Messages From Zimbabwe

Fireworks are expected at the MDC-T elective congress which begins in Bulawayo today (Thursday) amid reports of thickening plots, candidate horse-trading and betrayals.

Several aspirants had by last night reportedly chickened out of the race at the eleventh hour.

Nelson Chamisa, the MDC-T spokesman, confirmed the final list of contestants and said a tough contest was expected.

He said the fact that most posts were up for grabs showed that the party was competitive, democratic and dynamic.

Among those who have thrown in the towel are Energy and Power Development minster Elton Mangoma and Sekai Holland, the co-minister in the Organ of National Healing and Reconciliation, leaving exiled Roy Bennett to retain the treasurer-general’s post uncontested.

Mangoma and Holland have instead, opted to slug it out for the less influential post of deputy treasurer general which another minister, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, is also eying.

Bennett joins party president Morgan Tsvangirai as the only unopposed office contenders.

There were indications several party heavyweights could fall by the wayside in the bruising battle for power in Zimbabwe’s biggest political party.

Deputy Prime Minister and MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe is battling to ward off spirited challenges from Norman Mabhena, a party national executive member, and Tabitha Khumalo, the deputy national spokesperson.

Another heavyweight who is battling for political life is national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, who is being challenged by firebrand trade unionist Lucia Matibenga.
Matibenga refused nomination for the women’s assembly chairperson opting to go for the powerful post currently held by the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Insiders said Matibenga’s decision has created bewilderment as the MDC-T attempts to achieve a delicate tribal and gender balance in its top echelons.

The fight for the women’s assembly chair is now between incumbent Theresa Makone and Kadoma MP Editor Matamisa after Evelyn Masaiti mysteriously pulled out of the race.

Masaiti on Tuesday claimed she was being threatened for pursuing the post. She did not pick up her mobile phone Wednesday.

Tendai Biti, party’s secretary- general, who appeared immune to challenges, has to do battle with Eliphas Mukonoweshuro.

The battle between Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri for the powerful post of organising secretary is now confirmed after both men accepted nominations Lawyers Douglas Mwonzora and Tongai Matutu will slug it out for the party spokesperson’s position.

Former Nkayi South MP Abednico Bhebhe and Thamsanqa Mahlangu are vying for the deputy organising secretary post. Little known Dennis Murira has chickened out.

The post of deputy chairperson will be contested by Morgan Komichi, Blessing Chebundo and Alexio Masundire. Senior party cadre Gift Chimanikire, the current deputy secretary-general, Tapiwa Mashakada, Bekithemba Mpofu and secretary for labour Paurina Mpariwa Gwanyanya will be in the trenches slugging it out for the post of deputy secretary- general.

Solomon Madzore, Amos Chibaya and Promise Mkwananzi are grappling for the youth assembly chairmanship.

Chamisa told NewsDay the bulk of the 6 000 delegates expected to attend the congress were already in Bulawayo and that there was maximum security.

“Security is over 100% and delegates are so excited that we have provided maximum security. All the elements that have been causing problems especially in the Bulawayo province have been flushed out of the party,” Chamisa said.

“That is why even Bulawayo managed peaceful elections yesterday (on Tuesday).”

Chamisa said the MDC-T had notified the police of the congress as required by the law. He said although most hotels were booked for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, they had managed to secure accommodation for the delegates.

“We expect the congress to come up with a new vision for the party and for Zimbabwe. We are working on a New Zimbabwe blueprint. We also seek to make necessary amendments to the constitution.”

(Source)

Secret footage of continuous violence and intimidation against MDC supporters in Manicaland and some parts of Zimbabwe will be shown next month, film producers have said.

There have been increasing cases of violence in Manicaland province perpetrated by top Zanu (PF) officials with Nyanga,

Chimanimani and Buhera being the hardest hit areas. In an interview with The Zimbabwean last week the director of the film, who requested anonymity for fear of victimization, said: “We have been shooting footage of the harassment of the MDC supporters and we want to show the whole world the true picture of what is happening in the country particularly the recent Nyanga, Buhera and Chimanimani violence. It is horrible.

“We will show evidence of how Mugabe’s regime has been harassing MDC-T supporters and how the police and judiciary system have been inept. We have harrowing images of how the supporters were beaten. We will also include how they destroyed everything owned by the white farmers and how they looted their property as well. I cannot divulge more information on the film, but it will be out very soon,” he said.

In Nyanga North former army Colonel Hubert Nyanhongo is masterminding violence with the help of overzealous Zanu (PF) militia and war veterans who want to wrestle the parliamentary seat from Douglas Mwonzora of MDC-T. In Chimanimani West and East constituencies Zanu (PF)’s Munacho Mutezo, Monica Mutsvangwa, Janet Knight and Samuel Udenge are wreaking havoc on MDC-T supporters.

In Buhera, Joseph Chinotimba, Wiliam Mutomba and Morgan Mzilikazi a notorious army Colonel are masterminding terror assaults and intimidation on MDC-T supporters. The Buhera violence is worsened by the fact that it is the home area of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who has given President Robert Mugabe political headaches, after he (Tsvangirai) beat Mugabe in the Presidential election in March 2008.

Of late CIO operatives have been seen moving around the area monitoring MDC-T’s election campaign activities. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai recently said the fresh spate of land seizures and threats on commercial white farmers were caused by “wild behaviour” and motivated by theft.

“Such actions must be condemned and Zimbabweans must decide what type of society they want to live in. Greed is driving the elements of resistance to invade productive land,” said Prime Minister Tsvangirai. He added: “Unless you are motivated by theft, how do you go in the middle of the agricultural season to start replacing farmers and disrupting their operations? At the end of the day you might think that you are disrupting a farmer, but you are actually disrupting the capacity of the country to earn the much required income.”

(Source)

THE missing MDC-UK funds has netted its first casualty with confirmed reports that the former Provincial Treasurer Mr Tendai Goneso has been suspended from the party amid allegations that he withdraw party funds on-line despite being officially suspended by Secretary General Tendai Biti.

Biti suspended the Jonathan Chawora led MDC-UK and Ireland province which was subsequently dissolved following serious allegations of financial mismanagement that unravelled up to £57 000 being unaccounted for up to this day.

In a provincial meeting chaired by the newly-elected Tonderai Samanyanga, the council resolved to suspend Goneso with immediate effect pending further investigations.

According to a statement released by the MDC-UK and Ireland yesterday, a Commission of Enquiry consisting of the Provincial Vice Chair, Provincial Treasurer, Secretary for Legal Affairs, Midlands North Treasurer, Southeast District Chair was appointed to investigate the Financial Affairs and Procedures at Districts and Branches.

Source said Goneso who is directly responsible for the missing £57 000,00 allegedly went ahead and withdrew nearly £1000,00 after being suspended.

Many believe Goneso should be reported to the fraud squad arguing that if true, the matter constituted criminal behaviour of the highest order.

(Source)

Negotiators of the shaky inclusive government, with the exception of Moses Mzila-Ndlovu of the MDC, met yesterday to deliberate on the election roadmap and adjourned to today (Thursday) when they are expected to finalise their work as prescribed by the Sadc Troika.

The warring parties are fighting over powers of the security forces especially the police whom the MDCs accuse of being partisan.

One of Zanu PF’s negotiators Patrick Chinamasa said the negotiations were likely to be concluded today.

“We met to deliberate on the roadmap and we have concluded our deliberations. We will write our reports overnight and approve them tomorrow (today),” he said.

Mzila-Ndlovu, who had been languishing in police cells in Lupane, was released Wednesday, but could not make it for the negotiations in Harare resulting in the MDC being represented only by its secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga.

She too confirmed what Chinamasa said. MDC-T negotiators Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print.

(Source)

A fully packed Mathangwane Kgotla came to a standstill last week when an elderly man, Uwe Hubona, pointed an accusing finger at the President Ian Khama and his government for unlawfully usurping his grandfather’s land.

While other village elders stood up to raise their concerns, ask questions and compliment the President Hubona took a different line. While the villagers listened attentively he confronted the President and accused him of taking his grandfather’s land; he wanted to be compensated.

“You, President of Botswana, Paramount Chief of Bangwato, you are a cheater and a populist who is criticizes Robert Mugabe’s leadership while you do the same.

“Just like Mugabe who took the land from white people, you took Mafungo land and gave it to Marobela people; so I regard you just like President Mugabe,” lamented the old man.

According to Hubona his grandfather, Hubona Nshakashogwe, was compensated with land in 1960 after he was assaulted by a group of men sent by Kgosi Khama the third.

“When my grandfather died, since that land was for the Hubona family, we built a village and selected our elder brother, Omphile Hubona, to lead it, but we were surprised when the government brought Marobela people to establish a village here,” he complained.

The old man told the President that the Hubona family was supposed to be appointed chiefs of the village, which has now changed its name to Mafungo-Hubona.

“This is a great injustice because the government has nationalized our land without consulting us and appointed Tendani Manyika as chief.

“So if one of the Hubona family is not appointed chief, we want to be compensated,” charged Hubona.

(Source)

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says President Robert Mugabe’s plans to nationalise foreign firms amount to looting and plunder, as the country marked 31 years of independence with a mass rally in a stadium in Harare.

Tsvangirai did not get to address crowds at Harare ‘s giant National Sports Stadium on Independence Day.

But in a statement released on the occasion, he slammed President Robert Mugabe’s controversial indigenisation drive.

Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party says it has finalised plans to take over white and foreign-owned companies and will start in earnest very soon.

But Tsvangirai scorned Zanu-PF’s claim that indigenisation would set Zimbabweans free.

He warned national resources would be looted and plundered by what he called a “small, parasitic elite”.

Tsvangirai’s words were in sharp contrast to the president’s, who defended the policy at the ceremony.

The 87-year-old strode into the stadium, defying rumours of growing frailty.

Security was tight around him as he inspected a guard of honour.

Unusually, his wife Grace wasn’t by his side.

Mugabe appeared placatory in his speech, calling for national unity and peaceful coexistence.

His rivals, who hold seats in the coalition government, may not believe him – the MDC co-minister for national healing and reconciliation is currently in police custody, for addressing a meeting without police permission.

(Source)

There was always the danger that a10-year struggle against Zanu (PF) would leave the MDC with not only the scars of battle but also a new knowledge of the dirty tactics, violence and murder that make up their adversaries’ political arsenal. (Pictured: Morgan Tsvangirai)

The tactics learnt from Zanu (PF) have been on full display over the past few weeks, with alarming reports of violence and chaos at provincial congresses of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party.

Somewhere, Friedrich Nietzsche warns us that: “He who fights monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

Granted, the MDC-T has not become exactly like the monster that gave us Gukurahundi, farm invasions, Operation Murambatsvina, the Marange killings or the violence and mayhem of 2008.

But the events at the MDC-T’s Bulawayo provincial congress about a week ago were so Zanu (PF) that the only question in the mind of all right-thinking Zimbabweans is when and not whether the former opposition party shall metamorphosize into yet another ugly monster ready to write its own record of destruction, violence and murder.

At the Bulawayo congress, rival MDC-T factions loyal to?minister Gorden Moyo and senator Matson Hlalo traded insults and blows during the accreditation exercise, as each faction accused the other of manipulating the voting process and imposing candidates.

Once Moyo was announced the winner, all hell broke loose as the rival factions fought each other. An activist was hit on the head with an iron bar, suffering a fracture to the skull. Police had to be called in to quell the violence.

There were similar reports of violence, vote rigging and favouritism at other congresses in Gweru and Mutare.

And to think that this is not the first time that the MDC-T or the followers of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have exhibited these violent tendencies – violence was one of the reasons cited during the split of 2005 – then all progressive Zimbabweans have reason to get worried, very worried.

Because this is not what the MDC promised Zimbabweans. Tsvangirai and his party promised a new type of politics. That is what the second and third words in their name stand for.

Tsvangirai must act and act now against the violent elements within the MDC-T. Those that believe violence is a weapon to win and retain power or positions must be expelled from the MDC. They have a home elsewhere.

(Source)

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party made a U-turn on previous criticism it made of South African President Jacob Zuma and the South African Development Community (SADC), according to comments published by state media on Friday.

Mugabe in a speech to party members two weeks ago accused Zuma and the South African Development Community (SADC), the 15-nation regional alliance, of interfering in Zimbabwe’s affairs. State-run media also launched attacks on Zuma, accusing him of ‘bungling’ and being a ‘primitive leader.’

‘Government has never and will never attack SADC. We are friends and allies,’ Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi was quoted as telling SADC ambassadors in the Herald newspaper. ‘If there was any attack, it was not from government but from somewhere (sic).’

SADC is the guarantor for Zimbabwe’s two-year-old coalition government between Mugabe and pro-democracy Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Zuma is its official facilitator.

A meeting of the SADC committee on security and politics on March 31 had demanded that Mugabe stop violence, intimidation, hate speech and harassment of opponents.

It also asked him to carry out a wide range of political reforms outlined in the coalition deal he signed Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change party, but is accused of refusing to carry out.

(Source)

The Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), Constantine Chiwenga, is not well and has been airlifted to China for treatment.

The Minister of Defence, Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Thursday confirmed to NewsDay that the army chief had gone to China for medical attention.

However, Mnangagwa refused to confirm reports doing the rounds that when Chiwenga was airlifted, his condition was critical.

It is not clear what Chiwenga is suffering from.

But, impeccable sources revealed to NewsDay that the army chief had eight days ago fallen seriously ill and was immediately airlifted to China.

The sources said the Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander, Air Marshal Perence Shiri, is the acting Commander of the ZDF.

Chiwenga was on Thursday absent from the burial of CIO boss Mernard Muzariri, and he has of late not appeared in public.

(Source)

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Thursday condemned gay “filth” in Europe, as he lambasted Western powers for maintaining their asset freeze and travel ban on him and his inner circle.

“We don’t worry ourselves about the goings-on in Europe,” he told thousands at the burial of deputy intelligence chief Menard Muzariri, who died on Monday.

“About the unnatural things happening there, where they turn man-to-man and woman-to-woman. We say, well, it’s their country. If they want to call their country British Gaydom, it’s up to them. That’s not our culture. We condemn that filth.

“We get alarmed when these countries have the audacity to schedule us as an item to discuss in their parliament.”

Homosexuality is illegal in the southern African country. While the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (Galz) association is allowed to operate, it suffers police harassment.

“We must unite in opposing and condemning the sanctions,” he said.

“We must demonstrate that we are ready to defend our country and sacrifice our lives. The enemy will try by all means to destroy us, but if we are united, we are strong.”

Mugabe and members of his inner circle were slapped with EU and US sanctions in 2002 following disputed presidential elections.

His call for unity comes in the wake of widening cracks in the power-sharing deal with Prime Morgan Tsvangirai, a political rival.

Zimbabwe is drafting a new constitution to pave the way for new elections, following disputed 2008 polls that led to the unity government, but the process was often marred by violence.

Last month, Tsvangirai threatened to pull out of the unity government following the arrest of his energy minister, Elton Mangoma.

(Source)