Zimbabwe Information Center in N

WOZA release report on state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after formation of GNU

February 10, 2010

In 2009, WOZA started discussions on what we think the building blocks of democracy are with over 11,000 members, urban and rural, through workshops and a booklet - Building democracy with WOZA. The objective was to raise awareness that Zimbabwe needs a democratic form of government committed to making sure that all the building blocks of democracy are in place for all citizens to enjoy social justice.

As 2009 closed, we conducted a further consultation of the state of our democracy after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in February 2009. 4,016 people gave us their views. The results have been released in a report entitled, ‘Hearts starve as well as bodies - give us bread but give us roses too! Democratising Zimbabwe - an opportunity to shine! A WOZA perspective on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe.’ The report is a snapshot of our community activists’ views on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after the GNU was formed.

The main findings of the report include:

The belief that the power-sharing government has decreased democratic space in Zimbabwe.

There has been some change for those who are rich but for the poor nothing has changed. It has remained survival of the fittest. The dollarisation of the economy stabilised prices and the economy in general but the gap between rich and poor widened.

Many expressed no confidence in an election before the constitutional process is complete.

People want to give their views and write their own constitution but worry that the current consultation process has too many loopholes that can be manipulated to change their views into those wanted by politicians.

Most agree that they believe that public funds should go through the Ministry of Finance but the Minister must also be transparent about what he does with it.

The personal security situation for ordinary people is still very insecure.

Most people polled believe that the rule of law in the country has worsened.

The report also contains a list of steps that WOZA, the mothers of the nation, would like to see before we can believe that democracy is alive and well in Zimbabwe. These include:

1. Elections - Before the referendum, we need to have confidence that a voter’s roll will be transparently prepared and displayed for viewing. We need a truly independent electoral commission.

2. Opposition - we need to see democracy in action - a genuine welcoming of different political voices.

3. Civil rights - we are citizens with rights and must be allowed to enjoy all our rights without fear or harassment. We look forward to the passing of the bill amending POSA. We need to see the promised security sector reform with special attention on police reform because it is police who abuse our rights on a daily basis.

4. Rule of law - start to prosecute perpetrators of politically motivated violence urgently - everyone must obey the law or be punished.

5. Separation of powers - The presidential appointment of Tomana and Gono has resulted in a further mixing up of the functions of government. For judicial reform, Tomana and other political appointees in the Attorney General’s office must go and be replaced by professional people who will balance the scales of our justice system.

6. Equality - we are writing this into our new constitution. Please Parliamentary Select Committee do not betray this ideal by cheating us when we give you our views.

7. Transparency and accountability - As long as we have a politically partisan Reserve Bank governor, there will be no investor confidence, jobs will not be available and workers receive a living wage - therefore Gono must go. Minister Tendai Biti, we need more transparency and accountability from you. Studying your strategy from the trenches, it looks like you want to squeeze money out of poor people’s pockets to fund the recovery. You need to do better to cushion the poor! You must stop the police from criminalizing informal traders. Please don’t forget about the children’s education, they are our future.

8. Participation of the people - our report is called hearts starve as well as bodies - give us bread but give us roses too! We want our ‘rose’, which is our own constitution! Allow a genuine people-driven process for the constitutional consultation for our full participation. Disband militia camps and let our children come home. The police must stop arresting people without good reason; police officers are crucial to allowing people to feel free. To the three principals, you promised us a “society free of violence, fear, intimidation, hate, patronage, corruption and founded on justice, fairness, openness, transparency, dignity and equality.” Now it is time to deliver on what you promised

Zimbabwe Politics In Police Uniform

In Zimbabwe, it is part of the constitution that police officers are to be apolitical. This is covered by the Police Act, and includes all police officer – not just those that choose to do their own thing. But the police chief, Augustine Chihuri, has chosen to ignore this requirement and has hitched his star to ZANU PF’s wagon.

He has threatened to dismiss any police officer found to be sympathetic to the MDC. And he expects every officer to be a ZANU PF supporter.

Obviously, this is unacceptable to us who live in the free world, but in Zimbabwe, ZANU PF affiliation is really the only way to be able to live from one day to the next. I am glad that I left the Zimbabwe Republic Police when I did.

Zimbabwe Politics In Police Uniform

“Two senior police officers and an ex-policeman have been arrested, with the serving officers being summarily transferred to remote police stations outside Harare, after they were accused of allegedly leaking police information to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Police sources have revealed that Senior Assistant Commissioner Justice Chengeta last week ordered the arrest of Superintendents Casper Nhepera and another one identified only as Madiko for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act.

Chengeta had walked into an office which was being used by the two at the Police General Headquarters to find them entertaining one Macmillan Mukombachoto, whom Chengeta accused of being a secret MDC agent.

Chengeta, who has a declared incorrigible dislike for the MDC, was further agitated by the fact that Mukombachoto had produced a computer flash disk from which his former colleagues took delight in downloading music.”

Justice Chengeta - now there is a name that I haven’t heard for a very long while. He was in my squad (9/81) in training in 1981 and won the Best Recruit award. I think I even have a picture in an old “The Outpost” magazine of him receiving the award.

I don’t doubt for one second that Chengeta has an attitude against the MDC - as I dimly recall, he was a man who kept to himself and when he did speak, it was with adverse comments.

That is 29 years serve that Chengeta has pulled and to rise from a lowly Patrol Officer to Senior Assistant Commissioner is not a bad achievement – but we must remember that his political affiliations would never have hurt his progress. (Please note that the rank of Patrol Officer and Section Officer have been removed from the rank structure.)

“Chengeta immediately ordered their arrest,” said a source. They spent the weekend detained at Harare Central Police Station.”

As they were languishing in custody, their transfer papers were being processed.

Nhepera was transferred to Nkayi in Matabeleland North Province while Madiko was moved to Nyanga in Manicaland.

Mukombachoto is a former police officer who worked for over 20 years as a lower ranking policeman. For most of his service he worked as a photographer for Outpost, the monthly magazine of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

The Zimbabwe Times could not readily establish when the accused are likely to go on trial for the alleged offence.

Chengeta who is regarded with awe in the police force is among Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri’s top lieutenants. He has been at the forefront of “cleansing” Zimbabwe’s heavily politicized police force of both known and suspected MDC sympathizers.”

I do question as to what crime these two officers are meant to have committed as, if supporting a political party is an offence, then Chihuri and Chengeta should also be charged with the same offence.

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man

Zim. Human Rights Forum condemns

On the occasion of the first
anniversary of the Government of National Unity., the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum expresses
it's extreme concern at the slow pace at which the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) is being implemented. It also voices concern
at the apparent inability of SADC to influence the parties to honour
their original commitment to implement the provisions of the GPA.

The Forum notes that the struggle between the political parties over
'outstanding issues' has affected progress in possibly the largest
deliverable that the GPA undertook, namely the drafting of a new
constitution. It notes that this has now fallen behind the timelines
outlined in Article 6 of the GPA.

Additionally, the Forum remains concerned with the suppression of
freedom of expression and association as demonstrated by the arrest and
harassment of members of civic groups, the continued victimization,
intimidation and abductions of political activists and human rights
defenders, the unabated violation of property rights on commercial
farms, the disregard of court orders and the continued blocking of
official visits by members of the international community invited to
verify the human rights situation in the country.

Showdown at high noon: Biti hits out at ZANU.

STATEMENT BY MDC SECRETARY GENERAL, HON. TENDAI BITI

Wednesday 3 February 2010

Over the past 12 months the MDC has repeatedly shown its willingness
to work with Zanu PF to rebuild Zimbabwe, restore the people?s
freedoms and deliver real change as agreed in the Global Political
Agreement (GPA).

In this government, the MDC has unleashed its positive energy for the
benefit of all Zimbabweans to restore basic services, and deliver hope
and real change to our nation. Despite the sincerity we have displayed
(some would say naivety) and the legitimacy we bring to the government
as a result of the overwhelming support we have from the people of
this great country, Zanu PF has refused to acknowledge that their
failed policies of the past have been soundly rejected by the masses
and that process of change is irreversible.

Instead, they have continued to use the inclusive government to wage
war against the MDC, our supporters and the people at large. Zanu PF
continues to use the public media, the constitutional process, the
commercial farms, the diamond mines and the civil service as the
battlefields for its destructive agenda aimed at perpetuating their
selfish grip on power.

Their determination to enrich themselves at the expense of national
development risks keeping all our citizens mired in poverty. In
addition, they have committed themselves to conducting an overt
onslaught against the person, principles and agenda of the President
of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, to thwart his vision of delivering real
change to the people of Zimbabwe.

Rather than blaming President Tsvangirai for imaginary wrongs, it is
time that Zanu PF took responsibility for the dark decade of poverty
and violence their policies unleashed on the innocent people of this
nation. In the last four weeks, following the Zanu PF congress, we
have seen an acceleration of destruction and insanity on the part of
the former ruling party. We have seen an increase in the decibels of
destabilisation and recklessness. This has been manifested in unlawful
farm invasions, disobedience of lawful court orders, the above-
referred vitriol against the President of the MDC and intransigence at
the negotiating table.

It is clear as a pikestaff that Zanu PF is creating the conditions for
the total breakdown of the inclusive government. It is clear to us
that Zanu PF are making a case for the establishment of irreconcilable
differences amongst the parties leading to a total breakdown of this
relationship. Our message to Zanu PF is that we will not be baited by
these nocturnal acts of self-destruction. However, we will also not
allow ourselves or the people of Zimbabwe to be bullied or abused by a
coterie of men and women who have never put Zimbabwe first.

This government was born out of hope, courage and the commitment of
the people to peaceful, democratic change. It is clear that Zanu PF is
trying to strangle this fledgling authority on its first birthday and
if they continue their regressive policies they must be prepared to
take full responsibility for the irretrievable breakdown of the
inclusive government.

Zanu PF must however understand that there is a price to everything.
The inevitable consequence of their homicidal actions would be the
holding of free and fair elections under the protection and
supervision of SADC to ensure that the dreams of the people are never
again dashed nor denied.

The MDC is ready for this election.

Zanu PF cannot continue to have their cake and eat it. They cannot
continue to be normative members of this government when in fact they
are working against it at every turn. It is simple. Either they are in
or they are out. If they are in, the onus is on them to cease their
violations of the laws of Zimbabwe, start respecting our party
President and implement the commitments they signed up to in the GPA.
If they are out, then bring on the election.

Zimbabweans are tired of political bickering and their hope for 2010
is that all members of this government will have one common vision,
that of rebuilding our economy, creating jobs, restoring food security
and promoting the people?s freedoms. Whatever choice they make, the
process of change in Zimbabwe is irreversible and the MDC remains
committed to standing by the people and by the ideals of the
liberation struggle to deliver hope and real change to every
Zimbabwean.

Together to the end, marching to a New Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Information Center in North America a project of the Global Zimbabwe Forum - USA
HOME Global Political Agreement GZF Radio Free Zimbabwe Letter from America 2007 Letter from America 2008 Letter from America2009 ZimToday Human Rights Watch Short Wave Radio Africa Zimsite ZimDiaspora Zimbabwean Independent Zimbabwe Times Standard BBC ZimbDaily VOA Kubatana ChangeZim GoZimbabwe ZimNews ZimOnline ZimDiaspora ZimSituation MDC FinGaz Archives	The Voice for Democracy’s message to the MDC, SADC and the Friends of Zimbabwe on the First Anniversary of the Inclusive Government *Speaking Truth to Power* LET THE JURY OF THE PEOPLE DECIDE The MDC did not enter into a marriage of convenience, but one of abuse. For all its goodwill, compromises and appeasement, the MDC has been repaid with contempt, provocations and lawlessness. Robert Mugabe has not just been reluctant to implement the provisions of the GPA, he has deliberately set out to sabotage and destroy it. Yet, even as he flexed his muscles and hurled abuse, a battered and deeply compromised MDC smiled for the cameras, vowing never to leave its faithless partner. The Prime Minister soothed the worries of the Friends of Zimbabwe, reassuring them that its rocky marriage was still working, that Robert Mugabe was part of the solution, and that their marriage – the Inclusive Government – should be blessed by the removal of sanctions and rewarded with development aid for its achievements. The diplomatic dilemma Having won the March 2008 elections, the MDC surrendered wide presidential powers to the very man, Robert Mugabe, who had brought nothing but violence, ruin and misery to the people of Zimbabwe – and left Western diplomats groping for an adequate response. How are the Friends of Zimbabwe to reward the MDC for its efforts to bring peace and recovery while pressuring Mugabe to restore human rights and the rule of law under the GPA? How can they provide development aid to the MDC while maintaining sanctions on Mugabe and ZANU(PF)? In truth, they cannot. The MDC and ZANU(PF) forged an Inclusive Government in which they became two sides of the same coin. The International Crisis Group’s sanguine belief that increased development aid would reward the moderates while isolating the hardliners was always illusionary. As long as Mugabe maintains his grip on power, any attempts to increase development aid or foster trade and investment will inevitably be captured by ZANU(PF). Similarly, any development aid or the lifting of sanctions to reward the Inclusive Government for achieving a modicum of economic stability will send an unmistakable message to Mugabe: that he and his supporters will not be held accountable for continued human rights violations and their disregard for the rule of law. Their very impunity will be rewarded. This conundrum for Western powers is now being played out within the EU. Divisions have emerged between Germany and the Denmark that want sanctions eased and Britain and the Netherlands that want them maintained. The expectation is that they will reach a tepid compromise and again urge the Zimbabwean parties to implement the GPA in full. Whatever their decision, the EU and the MDC should disabuse themselves of any hope that easing sanctions will coax Mugabe into meeting his GPA commitments. There is none. Western donor countries face similar contradictions in their diplomatic relations with SADC and the African Union, which have repeatedly supported the Inclusive Government’s call for the lifting of limited sanctions and the resumption of development aid. How then do Western governments align themselves to the policies of African countries when SADC, as the guarantor of the GPA, has proved unable to enforce its provisions? Indeed, how can the donors align themselves to SADC decisions when the underlying reasons for imposing targeted sanctions in the first place remain unresolved? The question is: how can the Friends of Zimbabwe extricate themselves from these diplomatic dilemmas and realign their policies with SADC and the African Union? International realignment behind a democratic transition The first is to face the facts. The international donor community should resist repeating the tired mantra that the parties must implement the GPA in full. The self-evident fact is that the GPA is dead in letter and spirit. Second, they should listen carefully to the voices for democracy. When the MDC disengaged from their ‘dishonest and unreliable partner’ in October 2009, Morgan Tsvangirai said that the obvious solution would be the holding of a free and fair election to be conducted by SADC and the AU and under UN supervision. As Mugabe still refuses to comply with the GPA, Tsvangirai now says that the only solution is to agree on a road map to an election. This presents the international donor community with an ideal opportunity to realign itself with the MDC’s democratic principles and with key advocates of a democratic transition within SADC, notably President Khama of Botswana. Given South Africa’s frustration over the painfully slow implementation of the GPA, diplomatic efforts should be redirected towards convincing an increasingly impatient President Zuma that elections provide a compelling alternative to the GPA. It would not only bring finality to a festering regional problem, but it would enable Zimbabwe’s full reengagement with the international community. Almost immediately, targeted sanctions could be lifted, debts rescheduled, and international development aid resumed. Crucially, it would bring the international community’s policy towards Zimbabwe into alignment with those of the SADC countries. The Responsibility to Protect Yet, for all the possibilities of democratic elections bringing peace, recovery and growth to Zimbabwe, there stands Robert Mugabe, ready to unleash his dreaded state security and militia on any who dare challenge his self-proclaimed right to rule. And here the Friends of Zimbabwe should heed the words of Finance Minister and the MDC General Secretary, Tendai Biti, when he called for the “holding of free and fair elections under the protection and supervision of SADC to ensure that the dreams of the people are never again dashed nor denied.” Unless the citizens of Zimbabwe are protected to cast their ballots in peace and security there can be no guarantee of free and fair elections: not now, not when we have a new constitution, nor in 3 or 5 years hence. Gareth Evans, President of the International Crisis Group, has been the boldest advocate of the international community’s responsibility to protect citizens who are threatened with crimes against humanity by their own state. Having realigned themselves behind a democratic transition, western donors and SADC countries should immediately start building a ‘Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect’ that allow Zimbabwean voters to cast their ballots in peace and security during the next election. The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) has already called for the immediate deployment of a SADC delegation to secure an end to political violence. Theirs is an urgent appeal for a comprehensive, standing presence of SADC to be stationed in Zimbabwe until the draft Constitution has been submitted to a referendum and that free and fair presidential and legislative elections have been held. The Voice for Democracy has gone further. We have called for this security presence to be in place until there has been an incontrovertible and peaceful handover of power to the winners of the next election. We the Jury The MDC has bravely endured endless public humiliations by its arrogant and abusive partner. It must now drop any pretence that its marriage is working and file for divorce by taking its case to SADC and the international community for adjudication, who must let the jury – the people of Zimbabwe – decide on its own leaders through free and fair elections. Therein lies our hope, dignity and freedom. Wednesday 11 February 2010 Mugabe and ZANU latest criminal act 13,000 ZANU thugs on government payroll MDC Statement: Zanu PF’s Indigenisation Bill unacceptable criminality The MDC dismisses the clandestine and nicodemous gazetting of regulations calling for all foreign investors to cede 51 percent of their investment to ‘indigenous people.’ Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, whose ministry is yet to explain how it illegally foisted 13 000 Zanu PF youths on the government payroll, has decided to rail-road controversial, anti-investment regulations without the knowledge of Cabinet and the Head of Government, the Prime Minister. It is simply a unilateral Zanu PF Bill which has failed to meet not only the basic components of procedure, but has far reaching negative and dire consequences on the much-needed investment in Zimbabwe. The MDC views these provocative and anti-investment regulations as a deliberate attempt to undermine the country and its people. At a time when Zimbabwe desperately needs foreign direct investment, it is an affront to recovery efforts for the Ministry of Youth and Indigenisation to nocturnally and unilaterally gazette these anti-people and anti-Zimbabwe regulations. Zanu PF simply wants to create a new arena for looting and abuse. The so-called “indigenous people” who are set to benefit from this criminal Bill are not the ordinary man and woman, but the well-connected elite and the Zanu PF chefs. The people of Zimbabwe want real change. They want hope, security, dignity, freedom and prosperity. They want investment so that they can have jobs, food, better health care and education. They want real change yesterday and not cheap politics meant to extinguish hope and undermine the inclusive government. The MDC calls upon the inclusive government, in the national interest, to reverse all such destructive WOZA release report on state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after formation of GNU February 10, 2010 In 2009, WOZA started discussions on what we think the building blocks of democracy are with over 11,000 members, urban and rural, through workshops and a booklet - Building democracy with WOZA. The objective was to raise awareness that Zimbabwe needs a democratic form of government committed to making sure that all the building blocks of democracy are in place for all citizens to enjoy social justice. As 2009 closed, we conducted a further consultation of the state of our democracy after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in February 2009. 4,016 people gave us their views. The results have been released in a report entitled, ‘Hearts starve as well as bodies - give us bread but give us roses too! Democratising Zimbabwe - an opportunity to shine! A WOZA perspective on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe.’ The report is a snapshot of our community activists’ views on the state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after the GNU was formed. The main findings of the report include: The belief that the power-sharing government has decreased democratic space in Zimbabwe. There has been some change for those who are rich but for the poor nothing has changed. It has remained survival of the fittest. The dollarisation of the economy stabilised prices and the economy in general but the gap between rich and poor widened. Many expressed no confidence in an election before the constitutional process is complete. People want to give their views and write their own constitution but worry that the current consultation process has too many loopholes that can be manipulated to change their views into those wanted by politicians. Most agree that they believe that public funds should go through the Ministry of Finance but the Minister must also be transparent about what he does with it. The personal security situation for ordinary people is still very insecure. Most people polled believe that the rule of law in the country has worsened. The report also contains a list of steps that WOZA, the mothers of the nation, would like to see before we can believe that democracy is alive and well in Zimbabwe. These include: 1. Elections - Before the referendum, we need to have confidence that a voter’s roll will be transparently prepared and displayed for viewing. We need a truly independent electoral commission. 2. Opposition - we need to see democracy in action - a genuine welcoming of different political voices. 3. Civil rights - we are citizens with rights and must be allowed to enjoy all our rights without fear or harassment. We look forward to the passing of the bill amending POSA. We need to see the promised security sector reform with special attention on police reform because it is police who abuse our rights on a daily basis. 4. Rule of law - start to prosecute perpetrators of politically motivated violence urgently - everyone must obey the law or be punished. 5. Separation of powers - The presidential appointment of Tomana and Gono has resulted in a further mixing up of the functions of government. For judicial reform, Tomana and other political appointees in the Attorney General’s office must go and be replaced by professional people who will balance the scales of our justice system. 6. Equality - we are writing this into our new constitution. Please Parliamentary Select Committee do not betray this ideal by cheating us when we give you our views. 7. Transparency and accountability - As long as we have a politically partisan Reserve Bank governor, there will be no investor confidence, jobs will not be available and workers receive a living wage - therefore Gono must go. Minister Tendai Biti, we need more transparency and accountability from you. Studying your strategy from the trenches, it looks like you want to squeeze money out of poor people’s pockets to fund the recovery. You need to do better to cushion the poor! You must stop the police from criminalizing informal traders. Please don’t forget about the children’s education, they are our future. 8. Participation of the people - our report is called hearts starve as well as bodies - give us bread but give us roses too! We want our ‘rose’, which is our own constitution! Allow a genuine people-driven process for the constitutional consultation for our full participation. Disband militia camps and let our children come home. The police must stop arresting people without good reason; police officers are crucial to allowing people to feel free. To the three principals, you promised us a “society free of violence, fear, intimidation, hate, patronage, corruption and founded on justice, fairness, openness, transparency, dignity and equality.” Now it is time to deliver on what you promised	Zimbabwe Politics In Police Uniform In Zimbabwe, it is part of the constitution that police officers are to be apolitical. This is covered by the Police Act, and includes all police officer – not just those that choose to do their own thing. But the police chief, Augustine Chihuri, has chosen to ignore this requirement and has hitched his star to ZANU PF’s wagon. He has threatened to dismiss any police officer found to be sympathetic to the MDC. And he expects every officer to be a ZANU PF supporter. Obviously, this is unacceptable to us who live in the free world, but in Zimbabwe, ZANU PF affiliation is really the only way to be able to live from one day to the next. I am glad that I left the Zimbabwe Republic Police when I did. Zimbabwe Politics In Police Uniform “Two senior police officers and an ex-policeman have been arrested, with the serving officers being summarily transferred to remote police stations outside Harare, after they were accused of allegedly leaking police information to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Police sources have revealed that Senior Assistant Commissioner Justice Chengeta last week ordered the arrest of Superintendents Casper Nhepera and another one identified only as Madiko for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act. Chengeta had walked into an office which was being used by the two at the Police General Headquarters to find them entertaining one Macmillan Mukombachoto, whom Chengeta accused of being a secret MDC agent. Chengeta, who has a declared incorrigible dislike for the MDC, was further agitated by the fact that Mukombachoto had produced a computer flash disk from which his former colleagues took delight in downloading music.” Justice Chengeta - now there is a name that I haven’t heard for a very long while. He was in my squad (9/81) in training in 1981 and won the Best Recruit award. I think I even have a picture in an old “The Outpost” magazine of him receiving the award. I don’t doubt for one second that Chengeta has an attitude against the MDC - as I dimly recall, he was a man who kept to himself and when he did speak, it was with adverse comments. That is 29 years serve that Chengeta has pulled and to rise from a lowly Patrol Officer to Senior Assistant Commissioner is not a bad achievement – but we must remember that his political affiliations would never have hurt his progress. (Please note that the rank of Patrol Officer and Section Officer have been removed from the rank structure.) “Chengeta immediately ordered their arrest,” said a source. They spent the weekend detained at Harare Central Police Station.” As they were languishing in custody, their transfer papers were being processed. Nhepera was transferred to Nkayi in Matabeleland North Province while Madiko was moved to Nyanga in Manicaland. Mukombachoto is a former police officer who worked for over 20 years as a lower ranking policeman. For most of his service he worked as a photographer for Outpost, the monthly magazine of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. The Zimbabwe Times could not readily establish when the accused are likely to go on trial for the alleged offence. Chengeta who is regarded with awe in the police force is among Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri’s top lieutenants. He has been at the forefront of “cleansing” Zimbabwe’s heavily politicized police force of both known and suspected MDC sympathizers.” I do question as to what crime these two officers are meant to have committed as, if supporting a political party is an offence, then Chihuri and Chengeta should also be charged with the same offence. Robb WJ Ellis The Bearded Man Zim. Human Rights Forum condemns On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Government of National Unity., the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum expresses it's extreme concern at the slow pace at which the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is being implemented. It also voices concern at the apparent inability of SADC to influence the parties to honour their original commitment to implement the provisions of the GPA. The Forum notes that the struggle between the political parties over 'outstanding issues' has affected progress in possibly the largest deliverable that the GPA undertook, namely the drafting of a new constitution. It notes that this has now fallen behind the timelines outlined in Article 6 of the GPA. Additionally, the Forum remains concerned with the suppression of freedom of expression and association as demonstrated by the arrest and harassment of members of civic groups, the continued victimization, intimidation and abductions of political activists and human rights defenders, the unabated violation of property rights on commercial farms, the disregard of court orders and the continued blocking of official visits by members of the international community invited to verify the human rights situation in the country.
	Showdown at high noon: Biti hits out at ZANU. STATEMENT BY MDC SECRETARY GENERAL, HON. TENDAI BITI Wednesday 3 February 2010 Over the past 12 months the MDC has repeatedly shown its willingness to work with Zanu PF to rebuild Zimbabwe, restore the people?s freedoms and deliver real change as agreed in the Global Political Agreement (GPA). In this government, the MDC has unleashed its positive energy for the benefit of all Zimbabweans to restore basic services, and deliver hope and real change to our nation. Despite the sincerity we have displayed (some would say naivety) and the legitimacy we bring to the government as a result of the overwhelming support we have from the people of this great country, Zanu PF has refused to acknowledge that their failed policies of the past have been soundly rejected by the masses and that process of change is irreversible. Instead, they have continued to use the inclusive government to wage war against the MDC, our supporters and the people at large. Zanu PF continues to use the public media, the constitutional process, the commercial farms, the diamond mines and the civil service as the battlefields for its destructive agenda aimed at perpetuating their selfish grip on power. Their determination to enrich themselves at the expense of national development risks keeping all our citizens mired in poverty. In addition, they have committed themselves to conducting an overt onslaught against the person, principles and agenda of the President of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, to thwart his vision of delivering real change to the people of Zimbabwe. Rather than blaming President Tsvangirai for imaginary wrongs, it is time that Zanu PF took responsibility for the dark decade of poverty and violence their policies unleashed on the innocent people of this nation. In the last four weeks, following the Zanu PF congress, we have seen an acceleration of destruction and insanity on the part of the former ruling party. We have seen an increase in the decibels of destabilisation and recklessness. This has been manifested in unlawful farm invasions, disobedience of lawful court orders, the above- referred vitriol against the President of the MDC and intransigence at the negotiating table. It is clear as a pikestaff that Zanu PF is creating the conditions for the total breakdown of the inclusive government. It is clear to us that Zanu PF are making a case for the establishment of irreconcilable differences amongst the parties leading to a total breakdown of this relationship. Our message to Zanu PF is that we will not be baited by these nocturnal acts of self-destruction. However, we will also not allow ourselves or the people of Zimbabwe to be bullied or abused by a coterie of men and women who have never put Zimbabwe first. This government was born out of hope, courage and the commitment of the people to peaceful, democratic change. It is clear that Zanu PF is trying to strangle this fledgling authority on its first birthday and if they continue their regressive policies they must be prepared to take full responsibility for the irretrievable breakdown of the inclusive government. Zanu PF must however understand that there is a price to everything. The inevitable consequence of their homicidal actions would be the holding of free and fair elections under the protection and supervision of SADC to ensure that the dreams of the people are never again dashed nor denied. The MDC is ready for this election. Zanu PF cannot continue to have their cake and eat it. They cannot continue to be normative members of this government when in fact they are working against it at every turn. It is simple. Either they are in or they are out. If they are in, the onus is on them to cease their violations of the laws of Zimbabwe, start respecting our party President and implement the commitments they signed up to in the GPA. If they are out, then bring on the election. Zimbabweans are tired of political bickering and their hope for 2010 is that all members of this government will have one common vision, that of rebuilding our economy, creating jobs, restoring food security and promoting the people?s freedoms. Whatever choice they make, the process of change in Zimbabwe is irreversible and the MDC remains committed to standing by the people and by the ideals of the liberation struggle to deliver hope and real change to every Zimbabwean. Together to the end, marching to a New Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Information Center in North America

a project of the Global Zimbabwe Forum - USA

Mugabe and ZANU latest criminal act

WOZA release report on state of democracy in Zimbabwe one year after formation of GNU

Zimbabwe Politics In Police Uniform

Zim. Human Rights Forum condemns

Showdown at high noon: Biti hits out at ZANU.