Howzit

Well, they said at the hospital that they would consider discharging B today, but given that they have ordered a scan this morning, I can’t see it happening.

And with me going out and coming in every day I have somehow managed to pick up the ‘flu as well. What an unhappy little household!I have an appointment later this morning on the other side of town, so will possibly come back to this later on…

-o00o-

Am I meant to act surprised at this story? Seeing as they very nearly killed him not so long ago, I will not feign any surprise at all!

“Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai tops a fresh hit list of 300 opposition and civic activists drawn up by state security commanders for arrest and torture in a drive to weaken the opposition ahead of next year’s election.

The list, whose disclosure comes as President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday vowed to intensify a brutal crackdown against the opposition, was drawn up by the Joint Operations Command (JOC) at a meeting on the 5th of April in Harare.”

If you are not a member of ZANU PF and you were to plan and organise an operation like this against the ruling party, no doubt you would be arrested, tortured, charged and convicted - and the charge would probably be treason or terrorism… But if the state plans this sort of thing, it is acceptable. I say acceptable - and in that I mean to them and they do not attribute any blame or culpability with that.

In other words, do as I say, not as I do…

“The list, a copy of which was shown to ZimOnline, says police sent to break up opposition rallies and protests should aim to shoot the 10 leading figures on the hit list. But it does not say specifically whether the police should shoot to kill or merely to inflict injury.”

I think it is a safe assumption that the order will be to shoot to kill. I say this because not so long ago it was stated by Didymus Mutasa, Mugabe’s Minister of Threats, that the police and army would shoot to kill any protesters.

“Those in the top 10 of the hit list in their order include Tsvangirai, spokesman of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party Nelson Chamisa, Bulawayo-based Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary general Wellington Cibhebhe and Tsvangirai’s deputy Thokozani Khupe.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe Raymand Majongwe, women activists Grace Kwinjeh and Jenni Williams and St Mary’s legislator Job Sikhala are also in the top 10.”

Do you notice one name that is conspicuous in it’s absence?

Have another look… I will give you a clue:

“Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena dismissed the existence of a hit list, saying the law enforcement agency only arrested people suspected of committing crime and who would have to be be taken to court.

He said: “We do not work on hit lists, we are not a mafia gang that eliminates people. We only arrest criminals that we later send on to the courts where they are tried according to the legal statutes of this country.”

Amazing how they run and hide behind the law when it suits them, but will openly ignore the law when they want to. High Court orders are ignored, human rights are abused, people are abducted - even from their hospital beds - and others are tortured, beaten and harrassed as ZANU PF orders.

-o00o-

“President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday repeated threats against the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, adding that the opposition party was fomenting violence to unseat him from power.

In an address to mark Zimbabwe’s 27th anniversary of independence at Rufaro Stadium in Harare, a fired up Mugabe told about 30000 cheering supporters that he will never cede power to the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.”

Is this a suggestion that ZANU PF will never admit defeat through the ballot box, or is it an admission that the ballot box is already rigged?

“As government, our message remains clear that we will never hesitate to deal firmly with those elements who are bent on fomenting anarchy,” Mugabe told the crowd.”

But if you were to look at the cases of violence that have taken place, just in the last two months, you will see that the violence starts in the ruling party, is preached by the ruling party big-wigs and practised in the streets by the police, youth militia, war veterans and any other people that ZANU PF can muster.

And here’s the biggest lie of all…

“I won fairly and the MDC should accept it. SADC (Southern African Development Community) endorsed the elections. Who is Blair (British Premier Tony) and Bush (US President George W) to decide who rules Zimbabwe?” said Mugabe.”

The point being that Mugabe’s Supreme Court ruled years ago that Tsvangirai had won the election and that Mugabe was in power illegally, but then stopped short of ordering Mugabe out of office, saying instead that he had already started the term and should be allowed to finish it!

Mugabe asks how can Blair of Bush decide who rules Zimbabwe? How can Mugabe decide who rules Zimbabwe? The ballot boxes are rigged, the voter roll has been tampered with and many people are excluded from voting, while thousands of dead and non-existent people vote - for ZANU PF.

Mugabe insists on choosing who rules Zimbabwe, and he says to the rest of the world: “I chose me!”

“At a time when they should be coming up with ideas that can develop the nation, they are busy concentrating on saying Mugabe must go. Ndino nambuya vangu Nehanda (I swear with my ancestral spirits) that will never happen. I will not allow Tsvangirai and his bosses, to taste this seat. Never, ever,” said Mugabe.”

-o00o-

Further reports on Mugabe’s rantings yesterday.

“Addressing a rally to mark Zimbabwe’s 27th independence anniversary, Mugabe said he would never cede power to opposition figures he has branded stooges of Western powers bent on undermining his black nationalist government.

“As government, our message remains clear that we will never hesitate to deal firmly with those elements who are bent on fomenting anarchy,” he told some 30,000 cheering supporters at a Harare stadium.

A mounting economic and political crisis left many Zimbabweans in no mood for celebration on Wednesday, with many saying the country was in its worst shape ever.

But Mugabe – who denies he is holding on to power through violence and vote rigging – said people had reason celebrate “successive victories over British-sponsored negative forces, however organised.”

Zimbabwe had resisted attempts to reverse the government’s nationalist land and black empowerment policies through the opposition’s British-sponsored “regime change agenda”, he said.”

Mugabe has it in his head that he is a big fish in a small ocean, and that the likes of Blair and Bush are intent of facilitating regime change in Zimbabwe and re-colonising the country… or some such rubbish like that.

I hate to inform him, but Zimbabwe is VERY low down on the order of things. Very low down indeed. So low that it doesn’t even come up for air.

Nobody in the free world is remotely interested. The country has been ruined by Mugabe and his government. Who would want it now anyway?

“Mugabe said he had no problem with a “legal, home-grown, peaceful and constructive political opposition,” but said chief opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai – who says he was cheated of victory in presidential polls in 2002 – was a “pathetic puppet” of Britain and the United States.

“I swear by our forefathers, I will never concede power to such people,” he said.”

-o00o-

You might recall the asylum seeker here in Derby who has been told that he must return to Zimbabwe that I wrote about a week or so ago…

“An asylum seeker who fears he will be murdered if he has to return to is native Zimbabwe has met Derby South MP and Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.

The Evening Telegraph has previously reported how Khumbula Dube’s application for asylum was refused by the Home Office.

But he fears he will be attacked if sent home because of his outspoken views against the regime of the country’s president, Robert Mugabe.”

When these cases are considered, do they just look at the evidence supplied by the applicant, or do they also look at the political climate in Zimbabwe?

I am only interested as these cases, when we hear of them, seem to be handled very badly - and many good people or returned to the country they fled - assumably to spend years either in prison or on the run.

-o00o-

“Zimbabwe is likely to go to the polls much earlier than March next year amid reports the ruling ZANU (PF) party is considering bringing the election calendar forward because of the fast deteriorating economic situation which is likely to militate against President Robert Mugabe’s re-election.Mugabe’s term expires on March 31 and constitutionally he is supposed to hold an election within 90 days prior to that date.”

I don’t think that the actual date of the elections is altogether too important - as long as the registration of the candidates is done correctly and in good time I don’t see a problem. Of course, Mugabe’s little helpers will endeavour to thrown obstacle after obstacle in front of any opposition, be it MDC or independents.

The MDC has to keep their ears to the ground to ensure that any flanking move by the ruling party is known about early and countered as soon as possible…

“Mugabe is now almost certain he will be opposed by Morgan Tsvangirai, the charismatic veteran trade unionist at the helm of the bigger wing of the MDC.”

-o00o-

“The ZANU (PF) government will soon embark on an exercise of dishing out land to peasants in impoverished communal areas as part of an election campaign, this paper has established. The party leadership recently discussed its campaign plans for next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections and came up with the land strategy to lure the electorate. Sources within the ruling party revealed to The Zimbabwean this week that minister responsible for land reform, Didymus Mutasa, would soon announce a new wave of resettlement.”

For 7 years the ZANU PF government has been taking farms away from the commercial farming sector and have been giving the prime, choice lands to their members and allies.

Now that there is an election on the horizon, they suddenly decide that the time is right to give land to the ‘peasants’ - and the land that they give is useless, and there are so many threats attached to the ‘gift’ that no self-respecting farmer would want it!

“Government has recently revived land seizures from the few remaining white farmers and the sources said that trend was expected to continue in order to make farms available for the campaigning exercise. “The land reform programme is ongoing and what is wrong with government giving land to peasants, that is the essence of the programme?” Mutasa said.”

Yep - it’s all in the timing…

And what thought has been given to those no without shelter because of Operation Murambatsvina? Oh. sorry - that’s right - they are deemed to be sympathetic to the MDC - that way they can be ignored and not be on the agenda for rehousing, land distribution…

-o00o-

 Take care

 ’debvhu