WikiLeaks reveals Africa’s growing impatience with ailing Mugabe

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news050911/wikileaks050911.htm

 

By Alex Bell
05 September 2011

Robert Mugabe’s continued grip on power in Zimbabwe, and ZANU PF’s ongoing failure to properly govern the country, is causing growing impatience among African governments, the details of which have been revealed by the whistle-blowing group WikiLeaks.

The whistle-blower website last week released a fresh batch of thousands of diplomatic cables from US embassies, including from the Harare embassy. The sensitive material released about Zimbabwe

US Ambassador James McGee

includes details about Mugabe’s failing health, with revelations that the octogenarian could die by 2013.

These details were voiced by Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono in 2008, who told the former US Ambassador James McGee that Mugabe had been advised to reduce his activities.

See Cable

Other revelations by Gono have also included that Mugabe’s wife Grace said her husband was less than together most of the time. The then US Ambassador Christopher Dell wrote in a diplomatic cable dated February 2006 that Gono had told him “that Mugabe’s wife had confided to him that the President was ‘out of it’ about 75 percent of the time and she wanted him to step down.”

See Cable

Mugabe’s failing health has also been a concern for African ambassadors to Zimbabwe, whose impatience with him and party has been made clear in diplomatic cables written by the current US Ambassador Charles Ray.

Ray wrote in December 2009, after a meeting with Tanzania’s Ambassador Adadi Rajabu, that he was “treated to one of the most pessimistic views of Zimbabwe I have heard from African diplomats here. He said that ZANU PF seems to be still in revolutionary mode, and had completely failed at governing the country.” According to Ray, Ambassador Rajabu was particularly concerned about the real possibility of Mugabe dying in office, without choosing a successor.

See Cable

“Mugabe has committed what could be a grievous error by not focusing on a successor, and this could lead ultimately to chaos in the event of his sudden death. The military is not likely to stand by should that happen, and will probably put Emmerson Mnangagwa forward as leader because the securocrats do not like Vice President Joice Mujuru,” Ray wrote after his meeting with Rajabu.

Rajabu also indicated that South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, the regional facilitator in the Zimbabwe crisis, “has clearly lost patience with Mugabe.” But Rajabu went on to explain that “divisions within SADC limit the actions that can be taken,” and that “there is little stomach in SADC for criticizing Mugabe or ZANU PF.”

South Africa’s attitude was also clear in a cable dated December 2009, when the country’s ambassador told Ray that ZANU PF’s poor management and lack of cohesion had hindered political progress in the country. Mlungisi Makalima said that “one of the impediments to political progress has been the failure of ZANU PF to manage its internal cohesion well.”

See Cable

Also in December 2009, Ray met with the Ambassador from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mawampanga Mwana Nanga, who, “in an uncharacteristic session of candor,” was critical of ZANU PF and “indirectly” of Mugabe. Ray wrote that Mawapanga said that “he cannot understand why ZANU PF officials do the things they do.”

See Cable

“This is probably the first time he has been so critical of ZANU PF to a Western official. While this is not likely to be reflected in public condemnations of Mugabe and ZANU PF, it is an indication perhaps that Zimbabwe’s neighbors are becoming weary of ZANU PF and want to see stability on their borders,” Ray said, in a clear sign that Mugabe’s party is no longer a favourite in African nations, as used to be the case in the past.

Another respected African leader and former Mozambican President, Joaquim Chissano, meanwhile compared Mugabe to a “mad dog,” in a cable from the US Embassy in Maputo in January 2009.

“Chissano likened the situation to leaving an open door in a straw hut for a
mad dog that, when kicked, would most likely run out, whereas if the door
were closed, the dog would probably turn and bite,” wrote Todd Chapman, the Charge D’Affaires at the US embassy in Maputo, after a meeting with the former President.

See Cable

Meanwhile in January 2010, Kunle Adeyanju, the Nigerian Ambassador to Zimbabwe said during a meeting with Ambassador Ray that Mugabe had badly managed the country. Adeyanju was quoted in a diplomatic cable as having told Ray that just weeks before presenting his credentials in Harare, his President Goodluck Jonathan had said: “Mugabe must go”.

See Cable

Another cable from Ray has also shown a changing attitude in Algeria, with Ambassador Lazahar Soualem saying in February 2010 that a “graceful exit” must be arranged for Mugabe.

“It is important that a graceful exit be arranged for ZANU PF leader Mugabe, but it will be complicated by the inner circle of his advisors and by his own ego,” Ray said in his summary of the meeting.

Ray also wrote that Soualem “has been instructed to observe events here very carefully for any signs that the instability of Zimbabwe is spreading to neighboring countries.”

See Cable

Journalist Geoff Hill told SW Radio Africa on Monday that it is “standard diplomacy” for countries to have different personal opinions towards dictators like Mugabe, than what they say in public. He also said it is “no secret” that there is impatience with the Mugabe regime, but explained that “no one wants to set a precedent” by forcing him out of power.

Former Zimbabwean diplomat Clifford Mashiri also agreed that diplomatic practices sometimes reflect ‘bipolar’ opinions among ambassadors, but he told SW Radio Africa that the revelations “are very welcome none the less.” He warned however that the political fallout could be serious, with ambassadors likely to face being expelled by Mugabe over the WikiLeaks details.

Meanwhile political analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW Radio Africa that the revelations are “very surprising,” because Mugabe is usually revered by African leaders. But he welcomed this information as a positive sign of change.

“There does seem to be hardening of attitudes towards Mugabe, and I think the impact on change in Zimbabwe will be quite positive,” Makumbe said.

SW Radio Africa will be serialising the WikiLeaks cables to provide more details about some of the revelations.

The cables are also available to view on our website www.swradioafrica.com

Mugabe’s Terminal Cancer is Set to Heat Up Race for Succession

http://uk.ibtimes.com

By Anissa Haddadi | September 5, 2011 3:43 PM GMT

With revelations that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has prostate cancer
that may kill him within two years, the race for succession in Zimbabwe is
set to get even more heated.

According to a diplomatic cable posted by WikiLeaks central bank Governor
Gideon Gono told the U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee in a meeting in
June 2008 Mugabe had been told by his doctor he had between three and five
years to live because of a "prostate cancer that has metastasized,"
according to the cable.

Gono, one of Mugabe's closest friends however reportedly denied he is the
source of the information when called today by Bloomberg News while Mugabe's
office was not immediately available for comment.

Mugabe, 87, in power since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, has had health
problems in recent years and reportedly visited Singapore several earlier in
the year for cataract operations and follow-up treatment.

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Zimbabwe is reversing a decade of recession triggered by the collapse of
farming when Mugabe's government began seizing white-owned commercial farms
in 2000.

Reports from Zimbabwe suggest that some Cabinet Ministers and Zanu PF
officials mentioned in the leaked diplomatic cables were called in President
Mugabe's office and asked to explain the allegations, while others affirm
Gono has been suspended from Joint Operation Command as a result of the
leak.

As many fear Mugabe's reaction rumours emerging also hint at the possibility
of the Central Bank Governor leaving the country or taking refuge in a
Western embassy.

With Mugabe's ailing health now apparently confirmed by the cable, the
succession race is set to intensify as members of the Zanu PF will battle
for pole position, while the opposition, led by Morgan Tsvangarai will also
want to gain more political space.

Tensions between Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangarai have always run high
and the potential prospect of presidential elections has only increased the
rivalry between the two men. While Mugabe is pushing for the coalition
government, to hold elections this year,  Tsvangirai, and regional leaders
are opposing the move insisting the country first need a new constitution.

Within Zanu-PF, one of the man seen as a potential candidate to Mugabe's
succession Solomon Mujuru, a former army chief and husband of the current
Vice President Joyce, died in a mysterious fire at his farm in July.

Coincidently, Gono and his family recently escaped a fire at their farm,
located in Harare.

Mugabe says elections to be held in 2012

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 September 2011

Robert Mugabe has proclaimed that elections will be held before March next
year, amid concerns he could make another one of his unilateral decisions,
despite the unity government.

The ageing Mugabe told his ZANU PF’s National Consultative Assembly that
elections would only be held after a new constitution has been adopted, but
that it must be by March.

‘We cannot go beyond March next year. I will definitely announce the date.
Once I announce the date, everyone will follow. I have the constitutional
right to name an election date with the GPA (Global Political Agreement) or
no GPA,’ he said.

This declaration on elections comes after reports that Mugabe is suffering
from terminal cancer and is expected to die within two years. The latest
Wikileaks documents reveal that Mugabe was diagnosed with prostate cancer
and warned by doctors in 2008 that he had only five years to live.

This information on Mugabe’s battle with the disease was divulged to James
McGee, the former US Ambassador to Harare, by Gideon Gono, Governor of the
Reserve Bank, during a private meeting in June 2008.

The MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has dismissed Mugabe’s talk
on elections, saying only after consultations with other partners in the
unity government can a date for elections be announced.

Douglas Mwonzora, spokesman for the MDC-T, told SW Radio Africa on Monday
that what Mugabe was trying to do is set an agenda ahead of his annual
people’s congress.

‘He usually does these things to divert people’s attention and make people
focus on wrong things. As the MDC we want an election to take place in this
country to get rid of this GNU. But we’ve always said we want free and fair
elections,’ Mwonzora said.

He explained that for an election to be held in Zimbabwe there must be
mechanisms in place to ensure the poll produces a leader who is legitimate.

‘It is no use to have an election that will bring us back to GNU number two
or an election that everyone will condemn.

‘There are three issues that need to be addressed before the poll, which are
staffing at ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission), the state sponsored
violence and reformations to get rid of bias, partisanship and
unprofessionalism on the part of the defence forces,’ Mwonzora added.

Zim White Farmers Appeal For Protection

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, September 05, 2011 - Zimbabwe’s embattled white commercial farmers
have appealed for state protection against persistent attack by pro-Zanu
(PF) militants and further bashed the country's unity agreement for failing
to restore political stability in the country.

This follows the gruesome murder of a Mvurwi white tobacco farmer Colin
Zietsman by two black assailants who invaded his family home in the early
hours of Friday and further beat up his wife Tinks, leaving her for dead.

“Our farmers are being subjected to constant threats, intimidation,
extortion, theft, eviction, violence and murder and the courts and services
that we turn to for protection and assistance are offering none,” Commercial
Farmers Union (CFU) president Charles Taffs said to journalists on Monday
afternoon.

“We therefore ask our government to immediately intervene and return order
and security to the farming sector.”

Taffs accused the police and the courts of allowing the harassment of its
members saying this has had negative effects on the country's starving
population.

The CFU boss linked Zietsman’s murder to continued statements by political
leaders that the country was heading towards elections next year.

“Every time there is mention of an election we become the targets, it has
happened since 2000 and its happening again now,” he said.

He added, “There are so few whites in still occupying farms at the moment.
What is the purpose of this persecution? To me this is racial in nature and
its got to stop. We are asking for the government to intervene.”

Taffs also said the unity government has failed to protect CFU members from
political persecution.

“After the Global Political Agreement (GPA), there was a new sense of hope
that some stability would be established. It has not happened. This
inclusive government has had no effect in protecting our farmers or their
assets.”

According to the CFU,22 commercial farmers have died in the hands of
marauding Zanu (PF) supporters in the beginning of the violent land grab in
2000 with no single conviction on the perpetrators having been done.

Since the land reform programme started only 300 out of 4500 commercial
farmers still remain on their land.

Meanwhile a young female commercial farmer, Tarin Harvey was last week
invaded and chased from her late parents' Esmnyangeni farm in Shangani by
Bulawayo based Zanu (PF) activist and businessman, Joseph Tayali.

Harvey told Radio VOP on Monday that following her eviction from the farm
she has already moved her cattle and some of her equipment out of the
property.

“My parents who are all late left this farm to me. This farm was my only
livelihood since I am a single mother and have no relatives in the country.
I have no one to protect me,” she said.

Harvey said her farm was never designated by government for compulsory
acquisition since she had already surrendered some of the farms which her
parents left her.

“Tayali just came and told me to leave the farm. I was never served with
acquisition papers and the farm was never gazetted in terms of section five
for compulsory acquisition,” said Harvey almost in tears.

Harvey said before she moved out of the farm last week she had been
receiving threatening messages. One of the threatening messages which
originated from an Econet number- 0713662783  and shown to Radio VOP reads
in part “We want some shares from your business as Zimbabwe empowerment. We
want to meet you for signing agreement very soon. Tell your workers to
listen to our demands .JJB”

The other message from the same Econet number read: ”Will let you know when
we want but very soon. Don’t make mistake my youth are watching.”(sic).

One of the messages demanded Harvey to dispose her cattle at a cheaper
price. Harvey’s farm manager. Rixson Kangwena on Monday also received
threatening text messages from the same Econet number.

“We have reported all these threatening messages to Fort Rixson police
station but no action has been taken so far,” she said.

When reached for comment Tayali denied taking over Esmnyangeni farm.

“There is now way I can take that farm because I have got my own farm in the
same area which I was allocated in 2002.That farm which your are referring
to was allocated to a certain  war veteran and the white lady is leasing
that farm. Anyway why do want to protect white people you people,” he said.

Zimbabwe's white farmers still target of violence

http://hosted.ap.org/

Sep 5, 10:28 AM EDT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- A Zimbabwe farmers organization says its white
members continue to be targeted by violence without protection as political
tensions rise ahead of proposed elections.

Charles Taffs, head of the Commercial Farmers Union representing Zimbabwe's
300 remaining white farmers said Monday the brutal beating to death of a
prominent farmer 55 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Harare on Friday
showed that "criminals can act with impunity" against whites still on their
land.

Taffs said the ferocity of Friday's killing made it more than a "simple
robbery" as police claimed.

It was the latest in a growing series of attacks and threats at white farms.

President Robert Mugabe has called for elections next March to end the
nation's troubled coalition.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

CFU statement on murder on Colin Zietsman

COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION

PRESS STATEMENT IN REACTION TO THE MURDER OF ONE OF OUR MEMBERS – 05
SEPTEMBER 2011

It is with great regret that we have witnessed a further fatal and brutal
attack on one of our farming families in the early hours of Friday morning
which was extremely savage in nature negating the fact that this was just a
simple robbery. A message has again been sent to our farming community that
we are targets and we continue to be targets and that these criminals can
act with impunity. This crime as well as many others carried out against our
community is totally unacceptable to us as farmers in particular and the
entire country as a whole. They are a symptom of what has been allowed to
happen to our community for the last 12 years and which continues to this
day. Our farmers are being subjected to constant threats, intimidation,
extortion, theft, eviction, violence and murder and the courts and services
that we turn to for protection and assistance are offering none. We
therefore ask our government to immediately intervene and return order and
security to the farming sector. It is no surprise that our country is in
dire financial stress and requires constant support from donor communities
when its productive citizens are subjected to such abuse. We also implore
our government to immediately provide a constructive platform from which
positive dialogue can take place to once and for all find a satisfactory and
lasting solution to the land question. We call for a moratorium on all
evictions and prosecutions so that the few commercial farmers remaining can
farm with confidence together with their financial partners whilst such a
solution is found.

If this fails to happen the negative perception of Zimbabwe will continue
with the resulting decline into anarchy and dependence. We ask that in
finding a lasting solution all Zimbabweans can participate on an even
playing field regardless of race, agenda or political affiliation. We
further ask why this situation is being allowed to continue. We are all
Zimbabweans with the country’s best interest at heart. These deplorable
assaults are completely unnecessary and destructive and our country can no
longer afford to continue along this road. We again ask our Government to be
more proactive in resolving these issues so that this beautiful country can
once again be the envy of Central Africa.

World Bank gets tough on Zimbabwe’s US$8 billion debt

http://www.theafricareport.com/

Monday, 05 September 2011 13:09

The World Bank has told cash strapped Zimbabwe to first clear its US$8.8
billion debt before it could get any financial assistance.

The bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stopped extending loans
to Zimbabwe over a decade ago citing failure to repay loans.

WB country director for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, Kundhavi Kadiresan,
after a series of meetings in Harare last week said the country owned the
Bretton Woods institution US$2 billion.

Another US$6 billion is owed to other creditors.

"Zimbabwe must first address the issue of arrears before we can seriously
engage with it or fund its economic recovery,” he said.

“It must also show us that its macro-economic fundamentals have changed for
the better and it must strictly adhere to ideas from the IMF.”

Kadiresan said a good record of macroeconomic policy will be good for the
bank to start talking about arrears.

The WB boss said they were waiting for a progress action plan about 75 000
ghost workers and the government's stance on black economic empowerment.

The very influential institution 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.

Statistics from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) indicate that stocks fell
17 percent in August as investors took a back seat after government
escalated its call to seize foreign owned companies.

The country’s economy is expected to grow by nine percent this year due to
the stabilisation of the economic and political environment that has
resulted in inflation going down to single digits.

Failure to release civil service audit report is ZANU PF plot

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 September 2011

The MDC-T firmly believes the reluctance by ZANU PF to release contents of a
Public Service audit report is meant to protect party militias and
supporters who were employed illegally prior to the 2008 elections.

The audit, set by Finance Minister Tendai Biti (right) and meant to weed out
ghost workers,

was completed early this year but the report has been blocked by cabinet
from being released. It is also illegal to release cabinet documents without
authority, making it impossible for the MDC-T to leak the report.

Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us the report, which has already been
analysed by the Ministry of Public Service has identified thousands of ghost
workers who are currently on the government payroll.

The audit was able to flush out over 75,000 ghost workers, most of them
unqualified ZANU PF militias and supporters. The audit was carried out by
Ernst and Young (India) on behalf of the Ministry.

Recently Biti said the government was spending US$960 million per annum on
civil servants salaires, much of which is believed to be going to the ghost
workers. It is anticipated the removal of the 75,000 ghost workers would
save the government over $17,6 million monthly.

Muchemwa said the reason why the Public Service Commission has dismissed the
report as flawed was a plot to ensure the ‘it is not released and thus would
not see the light of day.’

‘The report is pretty much of a hot potato in ZANU PF. Most of these ghost
workers are from ZANU PF, cadres who were employed by the ministry of Youth
to campaign for the party before the 2008 elections.

‘For such people to be identified and removed from the payroll is like
dumping them from the party and this is what they want to avoid at all
costs. The MDC-T is fully aware of the machinations by ZANU PF and this is
why some of its MPs are calling for the report to be published,’ Muchemwa
said.

 

‘Zim will not nationalise mines’

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

By ZimOnline
Monday, 05 September 2011 11:22

HARARE - Zimbabwe's Economic Planning Minister Tapiwa Mashakada last week
said the country’s indigenisation and economic empowerment law requiring
foreign-owned mining firms to surrender at least 51 percent of their shares
to blacks was flexible and the country would not nationalise foreign assets.

The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, which was signed in 2008,
is being driven by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party, which has set it
on a collision course with its unity government partner, the MDC Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The MDC has been at pains to try to reassure investors that their money will
be protected in Zimbabwe but Zanu PF has threatened to nationalise mines
which do not comply with the Law, freaking out potential investors for a
country emerging from a decade of economic collapse.

“It is a flexible Law and investors are given time to comply. It’s not about
seizure of assets, it’s not about expropriation,” Economic Planning Minister
Tapiwa Mashakada, from Tsvangirai’s MDC party said at a mining industry
conference in Australia.

Savior Kasukuwere, the Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment minister from
Zanu PF is driving the empowerment agenda. Kasukuwere last month issued
ultimatums to foreign mining firms, including the largest platinum producer
Zimplats owned by South Africa’s Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats), Mimosa
platinum mine co-owned by Implats and Aquarius and Rio Tinto’s Murowa
diamond mine to submit fresh empowerment plans within 14 days or risk losing
their licences.

The deadlines are this week but it is unlikely that Kasukuwere will take any
action against non-compliant firms. The companies have a September 30
deadline to offload majority shares to blacks but analysts say this is
unlikely to happen.

Mashakada said the empowerment 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. — ZimOnline

'Zimbabwe empowerment minister powerless'

http://www.businesslive.co.za/September 2011 16:11
Tawanda Karombo

Zimbabwe's vocal indigenisation minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, does not have
the power to cancel licenses of foreign owned banks over non-compliance with
a controversial empowerment law, the country's deputy indigenisation
minister, Tongai Matutu says.

NewsDay, a Zimbabwean independent daily newspaper quoted the deputy
minister, who addressed parliament last week in response to
parliamentarians' queries on the empowerment ministry's policy position on
behalf of the government following threats issued by Kasukuwere that foreign
banks' licenses would be revoked for non-compliance.

He said "the issue of indigenisation has become contentious" and conceded
that it was increasingly becoming "polarized". He pointed out that much
should not be drawn into Kasukuwere's explosive statements as "the spirit of
Kasukuwere's communication" was aimed at ensuring compliance by the
particular banks.

Standard Bank's Zimbabwe subsidiary, Stanbic Bank, Standard Chartered and
Barclays Bank are some of the foreign banks that Kasukuwere singled out and
threatened with revocation of licenses for failure to comply.

"But, as to whether or not their (foreign banks) licences are going to be
revoked, I believe that the relevant authority in the form of the Reserve
Bank governor has issued a sufficient statement as to whether the licences
are going to be revoked," Matutu is further quoted as saying.

Several other foreign companies with operations in Zimbabwe are up in arms
with the government over the issue while the latest information suggests
that Kasukuwere's empowerment ministry has rejected compliance submissions
by Mwana Africa and Nestle.

"We note that your company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestlé SA and,
therefore, non-indigenously owned, and obliged to comply with the
indigenisation and economic empowerment legislation ... Your plan therefore
falls short of the 51% indigenous shareholding requirement," Kasukuwere
wrote in a recent letter to Nestle.

Central bank governor, Dr Gideon Gono sought to calm down flaring tempers
following Kasukuwere's pronouncements that non-complying banks risked having
their licenses cancelled by declaring that the country's lender of last
resort "has neither given notice nor does it have an immediate or
foreseeable intention to withdraw operating licenses".

This precipitated a showdown with Kasukuwere, with Gono rubbishing off the
empowerment minister, saying his fiery ranting over the issue was mere
"irrational exuberance" coming from someone who did not understand banking.

"There are ways of achieving the same objectives as intended by the law
through non-confrontational means and not in a manner of dishing out threats
to sensitive institutions that are custodians of people's hard-earned
savings," Gono warned.

Finance Minister, Tendai Biti also cautioned against Kasukuwere's
"confrontational approach" and revealed that his ministry was helping banks
negotiate for lower mandatory thresholds that should be ceded under the
indigenisation law.

Although the law is being spearheaded by the Zanu PF side of Zimbabwe's
coalition government, some government officials - including some with links
to President Robert Mugabe - are said to be opposed to Kasukuwere's
"confrontational approach" to enforcing compliance with the law, sources
said.

Zimbabwean economists have warned that of the dire consequences to the
economy and investment prospects should the government forge ahead with the
law. Economist Eric Bloch said capital flight sparked by indigenisation
could devastate the Zimbabwean economy, barely recovering from collapse in
2008.

"These threats will further weaken investment in the struggling banking
sector and also scare investors in other sectors," Bloch said.

Foreign firms and Zim government headed for negations

http://www.swradioafrica.com

by Irene Madongo
05 September 2011

Negotiations seem to be the most likely way the government and foreign firms
will end the indigenisation debacle, experts have said, days after it was
revealed that yet another leading firm, Nestle, had its empowerment plans
flung out by the government.

The controversial Indiginisation law is being spearheaded by ZANU PF’s
Saviour Kasukuwere, who is the Indigenisation Minister, and is strongly
backed by Robert Mugabe.

Under the Indigenisation Act, locals should acquire more than 51% of
foreign-owned firms as part of the government’s empowerment drive. Foreign
firms operating in the country have been asked to submit plans to the
government, stating how they will split their shares. Under pressure,
foreign firms submitted plans. However these were thrown out by Kasukuwere,
after it emerged that they were not willing to surrender the majority of
their equity, with some offering instead to give up half of the required
amount and top up the balance with social investment credits (such as
building facilities/clinics for local communities).

Last month Kasukuwere gave the firms two weeks to re-submit their plans or
lose their licenses. According to a source at the Indigenisation ministry,
those firms whose plans were thrown out included Barclays, Standard Charted,
British American Tobacco (BAT) and Cargill. It has now emerged that Nestle’s
plans were also rejected after reportedly submitting plans which fell short
of 51% indigenous shareholding requirement.

Mugabe has previously said the indigenisation policy will be used to punish
Nestle for dumping his Gushungo dairy from supplying it with milk. In 2009,
Nestle said a shortage of milk suppliers forced it to turn to Gushungo for
milk. However, the same year international pressure forced Nestle to cancel
its deal with the Mugabes’ dairy, and in February Mugabe said the
Indigenisation minister would target Nestle in retaliation. “Nestle refused
to buy milk from Gushungo dairies,” Mugabe said, “I told Kasukuwere to begin
with them and tell them he was sent by Gushungo.”

Observers of the policy have also warned that the law will be used by Mugabe
and his ZANU PF colleagues to enrich themselves, much to the detriment of
the economy as was the case with the land grabs. It is also chasing away
badly needed investment from the country, critics add.

While analysts generally say it’s commendable that locals should have some
shareholding in these firms, they point that the manner in which the
government is doing it is what’s causing these firms to resist.

Although the Indigenisation ministry has said the companies would not give
up their shares for free, but are expected to sell the shares to locals at a
mutually agreed value, experts say it is known that locals don’t have the
money for the shares, which makes it hard for the firms who need the capital
now for development.

“It’s the unthinkable. There’s no way you can pretend it will work,”
economic analyst John Robertson explains, “they are prepared to negotiate
within a different area, for instance putting indigenisation people on
management boards. They wouldn’t mind selling the shares, but they don’t
want to wait for payment.”

Another economic analyst Masimba Kuchera said: “The sad thing about what
Kasukuwere is doing is that not as many people would be able to afford, even
over a five year period, the kinds of shareholding he wants, especially if
you look at mining and some of the big manufacturing concerns.

“It could be another opportunity for looting that may be prepared there
because a mining operation would be somewhere in the region of half a
billion dollars. If you look at 51%, that is $250m plus, and there are few
people in the country who would be able to put such money together. So that
same consortium of people would be wanting to have their fingers in a bit of
the pie be it manufacturing, be it mining, and so on and so forth. Yet
communities may end up not benefitting only those few people who will end up
beneficiaries,” Kuchera explained.

It’s not just the foreign firms who are opposed to this law, but in recent
weeks government ministers and key officials have come out opposing to it,
with some assuring firms that negotiations could be reached.

Recently Finance Minister Tendai Biti reportedly held discussions with the
foreign banks and announced that the country is considering not forcing
foreign banks to comply with the 51% threshold. Last week Economic Planning
Minister Tapiwa Mashakada said the country’s indigenisation law was flexible
and the country would not nationalise foreign assets. The Deputy
Indigenisation Minister Tongai Matutu also reportedly said Kasukuwere does
not have the power to cancel licenses of foreign owned banks over
non-compliance with indigenisation.

It now appears that despite Kasukuwere’s threats, the firms and certain key
government figures believe negotiations is the way forward, as the country
needs the firms presence and they in turn need the business and resources
from Zimbabwe.

Economic analyst Dr Bekithemba Mhlanga says: “At the end of the day they
will have to do a deal if those companies are seriously interested in
setting up business operations in Zimbabwe and they believe that business
operating will give them shareholder value; and similarly the government
will have to concede to those companies if they believe that a substantial
investment job creation and income tax generation will arise from those
particular projects, deals will have to be done.”

“They will be willing to give in, in as much as the government will also be
willing to give in on different circumstances in different contexts that is
the only way that those deals will be done,” Mhlanga explains.

Kuchera shares the same view: “Negotiations should continue. The idea of
indigenisation is an important and correct way of doing things. The manner
which indigenisation is being pushed is maybe what is contentious. But I
think Zimbabweans should be able to benefit from resources, being they
natural or otherwise.”

ZESA won’t budge on tariffs

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Thulani Munda     Monday 05 September 2011

HARARE – The state owned Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has
turned down pleas to reduce a 31 percent tariff hike consumers say is too
steep and unjustified given shoddy service from the power utility
characterised by intermittent supplies.

ZESA chief executive officer Josh Chifamba said at the weekend that the
corporation would still be running at a loss even after hiking charges for
electricity, a situation he said made it impossible to lower tariffs.

“In terms of loses, up to the end of June we have raked in more than US$100
million of loses,” Chifamba said. “These loses are actually a mirror image
of the maintenance that has not been done if you look at the accidents that
are taking place all over the country. It’s quite atrocious.”

Chifamba, at the helm of a ZESA management team that is routinely accused by
critics of corruption and mismanagement, said the power firm was owed US$449
million by consumers.

Domestic consumers account for 46 percent of the money owed to ZESA, while
industry and the government account for 30 and 10 percent respectively, he
said.

ZESA more than a week ago increased tariffs to 9.83 US cents per
kilowatt-hour up from 7.53 cents.

ZESA’s inability over the years to boost generation capacity at its ageing
power stations and a critical shortage of foreign currency to import
adequate electricity from neighbouring countries has left Zimbabwe grappling
with severe power shortages.

The energy firm says cash-rich foreign investors remain reluctant to provide
funding badly needed to boost power generation because of uncertainty about
the country’s future political and economic direction.

A coalition government formed by President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai two years ago has brought a degree of stability to
Zimbabwe’s economy but the political future remains uncertain. -- ZimOnline

Bill payers to boycott

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, which is under fire from
residents for the unilateral hike of electricity by a whopping 30 percent,
has been cornered by ratepayers who are threatening to boycott the bills if
the increase is not reversed.
02.09.1101:33pm
by Fungai Kwaramba Harare

Speaking to journalists last week, Combined Harare Residents Association and
its partners who include Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights and the Centre for Community Development Trust, said that there
was no justification in the hike.

“The tariffs that come into effect on the 1st of September 2011 are a
serious cause for concern to most residents and ratepayers as they are not
justified and can trigger possible dissent,” said Mfundo Mlilo of CHRA.

However, ZESA stood by its 31 per cent hike saying it was designed to ensure
sustainability on the part of ZESA to ensure that service delivery was
improved.

“Bold decisions have to be made, the population has grown and the reason why
there is investment in South Africa is that the tariffs are at 12 cents and
here there are 7 cents, here the tariffs are sub-economic and investors do
not come,” said ZESA Public Relations Manager, Fullard Gwasira.

“This tariff is very economical’ it penalizes those who do not conserve
power. We have removed monthly fixed charges.”

Residents, maintain that ZESA erred when it made the tariff adjustments
without first asking the ratepayers.

In order to stop ZESA from penalizing defaulters, schemers of the boycott
said thay would also approach the country’s courts.

“If these demands are not met, CHRA and its partners will call for a massive
rates boycott from both residents and ratepayers in the corporate world, and
mobilize communities for peaceful protests in Harare and other cities until
these demands are met,” said Mlilo.

If ZESA cuts off electricity, CHRA said that it had at its disposal lawyers
from ZLHR who would represent the disconnected.

‘Hokoyo ZESA’

Zimbabwe's underfed prisoners "must grow their own food"

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

Sep 5, 2011, 17:28 GMT

Harare - Zimbabwe has devised a novel way to combat widespread malnutrition
in prisons, by getting prisoners to grow their own food, state radio
reported Monday.

Around 1,000 prisoners died from malnutrition in Zimbabwe's prisons in the
first four months of 2009, the most recent figures available. Figures are
likely to have improved slightly since the economic crisis at the time.

Last year the justice ministry proposed culling some of the country's
elephants to feed prisoners - provoking an uproar from animal rights groups.

Now the underfunded Zimbabwe Prison Services is expected to venture into
'full-time agricultural production,' said the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation (ZBC), adding that all sentenced inmates will be sent to
so-called farm prisons.

'Under the programme, only those awaiting trial will be accommodated in town
prisons,' ZBC reported. 'Those convicted will serve their sentences on farm
prisons.'

The new policy 'will see prisoners producing enough food for their
consumption,' said David Mangota, permanent secretary in the justice
ministry.

Cash-strapped Zimbabwe spends 1.7 million dollars per month to feed 14,000
prison inmates little more than cabbage and watery sadza porridge, made from
Zimbabwe's staple maize meal.

Relatives are often forced to feed prisoners themselves to ensure they get a
decent diet.

In the past, prisoners have been sent to work on farms belonging to senior
ZANU-PF politicians, in return for rations.

It was not immediately clear whether the ministry intended to use already
existing farm prisons or whether new ones would be established.

Zambia denies plans to use Zimbabwean police

http://www.nation.co.ke/

By ELIAS MBAO NATION Correspondent in Lusaka
Posted  Monday, September 5  2011 at  19:47

Zambian authorities have dismissed media reports that the police has invited
the brutal Zimbabwe Republic Police to help reinforce security during and
after the September 20 General Election.

Civil society groups denounced the Zambia Police and demanded a clear
explanation on reports that it had invited Zimbabwean police to help in
policing the electoral process.

Zimbabwe police officers were last week seen in Lusaka, unknowingly parked
near the governing Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) secretariat,
giving credence to week-long reports that they had come to aid the Zambia
Police curb electoral violence.

According to Lusaka’s QFM radio, Zambia Police Service spokesperson Ndandula
Siamana said Zimbabwean police officers “spotted in the country” did not
come to help their Zambian counterparts but were “merely in transit” to the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the regional Southern African
Development Community (SADC) police games.

Zambians must not be misled that Government will allow police officers from
another country to help in policing the elections, said Ms Siamana, adding
that it is impossible for the country to have Zimbabwe Police come and
police the elections.

Mugabe Ashamed Of HIV Government Officials

http://www.radiovop.com

By Beven Takunda Harare, September 05, 2011 - President Robert Mugabe on
Monday said he was ashamed of some HIV positive senior officials in his
government who continue to be promiscuous spreading the HIV virus at a time
the country is working towards an HIV free generation by 2015.

“We are ashamed that even in government there are some officials who are
promiscuous," said Mugabe who was addressing a National HIV and AIDS
conference. "There are some who are having one women after the other and
that is not going to take the country anywhere. Is it because of the custom
of men having as many wives as they want…that make them not satisfied with
one woman? They run from one woman to another even if they are HIV positive
but they are not afraid to spread the disease."

Zvinotonyadzisa, totoshaya kuti tinonyarira kupi,” (We are ashamed of such
people) President Mugabe said while diverting from his prepared speech.

Mugabe challenged Zimbabwean males to be tested for HIV.

He said very few men accompanied their pregnant wives for antenatal care. He
said when these women test HIV positive, they are blamed by their husbands
for spreading the disease and sometimes they are abandoned or are subjected
to violence.

He said government encouraged couples to support each other whatever the
outcome of their test results.

Zimbabwe is one of the few countries which have done well in the management
of HIV and AIDS.The country has reduced its HIV prevalence from over 26% in
1997 to 14,2% to date despite challenges in funding AIDS programmes.

The four day 2nd National HIV and AIDS conference which has attracted
hundreds of international AIDS Health delegates is aimed at mapping the way
forward for managing the country’s AIDS programmes.

‘Zanu PF stealing diamonds money’

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By ZimOnline
Monday, 05 September 2011 11:16

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

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

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

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

Mavhinga and Maguwu said the disappearance of diamond revenues was largely a
result of the parallel fiscus that was being run by Zanu PF outside Biti’s
official finance ministry.

From that parallel fiscus, diamond revenues were directed to uses that did
not benefit the Zimbabwean people.

Maguwu presented a detailed report which showed that illegal mining
activities by members of the state security apparatus still continued at
Marange with the diamonds being smuggled through Mozambique.

Other concessions at Marange were now being mined by consortium of the
Zimbabwean government and several Chinese firms.

However, a pro-Mugabe civic organisation, the Affirmative Action Group
(AAG), electrified the conference by vociferously refuting Mavhinga and
Maguwu’s claims.

AAG President and former prominent state media journalist, Supa
Mandiwanzira, said all diamond revenues were accruing to the state and being
used to pay civil servants, among other noble causes.

He refuted claims that Mugabe and his cronies were running a parallel fiscus
to fleece diamond revenues.

He challenged anyone with information that senior security officials were
enriching themselves from diamond revenues to come forward, promising to
have such officials prosecuted should evidence be made available.

Mandiwanzira was asked to explain  how Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, a close
ally of Mugabe and the man at the centre of diamond deals, had become so
filthy rich to reportedly own prime real estate in Victoria Falls and
Bulawayo at a ministerial salary of, until recently, $150 monthly.

He was also asked to explain how military officials linked to the illegal
diamond trade had become obscenely rich.

Mandiwanzira said he had no mandate to speak on behalf of Mpofu and the
military but said he could only presume that any senior state officials
perceived as being rich had earned their wealth from their other businesses,
mainly in farming and other sectors.

Organisers of the conference came under fire for not inviting the ministry
of Mines and companies mining at Marange to defend themselves against claims
by the civic groups.

It was explained that officials of the parliamentary portfolio committee on
mining had been invited and confirmed participation but failed to pitch up.

Mandiwanzira also launched a scathing attack on Maguwu, whom he accused of
being an MDC activist.

Even the head of the EU delegation in Zimbabwe, Aldo Dell’Ariccia, was not
spared by Mandiwanzira.

But an apparently angry Dell’Ariccia, hit back at him for suggesting that EU
sanctions on Zimbabwe prevented the legal sale of Zimbabwean diamonds into
the European Union.

Claude Karemba of the Southern Africa Resource Watch said South Africa
should use its mediation role to help foster transparency in the management
of Zimbabwe’s diamond revenues.

He said economic governance issues should have been included in the Global
Political Agreement (GPA).

He urged the establishment of a SADC charter on resources to define and
prescribe how minerals should be extracted and managed by regional
countries.

Dell’Ariccia urged Zimbabwe not to implement its threat to pull out of the
Kimberly Process.

No water, no electricity for Chitungwiza

http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=6754

People queuing for water, and carts carrying firewood, are now an everyday
sight in the town of Chitungwiza. Chitungwiza gets the bulk of its water
supply from the City of Harare but with the recent erratic water supply
experienced by the capital city, a negative and severe impact can now be
felt by the residents of Chitungwiza. Clean water, which is a basic
necessity for everyone, is now a luxury for some residents. People have had
to resort to digging shallow wells after going for weeks, if not months,
without running water.  Residents now fear that the cholera pandemic, which
caused havoc in 2008, is set to come back if the city fathers of Chitungwiza
take their time getting their act together to resolve their differences with
the City of Harare. To ease the burden a bit, UNICEF in conjunction with
some NGOs, managed to drill a few boreholes in the town but since the demand
for water has risen sharply, only a few can access clean water from the
water-points.

To make matters worse, the pathetic electricity supply from Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority has created a scenario, which leaves one
wondering if Chitungwiza is a town or rural area. Residents now resort to
using firewood. Others, who can afford it, use gas or paraffin. Customer
satisfaction from ZESA is now a thing of the past as residents only get
electricity supply during the night or for less than 8 hours per day. No
explanation or apologies for the inconvenience caused is given and the only
thank you residents get is disconnection for non-payment and tariff hikes.
During the Zim dollar era Chitungwiza Town Council and ZESA used to hide
behind the forex shortage to cover up for their service delivery
shortcomings. However now that forex is in abundance, clear signs of
incompetence and poor administration are evident.

This entry was posted on September 5th, 2011 at 1:14 pm by Lenard Kamwendo

Wikileaks: Masiyiwa’s bid to thwart vote rigging

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

05/09/2011 00:00:00
    by Gilbert Nyambabvu

ECONET Wireless founder Strive Masiyiwa actively worked with Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party to “develop a sophisticated plan” to prevent
President Robert Mugabe from "rigging" the 2008 general elections, it has
emerged.

The revelations, contained in secret US embassy dispatches leaked by
whistleblower website WikiLeaks, may help explain the animosity between Zanu
PF and the South Africa-based businessman.

Masiyiwa allegedly detailed his plan to US embassy officials in Pretoria
during meetings held on March 19, 2008, according to a report by the then US
Ambassador to South Africa, Eric Bost.

Said Bost: “Masiyiwa has created a parallel vote count center, based in
Johannesburg, that will report the results publicly as soon as they are
available, independent of and in advance of, any Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (ZEC) announcements.

“The plan works like this: Once the results are announced at each polling
place, the MDC agents will text message or call in the results to a Zimbabwe
cell phone number (Masiyiwa and the MDC are ensuring that all their agents
have access to cell phones or even satellite phones as necessary, in the
event that the local network is interrupted).

"The call will be secretly rerouted to a computer centre in Johannesburg,
where Masiyiwa has compiled a team of technical experts to enter the results
into a database.

“MDC observers will also count the number of people who enter each local
polling station and will compare this number with the local precinct vote
count, highlighting discrepancies. The center will then post the results on
an Internet site as they come in, essentially pre-empting the Zimbabwe
Election Commission results and any ill-intention of Mugabe to falsely claim
victory.

"Masiyiwa's team will send the Internet link to diplomats and journalists
once the results are tabulated.”
Bost said he was confident Masiyiwa’s plan, which is illegal under
Zimbabwean law, could work.

“(The plan) plays to Masiyiwa's strength as an engineer and problem solver.
His technical expertise and ownership of Zimbabwe's Econet cellular phone
company, with coverage throughout the country, places him in a unique
position to pull this off,” he said.

In addition, Masiyiwa is also said to have put together a package of
financial rewards for “low-level” election officials who reported attempts
to rig the election by Zanu PF.

“In addition to the anti-rigging effort, Masiyiwa is funding campaign
materials for the MDC, which are being printed in South Africa and smuggled
into Zimbabwe,” Boost wrote.

The Econet Wireless chief, blasted in another cable by MDC-T treasurer Roy
Bennett for wielding “too much” influence on MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai,
also played a key role in moves to form a coalition government following the
violent and disputed 2008 elections.

He allegedly claimed in meetings with US officials to have drafted a
power-sharing deal under which Mugabe would serve as a ceremonial President
with Tsvangirai coming in as Prime Minister.

Mugabe reportedly accepted the deal “in principle” although Masiyiwa was
concerned that “South African President Thabo Mbeki (could) attempt to
impose his own agreement which would be more advantageous to Zanu PF”.

“Masiyiwa said that an intermediary had presented the draft agreement to
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono who had in turn presented it
to Mugabe. Gono told the intermediary that he had discussed it with Mugabe
and Mugabe's wife, Grace.

“Both Mugabe and Grace reportedly were agreeable to the agreement with
several amendments, including that Mugabe would be allowed to serve as
President indefinitely and would not have to retire at a certain time,”
Ambassador Boost wrote.

WikiLeaks: Grace told Gono, Mugabe was old and senile

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

05/09/2011 15:55:00    by

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is “out of it about 75 percent of the time”, his
wife, Grace, told Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono, according
to leaked United States embassy cables.

With a strong hint that Mugabe, 87, was now senile, his wife is alleged to
have confided in Gono that she wanted him to quit.

According to WikiLeaks, Gono revealed Grace’s anxiety to the former US
ambassador Christopher Dell during a private meeting held in his spacious
22nd floor office at the Reserve Bank HQ in February 2006.

“The Governor confided that Mugabe appeared to be deteriorating mentally and
losing his capacity to balance factional interests,” Dell wrote in his
report following the meeting.

“He (Gono) said that Mugabe's wife had confided to him that the President
was ‘out of it’ about 75 percent of the time and she wanted him to step
down.”

Gono strongly denied the claims on Monday, telling New Zimbabwe.com: “These
claims are the rogue ambassadors’ opinions, the product of their fictional
minds or whatever kind of grass they were smoking.

“By attempting to quote me on awkward topics, these guys were trying to
authenticate their pregathered, preconceived notions about a particular
matter to add credibility to their imaginations.”

President Mugabe turned 87 in February and his wife’s concerns, if true,
would suggest his advanced age and reported ill health were beginning to
take their toll.

In other diplomatic cables seen by New Zimbabwe.com, Botswana President Ian
Khama told American officials Mugabe had dozed through a SADC meeting which
discussed the formation of the country’s coalition government.

“President Khama told the US Chiefs of Mission that Mugabe started dozing
off as the hours passed, head nodding and eyes half-closed. But according to
Khama, Mugabe was always able to respond at the right moments, which Khama
characterised as having ‘mastered the art of sleeping with one ear open’,”
one cable said.

Meanwhile, Gono also told Dell he handed Mugabe his resignation on February
6, 2006, after being frustrated by the government’s “unwillingness to
address deepening corruption, fiscal indiscipline and parastatal
inefficiencies.”

Wrote Dell: “Gono disclosed that his frustrations led him to submit his
resignation February 6 … He had spent much of the week meeting with Mugabe,
the presidium, Didymus Mutasa and other cabinet officials, finally being
persuaded just the morning of his meeting with the Ambassador to stay on.
The RBZ chief claimed he was under constant political siege for boldly
attacking high level corruption in the country.

“He (Gono) cast mining sector corruption as ‘out of this world’ and showed
the Ambassador a confidential report on gold that implicated senior
officials (unnamed) in siphoning off production sufficient to reduce
official output from 22 tons in 2004 to 12 tons in 2005,” Dell wrote.

“(Gono) estimated that corruption in gold alone was costing at least US$250
million a year - enough to feed, fuel and medicate the nation for months.”
The RBZ chief is also said to have suggested that the country’s economic
problems could help bring about much-needed change.

“Gono agreed that ongoing economic and political developments all served as
foundation for a post-Mugabe dispensation that had yet to be worked out.  He
observed that economic distress impelled a perceived need for change but
factional infighting was delaying the succession for which all were
posturing,” Dell said.

Regarding possible key players in a post-Mugabe Zanu PF, Dell wrote: “Gono,
speaking sotto voce, mentioned politburo member and ex-Finance Minister
Simba Makoni and Party Chairman John Nkomo.

“On a scrap of paper he wrote down ‘Didymus Mutasa’ and ‘(Minister of
Agriculture) Joseph Made’ as two players whom he understood could be allowed
no place in a post-Mugabe government.

“Gono said he himself remained independent from party factions – ‘equally
distrusted by all,’ he joked - but communicated with leaders from all
factions in both parties.  At the same time, he stressed that, as a
rags-to-riches self-made man, he had the confidence to ‘walk away from it
all’ if necessary.” - Newzimbabwe.com

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s statement to the press and the people of Cote d’ Ivoire during his visit last week

Abidjan, Cote d‘Ivoire , 1 September 2011

I am happy to be joining the people of Cote d’ Ivoire at a time when the
people of this country  are beginning a new era of peace and development
after six months of war and conflict.

Zimbabwe and Cote d’ Ivoire share a lot in common especially following
disputed elections in our respective countries.

For us, the disputed election led to the formation of the inclusive
government where those who lost the election are now part of the coalition
government.

But in your case, it is perhaps important that following the disastrous
consequences of smuggling in losers into coalition governments as had
happened in Kenya and Zimbabwe, Africa used its experience in the two
countries to call for the will of the people to be respected in Cote d’
Ivoire.

I am therefore  here not only  to share and compare notes with President
Ouattara, but to celebrate with you the triumph of the will of the people of
Cote d’ Ivoire.

So we celebrate with you and the rest of Africa that the will of the people
was finally respected in this country.

We hope this will set a new trend in Africa; an Africa that is ready to
accept that the people’s sovereign expression must always be defended and
protected.

We are here to support your efforts to rebuild your country, to unite the
people and to bring back hope and happiness to a people dispirited by war
and conflict.

We are heartened by the stance of the African Union to allow the people of
this country to start afresh; to give peace a chance and to concentrate on
the urgent national business of rebuilding and healing the country.

The people of Zimbabwe share the pain that you have gone through, the
conflict that you endured and the bright dawn that beckons if everyone
concentrates on putting the country and its people first.

As I said earlier, our countries are at political crossroads and we are
fully committed to reconstruction and recapitalisation even in our own
country, where infrastructure has been ravaged by many years of
misgovernance, neglect, patronage and corruption.

On our part, we might be trudging along a momentous path towards a historic
election which must be free and fair, but we derive comfort that there are
great lessons to be learnt from Cote d’ Ivoire.

The lesson that it is important to think more about the national good than
the retention of personal power.

The lesson that the people’s will is sacrosanct.

And more importantly, the lesson that whatever tribulations a country may
undergo, it is still possible to carve out a new future full of promise and
hope as the brave people of Cote d’ Ivoire have done.

So we in Zimbabwe can equally do the same; to put behind our dark and
troubled past in favour of a bright future of freedom and prosperity which
always beckons in the horizon.

The new crop of African leaders has an important responsibility to bring a
new ethos and value system on our continent.

A value system that says people’s freedoms are never a threat, but a
glorious opportunity to tap new energies and widen the frontiers of our
collective potential to move the country and our continent forward.

So we must all use our energies to end conflict on our continent and portray
a positive image of Africa that inspires confidence in our capacity to
deliver freedoms and services to the people.

We must explore our energies to end conflict through all means, even using
new avenues such as sport and the arts to heal, unite and reconcile people.

I thank the government and the people of Cote d’ Ivoire  for the hospitality
and the true African spirit that they have exhibited in hosting  me and  my
delegation.

So we come with a solidarity message from the people of Zimbabwe that like
the rest of Africa, we are with you in this delicate process of bringing
back lost peace and unity.

You have shown us that it is possible.

And we call for your support as we trudge towards the next election in
Zimbabwe to ensure that we have a free, fair and violence-free election
which does not bring another disputed outcome.

I thank You

Pakistan in seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe

http://www.sbs.com.au/

05 September 2011 | 09:31:03 PM | Source: AAP

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on
Monday, getting the winning runs with seven wickets in hand a few minutes
before lunch on day five.

They were left needing 88 runs for victory after bundling the home team out
for 141 runs in their second innings, although they did lose three wickets
in the process.

Having been put into bat by Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq, Zimbabwe reached
412 all out in their first innings before the tourists replied with 466 all
out to establish a first-innings lead of 54.

There was not much in it at that stage but Zimbabwe's second effort
collapsed to 8-135 at the close of the fourth day, leaving the Pakistanis
with the prospect of a routine mop-up operation.

Ul Haq said afterwards: "Maybe I was mistaken asking Zimbabwe to bat first.
The wicket had green patches. But the bowlers stuck to the task well.

"Our batting to follow was excellent, of good quality. I am proud of the
youngsters, especially Aizaz Cheema, who took eight wickets in the match.

"Zimbabwe are a good side and they will improve with experience and become a
strong force in the game I'm sure."

Man of the match was Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez, who scored 119 and took
four wickets for 31.

With one more wicket he would have recorded a 'viper' in cricket terms - a
century plus five wickets in an innings - but he did not get a bowl in the
final session.

Zimbabwe's opening innings score of 412 looked likely to secure at least a
draw, which was their prime target in terms of their need to gain
respectability in top cricket circles after being readmitted to Tests after
a gap of six years.

And if they had not dropped seven Pakistan wickets in their first innings,
plus a fumbled run-out opportunity, the tourists' response might have been
much lower than 466.

The Zimbabweans' batsmen were exposed by both Pakistan seam and spin in the
second innings.

The wicket had deteriorated and they showed inexperience in dealing with it.
Five wickets were lost before they even got past the 54-run deficit.

Only Tatenda Taibu and Kyle Jarvis stood between a single figure total and
the 141 runs they eventually managed to scrape together.

They put on 66 for the ninth wicket during the late afternoon of the fourth
day - not quite a face-saving effort, more a reprimand to their colleagues.

However, the Zimbabwe innings lasted only 15 balls on Monday morning, Taibu
and last man Christopher Mpofu falling to Cheema.

Zanu is still not facing reality

The Luanda summit of the SADC confirmed all the bad news for Zanu PF. The
summit adopted the reports from the previous two meetings - Livingstone and
Sandton; they strengthened the position of the facilitator, Jacob Zuma and
confirmed the appointment of three regional members to the Joint Monitoring
and Implementation Commission (JOMIC). This last step was particularly
significant as it is the first time that SADC has had 'feet on the ground'
in Zimbabwe, something Zanu has always argued is a violation of our
sovereignty.

Not one concession to Mr. Mugabe or Zanu PF. Zanu PF is usually very good at
strategizing and reacting fast to developments and it is an indication of
just how far down they have gone, that the outcome of the summit threw them
into a state of confusion and conflict. The military elements in the old
regime, now know that the region will not tolerate a coup or anything
resembling a coup. They are stuck with the GPA process and road map and an
electoral solution.

Finally, after weeks of prevarication the Zanu PF Politburo met on Wednesday
and decided on a strategy. This was revealed quite clearly on Friday when
Mr. Mugabe made a long speech in Harare. He revealed that they had now
accepted that an election in 2011 would be impossible, they had to complete
the Constitutional process and then go for an election - in fact he went one
step further, stating that as soon as the constitution was adopted, they
would press ahead with an election as early as possible - probably March
2012.

So now we know what they are planning - they will now 'allow' the
constitution process to be concluded - after holding it up for two years in
the hope that they could force a snap election before the reforms kick in.
They realize that in fact the constitution is not a major issue when it
comes to manipulating an election - our present constitution is not too bad
after all and accepting a few reforms in the new one will not change the
electoral environment one iota. What we have known for months is that the
whole process will now be collapsed into straight negotiations with the MDC
and then a referendum fought by both parties working together, just as was
the case in Kenya, with civil society fuming on the sidelines.

Then they plan to try and force through the snap election without any of the
essential reforms that are needed. They have a carefully crafted new
electoral Act now in front of Parliament and a seriously sanitized Human
Rights Commission Act and these reveal the strategy - an election with the
old voters roll, a new delimitation based on the roll, a violent election
with MDC denied access to the rural areas and denied campaign freedom.

Then an election without monitors from abroad, under closed shop conditions
where thousands of poling stations will be unsupervised or monitored, voting
under supervision by Zanu loyalists and the security services, counting and
reporting totally controlled and without transparency. The objective, secure
a majority at any cost. They will have unlimited resources from the illegal
sale of diamonds from Marange, control of all electronic media as well as
all State controlled newspapers. They will clamp down on all NGO activity
and use terror and intimidation in all areas where they can get away with
it. This will not be a democratic election - it will be a form of electoral
guerilla war.

So now the question is - will they get away with this revised strategy, or
will the SADC facilitator and the SADC leadership simply head off this new
strategy and again confirm what they have said so clearly at all regional
meetings this year - no elections outside of the GPA process and road map.
That is, following the adoption of a new constitution, the creation of an
independent, professionally managed electoral commission, a new voters roll,
a new independent and professionally managed delimitation process, a
supervised, peaceful election with monitors in every polling station,
counting at the polling stations and reporting in a transparent and public
manner with all parties having direct access to the count and the reports.

If SADC holds to its position and I cannot see any other possibility, then
Zanu PF will have to finally accept that such a process is unavoidable and
the outcome predictable - total defeat. Once they do, it will then become
plain to them that they have no alternative, but to try to negotiate their
way out of the predicament they are in with the MDC.

Already, the decision taken on Wednesday to accept that the election cannot
take place this year has probably sealed Mr. Mugabe’s fate. Time is not on
his side and the longer this goes on, the less likely it is that he will be
able to stand as the Zanu PF candidate for the Presidency. Don’t get us
wrong - for the MDC he is the best candidate to face us in the Presidential
ballot, Mai Mujuru would be a more difficult opponent.

I think this fact is widely acknowledged in Zanu PF and is the main reason
why Mrs. Mujuru immediately tossed her hat into the ring as the next
Presidential candidate for Zanu PF. A clear indication that the succession
race is now truly started.

The most common view I hear expressed is that nothing happened at Luanda and
the whole process is so slow, there seems to be no end in sight! I spoke to
one of the negotiators on Friday in Harare and his comment to me was that
events are moving very rapidly. Other information reaching us suggests that
Zuma, despite his preoccupations in South Africa, is maintaining the
momentum and the pressure.

The dip tank looms, for those of us who are watching, it cannot come soon
enough.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 3rd September 2011