Messages From Zimbabwe

There are growing fears that Zimbabwe is headed for another bloodbath as President Robert Mugabe pushes for elections next year – with or without a new and democratic Constitution seen as critical to ensuring that any new polls are bloodless.

A defiant Mugabe said last Thursday that he was fed up with the “stupidity” of some of his disputes with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and wanted a delayed constitution-making process speeded up to enable elections to be held by mid-2011. Responding for the first time to the latest dispute with Tsvangirai over the appointment of ambassadors and provincial governors, Mugabe said he wanted a new constitution to be ready by the end of the two-year term of Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition government next February.

“To give it another life of six months or one year no, no, no,” Mugabe said, referring to the coalition government he formed with Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara in February 2009. The coalition has been rocked by constant squabbling among the partners, with Tsvangirai and Mutambara regularly accusing Mugabe of making decisions without consulting them as required under a September 2008 power-sharing pact that led to the formation of the unity regime.

Appointments

The latest spat between the two rivals was triggered by Tsvangirai’s refusal to recognise some senior appointments made by Mugabe during the past few months in violation of the power-sharing pact –also known as the global political agreement (GPA) – which requires the ageing Zimbabwean leader to consult his coalition partners before appointing officials. Tsvangirai last week wrote to the leaders of South Africa, Italy, Sweden, the European Union and United Nations asking them not to recognise six Zimbabwean ambassadors whom he said were unilaterally appointed by Mugabe.

He has also refused to recognise the legitimacy of the chief of police, the central bank governor, the attorney general, 10 ministers and five judges, all appointed by Mugabe alone. This prompted South African President Jacob Zuma to send a three-member mediation team to try to resolve the Harare impasse. Mugabe hinted that a referendum on the new Constitution would to be held earlier than the previously stated June 2011 to allow polls to be held by the middle of next year.

But analysts warned last week that trying to fast-track the Constitution drafting process would produce a flawed document that does not reflect the changes demanded by Zimbabweans. “There is no way we can have a new constitution by the time the term of the inclusive government ends in February 2011 given the myriad of problems COPAC (Constitutional Parliamentary Committee) has faced since the committee was set up in April last year,” said Harare-based political analyst Donald Porusingazi.

The process to draft a new governance charter is more than a year behind schedule due to a combination of factors, including funding problems and bickering among the three parties to the GPA. It has also been marred by violence allegedly perpetrated by ZANU PF militias led by the head of the war veterans association Jabulani Sibanda and members of the armed forces.

Forces of darkness

“It’s obvious that Mugabe and ZANU PF will try to capitalise on the constant disputes with the MDC to force an early election where they will unleash their forces of darkness on the hapless electorate,” Porusingazi added. ZANU PF has been re-establishing militia training camps in some parts of the country and Tsvangirai’s MDC-T this month listed at least

50 incidents of violence and intimidation perpetrated by war veterans, police officers, soldiers, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives and pro-Mugabe traditional chiefs.

ZANU PF youths are known for using militia camps as torture basis where perceived opponents of Mugabe and his party are assaulted, raped, tortured or even murdered. “Should this happen, the nation will be thrown back to the year 2008;

Mugabe and ZANU PF will ‘win’ the elections and illegitimacy will be reinstated all over again,” Makumbe said.

He spoke of the threat of a fresh exodus of desperate Zimbabweans leaving the country to escape persecution, charging that SADC countries would have to brace themselves for the influx of political and economic refugees from Zimbabwe.

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The state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has labelled the five journalists it fired two years ago as terrorists and is refusing to rehire them as recommended by an arbitration court.

A ruling delivered in Harare last month by Arbitrator Mwadziwa Chimhuka found the state broadcaster at fault for dismissing the journalists who were accused of supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) main faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The arbitration found that ZBC did not follow the provision of the Labour Act and the dismissal of the journalists was null and void.

Disobeying the tribunal order ZBC said it was no longer willing to reinstate the fired journalists because they were a security threat.

“As a National Broadcaster the respondent has national interests to protect. When there are threats to these interests, the respondent is expected to protect them. The sending of the affected claimants on forced leave was part of the endeavors to protect national interests.

“The respondent communicated to the claimants through their legal practitioners of record that the share holder (ZBC) was no longer interested in their services. Instead of negotiating on a package proposal, the claimants have chosen to be unco-operative, hence the stalemate. It is our humble application that the arbitration tribunal should intervene and act as a third part to resolve this case,” said ZBC.

The Journalists’ legal represantative Urther Marara of Matsikidze and Mucheche legal practitioners said he was going to claim several thousands as damages  for his victimised clients because ZBC had defied the law.

“The conduct of ZBC is quite saddening because despite the case that there is a clear and uneqivocal award ZBC has chosen to blatantly ignore the court ruling. In the premise our clients have instructed us to apply for quantification of damages.It is a clear application because  the Labour Act clearly states that if reinstatment is no longer possible, the employer shoud pay punitive damages.ZBC has indicated that they are no longer interested in having the journalists as their employees.

“The background of the case is victimisation on political grounds and the labour case is against descrimination on political grounds,”said Marara.

In 2008, the ZBC dismissed news editor, Patrice Makova, reporters Garikai Chaunza and Robert Tapfumaneyi ,executive producers, Monica Gavela and Sibongikosi Mlilo, whom the court ruled must be reinstated to their former positions without loss of salary and benefits.

The journalists were deemed to have reported positively on the MDC in the run up to the March 29 presidential elections and the June 2008 run-off in which Tsvangirai pulled out after attacks on MDC supporters.

Tsvangirai won the elections but did not garner the majority votes necessary to win the presidential post.

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MDC-T National Executive led by Party President, Morgan Tsvangirai (pictured), was briefed by concerned Marondera District Party officials about wolves in sheep’s clothing among members of the Mashonaland East Provincial Structures.

The party convened a no holds barred and fact finding meeting at Harvest House last Sunday, to iron out in-house squabbles within the Mashonaland East Province.

“Mr President, Provincial National Representative, Masimba Ruzvidzo, was working against party interests. His conduct remained suspicious following his December 4, 2005 disclosure of identities of district officials to CIO. He has been shuttling across districts misinforming party supporters that Secretary General, Tendai Biti, was plotting a rebellion against your Presidency as party leader,” Marondera Central District Chairperson  Main Wing, Chengetai Murova, told Tsvangirai and other national members present.  

MDC-T Mashonaland East Provincial Chairperson and former Zanu (PF) top official, Patrick Chabvamuperu, was not spared the whip. He was accused of threatening Mutoko party supporters with an iron fist rule. MDC-T supporters in Mutoko did not approve Chabvamuperu’s chairmanship. He joined MDC-T in 2002 after reluctantly abandoning Zanu (PF) for selfish reasons. While at Zanu (PF) he reportedly forced suspected MDC supporters in Mutoko to drink human urine. Villagers vowed not to forgive Chabvamuperu of his inhuman and cruel conduct.

Provincial Organizer, Tapfumaneyi Muzoda and Provincial Vice Chairperson, Didymus Chinyowa, were accused of unfair dismissal of elected members of the district executive.

“At one moment they declared dissolution of elected mayor and councilors’ offices for selfish purposes. The two rogue leaders conducted Kangaroo type of courts to persecute district leadership. They also dissolved the district executive a few days before commencement of Copac outreach programmes. A move aimed at confusing party supporters and give Zanu (PF) an upper-hand in the constitution making exercise,” added Murova.                            

All districts of the province expressed vote of no confidence in Ruzvidzo, Chabvamuperu, Muzoda, Chinyowa and company.

Tsvangirai took note of concerns raised by district officials.

“Chabvamuperu, when you lead people you should constantly look back over your shoulders to see if people were behind you. It would seem no one is behind you. Your leadership is at risk. People are not happy with your leadership,” Tsvangirai told the besieged Chabvamuperu.

Tsvangirai gave the province three months to reform its bandit type of administration or risk being fired from the party.

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Violent attacks on individuals who contribute ideas opposed to ZANU PF policy at constitutional outreach meetings, have continued in Manicaland province, where MDC officials fear for the life of a colleague who was abducted this week.

Blessing Matake, the Organising Secretary for Buhera South district, has been missing since he was abducted by four armed and unidentified men at Birchenough Bridge business centre on Wednesday.

The MDC provincial spokesperson Pishai Muchauraya said: “He was abducted two days ago by some people believed to be linked to Joseph Chinotimba because they were using a maroon Toyota Hi-Lux which is similar to the one used by Chinotimba and we suspect it was him and his militia who abducted Matake ahead of the COPAC meetings due to take place in Buhera South anytime now.”

Muchauraya said teams of supporters are out canvassing the surrounding areas for the missing official, especially checking police stations.

“We’ve been looking at surrounding police stations because we know ZANU PF has got a tendency of abducting and beating people then dumping them at the nearest police station so that they will be charged for crimes that they did not commit. But in this case we have not located him,” explained the MDC official.

The frustrated MDC spokesperson also reported that there was a lot of retribution and intimidation of people who contribute at outreach meetings in Nyanga North and South and parts of Makoni. He stressed that headmasters in particular were being targeted.

Meanwhile another attack on an MDC activist was reported in Midlands North province, where Nation Nyamambishi of Chakari mine is reported to be battling for his life in hospital. According to the MDC, Nyamambishi was attacked by over 30 ZANU PF youths on Monday after he had commented that things in Zimbabwe have improved since Morgan Tsvangirai became Prime Minister last year. The MDC said that the ZANU PF youths followed Nyamambishi to his home and severely assaulted him.

A statement released by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on Thursday condemned the violence that has characterised constitutional outreach meetings since the process started in June. The Coalition has urged the current government to investigate cases of violence in the outreach program and to prosecute the perpetrators.

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Robert Mugabe’s health is on a downward trajectory and the battle to succeed him is intensifying, a senior Western diplomat said this morning.

The 86-year-old president of Zimbabwe is still in charge and able to fulfil a busy schedule but “there is no doubt that his downward trajectory has quickened and that’s caused the usual jostling for succession to speed up”, the diplomat said.

The Western diplomat said they have obtained Robert Mugabe’s medical information to support media rumour that Zimbabwean strongman’s health is on the egde.

He also said Mugabe has collapsed on many occassions at his home and a foreign medical doctor is now living at his home, monitoring him on a 24 hour basis.

The diplomat dismissed Mugabe’s claim that he is fit enough to continue his grip on power. He said Mugabe is an actor who can audition a healthy and fit man ready to rule, but his body has been patched up as many times in his private life.

It has also been confirmed that medical electronic gadgets to be installed at him home have been ordered from an Asian country to help support Mugabe’s failing health.

The leading contenders are Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Defence Minister, and Solomon Mujuru, a former army chief whose wife is vice-president. Both are hardline members of Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party and have strong ties to Zimbabwe’s security apparatus.

Mugabe intends to stand in the presidential election that is likely to be held next year.

In an interview with Reuters at his official Zimbabwe House offices, Mugabe, 86, said he was surprised by speculation over his health, saying this had become a perennial issue and he hardly paid any serious attention to it.

“I don’t know how many times I die but nobody has ever talked about my resurrection,” he said at the end of an hour-long interview.

“I suppose they don’t want to, because it would mean they would mention my resurrection several times and that would be quite divine, an achievement for an individual who is not divine.

“Jesus died once, and resurrected only once, and poor Mugabe several times,” he said, clapping his hands loudly, laughing and rocking in his chair.

He did not say whether he planned to stand in the next presidential ballot after his disputed re-election in 2008.

Without getting into details on whether he had any serious health problems, Mugabe — who appeared fit and lively for his age — said only God could decide issues of life and death.

Although there have been reports over the last 10 years on Mugabe’s health, the veteran Zimbabwean leader has no publicly known serious ailment.

“My time will come, but for now, ‘no’. I am still fit enough to fight the sanctions and knock out (my opponents),” he said in reference to sanctions imposed on his ZANU-PF party while former U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair were in office.

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The government of Zimbabwe has banned South African band Freshlyground over a Spitting Image-style music video which portrays its ageing president Robert Mugabe as a chicken afraid to relinguish power.

The band, which is made up of South Africans, Zimbabweans and Mozambicans and has a pan-African following, was due to perform a concert at the Wild Geese Lodge in the capital Harare next month.

But this week, Zimbabwe’s Immigration Department revoked its working visas without explanation, just days after the launch of the “chicken to change” song.

The song and accompanying video is the result of a collaboration between Freshlyground, best known for performing the World Cup anthem Waka Waka with Shakira, and controversial cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, most recently in hot water for portraying South African president Jacob Zuma as “raping” Lady Justice.

It opens by hailing the Zimbabwean president as a “supernova” who pledged to faithfully reflect his people’s wishes when Zimbabwe won its independentce from Britain in 1980.

It goes on to condemn him for clinging on to power for 30 years and urges him to “become the hero he used to be” by stepping down.

“You promised always to open the doors for us. Indeed it is you and only you who sleeps with the key. You are chicken to change,” lead singer Zolani Mahola sings, as Mugabe, in a puff of feathers, transforms into a poultry version of his former self in the back of his presidential limo.

The rooster is a symbol of Mugabe’s Zanu-PF but the chicken has also become emblematic of poverty in Zimbabwe, where fowl were sometimes given in return for change when spiralling inflation meant that basic foodstuffs were often bought for several billion Zimbabwean dollars.

The song also features Zuma chatting up women in a shebeen, observed by a disapproving wife, while Mandela and Tutu, both of whom have retired from public life, play dominoes in the background.

Thierry Cassuto, the executive producer of ZA News, the satirical news programme that features Zapiro’s latex puppets and created the music video, said the “chicken for change” was not a protest song but an appeal to Mugabe’s conscience.

“We knew that if there was someone watching in Harare who didn’t have a sense of humour, they wouldn’t have liked it,” he said.

“People can read their own meanings into this video. It’s a pity that Freshlyground have had their permits cancelled because they are popular in Zimbabwe. What kind of a threat does this song really represent?”

An immigration official confirmed the cancellation of the group’s working visas to Radio Voice of the People in Zimbabwe but said the department was not obliged to give its reasons.

“Yes we cancelled the visas for that music group,” Evans Siziba, an immigration official, was quoted as saying.

Sarah Barnett, Freshlyground’s spokeswoman, said the concert has now been cancelled and the group were in negotiations with the Harare-based promoter.

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A human rights organisation has condemned the decision by South Africa to withdraw the special status granted to illegal Zimbabwean immigrants, saying deportations would endanger their lives.

The spokesperson for the Global Zimbabwe Forum in South Africa, Luke Zunga, told News24 that it was premature for South Africa to make such a decision as a lot of Zimbabweans face imminent persecution.

“Zimbabwe is not yet back to normal as the situation remains violent. There is no settlement in that country. It’s unfortunate that South Africa is listening to its brothers in Zimbabwe and that doesn’t help us. Both countries are pretending that things are fine and this is to their own convenience,” said Zunga.

South African government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday the country will begin deportations after December 31.

The announcement brings to an end an April 2009 amnesty that allowed Zimbabweans who had fled the country’s economic meltdown and political violence to stay in the country without passports and visas.

Zunga said South Africa should have waited until elections were held in Zimbabwe, as it would then be easy to ascertain the stability in that country.

“There is still a lot of tension in Zimbabwe and that is why it is important for South Africa to wait until end of elections.

“As far as I see it, this is another way for South Africa and the SADC (Southern African Development Community) to prolong the stay of President Robert Mugabe.  They are pretending to solve Zimbabwe’s problems and yet their intention is to extend Mugabe’s stay in the government of Zimbabwe. It’s high time they realised that Zimbabwe’s problems are centred on Mugabe and should therefore, work towards solving that,” said Zunga.

According to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed in September 2008 which led to the creation of a unity government in February 2009, Zimbabwe is expected to hold elections next year. Previous elections in the country have seen a lot of violence resulting in many being killed and injured.

“Violent structures still exist in Zimbabwe and it’s unfortunate that these structures are made up of people who after beating and exposing people to torture, they are still protected by the police. These people persecute, abduct and beat up people and are not arrested.

“South Africa doesn’t seem to understand how Mugabe is controlling that country. We are bound to see even more of this violence when election time comes.”

Zunga said most Zimbabweans were likely to flock back into South Africa a few days after being deported.

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Zimbabwe’s opposition has been warned to wary of contributions by President Mugabe’s ZANU PF in the ongoing constitutional revision exercise. If taken serious, then Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T should trade carefully and possibly not rush into elections.

Despite having full knowledge of the atrocities they have committed so far in their 30 year plunder of the nation, ZANU PF are strongly advocating for the return of the death sentence.

Obviously the sentence is not meant to work against their own but MDC-T or Arthur Mutambara’s MDC officials during the run up to the next coming elections.

The three parties are in agreement that elections should be conducted soon after the new constitution is ushered in. If the ZANU PF’s view is incorporated in the new supreme law then the nation should expect a fresh legitimised wave of violence and intimidation through the police and the courts before elections. This will effectively silence and eliminate the opposition once and for all.

Treason, murder and any other trumped up charges attracting a death sentence are in store for Morgan Tsvangirai and his lieutenants if the status quo remains. Most of the MDC-T leaders are not new comers to the old and recycled tactic although the mechanism is getting perfected.

A ZANU PF oiled state machinery of Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe National Army, Intelligence and youth militia is still operational and intact, rendering any intentions to hold peaceful elections a non event.

Already the police have begun turning victims of political violence into accused, resulting in the arrest of at least five top MDC-T officials in Masvingo this week. Instead of arresting war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda for inciting violence in Bikita, an MDC-T Member of Parliament for Bikita South, Jani Vherandeni, was incarcerated by Masvingo Central Police, for making enquiries.

In Manicaland a province east of Harare, scores of MDC-T activists are nursing serious injuries whilst their colleagues are rotting in police custody simply for opposition a ZANU PF position during a constitutional outreach programme.

Let bygones be bygones, President Robert Mugabe half heartedly pleaded on behalf of his party thugs during his address on Heroes Day at the national shrine in Harare.

“For the sake of our children and prosperity, I want to urge all of you to note that the process of reconciliation is national. It does not seek to ferret out supposed criminals for punishment but rather calls on all of us to avoid the deadly snare of political conflict,” President Mugabe said.

A few days later the Vice President, John Langa Nkomo shocked merry makers at Presidential Affairs Minister Dydimus Mutasa’s 75th birthday bash in Rusape when he said Zimbabweans should forget past squabbles which led to bloody clashes during the 1980s.

“Squabbles between ZANU (PF) and PF Zapu in the 80s should be water under the bridge. We need peace, unity and tranquillity to prevail so that we can move forward as a nation. If we say an eye for an eye, Zimbabwe will be blind,” Nkomo said.

Clearly President Mugabe is not ready to let the law take its course against his own people for taking hundreds of lives in organized political violence sparked by ZANU PF’s devastating electoral loss in the 2008 presidential and general elections, even if they are calling for the return of the death sentence.

The failure by the current regime to address systemic problems of governance and organized political violence is a direct cause of the ongoing crisis. And it dates back to the 80s.

The resurgence of political violence and intimidation, during the ongoing nation’s constitutional revision exercise is an indication that the nation is still sick and cannot possibly hold any transparent elections, despite assurances by South African President, Jacob Zuma and Southern Africa Development Committee in Namibia recently.

An analyst has urged the government to start making investigations and arrests and dismantle the lethal state machinery, before the new constitution is gazetted.

“If ZANU PF is sincere by advocating for the return of the death sentence in the new constitution, they should start by accounting for their previous actions.

Amnesty has to be accompanied by accountability,” he said.

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Robert Mugabe lost the plot last week when he chose the occasion of his sister Sabina’s burial to chide key Western countries he is desperately seeking to re-engage to resuscitate the country’s comatose economy, Indonesia’s new ambassador to Zimbabwe, Eddy Poerwana, has said.

Although Poerwana was of the view that the diplomats who walked out on President Mugabe may have overreacted, he said the President said the wrong things at the wrong time.

“It is the right of every President to express his or her views, but at the same time when you look at the time, and considering that it was done at the Heroes’ Acre, I feel the timing was wrong,” Poerwana said.

“If you come to the funeral of my family member, I can’t say bad things about you.”

Other diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity said President Mugabe has lost the plot and that his statement had caused almost irreparable damage to relations between Zimbabwe and the international community.

“The President is not doing any good to Zimbabweans by shouting at countries he seeks to re-engage,” a diplomatic source said.

“If at all, he is worsening the situation. Relations between Zimbabwe and the West had begun to warm up, but such statements by the President do not help things at all. It’s regrettable. It really is.”

Poerwana said the subsequent walkout by ambassadors from the United States, Greece and Germany was “regrettable”.

“I was there and I saw it and I have also had the opportunity to discuss with other diplomats. We feel the action (walkout) was very much regrettable.

“It is not in the norms of diplomatic behaviour. Whatever inconvenience, we still have to say they should have just sat,” he said.

The Indonesian diplomat was speaking to journalists at a luncheon at his Harare home on Wednesday.

He said he had spoken to members of the diplomatic community and they had told him they felt the President and the diplomats’ action could not be justified.

“But the behaviour (walk-out) was not consistent with diplomatic norms,” Poerwana said. “If I do that, it reflects badly on the people of Indonesia and I don’t think their behaviour reflects the will of the people from their countries.”

US Ambassador Charles Ray, Germany envoy Albrecht Conze and the Greek and European Union chargé d’affaires Stephanos Ioannides and Barbara Plinket respectively, walked out on the President after he told the West to “go to hell” several times for allegedly interfering in the affairs of the country.

“They think they can dictate the pace here, remove so-and-so, Mugabe first – to hell with them, to hell, hell, hell with them,” President Mugabe seethed.

“They cannot be good for us today when they could not be good to us yesterday. They detained us, jailed us, shot at us, bombed us and slaughtered us in our hundreds.”

The diplomats were summoned for a tongue-lashing by Foreign Affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi the following day, but they stuck to their guns and insisted they did nothing wrong.

They snubbed the Heroes’ and Defence Forces’ Day commemorations this week.

Their defence attachés attended the ceremonies in their stead.

Poerwana presented his credentials to President Mugabe last month.

The latest diplomatic tiff between Zimbabwe and the West comes at a time when President Mugabe’s government is desperately seeking to normalise tattered relations between them.

Envoys have been sent to the European Union from Zimbabwe but have returned empty-handed. The President complained on Heroes’ Day, observed on Monday, that the EU was not being sincere over re-engaging Zimbabwe.

“We have sought to re-engage the EU on the issue of the immediate removal of the evil sanctions that are hurting our people,” he said.

“We seek friendship not enmity, togetherness not apartness, good understanding not division.

But no sooner had we started the re-engagement than we realised that the EU is far from being sincere, as the bloc keeps shifting goal posts. . .

We appeal to them: ‘Please think again. Think again Europe, think again America, you are wrong’.”

Political analysts have said President Mugabe was losing the plot by insulting the same people from whom he appeared to be begging for friendship.

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Armed soldiers led by Major Muti Musakwa last night forcibly removed property and goods belonging to MDC Zvimba West district treasurer, James Jonga. Jonga runs a supermarket at Murombedzi growth point in Zvimba, Mashonaland West province. Last night the soldiers ransacked and looted groceries in his shop saying he should vacate the premises as he was an MDC official. The soldiers were also incensed on why Jonga had made a contribution during the Constitution-making outreach meeting held in the area last week.

In Chendambuya in Headlands, Manicaland province, ZANU PF militia led by the ZANU PF district chairperson, John Kanindiriri are assaulting people who fail to attend forced ZANU PF meetings in the area. Kanindiriri is forcing people to attend ZANU PF meetings everyday ahead of the Constitution-making outreach meetings this month.

Meanwhile, in Hurungwe, Mashonaland West province, Chief Chundu is moving around the district accompanied by two ZANU PF activists, Peter Madamombe and Bilo Kaunde threatening to beat up anyone who will contribute during the COPAC public meetings opposing ZANU PF’s discredited Kariba draft. Chief Chundu also repeated the threats while addressing villagers at Kapiri business centre on Monday and at Kachiva business centre on Tuesday.

(Source: via email)