Messages From Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president, Mr Lovemore Matombo has refused to give up power ahead of the labour body’s congress in August.

Mr Matombo was expected to hand over power to a new leader but is seeking re-election despite serving his mandatory two five-year terms.

He joins MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, who forced the amendment of his party’s constitution to enable him to stay in power longer and National Constitutional Assembly chairman Mr Lovemore Madhuku, who is also clinging to power.

On Wednesday, Mr Matombo declined to comment on the congress.

“I will not entertain any questions or discussion on the congress. You are wasting time, I will not talk about that one, no matter which way you ask me.

“Why don’t you wait until we convene a Press conference to update you? We have nothing to hide. We cannot prepare our congress in newspapers before our members are even briefed,” said Mr Matombo.

The ZCTU will hold its congress in Bulawayo from August 19 to 20 this year where all posts are up for grabs.

Incumbent secretary general Mr Wellington Chibebe is expected to officially step down to take up the post of deputy general secretary of the International Trade Unions Confederation in Brussels.

But it is the case of Mr Matombo that is hogging the limelight after he indicated that he would be seeking re-election.

Mr Matombo argues that amendments to the ZCTU constitution to have two-term limits were adopted by the labour body’s general council in 2006.

This, he says, means his first term began in 2006 and is eligible for another term.

The ZCTU boss was quoted by a newsletter of the labour body’s affiliate making the same claims, alleging that the constitution was doctored by the secretariat by clandestinely inserting the clause giving the two-term limit.

“About the presidential term, I don’t recall the congress where we discussed this. I have tried to ask some members and they are also not sure where this is coming from,” Mr Matombo is quoted as saying by The Connector, a Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union newsletter.

He scoffed at suggestions that he would stand as a secretary general saying he would not go for a less influential post.

“I must say from the onset that it will be unusual for a person of my capacity to move away from the presidency to join the secretariat within the structure of ZCTU. This is just politicking and I would not want to contribute to dirty tricks and dirty campaigns that are being used,” said Mr Matombo in the newsletter.

ZCTU acting secretary general Mr Japhet Moyo said he has read the reports in which Mr Matombo claimed that the ZCTU constitution was clandestinely doctored to insert the two-term limit.

“We have only read about it but he has not officially notified the general council about his position, including the allegations that the constitution was doctored. Mr Chibebe has, however, officially notified us in our last meeting that he will be leaving for Brussels after the congress,” said Mr Moyo.

He said constitutional amendment discussions to limit the terms to two started in the 1990s when Mr Tsvangirai was the secretary general and it was something that was known by everyone.

“It is a bit strange for him to say that the constitution was doctored because the issue was subsequently debated in Mutare, Masvingo between presidents and secretary generals of affiliates before it was adopted in 2006 at a meeting Mr Matombo himself chaired,” said Mr Moyo.

“I cannot comment on these issues because he has not officially complained about that. Whether he is eligible or not it is not something we can discuss until we have seen nominations.”

(Source)

The mystery about how the Zanu (PF) deputy minister of Labour and Social Welfare Tracy Mutinhiri came to be accused of having an affair with Morgan Tsvangirai seems to have been solved.

According to the Zimbabwean, the Zanu (PF) losing councilor for Ward 4 Marondera East and former Constituency Officer, Shepherd Kaserere, went on a smear campaign to tarnish the image of his former boss, Mutinhiri, after she fired him from his job as constituency officer.

The report was about how he has apparently refused to vacate office despite being dismissed by MP Tracy Mutinhiri, because he is under-qualified for the position.

The Zimbabwean said Kaserere has the backing of the Zanu (PF) Senator for Marondera-Wedza, Sydney Sekeramayi, who is being touted as a possible successor for Robert Mugabe.

“According to an Act of Parliament, constituency officers should be presentable people, should have passed passed 5 Ordinary Level subjects with a ‘C’ grade or better and able to socialise with people from across the political divide.

“Kaserere falls short of the three prerequisites as he only passed three subjects at Ordinary Level.

“In addition, he preaches hate speech and cannot socialise with people from across the political divide. Parliament scrapped him off its payroll and he is now reportedly receiving salaries from Sekeramayi,” said the Zimbabwean’s sources.

He is also said to enjoy the backing of Zanu (PF) heavy weights who ordered him to stay put at the government constituency office, based at the District Administrator’s Offices, said the Zimbabwean’s Zanu (PF) source.

Following his dismissal from office two months ago, Kaserere went on a smear campaign to tarnish the image of his former boss, Mutinhiri, reported the Zimbabwean.

(Source)

Reports that the MDC-Tsvangirai  South Africa Chapter has all of a sudden saw it fit to castigate Mthwakazi Liberation Front for burning the Zimbabwean flag cannot go unchallenged.

A national flag is a powerful symbol of nationalism and rallying banner for all the peoples who subscribe to the founding ideals of a particular nation-state. Desecration of the flag is thus, not only considered a public outrage against the state, but also a protected form of free speech in all free and democratic societies..

It is a known fact that the Zimbabwean flag was designed and imposed on the people of modern day Zimbabwe by a Shona supremacist party called ZANU-PF. Its dominant symbols are representative of ZANUism, Shona supremacism and Shona-centricity. The absence of Matabeleland symbols in the Zimbabwean national flag is clearly consistent with the historic state sponsored marginalization of this region.

MDC-Tsvangirai South African provincial spokesperson Kumbirai Muchemwa reportedly told the NewsDay that  “(The Zimbabwe) flag does not belong to a party as some members of the MLF believe; it is the symbol of a people and a nation” . It is a pity that Mr Muchemwa deliberately concealed the known fact that the Zimbabwe flag is a symbol of the people of Mashonaland and the ZANU-PF concocted Shona-centric artificial “nation-state” of Zimbabwe.

The MDC-Tsvangirai party is a Shona supremacist outfit that is run by people who trace their political heritage to ZANU-PF and it is therefore not surprising that they have joined their said mentors in singing the anti-Mthwakazi Liberation Front chorus and defending their flawed “national” heritage.

The MDC-T is merely defending the founding symbols of the ZANU-PF concoted Shona-centric artificial ‘nation-state” of Zimbabwe and the Shona domination of Mthwakazi (Matabeleland and Midlands). One needs not go beyond the heavily Shona-speaking key decision making organs of this political party to get a glimpse of extent of their low regard of the peoples of  Mthwakazi and their strict adherence to the Shona supremacist grafitti that is written all over the Zimbabwe national flag.

Mthwakazi Liberation Front as a representative of the long suffering and marginalized people of Matabeleland and Midlands has every right to burn the Zimbabwe national flag to highlight Shona supremacism and other evils that the modern day state of Zimbabwe brought to our people.

We therefore remain committed to our view that the Zimbabwe national flag is a symbol oppression and suppression of the people of Mthwakazi and that its alleged sacredness does not  extend  beyond the Jameson Line (which is the natural boundary between Zimbabwe and Mthwakazi).On the same vein we do hope that the MDC-T will respect our democratic right to express ourselves by desecrating the said flag bearing in mind such a right is jealously  protected in all democratic societies.

VUKA MTHWAKAZI!

DAVID MAGAGULA
Secretary for Information and Publicity

(Source)

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has made the potentially devastating decision to dissolve the regional human rights court, for at least another year.

The Tribunal has already been suspended for more than six months, after SADC leaders last year decided to review the mandate and functions of the court. This was the result of Zimbabwe’s refusal to honour the Tribunal’s 2008 rulings on the land grab campaign, which the court said was unlawful. But in a clear sign of allegiance to Robert Mugabe, SADC leaders suspended the Tribunal, rather than force Zimbabwe to abide by the rulings.

The review, sanctioned by SADC, has been concluded, and an independent report on its role and functions was presented to SADC leaders at the Summit in Namibia last week. But despite this review upholding the court’s rulings on Zimbabwe, and also reasserting the court’s jurisdiction in the region, SADC leaders have still refused to fully reinstate it. Instead, they have given its Council of Justice Ministers and Attorney Generals at least another 12 months to review the court, again.

The Tribunal was set up as an impendent legal body that would provide SADC citizens with a platform to seek justice, when all other legal avenues in their own countries had been exhausted.  Critically, the court is supposed to give SADC citizens the chance to hold their own governments to account, when their human rights are infringed upon.

The decision to dissolve the court is now being described as ‘devastating’, ‘regressive’, and a clear sign that SADC does not have the rights of its hundreds of millions of citizens at heart.

The Southern African Litigation Centre has called the decision an act of sabotage that could have a “devastating impact on human rights and peoples’ ability to access justice.” The group said that SADC leaders have now shown where their loyalties lie, because they would rather protect Robert Mugabe than protect human rights or the rule of law.

The group’s Lloyd Kuveya told SW Radio Africa on Monday that SADC leaders have “dealt a potentially fatal blow to the rule of law across the region.”

“This decision is a violation of the independence of the court, a violation of the rights of SADC citizens to access to legal recourse. SADC citizens will now not be able to seek relief if their rights are infringed in their countries,” Kuveya said.

He continued saying that the loyalty to Mugabe that is being put on display is a sign of the “shocking lack of leadership in the region.”

“Instead of sanctioning Zimbabwe, SADC leaders have imposed legal sanctions on all of its citizens, preventing them from seeking legitimate legal redress at a regional level,” Kuveya said.

Further proving where SADC’s loyalties lie were comments by the regional bloc’s Executive Secretary, Tomaz Salomão, who said that the media and the general public would have no access to the details of the Tribunal’s expected restructure. SADC’s Justice Ministers are thought to have recommended amendments that will protect member states from cases brought against them by their citizens.

But Salomão told journalists that neither the media nor SADC citizens needed to know what the ministers had said about the fate of the Tribunal.

Zimbabwe civil society groups have slammed last week’s harassment and intimidation of activists at the regional leaders Summit in Namibia, which resulted in the prolonged detention and interrogation of key figures.

The civil society groups, including representatives from the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, traveled to Namibia to lobby SADC leaders and pressure them to lay out a clear plan for democratic change in Zimbabwe. But their efforts were quickly thwarted by Namibia security officers and members of Zimbabwe’s CIO, who led a crackdown on the activists.

First to be targeted were about ten activists, including National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO) chairperson Dadirai Chikwengo, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition officials MacDonald Lewanika, Pedzisayi Ruhanya and Dewa Mavhinga, and other representatives from the Zimbabwe Election Support.

The state security agents also briefly detained Jelousy Mawarire for taking pictures and chased away Shastry Njeru of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum from the venue of the SADC Summit. Mawarire, who had his pictures deleted from his camera, was later released after the intervention of Namibian human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe.

Also targeted were Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) head, Irene Petras, Joy Mabenge from the Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe, Lloyd Kuveya of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, and Makanatsa Makonese of the SADC Lawyers Association. The four were force-marched into the hotel’s parking area by two armed Namibian police who took them to the local Chief Inspector. They were then interrogated separately by Zimbabwe’s state security agents.

The Crisis Coalition’s Mavhinga told SW Radio Africa on Monday that the activists were only allowed to leave well after the SADC summit had ended on Friday night. He explained how Zimbabwe’s state security agents were directing Namibian police to individually target activists who were calling for real democratic change in Zimbabwe.

“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms the treatment of the activists at the Summit. Clearly Namibia is not committed to human rights, and they are putting their relationship with ZANU PF before the rights of SADC citizens,” Mavhinga said.

Meanwhile the ZLHR said it “strongly condemns this despicable conduct.”

“The actions of the state security agents highlights the need to urgently reform the security sector players as enunciated in the Global Political Agreement as they continue to be a law unto themselves even beyond the borders of Zimbabwe,” the group said in a statement.

(Source)

President Robert Mugabe has intensified his fight against an emerging consensus among Sadc leaders for him to go, by among other tactics, trying to sideline and remove no-nonsense facilitator President Jacob Zuma.

Well-placed Sadc sources told the Daily News yesterday that Mugabe had now identified Zuma as his biggest problem.

This was because the South African president was “unshakeable in his impartiality and determination” to see an election roadmap in Zimbabwe that would usher in a credible election next year or in 2013, that would be devoid of violence and rigging as happened in the disputed 2008 presidential election runoff.

The sources also said their own intelligence had established that Mugabe and his Zanu PF party were pushing for Zuma’s isolation because they were aware that they could not win a fair election.

To that extent, Mugabe and his Zanu PF viewed Zuma’s drive for a mutually agreed roadmap within the Global Political Agreement (GPA) context as an attack on Mugabe and the former ruling party.

Mugabe last week made two remarkable moves. Firstly, the 87-year-old – who has been to the Far East for medical reasons five times since December – effectively declared himself fit to rule for life.

He then unsuccessfully attempted to foist his agenda for an early election at Friday’s Sadc summit in Namibia that Zuma did not attend.

Sadc firmly rebuffed the bid.

“We are totally against the idea of a new election roadmap as it means re-negotiating the Global Political Agreement instead of implementing it,” read Zanu PF’s position paper that was circulated in Windhoek.

Mugabe had, through the position paper, tried to take advantage of Zuma’s absence to overturn resolutions of the Sadc troika on politics, defence and security which called for an end to violence, the full implementation of the GPA and elections only after the roadmap has been completed.

But one of the top Sadc officials who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said Mugabe’s attempts to attack and weaken Zuma and his facilitation team was “backfiring badly”.

Among other “ill-considered moves” by Zanu PF, the former ruling party had written to Zuma demanding the removal of Ambassador Lindiwe Zulu from the facilitation team, “alleging rather ridiculously” that she was biased against Zanu PF.

The Sadc insider said this move was being interpreted by the region as a very direct way by Mugabe and his party of asking Zuma to step aside from his facilitation work.

“This is surprising because Mugabe is literally biting the hand that feeds him. What future is there for Mugabe, Zanu PF and Zimbabwe without South Africa’s immense sacrifice for its neighbour.  Without Zuma and the GPA that he has kept together at great cost to him personally and his country, Mugabe would not be president anyway.

“Nevertheless, Mugabe is wasting time because Sadc is sick and tired of his machinations. He wants to trick us into believing that President Zuma is biased but it’s far from it.

“We are aware that Zuma’s frankness has rattled Mugabe and that is why he brought in his position paper which was ignored. Now they are spreading propaganda that it is Mugabe who said Zimbabwe must be discussed in the presence of President Zuma and other political players,” the official said.

Another official said part of the war against Zuma had resulted in Mugabe and Zanu PF gunning for the South African president’s focal person, Ambassador Zulu.

Zulu is not just a key member of Zuma’s facilitation team, she is also his international relations adviser.

She is on record stating that it is impossible to hold elections this year because of the slow progress in implementing GPA reforms such as a new constitution.

The State-controlled Sunday Mail, which rarely touches on sensitive political issues without direct instruction from Mugabe’s press office yesterday, reported that Zanu PF had formally lodged a complaint to South Africa about Zulu.

The former ruling party is holding Zulu responsible for recent comments made by Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC), raising fears that Mugabe’s potential death could spark chaos because of unresolved succession issues in the party.

“Negotiators are also concerned about the succession law should Mugabe die or retire before the adoption of a new constitution, which is still being negotiated,” read the ANC comment that Zanu PF now seeks to conveniently use against Zulu and the whole facilitation team.

However, the ANC never attributed the comments to Zulu – raising the question of why Zanu PF has sought to vilify her thus.

In the meantime, Mugabe insists he is staying put.  He recently sent envoys to regional countries to drill this message through and to court support from his regional peers.

In an interview with the Southern Times, Mugabe said there was no need to prolong elections. He also said that demands for security sector reforms by Sadc, other political players and civil society were without basis.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who leads Zanu PF’s GPA negotiating team, confirmed that Mugabe wanted to stay in power despite his advanced age and waning public support.

“And as far as Zanu PF is concerned, even at his age we know that he commands majority support among Zimbabweans,” Chinamasa told The Windhoek Times in a separate interview.

(Source)

Fear has gripped villagers in the Siakobvu area in the Kariba Basin in Mashonaland West following threats by ZANU PF militia to chase away MDC-T members from the area in retaliation to alleged attacks on Chief Mola’s home by unknown arsonists.

The province is predominantly a ZANU PF stronghold.

ZANU PF youths have unleashed a reign of terror in the area targeting MDC-T supporters whom they accuse of burning down the chief’s bedroom hut on April 9.

Police in Chinhoyi confirmed the attack on the chief’s home and said they were still investigating.

According to the police, a group of unknown arsonists stormed Chief Mola’s homestead at around 4am and torched his bedroom hut while the traditional leader was asleep.

Chief Mola, a known ZANU PF supporter, allegedly lost his traditional gear and other property in the inferno, but he escaped unscathed.Villagers who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were now living in fear of a group of known ZANU PF youths who were reportedly on a rampage in the area beating up known and perceived MDC-T activists and sympathisers.

“The youths have been going from village-to-village beating and intimidating people with the hope of getting a confession from one of us,” said a distraught villager last week.

“They want to know who set the hut on fire. They have vowed to continue with the exercise until they find the perpetrators,” said the villager.

Narrating the incident, Chief Mola, whose real name is Champion Rare, said: “That day I was awoken by neighbours shouting outside my bedroom hut. I got out and was shocked to see I was almost engulfed by fire. I was lucky to escape unhurt.

“This was a clear act of political violence and sabotage perpetrated by ZANU PF detractors,” said the chief. He said he had recently received blankets, clothes, foodstuffs and other wares donated by the ZANU PF provincial leadership.

Following the burning of the hut, which was the only structure at the homestead, Chief Mola has been living in a makeshift structure made of pole and dagga.

On our visit to the chief’s homestead this week, the only modern item of property there was a Mazda B1800 vehicle which he received from government in 2008 as part of his benefits.

(Source)

The demand for change is steadily moving down Africa, judging from the reception given to Mugabe and other African leaders attending the installation for another term of Ugandan perpetual President Museveni. Their motorcade was assailed by stone-throwing protesters shouting ‘Go to hell dictators’ and ‘You dictators: we are tired of you’. But pictures of Mugabe’s fawning obeisance to Museveni show his desperation to be at the party – any party! – at whatever cost.

For Vigil supporters it was further evidence that Mugabe and ZANU PF hardliners have still not understood that the days of dictators have gone. Their problem is that President Zuma does not agree with them. The chasm between ZANU PF and Zuma was clearly illustrated this week:

1. The ZANU PF Politburo repeated on Wednesday that elections would be held this year without fail.

2. But Zuma’s international relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu said: ‘categorically and totally, Zimbabwe will not have elections in 2011’.

For Mugabe’s sake, the constitution-making process must be concluded early and will have to include the proposal from Chegutu that government critics should be killed. That should solve the problem – especially if the suggestion from Makonde is also included in the new constitution ‘media critical of the government should be banned’.

So much for the Constitutional Outrage Programme…

With Mugabe now committing suicide by defying SADC, the Vigil launched a clearance sale of our ‘Mugabe Must Go’ bangles. Our notice advises customers to ‘Buy now before it’s too late’.

Joke of the week from Bill Watch of 12th May: ‘Tuesday’s sitting was the Senate’s first for six weeks – it has not met since 31st March.  The sitting lasted two hours before the Senate adjourned for another eight weeks’. Crisis – what crisis?

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website – they cannot be downloaded from the slideshow on the front page of the Zimvigil website. For the latest ZimVigil TV programme check http://www.zimvigiltv.com/.

FOR THE RECORD: 100 signed the register.

(Source)

Zimbabwe’s partisan securocrats, the real power behind President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF, have allegedly taken steps to have a greater say in the floundering Global Political Agreement (GPA) negotiations.

This information came to light yesterday as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC was said to be meeting to discuss the involvement of the security structures in the GPA negotiations and how to handle the situation.

Sources in the military claimed that securocrats were so bewildered by both the pace of change in the country since the formation of the inclusive government and the positions being agreed to by ZANU PF GPA negotiators that the top brass of the military were now reserving the right to veto all decisions that they did not like, even if these decisions had been agreed to by all GPA negotiators.

“The chefs (top brass of the police and military) are frightened by the pace of change in the country and how easily ZANU PF negotiators are being pushed into positions that disadvantage ZANU PF.

“They are now demanding that they have the final say on what is adopted by the GPA principals, and they are getting their way with President Mugabe.  They no longer have any confidence in (justice minister Patrick) Chinamasa because he is agreeing to the powers of the military being usurped.

“This uneasiness is also the reason why (defence minister Emmerson) Mnangagwa is currently acting as if he is foreign minister ahead of the crucial Sadc extraordinary summit planned for this weekend in Windhoek (Namibia),” the source said.

Mnangagwa, by far Mugabe’s most trusted lieutenant despite being linked to the Tsholotsho Declaration which was allegedly organised by serial political flip-flopper Jonathan Moyo and others to oust the octogenarian leader from power six years ago, spent most of last week on a regional diplomatic charm offensive ahead of the Sadc meeting.

Among others, Mnangagwa met Angolan Vice President Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos in Luanda to deliver a special message from Mugabe and ZANU PF.

Speaking after the meeting, Mnangagwa was quoted saying Zimbabwe was peaceful – claiming further that Mugabe had “very good” working relations with Tsvangirai.

But contacted for comment yesterday, Mnangagwa dismissed the allegations that the securocrats were giving orders to ZANU PF negotiators.

“It is nonsense. The security chiefs are not involved in any talks. The GPA is a civil issue which the security forces cannot get involved in. People in the press create issues which they want to become real,” Mnangagwa said.

Negotiator for the smaller faction of the MDC Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga said although the securocrats did not sit on the negotiating table, they were an important stakeholder in the process.

“We should look at what the role of security forces should be in peace building. Determining how engagement is going to take place in the process is the million dollar question. What could be dangerous is if all of us begin to speak about them in a fearful language,” she said.

ZANU PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo to comment on the issue, saying: “Go and ask them (securocrats and negotiators”.

Meanwhile, there is confusion around whether the Namibia Sadc meeting will go ahead this weekend as planned, even though Foreign Affairs officials said last night that the meeting was still on.

If the extraordinary summit on the Zimbabwe crisis goes ahead, it will look to consolidate the positions taken by its troika team on politics and defence – in a desperate quest to end the anarchy in Harare.

Specifically, South Africa is expected to push for the implementation of all outstanding issues specified in the GPA, ahead of a much-anticipated national election to be held either next year or in 2013.

However, analysts expect Mugabe and ZANU PF to fight to win back their favoured position in the region as indicated by Mnangagwa’s visit to Angola – a duty that would ordinarily fall on the foreign ministry.

“It is not a coincidence that Mnangagwa is shuttling from one country to the next in the region.  It is because he wants to warn all ZANU PF’s friends that they are under siege from the South Africans in particular.

“Crucially too, he wants to send the powerful message that the military won’t accept regime change (ZANU PF euphemism for the removal of Mugabe and the party from power) in Zimbabwe,” our source in the military said.

Although GPA negotiators have agreed that credible elections could only be held as from next year only, Mugabe and ZANU PF – backed by the military – have insisted that the ballot will be held later this year.

(Source)

The International Air Transport Association, known as IATA, suspended Air Zimbabwe for non- payment of booking fees, U.K.-based Nehanda Radio said, citing an IATA statement.

The state-owned airline owes IATA about $280,000, Nehanda Radio said on its website. The ban won’t affect Zimbabweans already booked to fly on Air Zimbabwe, though foreigners traveling to the southern African nation may encounter difficulties, Nehanda Radio added.

Pilots employed by Air Zimbabwe ended a monthlong strike April 21 after protesting unpaid salaries and allowances dating back to February last year.

(Source)

Continued discord within the inclusive government, especially on its economic policies, confuses the world.

President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU (PF) party are grudgingly saying they want to grab all European Union companies operating in the country.

The aging Zimbabwean leader says they are doing this in the name of the Indigenisation and empowerment policy.

If ZANU (PF) wants to seize 400 companies owned by the EU, how many black indigenous people will benefit and exactly who are those people that stand to take over functioning businesses?

On the other hand Prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC party are saying the country is a safe investment destination, dismissing Mugabe’s statements as political.

Economic development and Investment promotion Minister Tapiwa Mashakada (MDC) said last month, before the Euro money investment conference aimed at attracting foreign investment in the country, that calls to grab EU companies was a ZANU(PF) position which was never discussed in cabinet.

Mugabe snubbed the investment conference in fear of facing the Europeans whom he last week shouted at.

His abandonment of the conference leaves much to be desired and the people of Zimbabwe are definitely not ignorant – they know Mugabe and his cronies want to again loot foreign-owned wealth.

Such conflicting and contradicting statements coming from people in the same government really confuses us at home and the rest of the world.

Under investment uncertainties investors should not be blamed for taking a wait and see attitude. But who benefits or loses if investors bring their investment in Zimbabwe?

ZANU (PF) politicians should really stop playing with the masses. They should not play politics with people’s lives.

(Source)