Messages From Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe‘s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai postponed a press conference on Thursday where he was expected to announce the suspension of his party’s participation in the unity government.

Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change was reviewing its continued participation in Zimbabwe’s unity government on Thursday after its treasurer general was jailed.

Mr Roy Bennett who is a top ally of Mr Tsvangirai was remanded in custody by a Mutare magistrate pending his trial in the High Court on charges of terrorism.

The Prime Minister had been scheduled to announce that the party “is suspending its participation in the unity government” at the afternoon press conference.

However, it was postponed to Friday amid indications that the party was struggling to come up with a decision on the matter which might reverse the gains made by the government formed by President Robert Mugabe in February.

Soon after Mr Bennett who is the MDC deputy minister of Agriculture designate was indicted, the party said the court’s decision was a serious threat to the credibility of the power sharing agreement.

“The MDC regards today’s indictment and subsequent detention of treasurer-general and deputy agriculture minister-designate Roy Bennett as yet another serious attack on the credibility of the inclusive government,” the former opposition party said in a statement.

“The latest action is deliberately provocative, unnecessary and motivated by hatred of a personality.

“The MDC takes this matter as a serious attack on the integrity and honesty of the party; it is not acceptable and will not be taken lightly.

Mr Bennett was arrested a few hours before ministers for the power-sharing agreement were sworn in last February and was given bail following MDC protests.

On Thursday his lawyers said they will apply for bail before his case is heard by the High Court on Monday.

His party says he is a victim of Zanu PF hardliners who are opposed to the power sharing agreement.

“The MDC views this as an act of machination by ZANU PF and its sulking cabal planted in various state institutions aimed at persecuting not prosecution.

“As a party, we know that Bennett is innocent. The banditry charges are trumped-up and they poison the letter and spirit of the inclusive government and the global political agreement,” said the MDC.

Mr Tsvangirai has repeatedly said Bennett’s ill-treatment by the Zimbabwean courts is politically motivated and is undermining the unity government.

(Source)

WOZA leaders, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, were due to appear in Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court this morning for the ongoing saga of their arrest on 16 October 2008. The matter has been postponed until tomorrow, 15 October, however as the clerk of the court who is holding their file was not available. Their file is considered to be too sensitive to be held with other court documents and is apparently being kept by a senior clerk of the court who has it locked away. Although their case was due to be heard at 8.30 this morning, the clerk was not available to present the file.

The full panel of Supreme Court judges had met to consider the case on 4th June and had given a verbal ruling before they reserved judgement that the two women had been unlawfully arrested and that they should be looking to indict the arresting officers. The state had conceded in their response that the arrest on 16th October 2008 had indeed been unlawful. Judge Chidyausiku undertook to provide the written ruling before 7th July. Despite the fact that several requests have been made to the Supreme Court requesting the ruling, the written ruling has not yet been received.

Magodonga Mahlangu and WOZA are the recipients of the 2009 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was established in 1984 to honour courageous and innovative human rights defenders throughout the world who stand up against injustice.

(Source: by email)

Zimbabwe’s Roy Bennett was supposed to go on trial on weapons charges in Mutare on Tuesday but state prosecutors did not turn up, forcing the case to be postponed.

Bennett’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa urged the magistrate to dismiss the case.

She said the fact prosecutors did not arrive meant they acted as if court laws did not apply to them.

The magistrate said she would give the state the benefit of the doubt and postponed the trial.

It has been eight months since Bennett was arrested on charges of possessing weapons to help unseat President Robert Mugabe.

The MDC said it has had wind of a ploy by the attorney general’s office to get Bennett indicted and put back in custody.

If he is imprisoned in Harare, a court backlog would mean he would have to stay in jail until February.

(Source)

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was on Friday honored with the lifetime achievement award from the Cristobal Gabarron Foundation in Valladolid, Spain.

He is the second African and one of few political leaders over the years to receive the prestigious award.

He received the award on Friday, the same day that he had been short listed for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The award was later won by US President, Barack Obama.

In his acceptance speech,Tsvangirai said, “Every human being desires to have dignity, security, prosperity and hope.

I am receiving this award on behalf of all Zimbabweans who desire to have these ideals. This award inspires me and the rest of Zimbabweans to continue to fight for dignity. I wish to record my appreciation for this recognition.”

In its award citation, the Cristobal Gabarron Foundation said Tsvangirai “symbolised hope and dignity for not only the people of Zimbabwe and Africa but for the rest of the world” and that it was necessary that history should remember him.

They noted that Tsvangirai and the MDC went into the inclusive government promoting a spirit of reconciliation and national healing.

Among the other nine notable luminaries who received awards on Friday were 86 year-old Spanish international economist, Dr. Jose Barea Tejeiro, and medical doctor and cancer researcher Dr. Carlos Cordon Cardo.

On Thursday, Tsvangirai had received the International Bar Association Award for upholding the rule of law and for his unrelenting fight for human rights in Zimbabwe.

Later on he met Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos in Madrid.Prime Minister Zapatero said Spain would continue to promote dialogue between the European Union and Zimbabwe during its upcoming EU presidency.

Foreign Minister Moratinos also briefed the Zimbabwean Prime Minister on Spain’s priorities for its six-month presidency of the EU starting in January next year.

Minister Moratinos expressed Spain’s “strong support for the stabilisation process” that is underway in Zimbabwe “and for the democratic transition led by President Tsvangirai himself, who represents the new Zimbabwe and is the hope of the African country’s people,” the foreign ministry said.

He said Spain “welcomed the launch last June of political dialogue between the EU and Zimbabwe” and hopes that “the process promoted by the recent EU Troika visit to Zimbabwe last September continues to bear fruit.”

“During its presidency, Spain will promote talks between the EU and Zimbabwe,” said Minister Moratinos.

(Source)

ZANU PF’s Robert Mugabe, whose policies have for years elicited domestic and international condemnation, is attending the Telecom World 2009 conference currently being held in Geneva

Zimbabwe is under visa and financial sanctions from the United States, the EU and Switzerland – but not the UN.

The ITU, which is hosting the event, says it’s an inclusive global organization whose work cuts across political boundaries.

WRS’s Pete Forster spoke with ITU secretary-general, Hamadoun Touré, about the implications of Mugabe’s presence at the event.

The United States on Tuesday urged President Robert Mugabe to fully implement a power-sharing deal with the opposition and take steps toward democratic reform if he wants better Zimbabwean-US ties.

The US State Department issued the statement after Mugabe said earlier that Zimbabwe was ready for “fresh and cooperative relations” with Western nations that have spearheaded global condemnation of his rule.

“We encourage Robert Mugabe to show his commitment to positive relations with the US by fully implementing the Global Political Agreement, which he signed in September 2008,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told AFP.

Mugabe has been accused of blocking attempts to fully implement the terms of the agreement, under which Mugabe continues serving as president and his long-time rival Morgan Tsvangirai took office in February as prime minister.

The unity government is tasked with returning Zimbabwe to stability after years of economic ruin.

Kelly, when asked to comment on Mugabe’s bid to turn the page with the West, said the veteran Zimbabwean leader could “take a number of steps to show a commitment to democratic reform and political opening.”

These include “ending politicized arrests and prosecutions and often violent land seizures,” he said in an e-mail message.

They also include “replacing the corrupt officials, ending media censorship, and repealing emergency decrees and draconian laws restricting personal freedoms,” he added.

He also called on Mugabe to make a public commitment to draft a new constitution and hold national elections under international supervision and monitoring.

In Harare, at the opening session of the new parliament, Mugabe said: “Our country remains in a positive stance to enter into fresh and cooperative relations with all those countries that have been hostile to us in the past.”

He said Zimbabwe‘s reengagement with the European Union is “gathering momentum,” after the EU last month sent a high-level delegation to Zimbabwe to meet with Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

The United States and the European Union have imposed travel restrictions and asset freezes against Mugabe and his key allies.

(Source)

Mugabe has said Government will soon ban the importation of second-hand vehicles and use of re-treaded tyres as part of efforts to clamp down on road carnage across the country.

Opening the Second Session of the Seventh Parliament in Harare yesterday, the President said Government was concerned by the high-death rate on the country’s roads.

“This year we witnessed an upsurge in road traffic accidents, resulting in the loss of many lives.

“The task of addressing this challenge requires the collaboration of all stakeholders.

“On its part, Government will introduce measures to regulate the conduct of motorists.

“These will include the phased ban on both the importation of second hand vehicles and the use of re-treaded tyres on public service vehicles, haulage trucks or any vehicles for hire.”

He said the introduction of toll fees for passage on major highways would result in more resources being allocated for the maintenance of the national road network.

The poor state of roads, the use of unroadworthy vehicles and human error have collectively been blamed for the high incidence of traffic accidents.

Since August this year, over 120 people have perished in major traffic accidents. In one of them involving a Mhunga bus, 40 people died and Government subsequently suspended the company’s operating licence.

Recently, a Chitungwiza commuter omnibus driver was jailed for three years after the courts found him culpable for the deaths of four schoolchildren who were in his vehicle when it crashed.

Robert Mugabe also said Government would be moving in to deal with people who started veld fires.

Uncontrolled fires have claimed dozens of lives, left vast tracts of land scorched and destroyed a lot of property in the past two months.

“Serious efforts are required in dealing with the current upsurge in cases of veld fires that are causing an avoidable loss of human lives, and destruction of property, flora and fauna. The political and traditional leadership of our society must take a lead in stemming this reckless destruction of our heritage.

“A Statutory Instrument to strengthen the enforcement of the Forestry Act will be put in place,” he said.

(Source)

Tsholotsho MP and former Information and Publicity minister Jonathan Moyo who was recently re-admitted to Zanu PF is tipped to become the party’s national political commissar, a top Zanu PF source said on Tuesday.

The sources, who pleaded for anonymity revealed that the party’s ‘prodigal son’ was the only candidate billed to take over from where the late Elliot Manyika left.

“This is exclusive; Moyo is going to be the next party’s political commissar. We had no option besides calling him to lead us again. We are just buying time for all members to get confidence in the Professor again,” said the source. “In fact, it is not true that Moyo begged to be readmitted in to the party, it is actually us who approached him and asked him to come back. His letter was just a formality.”

“We have discovered that his (Moyo) absence was very expensive to us. Both of us needed each other so we had no option besides calling him in.

Now that he can not be a minister instantly, he will get the lime light as our commissar, everyone except a few are aware that he is the best for the job,” said the source.

However, Moyo could not be reached for comment to confirm if he was tipped for the post.

In a separate interviews, former Zanu PF Politburo member and now the chairman of ZAPU, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa said Zanu PF made a serious blunder by accepting Moyo again.

“Oh that one was the worst blunder they made. That chap is disastrous I do not know why they accepted him. They will soon regret for he has unfinished business with them,” said Dabengwa.

Moyo clashed with Zanu PF in 2005 when he attended the controversial Tsholotsho meeting which was seen as a coup to Zanu PF. He stood as an independent candidate and won the elections for two consecutive periods.

Despite strong feelings that Moyo must not be readmitted, some top party members like Nathan Shamuyarira, Didymus Mutasa, Patrick Chinamasa and President Robert Mugabe himself want Moyo to be given a very powerful position.

“They are saying he is an asset to the party. They want him to be astronomically elevated,” said the source.

(Source)

Robert Mugabe will on Tuesday officially open the second session of the 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe, where he is expected to highlight the performance of the inclusive government.

The official opening of the House of Assembly comes a week later than initially scheduled because Mugabe was not in the country last week, as he was attending a summit of African and South American heads of state in Venezuela.

Last year’s opening was marred by unprecedented jeering and heckling of Mugabe by Movement for Democratic Change legislators while he was reading his speech.

Critics said the heckling by the MDC parliamentarians, drowning large parts of Mugabe’s speech to the new Parliament showed the extent of loathing between Zimbabwe’s two biggest political parties following controversial elections last year.

Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing government in February and pledged to work together to revive the economy that had been in decline for the past decade.

Tsvangirai is expected to attend the opening of Parliament, according to his spokesman James Maridadi.

During tomorrow’s speech, Mugabe is expected to address the issue of the performance of the inclusive government and also highlight its challenges.

He is also expected to dwell on the issue of the state of preparedness for the forthcoming agricultural season.

Parliament has 210 members of which Mugabe’s ZANU PF party has 99, Tsvangirai’s MDC faction has 100, a smaller faction of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara has 10, while there is one independent candidate.

(Source)

On Wednesday close to two hundred thousand people from Arizona to Zanzibar read the last email from ZW News – a daily email compilation of the latest news stories on Zimbabwe.

Despite the cost effectiveness and wide subscriber base, the man behind ZW News in the UK, and his colleague in Zimbabwe, have been unable to source funding to keep going.

We wanted to pay tribute to these guys, who like to keep a low profile so no names mentioned, and we asked if one of them would like to give us an interview. That was declined but, in his own words, here are a few details of the extraordinary reach of ZW News.

“There are a little over 160000 readers of ZWNEWS/Grimnews every day, in just about every place you can imagine, from Alaska to Zambia, via Cuba, Thailand and Afghanistan, amongst many, many other places.

But the vast majority are in Zimbabwe, including in the corridors of power in Harare (or corridors of powerlessness, in the case of the MDC ministries). Very senior members of ZANU PF have been loyal subscribers since day one.

Very cost effective – a small fraction of a US$ per reader per year, and produced 363 days a year, technical hitches and finances permitting. (Xmas and New Year’s Day off).

Benefit of being one person? No commuting, no office politics, no meetings, no dress code. Although it hasn’t been just me – there is someone in Harare who has been part of ZWNEWS for years.

ZWNEWS motto: There are only two kinds of politician: those who have lied, and those who have yet to get round to it. Followed, if possible, by (a wholly inappropriate) rendition of ‘Always look on the bright side of life’.

Cheers”

SWRA and 160,000 other people (barring perhaps the ZANU PF subscribers) are very sorry to see you go. Thanks for everything.

(Source)

Vulnerable people fleeing Robert Mugabe’s regime in Zimbabwe are to be rehoused in the Epping area, the district council has announced.

The authority has agreed to initially put aside five homes for British citizens who want to leave the country, which has been ravaged by spiralling inflation, food and fuel shortages, and political violence in recent years.

The scheme is part of the Government’s Zimbabwe Resettlement Programme, with which dozens of councils across South East England have been asked to help.

Only those aged over 70, or young people unable to look after themselves without support, are eligible to be re-housed.

A council spokesman said the project would be entirely funded by central government, and that the five homes on offer for those fleeing were difficult to let bedsits and flats in sheltered housing schemes which the authority has otherwise been unable to fill.

The council will receive £3,000 for each property to pay for furniture, £1,500 in resettlement support for each household, along with the prospect of more payments in future, should they be needed.

The Government is now being notified after the council agreed earlier this week to take part, but no timetable has been drawn up yet for when people will start moving in.

Around 3,000 British citizens aged 70 or over, and in need of care, are thought to be currently living in Zimbabwe.

The UK Government has been advising residents to leave the country since 2007, but the resettlement policy was only announced earlier this year.

(Source)