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MDC boycotts Mugabe's cabinet
Full statement from Deputy Prime Minister Thokozane Khupe
29 JUNE 2009
For a long time the MDC has made issue of the unequivocal lack of paradigm shift on the part of ZANU PF as an actor in the Transitional government. For a long time we have remained the polite and subservient Upholders of the GPA against clear evidence of the absence of a reliable & honest partner.
At the epicenter of our disappointment has been the unwillingness of ZANU PF to timeously resolve the unfinished issues of the inclusive government under the GPA. In particular, despite five months of endless meetings amongst the Principals, the central issues of the Reserve Bank Governor, the Attorney General, the Provincial Governors, the swearing in of Roy Bennett and the appointment of ambassadors remain unresolved as such the inclusive government is yet to be fully constituted.
These issues continue to affect the health of the GPA. They are structural issues that are at the root of the GPA. Any breach of the same and any failure to resolve the same is fundamental. Part of the problem lies in the fact that ZANU PF has not woken up to the reality of the MDC as an equal partner in the agreement following the March 29 result. More importantly they have not accepted that in the constitution, the GPA, Mr Mugabe and President Tsvangirai are placed on par, and that the former cannot do anything without the latter.
Further evidence of the lack of a paradigm shift, is the deliberate refusal to convene the National Security council. The National Security Council became law in February 2009 and demands that the Security council meets once every month. Four months later, it has not met simply because a few elite securocrats do not recognise the authority of the new order.
The lack of recognition of the fundamental principle of equality has given rise to a persistent and corrosive culture of unilateralism. That unilateralism includes unlawful redefinition of the mandate of ministries, executive appointments and a pervasive reproduction of a business-of-the old order mentality. The same unilateralism is being reflected in the nascent constitution making process where suddenly and contrary to the provisions of the GPA, the Kariba draft constitution is now being sought to be imposed lock stoke and barrel on the people of Zimbabwe.
Over and above this we have protested at the persistent abuse of the rule of law, the cynical disrespect of the countrys’ laws and flagrant insensitivity to the multiplier effect of all acts of lawlessness. We remain concerned about the persistent victimization, arrest and violence against our MPs, activists, civil society members, and members of staff.
EXPOSED: Mugabe's troops massacre civilians
Human Rights Abuses by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (October 2008 to June 2009)
http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/06/26/diamonds-rough-0
The Zimbabwe government's decision in October 2008 to deploy the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)-which comprises the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ)-to the Marange diamond fields appears to have been a response to the lawlessness and chaos in the fields and the police's inability to control it. It may also have been intended to end illegal mining or diamond smuggling by the police. Instead of creating law and order, however, Human Rights Watch found that the army has committed numerous and serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, beatings, torture, forced labor, and child labor in Marange. The first three weeks of the operation were particularly brutal-over the period October 27 to November 16, 2008, the army killed at least 214 miners. The army has also been engaged fully and openly in the smuggling of diamonds, thereby perpetuating the very crime it was deployed to prevent.
On Monday, October 27, 2008, elements of the Zimbabwe National Army, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents from the Office of the President launched Operation Hakudzokwi (No Return) in Marange district. More than 800 soldiers drawn from three army units-Mechanized Brigade and No. 1 Commando Regiment based in Harare and the Kwekwe-based Fifth Brigade-carried out the operation under the overall command of Air Marshal Perence Shiri, commander of the AFZ, and General Constantine Chiwenga, commander of the ZDF
Under Zimbabwean law, the ZNA cannot undertake civilian operations, such as removing illegal miners from Chiadzwa and providing security at the diamond fields, without a formal request from the police commissioner general and authorization by the commander in chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Mugabe. The police made no such request. The legal authority or justification for the army's presence and operations in the diamond fields in Chiadzwa thus likely came with the knowledge and approval of Mugabe as commander in chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
A military officer familiar with the planning of the operation told Human Rights Watch that an additional motivation for deploying the army was a plan by military intelligence to reward and appease an increasingly discontented army rank and file, who were poorly paid in the country's severe political, social, and economic crisis. He told Human Rights Watch:
Information from the Military Intelligence Department was that discontent in the army was a major threat to ZANU-PF's hold on power. Hundreds of soldiers were resigning... [or] deserting with their weapons. Initially, the military leadership issued orders that soldiers were required to turn in their weapons. Another measure was to require [the] notice period for any person resigning from the army to be [increased to] nine months instead of the standard three months.
Now the final strategy was to give the military direct access and control over [natural] resources. Some soldiers had been assigned to run Grain Marketing Board projects and RBZ's farm mechanization, but it was not enough. Marange diamonds presented another opportunity for the military to benefit
Four soldiers told Human Rights Watch that the incentive package came in two parts. Soldiers on mission in Marange would first get special allowances directly from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and then be offered a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to benefit directly from diamond smuggling. The plan was for all army units to rotate and take turns to "guard" Marange's diamond fields and take the associated benefits.
At the time of writing this report, five army units had, on a rotational basis, been deployed to Marange: the Mechanized Brigade; No.1 Commando Regiment; Fifth Brigade; Masvingo-based 4 Brigade; and Mutare-based 3 Brigade.When Human Rights Watch visited Marange in February 2009, the army unit on deployment was 4 Brigade from Masvingo. It has since been replaced by Mutare's 3 Brigade
A military officer who took part in Operation Hakudzokwi told Human Rights Watch that his regiment received a "signal" or directive from the Joint Operations Command ordering immediate deployment of his regiment to Marange for a "swift, ruthless, and secret" operation to permanently remove unlicensed local miners.
Massacres in Chiadzwa (October 27 to November 16, 2008)
According to several soldiers and local miners, the operation began suddenly around 7 a.m. on October 27. Five military helicopters with mounted automatic rifles flew over Chiadzwa and began driving out local miners. On the ground, over 800 soldiers were ferried to Chiadzwa in seven large trucks, several smaller trucks, and an army bus. From the helicopters, soldiers indiscriminately fired live ammunition and tear gas into the diamond fields and into surrounding villages. One local miner who was caught up in the operation on the first day told Human Rights Watch:
I first heard the sound and then saw three helicopters above us in the field. I was not worried. I just assumed it was a team of buyers who had come for business in helicopters as they sometimes did. However, soldiers in the helicopters started firing live ammunition and tear gas at us. We all stopped digging and began to run towards the hills to hide. I noticed that there were many uniformed soldiers on foot pursuing us. From my syndicate, 14 miners were shot and killed that morning
According to several villagers who witnessed the operation, soldiers fired their AK-47 assault rifles indiscriminately, without giving any warning. In the panic, there was a stampede, and some miners were trapped and died in the structurally unsound and shallow tunnels. According to witnesses, soldiers searched the bodies of dead miners on the field and took all diamonds and any other valuables they found
During police raids, the miners would only be pursued off the fields but not to their bases in the hills. This military raid was different. One local miner told Human Rights Watch:
The soldiers pursued us into the hills. Together with about 10 other illegal miners, I ran to the hills. Unfortunately we ran into a group of soldiers who stopped us. The soldiers marched us at gun point back to the fields and ordered us to collect the bodies of dead miners whom they had shot.
We gathered 37 bodies and piled them in an army truck and took them to the edge of Nyazika village. There we found two more army trucks offloading 35 bodies. The soldiers then ordered us to dig a grave and bury the bodies. We buried 72 bodies in that grave.[87]
Another miner who took part in the digging of the mass grave told Human Rights Watch:
After burying the bodies we were all taken to an open area nearby and ordered to pitch tents for the soldiers. For a week we were detained by the soldiers who beat us and forced us to sing. They warned us never to talk about what had happened in Chiadzwa. After that we were released.[88]
The military operation continued every day for the next three weeks until November 16, 2008. Military helicopters would fire teargas and live ammunition from the air to support soldiers shooting at miners on the ground. The helicopters used in the operation were temporarily based in Mutare at 3 Brigade army base.[89] A Chiadzwa villager told Human Rights Watch:
On November 8, I discovered 22 decomposing bodies near Chiadzwa Dam. I reported the matter to my village headman. None of the dead were from my village. On the following day, we saw a group of soldiers in army uniform directing some miners using bulldozers to dig a mass grave. All the bodies were buried in that grave on November 9. It is possible they were bodies of diamond miners killed by soldiers.[90]
A local headman told Human Rights Watch that in the three weeks of the military operation, Chiadzwa resembled "a war zone in which soldiers killed people like flies."[91] Another headman was forced to bury five bodies of miners; all five bodies had what appeared to be bullet wounds.[92] None of the bodies were identifiable. A policeman operating in Marange explained that identification of bodies was impossible because often local miners would deliberately go to diamond fields without any form of identification in order to evade police and also because most bodies were discovered in advanced stages of decomposition.[93]
According to a medical officer based at Murambinda Hospital in Buhera:
On November 11 an army truck with seven uniformed and armed soldiers came from Marange with 17 bodies of people they said were illegal diamond miners. The bodies had bullet wounds and were decomposing. The soldiers ordered us to take the bodies and arrange for burial. All the bodies were unidentified and we entered their details as "unknown" and "brought in dead" from Marange.[94]
A villager from Muedzengwa in Chiadzwa who travelled to Murambinda hospital to collect the body of his brother killed by soldiers in the diamond fields told Human Rights Watch:
I travelled to Murambinda after a sympathetic member of the police had told me soldiers had taken my brother's body to Murambinda Hospital. At the hospital I had difficulty identifying my brother's body because he was in a pile of bodies heaped on the floor of the mortuary. I saw several bodies that I suspect were of other diamond miners also killed in the operation.[95]
As the military operation continued, soldiers also began to take bodies of dead miners to Mutare General Hospital, where the bodies were soon piling up in the mortuary there. Medical staff at the hospital told Human Rights Watch:
Army trucks made several trips to this hospital in the first three weeks of November 2008 bringing dead bodies to the mortuary. Between November 1 and November 12, soldiers had brought in 107 bodies from Marange, of which 29 bodies were identified and collected by relatives. 78 bodies we marked "Brought in Dead" (B.I.D) from Marange, identity unknown. We entered cause of death as unknown although many of the bodies had visible bullet wounds. The soldiers who brought them in informed us that the bodies were of unknown illegal diamond miners killed in Marange.
Our mortuary has a maximum capacity of 38 bodies only, so it was extremely overcrowded. We were forced to pile the bodies on the floor. From our hospital patients, five people died due to cholera, bringing the total number of bodies in the mortuary to 83. We could not take in any more bodies, so we started turning away military trucks that brought in dead bodies. On one occasion we turned away a military truck with several bodies. The soldiers told us they would take the bodies to mortuaries in Harare and Chitungwiza.[96]
The 83 bodies were later buried in two mass graves at Dangamvura Cemetery in Mutare on December 19, 2008.[97] On February 19, Human Rights Watch researchers visited Mutare's Dangamvura Cemetery with witnesses who had participated in burying the bodies from Marange. They were shown the two mass graves in which the 83 bodies were allegedly buried.
A local miner who witnessed Operation Hakudzokwi told Human Rights Watch:
On November 3, 2008, we aborted a trip to the diamond fields after a villager warned us that soldiers were shooting and killing people there. As we tried to hike back to Mutare together with many other people, an army truck pulled up where we stood. Without warning, the five soldiers suddenly started to shoot at us. My nephew was shot in the neck and collapsed. We fled in different directions but returned after the army truck had gone. I went to check on my nephew who lay in a pool of blood. He was already dead. Six other people lay dead. Two of them were women. I went and reported the killing of my nephew at Nyanyadzi police station, but as yet no arrests have been made.[98]
Prime Minister Tsvangirai gets military salute from Germany. [Zimbabwe's military chiefs have refused to salute him]
ss And a warm handshake from German chancellor Angela Merkel
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai meets US President Barack Obama
Highlights:
US will NOT lift targeted sanctions against Mugabe until substantive political, economic reforms have been achieved.
US pledges $73 million to help directly people of Zimbabwe (not government operations).
condolences to the Tsvangirai family R.I.P. Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai You fought a good fight to liberate Zimbabweans from the Dictatorship of Robert Mugabe and ZANUPF
Letter from America
Letter from America by Stanford G. Mukasa
March 9, 2009
Zimbabweans, Behold Susan Tsvangirai, your REAL First Lady, Your Mother of the Nation
The most unfortunate tragedy that struck Movement for Democratic Change president and Zimbabwean prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and killed his wife, Susan, has cast a dark cloud over an embattled nation.
Shocked Zimbabweans, and the international community, must have felt both the relief that Tsvangirai survived, and the grief that Mrs. Tsvangirai was killed.
While Tsvangirai was the leading champion for the slow and very painful progress towards a new political and economic dispensation for the Zimbabweans, the late Mrs. Tsvangirai, was a great source of internal strength, inspiration and resolve for Tsvangirai.
But she was far more than this. Mrs. Tsvangirai, in her characteristically quiet manner, visited and brought food to the MDC supporters languishing in Mugabe’s jails. Like the Biblical Dorcas, she never rested in her humanitarian efforts. Mrs. Tsvangirai was an unsung hero of the modern struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe.
Her loving grace, her humanity, her passion, her spiritual perfection and her untiring efforts to help the sick and afflicted has placed Mrs. Tsvangirai on the honors roll of the real heroes of Zimbabwe.
In possibly the only interview she had with the media, Mrs. Tsvangirai reportedly remarked in 2002 that she hoped to be the mother of the nation. She did not say she hoped to be the first lady, but the mother of the nation. This was an accurate reference to how she saw her role after President Tsvangirai had won the election of that year.
But Tsvangirai was robbed of his victory when Mugabe, in open daylight and without any sense of shame, stole the election and declared himself re-elected. Mrs. Tsvangirai never exhibited any signs of frustration or anger. She focused on doing all she could to help her fellow Zimbabweans, especially the victims of Mugabe’s barbarism. People who have watched her or her pictures through the years have noticed a quiet and dignified woman who obviously felt that mourning or hyperventilating one’s frustrations or anger at the stolen elections or Mugabe’s dictatorship would not get us anywhere.
Mrs. Tsvangirai was deeply religious and spiritual. That was without doubt the source of her strength. She never lost hope that salvation was coming to Zimbabwe and that we must not just sit and wait but support, strengthen and encourage one another.
It should come as no surprise that the nation of Zimbabwe is in mourning for this tragic loss of Mrs. Tsvangirai.
The truth of the matter is Mrs. Tsvangirai has always been and will forever be remembered as the Mother of Zimbabwe and the First Lady of Zimbabwe. No amount of cheating or violently stealing or rigging elections by Mugabe’s gang of barbarians will ever change this fact.
While she stayed out of the media spotlight, it is difficult and impossible to eulogize Mrs. Tsvangirai without discussing the broader political picture and circumstances of her tragic and untimely death.
When Morgan Tsvangirai was brought to Avenues Clinic, Mugabe and his retinue composed on his wife, Grace, and vice president Joice Mujuru and others were quick to visit Tsvangirai at the hospital bed. Both Mujuru and Grace were seen and heard weeping as they knelt by Tsvangirai’s bedside.
If this was intended as public relations campaign to allay any suggestions that Mugabe had plotted to kill Tsvangirai few people are likely to be convinced. Mugabe also made this pilgrimage to the Avenues Clinic because he was fully aware that this tragedy that befell Tsvangirai and his wife might be a triggering event for a national uprising against his dictatorial rule.
The hypocrisy of the visit and the crocodile tears shed by Grace Mugabe and Joyce Mujuru did not convince anyone. Mugabe and his entourage from Hell are the very cause of the misery that has been inflicted on Zimbabweans.
On March 11 in 2007, Mugabe’s police and youth militia thugs savagely assaulted Tsvangirai who was on his way to a prayer rally. Tsvangirai, who passed out three times, was jailed for several days while police tried to figure out what charge to press against him. Neither Mugabe nor the police cared about the serious injuries Tsvangirai had sustained at the hands of the police. In a show of their barbarism, Mugabe’s thugs unleashed a brutal mayhem against the MDC in an exercise that was clearly and unmistakably aimed at killing the top MDC leaders.
Mugabe’s reaction to this police brutality and the internationally condemned assault on Tsvangirai was to praise the police and encourage them to do more. Without remorse, shame or any sense of guilt, Mugabe angrily remarked “It served them right. When police say move you must move!” He boasted.
One of the victims, Sekayi Holland, suffered broken ribs after a woman police officer who was wearing army boots repeatedly jumped on Mrs. Holland’s chest while she was forcibly made to lie on the floor.
In her memorable description of the event, Mrs. Holland would say later, “We did not plead for mercy. We did not cry. We did not scream. We had had prior training from Ian Makone about the Mahatma Gandhi strategy for passive resistance. We remained resilient and prayerfully quiet until the attackers almost broke down emotionally because we refused to do what they expected us to do, namely, scream or plead for mercy so they could at us.”
More recently, human rights campaigner, Jestina Mukoko, was abducted, assaulted, and kept in filthy prison conditions. Following an international outcry she was briefly taken to hospital but forcibly taken back to jail by Mugabe’s agents without any regard to pleas from her doctors that she needed further treatment.
Over 50 MDC supporters are languishing in Mugabe’s jails. Estimates are as high as 2,000 MDC supporters who have been abducted, many of whose whereabouts cannot be accounted for.
At one time a woman was strapped in leg irons in jail and with her two year-old child. The child was assaulted by police in order to force a confession from the mother.
Top MDC-T official, Roy Bennett, has had his bail denied and remains jailed for a politically motivated charge. The magistrate who had earlier granted Bennett bail is now in jail.
In the meantime, cholera and other endemic diseases are a de facto Mugabe’s partners-in-crime in wreaking havoc among the Zimbabweans where it is estimated every 30 seconds a Zimbabwean dies especially of HIV/AIDS disease.
For his part, Mugabe has murdered over 20,000 people. This is about two people every month have been killed by Mugabe since he came to power in 1980!
Mugabe and his partners are now trying to unravel the so called transitional government of national unity to give them even more disproportionate power. They are trying to reconstruct the coalition with MDC and model it into what the first prime minister of Rhodesia, Geoffrey Higgins, once called a horse -and -rider partnership.
Grace Mugabe recently returned from a shopping spree abroad using taxpayers’ money. The same public money, amounting to about a quarter- of- a -million US dollars, was used for a lavish birthday party for Mugabe last week.
Joice Mujuru has been implicated in an attempted scam involving shipment of diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo for sale in Europe – a sale that would have earned her and her daughter millions of dollars.
Against this background of Mugabe’s barbarism there are as many reasons to believe that Mugabe, or the shadowy securocrats, would have plotted to kill Tsvangirai through this car crash. But there are also as many reasons to believe that this might have been a genuine accident.
However, the images of Mugabe and his partners-in-crimes against humanity sanctimoniously paying respects to Tsvangirai on the tragedy that befell him and his wife are sickening.
For it was the same Mrs. Susan Tsvangirai who devoted her time comforting and giving whatever support she could to the victims of these savage barbarians who were now trying a futile public relations stint. Zimbabweans are only too aware these three foolish and arrogant criminals were coming to Avenues Clinic as political wolves in sheep’s clothing to ingratiate themselves in the eyes s of the public and international community.
One possible redeeming factor of this ZANU visit was Zimbabweans were able to see the day and night contrast between the forces good represented by Morgan and Susan Tsvangirai and the forces of evil represented by Mugabe, Grace, Mujuru and the discredited ZANU.
And in making this contrast between good and evil Zimbabweans can very tearfully say Mrs. Tsvangirayi was a sad and tragic loss for the Zimbabwean nation. May her soul rest peace.
In today’s Letter from America Dr. Stan Mukasa pays tribute to the Mrs. Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirayi who was killed in a car crash on Friday. Full Story
Statement by Morgan Tsvangirai on the
Resolutions made by the National Council
30 January 2009
Today, the MDC's National Council met as we once again find ourselves at an historic crossroads in our decade-long struggle for democracy. Throughout this struggle, the MDC has been guided by the principles of democracy and by the will of the people. This campaign is neither easy nor straightforward and often we have had to change the fronts on which we wage the struggle in response to changing circumstances and conditions.
The MDC was established to bring about change through the ballot box. This we achieved despite overwhelming odds, culminating in our historic victories in the March 29th Parliamentary, Presidential and local government elections.
Then, the brutal campaign of violence unleashed against our supporters by Zanu PF, forced us to withdraw from the June 27th event. Thus it became obvious that we could no longer wage our struggle via the polling booth.
We looked to the region to support our position and the will of the people by acknowledging the results of March 29th as the basis on which a new government should be formed. Subsequently, we succeeded in forcing Zanu PF to the negotiating table which became the new frontline in our quest for a democratic Zimbabwe. It was for this reason that we signed the Global Political Agreement on September 15th, 2008.
I know that you are very familiar with the events from that date. We in the MDC have abided by the letter and spirit of both the Memorandum of Understanding and the GPA. Sadly, Zanu PF was not the type of constructive and positive partner that we envisaged when we signed the GPA and therefore, the consummation of the agreement has been subject to unnecessary delays.
Nonetheless, we have consistently tabled our outstanding issues to SADC and we have remained committed to finding a negotiated settlement to the political crisis in Zimbabwe. This process culminated in the SADC summit on Monday 26th January, where the Southern African leaders made the following resolutions:
- The parties shall endeavour to cause Parliament to pass the Constitutional Amendment 19 by 5 February 2009.
- The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers shall be sworn in by 11 February 2009:
- The Ministers and Deputy Ministers shall be sworn in on 13 February 2009, which will conclude the process of the formation of the inclusive government.
- The Joint-Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), provided for in the Global Political Agreement, shall be activated immediately. The first meeting of JOMIC shall be convened by the facilitator on 30 January 2009 and shall, among other things, elect the chairpersons;
- The allocation of ministerial portfolios endorsed by the SADC Extraordinary Summit held on 9 November 2008 shall be reviewed six (6) months after the inauguration of the inclusive government.
- The appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General will be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation
- The negotiators of the parties shall meet immediately to consider the National Security Bill submitted by the MDC-T as well as the formula for the distribution of governors: While we felt that these resolutions do not represent an acknowledgement of all our issues, they do represent significant concessions on the part of Zanu PF and a recognition by SADC that our demands are justified as a first step towards a sustainable solution to the Zimbabwe crisis.
Our National Council's meeting today was therefore convened to evaluate the party's position in relation to the inclusive government. The concessions made by Zanu PF incorporate four out of the five outstanding issues. These four issues are the allocation of Provincial Governors, the National Security Legislation, Constitutional Amendment 19 and the breaches to the Global Political Agreement.
Thus, the parties have agreed on the sharing of Provincial Governors portfolios and have already met to begin negotiations on the allocation formula. Similarly, with regard to the National Security Legislation, the negotiators have met to discuss the draft bill submitted by the MDC.
It is clear therefore that these two issues are subject to negotiation and therefore constitute work in progress. It is hoped that the work in progress will be concluded to the satisfaction of all the parties as soon as possible.
The third issue relates to Constitutional Amendment 19. The MDC has insisted that Constitutional Amendment 19 is enacted by parliament and signed into law prior to the swearing in of the Prime Minister and this has been agreed to by the parties as reflected in the SADC communiqué.
On the issue of the equitable allocation of ministerial portfolios, SADC reiterated its position from November 9th, 2008 and expanded its commitment to review the allocation of all ministries, not only Home Affairs, within six months of an inclusive government being formed.
On the breaches to the GPA and the MOU, SADC resolved that the Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee (JOMIC), is established to review and reverse these breaches. This committee comprises four members from MDC-T, four members from MDC-M and four members from Zanu PF.
However, the MDC is concerned that the issue of the unwarranted and illegal abductions and detentions of MDC members and other democratic activists needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and to this effect, the MDC will ensure an end to the persecution of all Zimbabweans.
In light of these resolutions, todays's debate centred around two issues:
Firstly, what will allow us the best opportunity to continue to pursue our goal of achieving a free, democratic Zimbabwe in line with the roadmap from our Congress of March 2006? and;
Secondly, what is the best way of alleviating the suffering of the Zimbabwean people, stabilising the economy and restoring and retaining some semblance of a normal society?
Let us make no mistake, by joining an inclusive government, we are not saying that this is a solution to the Zimbabwe crisis, instead our participation signifies that we have chosen to continue the struggle for a democratic Zimbabwe in a new arena. This agreement is a significant milestone on our journey to democracy but it does not signify that we have arrived at our destination – we are committed to establishing a democratic Zimbabwe regardless of how long that struggle takes us.
We have the majority in parliament, we control all the main urban councils and many rural councils, we will have control of 13 ministries and a presence in the key decision-making bodies of the executive.
Throughout the course of our deliberations today we referred to, and were guided by, the road map that we established for ourselves in March 2006, namely - negotiations, a transitional authority, a people driven constitution and fresh, free and fair elections.
In this respect, the National Council resolved that through joining an inclusive government in line with the GPA and the SADC resolutions the party will be able to achieve the following:
- To move towards a new, democratic Zimbabwe by ensuring that a people-driven constitution is crafted and adopted.
- That this inclusive government will serve as a transitional authority leading to free and fair elections.
- The restoration of the people's freedoms through creating democratic space, restoring the rule of law and basic human rights.
- The stabilisation and rebuilding of the economy and the provision of all essential services, in particular health care and education.
- To maintain the principles of the working people's convention established in 1999.
- To ensure that we begin a process of national healing and integration.
Therefore, in accordance with the party's constitution, the political agreement we signed on September 15th 2008, and in the best interests of the welfare of all Zimbabweans the MDC has resolved to form an inclusive government with Zanu PF and MDC-M.
The success of this inclusive government is dependent on many factors including the goodwill of the parties involved, the support of the people of Zimbabwe and the continued engagement and vigilance of SADC, AU and the broader international community in ensurinhg that all parties are bound by the letter and spirit of the GPA and the commitments made at the last SADC summit. In this respect, the party shall continue to monitor the implementation of the agreement, in particular in shall assess and review its position in the inclusive government after 6 months in line with the SADC resolutions.
Now is the time for us to put aside our political differences , to prioritise the welfare of the people in both our policies and our actions and to focus on stabilisation, development, progress and democratization. In this I know that we have the support of the vast majority of Zimbabweans, both in Zanu PF and the MDC, in the civil service,the workers and the business community and we look forward to working with you to rebuild our great nation.
In conclusion, I would like to note that in this struggle we have not been alone. I wish to acknowledge the commitment and perseverance of SADC to finding a negotiated solution to the political crisis. In particular, we have had the unwavering support of our regional allies who have stood by us and our democratic ideals throughout this process and we are grateful for their solidarity.
We would like to acknowledge the support and solidarity that we have had from trade unions, civil society and democratic peoples' and governments all over the world. We appreciate this support and know that we could not have come this far without them.
Most importantly of all, we have had the support of the people. A people who have stood by their right to live in freedom, with access to jobs, health care, education and prosperity in such a principled and peaceful manner.
I would like to appeal to all these forces to continue to support us in whatever decision we take because the struggle is not over, our commitment is not lessened, our vision is not dulled and our resolve has not been weakened.
We will deliver a New Zimbabwe to the people.
The struggle continues.
I thank you
** Morgan Tsvangirai's statement on the Resolutions of the Party's National Council Meeting at Harvest House was circulated by Press Release on 30 January 2009
Mugabe's child victim!
Two-year-old, Nigel Mutemagawo, has been released from Mugabe's maximum security jail after three months on allegations his mother plotted to overthrow the Mugabe regime!! The toddler was assaulted by police officers.
Nigel's mother remains in leg irons in jail.
Abducted MDC councillor sexually abused by army officer
13 January 2009
By Violet Gonda
Bothwell Pasipamire, the elected MDC councillor from Kadoma who was
abducted from his home at gunpoint on December 13th, has revealed
shocking details of the torture he was put through at the hands of
state agents before managing to escape. He was abducted a week after
civic leader Jestina Mukoko was kidnapped from her home in Norton.
Several other civic and political activists, plus a two year old baby,
were abducted in the last few months of 2008.
Pasipamire becomes the first victim of the current abductions to
escape and openly expose the nature of the brutal crackdown.
The councillor was smuggled to South Africa and held a press
conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday where he gave a detailed
statement about his ordeal, which included sexual abuse by an army
warrant officer who introduced himself as Mabhunu.
The MDC councillor was taken to a torture base at a farm near
Goromonzi in Mashonaland East province, where some of the other
activists who were missing were facing the same ordeal.
Bothwell Pasipamire
Over 40 political detainees are facing charges of recruiting "bandits"
to overthrow the government. However all the victims deny the
allegations. They say they were all tortured into making guilty
statements.
At least 11 are still missing.
Bothwell Pasipamire said he miraculously escaped with the help of
'insiders'. Narrating his ordeal he said members of the Central
Intelligence Organisation had compiled a dossier of information,
including photographs of him taken at the Council Chambers in Kadoma.
He was accused of being too vocal in Chambers and was "a problem to
ZANU-PF in the district".
Pasipamire gave a harrowing account of the nature of the torture,
including sexual abuse by army officer Mabhunu
In a written testimony Pasipamire said: "There was a steel table in
the room with a hole in the middle. I was told to take off my shoes
and slip headfirst into the hole. My hands were cuffed behind me and
Mabhunu started beating the soles of my feet."
He was bombarded with questions about alleged attacks on trains and
the interrogators wanted to know the 'MDC' people responsible. When he
couldn't respond he was told to strip and remove all his clothes,
including his underpants.
"I was then told to lie on the table and he (Mabhunu) began playing
with my private parts. It seemed he was trying to embarrass me in
front of the other two who were still in the room. He would fondle me
like a lover, and then suddenly squeeze my testicles so that I cried
out in pain. There followed some humiliating abuse, which I do not
wish to talk about except to a doctor."
The Kadoma councillor told SW Radio Africa other abducted activists
were forced to 'play-act' the beating of soldiers in front of a film
crew, suspected to be from the ZBC, to corroborate the fact that they
were killing soldiers.
It is believed the soldiers were those arrested after taking part in
cash riots in Harare in December. "A young soldier in camouflage
uniform was brought to stand in front of us. I remember thinking that
he looked more scared that I was and I think he had been abused or
threatened, though there were no marks on his face. We were made to
pretend we were beating and kicking him and he rolled on the ground
crying. The film crew covered it all."
Pasipamire was given a scripted question & answer interview in which
he had to admit that he was trained in Botswana and had re-entered
Zimbabwe with other guerrillas to kill soldiers. This 'interview' was
recorded.
He alleges that the abducted activists were also made to say they were
funded by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who got the money from Andrew
Pocock the UK Ambassador and James McGee the US Ambassador to
Zimbabwe. He said he was told to say on camera that the money was paid
by the US and the UK through President Ian Khama of Botswana.
The MDC official said he was locked up in a room where he heard "other
men being tortured nearby. It was terrible to hear people screaming
and crying. There was only one blanket in the room and I held it
around my head to keep out the sound. Late that night, some officials
opened my door, and when I came out, I saw other men like myself
standing in front of other doors and rooms where they had been kept. A
hose was turned on and we were all sprayed and then our rooms were
sprayed, including my blanket."
"Late into the night, there were still the screams of people being
tortured and beaten. I cannot properly tell you how terrible it is to
be cold, wet, unable to sleep and surrounded by the sounds of men
crying in pain. This was the worst torture of all and it will be with
me all my life."
Such was the level of abuse that the councillor said by the following
day he was ready to 'to cooperate' in order to survive.
It is believed the female victims who had also been abducted were
being kept at the same place near Goromonzi, as he heard the CIO's
referring to them, but he never saw them himself.
Pasipamire said he was held for three days and was repeatedly sprayed
with cold water. By the third night he was so cold and depressed that
he thought of hanging himself with the wet blanket. He said he was
injected twice on the fourth day, although he was not told what was
being injected.
"I was not given food that day and in the evening I was driven to
Harare. No one gave me any information on where I was going or why,
but I had a feeling that they were planning to kill me. At this time,
I cannot reveal any details of my escape because it will be a danger
to the people who helped me. There are some inside ZANU-PF and CIO who
do not believe in what they are doing."
BILL WATCH 1/2009
[10th January 2009]
House of Assembly adjourned until 20 January and Senate until
27 January
Update on Inclusive Government
Dead or Deadlocked?
It is exactly four months since the Inter-party Political Agreement [IPA] to
set up an Inclusive Government was signed. The Agreement was hailed by the
SADC summit a few days later, but most analysts agreed that it lacked a
time-frame and was riddled with contradictory statements. There were far
too many issues left undecided, and a whole series of subsequent
negotiations have still not settled them. Constitution Amendment No. 19,
the key legal instrument which would underpin the structures of a power
sharing government, is still not tabled in Parliament. It can be tabled
when Parliament reconvenes later in the month, but the MDC-T have threatened
to block it unless other key issues are also settled, namely, the continuing
violence, the fair allocation of ministries, key government appointments and
the functions and composition of the National Security Council.
The prospects for an inclusive government being set up look less and less
promising after Mr Mugabe's rhetoric at the end of last year, Mr Tsvangirai'
s holding out for a genuine share of authority, and the recent evidence of
the torture of MDC cadres and civil society activists accused of supporting
the MDC.
Mr Mugabe at the ZANU-PF Conference told thousands of his party delegates
that he would never surrender power. "I will never, never, never, never
surrender. Zimbabwe is mine,"."At conscience, at heart, I will never, never
sell my country. I will never, never surrender." Referring to his rival Mr
Tsvangirai, Mr Mugabe called him "a political monster that will oppose all
that we fought for." [Note: the state controlled media also continue to
denigrate the MDC-T and its leader Mr Tsvangirai.]
Mr Tsvangirai leader of the MDC-T on 19 December said that "the MDC can only
enter into an agreement that enables us to participate as an equal partner
in order that we can contribute to solving the Zimbabwe crisis. Zanu-PF is
insisting on keeping the lion's share of power, including control of the
army and shared control of the police that has been used to terrorize MDC
members for years. Therefore, this negotiation process must now be confined
to a specific timeframe in which all the outstanding issues are addressed,
including, the appointment of provincial governors, the composition and
constitution of the National Security Council, and equity in the allocation
of key ministries. If this cannot be achieved then an internationally
supervised presidential election must be conducted in an environment that is
conducive to a free and fair poll." His spokesman put it more graphically
"the MDC cannot accept responsibility for the mess without the necessary
authority".
Allegations of Military Training and State Mistreatment of Abductees Lead to
Hardening Stances
It is unclear whether ZANU-PF allegations that MDC is training militia in
Botswana are the death knell for the IPA. The MDC ultimatum to release or
produce the abductees in court by 1st January has only been partially met
[so far 17 out of the 40 plus who Mr Tsvangirai mentioned as abducted have
been produced in court]. It is likely that MDC will hold out for all to be
accounted for, which will cause further delays. Even if the talks then
continue, the revelations about the torture of abductees while in unlawful
State custody and the part played by police, CIO and army agents in the
whole exercise, have led to the MDC-T demanding, not only the Ministry of
Home Affairs, but that the police, army and CIO be placed under the
effective control of all parties to the inclusive government agreement.
In his letter to President Motlanthe of December 29 Mr Tsvangirai wrote:
"Given the fact that our national institutions (police, CIO, army) have been
selectively used to target MDC and other activists it is only imperative
that these security apparatus be placed under the effective control of
parties to the agreement. In effect, the CIO as well as elements of the
army such as military intelligence have become actively involved in
undermining this agreement [the IPA]." Mr Tsvangirai also stipulated that
legislation regarding the operations, control and funding of the security
services by the National Security Council must be enacted before the
formation of the inclusive government.
Despite the international outrage over the abductions the ZANU-PF stance is
unrepentant - their Chief Parliamentary Whip Joram Gumbo accused the MDC of
failing to respect the intent of the power-sharing agreement, and of seeking
to bypass the judicial process in demanding the release of MDC activists
jailed on charges of plotting a coup. Minister of State Security Didymus
Mutasa submitted an affidavit to the High Court that the "clandestine"
detention of the abductees was part of a legitimate State Security
investigation and that the identities of the State Security agents involved,
and the details of the "facilities" used by them, should not be disclosed.
Mr Tsvangirai rejects Invitation to be Appointed Prime Minister
MDC president Mr Tsvangirai was designated Prime Minister in the 11
September IPA. A letter from Mr Mugabe inviting him to take up the post was
delivered to him on Christmas Day [together with his Passport]. He formally
declined the invitation and a party spokesman said "it is not for Mr. Mugabe
to invite the MDC formation to join a government as that government is to be
jointly constituted under the pact."
In his reply to Mr Mugabe, Mr Tsvangirai firmly stated the MDC-T position
that an Inclusive Government could not be formed until Constitution
Amendment No. 19 had been passed into law and that the outstanding issues
consistently listed by MDC-T had to be settled first.
Mr Mutambara has not accepted invitation to be Deputy Prime Minister
Mr Mutambara received a written invitation to take up his Deputy Prime
Minister post. He responded by suggesting a meeting of all the principals.
He and Mr Mugabe [but not Mr Tsvangirai] did meet for discussions, but Mr
Mutambara has since reiterated his position that he will not be part of a
government that does not include Mr Tsvangirai.
MDC leadership meetings
The leadership of the MDC, including its transition team and party
strategists, has been meeting in South Africa this week for consultations on
whether to continue or pull out of the talks to join the Inclusive
Government. The final decision will be made at an MDC-T National Executive
Council meeting to be held on 18 January.
Changes in de facto "Interim" Government
Nine Ministers have had their appointments terminated by Mr Mugabe. They
are - Samuel Mumbengegwi (Finance), Sikhanyiso Ndlovu (Information and
Publicity), Oppah Muchinguri (Gender, Women's Affairs and Community
Development), Munacho Mutezo (Water Resources and Development), Michael
Nyambuya (Energy and Power Development), Amos Midzi (Mines and Mining
Development), Chen Chimutengwende (Public and Interactive Affairs),
Sithembiso Nyoni (Small and Medium Enterprises Development) and Rugare Gumbo
(Agriculture).
Three Deputy Ministers have also lost their posts: Kenneth Mutiwekuziva
(Small and Medium Enterprises Development), David Chapfika (Agriculture) and
Edwin Muguti (Health and Child Welfare).
None of those dismissed had seats in Parliament. The individuals concerned
have actually been ineligible to hold their posts since Parliament met on
26th August [Constitution, Section 31E(2)], so the dismissals are long
overdue.
It is reported that Mr Chigwedere (Education) and Mr Mushowe (Transport and
Communications) were spared the axe, because, as provincial governors, they
hold seats in the Senate and are therefore considered eligible to continue
as Ministers. [Note: this is faulty reasoning. They should in fact have
vacated office when appointed as governors, because Ministers are prohibited
from holding any other "public office" [Constitution, section 31D(4)] and a
provincial governor holds public office [Constitution, section 111A].
Filling the Ministerial vacancies: Mr Mugabe has assigned Ministers from
the remaining pool of Ministers to act in six of the vacant Ministerial
posts on a temporary basis in addition to their other duties [under the
Constitution only an existing Minister can be appointed to another Ministry
in an acting capacity]. The acting appointments are: Patrick Chinamasa
(Finance), Paul Mangwana (Information and Publicity), Sydney Sekeramayi
(Mines and Mining Development), Sylvester Nguni (Agriculture), Sithembiso
Nyoni (Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development), Joseph Made
(Water Resources and Infrastructural Development).
Is the Door Still Open for an Inclusive Government
Despite the posturing and rhetoric there does still seem some hope that Mr
Mugabe has not closed the door to an inclusive government. It is
significant that he made no new substantive Ministerial appointments to
replace the dismissed Ministers. Also, according to his spokesman George
Charamba, although Mr Mugabe is on his traditional one month's annual leave,
he has not gone abroad as usual, but has remained in Zimbabwe, "in retreat"
but "working on structures of an inclusive government". If the door is
still open, however, it does not look as if it will happen very soon. The
state press has referred to a inclusive government being formed at the end
of February.
Statutory Instruments
SI 186/2008 - extends the current price control regime until the end of June
[gazetted 19th December].
SI 187/2008 - increases the weekly cash withdrawal limit for individuals
from $500 million to $5 billion [gazetted 31st December]. This refers only
to withdrawals made without proof of lawful source - the larger amounts
withdrawable with proof of lawful source are not changed.
SI 1/2009 - more new banknotes - $20 billion and $50 billion [gazetted 9th
January].
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take
legal responsibility for information supplied.
Anti Mugabe demo in Washington DC
A group of Zimbabweans, mostly members of the Global Zimbabwe Forum, staged a demonstration outside the Zimbabwe embassy in Washington DC on Friday, Dec. 19.. The demonstrators carried placards and chanted Mugabe must be tried. Click for brief video.
Or go to Utube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejlhoYx8Frg
Operational chimumumu : Mugabe's terror against MDC escalates From Eddie Cross
The unspeakable terror of being taken from your house and abducted is the
daily reality of many Zimbabweans. So far at least 23 people are known to
have been kidnapped from their homes in the last seven weeks, and the number
has increased with three more victims.
The MDC-T reported on Wednesday that three activists were abducted, in three
different parts of the country. Graham Matehwa, the MDC youth chairperson
for Ward 26 of Gwangwadza village in Makoni South constituency Manicaland,
was picked up by four armed men Wednesday morning. The party said two of the
abductors were identified as Isaac Dangirwa and Lucky Chingara.
Another MDC youth activist, Bothwell Pasipamire of Kadoma Central in
Mashonaland West province, was kidnapped four days ago; while Peter Munyanyi
of Ward 8 in Gutu North constituency Masvingo province, was abducted this
week at Uchinda Business Centre, by armed soldiers led by a colonel.
Meanwhile a group of MDC activists abducted from the Banket area are still
missing, almost two months after they were abducted from their homes around
27 October, and the police have not complied with court orders.
One of the victims' lawyers, Alex Muchadehama, said it is now a question of
who is going to police, the police and the security agents, as they are the
perpetrators of violence.
Muchadehama said the police are ignoring court orders even in the case of
Jestina Mukoko, the Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project. Police were
ordered to place alerts in the media, to conduct thorough searches and to
update the courts on a daily basis, but they have done none of this.
A frustrated Muchadehama said it's now total lawlessness that is being
perpetrated. No one has been arrested in the normal sense of the word, or
advised of their rights to a lawyer, or has appeared in court before an
impartial judge and tried within a reasonable time. "That due process in
terms of the constitution has not been followed.'
The lawyer is concerned that there will be an increase in abductions, as
more and more activists report that they are being tailed by 'faceless
thugs.'
Meanwhile it's reported that almost all MDC activists in Bindura are on the
run, and they have been under constant threat since the death of ZANU PF
gangster Elliot Manyika in a car accident last week.
The MDC issued a statement Tuesday saying the police have falsely imprisoned
three party officials in Bindura. 11 of the 12 MDC councillors of the
Bindura Municipality fled their homes after police arrested Ward 10
councillor Norbert Dhokotera and two other MDC activists, in pre-dawn raids
on Monday night. Those arrested are being held at Bindura Central Police
Station on undisclosed charges.
Dhokotera had been arrested and then released last week on false charges of
petrol bombing the houses of Zanu PF supporters. He was released after it
turned out that it was Zanu PF youths who had petrol bombed five houses
belonging to MDC supporters.MDC (Tsvangirai) national council resolution
RESOLUTIONS OF THE 7th MDC NATIONAL COUNCIL OF 2008
Harare, November 14, 2008
PREAMBLE
NOTING the resolution of the African Union of the 30th of June 2008, taken in Sharm El-Scheikh, Egypt, on the resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis, dialogue commenced between Zanu PF and the MDC culminating in the MOU on the 21st of July 2008, and the Global Political Agreement (GPA) on the 11th of September 2008 with the signing ceremony on the 15th of September 2008.
AWARE of the high expectations of the people of Zimbabwe and Africa following the execution of the GPA.
NOTWITHSTANDING that the GPA was to come into effect immediately after its execution, Zanu PF has in fact prevented the implementation of this agreement and its consummation.
NOTING the material unresolved and outstanding issues connected to the dialogue in particular;
i. The non-enactment of Constitutional Amendment No. 19
ii. The appointment of Provincial Governors
iii. The appointment of senior government officials such as Permanent Secretaries and Ambassadors
iv. The equitable distribution of ministerial portfolios
v. The composition and constitution of the National Security Council
vi. The fraudulent and unexplained alteration of the agreement of the 11th of September 2008 and the one that was signed on the 15th of September 2008
APPRECIATING the keen desire of SADC and other key institutions of seeing a genuine resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis and expressing gratitude for the huge amounts of time and effort devoted by the same leaders to the same,
DESIROUS of achieving finality to the current dispute given the economic meltdown and the massive suffering of the people of Zimbabwe reflected in entrenched poverty the collapse of public health, education, transport , water and energy crisis, monetary policy dislocation and supersonic inflation.
CONCERNED with the obstructionist approach, lack of paradigm shift and the entrenched power retention agenda of Zanu PF reflected in;
a. serious breaches to the Memorandum of Understanding,
b. renewed violence, abductions and assaults against the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe in the obvious direction of replicating the post 29 March barbaric violence, in particular the arrest and continued detention of MDC Mashonaland West senior leadership such as Concilia Chinanzvavana and ten others at unknown centres,
c. concerned about the hindrance, denial and obstruction of food aid to Zimbabweans,
d. the vicious attack on Civic Society members such as Jennie Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu of WOZA, Lovemore Madhuku of NCA and members of ZINASU,
e. the vicious and unmitigated hate speech, propaganda and unbecoming
statements in the State media,
f. the crafting of an assassination plot, code named Operation Ngatipedzenavo intended to eliminate the MDC leadership and decimate the Party through frivolous allegations, and
g. Zanu PF training of militia in Zimbabwe to be redeployed back into
the country from neighbouring countries posing as MDC bandits and
rebels.
FURTHER CONCERNED about the non-sitting of Parliament and the destructive interference with Local Authorities and MDC Councillors.
Now this Council resolves that:
1. The Party expresses acknowledgement for the role and efforts of
SADC and the AU in finding solutions to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
2. The MDC rejects:-
a. The Organ Troika's resolution and Communiqué of 28 October 2008
seeking to erroneously reduce the sticking points to only the Ministry
of Home Affairs.
b. The SADC "ruling" and communiqué of the 9th of November 2008 on the basis that the same was unprocedurally arrived at in that Robert Mugabe, an interested party, sat in during deliberations in total defiance of the SADC Chairman's ruling that the three Zimbabwean parties recuse themselves
c. The Communiqués of the 28th of October and 9th of November ignored the other five outstanding issues, in particular, the principle of equity and the fact that a new government cannot be formed without Constitutional Amendment No. 19 and all other issues remain outstanding.
3. Given the lack of sincerity and lack of paradigm shift on the part of Zanu PF, the MDC shall participate in a new government once Constitutional Amendment No. 19 has been passed and effected into law.
4. Implores the high offices of SADC and the AU as underwriters and guarantors of this agreement to step in and ensure a successful conclusion and finality to the current breakdown.
5. Notes that there was a sham election on the 27th of June 2008 and therefore neither Robert Mugabe nor Zanu PF have the legitimacy of forming any government or running this country in the absence of the consummation of the GPA, the enactment of Constitutional Amendment No. 19 and the resolution of all other outstanding issues. In addition, the SADC resolution of the 9th of November does not bestow any right on Robert Mugabe or Zanu PF of forming any government or inviting any Party to joining that government.
6. The longer that this crisis remains outstanding, then the obligation on SADC, AU and the people of Zimbabwe that a transitional authority be instituted pending the enactment of a new people driven constitution and the holding of elections under African and international supervision.
7. In the event of an illegitimate government being unilaterally formed, the MDC will not be part to the same and will peacefully, constitutionally and democratically mobilize and campaign against the illegitimate government.
8. The humanitarian crisis has to be urgently attended and that Zanu PF and its interim authority must ensure free, unfettered availability and access of food aid and more importantly the international community must exercise its obligation of Responsibility to Protect under the United Nations.
9. The MDC submits itself before God and reaffirms its commitment to the present dialogue and more importantly reaffirms its commitment to achieving democratization in Zimbabwe through constitutional, peaceful nonviolent and democratic means.
10. Parliament must be convened as a matter of urgency to carry out its normal business of overseeing the Executive.
11. Ignatius Chombo and the Zanu PF authorities desist from obstructing and interfering with the work of Local Authorities.
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE SUFFERING AND STRUGGLING PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE.
THANK YOU.
MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE
Greedy ZANUPF has stolen US$500 million in badly needed foreign currency just to maintain Mugabe and his cronies' extravagant lifestyles
Yesterday the World Food Programme issued an alarming statement on the food
crisis in Zimbabwe. They appealed for an additional US$140 million to cover
the shortfall in basic food aid for the next six months. What they did not
say was that this still leaves a shortfall in overall cereal and oilseed
supplies of 800 000 tonnes for the next 6 months.
It also failed to highlight that we are now weeks away from the start of the
rains and there is very little land preparation, virtually no seed and
fertilizer. It is too late to import supplies in any quantity and even if we
did we would have to distribute by air, as local transport capacity is
almost non-existent. They also did not tell the world that the funds they
had paid to the NGO’s doing food distribution had been taken by the Reserve
Bank and the organisations could not pay their transporters for transport
services or buy fuel.
The gold producers have sold gold to the Reserve Bank over the past 9 months
and have not been paid – they are now unable to operate and are closing
their mines down allowing them to flood and in some cases they will not be
able to reopen them. It is not only the NGO’s who have had their FCA’s
looted – virtually every business that I know has had their FCA cleaned out
and they have been unable toaccess them to pay suppliers.
Pictures do not lie. Mugabe's mansion amidst grinding poverty
These funds – legally property of the account holders, have been taken by
the Bank and then sold to Zanu PF leaders at the “official” exchange rate –
this is technically legal but is clearly theft. The official rate is a small
fraction of one cent per US dollar. In fact it is 0,000000003 local dollars
per US dollar. This means that US$10 000 would cost a Zanu PF heavy
Z$0,003 – not even one cent in the new local currency.
The physical evidence of this theft of resources is everywhere. Reports of
people arriving at homes for sale and paying cash in foreign exchange –
without trying to negotiate the price. New cars without number plates (we
have run out of number plate materials) are all over Harare. The reports of
the Governor handing out expensive vehicles as if they were his own – one
report that the Pastor who buried the governor’s younger brother being given
a new twin cab as a thank you for a few hours work and kind words.
I would hazard a guess that in the past few months no less than US$500
million has been pilfered from the State and private coffers in this way.
That is enough money to feed the entire population for 7 months. No wonder
they do not want to wrap up this agreement and swear in a new government.
They must be terrified of anyone getting into the vaults and records at the
Reserve Bank.
While they fiddle and prevaricate, the country burns. Lawlessness is
rampant; gangs of thugs are seizing private property on farms with no fear
of intervention by the Police. This seems to be being even encouraged by
rouge elements in Zanu PF who want the negotiated deal to fail and at the
same time are lashing out at the defenseless in an orgy of thuggery and
theft.
Since our priority is to feed people the needs of our animals are being put
on the back burner. I get reports of dairy cows dying of starvation. The
largest pig producer in the country is about to slaughter their entire
commercial breeding stock – 33 000 pigs. Poultry producers have cut back
their activities to the minimum. Once this is carried out reestablishing
this productive capacity will be a long process.
Yesterday the President of the MDC and now the new Prime Minister, held a
press conference in Harare. In that meeting he stated that no progress had
been made in the past 24 days since the SADC agreement was signed in
September. He went on to say that he was suspending any further contact with
Zanu PF until the regional mediation team was present to arbitrate those
discussions.
In addition to this he made the extraordinary disclosure that the agreement
signed and subsequently published, did not include the full details that had
been negotiated and signed during the process. He requested that the
mediators remedy this by publishing a new version of the agreement in full.
He also said that Zanu PF – in complete violation of the agreement, was
refusing to review the appointment of 10 Governors to the Provinces and to
then reallocate these posts on the basis of the majority representation in
each Province. The Governors play an important role in local politics and
the administration and Zanu is insisting that the 10 people appointed – in
clear violation of the SADC process, should remain. If the reallocation of
Governors based on the Party majorities in each Province were carried out
MDC (T) would get 5, Zanu PF 4 and MDC (M) 1.
Clearly the SADC process can only proceed if this impasse in the allocation
of powerful political posts is resolved. Zanu PF is reluctant to let go
because of the consequences to themselves and the loss of privilege and
protection. But that is of little concern to the region and should not be a
factor. They never sought or obtained an amnesty for what they have done in
the past and must face the consequences of their actions.
The delay in the consummation of this deal is now having very critical
consequences. Every day lost is a serious matter. Inflation at 1,4 trillion
percent in September is destroying all forms of economic activity. The
collapse in the economy and in all social services is driving tens of
thousands of Zimbabweans, skilled and unskilled out of the country. We are
now into new territory in this saga – one from where it will be very tough
to claw ourselves back.
The new President of South Africa said yesterday that he would back Mr.
Mbeki’s mediation with the resources and the influence that was needed. If
the SADC mediation team does not engage very shortly, they will put the
country and the region into jeopardy.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 10th October 2008Zimbabwe a land of contrasts
Talks have deadlocked: Tsvangirai's statement
"Today is exactly 24 days after the signing of the global political agreement between ourselves and Zanu PF.
On the day we signed the agreement the people of Zimbabwe breathed a sigh of relief and their hopes for a final resolution of this crisis were raised.
Unfortunately, no progress has been made since then, to bring the Zimbabwean people to the beginning of the path of recovery.
Instead, the economic crisis has worsened with people spending all their days in endless cash queues. We now live in an environment characterised by hunger and starvation and we are days away from seeing people dropping dead on the streets.
I believe suffering knows no political affiliation and both Zanu PF and MDC supporters are suffering under this economic crisis. The agricultural season is upon us yet the nation is not prepared to take full advantage of what promises to be a good season.
We have just witnessed the conclusion of a disastrous education year in the history of our country, with the national examination board crippled by the economic crisis to the extent of failing to implement the Grade 7 examination sitting for this year. The country's universities are failing to open for the next semester due to the economic crisis.
I stated at my last press conference that given a nation in such a state it was necessary to put a government in place in order for us to begin the task of ensuring that the problems facing our country are dealt with. I believe that as leaders we have a duty of ensuring that we reward Zimbabweans for their patience and commitment to peace by ensuring we succeed in working together.
We have actively engaged our colleagues in Zanu PF with a view to ensuring that we have agreement on the outstanding issues. May I take this opportunity to brief the nation on the state of the dialogue.
State of the dialogue,
We have been engaging with our colleagues in Zanu PF at both the negotiators and principals level.
In particular, we have been deliberating on the allocation of ministries. There has been no progress made on this entire section as ministries can only be negotiated comprehensively and not individually.
It is not true to say that we are left with two ministries to negotiate as any agreement reached on those two particular ministries would have an effect on the allocation of the rest of the ministries. In this regard, we have declared a deadlock and therefore the process cannot move forward except in the presence of the facilitator.
I would like to emphasise that in looking at the allocation of ministries we have been informed by our desire, as MDC, of ensuring that we have a fair power sharing arrangement that allows us to deal with the current economic crisis while at the same time ensuring that we guarantee the basic freedoms for our people as well as democratise our society.
We have not yet deliberated on the outstanding issue of the allocation of governors. This issue remains outstanding considering that as negotiating parties we agreed that the allocation of governors must be in the spirit of the result of the election on March 29, 2008.
There is still an outstanding issue of omissions made in the signed agreement at the signing ceremony on the 15th of September, that had been agreed and initialled by all parties when we signed the original agreement on the 11th of September 2008. We are assured that the facilitator will sort out this problem and provide an updated document to the general public.
Lack of paradigm,
We are concerned by the lack of paradigm shift on the part of our colleagues in Zanu PF and have watched with dismay:
¶ their continued hate language in the state media which is destroying the hope of our people as well as their confidence in this power sharing arrangement.
¶ the continued trumped up charges brought against our Secretary General, members of parliament and various members of our party structures across the country.
¶ the continued discrimination on the basis of political affiliation mainly taking place in the rural areas.
¶ the continued interference with, and threatening of, our councils, by the illegal minister of local government.
¶ the lack of sincerity and commitment to working together demonstrated by what should be a simple administrative issue like issuing my passport, which has been turned into a political weapon by our colleagues in Zanu PF.
Throughout this negotiation effort up to the signing of the global political agreement, we have compromised on many ocassions with a view to ensuring that the political crisis in our country is resolved in the interest of our nation.
We are committed to change and therefore do not have challenges accepting change in its many forms. Zanu PF is not sensitive to the plight of the people and therefore has not gone through a paradigm shift of accepting the change created by signing the global political agreement.
SADC and AU are the guarantors,
The global political agreement we have is guaranteed by SADC and the African Union and therefore in the event of a dispute or deadlock as we have now, the matter should be taken to SADC and AU in order for them to assist us.
We have communicated this position to the African Union and to SADC as well as to the facilitator and have confidence that our African brothers will do everytihng in their power to ensure that this issue is resolved with speed.
We as Zimbabweans owe it to our African counterparts to ensure that we spare no effort in resolving the outstanding issues. We look forward ot working with SADC, AU, and the facilitator in order to find a solution.
I thank you." - zimbabwe journalists
Chaos in Zimbabwe
Chaos in Zimbabwe
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 4th OctoberToday I went from one meeting to another using the main streets in Harare –
it was pure chaos. The City had no electricity, the traffic lights at all
intersections were not working and the traffic was gridlocked. The Police
were nowhere to be seen and even as we sat in the traffic a police car drove
past – ramped the pavement and drove though the intersection paying no
attention to what was going on around them.
At the Reserve Bank it was the same. They are printing money and creating
money in other forms so fast that the inflation rate is no longer
calculable. What we do know is that the RTGS rate - that is the rate at
which foreign exchange is exchanged in the open market for money transferred
by electronic means is moving by the hour. At the beginning of August it was
7 to 1 against the US dollar (after we dropped 9 zeros) and yesterday it was
2 000 000 to 1. Quite a change in 8 weeks! At this rate it will be no less
than 10 million to one by next weekend.
Desperate people are queuing for days at the banks and other financial
houses to try and get their money out of the system so that they can spend
it before it literally melts to nothing. In Gweru last week the main street
was almost closed by crowds at ATM’s and banks. In Harare literally
thousands of people jam every cash outlet. The maximum withdrawal by an
individual is $20 000 a day worth US$ 0,001 cents.
The Reserve Bank, faced with the escalating consequences of their own
ineptitude are now printing money on plain local bond paper with no security
features. The mafia are having a field day and so many counterfeit notes are
circulating that people are refusing the new notes. Instead of adopting a
carefully crafted plan to overcome these problems and to correct the
fundamentals that are driving the system towards collapse, the Governor
today simply closed down the RTGS system and I understand even the inter
bank system; rendering the only alternative window for payments impassable.
It is illegal to trade in hard currency – you can go to jail for this if you
try, it is illegal to change money on the street, you cannot charge a market
price for what you sell unless you are willing to risk intervention or
worse. Even today there were reports of the government taking action against
retailers who were “over charging”. Business is unable to pay their staff in
cash, they pay them by bank transfer and then watch as half their work force
is absent all day standing in queues.
Non cash forms of payments are rampant – barter is common, the use of fuel
coupons with a face value of about US$30 each is also common tender. The BBC
carried a story this week of an auction in Harare where the bids were all
expressed in coupons. Most firms are now being forced to sell their goods
and services in hard currency – Rand or US dollars even though it is
illegal.
Businesses do not bank the money because the Reserve Bank keeps a close
watch on any foreign exchange balances in the Banks and simply expropriates
them. Crediting the owner of these accounts with local currency at a
ridiculous rate of exchange and then using the flow of hard currency to
support the life styles of the small elite that is still in charge. At these
rates of exchange a luxury, top of the range car costs less than the price
of a local cigarette.
Here we are, 4 weeks away from the start of the wet season and we have 2 per
cent of our fertilizer requirements in stock. All other inputs are virtually
unobtainable. The Reserve Bank is handing out expensive farm equipment to
Zanu PF fat cats like sweets to a kindergarden, but they cannot provide fuel
or seed or fertilizer or chemicals. It’s madness.
Remaining farmers – black and white are being evicted from their farms by
Zanu PF heavies such as a Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank and what is
left of the once world class tobacco industry is facing extinction. Dairy
farmers, pig farms and fruit estates are all facing illegal invasion and
disruption of activity. The Police simply respond to appeals for help by
saying that they cannot help because “it is political”.
Our retail chains are empty, many stores are closed, the wholesalers are no
longer functional and industry is running at 10 per cent of capacity. Power
supplies are down to about half of demand, fuel is in short supply and spare
parts are unobtainable. All basic foods are virtually only available in the
parallel market at very high prices. Although government schools have opened
their doors and the children have gone to school – no teachers are at work.
The universities will not open their doors this term – the final term before
vital exams. Business cannot fix prices or salaries – their normal
activities are simply frozen in their tracks.
In the midst of this chaos Mugabe went on a 10 day spree to New York to make
a speech. The cost of a 20 minute opportunity to denigrate the leading
nations in the world, the very people who have fed his population for 8
years, was the cost of taking a Boeing 767 to New York and back via Egypt.
The 54 member delegation must have cost at least US$2 million in allowances
and expenses while there.
Then on return he wastes another week with no action on the formation of a
new government – now 3 weeks since the SADC facilitated deal with the MDC
was signed. And remember we have not had a proper government since the 29th
March – nearly 7 months. Since Parliament was convened several weeks ago, we
have had no government at all. When confronted with the need to make a
decision on the allocation of Ministerial portfolios, Zanu PF has been
frozen in its tracks like a child confronted with a cobra. Simply not
knowing what to do and beginning to realize for the first time that the end
of the road is in sight for them.
Even though Thabo Mbeki is no longer the power broker he was after his
removal from the Presidency in South Africa, they are terrified of his visit
to sort out the impasse because they know that their arguments for a
disproportionate share of Ministerial portfolios are not defensible. They
cannot hold out for much longer and Mbeki is on his way.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 4th October 2008
Details of the deal
"Bob: "VaTsvangirai, MhoroYOOOWWEE mandityora zvigunwe!!!
Deal signed..Hurricane Economy devastates dictator Robert Mugabe
Meet Zimbabwe's newest prime minister,
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai
A Cliffhanger
By Eddie Cross
We never said it would be easy – yesterday and 14 hours of intense
negotiation and still no agreement. The talks resumed this morning and it is
quite clear that Morgan Tsvangirai is holding the line on the demand that
the MDC emerge from these talks with a mandate to form the next government
and to control the State with effect from the 1st of September.
In the final analysis this is a straight fight between Thabo Mbeki and Zanu
PF – the former has to secure an agreement that is acceptable to the MDC and
also to the international community. The MDC has to accept the deal if it is
to secure the approval of the general population and the latter if the
international community is to then agree to fund the stabilisation and
recovery of the Zimbabwe economy.
The position of Zanu PF has always been quite clear – if they accept such a
deal it means two years of working with the MDC in a junior capacity – with
the MDC holding the reins of power and then at the end of the transitional
period facing an election under free and fair conditions with a free press,
no violence or intimidation, an independent election commission and
international observers.
In such an electoral process it is likely that Zanu PF would cease to exist
as a political party – at least in the House of Assembly and perhaps in all
local government Councils. Like the National Party in South Africa at best
they would end up as a minor player. More immediately and of great concern
to all of their leadership and many hundreds of others, they would face a
independent Judicial system and possible prosecution for either human rights
abuse, political violence and murder or corruption.
When viewed like that this always was going to be a power game. After all
that is politics. We will know today what the outcome has been and I remain
convinced that Mr. Mbeki will have to get a deal – he simply cannot go back
to South Africa without agreement and must therefore use his very
considerable power as President of South Africa, to force Zanu PF to accept
its fate.
What happens if he fails? That has always been a possibility – many have
said a probability. Those skeptics have argued that he simply does not have
what it takes to exercise power at this level. That he does not have the
moral authority or the leverage to force compliance. I disagree – he has
always had the power to do so and has chosen not to use it up to now. I
agree with Tony Leon when he said on SA television this morning that this
thing could have been fixed 8 years ago and the long nightmare of the past
decade avoided. But that is easier said than done. Right now its high noon
on Main Street.
If he fails this test then what happens to the rest of us? If I was on the
Zanu side I would not come out of this with any optimism – if anything I
would be tempted to start to pack my bags and leave. If they do not sign
today, Zanu PF is really finished. They have no legitimacy; their
administration will not be accepted by anybody of significance. The SADC and
possibly the AU will ostracize them. Sanctions will be further tightened on
their leadership and the collapse of the economy will continue – eventually
making it nearly impossible to live here.
Millions will flee to other countries – 80 per cent to South Africa where
they will destabilize a fragile social system and security. The local
security forces will disintegrate, eventually threatening the security of
what remains of the regime. Capital will flee the country and little or no
investment will come in to replace it and starvation and hunger will haunt
what remains of the local population.
Most commentators would predict that the regime could not last more than a
few months under such conditions. I am inclined to agree but we could simply
slide into anarchy and chaos with Zimbabwe becoming a pitiful failed State
of the worst kind – unable to feed or care for the majority of the people
and only a small minority remaining at home.
What are the chances of a violent end to the regime – in this country I
think minimal. We do not have any neighbors who might allow bases for an
armed rebellion, we have no arms and even if the armed forces took matters
into their own hands the result would not be recognised or accepted. It
would be futile. Biti was about right when he was asked what MDC would do if
they could not get what they wanted – he replied “we would let them stew in
their own juices”.
What if Mbeki does put his foot down and gets a deal? Then I would expect
the leaders to clear the deal with their respective parties and then a final
agreement to be prepared and ready for signing in South Africa at the SADC
summit on Saturday. After that we would have the opening of Parliament on
the following Wednesday followed by the House voting on the legislation to
give effect to the agreement and then the new Government being appointed by
the 1st of September.
If the transitional arrangements are acceptable to the international
community then I would expect things to happen quite fast – by the end of
September the basic outline of things to come would be in place – the
Reserve Bank would have acted to start to stabilize the economic and
monetary system, the emergency programme to get recovery under way would be
in place and people should begin to see real things happening on the ground.
In six months I would expect inflation to be down to single digits and the
economy should start to exhibit real growth for the first time since 1998.
The dollar will strengthen and exports begin to recover. Investment inflows
would be positive – again for the first time in a decade and tourism would
begin. The contrast between these two scenarios is so great that I find it
difficult to believe that Mr. Mbeki can do anything behind those closed
doors in Harare except tell the Zanu delegation that their future is sealed
and they have no option but to sign.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 11the August 2008MDC Media Release: From Ready to Govern to Preparing to Govern
Saturday, 09 August 2008 14:07
The Movement for Democratic Change is and remains a people's project, with the strategic objective of completing the business of the struggle for national liberation.
Over the next few days, we will provide the various policy position of the party, indicative of our readiness and preparedness to govern in accordance with the best interests of the majority of our people. Our struggle is not merely a struggle against, but it is most importantly a struggle for an ideal.
This this alert, we provide our policy position on the Land Question in Zimbabwe and also provide how we will attend to the issue.
In this alert please find our Lands and Agrarian Reform Policy and our Agricultural Recovery Strategy
__________________________________________________________________________________
LANDS AND AGRARIAN REFORM POLICY
Resolving the land question once and for all to ensure that no Zimbabwean will ever go hungry again
Vision
A New Zimbabwe where the land conflict is resolved once and for all and land as a finite economic development resource, is equitably distributed and productively utilized making Zimbabwe the regional bread-basket in land use and agricultural production.
Values for MDC Land Reform Policy
The MDC's core values on land reform are:
1. Food security and job creation.
2. Equity and equality
3. Transparency
4. Accountability
5. Justice
6. Fairness
7. Integrity
8. Sustainability and productive land use
The MDC Land Policy
The MDC's Land Reform Programme will be based on the matrix that recognizes the country's unfortunate colonial history of plunder and wastage and the need to deal with historical injustices. In this regard, the MDC takes note of the acquisitions of land that have been done by the Zanu PF regime between 2000 and 2006. That land reform was chaotic and outside the rule of law.
That being the case, the MDC must rationalize the situation by ensuring that there will be no return to the pre-2000 status nor will the present regime of wastage, corruption, under utilization and multi-ownership be preserved.
To undertake this rationalization, the MDC will through an Act of Parliament establish a Land Commission whose mandate is to:
v Carry out an independent audit of land to establish the physical and legal status of all holdings.
v Based on the principle of allocating land to all Zimbabweans irregardless of one's political affiliation, gender and/or race; one-man-one farm; need and ability, implement and coordinate a rational and participatory all inclusive and well planned resettlement programme.
v Design and define the recommended minimum and maximum land holdings per region.
v Ensure the enactment of laws that guarantee the ownership of one household per one land holding.
v Introduce an equitable Land Tax to discourage land wastage and multiple farm ownership
v Carefully manage the transition to a people driven and human centred land market.
Agro-Industrial Transformation
The MDC recognizes the fact that the acquisition of land is not an end in itself and therefore recognizes that the ultimate economic liberation of Zimbabwe will only occur after the destruction of the dual enclave economy and the transition of our country into a modern industrial State.
Thus fundamental to our land policy is the need to free the country from direct reliance on land and agriculture but an industry and technology and software. In short, the complete transformation of our country to a New Zimbabwe.
Agrarian Reform
While Land Reform is regarded as a programme for the transfer of control, ownership and tenure of agricultural land, agrarian reform necessarily has much broader scope, seeking to restructure the entire agricultural sector and industrialize the rural areas to make them productive and wealth generating.
v The MDC will embark on a rapid agricultural recovery programme that will ensure the restocking of the national herd.
v The MDC government will have a deliberate policy to support communal and small-scale farmers and women to become productive members of the farming community and to ensure food security
Agricultural Institutions
The MDC Government will:
v Expand and upgrade all agricultural training institutions in the country.
v Encourage and support the role of women and youth in agriculture
Compensation
The MDC government recognizes that there should be just and equitable compensation to all farmers whose land was acquired since the year 2000. However, the Zimbabwean economy does not have the capacity to offer the just and equitable compensation while at the same time driving the economy forward.
In this regard, the MDC government will internationalize the issue of compensation so that multilateral institutions and bilateral countries inextricably connected to the Zimbabwe crisis will bring in their resources to adequately compensate the erstwhile land owners. It is important to note that the international community has previously made binding understandings as far as such support is concerned.
Land Tenure
Zimbabwe has a varied tenure system covering four main areas: -
v Communal
v Resettlement
v Small scale commercial farming areas
v Large scale commercial farming areas
The MDC recognizes this reality on the ground and therefore takes land tenure reform as a continuous and ongoing process not as a once off activity. The MDC Land Commission will investigate the situation in respect of farmland, communal lands, forestry, and all commercial land holdings and recommend a reform process in all areas of the country including land tenure systems. However land under the MDC government will be held under one law for all forms of ownership, state, communal and private with some government protection for communal farmers. The MDC will ensure that there is comprehensive land legislation in place that allows both for private ownership of land secured through title deeds.
Agricultural Recovery Programme
The MDC has developed an Agricultural Recovery Program to ensure a rapid recovery of the agricultural sector as in as short a period as possible. Key elements of the program are: -
v Identification of the areas with good agricultural productivity, focusing mainly in the communal, the resettlement areas and small-scale commercial farmers. This will be for the production of both maize and small grains.
v Plan for the provision of inputs such as seed, fertilizers, and draught power to the identified farmers.
v A comprehensive strategy to re-establish all veterinary controls and systems for animal health. This is essential to facilitate the resumption of exports on a secure basis.
v Facilitation of private sector partnerships for the production of all key agricultural commodities. For successful implementation of the Agricultural Recovery Programme, MDC recognizes that consultation with and active participation by the various stakeholders will be crucial. The stakeholders include but are not limited to farmer's organizations, input suppliers, seed growers, NGOs, agricultural experts, traders, financial institutions, millers and other agro processors.
Agricultural Institutions
Realizing that a sophisticated agricultural industry is achieved only by a supportive institutional infrastructure, the MDC government will invest resources to rehabilitate and reform public marketing agencies, research and teaching institutions and public agro-based financing institutions.
Research
The MDC government will maintain the Agricultural Research Council as an independent, non-political body. The Council will advise government on all aspects relating to agricultural research (new breeds, seed varieties, GMOs etc, will recommend the provision of grants for research by central government, and will also solicit grants from agriculture associations and development partners. Government grants would be tied to agricultural research to benefit the small-scale resettled farmers who may not be able to afford research output of their own.
Training
All agricultural training institutions will be placed under independent councils selected from the agriculture industry. These institutions will be expanded in order to ensure that there are adequate numbers of trained personnel to take the many opportunities to be created in the farming sector by the land and agriculture programmes. Government will support agricultural training through the same facilities that are available to students at universities and colleges. These activities will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Extension Services
The MDC government will provide basic extension services to all farming communities through a system of extension agents who will work with local farm communities and research establishments. Particular regard will be paid to extension services in small-scale resettlement and communal farming areas. Private sector firms with interests in the agriculture industry will be encouraged to support extension services to commercial farmers.
Marketing Services
The Grain Marketing Board will remain a part of central government but will be required to operate on commercial principles and will no longer hold a statutory monopoly over grain and oilseed marketing. However, the GMB will be required to maintain a network of depots throughout the country and to act as residual buyer of food grains and oil seeds. It will also be required to maintain strategic stocks of basic foods and to provide storage facilities to the private sector.
Local, regional and international commodity trading plays a crucial role in triggering socio-economic development and wealth creation in Zimbabwe. The MDC government will play a non-interventionist, regulatory role in ensuring a competitive pricing environment that creates conditions conducive to investment in the sector, putting in place, however, mechanisms that will protect vulnerable groups.
AGRICULTURAL RECOVERY, ZIMBABWE 2008-2013
Guidelines for the Recovery Strategy
Introduction
Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Zimbabwe. Exports of tobacco, beef, cotton, horticulture and sugar have always provided the much need foreign currency that supported the rapid economic growth in the first 15 years of independence. The industry food and textile relied heavily on agriculture for inputs. Further, agriculture relied on a well managed and effective agricultural input program that was based on a self sustaining retail system enabling most farmers to access inputs on time.
Strategy
Zimbabwe's agriculture would need a two fold strategic plan that could stabilize the agricultural sector in the first year (2008/09) and subsequent 5 years (2009-2013).
I. Review of the current general state of agriculture in Zimbabwe, crop, livestock and horticultural production in both rural and resettlement areas
1. Review the current input delivery system to both rural and resettled farmers in former commercial farmland. The input delivery system is currently dominated by government.
2. Review the current commodity marketing systems especially the role of government and the Grain Marketing Board and impact on productivity of the sector.
3. Review the state of agricultural research and extension. These were key to technology generation and dissemination that supported growth and development of the sector.
4. Review the current rural retail network for sustainable distribution of inputs to farm communities
5. Review the state of agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation and tobacco processing units and horticultural greenhouses
6. Identify solutions and make recommendations for adoption and implementation by the new government
II. Recovery:
Two parallel strategies would need to be implemented, a) short and, b) medium to long term for agricultural recovery.
II. a. The short term strategy would be for the 2008/09 season. The current season (2007/08) failed due lack of inputs and drought. This creates a need for immediate revival of production and stabilization of the sector in the 2008/09 cropping season.
The objective is to ensure that farmers have access to inputs of required quantities and quality at the correct timing. The main objectives are however as follows:
1. Liaise with input suppliers and establish their capacities to produce and supply adequate quantities of seeds and agrochemicals
2. Review and identify key input retail networks that increase access farmers' access to inputs.
3. Review and identify effective distribution networks that will deliver inputs to retail networks by mid to end September 2008.
4. Develop an input marketing and distribution monitoring system to ensure inputs do not find their way to the informal markets.
5. Develop a subsidized input pricing system that enables every farmer to access inputs through the retail system. No free inputs. Farmers could pay a subsidized price supported by donor. 20% of the current donor food aid could provide such subsidy.
6. Institute a land preparation support scheme to ensure that land is adequately prepared in time for the farming season.
7. Identify and support areas for irrigation schemes to ensure agricultural productivity all year.
8. Identify and recommend collaboration between NGOs and the extension service to provide immediate support to farmers in the immediate season
Develop immediate modalities for support of horticultural and tobacco production
10. Recommend a commodity pricing system that is consistent with world markets.
II. b. Medium to long term, (5 year strategic plan) that also looks at land reform and support for the agricultural input industry.
The objective is to ensure sustainability of productivity in the next 5 years. The main objectives are:
1. Review the current land reform and its long term impact of agricultural productivity and social security.
2. Review and recommend a need for a land commission that will over see the land rationalization of land ownership in Zimbabwe
3. Develop and recommend guidelines to a sustainable land tenure system that is acceptable to all Zimbabweans to do away with current dual production system of rural and commercial farming.
4. Develop and recommend a system of input subsidy that is phased out over a period of 5 years.
5. Develop and recommend systems and ways to increase farm productivity in rural areas.
6. Review the current capacity of inputs suppliers, seed producers, fertilizer manufacturers and wholesale and retailers in providing a permanent and sustainable supply of such inputs.
7. Recommend measures of support to inputs industry to increase capacity
For more information please call MDC on (South Africa) Nqobizitha Mlilo 0835274650 or George Sibotshiwe 0766330314 or (Zimbabwe) Nelson Chamisa 0912940489The ZANU PF government of President Mugabe is illegitimate!
The Crisis in Zimbabg governmental legitimacy and peoples' confidence in public national affairs, the Coalition demands the following:
· SADC, the AU and the greater part of the international community must reject forthwith Harare 's staged-managed electoral charade" An immediate end to political violence and intimidation
" Repeal of repressive legislation and unjust laws
" Open up of political space, including print and broadcast media access
" That the government addressed the economic and humanitarian crisis, including unbanning all NGOs. Adequate resolution of the humanitarian crisis, especially access to food and emergency medical care
" The development of a people-driven Constitution that entrenches democratic, just and accountable governance, as a prerequisite to immediate fresh elections that will return the country to democratic legitimacy.
" The establishment of an electoral and legal framework that ensures free and fair electoral processes
" Agreed-to principles of governance and a leadership code
" A defined process to achieve truth, justice and reconciliation
" Establish a transitional justice mechanism (TJM) that will begin a process of dealing with the human rights abuses that have marred the history of Zimbabwe .
Issued on 30 June 2008
MDC pulls out of run-off election.
President Tsvangirai, full statement on election run off
22 June 2008, Harare
The MDC won the March 29th elections despite conditions that were far from free and fair. Our party's message of peaceful, democratic change and rebuilding a New Zimbabwe enjoys the support of the vast majority of Zimbabweans.
Our election victory confirmed this to Mugabe and since that date, he and his supporters have been waging a war against the people of Zimbabwe.
This violent retributive agenda has seen over 200 000 people internally displaced and over 86 MDC supporters killed. Over 20 000 homes have been destroyed and over 10 000 people have been injured and maimed in this orgy of violence.
For the record, there are eight broad reasons why a free and fair election is impossible. Zanu PF has already subverted the run-off through the following:
STATE SPONSORED VIOLENCE
The police have been reduced to bystanders while Zanu PF militia commit crimes against humanity varying from rape, torture, murder, arson, abductions and other atrocities.
Zanu PF militia dressed in army regalia have been deployed to spearhead the terror campaign in the rural and urban areas. Armed Zanu PF youths are waging a terror campaign and have vowed that the MDC will not rule the county even if it wins.
The Joint Operations Command (JOC) is engineering a violent campaign to subvert the will of the people. The Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) has designed covert operations to destabilize the nation.
Zanu PF has set up over 3000 militia bases across the length and breath of the country in order to cow and intimidate MDC supporters into submission.
Death and hit squads are on the loose in all the provinces.
War veterans and Zanu PF youths are manning illegal roadblocks with impunity in complicity with the police.
The use of guns and arms of war by Zanu PF militia and war vets to campaign for Zanu PF has virtually militarized the election atmosphere.
All this is being done as State sponsored ploy to tilt the vote in favour of Zanu PF.
MDC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE'S CAMPAIGN
The regime has crippled the MDC Presidential Candidate's campaign. MDC rallies have been banned. Court orders have been ignored. Today, Sunday the 22nd of June 2008, a mere five days before the run-off date, police refused MDC permission to hold its only Star Rally at the open space across the Harare Show Grounds. We successfully sought a High Court Order which granted us permission to proceed with our rally. Regrettably, armed Zanu PF thugs occupied the venue in order to prevent us from gathering. MDC supporters were attacked and cars were stoned at the venue. This happened in full view of the police.
Unlawful arrests of the MDC Presidential Candidate have been going on unabated. The public media has flatly refused to flight MDC adverts. To date, no single commercial has aired by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. There is a total blackout of the MDC in the public media in clear contravention of the SADC guidelines and standards governing a free and fair election.
The hate language and the vilification of the MDC Presidential candidate by the public broadcasters and public media is unprecedented. By denying us access to the media the regime has managed to deny the MDC access to the people.
DECIMATION OF MDC STRUCTURES
The MDC Secretary General, Hon. Tendai Biti and MP Advocate Matinenga are illegally detained. Over 2000 MDC supporters including our polling agents are in illegal detention. The arrests have targeted members of Parliament, Councillors, the MDC structures and election agents. Over 200 000 people have been internally displaced. The whole game plan is designed to cripple the MDC campaign.
THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION (ZEC)
The MDC is shocked by the level of partisanship of ZEC. We have lost confidence in ZEC. The organization has been staffed by war veterans and Zanu PF militia. In fact, as it stands now, ZEC is not in charge of the management of this election.
THE MEDIA
The media is under attack. There is a complete blackout of the MDC's campaign. Journalists are being harassed and intimidated and foreign journalists barred from entering the country.
THE ZANU PF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
The Zanu PF candidate has no respect for the MDC, observers, the regional and international community. He has made public pronouncements to the effect that he will not accept defeat. He has declared war by saying that the bullet has replaced the ballot.
The statement by General Chiwenga and Commissioner of Prisons Zimondi that they will not respect and accept the will of the people is regrettable and is a clear manifestation that a free and fair election is impossible.
PLANNED ELECTION RIGGING BY ZANU PF
The MDC has unearthed an elaborate and decisive plan by Zanu PF to rig the elections through the following measures:
i. Commandeering the uniformed forces to use the postal ballot and forcing them to vote in front of their superiors.
ii. The prevention of MDC election agents to get to the polling stations through roadblocks and arrests.
iii. The three Mashonaland provinces have been identified as rigging centres where ballots are going to be stuffed.
iv. Villagers are having their national identity cards confiscated denying them their right to vote.
v. There is a plan to record the serial numbers of ballot papers so as to intimidate voters.
vi. The holding of forced pungwes (overnight meetings) where MDC supporters are beaten and forced to undergo "re-education".
vii. The abuse of traditional leaders.
viii. The use of massive violence as a weapon to influence the ballot.
CONCLUSION
Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible election, which reflects the will of the people is impossible. We remain unreservedly committed to free and fair elections in the country. The conditions prevailing as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll.
The militia, war veterans and even Mugabe himself have made it clear that anyone that votes for me in the forthcoming election faces the very real possibility of being killed.
Zimbabweans have also shown how brave and resilient they can be. They have withstood years of brutality, impoverishment and intimidation.
They are dedicated to a new democratic Zimbabwe.
But, we in the MDC, cannot ask them to cast their vote on June 27th when that vote could cost them their lives.
Therefore, we in the MDC have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process.
The courageous people of this country, and the people of the MDC have done everything humanly and democratically possible to deliver a New Zimbabwe under a New Government.
We urge SADC, AU and the United Nations to intervene urgently in this unprecedented situation to restore the rule of law, peace, and conditions for a free and fair election.
We are going to articulate our vision and the way forward to the people of Zimbabwe and the world on Wednesday after further consulting the people.
Finally, we salute and thank all the suppressed masses of Zimbabwe who have been maimed, raped, tortured, lost homes and properties in the pursuit of a noble cause of wishing to see a free and democratic Zimbabwe. I sympathize with you over the loss of your loved ones in these final phases of the struggle. Victory is certain, it can only be delayed.
I thank you.
President Morgan Tsvangirai
Operation Kick Mugabe out
Mugabe's terrorism against opposition supporters in Zimbabwe
Over 60 MDC supporters killed, thousands injured. Picture below shows an MDC supporter who was set on fire by Robert Mugabe's thugs
Are you a registered voter? Time to flush Mugabe down the toilet !!!
those planning to go home and cast their votes in the Presidential election run off, please check here if your name is still on the voters roll:
Zimbabwe Resistance Movement is formed
ZIMBABWE RESISTANCE MOVEMENT
FELLOW Zimbabweans, it is with deep regret and trepidation that we announce the formation of the Zimbabwe Resistance Movement, a military organisation comprising of serving and former members of the Zimbabwe armed forces and security services.Tsvangirai's State of the Nation address
Today is an historic occasion. Today I stand before you delivering a State of the Nation address to the new MDC Majority in Parliament!
For the first time since our liberation in 1980, Zimbabwe will witness a new and different era of governance. An era of democratic governance for the people and by the people. An era of governance that transforms our nation from the past and present disaster to an era of new opportunity.
MORE
Murder and mayhem in Zimbabwe. Solidarity Peace Trust video.
Facts about Zimbabwe
Mugabe's savage and barbarian cannibals exact vengeance on opposition supporters
An insider source has revealed that death squads sent out to kill people are reported to be given human flesh to eat in their training. They are said to have made vows that involve dark rituals of cannibalism in order to ensure their loyalty and to take away their sanity and power of thinking. Senior Commanders are said to regularly devour flesh from their victims to claims that it strengthens them. Their favorite being the eyes of the victim. It is said that sometimes they cook the meat and feed it to the unknowing trainees who think they are eating beef. It is said that Mugabe himself regularly eats human flesh as it is his belief that it keeps him young and adds on his vitality. now how sad is this???? This cannibal will eat all humans while the world watches in glee.
The Zimbabwe Independent reports that Mugabe and his political-military chiefs decided in April that “a military strategy should be employed to save Mugabe's political life. Soon after the April politburo meeting, the state machinery was cranked up to start the ongoing scorched earth campaign.
“The decision to resort to a scorched earth policy campaign is said to have been a product of behind-the-scenes crisis meetings between the president and the Joint Operations Command (JOC), including his close political advisors. This is seen as the trigger of the current upsurge of political violence.
“The picture of the political landscape since the beginning of Mugabe's fight back campaign has been grim. Scores of ordinary people, mainly opposition activists, have been killed, injured or displaced in the ongoing brutal campaign as the bitter Mugabe and his diehards battle for survival.
“The victims of violence have been killed using vicious techniques, including the cutting or crushing of genitals, hands, legs and various other body parts. Bludgeoning of victims to death using steel bars, axes, sticks, gun butts and other blunt objects has been common. Every week the MDC is reporting the murder of its activists and providing evidence of the killings. Doctors have confirmed in medical reports that most of the victims -- at least 50 so far -- died after "severe assaults".
Zimbabwe Democracy on Trial
A chronology of a stolen election for fact-checking
29 March 2008
7 p.m. Polls close throughout the country with few reported incidents.
Reconciliation of ballot papers and counting process takes place with few reported incidents.
10 pm. Results begin to be sent to MDC Command Center by MDC polling agents
Throughout the night, after counting is completed, V11 tally forms are posted outside all (+/- 9200) polling station as required by law. MDC heard of few incidents. Some rural counting was stopped until morning because of lack of electricity. This is a consensual agreement of all parties in these polling stations.
29-30-31 March
Counting is completed at all polling stations. The Representatives of all Parties agree and sign off on the results for each Polling Station on a form called a V11, copies of which are posted outside the Polling Station for public viewing as required by law
(MDC polling agents report the results by SMS and phone to MDC election command center after the count is completed. 85% of polling agents report V11 results by 31 March.)
The V 11 forms are then transported by ZEC to the ward level Command Centres where they are summarized into V 23 forms. The Results of these Council Elections are announced and a copy posted outside. Ballot boxes remain at the Polling Stations and are only moved to the Constituency Command Centres at a later stage
These V 23 forms then travel with Police/ZEC vehicles to the 210 Constituency Command Centres for tallying of House of Assembly seats. This process is largely completed by ZEC officials by 31 March. Results for each of the 207 House of Assembly seats are announced by Constituency Election Officers and again the results are posted outside for public viewing
MDC hears of no cases where Constituency Election Officers deviated from this procedure.
These V23 forms travel to the Senatorial Command Centers for compilation of Senate results. Senate election results are tallied and winners announced. This is mostly completed by 31 March.
The V23 forms then traveled to Provincial Command Centres where all the results for each Province are tallied to get Provincial Results. No results are announced at this stage of the process. The V23 forms for each Province are then moved for submission to the National Counting Center in Harare.
Chris Mbanga’s responsibilities only started here…
1 April
Chief Election Agents (or candidates) for President assemble at the Sheraton Command Center to begin the final verification process which started at 2.30 p.m.
By 3.30 p.m. verification is completed of Presidential results of both Harare and Bulawayo provinces with minor amendments. Chief Election Officers of the MDC and the Independent parties, (zanu pf was not present), sign off on the figures for these provinces.
Verification process begins for Mashonaland Central. MDC’s chief electoral agent notices some high figures in some constituencies and requests to verify the V11 forms tally with ZEC numbers.
MDC Chief Election Agent is told by ZEC that the V11s are still in the province.
ZEC says, “once the V11s are assembled we will continue with the process.” ZEC notes to the chief election agents, “there will be some logistical problems” in getting the V11s.
MDC offers to loan ZEC some fuel to assist with these problems in retrieving the V11s from provincial centers. This offer is not accepted.
1-8 April,
MDC hears nothing from ZEC at all.
8 April
MDC learns that ZEC Counting Center at the Sheraton has been dismantled.
Chief Election Agent meets ZEC official, where he is having breakfast, who reports that it had to be closed because of ZEC’s financial constraints but that “the verification team is ‘somewhere.’
MDC was not informed that the Counting Command Center was now closed.
MDC eventually hears “from the grapevine” that the verification center has moved to Room 1611 of the Sheraton.
MDC is told, however, that armed people surround the room and that they “wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near”. (MDC never confirmed that police were armed).
9 April
MDC verification team decides to move out of Sheraton Hotel because of budget constraints.
9-29 April
MDC hears nothing from ZEC except for Pamire who called approximately twice in the week on behalf of Chief Election Officer Sekeramayi to say “they are still working on the V11’s”
29 April
Chief Election Agents and/or candidates are invited to verification exercise at 2:30 pm on 1 May at the Sheraton Conference Center.
MDC expresses reservations about delay in calling them to the verification center.
Both MDC and Simba Makoni demand to know what they had done with their votes for all these weeks. This was well articulated by Makoni.
MDC Chief Election Agent states, “we need to agree on the methodology of the whole exercise. We should all understand what verification is so we are all clear right from the beginning.”
He states “all must agree that the counting center is like a polling station and processes that take place in a polling station have to apply to the verification exercise.”
After agreement on methodology, MDC request the national vote total according to ZEC.
ZEC complies.
MDC then asks for the national total broken into each province and then each constituency.
ZEC complies.
But then ZEC asks MDC and the other candidates to provide ZEC with their own vote totals.
MDC rejects this request, telling ZEC that ZEC is the official authority running the election.
MDC notes that its figures are not necessary to provide because it is ZEC’s numbers that must stand in the court of law, not MDCs which were gathered from V11 forms posted on polling stations.
Makoni and zanu pf provide all their count figures to ZEC.
MDC gives only its own National Total and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Total. ZEC then punches these figures into their computer and they themselves come up with the percentage figure of 50.3%
ZEC asks MDC for its Provincial and other candidate’s breakdowns. MDC says it is not its business to provide ZEC numbers for its competitors. Chief Election Agents says “I have come to tell you, I am telling you now, MDC won this election.”
MDC sees no need for ZEC to produce every V11 tally sheet for the entire country. It requests ZEC to provide V11s only in places where it believes that turnout spikes indicate MDC may have been cheated.
ZEC continued to tell MDC, “give us your numbers.”
Finally ZEC says “we don’t seem to be making any progress.”
ZEC then asks MDC to bring its figures “tomorrow or they will be excluded from the process.”
MDC tells ZEC that its secretariat had not included the number breakdowns in their briefing packs that day and would return with them. Verification then adjourns and arguments postponed until the following morning.
2 May
ZEC again calls upon MDC to present its detailed figures as ZANU and Makoni had done. The fourth candidate had no figures at all so MDC said “we will help you.”
MDC agrees to provide ZEC the provincial breakdowns.
ZEC then says “we have a big problem with figures, what’s the way forward?”
MDC requests the V11s to verify the numbers provided by ZEC, especially in Mashonaland West Province.
MDC agents says “we need to agree on the number of wards and polling stations in that province” in order to ensure its receives the full compilation of V11 forms.
The process of verification then starts soon after 10.00 am.
First V11 form: No problems.
Second V11 form: No problems.
Third V11 form: Problems. Form has no MDC signature. ZEC explains this could be for two reasons, either the polling agent wasn’t there or he refused to sign. MDC says “okay. We will investigate but give them the benefit of the doubt.” MDC notes down this anomaly.
Fourth V11 form: No problems.
Fifth V11 Form: Problems. “Form” is actually handwritten piece of paper, not an official form, but the MDC polling agent had signed it. MDC tells ZEC it needs to identify and query the polling agent for this polling station.
Sixth V11 form: No problems.
Seven V11 form: No problems.
After reviewing only seven V11’s, the verification process is then abruptly stopped at 11.20 by the Chief Election Officer Sekeremayi who states, “we can no longer continue this process. If we continue this process it will take four weeks.”
MDC election agent responds, “you have had our votes for four weeks; we are prepared to wait four more weeks. We want a credible and transparent verification process.”
The meeting is adjourned until 2:00 pm
When Chief Election Agents return it is a markedly hostile environment. Chief Election Officer Sekeremayi simply reads a statement saying he will announce result. He states “if parties are dissatisfied with the results, they can go to court.” He then proceeds to formally announce the result, despite voluminous protestations, (including protests from Makoni himself)
MDC responds to the announcement telling Sekeramayi it will reject the result because the legally-mandated verification process has not taken place. Accordingly, MDC does not sign the results verification form as required by law, and as mandated at the SADC Extraordinary Summit in Lusaka. SADC rep Kingsley Mamabolo and Salamao are also present when the verification was precipitously stopped. (The SADC Reps indicate that they are only here to observe and therefore cannot do or say anything)
ZANUPF violence against MDC escalates
IN THE LAST 48 HOURS 8 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BEATEN TO DEATH BY MILITIA IN CAMOFLAGE UNIFORMS IN THE SHAMVA NORTH AREA. OVER 30 ARE BADLY INJURED. TRUCKS HAVE BEEN DESPATCHED TO PICK UP THE INJURED AND FERRY THEM TO SAFETY AND MEDICAL ATTENTION.
30 HOUSES HAVE BEEN BURNED IN THE SAME AREA, LEAVING OVER 100 HOMELESS AND WITHOUT FOOD.
MORE INJURED - 10 TO OUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE MAZOE AREA. THEY ARE ALSO BEING PICKED UP.
AN EX ARMY OFFICER WHO WAS PART OF AN MDC SUPPORT GROUP WAS ABDUCTED FROM NEAR HIS HOME TWO WEEKS AGO. HE WAS TAKEN TO CRANBORNE ARMY BARRACKS AND TORTURED. HE DIED AS A RESULT OF THE TORTURE YESTERDAY. HIS NAME WILL BE RELEASED ONCE FAMILY HAVE BEEN INFORMED.
THIS IS MUGABE'S "CAMPAIGNING" FOR A RE-RUN OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. USING THE MILITIA AND SENIOR ARMY OFFICERS TO BRUTALISE AND KILL ANYONE CONSTRUED TO BE A PART OF THE MDC. LIVESTOCK AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS ARE STILL BEING BURNED TO DEATH.
WHILE SADC STANDS BY AND PRESIDENT MBEKI SUPPORTS MUGABE, MANY MORE ZIMBABWEANS WILL BE BRUTALISED OR BEATEN TO DEATH.
THE VIOLENCE HAS TO BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. PRESIDENT MBEKI HAS AS MUCH BLOOD ON HIS HANDS AS ZANU PF AND MUGABE.
More MDC supporters harassed by ZANUPF
4 truck loads of "army" (described as too young to be army) aka militia moved from Silobela to Zhombe which is approx. 50 kms from Kwe Kwe.
Nyanga - Nyamaropa. Large militia camp recently set up and occupants reported to be being trained by Chinese (Korean?) military personell.
Mudzi West - Masarakufa Ward (Kotwa area) Gilbert Nyagupe (Nyagupe Village) MDC member, axed to death by his brother (ZPF youth) and Jessie Nau on 27/4/08.
Mudzi - Kondo village - Peter Kadurira and his wife and children were beaten up at midnight last night (Monday). the children were stitched up at Kotwa hospital but the parents are reported to be in a bad way.
Gokwe - An MDC official was carrying 30 badly injured assault victims to Harare in his lorry (four days ago). He was stopped at a police road block, his lorry confiscated and the IP's sent back to their homes.
6 new deaths were reported yesterday (Monday). It is often difficult to verify these deaths, other than verbal confirmation, as the relatives are made to bury the body immediately. If the body does go for a Post Mortem, the CIO are present and they hijack the PM report.
How many more deaths must there be? How many more crimes against men, women, children of all ages before something is done to stop this evil. Brother killing brother. Areas being closed off by road blocks preventing the injured from seeking medical attention, preventing the movement of food - does this sound a bit like Matabeleland in the 1982 massacre of over 20,000 Matabeles?????
The humanitarian crisis is escalating by the hour!!!! An update of post election violence stats will be emailed tonight.
ONGOING ARRESTS OF PRESIDING OFFICERS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) notes with great concern the
continuing arrests and detention of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)
presiding officers, almost all of whom are teachers. The Zimbabwe education
system has in recent years been severely undermined by the shortage of
resources, brain drain and harsh economic conditions. This is now being
exacerbated by the attacks on teachers seconded to ZEC.
ZLHR is greatly concerned that some schools will not be fully functional due
to the recent and ongoing arrests of some of the teaching staff. Schools
opened on 29 April 2008. The existing severe shortage of teachers has been
exacerbated by arrests of ZEC presiding officers who are employed as
teachers and headmasters and headmistresses across the country. These
arrests have been actuated after some insignificant anomalies were
discovered during the ongoing recounts and which can easily be attributed to
human error.
The majority of these presiding officers are being charged with criminal
abuse of duty as public officers, fraud, or violation of the Electoral Act
by allegedly willfully failing to conduct their duties during the harmonized
elections. All detainees represented by ZLHR members have denied the charges
against them.
Currently at least 7 presiding officers are detained in custody at Bikita
police station. Seven (7) were arrested in Zaka, 22 presiding officers
appeared at Chipinge court, while 1 presiding officer was detained at
Murambinda police station. At least 50 presiding officers have been arrested
in Masvingo since 21 April 2008, some of whom have been arraigned before the
Masvingo Magistrates’ Court. At least 7 presiding officers who are
headmasters at some schools in Masvingo province continue to be incarcerated
in custody. Although they had been granted bail by the magistrate on 24
April 2008, the prosecutor invoked the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act
and appealed against the bail decision to ensure that the headmasters were
not released pending the hearing of the appeal as is provided for in the
Act. These figures are additional to the original 34 cases which ZLHR
previously reported upon.
The right to education is enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and
Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to
which Zimbabwe has voluntarily acceded. The state, through its persecution
of ZEC officers, is in willful violation of its international obligations.
ZLHR urges the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that human resources,
especially teachers in their capacity as human rights defenders who advance
the right to education, are not subjected to any form of harassment, or
arbitrary arrests that negatively impact on their ability to perform their
duties diligently.
ZLHR sees these arrests as persecution of human rights defenders, and as an
attempt to ensure that, in the event of a presidential run-off, such
officers will refuse to participate, thus allowing the state to justify its
use of law enforcement agents, intelligence officers, war veterans and
graduates of the National Youth Service to manage the electoral process to
benefit one presidential candidate to whom they owe their political and
human survival.
In addition, ZLHR warns police, soldiers, intelligence officers, as well as
other non-state actors acting with the acquiescence of the state, involved
in the arrest, detention and interrogation of the affected ZEC officers that
their actions constitute an unconstitutional interference with the
independence and integrity of the national elections management body, for
which identified perpetrators will face individual criminal responsibility
under national and international law. As such, they should moderate their
behavior accordingly, or be willing to face the legal consequences.
It's official MDC has won the parliamentary elections Murdered by Mugabe's thugs HARARE – Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has said 10 of its supporters have been murdered in an orgy of violence it blamed on state security agents and militant activists of President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party.
The MDC, which says violence started after it defeated ZANU PF in elections on March 29, has claimed that another 3 000 supporters have been displaced from their homes.
The opposition party has described the violence as a war being waged by state security agents and ZANU PF militias against Zimbabweans in a bid to cow them to back Mugabe in an anticipated run-off against Tsvangirai.
List of Victims:
Tapiwa Mumbwanda (57) -- From Hurungwe West constituency in Mashonaland West province. He was attacked and murdered near his home by suspected ZANU PF activists on April 12. Hurungwe West is one of the areas hardest hit by political violence.
Murunde Tembo (age unknown) – From Mudzi North constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was brutally assaulted by suspected ZANU PF activists on April 15. He sustained serious injuries and broken legs. He died on his way to hospital.
Tatenda Chibika (age unknown) -- From Mutoko East constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was shot and killed by ZANU PF supporter and war veteran Richard Makoni on April 17. The incident happened at Chibeta rural business centre in the constituency.
Moses Bashitiwayo (age unknown) -- From Maramba-Pfungwe constituency in Mashonaland East province. Suspected ZANU PF supporters murdered him on April 17.
Moses Makiwa (age unknown) -- From Lower Watershed area in Wedza constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was brutally assaulted and killed by ZANU PF supporters. He was buried on 19 April in Wedza.
Brighton Mbwera Jr. (5) -- From Manyika village in Uzumba constituency in Mashonaland East province. He was burnt to death after ZANU PF activists set a house he was sleeping in on fire on April 18.
The ZANU PF activists forced the parents (who are members of the MDC) to bury their child’s body without a postmortem being done. However, police intervened and ordered the body exhumed so that a postmortem could be conducted.
What Zimbabweans told Mugabe on election day! Alyce in Wonderland in New York.. The former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, was used to being met at Harare airport by a rent-a-crowd mob of women wearing long dresses with bug splatters of Mugabe’s pictures on their butts, something the late Edison Zvobgo used to despise and ridicule. “Imagine,” he once said “someone’s wife wearing Mugabe’s picture on her butts!”
If the same Mugabe were to arrive in New York today he would encounter a different kind of Zimbabwean women most likely ready, willing and able to lynch him from the highest tree.
The Movement for Democratic Change has gone high gear. A group of mostly Zimbabwean women recently formed a branch of the MDC, and it has become the talk of the town because of their dynamism and what they were able to accomplish in a matter of days. Full story
Post election violence: Mugabe 's thugs wreak havoc in Zimbabwe
1. Chidya Village, Mutoko East Constituency.
On 15 April 2008 persons in army uniform and lead by ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Mutoko East, Ojo Nyakudanga and a Colonel Katsvairo arrived in the village and ordered that everyone be rounded up, presumably for re-education. In panic the villagers fled in all directions and in the process Tendai Chibika, aged about 30 years, was shot in the head and died instantly. The team reports that his body remains in the open and no one is being allowed to reclaim it for burial. At any rate the inhabitants are now all living in the mountains for fear of similar treatment at the hands of these people.
On the same occasion Steven John Martin, of roughly the same age, was seen to be arrested by this group, beaten up seriously and later taken away. He has not been seen since and inhabitants fear for his life.
2. Ward 17, Vondozi, Mudzi North Constituency.
The team reports that marauding groups of ZANU PF militia, war vets and other people in army uniform have been responsible for the systematic destruction of approximately 98% of all homesteads in the area. The inhabitants, numbering about 300, are living in the school yard at Vongozi School, under armed guard. Apparently this is being kept out of public knowledge, the area having been sealed off to outsiders. Speculation is high on the treatment that these people are receiving.
MDC’s chronicle of the post election violence
17th April 2008 - MDC Pressroom
Hundreds of MDC supporters have received serious injuries after the party garnered more House of Assembly seats than Zanu PF in March 29 2008 elections. The MDC also won 50, 3 percent of the Presidential poll votes although the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been forced by Zanu PF not to release the result. Over 20 MDC supporters from Masvingo North constituency in Masvingo province, Mudzi and Mutoko districts in Mashonaland East were during the weekend of 12 and 13 April admitted at the Avenues Clinic in Harare after they received serious injuries following the attacks from Zanu PF supporters, youth militia who are being backed by uniformed soilders. Some of the villagers have since fled there homes after the homes were burnt and property looted by the Zanu PF militia. Below are some of the reports that have been recorded across the country.
29 March 2008
Lydia Nyamuriga was beaten up by Zanu PF supporters while celebrating the victory of MDC in the parliamentary elections in Epworth. Nyamuriga and two other friends was bashed with sticks and was dragged on a tarred road were she sustained injuries on her right arm and head.
30 March 2008
Zanu PF youths clad in MDC T-shirts were moving around in Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central beating up MDC supporters. One of the perpetrators, identified as Henry Nhambure from Murewa, a youth militia graduate was paid $1,2 billion to beat up MDC supporters.
1 April 2008
Edmond Zimba was attacked by Zanu PF youths in Rugare in Harare while celebrating the victory of MDC in the parliamentary elections. Zimba was struck by an empty bottle on the face and sustained serious injuries.
Brian Zondo of Muko village in Mudzi North was attacked by a Zanu PF youth identified as Give Shumba on accusations that he had voted for the MDC. Shumba is said to have struck Zondo with a stone on the head after which he sustained a deep cut and had to seek medical attention. The case has since been reported to the police but Shumba is still at large.
2 April 2008
In Mabvuku-Tafara constituency in Harare, people who were suspected to be MDC supporters were beaten up in beer halls by a group of Zanu PF supporters. Loosing council candidate for ward 26 is alleged to have sent these youths to beat up anyone they suspected to have voted for the MDC. A report has been made to the police but no arrests have been made although the suspects have been identified.
In Mudzi North constituency, Mashonaland East, Ronny Chanzenza of Karumba village had his house destroyed by two Zanu PF youths identified as Martin Machokora and Dudzai Chirapa. Chanzenza managed to escape unhurt. A report has been made to the police but no action has been taken against the culprits.
Also in Mudzi North constituency, Zororai Manyonga had his house burnt to ashes by people allegedly sent by Kachipa who was Zanu PF house of assembly candidate.
4 April 2008
In Mutoko East constituency, Mashonaland East province, Zanu PF members were moving around the villages waving guns of different sizes and type telling people that the re-run was the last chance for them to vote for Zanu PF and if they don’t then they would use the guns against the villagers. They are also threatening to kidnap people they suspect to have voted for the MDC.
5 April 2008
In Mabvuku Douglas Chinyemba was attacked by a group of ZANU PF youths and he sustained serious facial injuries.
6 April 2008
Six activists who acted as polling agents for the MDC were evicted from York Farm by War Veterans. They are currently displaced and living in the forests adjacent to York farm
6 April 2008
The MDC councilor for Ward 2 Seke, Shephered Zhanje was attacked by ZANU PF youths and had his right arm broken. He sustained a permanent injury.
7 April 2008
ZANU PF is stepping up violence against known MDC supporters and ordinary residents in ward 20, accusing them of having voted for the MDC in the harmonized elections. The chairman for Magamba known as Muropa is alleged to be leading these attacks which started on Monday. ZANU PF is also alleged to be working hand and glove with members of the ZNA who are intimidating the police officers in the area from interfering. Various weapons ranging from knobkerries, catapults and machetes are being used to in perpetrate these attacks. An emergency situation is about to erupt with violent clashes having been recorded between ZANU PF and MDC supporters and at least 2 people have been critically injured
7 April 2008
ZANU PF activists in Uzumba burnt a hut belonging to Tendai Muzadzi an MDC activist. Tendai was accused of having facilitated the arrest of ZANU PF activists for tearing down MDC posters and threatening people 3 weeks ago. A report was made at Mtawatawa Police Station on Tuesday.
8 April 2008
Innocent Nyandoro, an election agent for the MDC was severely assaulted by suspected ZANU PF thugs who were assisted by the MP elect Richard Chirongwe. Mr. Chirongwe reported the matter to the Police leading to the brief arrest of the perpetrators who were later on released. Members of the opposition are being threatened on a daily basis with eviction.
8 April 2008
In Gutu South Constituency soldiers grouped people and addressed them while carrying their guns intimidating people that if they vote for Tsvangirai in the run off they will be shot. They also threatened people with eviction from their homes if they support MDC
MDC supporters were rounded up by armed soldiers in uniform at Kotwa and severely beaten up . Paul Mhanza one of the MDC supporters sustained serious internal injuries and was admitted at Kotwa . Filter Chikura also had his eardrum damaged during the assault.
9 April 2008
In Mazowe West, an MDC activist of Sable Peak farm which was , which was invaded by the ZANU PF MP Chironga, was attacked by the later and his youths and sustained grievous bodily injuries. At the time of this report, he is battling with his life in Concession Hospital
9 April 2008
A candidate who represented the MDC in the Mutoko North Council Elections was abducted by unknown assailants driving a white Nissan Hard body vehicle. He was taken to Mtoko growth point where he was assaulted by thugs aligned to ZANU PF. He sustained critical injuries and was left for dead. He was assisted by onlookers who had witnessed the whole incident.
9 April 2008
An MDC supporter was brutally assaulted by ZANU PF supporters led by the MP elect Chironga. He is battling for his life at Concession General Hospital.
9 April 2008
Information reaching this office suggests that a base at KG6 is being created to beef up security ahead of an expected terror campaign scheduled to begin over the weekend. Members of the ZNA are arriving at KG6 in droves.
9 April 2008
ZANU PF activists aligned to Hubert Nyanhomgo have started invading land belonging to residents of Harare South. The invasions involve uprooting maize fields and cutting down trees indiscriminately. Nyanhongo is alleged to have promised these ZANU PF activists land in the run-up to the Harmonised elections.
9 April 2008
Lazarus Matonhodze was re-arrested for singing anti-ZANU PF songs at the behest of Hubert Nyanhongo. He had earlier on been released in court for lack of evidence.
9 April 2008
10 ZANU PF activists are alleged to have come at the MDC Marondera ward 7 councilor’s house and started singing politically provocative songs and erected a ZANU PF flag at his house. The mob was led by a Matambudziko Midzi who is the Youth Chairperson for ward 7. The group then proceeded to the Ward 5 councilor’s house were they threatened to inflict more harm on him after they had previously broken his leg in 2006.Amminion Dzinoreva was struck on the head and back by a metal bar and sustained serious injuries. A report was made at Dombotombo police post but nothing was done. In fact, ZANU PF thugs came and threatened police officers
Roy Mari who was a polling agent at Damvuri during the elections was assaulted by Zanu PF activists and a war vet only identified as Huni of Homestead.
10 April 2008
Denias Dombo was brutally assaulted by ZANU PF youths who are moving around in new c white trucks in Kotwa. He sustained life threatening injuries as he had all his limbs broken after the encounter with an angry ZANU PF mob. He also had his house burnt down to ashes. The situation in Kotwa has gone out of hand as an estimated 36 people are said to have been displaced by the violence and intimidation so far. These people are staying at Kotwa Police station since their homes have either been burnt or their homes are now unsafe. Some of the victimized people are:
Paul Mlanza, Neza village – was assaulted by soldiers and a report was made at Kotwa police station.
Alex Kumbukani – also assaulted by soldiers
Robert Dombo- Had his house burnt on 9/04/2008
Langton Chidzidzi- had his ribs broken
Fungisai Chikuna
Lovemore Chirapu
Luisa Chakumanika a female aged 70
Pamhidzai Tsuro
Elizabeth Tashupika
Taoreswa Kambizi
Kutasa William aged 56
Viola Kamunaukamwe
Fungisai Sam
David Chaora- had his house burnt.
Another group of MDC youths was displaced from their villages in Chief Mukoti’s Chieftainship by ZANU PF youths in white vehicles brandishing machetes. The victimized youths are: Noah Langton, Wilson Chikore, Biggie Mapambadze, John Sabau, Fungai Tembo, Organise Tsoro, Leonard Chikore and Vengai Kiri
10 April 2008
In Shamva South Constituency, ZANU PF sponsored thugs (500 million each) to kill the MDC council candidate for ward 19, Happiness Maruva. She escaped after a tip of and went into hiding. The thugs further threatened to bomb her house which was used as the constituency command centre.
10 April 10, 2008
10 huts belonging to MDC supporters were burnt by ZANU PF activists in Muzarabani South. Chief Kasekete and Chief Chiweshe are the main perpetrators. The victims are Lameck Bande, Patrick Machaya, Chris Maritinyi, Austin Kamvukuta, Anderson Cobster, Jesca Madhava, Chivaura, Tendai Saizi and Masindisa Kiswell
Meanwhile, the District Chairman is on the run.
10 April 2008
Rtd Major Midza held private meetings at Bandawe in Muzvezve were he was addressing war veterans and Zanu Pf supporters to prepare for war. He is alleged to have advised the youths to beat up MDC supporters and evict them from the resettled areas. Also present at the meeting was Rtd Major Chivero,Mrs Nduku (wife of former Kadoma CIO head) and a retired meat inspector Chinyumbwi.
Col CT Gurira also addressed Kadoma prison officers misinforming them that MDC will dismiss them from work as soon as it gets into power and also threatened some e of them for voting for the MDC.
11 April 2008
A group of 15 ZANU PF thugs moving in a white truck are reported to be on the rampage in Mutoko North constituency and have 3 MDC activists have been seriously injured after being attacked. The three – Cephas Nyamande, Batsirai Kapikinyu, of Nyamudo village and Rosemary Nyateka of Kapikunyu 1 village are in critical condition. Rosemary Nyateka was attacked at her home after a ZANU PF district meeting held at Kanyongo Township that singled her for having voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and for being an MDC supporter. She sustained wounds on her buttocks after being assaulted with logs. Batsirai Kapikunyu sustained a broken leg after being attacked with clenched fists, booted feet and logs. Cephas Nyaningwe had both his legs broken.
12 April 2008
In Mutoko South Zanu PF thugs burnt down Davias Matiza’s house. Matiza managed to escape and boarded a bus. The thugs followed him and surrounded the bus and demanded him out of the bus. He however managed to flee from the scene again and is still on the run as they are still after his life.
Houses belonging to two MDC supporters, Paul Nyikayaramba and Kabasa, were also burnt by Zanu PF militia in the same area
Patience Mapuranga and Mahwisai Chizanga, MDC polling agents were beaten up by Zanu PF thugs accusing them of supporting MDC. The two suffered serious injuries all over their bodies. The case was reported to the police and the police officer handling the issue was also assaulted and accused of supporting the MDC.
More than 15 Zanu PF thugs in Mutoko South attacked Naira Savanhu and her children in the middle of the night. Savanhu was accused of having voted for MDC and giving victory to the MDC in the elections.
12 April 2008
In Mudzi West , Paradzai Chimutsa of Kagonda village had his two shops looted from by a group of more than sixty Zanu PF thugs .More than half of the groceries in his small shop were looted by Zanu PF militia .Mr Chimutsa was away when ZanuPF militia pounced on his family and accused the family of supporting MDC. The family lost billions worth of groceries to Zanu PF militia.
12 April 2008.
At least 20 MDC supporters, Privelege Shuva (15) of Chivaka village, Mudzi East Ostina Chikwanha (38) from the same area, Tonderai Souza (20), Edmond Souza (49) Everisto Maguma (19) Sakina Maguma (47), Tracy Souza (37) Mark Mavhura (22) and Stanley Simba are some of the MDC that are detained in hospital following attacks from Zanu PF militia from Tuesday.
12 April 2008
Zanu PF’s terror on defenceless people has now reached alarming levels following the death of MDC supporter Tapiwa Mubwanda of Hurungwe West in Mashonaland West province. Tapiwa Mubwanda, 53, was on the night of Saturday, 12 April 2008, attacked by Zanu PF supporters at his homestead in Mhereyenyoka village under Chief Kazangarare. Mubwanda was the polling agent for Hon. Chambati during the 29 March elections.During the attack Mubwanda was stabbed with a knife and he died on the spot. His elder brother Linos Mubwanda who heard the commotion went out to investigate and was also brutally assaulted by the group.
12 April 2008
In another act of serious disregard of the law, a member of the Central Intelligence Office identified as Amos Jaravaza shot Takawira Hove on both legs also on Saturday.
There were also attempts after the shooting of Hove by CIO operatives and Zanu PF supporters to poison him at Gokwe hospital.
The MDC has since taken Hove to a more secure and safe hospital.
15 April 2008
In Muzvezve in Mashonaland West province,four families have been forced to flee their homes after Zanu PF members led by a Rt Major Midza threatened to attack them and burn their homes. Four of them, Clever Machingauta, Gift Machingauta, Miriam Machingauta and Munyaradzi Muchenjeri were polling agents for the MDC during the 29 March elections.
16 April 2008
In Murehwa North Zanu PF supporters backed by the army have burnt close to 10 homesteads at Dandara Village while four MDC youths had to be ferried by an ambulance to a hospital in Harare after they were knocked down by a Zanu PF pick-up truck at Murehwa growth point. One of the youths sustained deep cuts on the head and is in a critical condition.
16 April 2008
In Gokwe Chireya, Midlands province Zanu PF is forcing people to attend meetings everyday and those who are perceived to be MDC supporters are being threatened with death. The villagers have also been given orders not to listen to Studio 7. A training base has also been set up in the constituency in what sources say would be used to as torture camp in the event of a presidential run-off.
16 April 2008
Didymus Mutasa, a Zanu PF politburo member has recruited over 300 youths for militia training at Vengere Stadium in Rusape. The youths have since last week been moving around intimidating people in Rusape town for having voted for the MDC in March.
17 April 2008
At least 100 MDC activists including three senior MDC officials Fortune Gwaze, Luke Tamborinyoka and Kudakwashe Matimbiri have been arrested in Harare. The three officials are being charged with organizing the MDC stay-away in demand for the release of the Presidential poll result.
http://www.mdc.co.zw/newsbody.asp?newsid=65
Mugabe orders arms from China
to oppress Zimbabweans.
Family had house burnt by Mugabe's thugs.
The reason was the family voted for
the opposition in the last elections.
Mugabe in 2009 and back home in Zvimba??/ Time for Mugabe to call it quits. See results below
Presidential VOTES PERCENTAGE MDC Tsvangirai 1167545 50.3 Winner ZANUPF Mugabe 1044664 43.8 Makoni 175122 7 2387331 Assembly SEATS PERCENT MDC Tsvangirai 99 48 Winner ZANUPF Mugabe 96 46 Makoni 12 6 TOTAL 207 100
GZF Demo in Washington,DC
Mugabe's harassment of opposition escalates
Formation of the Global Zimbabwe Forum – USA
February 27, 2008
Following its successful and widely publicized demonstration outside the Zimbabwe embassy last week Global Zimbabwe Forum Working Group was formed on February 27, 2008.
The purpose of the working group is to spearhead a campaign to bring awareness of the plight of the Zimbabweans to grassroots America.
In the next two weeks GZF-USA Working Group members will take an inventory of organizations in their communities that we might approach to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.
This grassroots initiative is one of the plans proposed at the Strategy Session on Zimbabwe and organized by Africa Action and Trans Africa in Washington, DC, recently.
It is hoped GZF-USA will work collaboratively with Africa Action.
Addressing the strategy session on February 16 GZF representative for USA Dr. Stanford Mukasa mapped out two key areas of concern on the situation in Zimbabwe, namely, crisis of governance and the humanitarian situation in the country.
Dr. Mukasa said a non partisan action was needed to (a) bring pressure to bear on the Mugabe regime to allow Zimbabweans their basic human and democratic rights and (b) to send badly needed humanitarian relief to the embattled Zimbabweans.
Zimbabwe Diaspora stage a successful protest at the Zimbabwe embassy in Washington DC.
1. The Protest. A group of Zimbabweans staged a protest outside the Zimbabwe embassy in Washington D.C. on Friday, February 21.
Speakers condemned Mugabe's denial of the right of Zimbabweans in Diaspora to vote in the March 29 elections.
The petition. After consultations with the police, embassy officials allowed only one protester to go into the embassy to present a petition.
Global Zimbabwe Forum
A worldwide non partisan coalition of Zimbabweans in Diaspora and friends in the struggle for the restoration of the rule of law, democracy, freedom of the press and free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
February 22, 2008:
To :
President Robert Mugabe :
c/o Ambassador Machivenyika Mapuranga.
Zimbabwe Embassy
Washington DC
We have noted with great concern the rapidly deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in Zimbabwe, and caused primarily by the crisis of governance in your regime, especially since 2000.
Everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong in Zimbabwe.
You have consistently blamed the country’s problems on what you call sanctions from, among others, Britain and America. But evidence and the experience of the Zimbabweans point an unequivocal finger at your style of bad governance as the root cause of the rampant state of dilapidation.
About 4 million Zimbabweans, or one quarter of the country’s population, have fled the country. But the Zimbabweans in Diaspora did not forfeit their right to vote.
GLOBAL ZIMBABWE forum is calling upon you, your party and your government to take immediate and effective measures to:
- ALLOW Zimbabweans in Diaspora to vote;
- RESPECT and IMPLEMENT the SADC protocol for conducting elections;
- IMPLEMENT before elections the agreements so far reached with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change;
- POSTPONE elections to at least June to allow for the leveling of the playing field for elections;
- ALLOW members of the opposition movement and civil society to hold their rallies and protests without harassment and assaults from the police and army.
- ALLOW international observers under the auspices of the United Nations to come to monitor the elections.
The Vote. Right in front of the embassy, the protesters organized their own vote. Each protester was given a ballot and checked the candidate of his or her choice.
The Ballot
Republic of Zimbabwe
Presidential election – March 29, 2008
Polling Station: Zimbabwe Embassy, Washington DC
Voting Instructions: Proof of citizenship of Zimbabwe. Put X for ONLY ONE candidate in space provided next to the name.
Simba Makoni
Independent
Robert Mugabe
ZANUPF
Morgan Tsvangirai
MDC - Tsvangirai
Other
Write In
Voter verification: Returning Officer signature……………….
2. The protesters then simulated a vote. Each person cast a vote. One protester was asked to produce proof of citizenship. He proudly produced his Zimbabwean passport.
Votes were counted in front of everyone.
Results were announced in public.
Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC )
WINNER 83 percent Robert Mugabe (ZANUPF) 11 percent Simba Makoni (Independent) 6 percent
Letter from America 2007
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A picture that should shame us all for inaction
7-year-old Tendayi Chisvo carries his baby brother as he begs on the streets of Harare while Mugabe and ZANUPF spend billons of dollars on luxuries for his top party and government officials. Welcome to independent Zimbabwe!
Mugabe in new threat to freedom of the press in Zimbabwe
Harare - Robert Mugabe's ZANUPF regime has cleared the way for revoking the media license of one of his fiercest internal critics by stripping the owner of Zimbabwe's largest private newspaper group of his citizenship. Full Story