Messages From Zimbabwe

“I have just been advised that Morgan Tsvangirai will not be attending the meeting of the SADC Troika because he has not been issued with a passport. If this report is true I wish to make the following statement.

In terms of the agreement reached on the 15 September 2008 Morgan Tsvangirai is to become Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. For the past two months Morgan Tsvangirai has been denied a passport. In the context of the agreement what sort of goodwill is that?  I have raised this matter with President Mbeki and Mugabe.  We should never allow trivial matters such as this to affect the national interest. SADC has an opportunity to help Zimbabweans solve their national crisis by standing up to Mugabe’s unacceptable behaviour in this regard.

In light of the report I have received this morning I have demanded through President Mbeki that the Troika meeting be cancelled.  There can be no discussion of any value without Morgan Tsvangirai’s presence.

In the past few weeks I have ended up being a mediator-trying to do what I can to ensure that a credible deal be arrived at, specifically by ensuring that the MDC T obtains control of the Finance and Home Affairs Ministries.

The most important thing is that we should all have a common vision for Zimbabwe.  Pragmatism and flexibility should force the three leaders to come up with an acceptable agreement.

I stress that there needs to be a tripartite agreement.  As a political party we are not beholden either to Morgan Tsvangirai or Robert Mugabe – we are beholden to the suffering masses of Zimbabwe.  Just as we are opposed to any unilateral decision by Robert Mugabe so we will also oppose any activity by Morgan Tsvangirai to hold the nation to ransom.  There is absolutely no alternative to the tripartite agreement which must be concluded urgently.

If Robert Mugabe goes ahead unilaterally to form a government, the party that I lead will have no part of it. If Robert Mugabe unilaterally forms a government we will denounce and call for the global isolation of any such criminal and illegitimate government.”

Professor Arthur Mutambara

(Source: by email)

A troika of southern African countries seeking to break Zimbabwe‘s political impass “can’t impose” a solution on the rival parties, a spokesman for President Robert Mugabe was quoted as saying Sunday.

Mugabe and his opposition rivals, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, will attend a meeting Monday of the Southern African Development Community’s security troika in Swaziland to discuss their deadlocked power-sharing deal, the spokesman told the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper.

“Delegations from the three parties will be called upon to clarify any issues. After this the troika will guide us on the way forward,” Patrick Chinamasa, spokesman for Mugabe’s negotiating team, was quoted as saying.

“They can’t impose anything on us especially on such a small matter as the allocation of ministries.”

The allocation of key ministries in the formation of a unity government has remained a sticking point for over a month after the agreement was signed.

The deadlock has seen the troubled country turn to its neighbours for assistance.

Chinamasa said “all the principals and their negotiating teams are going” to Monday’s meeting.

“The facilitator will make a report to the (SADC) organ (on politics, defence and security) and we are expected to be around,” he said.

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki is the mediator in the negotiations between the rivals which have stalled over the allocation of the defence, home affairs, finance and local government ministries.

Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), signed an agreement on September 15 aimed at forming a power-sharing government.

That government was expected to ease political tensions and tackle the country’s economic crisis which has not shown any signs of abating, with annual inflation officially at 231 million percent.

(Source)

Zimbabwe‘s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Saturday he was still determined to reach a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe despite the breakdown of talks between the two leaders.

Four days of negotiations ended Friday without producing an agreement on the allocation of Cabinet posts in a unity government.

“Our objective is to bring this government, Mugabe in particular, to the negotiating table … shouting and screaming but coming to the negotiating table,” Tsvangirai told thousands of supporters at a rally in the second city of Bulawayo.

The collapse of the talks is a disappointing setback that is likely to worsen the country’s economic and humanitarian woes.

“The biggest challenge we have is what has been left in this country. There is nothing. Zero,” Tsvangirai said.

Talks were mediated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki who brokered a Sept. 15 deal between Mugabe and Tsvangirai after the opposition narrowly won March parliamentary elections

The leaders have called for intervention from regional and African leaders. They will attend a meeting of the Southern African Development Community to be held in Swaziland on Monday.

(Source)

Dear Friends and Donors,

Where to start?

Since the last update in July, we have, once more, another ‘new’ currency, which was introduced on the 1^st August.

This time, TEN zeros where lopped off and the old coins once more became legal tender and $5 was worth 5 billion old Zim dollars. Pensioners who were receiving meagre pensions of around 60 million no longer receive anything as that amounts now to a fraction of a cent. Already, every single commodity is in the tens of thousands of dollars. Since this introduction, more notes of higher values have been produced we now have a $1,000, $10,000 and this week $50,000.

Almost all businesses will not accept a cheque, cash only. The maximum withdrawl this week was raised to Z$50,000 each day. What will that buy after standing for several hours in a queue at the bank? Minced beef at Z$90,000 a kilo? Obviously not. Bread at Z$17,000 a loaf, 6 eggs at Z$20,000 and perhaps one potato at Z$90,000 a kilo. Then queue again the next day. Never mind paying large accounts of utilities bills or perhaps buying your life saving medication (if you can afford it). Just one American dollar at the time of writing is worth around Z$16,000 (Z$160,000,000,000,000 before 1^st August, not forgetting to add the three zero’s taken off in ‘06). In 1980 the Z$ was equal in value to the US$.

Shops are almost empty, what goods are available for payment in Zim dollars are at ridiculous prices as the shopkeeper tries to hedge against inflation estimated at over 1 TRILLION percent. How about a tin of beans for the equivalent of US$80?

In this climate, ‘Rand’ shops have sprung up in the most unlikely places. Some selling from private homes. These charge on average a 100% mark up on the South African price. Fine if you have access to foreign currency, if not you can’t buy.

Where then does this leave ‘our’ pensioners? No income, no transport to cross border shop?

S.O.A.P., here in Bulawayo is working hard to procure goods from South Africa and we have also had to start buying from one of the new importers. Luckily, because we are buying in bulk we get a special discount and pay a 60% mark up. As can be imagined this has increased our overheads dramatically.

With bereavements and people moving away, in October, we supplied food to 173 needy pensioners but these numbers do increase by 5 or 6 each month. ‘Our’ recipients will need help for the rest of their lives whatever happens.

As always, we stress that it is YOU that enable us to carry on distributing groceries because of YOUR generosity. We thank YOU all once more for giving ‘our’ pensioners a little dignity and some hope in these very trying times.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Dave Gill and Louise Campbell.

(Source: by email)

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has acknowledged concerns regarding Robert Mugabe’s recognition as head of state of Zimbabwe as “legitimate”, admitting that at the time of the summit meeting in August, Mugabe had not been elected into office through a credible process.

The Zimbabwe Exile Forum (ZEF), a South African-based NGO working with people who have fled from the political violence in Zimbabwe, brought an urgent application before the SADC tribunal in Windhoek seeking the suspension of Mugabe’s invitation to the SADC summit.

It also sought an order that SADC, its organs and institutions refrain from allowing Mugabe and his government to participate in SADC more generally as representatives for Zimbabwe.

The ZEF is being assisted by Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), Namibia‘s Legal Assistance Centre and South African advocate, Richard Moultrie.

Priti Patel, acting director of SALC said today: “SADC should be applauded for acknowledging that concerns regarding its recognition of Mugabe as head of state were legitimate.

“But SADC’s response thus far has been woefully inadequate in ensuring a democratic and peaceful transition in Zimbabwe.”

In its response to the application, SADC said that as it has decided the current situation in Zimbabwe must be settled through dialogue, the invitation to the summit was directed not only to Mugabe, but also to representatives from the opposition parties.

The organisation therefore asked the tribunal to turn the application down.

“The settlement of the dispute requires the parties to sit together and talk to each other,” the SADC reply said.

Gabriel Shumba, the director of ZEF, said that “Given Mugabe’s recent attempts to unilaterally convene a government in violation of the negotiated peace agreement, this response from SADC arguing that the peace process is continuing is worrisome.

“If SADC does indeed believe these concerns are legitimate then it must step up and embrace its role as the key regional institution and remove any official recognition of Mugabe as a representative for the republic of Zimbabwe.”

(Source)

ZANU PF has told former South African President Thabo Mbeki that the MDC is too inexperienced to handle the ministry of finance, the party’s chief parliamentary whip, Joram Gumbo told VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe.

“Comrade Mugabe thinks he should retain the portfolio of ministry of finance because he thinks that over the past few years we have survived under sanctions.. we have had some means for surviving under those difficult times,so he believes that if the implementation of this agreement does not mean that by the following day there will be an end or lifting of sanctions… we should then continue with the present administration… that’s the basic argument,” said Gumbo

Gumbo went on to deny that ZANU PF is responsible for the economic meltdown and instead accused the MDC of siding with the international community.

The official inflation rate surged last week to 231 million per cent and the World Food Programme this week launched an appeal to feed 5 million Zimbabweans. It said more than 80 per cent of the population was surviving on less than $2.50 a day.

Independent economists say that inflation this month will run into the trillions. That has forced the Government to allow shops to accept US dollars and the South African rand, because Zimbabwe’s dollar is all but worthless.

A loaf of bread, which cost Z$500 at the beginning of August, now costs between Z$7,000 and Z$10,000, even when it can be found.

Economists say the root cause of the country’s hyperinflation is the government’s policy of printing ever more money to meet its own needs, which has the effect of destroying the Zimbabwe dollar’s value in terms of hard currency, sending the cost of anything imported soaring.

And with the economy in a downward spiral. Officially, one US dollar is worth Z$180. But on the black market, it fetches Z$8,000 – and that is for cash, which is in desperately short supply. For bank transfers, the rate is Z$1.5million to one.

These figures are even after the currency was revalued in August, when 10 zeros were knocked off.

“The consequences of such a rate of inflation is absolute desperation, despair and poverty,” said Eldred Masunungure, professor of political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

Simba Makoni, former Finance Minister, blasted ZANU PF for its inflexibility and said demands made by by ZANU PF are both illogical and unjustifiable.

“We all know why we are in this mess and who brought us here,” he said. “It would be illogical and unjustifiable for people to demand posts they know pretty well they failed to deliver in the last 28 years.

“Without saying it, it is pretty clear that there are some ministries that cannot go to one party because of its failure to deliver the goods over the last 28 years,” he said.

Meanwhile reporters monitoring talks at Harare’s Rainbow Towers hotel say all the principals, Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara have arrived at the hotel and could soon begin meetings with Mbeki.

(Source)

Victimization of perceived supporters of the MDC still continues in Karoi, 7 months after the disputed March 29 elections.

It is reported that the notorious ZANU PF member of parliament for Magunje, Frank Ndambakuwa allegedly dismissed 25 of his farm laborers  from his Ian Crocker Farm, accusing them of voting for the MDC during the March 29 elections.

Ndambakuwa is responsible for spearheading the violent crackdown against MDC supporters in Magunje and Hurungwe East post March 29 and is personally responsible for the April shooting of Peterson Kwenda that resulted in him losing his left leg.

Victimisation is set to continue since the government, responsible for organizing and funding the brutual post March 29 onslaught did not give the order for the violence and victimization to be stopped. As a result animosity will continue between supporters from ZANU PF and MDC, leaving the possibility of reconciliation a faraway dream.

The province of Mashonaland West, where Karoi falls in recorded a significantly high number of incidents of political violence and is where the first murder case of an MDC supporter was recorded.

Hunger and suffering has taken its toll on some residents in Karoi who in desperation have resorted to visiting nearby farms where they pick left over maize grain and soya beans from last season’s harvest from the fields to supplement on food. The town of Karoi grew and prospered hinging on commercial agriculture as the main economic activity, and the collapse of agriculture after the farm invasions resulted in a large influx of unemployed ex farm laborers moving into the town.

The town has gone for more than a month without clean running water and residents are getting untreated water from a nearby dam. This has consequently resulted in an increase of diarrhea cases at the local district hospital, and if the current situation remains unaddressed an outbreak of the deadly cholera is foreseen in the near future.

(Source)

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai threatened Sunday to pull out of a power-sharing deal if President Robert Mugabe pushed ahead with his decision to allocate key ministries to his party.

“If they (ZANU PF) do it that way, we have no right to be part of such an arrangement,” Tsvangirai told a rally in Harare attended by about 8,000 of his his supporters.

“The people have suffered. But if it means suffering the more in order for them to get what is at stake, then so be it. We will renegotiate until an agreement is reached but that does not mean we will compromise for the sake of it,” he said in a mixture of his native Shona and English languages.

“We had thought that they would be reasonable and equitable in power-sharing. If you say all the 15 ministries which are key are mine (referring to ruling ZANU PF), we (in the MDC) disagree,” he said.

Talks on implementing a stalled September 15 power-sharing agreement in Harare were branded dead in the water Sunday by opposition leaders soured by Mugabe’s weekend unilateral decision to award key posts to his ruling party.

Chief mediator in the talks, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, will on Monday in Harare seek to hold discussions with each of the three parties which signed up to the power-sharing accord.

(Source)

The following ministerial allocations were discussed but not concluded in the deliberations of the three principals when they met on Friday, except that ZANU PF wanted to take the ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Local Government & Foreign Affairs from the MDC. This list, contrary to the one published by The Herald, captures the general understanding during the deliberations.

MDC-T

Finance

Economic planning

Home Affairs

Foreign Affairs

Justice & Legal Affairs

Local Government

Health & Child Welfare

Education

Energy & power Development

Media & Information Publicity

Labour & Social Welfare

Women, Gender & Community Development

Environment, Natural Resources & Tourism

ZANU PF

Defence

Lands, Agriculture & Resettlement

Mines & Mineral Development

Parliamentary & Constitutional Affairs

Youth Development & Indigenization

Higher & Tertiary Education

Public Service

National Housing & Social Amenities

Public Works

Water Resources, Development & Management

Information & Communication Technology

State Enterprises & Parastatals

Transport

Small & Medium Enterprises

Prisons & Correctional Services

MDC-M

Science & Technology development

Regional Integration & International Cooperation

Industry & Commerce

 

(Source: by email)

MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai will on Sunday 12 October 2008 address a rally at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare dubbed the “Big Sunday Rally”.

President Tsvangirai is expected to unpack the character and substance of the political deal that was signed by the three principals of the three major political parties on 15 September 2008 in Harare.

Members of the MDC national executive are expected to address the rally, which is expected to start at 10.00 am.

(Source)