.
Of eight MPs the BBC spoke to, only one said he would heed her
suggestion.
One called it "madness", while another said he was setting a
good example
through his behaviour.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries
worst hit by Aids and the government last
year launched a campaign to
circumcise up to 80% of the country's young
men - some three million
people.
The World Health Organization is encouraging men to get
circumcised
following studies in other African countries.
Aids
experts, however, warn that using a condom, abstaining from sex or
being
faithful to one partner offer far greater protection against HIV
infection.
'Circumcision of the mind'
Minister of National Healing
Moses Mzila Ndlovu told the BBC's Brian Hungwe
in Harare that some of his
cabinet colleagues had described Ms Khupe's
suggestion as "madness" and
"bizarre".
"I don't see many takers but I'm not stopping anyone," he
said.
His colleague Nelson Chamisa said it should be a matter of
individual
choice.
"It has to be a circumcision of the mind rather
than circumcision of the
organ," he said.
Edgar Mbwembwe, from
Zanu-PF, was the only legislator who said he would go
ahead with the
procedure.
Another, Willias Madzamure, said the call was a good idea and
said he was
"seriously considering" it but did not firmly commit
himself.
Two female MPs backed Ms Khupe.
Jessie Majome said:
"Politicians, especially elected politicians, have a
responsibility beyond
the personal - they would set a good example if they
did so."
Only a
few of Zimbabwe's ethnic groups practise circumcision for cultural
reasons.
Real
Entrepreneurs Not ‘Activists’ To Lead AAG: Mavhinga
http://www.radiovop.com
By Trust
Matsilele, Johannesburg, September 01, 2011- Leading human rights
lawyer and
regional coordinator for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition- Dewa
Mavhinga called
on ‘real entrepreneurs’ and not ‘political activists’ to
lead the
Affirmative Action Group.
Mavhinga made the call on the sidelines of a
Kimberly Process seminar held
by the South African Institute of
International Affairs (SAIIA) at the
University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, Wednesday.
“Organisations like the AAG should be led by
real black entrepreneurs with a
clean and traceable record of achievement
like telecommunications guru,
Strive Masiyiwa, banking
executive-NigelChanakira among others and not
political activists
masquerading as entrepreneurs”, said Mavhinga in his
scathing
attacks.
Mavhinga also questioned the indigenisation exercise being
promoted by some
elements within Zanu (PF) and raised concern that the
planned companies
takeover would just end like the controversial land
reform.
“The Kasukuwere mooted (Minister of Indigenization)
indigenisation that has
split Zanu (PF) into two is misguided, a lame excuse
for loot and plunder by
people who have neither vision nor innovation to
take Zimbabwe forward”,
lamented Mavhinga.
Supa Mandiwanzira of the
AAG said his organisation supported the
indigenisation initiative as
espoused by Minister Kasukuwere arguing that
the move was simply an
execution of Zimbabwe’s supreme laws adding that
unlike Reserve Bank
Governor, Gideon Gono, the AAG fully supported the
exercise.
“Banks
just like any other private businesses are companies operating under
the
laws of Zimbabwe. As an organisation we fully support the application of
indigenisation and empowerment act on all companies including banks”, said
Mandiwanzira.
“Gono is allowed to have opinions by the virtue of him
being a Governor but
there are laws to be followed in Zimbabwe of which the
indigenisation act is
one of them”, reiterated
Mandiwanzira.
Mandiwanzira in defence of the allegations that only elites
would benefit
from this exercise just like the land reform said, “ there is
no democracy
in business , there is no democracy in capitalism it’s who gets
the
opportunity first”.
Land
grabbers threaten Zim elephants
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Sapa-dpa | 01 September, 2011
15:19
About 70 elephants in a wildlife park in south-eastern Zimbabwe are
under
threat from a new wave of land encroachers, a conservation group
warned
Thursday.
The elephants in the remote Chiredzi River
Conservancy have nowhere to go,
said Johnny Rodrigues, the chairman of the
Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
(ZCTF).
"For the past week, there
has been a new influx of people cutting down
trees, poaching and destroying
the already damaged environment," he said.
Rodrigues said the conservancy
was first invaded 11 years ago, at the start
of President Robert Mugabe's
chaotic land reform programme.
The encroachers and elephants had managed
to co-exist, said Rodrigues. But
now the elephants are being harassed,
chased and snared by the new settlers,
he said.
Some elephant calves
have gone missing, while at least two juvenile
elephants have been killed
and decapitated, he said. "One elephant has a new
snare embedded in its
flesh."
Animals in Zimbabwe's private game conservancies, many of them
located on
white-owned commercial farms, have been over-run by poachers in
the wake of
the land reform programme.
Since 2000, more than 4,000
white farmers have been evicted from the land to
make way for supporters of
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.
Campus
residence for UZ students after 5 years
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
01/09/2011 19:26:00 Staff
Reporter
HARARE - The University of Zimbabwe has finally admitted
students into halls
of residence after more than five years.
Students
have been allocated accommodation on campus’ halls of residence
much to the
excitement of many who welcomed the development as a huge
relief.
The
Dean of Students, Mr Munyaradzi Madambe said the students are moving in
after refurbishments were carried out on all the halls of
residence.
The institution closed halls of residence in August 2007 due
to a shortage
of water.
A 2,5 megalitre reservoir was recently
commissioned to serve as back up
while another one of the same capacity is
under construction.
Exam results
scandal rocks Zimbabwe Open University
http://bulawayo24.com/
by Staff reporter
2011 September 01
09:39:45
HARARE – A serious examinations' results scandal has rocked the
Zimbabwe
Open University (Zou), throwing the authenticity of some students'
qualifications into serious doubt. The scandal resulted in the postponement
of a graduation ceremony last year.
Students have qualified in
various fields amid revelations their results
would have been doctored by
data capture clerks who had formed a syndicate
specialising in receiving
bribes to alter examination results.
Four clerks in the data capturing
department have since been fired from the
institution over the
issue.
Two other employees from the same department have been dragged
before a
disciplinary committee to answer similar charges and may face
dismissal as
well.
The Daily News has it on good authority that two
female staffers were fired
following a disciplinary hearing held on June 28,
while two male workers
were sacked last Tuesday for "fraudulent alteration
of student marks".
The termination letters were signed by a B. Mafunga,
the director of human
resources and copied to the chairperson of the
workers' disciplinary
committee, Gabriel Kabanda.
The Daily News has
copies of the letters of dismissal.
One of the letters reads "Following
the disciplinary hearing proceedings
held on 28 June 2011, the Staff
Disciplinary Committee has ruled that you
are guilty as charged.
"The
staff disciplinary committee, after a perusal of the misconduct
documents
pertaining to your case has overwhelming evidence to the effect
that you
altered the student record of (Name and student number given) 14
times on
July 16 2011."
Furthermore, the letter stipulated that the actions of the
said employees
violated Section 4(a) and Section 4(d) of the Labour
Regulations 2006.
Mafunga added: "Accordingly, therefore, the staff
disciplinary committee has
ruled that you be dismissed from service with
effect from after duty on 31
July 2011.
This penalty is in terms of
section 7 (3) of the already mentioned
regulations."
According to
sources, the matter came to light last November after one of
the lecturers
at the institution queried results of some of his students.
It is alleged
that the lecturer, who was certain about the number of his
students who were
supposed to graduate, was shocked when a completely
different figure was
given before graduation.
Upon raising issues about his students'
graduation, the institution's
administration was forced to suspend the
graduation ceremony scheduled for
November 2, moving it three weeks later
to November 26 to pave way for
investigations.
No reasons were given
for the postponement.
"The university never explained to anyone why the
graduation date had been
moved and I think the plan was to make sure that
the matter would not get to
the university Chancellor, President Robert
Mugabe, and the Zimbabwe Council
for Higher Education (Zimche)," said the
source.
Zimche council chairperson, Christopher Chetsanga professed
ignorance about
the scam.
"I am not aware of the matter. But I
endorse the expulsion of such workers,"
Chetsanga told the Daily News
yesterday.
The university registrar, Daniel Ndudzo, could neither confirm
nor deny the
existence of such a scandal at the institution.
He
requested to be granted more time to respond to written questions.
A
worker with the university attributed the problem to an insecure database
system.
"What makes it more curious is that the workers were charged
of fraud but
the matter was never reported to the police."
"With the
graduation season on course, how can the university testify to the
Chancellor, President Robert Mugabe that all students he will cap are bona
fide," asked the source.
"While action is being taken against members
of staff, nothing is being done
to the students involved in the scandal as
they are allowed to carry on with
their studies.
Zou rules and
regulations require that such students be brought before the
students'
disciplinary committee with appropriate action taken including
suspension
from studies for a specific period or expulsion," said the
source.
According to the worker, the scandal started a long time back
and had been
happening sporadically as a well-guarded secret until recently
when more and
more cases were reported, compromising the quality of the
degrees offered by
the university.
"Even if the university react to
the crisis now, the question that will
remain unanswered is that: "How many
have passed through the system and
filtered into industry and commerce
including other spheres of life with
these fake qualifications, wittingly or
unwittingly sponsored by Zou.The
nation need answers," said the source.
Tsvangirai's
'Ivory Coast' warning
http://www.timeslive.co.za/
Sapa-AFP | 01 September, 2011 00:45
Zimbabwean
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai urged Nigeria and the African
Union
yesterday to help ensure his country does not become "another Ivory
Coast"
amid disagreement over coming elections.
Tsvangirai said this to
reporters after meeting with Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan in
Abuja.
"I am just updating him so that they can play a more active role
in ensuring
that we can go to the elections next year, hopefully in a free
and fair
manner, so that we put a closure to the dispute in Zimbabwe," he
said.
"I was requesting President Jonathan to play a much more active
role.
Nigeria and the brother AU must be involved actively in support of the
[Southern African Development Community] initiative, but also to ensure that
we don't have a repeat of Ivory Coast."
Zimbabwe's President Robert
Mugabe and Tsvangirai have disagreed on a date
for new polls, with Mugabe
insisting on this year while Tsvangirai wants
reforms first.
Last
November's Ivory Coast poll led to a five-month standoff and two weeks
of
hostilities sparked by Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to concede to Alassane
Ouattara.
Zambezi
Airlines courts Zim pilots
http://www.postzambia.com
By Gift Chanda
Thu 01 Sep. 2011, 12:00
CAT
ZAMBEZI Airlines has revealed it is courting Zimbabwean pilots to
join the
group as part of its expansion drive.
The airline's
commercial director Sidney Siwabamundi said the airline needs
additional
pilots to fly the three Boeing 737-500 aircraft in order to fully
cover its
existing operations, increased frequencies on its routes and also
to provide
new routes.
"It is for this reason that the airline recently placed
advertisements for
additional captains and first officers in Zambia and
several neighbouring
countries, including Zimbabwe," Siwabamundi said in
response to a query.
The airline recently increased its frequencies to
Lubumbashi from three to
six flights per week in response to demand from
that market.
The airline also introduced three weekly flights between
Lusaka and Cape
Town, via Livingstone in July this year.
Air
Zimbwabwe, whose pilots the Zambian airline may be targeting, has been
plagued by multiple pilot strikes in recent months and owes them about US$9
million.
Pilots at the national carrier have been on strike since
July 29. Zambezi
Airlines recently leased an aircraft to financially
troubled Air Zimbabwe to
service some of its routes when its (Air Zimbabwe)
planes were condemned by
the Civil Aviation Authority of
Zimbabwe.
Zambezi Airlines, however, withdrew its services following the
failure by
the national airline to settle a debt estimated at over US
$400,000.
"The question of ignoring Zambian professionals does not arise
as the
airline has already hired most of the available crew, some of whom
the
airline has upgraded from propeller to jet aircraft rating at a
significant
cost through training outside the country," said Siwabamundi.
"Zambezi
Airlines has absorbed most of the Zambian pilots with B 737 jet
experience.
The airline has employed most of the ex-Zambia Airways
Corporation Ltd (QZ-
national airline) pilots, most of whom have returned
home after working
abroad since the 1990s."
Your mine is mine
A new plan to wreck one of
Africa’s unluckiest countries
Sep 3rd 2011 | HARARE | from the print edition
This is what happened to the farms. The mines may be
next
A DECADE ago
Robert Mugabe’s regime seized most of Zimbabwe’s white-owned commercial farms.
The president promised to give the land to the landless, but instead gave much
of it to his wealthy cronies. The country’s largest industry was wrecked,
creating deadly food shortages (see picture).
Now for the
encore. In 2007 a law was passed obliging all white- and foreign-owned companies
to “cede” a 51% stake to black Zimbabweans. Despite Mr Mugabe’s record, many
firms ignored the threat. That was a mistake.
Saviour
Kasukuwere, Mr Mugabe’s indigenisation minister, has now sent an ultimatum to a
dozen foreign-owned groups. Those that do not comply may lose their assets and
operating licences. Their directors may be jailed. The victims include six
miners, notably Rio Tinto’s Murowa Diamonds and Impala Platinum’s Zimplats; two
banks, Standard Chartered and Barclays; and three manufacturers, British
American Tobacco, Nestlé and Cargill Zimbabwe. The deadline for submitting
compliance plans was the end of August; for implementing them, it is the end of
September.
Mr Kasukuwere, a
rising political star, clearly wishes to appear tough. The law allows firms to
perform good works in lieu of surrendering equity, but Mr Kasukuwere will have
none of this. He also rejects an idea, floated by Zimplats, that firms could
sell their shares to black Zimbabweans by listing them on the stock exchange.
Instead, he wants them to give a 51% stake to a sovereign-wealth fund, with no
guarantee of any compensation. All mines worth more than $1 are affected. “The
minerals…already belong to us,” smiles Mr Kasukuwere, “so why should we
pay?”
David Brown, the
boss of Impala Platinum, says he is “confident that the 51% will not happen” and
that a “more appropriate level of ownership” will ultimately be agreed.
Otherwise, foreign investment in Zimbabwe will drop off a cliff and sink beneath
the waves.
Some companies are
considering suing Mr Kasukuwere for exceeding his legal powers. A parliamentary
committee dominated by Mr Mugabe’s opponents says that he has. But relying on
the rule of law in Zimbabwe is like asking a crocodile not to eat you. As an
industry expert furiously puts it: “This is pure plunder—just like the
farms.”
Political
violence knows no limit: Heal Zimbabwe
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
“I now survive by working on farms
around Chimanimani so that I can afford
to look after my four children. All
the promises made by people to assist me
have been in
vain.
31.08.1110:50am
by Heal Zimbabwe
I now look to God alone
to take care of me,” said the widow of Temba
Mandinde during the memorial
service for her late husband in Chipinge last
week.
Temba Mandinde
was murdered in Mudzi in the 2008 election violence. Heal
Zimbabwe, in
collaboration with survivors of political violence, held
several memorial
services in the area in an attempt to bring healing to
those left
behind.
The brother of the deceased gave a chilling experience of what
transpired
when they had to spend a whole year trying to have the remains of
his
brother brought to Chipinge for a decent burial. This was as a result of
the
intimidation they received from the perpetrators in Mudzi who wanted the
death to remain a secret.
In another chilling ordeal, relatives of
the late Kenias Artwell Bvekerwa
narrated how he was murdered for
purportedly belonging to the MDC. Bvekerwa,
a truck driver, was murdered
while he had gone to assist his father in law
who had been assaulted by Zanu
(PF) supporters.
He was dragged to a base where he was beaten to death.
They falsely accused
him of driving around with a truckload of guns and
other weapons which they
said he was distributing to MDC
activists.
Traditional leaders have not been spared the political
violence. Chief
Mawunganidze of Chipinge was beaten by suspected Zanu (PF)
militias during
2008 election violence and later died of his injuries. He
was accused of
being an MDC sympathizer and influencing people in his area
to vote for the
opposition.
Heal Zimbabwe says it is public knowledge
that traditional leaders who
choose not be involved in politics for a
certain party are deemed ‘enemies’
and exposed to political
violence.
The failure by government to spearhead the national healing
process worsens
the challenges being faced by survivors. Reparations need to
be put in place
for such people so that they can resuscitate their
livelihoods.
Heal Zimbabwe urges the organ on national healing to
expedite the process of
healing so that communities long torn by hatred and
political divisions can
work together for the good of society and the nation
at large.
A
country in darkness
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/6976
September 1st, 2011
I am now convinced that
the acronym ZESA stands for Zimbabwe Electricity
Sometimes Available. Power
cuts in Zimbabwe are long and frequent, and
contrary to the parastatal’s
information, do not follow a strict
load-shedding time table. This year, the
power cuts seem to have doubled.
Several street protests held by Woman of
Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) in the past
two years have persistently carried the
theme, that the cost of our domestic
electricity is too high and considering
the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply
Authority (ZESA) enjoys a statutory
monopoly, consumers have no one else to
blame and ZESA cannot fob off
responsibility.
Residents have had to resort to alternative sources of
energy; those who can
afford it buy generators which are costly to run given
the high price of
petrol and diesel, gas stoves do fill the gap, but again
are expensive to
run and there is no gas delivery in this country, fire wood
is a common
substitute and comes with the obvious consequence of
environmental
degradation.
Even with reduced power usage, the cost of
ZESA has not gone down, in fact
we have just been hit with the catastrophic
news that our costs are going to
increase by a staggering 31% . One still
has to fork out a couple of hard
earned “Benjamin Franklins” from the pocket
each month end. And despite
increased power cuts, there has never been a
time that ZESA has awarded a
discount to consumers. In fact, somehow
residents are expected to cope with
the interest on back bills and estimated
bills, some as far back as 2009
when dollarization occurred and the power
company revalued bills on a US$
basis, with consumers having to bear the
brunt of excessive costs.
ZESA lacks capacity to read electricity meters
on a monthly basis so bills
are often a thumbsuck on their part. When
consumers query exorbitant bills
they first have to pay their $100 fee for
reconnection before their queries
are investigated, with no hope of
compensation if the consumer is in the
right.
Yet, we remain beholden
to our Southern African Development Community (SADC)
states, having to send
power to them for debts owed. There is no hope in
sight that our power woes
will end, and we will continue to suffer the
burden of dark nights, forking
our massive amounts just to be able to cook
and heat a little
water.
This entry was posted by Sokwanele on Thursday, September 1st,
2011 at 9:55
am.
Zim vs Pak: Zim 245-4 at stumps on Day
1
Bulawayo: Tino
Mawoyo batted through the opening day of his second ever Test for 82 not out to
lead Zimbabwe to 245-4 against Pakistan at stumps in the one-off Test at Queens
Sports Club on Thursday.
Mawoyo faced 273
balls and smashed 10 boundaries in a composed innings in which he ran well
between the wickets with his partners, found the gaps and rotated the strike
well.
AP Photo
Off-spinner Saeed
Ajmal claimed 3-75 off 29 overs to help Pakistan slow down the host's momentum
on a spin-friendly pitch.
Mawoyo and fellow
opener Vusi Sibanda gave Zimbabwe a solid start, with a 71-run stand before
Sibanda, who scored 45 with some superb pull shots, was stumped by wicketkeeper
Adnan Ajmal four overs before the lunch break.
After lunch, Saeed
clean bowled Hamilton Masakadza for 11 after the Zimbabwean mistimed a straight
delivery, and trapped captain Brendan Taylor plum in front on 10 to leave
Zimbabwe on 111-3 and feed Pakistan some hope.
But Mawoyo and
former captain Tatenda Taibu put on 65 for the fourth wicket until Taibu, on 44,
edged behind to give Sohail Khan his first Test wicket.
Mawoyo and Craig
Ervine, both playing in their second Tests, batted with maturity to stumps in a
69-run stand to give the host a relatively good start.
Ervine was 38 not
out.
(Full
Scorecard)