Messages From Zimbabwe

“Vuvuzela” trumpets blasted and football chants rang out across South Africa on the eve of the continent’s first World Cup which Africans hope will transform negative global perceptions of them.

In hotels and training grounds across the vast and beautiful nation, players and coaches of the 32 competing nations had their eyes set on an equally lofty goal – lifting the globe’s most coveted sporting prize on July 11.

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma unrealistically urged the local “Bafana Bafana” (The Boys) team to bring him the trophy. But the more likely benefit for the hosts is a legacy of tourism, investment and greater social unity.

South Africa go into Friday’s opener against Mexico brimming with confidence after a 12-match unbeaten run.

The majority of 90,000 people in Soccer City will be backing Bafana Bafana with a cacophony of vuvuzelas that have already become a symbol of South Africa 2010.

“This is big history, I can’t believe it,” local fan Alice Satege said, shaking with tears as she cheered a team parade.

Mexican fans laughing and singing under a statue of Nelson Mandela in sunny Johannesburg on Thursday said they had no qualms about spoiling the local party. Other pockets of fans chanted in multiple languages in Nelson Mandela Square.

Uruguay face France in the second match of the 64-game tournament’s opening day. Among foreigners pouring in, none can have taken a more epic journey than a Uruguayan family who have driven 100,000 km across 41 nations in a tiny car since early 2007 before reaching the World Cup by ship.

SPAIN, BRAZIL FAVOURITES

For lowly-ranked South Africa, just reaching the second round — and not becoming the first host nation of a World Cup to go out at the start – would probably be triumph enough.

Other African nations like Ivory Coast and Ghana have much stronger sides, though the loss of Didier Drogba and Michael Essien respectively are a blow to their chances.

Few expect an end to Europe and South America’s stranglehold on the World Cup, with Spain and Brazil everyone’s favourites.

Argentina have arguably one of the most gifted sides, though their chances could depend on the chemistry between maverick manager Diego Maradona and brilliant forward Lionel Messi.

Usual wild expectations associated with England’s team of Premier League players are tempered this time round after some unconvincing friendlies and injuries to key players. But if they win their Group C, they have a kind draw to the semi-finals.

Away from speculation of what is to come on the pitch, Netherlands winger Eljero Elia sparked possibly the first major controversy of the tournament by appearing to insult Moroccans on a live streaming video.

“I want to apologise… I am not a racist,” he said.

THIEVES STRIKE AGAIN

Africans are praying the month-long tournament will counter what they see as old caricatures of hunger, AIDS and crime in world media that fail to grasp the continent’s modern face.

But robberies against foreign journalists have undercut that message for thousands of reporters covering the event, giving a reminder of crime as bad as almost anywhere outside a war-zone.

In the latest incident, Chinese journalists were robbed in their car, the embassy said on Thursday.

Another negative for the tournament is an extraordinary injury list full of big names.

The latest scare was over Switzerland captain Alex Frei, who is doubtful for their opener against Spain next week after hurting an ankle in training.

Health-permitting, former political prisoner and president, Nelson Mandela, 91, intends to make an appearance at Friday’s opening match, hoping to inspire the nation as he did for the Rugby World Cup in 1995 that South Africa won.

The party was to officially start on Thursday night with a concert in South Africa’s biggest township Soweto.

In the camp of little-fancied Slovakia, it was a family affair as coach Vladimir Weiss sought to avoid any accusations of favouritism towards his son and player of the same name.

“I am very strict with him, much stricter with him than other players,” the coach said on the training pitch.

Grandfather Weiss, who also played for the national side and has the same name, enjoys the easiest job of the three now – waiting to watch the matches at home on TV.

Millions worldwide are doing exactly the same.

(Source)

The Commercial Farmers Union is gravely concerned with the recent continued harassment of productive farmers and the failure of Zimbabwe Republic Police to render appropriate assistance in spite of High Court Orders for farmers to remain in occupation

Particular events reported to these offices include the following:

1.      Manicaland – a farmer’s wife was barricaded into her house in the early hours of Tuesday 8^th June 2010 and subsequently given 4 hours to vacate the property. She is in possession of a High Court Order to remain in occupation.

2.      Manicaland – a farmer was removed from his property over the weekend, his equipment has been vandalized and the farm foreman was beaten unconscious last night. The farmer is in possession of a High Court Order to remain in occupation.

3.      Manicaland – a farmer in possession of a High Court Order to remain in occupation has been subjected to a long lock-down situation with alleged police protection for an orgy of looting of equipment, farm inputs and crops.

4.      Manicaland – The owners are in possession of a High Court Order for the settlers to be removed. This is a BIPPA farm with Malaysia. It is alleged that a prominent Minister has visited the property and informed all settlers to remain in occupation and that all High Court orders must be ignored.

5.      Mashonaland East – An elderly woman has been removed from her homestead on her daughter-in-law’s farm who has since been told that she is to vacate by Thursday this week. It has been proven that the beneficiary’s offer letter is not correct. The farmer is in possession of a High Court Order to remain in occupation.

The above incidents are not happening in isolation and that similar events have unfolded all over the country which are currently being investigated.

These events have been driven by statements allegedly emanating from a prominent politician who has instructed beneficiaries and officials to disregard Court Orders. Beneficiaries have been allowed to take the law into their own hands to evict farmers without due process. Both farmers and the office of the CFU have received no support from the relevant police stations in affected areas. This constitutes a blatant break down of law and order and the enforcement of High Court Orders and BIPPA agreements.

We are concerned that at a time that Zimbabwe wishes to re-engage with the international community and encourage investment, that these breaches of the rule of law will drive Zimbabwe into further isolation. This will further erode both local and foreign investor confidence and jeopardize economic recovery.

This is happening in Zimbabwe at a time when ALL eyes are focused on Southern Africa for the Soccer World Cup which is due to start this weekend – Friday 11^th June 2010. Is this the kind of attention we wish to draw on ourselves at this time?

END

COMMERCIAL FARMERS’ UNION

09 June 2010

(Source: via email)

A Bindura Magistrate has removed Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) deputy organizing secretary Morgan Komichi from remand, who was facing charges of insulting and undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe.

Komichi was hauled before the courts last month on charges of undermining the authority of or insulting President Mugabe after he allegedly sang a song with the lyrics: “Chimurume chagire chandifungisa dhongi rangu rakafa kare kare,” which the police construed to mean “Grace’s husband reminds me of my donkey which died long long back referring to His Excellence (sic) President Robert Gabriel Mugabe who is husband of the first Lady Comrade Grace Mugabe”.

Police allege that Komichi sang the “insulting” song when he addressed a rally at Chiwaridzo Shopping Centre in Bindura in January.

But Komichi was removed from remand Monday after prominent human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama applied for refusal to place the non-constituency Senator on remand on the basis that the facts submitted by the State did not disclose any reasonable grounds that he committed an offence.

Muchadehama told Radio VOP that the Magistrate who presided over the case removed his client from remand after ruling that the facts as alleged by the State did not constitute an offence.

“The Magistrate said Komichi did not say the alleged words. The Magistrate said it was an insinuation by the State. She said the facts were so vague and hence Komichi can not be placed on remand,” said Muchadehama.

In January prosecutor in Mutare postponed the trial of Nyanga North legislator Douglas Mwonzora, who had been arraigned before the courts on allegations that he called the octogenarian leader a “goblin” at a rally he addressed at Ruwangwe Growth Point in Nyanga North constituency on 21 March 2009.

Another MDC senior official, Makoni South Member of Parliament Pishai Muchauraya, was also last week hauled to court on allegations of insulting Mugabe when he addressed a rally in 2006 and called him an old leader who was suffering from diarrhoea.

(Source)

President Jacob Zuma has seven days to provide the Mail & Guardian newspaper with a report on the 2002 Zimbabwe election that has been kept under wraps for eight years, a judge ordered on Friday.

The report was written by Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke and Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Khampepe for former president Thabo Mbeki . It dealt with “legal and constitutional challenges” in the run- up to the disputed election.

Mail & Guardian editor Nic Dawes previously told Business Day he suspected the report would contain information that would contest the view that the disputed election was free and fair.

The Presidency said it had no comment yesterday.

Unless Mr Zuma appeals , the Mail & Guardian should see the report before June 23.

Judge Stanley Sapire of the North Gauteng High Court is expected to give full reasons for his decision today. The newspaper’s attorney, Dario Milo of Webber Wentzel attorneys, said the order was a “victory for openness, transparency and accountability”.

He said that it proved the Promotion of Access to Information Act had “sharp teeth”. M&G Media, which owns the newspaper, had requested access to the report in 2008 in terms of the act.

It was refused and an internal appeal was similarly dismissed – leading to the court case.

Mr Milo said the order “also makes it plain that even the office of the Presidency is subject to the access to information laws and cannot without proper justification keep official documents secret”.

Mr Dawes said yesterday the order was a “very important one”.

He said: “I think there’s been a risk that the Promotion of Access to Information Act becomes a dead letter and that no one can enforce it.

“From that point of view, and from the point of view of finding out something substantive about the information the Presidency has had at its disposal about Zimbabwe – and in particular that crucial election – it’s a very important judgment.”

The 2002 Zimbabwe election was declared “substantially free and fair” by the Southern African Development Community’s c ouncil of m inisters and the Organisation of African Unity.

But the Commonwealth Observer Group said that the conditions “did not adequately allow for a free expression of will by the electors”.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, disputed the result.

(Source)

Zimbabwe exported close to US$1 billion worth of minerals in the five months to May, Mines and Mineral Development Minister Obert Mpofu said yesterday.

In an interview with Herald Business, Minister Mpofu said the performance of the mining sector since January affirmed projections by Finance Minister Tendai Biti that mining would grow by 40 percent this year.

“The mining industry has exported almost US$1 billion worth of minerals in the last five months. That has been confirmed by the Ministry of Finance,” he said.

He said mainly gold and other precious minerals, notably those in the platinum group of metals, drove the increase in the value of mineral exports.

The estimated value of mineral exports since January, however, excludes potential foreign exchange inflows from diamond exports which remain banned over concerns of leakages.

Zimbabwe produces diamonds in Murowa in the southern part of the country, River Ranch in Beitbridge and Chiadzwa-Marange in Manicaland.

Since early last year, the value of mineral exports doubled when compared to the past two years when production suffered from macro-economic instability.

The sterling performance by the mining industry could be part of the reason why Minister Biti has reverted to earlier projections that the economy would grow by 7 percent this year.

Minister Biti had revised his economic growth forecasts to 4,8 percent on concerns that a worsening balance of payments position, unsustainable civil service salary bill and lack of investment capital would conspire to choke economic growth.

He, however, made an about-turn last week on renewed confidence that capital investment and donor support would top US$1 billion by the end of the year.

The mining sector is expected to leverage economic growth this year riding on increased investment and favourable macro-economic policies, although optimum production potential is still constrained by shortage of capital.

There has been a lot of interest in mining since last year as demonstrated by the huge turnout for the inaugural Mining Indaba that was held in Harare late last year.

With rising interest in mining following progress to iron out concerns that had been lingering on the perceived effect of indigenisation and economic empowerment on the sector, a second Mining Indaba would be held in Harare in September.

Minister Mpofu confirmed this saying Utho Capital, organisers of the inaugural Mining Indaba, were preparing for the forthcoming event, which he said would be held annually.

He said there is growing interest in mining coming mainly from foreign investors.

Mining is now of central importance to the economy, accounting for more than 50 percent of the national foreign exchange generation capacity while contributing about 16 percent to Gross Domestic Product.

(Source)

Kill at your own peril is the message to the violent ZANU PF zealots out there. Hundreds of ZANU PF supporters who murdered MDC activists across the country are being haunted by avenging spirits (ngozi) of the deceased. Some have grown sugar cane on their heads while others have gone mad as the spirits of those they murdered continue to haunt them.

More than 500 MDC activists were murdered by ZANU PF supporters who were backed by State security agents since 2000. According to detailed accounts from villagers in Buhera, traditional and political leaders, the spirits are targeting the ZANU PF militia who terrorized MDC supporters during the past violent elections.

Confirming these reports Buhera South MP, Hon Naison Nemadziva said he has received reports on avenging spirits that have been terrorizing ZANU PF members who were responsible for their deaths. “The stories might sound unreal but it is true. Most of these perpetrators have fled from their homes. I can confirm three reports on avenging spirits in Buhera South, that of Chokuse, Chibamba and Chokuda who have been haunting Ngozi haunts ZANU PF killers those responsible for their deaths asking them why they killed them” said Hon Nemadziva.

He confirmed that one of the latest victims of the avenging spirits is the late Patrick Basopo, a police constabulary who operated in Buhera during the 2002 presidential elections. Basopo stunned the Buhera community this year when he made a public confession about his role in the murder of Tedious Chokuda, a former headmaster at Murove School after Basopo’s sister became possessed with Chokuda’s avenging spirit.

The spirit then demanded 65 herd of cattle from Patrick. Basopo died last month in Marondera where he had gone to seek the services of prophets in the apostolic sect to assist him in calming the avenging spirit. What is shocking is that these murderers have been rejected by their party, ZANU PF and are now at the mercy of the avenging spirits.

These events should be a clear statement to those in ZANU PF who are used to murder and maim people that even if the rule of law does not catch up with them, they will face the wrath of the avenging spirits.

In Matenga village in Buhera South, ZANU PF’s Peter Mabangure has fled from his home after the avenging spirit of slain MDC activist Dickson Chibamba had terrorized him and his family. Peter Mabangure’s father would wake up every morning in Chibamba’s house, where Peter and other ZANU PF youth murdered the MDC activist.

The elder Mabangure died this year as a result of the avenging spirit. The ghost of the late Chibamba, who was killed on the 3rd of July 2008, has reportedly been visiting Mabangure, asking him why he killed him. Mabangure is no longer staying at his home. He has been telling villagers in Matenga that he keeps seeing Chibamba in his house.

Also in Buhera, on 18 June 2008, self styled war veteran, Joseph Chinotimba mobilised ZANU PF militia to kill the MDC Buhera South district chairman, Nyoka Chokuse. It is reliably understood that Chinotimba, army colonel Morgan Mzilikazi and the ZANU PF militia are now being tormented by their victims. After the unlikely encounter with Chokuse’s spirit, Chinotimba is said to have gone to Buhera with a spirit medium to try and ask Chokuse’s spirit to leave him alone.

Buhera Ward 24 councillor, Bodias Nendanga also confirmed that there are several MDC supporters murdered in 2008 whose spirits have started haunting their killers’. “Although they have not come to confess to traditional leaders yet, it is now common knowledge that the murderers are no longer enjoying the comfort of their homes. Their victims knock on their homes during the night and some actually see them,” said Nendanga.

The killers of Tonderai Ndira are also living a troubled life. The MDC Youth Assembly Secretary for Security who was kidnapped in broad daylight on 5 May 2008 was found dead two weeks later. His brother Barnabas Ndira told The Changing Times this week that his brothers killers went to Warren Hills cemetery and ordered officials there to show them Tonderai’s grave.

“The murderers went to the cemetery with members of the apostolisc sect to perform rituals at my brother’s grave. Fortunately, the officials there knew us and asked them why there was no family representative. When these officials said they were phoning me for authority, the killers immediatly drove away.” Ndira said.

Speaking to The Changing Times, MDC secretary for cultural and traditional Affairs Professor Gordon Chavhunduka, said that it is possible that if you kill someone the spirit of that dead person will come back and haunt you.

He added that it is up to the relatives to have a small ceremony conducted by a spirit medium to pacify the avenging spirit and that the person who committed the crime pays a fine.

(Source)

Zimbabwe police say a taxi van has crashed head-on into a military bus, killing 16 people and seriously injuring three others.

Fourteen soldiers on the bus were slightly hurt in the crash late Tuesday, located about 30 miles (45 kilometres) northwest of Harare.

Police investigators blame the crash on an error by the taxi van driver. He died in the collision and had evidently tried to pass two slow-moving vehicles.

Bus crashes are common in Zimbabwe and are mainly attributed to speeding on potholed highways, poor vehicle maintenance, and shortages of spare parts and tires in the ailing economy.

At least 200 people have died in bus crashes this year.

(Source)

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara says the country will not rush into holding fresh elections, directly contradicting indications by his coalition partners that the next ballot would be held next year.

Speaking in Ghanaian capital Accra where he was attending a Ghana-Zimbabwe business summit on Monday Mutambara said there was no hurry to hold elections.

“We are busy working on electoral reforms, economic, political reforms and constitutional reforms that will make our elections free and fair.

“In Zimbabwe the question should not be about how soon elections should be held, it should be how to organise quality elections. There will be no elections until such time that we are ready,” the MDC-M leader told AFP news agency.

Asked when elections are likely to be held, Mutambara said: “It will not go beyond 2013. We want to make sure that everything is set before elections are held.”

However both President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have indicated that general elections would be held next year although they appear to differ on whether the ongoing constitutional reform process must be concluded first.

In his birthday interview early in the year President Mugabe said he was ready to represent his Zanu PF party in the election which would go ahead next year whether or not there was a new constitution.

But premier Tsvangirai said elections would be held next year once the new constitution has been completed and endorsed in a national to a referendum.

Meanwhile Mutambara said Ghana and Zimbabwe should explore ways of enhancing bilateral trade.

“Ghana can tap our rich experience in the agriculture sector while we can also learn from Ghana’s banking sector which has seen a lot of reforms,” he said.

Zimbabwean businesses are keen to exploit downstream opportunities in Ghana’s emerging oil and gas sector.

After years of casting envious looks at its oil-rich neighbours, the West African country recently announced significant offshore oil discoveries in a development expected to transform its economy.

(Source)