Messages From Zimbabwe

Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma yesterday said re-elected Speaker of the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyo would soon get back the two official vehicles seized from him following his dethronement two weeks ago.

Moyo of MDC-T retained his post in elections on Tuesday after trouncing Zanu PF candidate Simon Khaya Moyo by 12 votes.

Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court nullified the MDC-T chairperson’s election as Speaker in 2008, ruling that the poll was flawed.

Soon after the ruling, Zvoma ordered Moyo to surrender his official Mercedes Benz S350 and Land Rover Discovery vehicles, saying he was no longer an official of Parliament.

Moyo was also ordered to vacate the $1800 per month house rented for him by Parliament in the plush suburb of Greystone Park in Harare.

“As Speaker of the House of Assembly he is entitled to those vehicles but he was just elected yesterday (Tuesday) and I cannot work overnight,” Zvoma said.

“He will get the vehicles whether two hours or weeks later, but that does not stop the world from moving.”

It remained unclear, however, whether Moyo had vacated the Harare house yet since he had been given up to today to leave the residence.

No comment could be obtained from Moyo yesterday as both his mobile phones went unanswered.

(Source)

The Zanu PF Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma has raised concern at the violation of the principle of a secret ballot by the MDC-M Secretary General, Ms Priscilla Misiharabwi-Mushonga, who announced her party’s position of siding with MDC-T in today’s elections for the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Mr Zvoma told ZBC News that he is studying the effects of the public utterances by the MDC-M Secretary General to see if there could be an urgent action that needs to be taken as the utterances are blatant and deliberately violating the principle and ideals of a secret ballot.

He said it is unfortunate that the so-called proponents of democracy and the ones who have the guts to publicly violet the concept and ideals of a secret ballot.

Legal experts say if the election of the Speaker of Parliament is conducted after the public appearance and announcement by the MDC-M’s intentions, this will have eroded the principle of secret ballot as already the decision has been taken to the disadvantage of other contestants.

The legal sources say this is putting the Clerk of Parliament, Mr Zvoma under serious pressure and may result yet in another legal battle.

They said by publicly declaring who the MDC-M will vote for, it clearly shows violation of the confidence placed on the ideals of a secret vote, and undermines the supreme ruling in a manner which is contemptuous of the court ruling.

Experts say that the public declaration is a gross violation of the secret ballot principle as expounded by the Supreme Court.

In the absence of a retraction of these comments, the election may remain susceptible to challenge.

(Source)

Movement Democratic Change(MDC-T) President and Zimbabwe Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday met the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chair, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba at State House in Windhoek, to brief him on the deteriorating political situation in Zimbabwe.

MDC T insiders said on Tuesday Tsvangirai briefed the SADC chair on the dysfunctionality in government and the violence, repression and outright contempt by ZANU PF to its coalition partners.

“The Namibian President thanked the President (Tsvangirai) for briefing him, reiterating that it would be a sad development if the SADC-brokered coalition government were to collapse,” said the MDC T in a brief statement to the media.

“President Pohamba said he would be attending the SADC troika in Livingstone, Zambia, where Zimbabwe and Madagascar are on the agenda,” it added.

Meanwhile, Tsvangirai leaves for the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday for talks with President Joseph Kabila. On the same day, he will meet President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania before proceeding to Zambia for the troika summit on Thursday.

(Source)

Zimbabwe police today cancelled an opposition rally set for the weekend and arrested a cabinet minister, deepening antagonism between the president and the prime minister’s party ahead of a possible election.

President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are supposed to be partners in a unity government but it is coming apart at the seams.

MDC secretary general Tendai Biti told a news conference that police had for third time this month cancelled a major rally called by his party for Sunday, saying Mr Mugabe’s party had organised a football tournament at the same venue.

“Democracy is under siege because of toxic activities of our (Zanu-PF) colleagues whose intention is (the) collapse of the global political agreement and parliament and to force through an election this year,” he said.

There was no immediate comment from the police or Zanu-PF.

The MDC said energy and power development minister Elton Mangoma, who was on bail on a graft charge over a fuel import deal, was arrested on Friday for the second time in two weeks.

Mr Mangoma, a Tsvangirai ally and deputy treasurer of the MDC, is accused of forcing officials to cancel a tender contract for a power supply pre-payment system. Mangoma’s lawyer Selby Hwacha said the minister would plead not guilty.

“As far as we are concerned this is part of a harassment campaign that ZANU-PF has embarked on against our structures, and it is the type of campaign that we have suffered before every general election,” an MDC official told Reuters.

Mr Tsvangirai urged regional leaders last week to intervene to save Zimbabwe’s unity government from threats posed by a spate of political violence against MDC supporters.

Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mugabe were forced into a coalition two years ago after a disputed poll in 2008, which led to mass violence and a flood of refugees into neighbouring South Africa.

Relations between the coalition rivals have worsened in the past two weeks since police first arrested Mangoma and the Supreme Court nullified the election of another Tsvangirai ally as speaker of parliament.

Police have also arrested dozens of activists accused of plotting protests against Mugabe similar to those that toppled long-serving leaders in Egypt and Tunisia.

Critics say Mr Mugabe (87) and in power since independence in 1980, has used brutal policing and vote rigging to keep his grip on power despite a deep economic crisis.

Mr Mugabe denies the charges, and accuses Western media of waging a hate campaign against him over his seizures of white-owned farms for redistribution to black Zimbabweans.

Mr Mugabe is pressing for fresh elections this year, which analysts say will favour his Zanu-PF party if no major political reforms are put in place, including a new constitution and improved voter registration.

(Source)

The Zimbabwe coalition government Power Development minister Elton Mangoma and MDC Deputy-Treasurer Energy has been arrested again.

“Honourable Elton Mangoma was this morning picked up by the police from his house. More details to follow,” read a cell phone text message sent by the Morgan Tsvangirai led Movement of Democratic Change’s (MDC-T) information department to a Radio VOP reporter.

When Radio VOP called Mangoma’s lawyer Selby Hwacha it had not yet been clear on why the MDC deputy treasurer general had been arrested.

“Call me later. I am actually on my way to the police. I do not know yet why he has been arrested,” said Hwacha.

Mangoma was arrested two weeks ago on alleged violation of tender procedures after he had allegedly ordered the country’s oil company, Noczim, to source diseal supplies from a little known South African company without going to tender.

He is out on bail and his trial is set to kick off on March 28.

Last week, the state media reported that Mangoma faced fresh charges after he allegedly instructed the cancellation of a tender involving the purchase and supply of prepayment revenue management system, meters and associated equipment, just as the winner was about to be announced.

The MDC believes that arrest of Mangoma and other MDC MPs is part of a renewed crackdown on Zanu (PF) opponents by President Robert Mugabe’s regime.

The MDC is desperate for numbers in Parliament as the party is seeking to retain the speaker of the house of assembly’s post which was rendered vacant after a Supreme Court ruling two weeks ago nullifying Lovemore Moyo’s election to the influential post.

(Source)

Zimbabwe rights groups accused President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday of using the army and police to intimidate the opposition and other activists ahead of elections expected later this year.

“We are bracing ourselves for a difficult time in Zimbabwe. Every time there are elections there is violence,” Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesman Dewa Muvhinga told journalists.

“Those we expect to uphold the rule of law are not independent, they are partisan to Mugabe,” he said.

He said Mugabe used military and police to arrest a cabinet minister and lawmakers, to intimidate civil society and to jail journalists.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s partner in a shaky unity government, earlier this month called for the country to hold polls under a roadmap by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the regional bloc that brokered the power-sharing deal.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed the unity government two years ago in a bid to end political violence and to ensure basic rights, such as freedom of speech and assembly.

But this month Tsvangirai’s Energy Minister Elton Mangoma was charged with abuse of office over a fuel purchase, while the Supreme Court nullified the election of his party’s chairman as parliamentary speaker.

Lawmakers aligned with Tsvangirai, independent journalists and political activists have been jailed since December, when Mugabe hinted at polls for 2011. An upsurge in political violence in rural areas has also been reported.

A SADC security summit will meet next week to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.

“The current political environment is not conducive for a free, fair and credible elections,” Muvhinga said.

“Human rights in Zimbabwe is rapidly deteriorating, Mugabe continues to use the state machinery to violate people’s rights.”

Tiseke Kasambala, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the SADC should be involved in Zimbabwe to avoid conflicts like in Libya and Ivory Coast.

(Source)

The Attorney-General’s office has drafted an indictment for the arrest of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on contempt of court charges.

Well-placed sources in the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs told The Zimbabwean that Chief Law Officer Chris Mutangadura had prepared the document to be sent to the police, who will arrest Tsvangirai.

Soon after the dethroning of Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo by a Supreme Court ruling that nullified his election, Tsvangirai described the bench as a, “willing appendage of ZANU PF.”

Responding news of his possible arrest Tsvangirai said it would be the end of the GNU.  “If there are people who want to arrest me, I am here and I don’t think I want to run away,” he said. “I have heard about it (the arrest) and we will see how they proceed but that will be the last nail in this whole delicate and fragile government.”

According to the draft, Tsvangirai will be charged under Section 82(1) subsections (a) and (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, for his comments about the bench.

The section reads: “Any person who, by any act or omission, impairs the dignity, reputation or authority of a court – intending to do so or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that his or her act or omission may have such an effect, shall be guilty of contempt of court and liable to a fine not exceeding level six or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both.”

Contacted for comment, Mutangadura professed ignorance, “I have not seen such a document I will be in a position to inform you tomorrow,” he said.

(Source)

The election of a new Zimbabwe Speaker of Parliament was on Tuesday cancelled over reports that Zanu (PF) is confused about its choice of candidate.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) party vowed its legislators will proceed to Parliament in spite of the cancellation by Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma.

Zanu (PF) insiders confided to Radio VOP on Tuesday that the former ruling party was in a quandary over the choice of a candidate to contest against former speaker Lovemore Moyo of the MDC-T.

The MDC-T described Zvoma as a Zanu (PF) functionary in a statement on Tuesday. The party was expected to address journalists at the Parliament building at 2pm.

“Zanu PF is scared of the vote for speaker because of factionalism and divisions in that party. The people’s Party of excellence, MDC is united, and ready to win the vote together with other progressive members of parliament across the political divide,” read the MDC statement.

Members of Parliament, Lucia Matibenga and Paurina Gwanyanya – Mpariwa who were out of the country on parliamentary business had to fly back for the vote. The MDC has the full set of its MPs except for Hon Costin Muguti, in police custody on what the party said are trumped up charges.

(Source)

South African President Jacob Zuma will this week send his facilitation team to Zimbabwe to diffuse simmering tensions in the coalition after heavy lobbying by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai returned home on Friday after a whirlwind regional tour that took him to Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa and Botswana to raise the alarm on the worsening relations in Harare’s unity government.

The PM said he had told regional leaders that the coalition government had been hijacked by “dark and sinister forces” with the country now sliding into a police state.

Zuma reacted by promising to send his three-member facilitation team led by a senior advisor Charles Nqakula.

Former minister Mac Maharaj and Zuma’s international relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu are the other members of the team.

“South Africa has been tasked by SADC to work with the Zimbabwean parties to find solutions to their political challenges,” the South African presidency said in a statement on Friday.

“President Zuma will next week send his Zimbabwe facilitation team to Harare to meet parties to the Global Political Agreement.”

The visit by the team also comes ahead of the meeting of the SADC troika on peace and security in Zambia on March 31 to deal with the Zimbabwe crisis.

Zuma might have been forced to dispatch the trio after indications that relations between ZANU PF and MDC-T had broken down, paralysing the inclusive government in the process.

“While I was away in the last four days, it appears the civilian authority is no longer in charge and dark and sinister forces have engaged in a hostile takeover of running the affairs of the country,” Tsvangirai told journalists.

An already volatile situation in the inclusive government was inflamed by the arrest of Energy and Power Development minister Elton Mangoma last Thursday on corruption charges.

On the same day it was announced that the Supreme Court had nullified the election of MDC-T chairman Lovemore Moyo as Speaker of Parliament.

Tsvangirai and Moyo reacted angrily and accused the police and the judiciary of being in ZANU PF’s pocket.

ZANU PF apologists including Tsholotsho North MP Jonathan Moyo called for the PM’s arrest on contempt of court charges and there were indications that the country’s prosecutions authority was taking the calls seriously.

A ban on an MDC-T rally that was scheduled for Harare yesterday left the future of the inclusive government increasingly doubtful.

Brilliant Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean academic based at the University of Westminster in the UK said not much should be expected from Zuma’s team as they were only there to facilitate dialogue.

“He merely is sending his teams to facilitate dialogue and end there,” Mhlanga said.

“The rest should be left to the Zimbabweans to decide whether they want their coalition to collapse or not.

“Zuma can facilitate dialogue between Zimbabweans and then leave everything to them to also decide the fate of their coalition government as rational beings.”

ZANU PF has embarked on an aggressive election campaign that also includes attempts to force Zimbabweans to sign a two-million-signature petition calling for an end to Western sanctions.

The party is holding its meetings undisturbed while its opponents face police bans.

Commenting on Tsvangirai’s regional tour, President Robert Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba last week said there was nothing outsiders could do to stop ZANU PF’s electioneering.

“Let him go anywhere he thinks he can get help, but I can assure you that the momentum in Zimbabwe is unstoppable,” Charamba said.

“There is no stopping. We are going for elections.

“I have no respect for a political leader who conscripts a regional leader to douse a fire in his own home. The essence of politics is to be able to handle pressure,” he said.

(Source)

With the threat of arrest hanging over him and his party restricted by ZANU PF, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, faces his sternest leadership test since entering the coalition government with President Robert Mugabe.

Tsvangirai’s party chairperson, Lovemore Moyo, has been ousted from the key post of speaker of Parliament by a court ruling; six of his MPs, including a senior minister, face various charges; and Zanu-PF is pressing for his arrest on contempt of court charges.

Showing his frustration, Tsvangirai left the country to meet regional leaders, hoping to press them to step in. But this has not eased the pressure on him, even from within his party. There is increasing internal frustration that Mugabe has been running rings around the Movement for Democratic Change, which has failed to come up with any real strategy to push back a resurgent ZANU PF, which wants Tsvangirai arrested for his angry reaction to a Supreme Court ruling cancelling the election of Moyo as speaker, a powerful post both parties crave.

The court ruled that Moyo’s election was flawed because some MDC MPs had shown their ballots to party leaders before casting their votes. Because the race had been so close in that poll, the MDC leaders had opted not to take any chances and wanted to make sure that their members voted for their candidate.

The court ruled that this made the vote “null and void”. Following the ruling, Tsvangirai told reporters that the decision showed the judiciary was “a willing appendage of ZANU PF” and that his party would “not accept the decisions of some ZANU PF politicians masquerading as judges”. Mugabe’s party, he charged, was trying to use the courts “to subvert and regain what it lost in an election”.

Indeed, having lost control of Parliament for the first time in 2008, ZANU PF is clawing its way back. Now Tsvangirai will need to muster all his political skills to steer his party around the vote, regain control of the legislature and push ZANU PF back.

Mugabe’s party has increasingly set the agenda, managing to push to centre stage its twin central issues of Western sanctions and empowerment and completely drowning out the MDC’s reform agenda. The battle may escalate next Tuesday when Parliament is likely to sit to elect a new speaker. To win, Tsvangirai will have to negotiate with MPs from both ZANU PF and from the smaller MDC faction. Both these groups are bitterly opposed to Tsvangirai and he faces the tough job of cutting deals with them.

ZANU PF and the main MDC have 96 seats each, but the MDC may well have its numbers whittled down if the arrest of MPs continues. With eight votes, the smaller MDC may hold the balance of power. However, there’s no telling where those votes would go, with the faction split down the middle over a power struggle between party leader Welshman Ncube and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

Lovemore Moyo will not be allowed to vote, Parliament clerk Austin Zvoma said this week. The case against the speaker was brought to court by Jonathan Moyo, who joined ZANU PF in 2009 again after leaving it to stand as an independent in the 2008 election. Since his return to ZANU PF, where he has been given a seat in Mugabe’s politburo, Moyo has increasingly driven the party’s strategy.

This week he stepped up pressure on the country’s attorney general, Johannes Tomana, a Mugabe ally, to arrest Tsvangirai and Lovemore Moyo for their criticism of the judges. “What now needs to be done is to teach him and Tsvangirai that they are not above the law and that they are prosecutable,” Moyo was quoted as saying on Wednesday. “There is no better way of teaching them that lesson than hauling them before the same court that they have held in contempt.”

(Source)