The Zimbabwean Pundit

Politics of change and change of politics: Zim elections '08

2008-04-11T11:12:00.001-07:00

I finally got the chance to put down my views on recent developments in post for Pajamas Media. Here's an excerpt.

Zimbabweans are on edge because maybe, just maybe, the crisis of sorts that has riddled the nation could very well be over. The hunger, poverty, displacement, and disenfranchisement could all end. And that hope, that glimmer of an end, is all the more reason to be on edge because the status quo is beyond untenable.

How did we get here? President Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF miscalculated and they miscalculated badly.

First, they misjudged when they assumed that the legislative concessions they granted in the Mbeki mediated pre-election talks would not come back to haunt them. Prior to the elections, Patrick Chinamasa, the Justice Minister, agreed to curtail the despotic extremes of three pieces of legislation: the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), and the Electoral Act (EA).

AIPPA was amended to make it easier for foreign journalists and Zimbabweans working for foreign entities to operate. The change to POSA — that political parties only had to notify the police as opposed to request their sanction before the held rallies — proved to be pivotal in the MDC’s ability to broadcast their message.

The EA changed in two important ways that proved to be ZANU-PF’s unraveling. First, the act created an autonomous electoral commission — the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). Not only was ZEC created, but many brave Zimbabweans who served the commission disposed of their mission impartially and stood up to ZANU-PF in keeping with their constitutional mandate, something for which they are now being persecuted. Further, changes to the EA compelled that results from each polling station be posted publicly as soon as they had been counted.

Second, ZANU-PF grossly underestimated the opposition’s ability to get organized and offer stiff competition. The MDC mobilized a campaign that featured candidates in most of the contested council, parliamentary, and senate seats nationwide and, of course, Tsvangirai — the bane of Mugabe’s despotism. They were also able to deploy a massive amount of polling officers to over 9,000 polling stations, They not only observed the process, but vitally recorded and archived the results before relaying them back to party’s central command. This made cheating very difficult and is the reason the MDC beat ZEC to the ball when it came time to announce results.

But third and most importantly, ZANU-PF underestimated the people’s discontent with the party. They expected the Zimbabwean people to carry their load one too many times. They relied on their decade-old denigration of the opposition as stooges of the west just a little too much. And all of a sudden, the very people whose subjugation ZANU had come to expect turned their backs on the party, leaving them exposed. ZANU has no one else to blame for this but themselves. The MDC has persistently increased their electoral winnings each time they have contested an election. ZANU’s strategists should have paid this widely apparent trend more attention, but they didn’t.

So here we are.

Up on Global Voices

2007-05-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe's bloggers have a wealth of information on the week that was in the troubled southern African country. There are reports of more arrests and torture, an emergency monetary policy statement, and an indepth look at the myopic bigotry of some in the west with regard to Mugabe. First however, a look at how South Africa's increasingly complicit role in Zimbabwe's crisis came back under the spotlight last week. (more....)

Zimbabwe, Global Voices,

Mugabe, the West, and "servile" Zimbabweans

2007-04-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

I've always found it baffling when people (particularly westerners,) discover with shock and a degree of condescension that Mugabe has, and dare I say it, remains deeply beloved by many a Zimbabwean. Fact; the quality of life of the majority of my countrymen downright plummeted during and since our colonization by the British. Oh please, you really want to tell me you believe that hogwash about how colonization brought the three C's (civilization, commerce, and Christianity) to us in 1890? My ancestors, first the Munhumutapa, and then the Ndebele andRozvi empires did more foreign trade (mainly with Arab merchants and other empires) before colonization than they did since. We've always been deeply religious (much more so than we are now--thanks to Western Christendom for creating a schism between our way of life and faith). As for civilization, I'm not even going to address that; it's nothing but anti-African propaganda, enough said.

No, don't get me wrong, I'm not going on a blame me everything on West rant. I see major blind spots in many westerners opinions about Zimbabwe, I'm just pointing them out.

And this not me spewing Mugabe's praise either. I've been criticized by for waxing nostalgic about Mugabe before. What's funny about that is that unlike many of Mugabe's former fans who've lately turned bitter towards the man, I actually benefited at some point (as did millions of other Zimbos, I'm not talking corruption here) from some of his policies. For example, I enjoyed state sponsored tuition and health access right through the end of high school. Off course I've seen the abundance and quality of those services regress rapidly over the past 17 years, but that justifies this point; it makes sense that many Zimbabweans who once loved the guy could have grown critical and loathsome of him now! What doesn't make sense is for people, you know who you are, who now claim to have always seen through Mugabe's facade yet they said nothing when he was celebrated as Africa's greatest statesman through the 80's and 90's, to now want to distance themselves from any indication that they too, where once enamored by him.

It will always remain a mystery to me exactly what grounds these pseudo-critics of Mugabe base their attacks on him, and even worse on people like myself who are only exercising our prerogative when we say this: Fact; the quality of life of many of my countrymen improved drastically immediately after independence in 1980. Besides if they were really about democracy and freedom of expression, who are they to deny the opinion held my many Zimbabweans? Isn't that what democracy is all about; "E Pluribus Unum."

An interesting article on this very subject emerged this week from the Zimbabwean diaspora. Here it is. This is an excerpt

Robert Mugabe’s honorary degrees should stay. They represent a period of madness in history where a genocidal dictator went on the rampage and the international community, the West in particular, either looked the other way or cheered him on. Any university that respects human rights should never ever have awarded Mugabe an honorary degree during the 1980s or any other period. A public apology to Zimbabweans is the only sincere protest against Mugabe’s rule that these universities can offer.

The three universities awarded Mugabe the degrees during the watershed decade of government crackdown on political dissent under the guise of fighting rebels in Matabeleland and the Midlands. State-directed violence punctuated 1984, 1986 and 1990, the years, respectively, Edinburgh University, University of Massachusetts and Michigan State University, honoured Mugabe. Edinburgh University is reportedly reviewing the dictator’s honorary degree. Recall petitions are under way at the two US universities.

The period 1980 to 1983 was the most critical with mass disappearances, beatings, rape and murder of innocent villagers. With the urging of then Minister of State Security, Emerson Mnangagwa, the North Korea-trained 5th Brigade, Central Intelligence Organization and Zanu PF militias “burned down the villages infested with dissidents". Hundreds were burned alive in their huts

The West’s double standard will not help its regime change agenda either. The lavish patronage Mugabe received at his most ruthless is fresh in the collective Zimbabwean memory. We are not blind to the sympathy currently lavished on some leaders of the struggle against the dictator.

Led by the myopic media, many in the west have been deluded from the reality that truth is much bigger than buzz words and catch phrases. Trust us, Zimbabweans better understand their reality than the Washington Post, BBC, etc. You can at least give us that much credit can't you?

There is credence to the cries of the poor and oppressed in Zimbabwe. Until that, and that alone, is the impetus for concern about us chaos and confusion will reign supreme preventing the from taking meaningful action.

Zimbabwe, Mugabe,

Up on Global Voices

2007-04-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

Please check out the redesigned Global Voices site. It is also where I have put up my latest post:

As the poor get poorer, the rich are only going to get richer in Zimbabwe. In this post, Mugabe Makaipa describes how Zimbabwe’s stock market has grown 12,000% over last year as it has become chief among the few safe places that people can hedge against inflation. With inflation skyrocketing, unemployment reaching 80%, the local bourse has simultaneously become a boon to the capitalist intentions of the few that are willing to make the risky investment in Zimbabwean stock too. Sadly, the economically elite are the only beneficiaries of the reeling economy that is in Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, they are very few and far between.

Therefore, all of the rich people, government officials, and banks are putting their money into stocks so that it doesn’t lose value. Demand is high, so the price is too.

The everyday people of Zimbabwe don’t see any benefit to this, though. Their masters may not see it for much longer either. Stock prices on the index are obviously inflated and unsustainable. It’s only a matter of time before it comes crashing down, taking down many in its spiral.

(more...)

Zimbabwe, Global Voices,

Conflicted: need some feedback

2007-04-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

An online newspaper, Zimdaily, has apparently launched a campaign to out the children top ZANU-PF politicians. The idea is to encourage western host governments to expel these children back to Zimbabwe because of their parents purported anti-western politics.

if reality is anything to go by, Mugabe and his crooks in government favour western standards of 'everything' compared to Zimbabwe, a country they have reduced to a basket case.

ZimDaily has established that Mugabe and his colleagues in ZANU PF have over 300 kids studying in either US, UK and Australian universities and they are fears that these kids are being funded by tax payers in Zimbabwe.

This comes amid reports that Bona Mugabe, Mugabe's daughter is attending the prestigious London School of Economics in England. The school has since refuted the claims.

The British government is also mulling plans to ban ZANU PF officials kids from attending educational institutions in the UK.

Take a look at this.

A fierce debate has erupted about this campaign. I'm conflicted about this. What do you think? Should this be thing that we as Zimbabweans be working at? Or do we have better tihngs invest our energies into?

Here are some of the people they have outed already; here, here, here, here, and here.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Need I say more?...

2007-04-01T00:23:00.000-07:00

Hat tip: This is Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe, South Africa,

Life in Zimbabwe

2007-03-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

In Zimbabwe, a nation dominated by government owned media, keeping up with the political realities is an impossible and risky undertaking. Media in Zimbabwe is dominated by a state owned daily newspaper, and state owned radio and television. All reports carried by state media are unsurprisingly partial to the government. There’s a vacuum for balanced reportage on the country. Western media on the hand, seem too eager to demonize the Mugabe regime. They seem to always go back to their all too old mantra of showing our nation and our people as undercivilized meanwhile ignoring our unprecedent fortitude.

The best opportunity to escape the barrage of propaganda is available to those who live in the cities. Urban residents, because they can receive text messages on their cell phones with news the government represses, are somewhat better off than their rural counterparts . Further, if you have the money you can also go to an internet café in. The second best thing is attempting to tune into foreign radio broadcasts which are dodgy at best. Other than that, word of mouth is the next best way to keep a finger on what is really going in the country. Cell phones and email have been a boon in this regard.

In the last two weeks, life in Zimbabwe has taken a turn for the worse . In publicly attacking MDC activiscts, I am sure the government was displaying they can and will brutally crush any threats to their rule. Sadly, the result is a deeply divided nation living in mutual suspicion. There are two opposed groups; if you are pro-government, people suspect you are a member of the feared Central Intelligence Organization (CIO). And if you complain about the status quo like most Zimbabweans do, the dreaded CIO place you on surveillance under suspicion of stoking up violence and baying for the regime change. Once labelled thus, one quickly becomes known a western stooge. Families have been torn apart by these suspicions.

Each morning we wake up and are faced with the myth of uncertainty. The average Zimbabwean’s life is full of uncertainty. We don’t know if we’re going to have to work because businesses are closing. If your job is not jeopardy, circumstances militate against that reality too. Nowadays, if we wake up too early and go looking for public transportation to get to work, you can be arrested under suspicion of convening an unsanctioned meeting. If you escape that unwarranted suspicion, constant fuel shortages ensure that the transportation does not run on a predictable schedule.

With runaway inflation life in Zimbabwe is unaffordable. We work hard, we are frugal, but never seem to have enough to afford the basic necessities. Our salaries are the only things that are not increasing.

Most disturbing though is the inescapable tension enveloping the entire nation. There is talk of a crack military squad from Angola coming. Bloodshed is almost a certainty before things improve. There rumors of war but there is nothing we can do to stop it. We used to pride ourselves about being one of the few nations in Africa that have successfully avoided civil unrest, not anymore.

The violence, brutality and general harship in life would quickly fuel the flame if the country ignites. I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Epistemology; why it is so difficult to understand the Zimbabwean crisis

2007-03-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

When I started writing, I wanted to aire the rarely heard Zimbabwean perspective to a much broader audience. I wanted to express the thoughts and feelings that are mundanely exchanged between my fellow countrymen yet remain utterly inexistant to the rest of the world. I have had to make several protestations to my readers (most of whom are western) that they should not assume they can fully understand the Zimbabwean crisis from the casual brushes they have with our story on the news or on blogs (including mine). Many things remain uncovered, and many words remain unsaid; the truth, the whole truth remains pervasive.

A lot of what we see and hear about any situation, especially now in our cyber and media driven society, is just reality. Truth is a different thing altogether. Jacques Ellul, a French philosopher is famous for distinguishing a difference between truth and reality. Here's my paraphrase: truth is what is; reality is what is now. Like a picture, reality captures a moment; it speaks to the here and now, but never beyond, and rarely to the before. Reality is evanescent. Truth on the other hand, is to me like a word, timeless in its import, and endless in its appeal. It reaches back into the recesses of time while simultaneously projecting perpertually into the future. There is a difference between truth and reality. Sadly, Neil Postman the American philosopher is correct in his assertion that along with unbridled progress on the developmenal continuum, western society is irrevocably shifting from being word and truth based, to being image and reality centered.

It is for this reason that I am not so chaffed when my country's odyssey is attended to by such institutions of western media as the New York Times, BBC, CNN etc. I tend to be critical of their coverage, not because they always show the negatives in my country or because they treat us like we are bundle of constant problems. Simply put, my exception to western coverage of the Zimbabwean crisis is that they are western and therefore pander to western interests and more importantly relate things from the western perspective which is starkly different from our own here in Zimbabwe. Of course, there are many a time when the western media sometimes correctly report on Zimbabwe I am not arguing that point; my contention is that reporting it right is very different from understanding it from the same perspective as we do. Today's media are obsessed with reality; in Postman's words, media today have a "now this just in" mentality.

So it comes as no surprise to me that many people are baffled that I am willing to concede that Mugabe (cruel and regressive as he may be now,) has, in the past, worked for the good of Zimbabwe. I have been sometimes called a 'marxist' for admitting self evident truths about the history of Zimbabwe.

I bring all this up now because it sheds an important light on what has happened in my country over the past two weeks and how the west (both government and ordinary people) have interacted with it. (See this if you are not aware of what has taken place in Zimbabwe recently).

I happen to think western governments in Mugabe, have an antagonist who unlike Hussein, Gadaffi, Castro or Chavez, has a exceptional command of notions and language of western diplomacy. Europe and her allies cannot march into Zimbabwe preaching democracy because Mugabe will correctly challenge them on what democracy they are championing then Kabul and Bhagdhad are the ruins they are because of west's mission to spread democracy. This explains to me, why the British and and American governments have been, for the most part, mum about abuses in Zimbabwe. Consider this as an example; while conveniently omitting details about their torture of MDC officials, Mugabe's government used the Vienna Conventions to reprimand western diplomats in Harare for their overzealous curiousity about the Tsvangirai trial. That criticism rang true with many Zimbabweans; can you imagine Zimbabwe's ambassodor to the U.S. being consipicously present at the Scooter Libby trial taking a clearly partisan stance?

Reality; things are bad in Zimbabwe and Mugabe's regime and the policies they have wrought upon us are behind most of the rot. So of course it's easy to criticize this regime; I do it all the time! The harder thing to do is owning up to the truth that as absurd as it may sound there people who feel land redistribution was a good thing. While the reality (busted economy, chronic food shortages, record inflation, failed health delivery system etc.) depicts little good on the tails of the eviction of thousands of profitable, succesful, and mostly white farmers. Truth compels we wonder how different the evictions of 1999 to present day are from the occupation of lands controlled by the Rozvi and Matebele empires by white colonialists early in the 19th century.

Please don't take me to task for being pro-ZANU or whatever. This is just an epistemological analysis of the status quo in Zimbabwe. As we continue to confuse reality and truth, we will not make meaningful progress towards resolving the crisis.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe crisis,

This is disgusting

2007-03-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Sokari the author of Blacklooks alerted me to this galling endeavor. Apparently someone thinks it's time to hold the world's first Miss Landmine pageant.

The idea in their own words);

the MISS LANDMINE project puts the global landmine problem and its survivors in the spotlight in a new, celebratory and life-affirming way.

Why?

Angolan culture has a relaxed and open attitude to physicality and sensuality. Furthermore, beauty pageants are a huge cultural phenomenon and a firm tradition in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, not least in Angola. A startling contrast to the politicized, often highly controversial atmosphere that surrounds such events in Europe and USA, African beauty contests are most often an uncomplicated celebration of cultural identity, not unlike Brazil’s carnival tradition (which is also celebrated in Angola)

To say this undertaking is exploitative, patronizing and highly offensive would be an understatement. It is unconscionable that anyone would come up with such a grotesque idea and think they are doing more good than harm. To illustrate the lunacy of this project, let me start off with this proposition: I'm going to change a few variables in the purpose statement put forward by the organizers of Miss Landmine. Can you imagine what kind of reaction this project would elicit if it had the following mission statement:

the MISS HOLOCAUST project puts the global anti-semitism problem and its survivors in the spotlight in a new, celebratory and life-affirming way.

I have no problem with spotlighting the plight of landmine victims. What I cannot mouth is inappropriateness of the vehicle chosen to do that. Yes, beauty pageants are "cultural phenomena" in much of Sub-Saharan Africa (including Zimbabwe), but the organizers could not have picked a more inappropriate way of honoring the survivors if that is truly their goal.

I have attended many a beauty pageant. In fact, the first time I attended a beauty pageant I was only 10 it was held in conjunction with a talent show of sorts. The event was held to celebrate and honor the talents of my scho0lmates. In essence, it was a celebration of the diversity of my primary school.

Every single time since then that I've attendend either a Miss Schools, Miss Harare, Miss Zimbabwe etc. the mantra of those events has been to honor and celebrate the culture of the particular locale from which the women come hence the names "Miss Zimbabwe" etc. Without the schools, the cities, and nation from which these participants emerge, these women are stripped of the unique place, institution, and people they represent. Of course, we still could hold beauty pageants; they just wouldn't representative of the culture and therefore could not correctly assume such universal titles as "Miss Zimbabwe." It's about the culture, and people not just the beauty of three women.

Conversely, when one is chosen winner at these pageants, they are automatically conferred with the honor and responsibility of representing the locale of their origin.

This raises an unavoidable problem for the Miss Landmines pageants. What locale do the contestants represent? What culture are they showcasing? Going by convention, if Miss Zimbabwe represents Zimbabwean people and culture, is Miss Landmines meant to represent landmine people and their culture? I don't need to expound on the absurdity of that proposition.

There is absolutely nothing fashionable, celebratory or life-affirming in the aftermath of landmines (or the holocaust). To try to infuse or deduce some kind of positivity out of the predicament of survivors such human rights abuses is nothing but a not so subtle affirmation of the destruction wrought by landmines. There are many other things people can do to stop the horror of landmines; see this and this for ideas.

DO SOMETHING: Email the director the Miss Landmine project here: morten@miss-landmine.org

Landmines, Angola,

Crossposted: Man killed, opposition tortured in Zimbabwe

2007-03-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

The Zimbabwean government, backed into a desperate corner by a growing groundswell of protests, lashed out violently last week brutally crushing a "prayer meeting" planned by a coalition of civic organisations inlcuding the opposition. The fateful prayer meeting, slated for the Zimbabwe Grounds last week in the historically significant Highfields suburb in Harare had been planned by the Save Zimbabwe coalition failed to even take off. In a country with repressive media laws, it was the bloggers and online news outlets that clued the world into what went on in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's state owned media only gave the violence and police brutality cursory mention all the while blaming the MDC. Frustrated by this, Kubatana Blogs wondered

The media in Zimbabwe is owned and operated by the Mugabe regime. So Sunday’s aftermath, aka how the events are being portrayed, is in the hands of the State. Zimbabweans, since last night, are being force fed a diet of MDC thuggery, non-attendance and opposition violence.

This makes me wonder when the pro-democracy movement will get its act together in terms of creating its own robust media and information response unit. The majority of Zimbabweans don’t get satellite tv so Zimbabwe’s prominence on the BBC last night is neither here nor there for those who want to get the real story.

This man, Gift Tandare, was killed by Zimbabwe's police during skirmishes before the rally. On top of that, mourners were shot at his funeral a few days later. Now there are reports that Gift's family has been forced to exhume his body as the police took it away from them. In her ode to Gift posted on Black Looks, Isabella Matambanadzo observes

He was on his way to a prayer meeting. He was committed to joining other Christians in collective worship for some respite from the political and economic problems facing his country. His crime: being an activist for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC. Rest in Peace Gift Tandare. Zorora Murugare.

(more...)
Zimbabwe,

Pajamas Media interview

2007-03-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

It seems last week was the week of interviews for yours truly. I appreciate the feedback left by those who stopped by even those who remain critics of our efforts to chronicle the Zimbabwean story. Undaunted by circumstance or criticism, we'll continue to tell you the Zimbabwean story from an unheard perspective. This is an excerpt from my interview Richard Fernandez of Pajamas Media.

PJM: What happens next in Zimbabwe?

Zimpundit: This crisis continues while the world watches. With no oil, or "national security" interest for western powerhouses like the US, Zimbabweans are on their own as they continue to bear the brunt of the leadership’s poor choices.

South Africa, our biggest trade partner won’t intervene either because Mbeki considers Mugabe one of his own or because he’s enviously hatching plans to carry out his own atrocities, or both.

Zimbabweans must find it in themselves to negotiate a way out of the present situation. It will take more lives, it will take more suffering, it will take more pain, but we have no other choice.

The MDC leadership will be released with no charges because the state has no case against them. I suspect, having been brutalized once, both Mutambara and Tsvangirai will be out again urging people stand up against the cruel regime. And they’ll both have stronger credibility.

Because of their visible wounds and the fact that they have sacrificed their own bodies and led by example, more people will listen to them. Their wounds and tales of brutality have the potential to spell an end to ZANU-PF’s tyranny. If the government thinks they are going to get the MDC to back down, they have a surprise coming.

PJM: Are there any red lines left?

Zimpundit: The only thing remaining to happen is a public ground swell of people refusing to stand the oppression any longer. Zimbabweans have been pushed long enough, they’ve suffered long enough, all that remains is that their anguish be channeled toward one central place.

Sooner rather than later, there will be an out pouring of rage against the oppression. The economy has yet to grind to a complete stop. Keep in mind that it was the Tsvangirai led crowds that stoppped the nation in its tracks back in 1998 protesting against the cost of living. History has a funny way of repeating itself.

Richard also found some very interesting videos to go along with the article he wrote. Be sure to check both videos for some historical perspective.

Zimbabwe, Zimpundit,

BBC Interview

2007-03-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our readers coming over from the BBC. Analysts and pundits across the board are now firmly confirming the assertions I make in the interview. See this and this.

One of the hottest issues I am being asked about is the issue of hope; is there hope for Zimbabwe? I think this is one of the most overlooked aspects to this whole thing. People are desperately pining for a better Zimbabwe. With the nation in shamble as it is, there can only be hope. The impetus behind the people who were out on the streets on Sunday isn't exclusively about what is going on in the country today; it is in large part about what Zimbabwean hope and know our nation can and will become tomorrow. The reality long sunk in that Zimbabwe has little to offer today, but we remain inspired by prospects of a better Zimbabwe tomorrow. There is a lot of hope in Zimbabwe, it's all people can have.

For those of you not in the know, I did an interview with BBC's Chris Vallance yesterday;

Q - What's behind the latest crackdown?
It's fear. The last two weeks have been absolutely horrendous for this regime. They are now faced with a reality they never thought they'd face; people willingly walking into the paths of their vicious police. Now that they've tortured the MDC leadership this early in the game, the government has ironically upped the proverbial ante. Tsvangirai and Mutambara have nothing left to fear having been deep into the dredges of Zimbabwe's hellish torture system and come back from resolute to continue with their protest for a better Zimbabwe. In the past, people feared public demonstrations because they felt they were being used as political pawns by leaders who didn't want to endure the the wrath of the police on their own. Tsvangirai and Mutambara have, because of this incident gained more credibility with people. Look for this incident to spawn of more the same kind of protest.
Q - Have you noticed a change in the public mood lately?
The thing that I'm constantly hearing of is tension. There is a palatable unrelenting tension across the country. We're sitting on a knife's edge. Imagine waking up one day only to see police armed up to the teeth patrolling your neighborhood indiscreminantly assaulting people and then never going away. This what many poor, unarmed, peaceloving Zimbabweans are enduring.
Q -How do you think this situation will play out?
The MDC leadership have already announced that they will be going back on the streets to the people to ask for the people's help in hastening the process towards a better Zimbabwean. I'm of the opinion more people will come out and start working on a better Zimbabwe because the state of the nation is beyond deplorable. Even when this government isn't shooting at unarmed demonstrators or mourners at a funeral, innocent people are still dying. Almost 40 people were killed when a state owned train collided with a bus, don't you think someone in government could responsibility for some kind of role in this? As for the rest of the world, they will continue to ignore our plight because we don't have any oil to offer Western powerhouse and because Mugabe remains a demigod to many African leaders today.

(More...)

Zimbabwe, Zimpundit,

Court personnel flee as the state fails to prefer charges against opposition activists

2007-03-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Despite enduring grotesque torture while in custody, Morgan Tsvangirai and the other MDC activists arrested on Sunday had to endure a two hour stalemate at the Rotten Row court complex as the personnel fled their posts. In a scene symbolizing the departure of justce from Zimbabwe, court staffers were no where to be found when over 50 detainees were brought before the court. This despite a standing order from the high court reinforcing the victims' constitutional right to a speedy trial. Zimonline has an eyewitness recount of the ordeal;

Then the Zimbabwean justice system exposed itself once more to the world.

For more than two hours, we all waited for the remand hearing, hoping to hear what crime these political civic and political leaders had committed. For more than two hours, nothing happened.

No court official or magistrate turned up to kick off the hearing.

Then Advocate Eric Matinenga, representing Tsvangirai and his colleagues, stood and told the courtroom that all the court officials had fled their chambers. There was no one to hear the case.

This was clearly in contempt of court. On Monday night, High Court Judge Chinembiri Bhunu had ruled that all the arrested people should have access to legal and medical assistance, failure of which the State had to produce all the detainees at 8am the following morning.

Meanwhile, all of the 46 victims who needed medical attention badly were kept waiting with little regard to their pain or suffering.

Silence gripped the courtroom as the 46 arrested activists found their place among the chairs. It looked more of a hospital ward that a courtroom. In fact, the whole bruised lot deserved to be in hospital and not in a courtroom.

Those who were seriously injured included Tsvangirai, the National Constitutional Assembly chairman Lovemore Madhuku, the MDC’s deputy national treasurer, Elton Mangoma and deputy secretary for international affairs Grace Kwinje.

The usually “alive” Nelson Chamisa, the MDC’s spokesman, stood quietly in the corner, all the energy and verve apparently gone after two days of detention in the grimy cells.

Sekai Holland, usually talkative, remained mum even as fellow female activists mobbed her as she feebly acknowledged their greetings and words of encouragement.

Kwinje had almost half of her right ear severed off while her hands were a deep purple from the savage assaults at the hands of crack commandos in police attire during her detention at Braeside police station.

Twice, Tsvangirai failed to sit up. Twice, Mutambara, who appeared not to have been seriously assaulted, helped him, patting his shoulder for encouragement.

More than twice, the two exchanged whispers and ended up smiling and shaking hands.

If only it could be more than a courtroom gesture, the smiles from onlookers in the courtroom seemed to suggest.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe violence,

Drugged soldiers brutalized Tsvangirai

2007-03-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

In one of the most harrowing accounts of the brutal beating endured by Tsvangirai, it has emerged that it was in fact the army that was unleashed on the opposition leadership.

A crack Commando unit based at the army’s Cranborne Barracks in Harare was responsible for the brutal torture of Morgan Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders on Sunday, according to a police officer who witnessed the assault.

The police officer, who is based at Machipisa Police Station in Highfield suburb, said Tsvangirai and the other opposition leaders were tortured for close to two hours by drugged soldiers disguised as police officers.

In an interview with ZimOnline on Tuesday, the police officer who cannot be named for security reasons, said: "I have been in the police force for three years, and I have been involved in the assault of suspects.

“But what I saw on Sunday was not assault. It was attempted murder, especially on Tsvangirai, Madhuku and Kwinjeh (Grace, the MDC deputy secretary for international affairs)"

Tsvangirai fainted three times during the murderous assault.

In a harrowing narration of what transpired behind the police walls to our correspondent in Harare, the police officer, speaking in hushed tones, said 12 Commandoes from Cranborne Barracks were responsible for the assault.

Even police officers were unnerved by the seriousness and brutality of the assault.

"They (soldiers) were dressed in police uniform and had bloodshot eyes. They told us they were police officers, but I managed to identify them as Commandoes because of the green army belts they were wearing on top of the uniforms.

“Only commandoes wear those. One of them announced that they had smoked a special grade of marijuana for the special mission. I witnessed the whole incident. Police officers from Machipisa were not involved. We were stunned at the ruthlessness.

“They were shouting and telling Tsvangirai that they could kill him on that night and nothing would happen to them," said the officer.

The police officer said the beatings started at 11.45pm and lasted for more than two hours.

Read the complete account here.

Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai,

Mourners killed

2007-03-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

This an update from the MDC's deputy secretary of health:

It was reported at 4am this morning two youths were shot by Police/Army (?) amongst those mourning the death of Gift Tandare. The youths are in Hospital.
As I left the Tandare home in Glen View yesterday at 6 pm I observed a large Army truck with personell driving into the area, as well as a Land Rover full of the riot militia.

How long will this genocidal regime be allowed to go unaccountable for these gross Human Rights abuses? The time is long gone for SADC and International intervention.

Zimbabwe, Police brutality,

Coltart exposes ZANU-PF's legal vulnerability

2007-03-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

Human rights lawyer and the MDC's shadow justice minister has posted an exhaustive response explaning how blatantly illegal police conduct was this weekend.

As bad as POSA is, it does not allow the police to issue widespread banning orders as it has sought to do. Notwithstanding the provisions of POSA, the Zimbabwean Constitution is quite clear regarding the right that Zimbabweans have to demonstrate peaceably. POSA is clear that the police are obliged to consider each case on its merits and it cannot lightly disregard the fundamental right contained in the Constitution for people to demonstrate and meet peaceably. What the police have in effect done is issue a general ban reminiscent of the State of Emergency which ended in 1990. There is no declared State of Emergency and to that extent the police have acted completely unlawfully in purporting to issue a general ban as they have done.

Even if the regime is of a mind to argue that it does have this general power it should be reminded that the provisions of POSA used by the ZANU PF regime to deny people fundamental constitutional rights are fascist laws no different to those used by the white minority regime in terms of LOMA. They were bad laws then and are no different now. LOMA did not prevent the legitimate demands of the people from being realised and in the same way POSA will not succeed ultimately in denying the people their rights. The sooner the regime realises that these laws will not solve the Zimbabwean crisis the better. The regime is advised to repeal POSA and then sit down with all Zimbabweans to negotiate a solution to the calamitous situation afflicting our nation. The situation has now been greatly exacerbated by the murder of Gift Tandare, the unlawful arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara and many other leaders and activists.

Click here to read the entire statement.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe violence,

Police murder man, arrest and torture opposition leadership

2007-03-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

It has been a rough weekend for the MDC; not only were the two leaders of the party arrested and tortured, the police killed an opposition activist, and the state press blamed the MDC for the violence.

This from Monday's edition of the state controlled Herald newspapers;

ONE person was shot dead by police and three police officers severely injured during an attack by MDC thugs, while opposition faction leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara were arrested for inciting people to engage in violence.

Other opposition leaders picked up were the Tsvangirai faction secretary general Tendai Biti, organising secretary Elias Mudzuri, Grace Kwinje, Sekai Holland and Job Sikhala, the latter aligned to the Mutambara faction.

National Constitutional Assembly chairman Lovemore Madhuku was also arrested, ZBC News reported last night.

Police said the opposition leaders were observed going around Highfield inciting people to engage in violent activities.

Various opposition groups and civic organisations had planned to hold a political rally at Zimbabwe Grounds disguised as a prayer meeting.

Kubatana observantly notes that

The Herald is correct I think - it wasn’t a prayer meeting) which was disrupted by the ZRP in Highfields in Harare.

The media in Zimbabwe is owned and operated by the Mugabe regime. So Sunday’s aftermath, aka how the events are being portrayed, is in the hands of the State. Zimbabweans, since last night, are being force fed a diet of MDC thuggery, non-attendance and opposition violence.

This makes me wonder when the pro-democracy movement will get its act together in terms of creating its own robust media and information response unit.

Anyone who's been following developments in Zimbabwe is hardly surprised it came to this for the Tsvangirai and Mutambara. ZANU-PF is scared of the opposition and real possibility they maybe faced with an insurmountable tide of anger. This is part of their fight or flight response to certain danger. Still, that doesn't excuse the egregious human rights violations.

Here's how bad things are inside the torture camps

The methods of torture are beating all over the body with baton sticks, falanga (beating the feet), pulling their teeth so they become loose, tying hands and feet together and hanging them up like that while they beat them. As I receive many of them at a medical facility in the city, I see it with my own eyes and hear their stories first hand.

What must be remembered is that severe torture, including the falanga, has long term effects, not just psychologically but also physically. The generally unknown statistics are those torture victims who die a year or two later as a result of the torture.

What the state is doing now is tantamount to another form of Genocide - "systematically dealing with the out group". But no-one likes to recognise it as such. "It is too strong a word" I was told by the EU representative for Human rights two years ago when I presented them with a photographic record of five years of HR's abuses in Zimbabwe. And warned them that much worse was still to come! If "that word" is used, then it means the UN and others are obliged to do something.

We know, as does the rest of the world, that the UN only acts "too late, with too little". Ruwanda is the most horrific and recent example of this. The indications are here for us to see, the utterances by the misruling party make no bones about how they intend to deal with the opposition, and the armed forces (which includes the militia) have explicit instructions. I hope I am mistaken, but I do feel that bloodshed is not far off.

I hope it doesn't come to that.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe violence,

"Rounds": celebrating a creative conception of Zimbabwean's survival impetus.

2007-03-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

If there is one constant in the everchanging sea of Zimbabwe's turbulent circumstances it is this: the economic wellbeing of ordinary people has been under seige over the last eight years. With a national economy reeling from record inflation, untamed unemployment, an aneamic currency, and shrinking productivity, people's ability to excercise economic self determination has all but disappeared. Prices of basic neccesities have rocketed out of range leaving most of Zimbabwe's working people living under the poverty datum line (PDL).

All that is old news.

It never ceases to amaze me to note that every time I look, people all around are constantly innovating new ways to eke out the increasingly elusive survival. Many Zimbabweans refuse to give up even though they confront the most dire of circumstances with each sunrise. As long as there is school fees, rent, utilities, transport, and many other bills to be paid, people persistantly rise to the challenge, failing only after exerting the most valiant of efforts. Tofira mutrial, a popular colloquialism which when literally translated means "we'll die trying" has become the defacto modus operandi on the highways and by ways of our once teeming nation. And, as we Zimbabweans are apt to do when vexed by circumstances that defy the best of our attempts, we've coined a slang term to satirizes this new hustle; kukorokoza (the loose equivalent of gold panning).

But perhaps even more impressive that our uncanny ability to poke fun at our existential dilema, is the depth to which people are digging in as they refuse to allow these pressing circumstances to compromise their existence. Of all the resourceful ways people have invented to remain viable, none captures the communal resilience of my people better than the month-end phenomenon of circulating pots of money better known to Zimbos as "rounds."

Each month end, at a predetermined date, small groups of friends (typically between five to 12 people) pool their monetary resources and give the collective pot of money to one member of the group. So for that one month, that member's family has up to 12 times their usual disposable income. Consider this as an example; a group of eight nurses who work together decide to throw $150 into the pot each month. Every eighth month, each of these nurses takes home an extra $1,050. This scheme, is in essence, a revolving fund of sorts or, an interest-free loan to members of the club.

Assuming that this amount is proportional to the price of things, each time a member takes the pot, their family is afforded a financial opportunity they typically would not have been able to experience. In real terms, this means that the family that collects the "round" can make a significant household purchase, save for school fees, or invest the money in an interest bearing tool.

Most of the TV's in many of Zimbabwe's households were bought with money from the rounds. As a kid, I have fond memories of that eighth month when my mom collected and was able to splurge. My favorite "round" purchase was a fine china tea set that my mom bought only to reserve its' use for occasions when she had special company. Of course, of all the visitors we received at our house, and they were many, I can recall only a handful that were important enough to use the tea set.

Nowadays, rounds are being collected monthly to pay essential bills instead of financing out of the norm purchases. The rounds are now a means of survival. Rounds are just one of the many tricks that Zimbos are compelled to rely on in the face of unrelenting difficulty.

I pay homage to rounds not only because of their ability to enable Zimbabweans to prosper materially at a low cost, but because for me, they embody a unique type of capitalism that will one day catapult us to the front of the world's economic stage. In a rare marriage of self interest and benovelance, rounds, in their own unique way, represent the ultruistic benefit that can be derived from sheer capitalistic enterprise. In my opinion, this is strictly because of how central the notion of community is to rounds.

A reliable and trustworthy relationship is a prerequisite between any potential members of these clubs. The people have to both trust that they will all pay their monthly dues, and have confidence that each member will earn enough income to pay the dues. Who better to trust for long term reliability than one's own neighbors and workmates? (more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe economy,

WOZA's Jenni Williams honored

2007-03-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

The USA's State department held it's inaugural International Women of Courage Awards as part of the month-long commemoration of Women's History month. Jenni Williams, the national coordinator of Women of Zimbabwe Arise! (WOZA) was among the ten recipients of the award.

In the first ceremony of its kind at the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice March 7 paid tribute to 10 women from around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership. The honorees represented Afghanistan, Argentina, Indonesia, Iraq, Latvia, Maldives, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.

At the awards presentations, Rice congratulated the women for their “dedication, commitment and passion.” She said their work is transforming societies and serving as an inspiration to the international community.

The awardees are Jennifer Louise Williams of Zimbabwe; Siti Musdah Mulia of Indonesia; Ilze Jaunalksne of Latvia; Samia al-Amoudi of Saudi Arabia; Mariya Ahmed Didi of Maldives; Susana Trimarco de Veron of Argentina; Mary Akrami of Afghanistan; Aziza Siddiqui of Afghanistan; Sundus Abbas of Iraq; and, Shatha Abdul Razzak Abbousi of Iraq.

They were selected from 82 women of courage who were nominated by U.S. embassies worldwide.

Acknowledging that the road to equal rights is a “long journey,” Rice thanked the awardees for combating attempts to dehumanize women. The secretary shared with the audience the wisdom on a T-shirt she was given by Kuwaiti women when they won the right to vote that said: “Half a democracy is no democracy at all.”

Ms. Williams is as deserving a recipient of the award as any other after what she continues to subject herself to in Zimbabwe for the sake democracy. Violet Gonda, our friend at SW Raidio Africa aptly surmises the important role Williams has played in keeping Zimbabwe's civic activism going,

Many said she was on a road to nowhere with her street protests and various efforts to resist the most brutal government clamp down on free expression in our time, but Jenni Williams - with the other Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) - has soldiered on regardless. She has been imprisoned, beaten, battered and suffered head lice in detention so many times she had to shave her head.

For the last five years, however, Williams has been an inspiration for peaceful campaigners throughout the world.

She truly is a hero in her own right. She has taken a loose coalition of women and turned it into the mainstay and inspiration of Zimbabwe's entire civil disobedience movement. WOZA kept growing when the MDC faltered and split into two factions. WOZA has been so effective that in this highly paternal culture, some men have started to come out in support of WOZA. Williams has played no small part in all of that.

However, without taking anything away from Williams, I can't help but mention that Zimbabwe is being held together by millions of women like her. Unlike many of their errant male counterparts, Zimbabwe's women have stepped up to the challenge of fending for their families despite the collapsing economy and the plethora of dilapidated social institutions. The sad thing about most of these other women is that they often go it with little or no recognition for the valor and resilience. It is these women, who rise early everyday to scrounge up food for their families before they leave for work and school. During the day, these women toil endlessly to gather firewood and other inputs so they have a meal for their families at dinner. And at the end of the day, it is these women who are beaten, verbally abused, and worst of all, exposed to deadly diseases like AIDS all because of their loyalty to their children and families.

We cannot forget the important role these women play too. We must not forget the other women of Zimbabwe too.

Zimbabwe, WOZA,

ICG report creates buzz

2007-03-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

International Crisis Group (ICG), a global political think tank released a report on Zimbabwe that has generated a lot of attention in cyberspace over the past 48 hours. Here's the important stuff, the recommendations ICG makes in the report,

To the Government of Zimbabwe and ZANU-PF:

1. Abandon plans to extend President Mugabe’s term beyond its expiration in March 2008 and support SADC-led negotiations to implement an exit strategy for him no later than that date.

2. Negotiate with the MDC on a constitutional framework, power-sharing agreement, detailed agenda and benchmarks for a two-year political transition, beginning in March 2008, including:

(a) adoption of a constitutional amendment in the July 2007 parliamentary session providing for nomination in March 2008, by two-thirds majority, of a non-executive president, an executive prime minister and de-linking of government and ZANU-PF party positions;

(b) a power-sharing agreement leading in early 2008 to a transitional government, including ZANU-PF and the MDC, tasked with producing a new draft constitution, repealing repressive laws, drawing up a new voters roll and demilitarising and depoliticising state institutions in accordance with agreed timelines and benchmarks, and leading to internationally supervised elections in 2010; and

(c) implementation of an emergency economic recovery plan to curb inflation, restore donor and foreign investor confidence and boost mining and agricultural production, including establishment of a Land Commission with a strong technocratic base and wide representation of Zimbabwean stakeholders to recommend policies aimed at ending the land crisis.

3. Abandon plans for a new urban displacement program and act to redress the damage done by Operation Murambatsvina by:

(a) providing shelter to its homeless victims; and

(b) implementing the recommendations of the Tibaijuka Report, including compensation for those whose property was destroyed, unhindered access for humanitarian workers and aid and creation of an environment for effective reconstruction and resettlement.

To the Movement for Democratic Change:

4. Proceed with internal efforts to establish minimum unity within the party and a common front for dealing with the government and ZANU-PF and contesting presidential and parliamentary elections, while retaining reunification as the ultimate goal.

5. Hold internal consultations between faction leaders to adopt a joint strategy aiming at:

(a) finalising negotiations with ZANU-PF over constitutional reforms, a power-sharing agreement and formation of a transitional government in March 2008; and

(b) preparing for a March 2008 presidential election if negotiations with ZANU-PF fail, and President Mugabe retains power.

To Zimbabwean and South African Civil Society Organisations:

6. Initiate legal proceedings in South African courts to attach any assets stolen from the Zimbabwean government and transferred to or invested in South Africa and to obtain the arrest and prosecution of egregious Zimbabwean human rights abusers visiting South Africa.

To SADC and South Africa:

7. Engage with the U.S. and the EU to adopt a joint strategy for resolving the crisis that includes:

(a) mediation by SADC of negotiations for an exit deal on expiration of President Mugabe’s term in 2008 and of an agreement between ZANU-PF and the MDC on a power-sharing transitional government to oversee development of a new constitution, repeal repressive laws and hold internationally supervised presidential and parliamentary elections in 2010; and

(b) understandings on the use by the U.S. and EU of incentives and disincentives to support the strategy in regard to targeted sanctions, political relations with the transitional government and resumption of assistance.

8. Engage with the Zimbabwe government to facilitate talks between ZANU-PF and the MDC leading to the above steps.

9. Convene an urgent meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation to consider the regional consequences of the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe and recommend action by the Heads of State summit to deal with the situation.

To the United States and the European Union:

10. Engage with SADC countries to adopt the above-mentioned joint strategy, including understandings on timelines and benchmarks to be met by the Zimbabwean authorities in restoring and implementing a democratic process.

11. Increase pressure on President Mugabe and other ZANU-PF leaders if they do not cooperate with efforts to begin a transition and restore democracy, including by taking the following measures to close loopholes in targeted personal sanctions:

(a) apply the sanctions also to family members and business associates of those on the lists;

(b) cancel visas and residence permits of those on the lists and their family members; and

(c) add Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono to the EU list.

12. Portugal, holding the EU Presidency in the second half of 2007, should not invite President Mugabe and other members of the Zimbabwe government or ZANU-PF on the EU targeted sanctions list to the EU-AU summit unless significant reforms have already been undertaken.

13. Increase funding for training and other capacity-building assistance to democratic forces in Zimbabwe.

To the United Nations Secretary-General:

14. Assign a senior official – a new Special Envoy to Zimbabwe, the Special Adviser to the Secretary General on Africa or a high-level member of the Department of Political Affairs – responsibility for the Zimbabwe portfolio including to support the SADC-led initiative, and monitor the situation for the Secretary General.

To the United Nations Security Council:

15. Begin discussions aimed at placing the situation in Zimbabwe on the agenda as a threat to international peace and security.

To the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights or in the alternative the Human Rights Council:

16. Initiate a follow-up investigation on the Tibaijuka Report, including plans for a new urban displacement campaign, arrests of informal miners and political repression, and recommend actions to the member states, the Security Council and the Secretariat.

To the Commonwealth Secretariat:

17. Encourage Commonwealth member countries in Southern Africa to help mediate a political settlement for a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe, setting benchmarks for a return of the country to the organisation.

18. Establish a group of Eminent Persons to engage with Zimbabwe, using the good offices of its regional members to facilitate access.

19. Work through Commonwealth civil society organizations to build up civil society capacity in Zimbabwe.

I can't say the report, recommendations, or all the attention it is getting have me jumping out of my seat. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to dismiss the report either, there's clearly been a diligent effort by the group to document the status quo in Zimbabwe today. (more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Pray Zimbabwe press release

2007-03-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

On April 18, 2007, friends of Zimbabwe will gather together around the world in prayer for the country of Zimbabwe and its people as a part of the International Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe (IDOPZ).

Thousands in Zimbabwe die each week from AIDS. Food is scarce. Medication is in short supply. The inflation rate is the highest in the world at nearly 1600 percent. Medical workers are on strike. 80 percent of the population is unemployed. Humanitarian aid organizations are restricted from getting life-saving supplies to the people.

A team of pastors, students, professors, journalists, both native Zimbabweans and others, have joined together to coordinate the Day of Prayer. Using the Internet as a powerful networking tool, the IDOPZ website has shared stories and pictures with interested individuals worldwide, and students have connected through Facebook.

Contact Aaron (aaron@PrayZimbabwe.org), IDOPZ Media Relations Coordinator, for interview requestsand additional contact information.

Zimbabwe,

ITV stealth report: fed up in Zimbabwe

2007-03-05T14:29:00.001-08:00

Hat tip: Mandebvu

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Zimbabwe; cracks, fissures and discontent all around.

2007-03-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe turned 83 a week ago. While he celebrated at a lengthy gala in Gweru which was forced on residents and school children there, police issued a repressive ban on rallies and demonstrations in Harare. The ban, the regime's latest measure at calming an incessent tide of anger, is evidence that there are deep cracks and fissures in the nation's foundations as Eddie Cross notes;

The situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated sharply in the past few days. The government has imposed a ban on public meetings, the strikes are continuing with the State run hospitals now completely paralysed, Doctors and Nurses refuse to go back to work. The Universities are due to open on Monday but staff is on strike and there are no signs of compromise. Students plan to join the strike on Monday in support of their lecturers and demanding attention to the stark conditions under which they are living. The ZCTU has announced a national strike in a month’s time and the State Security Minister has threatened them with dire action.

Now a form of curfew is being imposed on the high-density townships across the country in an effort to bring the situation under control. These are clearly signs of panic in the realms of government.

Tomorrow should be the start of a 4-month freeze on prices and wages - however I understand the proposal has been abandoned as being simply unworkable. No statements are forthcoming from the authorities and to say the least, there is considerable confusion in business and Union circles. The Governor of the Reserve Bank speaks of a 'Social Contract' but none exists.

(more...)

Zimbabwe, Global Voices,

David Coltart on the state's disregard of law

2007-02-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

David Coltart, the MDC shadow justice minister and a reknowned human rights lawyer in his own right issued this statement in the aftermath of last weekend's unpardonable incident in Highfield. At least three people are feared dead and over a 100 MDC supporters were arrested Sunday as Zimbabwe's brutal police quashed a court sanctioned rally by the opposition party. The MDC won the right to have rally late on Friday night in the High Court but the court order did not prevent the police from arming their anti-riot tankers imported from Israel and using them on poor unarmed Zimbabweans.

Here is Coltart's statement.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Chamisa: Zanu PF, police fire teargas, live ammunition at MDC supporters

2007-02-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

Highfield resembled a ghost town following running battles between unarmed MDC supporters and armed riot police. The police, who had defied a High Court order, cordoned off the venue of the MDC rally and went on the rampage in the High density suburb of Highfield in Harare.

Despite a High Court order preventing the police from interfering with the MDC rally to launch its Presidential campaign at Zimbabwe grounds in Highfield, Harare, armed riot police sealed off the venue and patrolled the streets of Highfield indiscriminately firing live ammunition, teargas and water cannons in the tranquil environment around Machipisa shopping centre.

When the crowd became agitated, the over 50 000-strong crowd that had turned up for the rally were sent scurrying for cover after armed riot police ordered the shopping center closed, searched people’s homes and indiscriminately assaulted any person seen outside their home. The terror campaign spread to all high density suburbs in Harare where running battles are still being fought between the people and the security forces of an unpopular regime.

Three people are feared dead while 127 people have been arrested and that is the price they have paid for turning up for an ordinary party rally. Two of our disabled supporters, Angeline Masaisai and Clara Muzoda were thoroughly assaulted near the venue of the rally after they had painfully traveled all the way from Mabvuku for the star rally. At least 11 Israeli-imported water cannons patrolled the streets of Highfield and 279 were seriously injured in the clashes with the police and are receiving treatment at various hospitals in Harare.

President Tsvangirai, Vice President Thokozani Khupe and members of the Liberation team attempted to force their way into the stadium only to cause more teargas and chaos from the police.(more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Sekai Holland: MDC Star rally latest

2007-02-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

Who said living in Zimbabwe would be so exciting!!

Sad Update - Back From Zimbabwe Grounds!

It was a bad start to our attempted entry into Zimbabwe Grounds at Highfield just then. The most surprised of all is Mr Marima, Harare province MDC Secretary, who was informed earlier by Police this morning, that they were withdrawing from the grounds, and that the MDC gathered crowds could come into Zimbabwe grounds to hold their Rally. Marima with those gathered, led the jubilant entry, all to be severely assaulted by Police, still inside the Grounds. The crowds in shock are defending themselves from this unexpected assault, we were told as we arrived. The place is crawling with Police.

Farai Mariri, Harare Province Treasurer, who was with Secretary Marima when the good news was passed onto the Province by Police, in the public hearing of most there, that all was well now with the Rally, is now briefing the entire gathered, holding a copy of the Court Order, allowing MDC to go ahead with the Rally, in the absence of the badly injured person in charge, Marima, of details of what happened.

When we all arrived after being advised that the Police had cleared the Rally, led by the President Tsvangirai himself, we found the Zimbabwe Grounds blocked to us by Police, heavilly armed, with reinforcement of 3 brand new looking Israeli made military water tanks for rioters. There were
Police everywhere, inside they were teargassing those in the grounds.

The President’s convoy was prevented from entering, we were however advised to go to the local Police station with the Court order for the Senior Police Officer on duty to see the Order for himself. The President, accompanied by the National Organising Secretary Elias Mudzuri and others went there, on the way there we met 3 more Israeli water tanks rushing fully maaned and equipped to the Zimbabwe Grounds. I have just been dropped to update everyone and then to go back to the others at Zimbabwe Grounds, where we have all agreed to reconverge when the President returns form the Police Station.

And so in changed clothes for the new situation including being arrested en mass this afternoon, I now sign off to return to Highfields to join the
others!

Sekai Holland
Harare
1.15 pm Sunday,18 February 2007
(more...)

Zimbabwe, MDC Star Rally,

Cross posted on Global Voices

2007-02-04T18:53:00.001-08:00

Gideon Gono, the controversial governor of Zimbabwe's central bank delivered a much anticipated monetary statement last week. Sadly, like everything else in the country, it was the incriminating rumours swirling around the governor that were the main fixture early last week when Gono delivered the statement. Gono, who has long been accused of meddling in non-monetary matters, now stands accused of prying into print media, and targeting indigenous bankers while building and protecting his questionable legacy.

A clearly unimpressed Zimpundit surmized the policy statement thus:

Here’s what Gono did, or didin’t do in his policy. Lending rates; stagnant at 500%. Exchange rate; shunted at long outdated paltry rates, and nothing else. Correct me if I’m wrong, but last time checked the sum of nothing is, well, nothing. If anything, this last statement was notable because it was Gono’s thinly disguised concession to Zimbabwe free (sometimes called black) market.

What’s maddening about this is that common Zimbabweans already took fifty punches in their long famished stomachs as prices rocketed in anticipation of Gono’s nil statement. Zimbabwe has a jittery economy which overcorrects for any anticipated shocks. So while Gono, continues to protect his glass house legacy, millions are enduring untold suffering in Zimbabwe. On the streets, where Gono better not go, prices are up, hopelessness is rampant, and there are no jobs.

(more...)

Zimbabwe, Global Voices,

Gono delivers...another damp squib.

2007-02-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

Against the damning background of a controversial mercedes benz, a hardly complentary expose on his meteoric rise, clashes with the finance minister Herbert Murerwa, and the rapid unraveling of his policies, Gono was constitutionaly mandated to deliver yet another monetary policy statement yesterday. Deliver he did, but certainly not a policy statement.

The only change, a cut in money supply which doesn't count becuase in an already highly speculative economy, speculation will increase by a factor equal to the decrease in money supply. Translation; our record breaking inflation will skyrocket this year if Gono sticks to his promises. Add to that, Gono's tepid appeals to the government to sell off none performing parastatals and his call for action from other stakeholder, and what you get is nothing.

Here's what Gono did, or didin't do in his policy. Lending rates; stagnant at 500%. Exchange rate; shunted at long outdated paltry rates, and nothing else. Correct me if I'm wrong, but last time checked the sum of nothing is, well, nothing. If anything, this last statement was notable because it was Gono's thinly disguised concession to Zimbabwe free (sometimes called black) market. (more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy,

Cross posted on Globalvoices

2007-01-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

Morgan Tsvangirai, and not Robert Mugabe, has become the most poignent effigy symbolizing the tragedy that is Zimbabwe. Much like the young nation that stood replete with promise and seemingly unlimited potential in the early 90's, Tsvangirai emerged as the most potent threat to Mugabe's tyranny at the turn of the century. Just like the country, once known as "Africa's breadbasket" has become Africa's basket case, Tsvangirai has turned into a tragic case of a could've been, should've been.

The increasingly isolated leader of the main opposition held a publicized press confrence announcing that Mugabe's efforts to hang on to power would be rebuffed. Unsurprisingly, this event, which early 1998 galvanized the nation's workers to a work stoppage that ground the nation to standstill was hardly noticed by ordinary Zimbos. People are not happy with state of the nation, neither are they happy with Tsvangirai.

Bev Clark at Kubatanablogs epitomizes the deep frustration felt by many Zimbabweans at the arbotive opposition;

Tsvangirai believes that elections are the way to go, either in 2008 or whenever. Never mind that we’ve had the last several elections stolen from under our noses. Yes of course we agree that the conditions need to be rectified in order to hold accountable and transparent elections but we also know that this is the very last thing that Mugabe will allow because it would be shooting himself in his own small foot.

So therefore we have the two dominant political parties in Zimbabwe playing the same old games. Zanu PF is bound to win, and the MDC is bound to lose - unless the MDC stops ploughing the same old barren fields of thought and action.

(more...)

Zimbabwe, Globalvoices,

Gut check: Explaining bad behavior.

2007-01-15T05:06:00.000-08:00

Over the last three or so months, you have come here looking for a new helping of "the world as seen from the eyes of a Zimbabwean" and have been dissappointed to find no new servings. At first you thought it perhaps was a personal difficulty in the real but personal realm of yours truly's life and it'd be over in a few days, but then the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and sadly, the year too passed on by. I know I've dissappointed you. For that I'm deeply sorry.

Beyond that, I'm thankful that this short respite has enabled me to look within myself to seek (and thankfully find) a deep seated fundamental interest in this very enterprise. I won't be going away. During this break, I've been able to step back, watch the world pass me by, and reevaluate what my vantage point will be going forward. I love my country and relish the rare privilege I have in being able to pontificate about goings on thereof in this very space. I've come to three conclusions about the value of what I'm doing in this space. I want to share those with you.

First, I've been challenged to think of what I'm doing on this site. I am glad to confess that I've become aware of, and will from now desist from, my tendency to think of this as an endeavor in which I get to nonchalently broadcast my limited and naive rantings on things Zimbabwean. I refuse to condone this hapless mediocrity; my writing here will from now on be motivated by an uncompromising need to enable you to access a rarely seen persepective on the Zimbabwean dilemma; that of the lay Zimbabwean, the simpleton or average man whom you would most likely run into on the concrete sidewalks of one of my country's cities or out in the rural areas somewhere. The written word, any written word, is only a representation of some much larger truth; a "slice of the truth." The language, grammatical standards, and point of view that govern the composition of any writing are what determine who's slice of truth that writing purports to expose. I chose in this space to deliver to you a slice of truth that represents the common man and woman in Zimbabwe.

Why the need to be so explicit about a mere editorial shift/policy?

That is because I become gladly aware of the fact that there is a continuating proliferation of nooks on the web devoted to capturing a snapshot of Zimbabwe. Thanks in large part to Zimbabweans dispersed in the diaspora, this site is a just a small effort in comparison to other Zimbabwean themed websites. There are many more news sites than there were three years ago, many more blogs, and many more interested groups all declaring their interest and chronicling their efforts somewhere on the World Wide Web. My updated links will soon reflect this growing pool of information. Unfortunately, it is painfully apparent to me that most writers on Zimbabwe have forsaken the sacred obligations of airing the view of Zimbabwe's common people. Like this site, most writings on Zimabwe are replete with erudite pontifications about Zimbabweans that lump lay Zimbabweans into a non descript category without its own voice. Henceforth, what you will find contained here will be an articulation and analysis of major news stories out of Zimbabwean from the perspective of the lay people. Like it or not, agree with it or not, my vantage point will be that of the local angle.

Finally, on a personal note, I've realized that in order to remain sane, I cannot publish new articles daily. Like any number of you, I have obligations that demand nothing less than 100% of my dedication in other areas of life. The last three months have afforded me a much needed break from the demanding lifestyle of a cyberpundit that I'd plunged myself into almost two years ago. Sometimes I'll update more than once in a single day, other times I'll do it once every day. Again, my minimum standard is to publish a new piece at least once a week. On some of those weeks, that piece will coincide with the piece I have to put together for the every-other-week roundup I do for Global Voices.

I'm excited, to say the very least, to share deeper meanings with you!

Zimbabwe, Zimpundit,

Still here!

2006-12-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

Zimpundit is ALIVE and kicking! I just took a breather. We're looking forward to a bigger better year next.

Your daily updates on all things in Zimbabwean politics return in '07!

Yours truly.

Eddie Cross: How long?

2006-10-31T04:51:00.000-08:00

How long, oh Lord?

Perhaps this has been the most common question that I have been asked in recent weeks. People look at me anxiously and hope for an indication that things are not as bad as they seem and that there is some hope that this long nightmare might end.

That is a tough question – perhaps because there is no answer. The truth of the matter is that we might wake up tomorrow morning and find that everything has changed. The reality is however, that change is not likely to come very soon and it is how we manage that bit of information that matters.

Let’s just review the overall situation that confronts us right now.

It is now certain that 2007 is going to be much worse than 2006. Inflation is going to be higher, the economy will almost certainly shrink – for the 9th year in a row and the flood of economic refugees into other countries will, if anything get worse. Shortages will be more widespread and this will
create additional problems for those of us who live here. I predict that the coming agricultural season will be much worse than in the past year. Output across the board will be lower – without exception.

Then there is the situation in Zanu PF. Mr. Mugabe is no longer functioning effectively as Head of State – he is working very short hours and for whatever reason is already in a state of semi retirement. He has moved to his new home in Harare and goes into the office late in the morning
returning home before midday. Few people are seeing him and it is clear that government is confused and divided – no strong central direction is apparent. Everybody is doing his or her own thing.

Then there is the succession debate. Rumors abound about Mugabe’s future plans – they all point to him stepping down and it would appear from our sources that the debate on whether to allow him to remain President until 2010 has been quashed. It would appear to us that he is now committed to
retirement in March 2008, if not sooner. A recurrent Zanu PF nightmare is that he might become incapacitated sooner than March 2008, leaving Zanu unprepared for the succession battles that will follow. (more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Cross posted on Global Voices

2006-10-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

Following recent reports chronicling the decline in Zimbabwe's HIV/AIDS prevalence, the spotlight has now been turned on to the effect anti-AIDS campaigns have wrought on traditional Zimbabwean morals and values:

Zimbabwe's lead in condom use and condom sale worldwide has produced mixed reactions, with some sections of society welcoming the development, while others see it as a sign of "moral decay".

Zimbabwe is the leading country in Africa in male condom use and sales — selling over 163 million male condoms and 3,8 million female condoms over the past five years. The 163 million male condoms sold represent the highest figure in Africa, while the 3,8 million female condoms figure sold represents the highest number of female condoms sold in the world.

A total of 900 000 female condoms were sold in 2005 alone, representing the highest per capita in any programme in the world so far.

But in an entry decrying the absence of service by the Harare City Council, Taurai at Kubatana illustrates how deeply mired the the pro-condom message can sometimes be,

There are some garbage bins in Harare that display colorful adverts for Protector Plus condoms. Part of the advert reads, “What the smart guys are wearing”: a great message but what a pity that most of the bins are overflowing with garbage that hasn’t been collected for days.

(more...)

Zimbabwe, Global Voices,

Eddie Cross: Price Control Arrests

2006-10-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Arbitrary Arrest of Businesspersons.

During the past week many hundreds of businessmen and women have been arrested and detained for short periods by the Police and other StateAgents. In addition literally thousands of businesses have been raided –some on a daily basis, in an effort to intimidate and force wholesalers and retailers to reduce prices and margins.

One business that I know personally has had individuals from State agencies literally camped on the premises for more than 10 days. They issue tickets and when managers have gone to the local Police Station to pay “Admission of guilt” fines they have been confronted with a wide range of arbitrary
charges.

Three such charges that I have seen read: -

Docket number 3627023 “Wrongfully and unlawfully offering for sale”

Docket number 3625426 “Failure to furnish information”

Docket number 3625427 “ Failure to display prices”

In each case a fine was paid of Z$10 000.00 – much cheaper to pay the fine than go to Court with all that that involves. The authorities are trying to enforce a maximum retail mark up on a wide range of goods of 10 per cent. What they are demanding at wholesale level is anyone’s guess – perhaps 5 per cent?

By my calculation a wholesaler must operate a net (after taxes) margin on at least 15 to 20 per cent and turn their stock every month to make enough money to pay taxes, finance new stock (at significantly higher prices) and pay overheads and direct costs. A retailer requires double that level of margin, as their sales are smaller and costs higher.

If you do not make these sorts of margin then you might cover costs but will not generate the additional funds to buy new stocks. If I take sugar as an example, I bought 7 tonnes of sugar in November 2005 for Z$94 000.00. Today sugar costs Z$351.00 per kilo – my 7 tonnes would cost Z$2 457 000.00 – that is 26 times what it cost just 12 months ago. If I bought 7 tonnes every two
weeks my mark-up at 10 per cent would only finance a small part of this huge increase in the unit costs. The rest would have to be financed from borrowings or from margins on other products.

You can see this happening to retailers and wholesalers – they stay open but their stocks shrink. If I borrowed the funds to pay for the higher costs, interest at today’s rates would cost me Z$25 000 a day on 7 tones of sugar –in 14 days that is Z$350 000 or much more than 10 per cent of the cost of
the product.

One or two reports say that the officials carrying out these raids have shown copies of the Notice that established their right to act in this way. The one report said the new authority would expire at the month end. Directors of business are obliged by law to trade in such a way as to protect the business. They may not trade under conditions that would knowingly lead to the firm’s insolvency and threaten creditors interests.

Most managers are now out on bail. It will be fascinating to see what happens when they get in front of a magistrate.

Zimbabwe, Economy, Price controls,

Tendai Biti: MDC acts on Hon. Mubhawu

2006-10-18T04:32:00.000-07:00

The national executive of the MDC held its fifth post-Congress meeting in Bulawayo on 15 October 2006. The meeting was historic in that it was the first time the party had held its executive meeting in Bulawayo.

The national executive deliberated on the state of the party, did a post-mortem on the Chikomba and Rushinga by-elections and received and deliberated on Advocate Happias Zhou’s report on the assault of in Mabvuku 2 July 2006. The national executive also reviewed the debate in Parliament on the Domestic Violence Bill. Pursuant to this, a number of critical decisions were made, which include the following:

1 (a) That the executive committee accepts in total the report and extends its thanks gratitude to Advocate Zhou, Ms Irene Petras, Mr Kay Ncube and Mr Kudzakwashe Matibiri for their sterling effort in producing the report for no charge. The executive also accepted the responsibility of Zanu PF and its intelligence agents in infiltrating and destabilizing the party and the centrality of the State in the barbaric assaults that took place on 2 July 2006. However, the party acknowledges the huge internal problems inherent in Mabvuku and with immediate effect dissolves the Tafara/Mabvuku district executive. An interim committee will be appointed to run the district pending elections to be held in 3 months time.

(b) That the party acknowledges the destructive role played by the sitting MP, Hon Timothy Mubhawu and for his role in the matter, the party immediately relieved Mubhawu of his position in Harare province where he was director of elections. The party further barred and interdicted Hon Mubhawu from dealing with any structures in Mabvuku in any manner other than that of organizing meetings and rallies consistent with party programmes.
(more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Eddie Cross: The farm situation today

2006-10-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

Set out below is a letter from a lowveld farmer on an irrigation farm. It describes what has been going on there for the past few months. The ceizure of farm equipment was done by Police and Army details useing force. It was declared illegal and the High Court ordered the equipment returned. We are talking here of many million of US dollars worth of equipment. When they eventually colected the equipment - it had been vandalised to the point where it was no longer operational. Jambanja is a term used to describe the use of a mob to terrorise the occupants of a home on a targetted farm. It is often accompanied by physical violence, noise and fire damage to property.

The campaign is carried out on an ethnic basis - white farmesr are the targets. It is completely illegal and destructive. Farms taken over in this way quickly become derilect and unproductive.

Eddie Cross
18th October 2006

Muroyi,

Pardon my poor responses to your e-mails. My mind is a bit cluttered for the moment by the reappearance of what I thought was behind us.

There's been a turn for the worse again. We were told to fetch our illegally seized equipment from the various police stations, starting on 20th September. This, after explicit high court orders to do so in Dec 2005. We were able to access about 60% of what they took from us. It is all very badly vandalized and abused. None of the tractors were mobile. All the many trailers and towable implements no longer had tyres, etc. Those unfortunates who'd had their expensive centre pivots uplifted by the police team last year had to pick through the jumble of pipes, wheels, motor, gearboxes computerized control panels, etc where they had been simply dumped last year. Never used, some even had the original paper labels on.

What a wicked exercise last year's seizures by government agents was.

We finally completed the recovery of what was available, on 26th September. The Ministry of lands immediately slapped a fresh order on all the premises where the equipment had been temporarily stored! It was in the form of a notice of "Intention to Acquire" our equipment, some kind of perverted pretence of following "procedure". The long and short of it is that our equipment has been re-embargoed. In its present state it cannot ever be used, and the state's agents know this. The act was out of spite and revenge for losing the court actions all along the line! A twisted attempt to "save face" perhaps.

There is a new spate of farm evictions.You have no doubt read about it in the media. All the eviction notices are illegal. There is no provision in law to issue any. In the haste last year to change the constitution and nationalise the land, the ZG omitted to include an eviction clause.

Parliament and the senate have now corrected their oversight with yet another amendment. This awaits signature by the president.

Greig still lives at Farm 39, which is "next door". On Sunday there was a jambanja mob at the gate demanding to come in. A police inspector from Masvingo was demanding the keys from the yard staff in order to enter and seize a homestead. Several employees escaped into the sugar cane, one coming to report to me. Greig was unaware of the drama until I phoned him in his abode, and by the time he went to investigate the inspector had called off his efforts and departed! Nonetheless Greig went looking for him, and they had a frank conversation of 45 mins. Low volume, but the fellow is totally brainwashed, mouthing revenge for the whites chasing his ancestors into the hills in the nineteenth century etc, and his resolvde to recover the land which was stolen.

That is where it should have ended. Greig has however received several messages to say a proper jambanja will ensue, starting tomorrow. One doesn't know what to believe, other than they are as predictable as a puff adder.

The whole problem stems from the corrupt ministry of lands, whose local officials have refined dishonesty to an art. They've been issuing forged "eviction notices" to many farmers during the last few weeks. On initial inspection these looked to be genuine, and caused quite a stir. In spite of being false the bits of paper have of course had the desired intimidatory effect!

Meanwhile I am a bit concerned about Greig. I cannot proscribe to him. There have been several warnings from friendly sources that he should be cautious. The dilemma is to decide on the level of danger, and whether the suggestion wasn't planted in the mouths of well-meaning messengers.

Whichever way you look at it, whites have again become very vulnerable on the farms. There seems to be little recourse at present to counter the determination of Didymus Mutasa to rid commercial farms of all whites by the end of the year - or by the "start of the rainy season" as he has vowed.

Keep well, my friend.

Malume.

Zimbabwe, Farm invasions,

Cross posted on Global Voices

2006-10-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Global Voices has posted a harrowing video documenting the brutal beatings suffered by worker's union demonstrators recently. Read the post and watch the video here.

Debate surrounding a new law, the Domestic Violence Bill, became the context for a much criticized misogynistic outburst in Zimbabwe's parliament last week. Timothy Mubhawu, a controversial member of Zimbabwe's parliament attracted the ire of women worldwide when he, purpoting "to represent God", expressed his views on the proposed bill,

"I stand here representing God Almighty. Women are not equal to men. It is a dangerous Bill and let it be known in Zimbabwe that the right, privilege and status of men is gone. I stand here alone and say this bill should not be passed in this House. It is a diabolic Bill. Our powers are being usurped in daylight in this House."

This outburst, wouldn't nearly be as appalling had it been uttered by any other legislator save for Mubhawo. Zimbabwean women were on the streets the day after Mubhawo's infamous statement. Mubhawo is the chief suspect in the brutal assault of Trudy Stevenson, a white female parliamentarian.
(more...)

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe news,

Eddie Cross: MDC rallies

2006-10-16T05:11:00.000-07:00

The MDC held one of its anniversary rallies in Bulawayo on Sunday. This morning the local State controlled daily has as its headlines "Residents Boycott Tsvangirai". Nothing could be further from the truth. No doubt Nelson Chamisa and William Bango will release photos later of the event but my own estimate is that we had a larger gathering at White City than thelast time we were there.

It is very difficult to estimate numbers on an open field but people were sitting perhaps 15 to 20 deep and standing about 5 to 10 deep at the back in a 180 radius crowd. The atmosphere was festive - a lot of humour and good spirited banter, some very clever heckling of certain speakers. As usual MT got a very strong response. I sat next to Grace Kwingeh - she had been in Europe for the past 4 years and it was her first rally in Bulawayo since coming home. She said she was astounded at the turnout.

It was especially so when you appreciate it publicized by word of mouth, there is no public transport and people had to sit in the open in October for 4 hours to hear the leadership. No one moved until it was all over.

MT had just come from the Eastern districts where three rallies were held and after Bulawayo he was on his way to the Midlands. A frantic schedule and I do not know how he keeps it up.

On another subject, we held a National Council meeting in the morning prior to the Rally and one of the main decisions was to suspend Timothy Mubhawu from all positions in the Party and to put his case the National Disciplinary Committee for consideration. He may well be expelled from the Party as a result. The reason for this strong action was the statement he made in Parliament on women and their status in society. This statement was completely at variance with Party policy and was viewed as a very serious breech of discipline on a key issue.

The decision was unanimous.

Eddie Cross

Zimbabwe, ,

Domestic violence bill stokes up heated debate

2006-10-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that we have a one sided parliament in Zimbabwe (ZANU-PF controls both houses of the legislature), some Zimbabweans are fiercely debating the implications a proposed Domestic Violence Bill. The bill, which was first proposed two years ago, was finally gazetted for parliamentary reading in July.

As it has gone through the legislative process, the proposed bill has engendered emotional debate among Zimbabwe's laity. Traditional Zimbabwean culture is very conservative and pretends to be paternalistic. I use the word "pretends" because I am of the opinion that in families that truly uphold authentic traditional Zimbabwe cultural values, women are indisputably deeply revered. Zimbabwean oral traditions give women a sacred place as the chief matriac of any lineage.

If you think I'm pulling this out of my behind, here are a few examples that I believe elucidate my convictions that true Zimbabwean culture places a premium on the role women play. According to Shona oral tradition, the most heinious offense a child can commit is assaulting their mother. The whole concept in the Shona language of "kutanda botso" or high filial treason, is built around protecting the mother figure. There is no such measure advocating for the protection of paternal figures yet this idea is reinforced among children over and over again as they grow up. The sense of unquestioning respect that our cultures heaps upon a mother is so high, I can clearly remember feeling guilty of this filial high treason for mere anger at my own mother. What's worse is the consequences of "kutanda botso" are assured psychiatric rages as payment from the ancestors, it can be very scary growing up a Zimbabwean child.

Second, in my culture's highly valued marriage process, mothers are intenionally accorded exclusive homage; apart from the dowry or bride price, Zimbabwean culture mandate the delivery of a special cow to the brides mother known as "mombe yeumai" or the motherhood cow. The idea behind this hallowed piece of tradition is to honor the bride's mother for bringing her into this world. Again, no such specific attention is given and lauded up the father of the bride despite that the partriachs dominate proceedings during a traditional marriage.

Beyond the marriage ceremony itself, the relationship between the mother in law and her son in law remains one of the most strictly upheld aspects of our culture to this day. Mothers in law are to be venerated with a degree of respect that I can only think of as matching that which subject were expected to laud upon their African kings in antiquity. A son in law must not make eye contact with their mother in law, they should (if they abide by strict Shona culture) appear before their mother in law dressed casually or in jeans, and must not talk to her out turn.

I blame the chauvinistic neo-classicals for crusading against the sanctity of women. That's a post for a different day.

Back to the DV bill. Without a doubt, its most controversial moment came on Monday when MDC MP Timothy Mubawo uttered the infamous "I represent God" in defence of male dominance,

"I stand here representing God Almighty. Women are not equal to men. It is a dangerous Bill and let it be known in Zimbabwe that the right, privilege and status of men is gone. I stand here alone and say this bill should not be passed in this House. It is a diabolic Bill. Our powers are being usurped in daylight in this House."

Yes folks, that came out of the mouth of a legislator who has been under suspicion for the most violent outburst of rage against Trudy Stevenson a female MP!

Zimbabwean women came out on the streets yesterday to protest the misogynistic comments of Mubawo.

As the controversy has raged, it has emerged that Mubawo's misdirected comments may have been evoked by a purpoted attack the bill reportedly mounts against marriage. According to Zimbabwe Journalists,

But a closer look at the Bill by zimbabwejournalists.com revealed the MP, although apparently out of order in making the sexist comment about women, the Bill, which has been hailed as a saviour for women who suffer domestic violence on a daily basis, is far from what many ordinary women expected.

A perusal of the Hansard, the daily record of the House of Parliament, reveals the Bill was supported by almost every legislator on the clauses that deal with domestic violence, which according to Oppah Muchinguri, the Gender Minister, is responsible for 60 percent of all murders in Zimbabwe.

Trouble started when the legislators discovered embedded within the Bill were clauses that they think undermine the sanctity of marriage by giving too much powers to mistresses who can take wives to court if approached about their adulterous affairs.

If the mistress claims harassment and the court concurs, the wife can be jailed for up to 10 years. Under existing law, a woman with a Chapter 37 marriage certificate could take her husband’s girlfriend to court but under the Bill, it is an offence for the woman to approach the mistress.

But there's even more,

Apparently the Bill also protects the former mistresses from losing the property acquired through their adulterous affairs. Male MPs who spoke off the record for fear of making sexist remarks said the Bill has “completely shifted from dealing with domestic violence to protecting the interests of a few women leaders”. They promised to speak on record in the House after “re-grouping” with the chiefs and others to put their case against certain clauses in the Bill together.

Another Zanu PF MP, who also did not want to be named said: “Right now we are going to Bulawayo to discuss the budget but I feel this is an important issue. Look at the House, we have 22 female legislators and only four are married – not that it’s an offence to be single. The four are outnumbered. They know the Bill threatens the institution of marriage. Oppah Muchinguri, the Women’s Coalition and others should be applauded for their work on trying to nip domestic violence in the bud but then they have not fully explained to the generality of the women in the country what they really intend to do with the law – protect themselves, their own selfish interests.”

As the debate continues, one can only pay homage to our mothers, grandmothers, and sisters hoping that they will someday see the honor and respect our ancestors endowed them with.

Zimbabwe, Domestic violence, Zimbabwe Legislation, Women's rights,

MDC turns seven

2006-10-09T04:29:00.000-07:00

The MDC will on Sunday, 8 October 2006, hold its seventh anniversary celebrations at the ceremonial home of people power at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare.

The occasion will attract thousands of MDC supporters both in and outside Harare, provincial leaders from across the 12 provinces as well as national executive and standing committee members. President Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to give the keynote address at the carnival ceremony which will be interspaced with music and drama from various groups.

The MDC was formed in Harare on 11 September 1999 and on Sunday, the party takes stock of its challenges and achievements in the past seven years. On Sunday, we will celebrate seven difficult years under an unrepentant dictatorship. On Sunday, we will celebrate the resilience of the people of Zimbabwe in the face of visible signs of collapse which include a high inflation rate that continues to skyrocket, a collapsed health and education system, a life expectancy of 34 years, massive corruption in all sectors of the economy and an acute shortage of foreign currency for critical imports such as power, fuel and medicines.

The MDC bears visible scars after only seven years in existence. We remember and salute the thousands of our supporters who perished at the hands of Zanu PF such as Learnmore Jongwe, Talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya, to mention but a few; we remember the thousands whose houses were burnt and destroyed by this government and the millions who have fled their motherland to seek refuge elsewhere and to work in dehumanising and degrading conditions. We remember the pain and tears of our supporters over the past seven years as Zanu PF went on the rampage across the country and unleashed unprecedented violence on those suspected of sympathising with the MDC.

Ours has been a tough struggle against a dictatorship determined to remain in perpetual combat with the ordinary people of Zimbabwe. The MDC has shown its resilience under one of the most vicious dictatorships and the fact that we are still existing bears testimony to the determination of the people of Zimbabwe to save their country. Our cause is just and we continue to survive the detours, impediments and set-backs authored by the dictatorship.

On Sunday, we will take advantage of the occasion of the party's seventh anniversary to reflect on our challenges and achievements over the years. The MDC is ready to roll out its programmes. There is no doubt that the people shall soon express themselves in a big way against tyranny. We remain committed to to peaceful resolution of the national crisis. We have already tabled our roadmap as our humble submission towards a peaceful resolution of the national crisis that continues to get worse everyday. In any contest with the people, dictators have always come second best. Zimbabwe deserves better. Let's build a new and better Zimbabwe.

Nelson Chamisa, MP
Secretary for Information and Publicity

Zimbabwe, MDC,

Eddie Cross: The responsibility to protect.

2006-10-03T01:40:00.000-07:00

For almost all of the 20th Century, a basic dictum of international diplomacy was “non interference in the internal affairs of other States”. Even today, Mugabe angrily denounces all attempts to even discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe at international gatherings as “interference in our internal affairs.” At the SADC summit last month he stormed out of that gathering and flew home 24 hours early when leaders insisted that the Zimbabwe situation be discussed in a closed session.

Today in Darfur the international community faces a fresh challenge – the Sudanese government is flatly refusing to allow more effective UN surveillance of the situation in Darfur and is continuing to try to subjugate the people of Darfur by means of armed force using both State resources and informal armed forces. The international media is still allowed into the Sudan and so we can see for ourselves the effects of this situation on the ordinary men and women of the western region of Sudan. We can see the refugee camps, the fresh graves; hear the stories of those whose lives and rights are being abused by a dictatorial Islamic regime.

In recent times the issue of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States has come under scrutiny. People are questioning the dictate and saying that where a government is threatening the fundamental human and
political rights of its people, the international community has the responsibility to act in solidarity with the poor and defenseless. So today we are seeing really tough talk at the UN about Darfur and we are also seeing more and more prominent people from all walks of life saying that the international community has the responsibility to interfere.

In southern Africa we have been there as well – both the Rhodesian and South African governments used the dictate to argue that outsiders had no right to interfere. But eventually, the gravity of the crisis and the threat to the
stability of the region persuaded those with power to take action. In both cases the international community appointed a “point man” to take responsibility for coordinating and directing the resolution of the crisis. In both cases they were successful. Henry Kissenger was the point man on Rhodesia and Margaret Thatcher the point “man” for South Africa.

What happened after their intervention was critical, but it was their (often unsung) actions that actually broke the logjam and made all else possible. If you had told me that South Africa would go through the process that led
to the 1994 elections without serious violence and upheaval – I would have said you were nuts. But it happened and the key element was a carefully planned and executed political action backed by the threat of the use of
power. Such threats are only credible when they are real and can be backed up by action if needed.

Today it is 30 years since Henry Kissenger flew into South Africa and held talks with a team of Ministers led by Ian Smith at Union Buildings in Pretoria. He came with a plan agreed by key African leaders and the backing
of the global community at the time. He arrived when Rhodesia was in the throes of an armed struggle with the armies of Zanla and Zipra who were demanding one-man one vote (democracy). 150 000 men were under arms and the
ordinary population of the country was being brutalized by all sides. The economy was in dire straights and there was no end in sight for the conflict. There were fears the conflict might spread into South Africa itself. Smith was totally in charge and even the South Africans were wary of taking him on politically.

Kissenger persuaded the South Africans that there was no future for Rhodesia under Smith. That backing the Smith government was not only a waste of South African resources but was having a negative impact on the survival and prosperity of South Africa itself. He was well prepared and the US had used its considerable intelligence capacity to ensure that he could argue this case with some force and conviction.

Kissenger sympathized with Smith – recognised his courage and determination and even his love of the country he led. But he also understood that he was never going to win and that if the final defeat came any way other than
through negotiation, it would be a disaster. He presented his plan to the Rhodesian team and after they had debated it amongst themselves for a while, they rejected it. At that point the President of South Africa came in and
said to the Rhodesian delegation that if they walked out of that room without an agreement, he would cut off their essential supplies and all future support would cease. Smith went on to call it the “Great Betrayal” but in fact what those two foreign leaders did that day was to rescue the country from itself and open the way to a new beginning.

The Rhodesians flew home and Smith went on television 30 years ago on the 23rd September 1976 to say they had agreed to a transition to real democracy. It took 3 more years but when Zimbabwe was born on the 18th April
1980, Henry Kissenger was, in a very real sense, its father.

Today the international media are banned from Zimbabwe and unless someone has the courage and the equipment to film something clandestinely – the world cannot see what is happening here. That does not excuse leaders. They
should not require pictures to make decisions on situations like Darfur and Zimbabwe. Unfortunately very often that is the case – but it should not be so. They know what is happening – they have other resources, reports,
intelligence and their diplomats.

The crisis in Darfur is serious, but it does not compare to the situation in Zimbabwe where a criminal class is in power, is terrified of its past and is fighting to stay in control at any cost. The consequences are there for all
to see – GDP down by half, exports by two thirds, life expectancy by half in a decade, elections a sham, the media totally controlled and all forms of opposition ruthlessly put down by armed force and violence. We are a threat
to regional stability and prosperity; our economic and political refugees are drowning the social and economic systems of our neighbors. Our leadership is unrepentant – even of genocide and the mass destruction of homes and livelihoods. They are guilty of the theft of national assets and income on a scale that has not been seen in recent years in the rest of the world.

Like Burma and North Korea they have built up a military State that is able and willing to maintain itself on what remains and can continue to do so indefinitely. The only recourse of its beleaguered and embattled population is flight or a form of national “house arrest”.

The Zimbabwe situation is one that is wide open to international intervention. The failure by African leaders, the South African leadership in particular, demands that the international community itself takes a fresh look at what is going on and what can be done to get things back on track. Unlike Darfur, Iraq, Burma and North Korea – Zimbabwe is vulnerable to international action. It is a small country with limited resources – none of them really strategic, it is land locked and its neighbors hold the key to the survival of the regime.

This is a problem that can be fixed. For the sake of its people, the international community has an obligation to interfere. It does not require military intervention of any sort, just coordinated and concerted action by the leaders of democracies in Africa and abroad.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 2nd October 2006

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis, International Relations, Human Rights,

Cross Posted at Global Voices

2006-10-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Years after the first commercial farms were invaded by marauding war veterans and supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF, a new wave of farm invasions has hit the country merely weeks before planting for the upcoming agricultural season is supposed to begin. The Bearded Man has picked up on the story;

So what else is new in Zimbabwe - Mugabe continues to bully the population, the government continues to chase white commercial farmers off their land, while the Zimbabwean economy is in a permanent nosedive with the local currency not faring very well against all other currencies

The government has passed a new law extending them greater liberty regarding how much leverage they can put on commercial farmers who own land the government wants to annex. What is surprising about these new invasions is that the government has announced the end of farm invasions several time over the past year. In fact, there has even speculation that the government was offering land back to farmers who'd lost it during the redistribution excercise. So much for that.

After it's members where deported upon arrival at the Harare airport, AFL-CIO blog is shining the spotlight on the Zimbabwe government. First, documentation of police brutality,

"Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Lovemore Matombo and First Vice President Lucia Matibenga were among trade unionists badly injured during the government’s Sept. 13 attack on a peaceful demonstration by the nation’s unionists. AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy, who traveled to Zimbabwe says “the police just went crazy” in their attack in the capital Harare.

Lucy described his experience today during a meeting with union members at the AFL-CIO building in Washington, D.C., where he showed a 12-minute video of the Sept. 13 assault given to him on their trip. (Note: The date of the attack is incorrect on the video. The attack occurred Sept. 13.)

Watch the video here.
(more...)

Zimbabwe, Global Voices,

ZANU-PF's prehistoric mindset on display

2006-10-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

Geriatric Nathan Shamuyarira, a long time ally of Mugabe and former minister revealed just how outdated and out of touch ZANU-PF's psyche can be. Speaking at a conference discussing the Gukarahundi massacres of 1980-85, Shamuyarira reportedly refused apologise,

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on the National Reconciliation Process in Zimbabwe, in Vumba last week, the Zanu PF spokesperson said the political situation in the early 80s had to be considered first before people talked about compensation.

Shamuyarira said the actions of the North Korean-trained 5 Brigade in the three provinces were "not regrettable". Shamuyarira had been asked to comment on growing calls for compensation for the victims of Gukurahundi.

"It was because the dissidents were killing people that Gukurahundi went to correct the situation and protect the people," he said.

"The assessment of the operations of the 5 Brigade must be seen in that context."

So becuase the soldiers were trying to "fix" a situation they had free pass to do what they wanted? Over 20,000 dead, and it's justifiable just because ZANU-PF thinks so. I think not; Gukurahundi was a genocide, just like Rwanda, just like Darfur.

In case you didn't see it, that report said he was speaking at a conference on National Reconciliation for Zimbabwe.

And that's Shamuyarira's contribution to the conference? His conscience contradicts the thesis of the conference; the whole point of the meeting is reconciliation, you can't reconcile without admission of guilt and forgiveness.

You can't defend Shamuyarira because he doesn't regret his own utterence. A week later he's clearly unapologetic,

Last night, Shamuyarira claimed he had been quoted out of context, but still refused to say if he regretted the genocidal killing of civilians during a government operation stretching from 1982 right through to the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987 between Nkomo's PF-Zapu and Mugabe's Zanu.

Shamuyarira told New Zimbabwe.com that President Mugabe and the late former Justice Minister Edison Zvobgo were wrong to openly admit that the 5 Brigade killings were a terrible mistake.

Mugabe has described the massacres as a "moment of madness" that should never be repeated. Zvobgo went a step further by apologising and admitting that the massacres were giving him sleepless nights.

Shamuyarira said Sunday: "The reported comments came from a long discussion that we had (in Vumba), but some of the statements which are quoted are not correct.

Asked if he had said he did not regret the atrocities, Shamuyarira replied: "No I did not say anything like that. Some of the things may be out of context."

But pressed further and asked if he had any regrets, Shamuyarira retorted: "That's a situation that we would like to put into history. It's not a fair question to put to me, why should I be answering this 25 years later?

"My personal views are not important in this situation, these things happened 25 years ago, we can only review and assess the past but the personal views of individuals are not relevant."

And does he share President Mugabe and Zvobgo's view that the Matabeleland atrocities were a moment of madness? "I don't share that. No I don't share their view," he said.

Shamuyarira's bullheaded mentality clearly predates this conversation. It's representative of how ZANU-PF thinks of themselves; they are always right, can't go wrong and will not apologise. Because of that, they have no place at Zimbabwe's reconciliation talks, at least not with their current disposition. Zimbabwe's ready to move on and engage in progressive conversation surrounding our national heritage and future, we'll do it without ZANU-PF. They will be left behind.

Zimbabwe, Gukurahundi, Genocide, ZANU-PF, Violence,

With Mugabe's approval, police quash another demo

2006-09-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

In what has been widely condemned as the state's approval of police cruelty, Mugabe berated Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) leaders for crying foul after police brutalized them for their attempted demonstrations last week. Speaking at an official event during a stopover on his way back from Cuba and New York, Mugabed raged at the demonsrators accusing them of putting on a charade for western media to document,

The President said the ZCTU leaders — who were beaten up by police for holding an illegal gathering in Harare — got the treatment they deserved for ignoring warnings to disperse.

"We cannot have a situation where people decide to sit in places not allowed and when the police remove them, they say no. We can’t have that, that is a revolt to the system. Vamwe vaakuchema kuti takarohwa, ehe unodashurwa. When the police say move, move. If you don’t move, you invite the police to use force," the President said.

And as if they had planned it ahead, the police did it again.

27 people on Monday were left with bruises after police in Harare crushed a protest march by the pressure group National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). Demonstrations, which took part in several cities last Wednesday, had failed to take place in Harare due to heavy police presence.

Dr Lovemore Madhuku, chairperson of the NCA, said the impromptu strike action which was attended by around 300 people was to make the people of Harare go back to the streets and regain their confidence as the police blocked the protests last week. He said; “The objective is to raise awareness and putting pressure on the government.”

Police are said to have started beating the protesters who were not resisting but merely sat on the road. There were no arrests. Madhuku believes it was a well calculated plot by the authorities not to arrest anyone so as to create the impression that there were very few people in the streets. He also said perhaps it was coinciding with the return of Robert Mugabe who was returning home from the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

All this does is instill tremendous amounts of fear in an already fearful lay population in Zimbabwe. One of the things Mugabe's propaganda has done extremely well is overmagnifying the consequences of opposing them whilst underplaying or downright ignoring the progress made by activists for a better Zimbabwe. Ultimately, as ordinary Zimbabweans engage in the cost-benefit analysis of whether it's worth the risk of going out on the streets, there are huge disincentives for the people to be involved in street protest. We cannot forget the plain reality here; at just 7 years of age, the MDC has attained heights scaled by no other opposition party in Zimbabwe. And despite Mugabe's constant belittling, the NCA and ZCTU are still out there for the people. Don't forget the other civic activists braving assured police torture on a daily basis either.

As for the Bull Conner like government, their time is fast approaching. They too, like their infamous predecessor will realize that just the most violent beatings, the most inhumane punishment, and the most demeaning things they can do and say will not take away from the people of Zimbabwe that which the government didn't give; our God-given right to freedom and dignity. Pretty soon, the people will have nothing left to fear anymore. In Why we can't wait, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. describes Mugabe's impending reality,

When for decades you have been able to make a man compromise his manhood by threatening him with a cruel and unjust punishment, and when suddenly he turns upon you an says: "Punish me. I do accept it so that the world will know that I am right and you are wrong," you hardly konw what to do. You feel defeated and secretly ashamed. You know that this man is as good a man as you are; that from the some mysterious source he has found te courage and the conviction to meet meet physical force with soul force." p.16

It's only a matter of time....

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Zimbabwe from a different perpective

2006-09-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

Ethan Zuckerman, one of my bosses at the award winning Global Voices project has just returned from a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. As can be expected of Ethan, he invested a lot time in chronicling his experiences inside Zimbabwe's boarders. Go over and read his posts on his time in Zimbabwe here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Like PRI's Sheri Fink, Ethan is surprised to find that we continue to survive in Zimbabwe despite massive odds stacked against us. Life in Zimbabwe seems more tranquil than circumstances warrant. Ethan explains that the apparent reticence to rebel is due to the stretchability and adaptability of my country men and women, a phenomenon he labels "makeaplan."

But Zimbabweans may also be avoiding the demonstrations because it’s just so hard to keep their families sheltered and fed. Operation Murambatsvina may have displaced as many as 2.4 million families from their homes; bread shortages are forcing the government to release hard currency to import wheat; petrol shortages make transport so expensive that some people can’t commute to work any more. These privations might inspire revolution in some countries. In Zimbabwe, it inspires people to “make a plan”.

The phrase is said as a single word - “makeaplan” - and reflects the incredible resilience of the Zimbabwean people. Power cuts mean the kids cannot study their books? Send the kids over to one house and light lamps, conserving expensive lamp oil. Can’t afford transport to your village? Trucks leaving Harare stop and load passengers on top of their loads, taking money to help with petrol costs. People who can’t afford prescription medicines - in short supply because of the currency crisis - make friends with people who travel to South Africa, who can smuggle medicines over the border.

Walking into town one morning, trying to find a taxi, I find myself in step with two young men walking to work. They tell me the taxis don’t come by here any more - it uses too much petrol to cruise for passengers - and encourage me to walk for another half an hour, into downtown, where I might find a cab. “It’s good exercise,” they tell me. “Look how strong we’ve become,” they say, laughing.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish by making a plan. My friend Kennedy Mavhumashava talks about a story she recently wrote for a Panos website. Despite AIDS donors deciding to cut programs in Zimbabwe, HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe is falling, both in the adult population and in mother to child transmission. What’s astonishing about this is that Zimbabwe spends much, much less on HIV care than other countries. Well-funded nations like Botswana spend $74 per patient per year - Zimbabwe spends $4.

Every once in a while, a few people in my reading audience, will, having been captivated by the grotesque realities of life in Zimbabwe, ask me why we can tolerate so much anguish. There it is then. Explained and illustrated better than I've been able to articulate it all the times I have tried.

Don't mistake the Zimbabweans' "makeaplan" abilities for an improvement in the dire circumstances in Zimbabwe; life in Zimbabwe is horrible. There's no denying it. It's just that the numerous dialectics in play in the Zimbabwean crisis make it difficult to adopt a mon0logical stance on my country. Post's like this one have elicited passionate responses from some in my readership who equate my documentation of what what the people on the ground are thinking to tacit support for the regime. I'm just calling them like I see them.

Zimbabweans are among some of the most resilient people in the world, sometimes to our own detriment. As much as our victimization by Mugabe pilories his reputation, our own resourcefulness is the crutch by which his regime is propped up. Now I'm beginning to wonder should we be less resourceful then to catalyse the regimes demise? Should the majority in Zimbabwe be incapable of defending themselves against the harsh realities that have become modus operandi in the country? How much worse do things need to get before we reach point break?

Zimbabwe, Life in Zimbabwe,

Elevating the Struggle

2006-09-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Barely a week after their counterparts from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions were arrested and tortured for demonstrating against the government, Lovemore Madhuku's National Constituitonal Assembly (NCA) have promised they'll be out on the streets today. From Zimonline,

Zimbabwe’s National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) civic alliance will today stage street protests in Harare and other major cities against alleged police torture of trade union leaders last week, ZimOnline has learnt.

“We are not happy with the way the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) leadership was brutally attacked (by the police),” said Madhuku. “There is anger out there but I cannot confirm when exactly the demonstrations will take place,” he added.

NCA insiders said alliance leaders were not letting out the exact time protests will kick off in order to surprise the police, who are expected to again mount a similarly massive security operation as last week when they thwarted ZCTU-led worker protests.

But they said more than 300 NCA activists were expected to march across Harare while almost similar numbers of protestors were expected in the cities of Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo and Kadoma.

In our repressive situation, I have no information yet of how the demonstration is going thus far. That's not what is most important to me though. Here's what I find interesting; that the NCA will purpotedly be on the streets in protest of what they know the police did to the ZCTU, and more importantly they're going to be on the street despite their knowledge of what they know will happen. That, is called defiance and marks a new horizon in the Zimbabwean struggle for the restoration of our democracy.

I am not waxing nostalgic over nothing here. I know that every time we've had a protest in Zimbabwe, the government has always come out threatening, with actions to back up their words too. So there is a sense in which every protest that has gone on in Zimbabwe has been defiant. What I'm talking about here is something different though. Right after the ZCTU protest was crushed last week, the MDC came out and said that their march is still on. Now NCA is doing the same. What is more is that ZCTU went into last weeks protest knowing their march had been banned by government! See the trend, it is called defiance, but it's to detriment of the leaders who are doing so. That is something refreshingly new.

I have long criticised for the opposition movement in Zimbabwe for excercising restrained opposition. I've called them out for engaging the diabolic forces that are dominating Zimbabwe only as far as it was at no personal peril. Now it seems our leaders are maturing in their leadership of the people. We the people follow their lead, we'll only engage in the struggle only as much as they do. If they show restraint, we have to do likewise. And if they don't, it allows us to sell out to the cause of our democracy. That's why I mantain that the struggle has elevated to a new level. We've long been waiting for the leaders to do this.

So despite its success or failure, today's NCA protest together with that of the ZCTU from last week and that which is to come from the MDC will go down in my book as the markers of new heights in the fight for Zimbabwe. Enough! Zvakwana! Sokwanele!

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Protest ,

Eddie Cross: A week in time

2006-09-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

A week is a long time in politics.

Sometimes it is quite hard to keep track of all that is going on in this small corner of the world that is so important to us who live here. Must be doubly difficult for those who live “out there”. If you take the past week for example, the main points that we might record are as follows: -

Inflation rose in August to 28 per cent for the month – raising the annual average so far to 1204 per cent. This is dramatically up on the figure for July and the IMF followed this with a brief report that said that inflation was out of control and might reach 4000 per cent in 2007. On the ground the CEO of Dairibord was arrested when he raised the price of milk and the CIO started raids on the homes of senior executives of other companies alleging price fixing and profiteering. After claiming that fuel at controlled prices (Z$330 per litre) would be available, prices rose today to about Z$1000 a litre at retail outlets – local commuter transport charges rose by a third
immediately.

The Deputy Minister of Mines reiterated that the State was determined to take 51 per cent of the equity in all mining concerns. Although the mining industry remained silent in the face of this threat, with the sole exception of the Zimplats operation, it now looks as if the rest of the industry will simply sit tight and await developments. All major maintenance and expansion is on hold and will remain so until the policy environment is clarified. Literally billions of US dollars of investment are on hold as a result. It is yet another example of Zanu PF stupidity and greed.

The IMF announced that in their own view the Zimbabwe economy would contract by about 5 per cent again this year – bringing to 7 years the continuous decline in national economic output and coming on top of an over 7 per cent decline in 2005. In the same week the IMF and the World Bank raised their estimate of global expansion to 5,7 percent in 2006, citing strong growth in China and India and stronger performance in Africa. Global trade is growing strongly and the oil exporters are on a global spending spree that is helping offset the higher oil prices.

The Minister of Agriculture, that nutty guy Made, accepted for the first time that we might be short of grain. He explained to a Committee of Parliament that the GMB did not have the required stocks to overcome a shortfall in imports. This after he has persistently claimed we had grown a large crop of maize and would reap over 200 000 tonnes of winter wheat. The reality is that we have grown a small crop of maize (about 700 000 to 800 000 tonnes) and cannot expect to reap more than a tiny wheat and barley crop – no more than about 50 000 tonnes or 15 per cent of our needs.

What nobody has admitted is that the cotton crop – grown almost completely by small-scale farmers who are largely unaffected directly by the farm invasions, has declined by 30 per cent in a year of above average rainfall –a serious development. To emphasize the impact of this, the largest cotton spinner cut back production by 50 per cent last week and went onto short time. Clothing manufacturers were all rushing to try and find fabric to fill the hole in their programmes in advance of the Christmas season when demand is normally high.

On the democratic front, the State announced last Monday in the form of adverts in the government owned press that Rural District Council elections would be held at the end of October and that candidates had to register by Friday morning. Just to make sure everyone had the opportunity to serve their communities, the compulsory police clearances needed by all prospective candidates had to be processed in Harare and would cost Z$2 000.00 (two million dollars in the “old” currency). Now remember there are nearly 2000 seats up for election in these Districts – many in the most remote corners of the country. The Nomination Courts would be held at all Rural District Council Offices in each District.

The MDC had to find candidates, put them through selection procedures and clearance procedures, get their fingerprints done at local police stations and then send the prints to Harare by whatever means possible, get clearance and then get them back to the Districts in time for the applicants to submit their documents – which must include the new “long” birth certificates. All in 5 days! Well, that proved too much even for Zanu PF who knew of this plan well in advance and was working on candidates and we got an extension to Wednesday – another 3 working days. Still this makes a complete mockery of the democratic system – how on earth can people work within a system that is managed like this – we have not seen the voters roll and there has been very little voter registration activity.

Then Mr. Mugabe commandeered a plane from Air Zimbabwe, leaving passengers stranded all over the world (as we only have one long distance aircraft flying) and flew to Cuba for the Non Aligned Movement summit. He was in good company as he stridently announced to the world that “democracy was stupid” and that the demand for adherence to democratic principle was an excuse for regime change in counties like his own. How right he is – if we had a real democracy here, he and his clowns would be history, voted into oblivion by the people.

Just to endorse his view of the values of the rest of the world, the Minister of Information here said that “a free press would result in Zanu PF losing power” and this was why they were going to keep a tight grip on the press and the electronic media. We all knew that, but it was nice to have it confirmed by the regime itself.

Just to confirm the character of the regime we had the spectacle on Wednesday of 40 000 baton wielding riot police backed up by at least 24 water cannon – most of them brand new, freshly trained by Chinese experts in freedom and democracy, chasing a few hundred Unionists and MDC leaders who were trying to deliver a document to the Minister of Labor. By my own tally, 260 people were arrested, many beaten in front of thousands of by standers and then taken off to Police Cells. There the leadership of the ZCTU was subjected to a brutal and savage beating. At least two – Lucie Mativenga and Wellington Chibebe were beaten about the head and have serious head injuries. They and others have broken arms and legs and crushed hands. We will find out who was responsible (not just the Ministers) and we will eventually get justice for those injured in this appalling action.

A long overdue, but still welcome development was a strong statement from the traditional leaders of the Church in Zimbabwe calling for negotiations centered on a fresh vision of the future and to agree on a solution to the present crisis. This was echoed by voices abroad that said it was time to prepare for a post Mugabe era. We in the MDC agree with both sentiments but Mugabe remains obdurate and stuck in a morass of his own making.

Finally, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, was on BBC World yesterday on a call-in programme called “Have your say”. The programme was recorded in South Africa because the BBC could not get a permit to enter Zimbabwe. I may be biased, but frankly I thought he was fantastic. It was just what those of us who have worked with the man for the past decade have come to respect. He came across as a man of compassion and intellect, a real human being who wanted the best for his country and its people. There was one “planted” e-mail from a group in Zimbabwe that came via Ireland, but the rest were genuine questions and I think they mostly got a good thoughtful response. It was like a breath of clean air after all the rest. Pity it’s only on DSTV and the great majority of Zimbabweans will not have had the chance (the very few such chances) to actually see the man who almost certainly will be our next President.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 18th September 2006

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

Eddie Cross: Seven years of courage and determination

2006-09-18T04:24:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago I sat in the aquatic stadium in Chitungwiza and watched as 8000 ordinary Zimbabweans - mostly low-income workers and rural peasant farmers, formed a new political Party, which they called the "Movement for Democratic Change". It was the start of a new era in Zimbabwean politics.

I seem to have been in opposition politics all my life. It started in the 60's when I was a student at the University in Harare and underwent a metamorphosis in political terms - discovering the conditions under which people were living and working and for the first time appreciating the
unjustness of the situation. I vowed to work towards resolving the problem and spent the next 12 years in opposition politics - working against the Smith government.

At independence in 1980 I was part of the transition team - working to help the incoming administration (Zanu or Zapu) to come to grips with what had been a closed book to the rest of the world for 13 years following the imposition of mandatory UN sanctions in 1967. I then worked on the first donor conference and did the background papers that laid the groundwork for a very successful transition in agriculture. Over the next 15 years the farm sector was Zimbabwe's most consistent performer.

Although I sympathized with the forces that came to power in 1980, I always had an uneasy relationship with them even though I occupied quite senior positions in the first 8 years of Mr. Mugabe's rule. This was accentuated in 1983 when I was brought face to face with the early effects of the Gukurahundi exercise and raised my disquiet with the then Secretary to the Cabinet, Charles Utete. I went on to raise my concerns with certain European governments and got my first serious reprimand and threat from the Minister of State Security, Emerson Munangagwa.

It was the beginning of the end for me - the last time I had been threatened by a Minister of Security, it was by a Minister in the Smith government who called me a "threat to national security". Somewhat exaggerated in my view at the time and also in retrospect, but as we have come to learn, political paranoia has no bounds.

I eventually parted way with the regime here in 1990 and participated in various attempts to initiate real opposition politics in Zimbabwe. Those attempts culminated in the failed Forum Party and then came the action by the ZCTU.

At the time I was Chairman of the Industrial Employers Committee for the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry and in that capacity watched over the issues that related to the working conditions of the 300 000 workers in industry. I met with the ZCTU leadership several times a year - usually at a labour summit that paved the way for subsequent detailed negotiations with over 30 trade unions. The ZCTU exhibited much more courage than the employer's organisation in confronting the real issues and early on stated that our growing economic difficulties were due to poor macro economic policies and management.

Attempts by the Unions to get their voice heard fell on deaf ears and eventually they decided that they had to confront the ruling party in the one area where they had no choice but to listen - national politics.

A long process then began that eventually led to the meeting I was attending 7 years ago today. I attended as an employer and curious bystander. It did not go unnoticed and shortly after the first Congress - I was invited to join the leadership as Secretary for Economic Affairs. I have remained in the leadership since then holding various positions and trying to help in the one field where I can contribute - that of policy formulation.

None of us appreciated what we were letting ourselves in for that day. What followed has been, to some extent, the classical African nightmare: the collapse and implosion of post independence African economy that was handed over in reasonable condition by those who had run it before.

I can recall visiting Ghana in 1983 - seeing first hand for the first time just what a lousy government can do. Subsequently I saw the situation in many other African States that we had never been able to visit before our own independence process. It was not a pleasant experience; I saw countries decimated by war and bad policies, massive corruption and the complete subordination of the people's will and welfare to the needs and greed of a tiny minority in power.

But life does not stand still - Ghana is now a thriving democracy with a booming economy. Africa as a whole this year will grow at above the average growth for the global economy and generally experience inflation below 10 per cent. If we take South Africa and Zimbabwe out of the SADC the region is doing even better than Africa as a whole. This gives me the conviction that we will one day also see Zimbabwe turn the corner and rediscover the values and principles on which it's independence struggle was founded.

But in September 1999 none of that was in view - we were embarking on the long road back to sanity and in the process would see our own government destroy its economy and undermine every principle on which it had led the struggle for justice during the earlier regime. Since then we have seen
hundreds killed, thousands beaten and maimed and been slandered and mocked in all State controlled media. We as a Party have been subjected to regional ostracism and isolation as well as propaganda led by South Africa - the one country we thought might help and one that has the power to change things here overnight.

But we have survived - we certainly won the 2002 Presidential elections -probably by a two-thirds majority, we probably won the 2000 elections and the subsequent parliamentary election in 2005. In the process we have sacrificed and worked - our leadership has often gone to jail and been beaten. We have been infiltrated by State agents using their money and training to do so and have been failed by elements of our own leadership. But we have survived.

We know, better than most that that is not enough. Political parties are judged by history and by their ability to deliver real change and transformation for their followers, which we have not yet managed to do. But we remain the main threat to this regime and the only hope of a new and better Zimbabwe. No amount of reform is going to rescue Zanu PF and those who record our history are judging their leadership harshly. Their weakness, paranoia and failure was no better demonstrated this past week, when they arrested and then subjected to savage, brutal beatings, the entire elected leadership of our Trade Union movement because they dared to want to submit a memorandum to government on the problems of the workers in this country.

I want to pay tribute today to those who have had the courage to stand up to this tyranny in Zimbabwe. I looked at the roll of honor we keep at the MDC recording the names of those killed in politically inspired murders since 2000. They include many friends and I am proud that there are a number of white Africans listed there. We salute the ZCTU leadership, we salute our own leadership who participated and were also imprisoned and beaten this past week. We commit ourselves afresh to this struggle and to achieving a new and better Zimbabwe, one that will make us proud to be Zimbabweans again. The one thing this regime and its supporters need to know is that we in the MDC will not quit this struggle until we have achieved our objectives - those set for us 7 years ago by the real representatives of the people of this great country.

Eddie Cross
16th September 2006

Technorati Tags: Eddie Cross, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy, Zimbabwe Crisis

ZCTU: Protest Roundup

2006-09-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Harare : 15 people, including the ZCTU Secretary General, President Lovemore Matombo arrested. They were assaulted during his arrest. There was heavy police presence in the city since morning. The march route was sealed. Last night 4 people were arrested. Zanu PF militia wearing party regalia moved from point to point intimidating people.

Chitungwiza: Heavy deployment of the army with tankers. 50 arrested including members of the Chitungwiza Residents Associationand the former Chitungwiza Mayor’s wife. All the 50 are in detention

Plumtree: Heavy Police presence

Gwanda: Heavy Police presence

Hwange: Daniel Ncube taken for 4hrs being interrogated.

Bulawayo: About 20 people arrested, including regional Chairperson, Secretary, and organiser. Two people arrested yesterday and still at the Police.

Beitbridge: 3 people arrested.

Masvingo: No arrests so far. Mr. Gapare questioned by Masvingo Police. 15 Police Officers with button sticks, with canisters and guns seal ZCTU Offices.

Mutare : 20 people arrested, 8 Police Officers surrounding the Mutare ZCTU Office with button sticks and canisters. Ordinary citizens being bitten up and situation tense.

Chinhoyi: 15 Workers arrested , Regional chairperson taken for 4hours interrogation. Regional Officer and three others arrested yesterday and still in detention, including one who had brought food.

Kariba : Committee members intimidated by Police.

Gweru : 16 Arrested one arrested yesterday morning, released but recalled today.

Shurugwi : Executive members taken for interrogation.

Gokwe: Executive members taken for interrogation.

Kwekwe: Executive members taken for interrogation.

Chegutu: 15 Arrested two were picked for interrogation yesterday.

Zimbabwe, ZCTU Protest,

Eddie Cross: ZCTU boss arrested, beaten

2006-09-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

The head of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Wellington Chibebe, says he has been arrested and beaten by police at a demonstration in support of strikes in the country. Riot police are reported to have sealed off the centre of Harare to try to prevent the
strikes. The unions are reported to have called off a march demanding higher wages, lower taxes and access to drugs to fight HIV/AIDS. Mr Chibebe told NEWSHOUR (by mobile phone) that he had been arrested in the capital, Harare, along with at least fifteen other people, after around one-thousand-five-hundred demonstrators gathered for the protest: Wellington CHIBEBE (on his phone)

"I'm saying, we've been arrested when we started our demo. We'vebeen badly beaten. We are in the police truck going into {UNCLEAR} police cells."

Zimbabwe, ,

Eddie Cross; No news

2006-09-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

The ZCTU action in Bulawayo and Masvingo today was a near complete failure. Both towns were operating normally at noon and remained quiet with no sign of any Union led activity. The Police were not in view to any great extent -one water cannon in Bulawayo wondered around the City looking for people to squirt their water at while in Masvingo three cannon surrounded the local Government building with armed riot police in support. In Bulawayo small groups of riot police were visible - one team with three dogs but by 13.30 hrs they were being stood down. Only one internal road block was reported.

I went to our own factory and asked the workers committee what the problem was - they replied that they had had no communication from the ZCTU, they also could not see any point in demonstrating when there was no chance of seeing any sort of change. They would get "locked up for nothing". It ammounts to cheerful resignation to the status quo at this stage.

Zimbabwe, ZCTU Protest,

Eddie Cross; Action in Masvingo

2006-09-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

This evening it was reported that the Police in trucks and accompanied by water cannon patrolled the high density areas in Masvingo Town today. They used loud hailers to instruct businesses not to close on the Wednesday and for workers to ignore the call by the ZCTU to march to the Town Centre on Wednesday at midday. Tension was palpable in the Town as a result.

Eddie Cross
12/09/06
Zimbabwe, ZCTU Protest,

Eddie Cross; President Tsvangirai’s message to the people of Zimbabwe on the eve of the ZCTU organised action

2006-09-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwean workers have a right to demonstrate and express themselves. In a situation where their condition and the cost of living continue to sky-rocket, the people have to exercise their democratic right to show their displeasure, suggest solutions and confront what is before them.

However, information reaching the MDC indicates that the regime wishes to suppress the planned demonstrations through brutality, massive arrests and state-sponsored violence. May I take this opportunity to warn Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe against making such a move? Any attempt to turn peaceful workers’ marches into chaotic scenes is counter-productive and unfortunate. For the past six months, we have openly advised the Mugabe regime that we are organizing mass protests as part of our comprehensive programme of democratic resistance. Since the ZCTU action is driven by the people and is a people’s project to address an obvious national grievance, the MDC is fully behind such an effort. Disrupting the planned action shall invite the ire of the party and generate the requisite response.

Come out in your millions and show the regime that you have had enough. We maintain that Zanu PF and Mugabe must be forced to negotiate Zimbabwe out of the national crisis. Already, we have put forward our suggestions on how to save our country and to start afresh. Our roadmap to legitimacy has what we believe are the necessary signposts to rebuild the people’s confidence to pull Zimbabwe out of the woods.

In any society, responsible stakeholders have a duty and a responsibility to proffer suggestions for change and to act, using universal habits of citizenship, to remedy an already deteriorating political, social and economic situation. I wish to congratulate the ZCTU and the entire civil society for their initiative and to inform them that as a political party we are fully behind their efforts. Nothing will stop the people from exercising their generic right to express themselves.

On our part, we remain on course. Our preparations for sustained resistance are complete. We are ready to roll-out our programme. We are watching the regime’s response to the ZCTU action with a keen interest.

Lastly, may I appeal to the church and the business community to work with us to save our country from the current uncertainty? May I extend the same plea to our security forces to refrain from acts that shall put them on a collision course with the people?

We respect the Constitutional and professional mandate of our security forces to protect the people and we look forward to working with you in this regard. We harbour no grievances against you. What we face is crisis of governance, initiated and perpetuated by Zanu PF, a failed political party. Resist abuse. Stay out of party politics.

Morgan Tsvangirai,

President

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe protest,

On 9/11: An ode to reality

2006-09-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

On 9/11 America woke up in so many ways to a different reality. It became clear on that day that despite its success, America really isn't that far removed from the harsh realities many in the world face daily. I'm sure that was a pessimistic discovery to make. Before then, and several times since that moment America has been lauded as the greatest success of the human experiment. It must have been harrowing at best to discover that your lives are just vulnerable, just as terminable as those of us who live without the benefit of your technology or nuclear firepower. As you remember that ghastly day, I exhort you to remember the experiences not only for their negativity and how much they disrupted your way of life. Think also of how they brought you back to the things that matter most in life and concentrated you on those.

One of the surving fireman from the NYFD from that great calamity Antonios "Tony" Benetatos has suggested that the greatest test of human character isn't in the severity of circumastances faced, but in how one responds to those tough moments. As the world remembers, this is my ode to the reality that when all else fails you and I have you and I to count on; an alternative nugget to sift from the debris of that dark day.

In the billowing dust, the towering smoke, the piercing screams, and the harrowing sites from 9/11 America found this redemptive reality; that when all had been said and done, it was the basic notion of our mutual humanity that meant most to her people in their darkest hour. On that day, stripped of the lofty benefits of sophisticated technology and the perrenial deification of the individual a vacuum was created; one that could only be filled by the deeper notion that life could and should be different. In that dear friends, you found the most common, the most inspiring, and the most enduring bond that sets the human species apart from all everything else in this cosmos; the ability to dream and conceive an alternative to the status quo.

In that, you stepped into the very souls of the valiant individuals who led the Civil Rights Movement. That very moment brought you into concert with enduring cries for a better world that ring from Auschwitz to Waterloo in antiquity; and through Bhagdad, Beirut, Darfur, Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in modern times. In all those places; at ground zero, but most importantly in each every human heart resides an inextinguishable flame of an alternative to reality. And at it's core is the ability only human beings posses to see beyond the visual.

As you rise like the Phoenix from the flames of your toughest test America, don't forget the reality that saw you through your darkest depression. Hold fast to that reality of the mutuality of our humanity America; for when all else fails you know you can always hang onto that hope that only humans are capable of producing. Remember my dear friends that even though the toughest gap to bridge spans from your mind to mine; the toughest bond to break break runs between your heart and mine. And that America, is my ode to reality.

Zimbabwe, 9-11,

No money for democracy

2006-09-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

Against a backdrop of government splurging on new parliament decor and, a new presidential mansion, expensive SUV's for Reserve Bank officials and much more finicky exhorbitancy, the Herald is reporting that Mugabe's government has no money to register new voters;

THE Registrar General’s Office has no money for mobile registration of voters, national identity cards and birth certificates while foreign currency shortages hamper the production of passports.

Registrar General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede told the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Home Affairs on Tuesday that his office was so under-funded that it had not started its yearly mobile registration because it did not have the money.

"We do that every year and we could have started in August but there is no money," he said.

"What this means is that a person who has attained 18 years can not vote because he is not on the voters’ roll and this should be a concern to politicians," he said.

Mr Mudede said the shortage of foreign currency was seriously affecting operations as some consumables could not be bought to produce passports and the new national registration cards.

If democracy is based on the notion of each individual exerting their influence on who leads them via one's vote, the notion is too expensive for Zimbabweans.
Don't take this for granted. This public admission might well signify the modus operandi of ZANU-PF's fraudalent activities around the presidential elections coming up in 2008. If you go back and scrutinize the MDC's numerous electoral petitions, one constant theme threading through all the protests is an allegation of tampering with the voters role.

Do you see what I mean? This very article might be the scapegoat employed when ZANU-PF 'influences' the outcome of the elections.

There's a heartwrenching side to this too. Notice that it is the rural population that is essentially being disenfranchised. Not a big deal? I think not. In Zimbabwe, most of our population is rural. These people are the heart and soul of our democracy. That they aren't even guaraneteed a birth certificate, national ID card and access to voting is beyond unfathomable! Rural Zimbabweans are constantly getting the shortend of the stick; when the currency switch happenend just a few weeks ago guess who was stuck with their old currency because they don't access to media that would have informed them of the change? Guess who walks the longest to school and medical facilities? The government has ensured that 26 years after independence these people live like paupers even though they are the most important segment of the electorate.

The sad thing is that it would be so easy to meet the needs of Zimbabwe's longsuffering rural population. It's not asking the world to expect that the nation's sole broadcaster would expend it's broadcast capacity to extend full coverage to all Zimbabweans for example. Requiring space in the national registry is not demanding the moon either. These people must have the same access to government function enjoyed by their urban countrymen it is non-negotiable.

After Murambatsvina over a year ago Jonathan Moyo Zimbabwe's controversial former information minister slapped the Mugabe regime with a stark new label. He claimed that we have in Zimbabwe isn't governance anymore, he it is now GBO; Governnance By Operation. He was right, Mugabe & Co. are not doing anything more than making hollow policy pronouncement all while the country burns.

Zimbabwe, Democracy,

Tsvangirai surprise march surprisingly late

2006-09-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Anti Senate leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his executives "surprised" police and Zimbabwean authorities when they marched from their party's national headquarters to the parliament building on Friday. Reports of the event can be found here, here, and here.

There are many differences in the accounts of the march from the various media outlets that reported the event as has become the standard for any public event held by the MDC either at home or abroad. The most contested fact is the number of public protestors that joined the fray; some reports claim it was 1 000 people and others say it was just 500. Despite this, the reports find common ground in the much celebrated fact that both the police and parliamentary authorities where caught "flat footed" by the march.

Under Zimbabwe's oppressive regime and conditions, there's no doubt Tsvangirai needed to employ the element of surprise to succesfully hold any public protest. Zimbabwean authorities are notorious for unleashing brutal police and military force on their own civilian protestors. Like the British, Zimbabweans enjoy no protection for the freedom of expression. In this sense, the suprise was both neccesary and positive.

But I couldn't help feeling unsettled at just how surprising the march was to Zimbabwe's authorities. What surprises me is that police don't percieve MDC to be viable threat so they've essentially stopped monitoring the part looking elsewhere for undrest threats to the state. This despite Tsvangirai's insistant protestations that this winter was going to be a "winter of discontent." With Zimbabwe's winter gone and no protests led by the MDC, it's surprising that the police or other government authories weren't expecting the march. It is clear how low on the threat matrix Tsvangirai is. That is disturbing.

Immediately following the march, the faction's publicity and information secretary Nelson Chamisa issued a statement tauting the "success" of the event which read in part,

Today’s occasion was just but a warning shot; a harbinger of more protracted, nationwide and decentralized response by the people of Zimbabwe to express their need for a free, prosperous and democratic society.

Today’s occasion was an expression by the MDC President and the leadership of their commitment to lead from the front in the people’s struggle for a new Zimbabwe. The response of the people was overwhelming as they gave thumbs up to the gesture by the leadership. The nation is ripe for change. A new Zimbabwe is obvious.

Judging from the "winter of discontent" track record whether we're on the verge of a "protracted" struggle towards the demise of the Mugabe regime is still very much in the air.

The most important thing though is that they actually did something. For months, and even years some of us have ponitificated on the status quo but have zero action to back up our verbage. History will laud the MDC for taking some kind of action directly against the regime that has visit so much distress on our people.

As to whether this march was really about "firing warning shots," well, the jury is still out on that one.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, , MDC, , Mass Protest

PRI Reporter in Zimbabwe

2006-08-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

PRI's Sheri Fink is surprised to find herself under the protective cloud of the Mugabe regime.

She files an interesting report from there. Click here for the audio. Click here for the transcript.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis,

All is not well on the Zimbabwean front

2006-08-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

The mud cake thick charade that is Zimbabwe sunk to it's lowest yesterday when Botswana's president Festus Mogae officially opened the Harare Agricultural Show. That Mogae played along is no surprise, it is the audacity by Mugabe and his cronies in government to hold up a non existant relationship with a country that has made no secret of their contempt of Zimbabweans that is galling.

Years after independece in Zimbabweans and the batswana cultivated a famously cordial relationship. After all, most if not all residents of Matebeleland South province in Zimbabwe have lineages span across Zimbabwe and Botswana's boarders. Many a Tswana were educated at Zimbabwe's colleges university and returned to their home country for a job. Reciprocally, many a trained Zimbabwe established themselves in Botswana's smaller, but much more stable economy during the first fifteen years of our independence.

So it only seemed natural when things turned sour in Zimbabwe, that a mass exodus for Botswana beginning first in the south of Zimbabwe became one of the most plied routes to "greener pastures" for desperate Zimbabweans. For a while, our neighbors in Botswana tolerated the surging influx of Zimbo's. It wasn't anything new, our countries had mutually exchanged people, skills and resources for much of the last 20 years. I can even remember a family vacation in Gaborone, Botswana's capitol back in the day. And, if I am not mistaken, I remember my mother buying me my first "safari suit" outfit on that trip. Mugabe made safari suits popular to seven year old Zimbabwean boys in the mid-eighties.

After years of sustained heightened influx from their northern neighbors, the Batswana's longsuffering patience began to run. They had watched better qualified Zimbabweans come and take their jobs and enjoy a better quality of life in their own country and had had enough. Right around 2000, word of Batswana's targeted hostility began to leak out. Pretty soon after that it became news. Zimbabwean's were being murdered by angry Tswana's; Botswana was reipartriating Zimbabweans by the truckload everyday; Botswana was couping despertate Zimbabweans in inhumane animal pens for miniscule offences and the litany continues. There's one headline that definitively marked a new era in the relations between our countries and our people; Botswana erected an electric fence to slow down the tidal wave of Zimbabweans.

Despite their best diplomatic efforts to project the new fence is nothing more than a measure to stem the spread of foot and mouth disease between cattle heards close to the boarders, Botswana's government received several protests from their colleagues in Harare. All the while Zimbabwean border jumpers had figured out how isolate the portions of the fence long enough so that they could sneak back into what had become a promised land; Botswana. This controversy is well articulated in the PBS Wide Angle documentary Border Jumpers (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe,, Zimbabwe Economy

Eddie Cross: Let my people go

2006-08-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

The story of Moses in the Old Testament chronicles the time when the people of Israel liberated themselves from slavery in Egypt. In the story, Moses goes to Pharaoh and demands that he allow the Jews to leave Egypt and travel to a land that has been promised to them by God. Seven times this demand was made and in an unusual aside, the Bible says that God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” and he denied them their freedom.

There was more to that of course – there were nearly 3 million Jews in Egypt and they formed the backbone of the indentured labour and much of the administrative skills needed to run the country. It was only after every Egyptian family had lost a child that the Egyptians drove the Jews out and they were able to flee into the desert and eventually enter to Promised Land.

I do not want in any way to draw a parallel to this story and the struggle for freedom that we are engaged in here, but there are similarities. We have prayed, our people have suffered and we have had no outside help and indeed cannot expect any help. We are virtual slaves to Zanu PF who run a kleptocratic State that keeps the rest of us working hard and poor.
say that each time we have challenged Pharaoh he has simply hardened his heart and increased our burdens. Will this final challenge be the one that breaks the back of Pharaoh’s will and sparks a willingness to let our people go? Perhaps it is that point in our story.

Certainly if God was working behind the scenes you can see the results. On Monday we see the old bearer cheques lose their value and there is consensus that this will lead to chaos. People in the remote rural areas have not even heard the news, the Banks are simply swamped, there are not enough of the new notes available to exchange with the old. Trillions of dollars will be wiped out and fortunes lost on Monday – and it will not be the rich and powerful or the crooks who suffer, they have their positions well covered, it is going to be the millions of the poor and disadvantaged who will be the main victims.

Right now, just to compound the problems of the people, there is no maize meal available. I think Zanu PF actually believed their own fiction that we had grown 1,7 to 1,8 million tonnes of maize. We have stated as often as we can that this is pure fiction and make believe. If, as I estimated some months ago, we have only gown about the same as last year (750 000 tonnes) then this will have already been exhausted as people will have held onto stocks for their own use and what little surplus would have been traded or eaten by now. The price of this basic staple has doubled overnight – if you can get some. We brought a truckload of maize meal into town yesterday and it was sold out in 30 minutes.

I bought some Rand for a trip to South Africa last week – at 65 000 to 1. When I came home 6 days later, the price was 90 000 to 1. Fuel is in very short supply and prices rise daily. The army officer who runs our Energy Ministry declared this week that fuel prices would be fixed at half or less their present value and that they “had plenty of fuel to meet our needs”. The immediate reaction of the trade was to simply stop trading. The Minister of Industry weighed in and declared a 3-week price freeze – in an environment where our prices are doubling every two months. He was ignored.

We must pay our staff on Friday next week – 850 000 workers expect to be paid their pittances, 10 days later we must pay school fees for three million kids. Nearly all of these transactions will be in cash. We simply do not have the smaller denominations needed for these payments. There is no sign of them being available. I will try to draw change on Monday, but I have little expectation that it will be available. Yesterday we were still trading at about 90 per cent in the old notes.

The Egyptians had everything on their side – armed forces, control of the State, regional hegemony. They felt that the Jews constituted no threat and would never rise up against the authorities. They were regarded as being compliant and subservient.

In the end the Jews won – without arms and without fighting and the price paid be Pharaoh and his cohorts was terrible in every way. They were virtually wiped out and never again really recovered. All the Jews had to do was walk and trust God. I have a strong sense that this time something extraordinary is going to happen and that when it is all over, Zanu PF will be no more. The Promised Land – that is quite a way off, but at least we will be free and walking in the right direction!

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 20th August 2006

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy, Inflation, Eddie Cross

Chaos as zero deadline arrives

2006-08-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the day Gono set to be the final day ofuse of the "old" bearer cheques, which have been sporadically introduced over the last two years. Not surprisingly, the poorly planned currency change over has been so hectic and stressful that it is going to be impossible to complete the transition as neatly as Gono might have wanted.

The nauseating disregard for ample planning as evinced by untold inconvenience experienced by Zimbabweans across the board is infuriating. It smacks of the narcissistic arrogance that has been the mantra of the Mugabe regime especially over the last few years.

For illustrative and realistic purposes, travel with me if you will, to Bveke communal area in the northeastern district of Mount Darwin. Here we find subsistence farmers and other rural people who will ultimately be denied just opportunity to exchange their "old" currency for the new. Why? Because Gono et al simply didn't think enough of these people to warrant a more intense planning so to cover the following scenario.

In Zimbabwe's highly centralized government, Gono's announcement that he was changing the currency probaly still hasn't been heard by everyone in the Bveke area even though it has been three weeks now. Such policy announcements are usually carried through the media, which in Zimbabwe leaves only two options; the Herald and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings.

If you live in Bveke, you probably have scant access to both of these. Both radio and television coverage are essentially non-existent in this remote area of Zimbabwe for two reasons. First and most importantly, with Zimbabwe's tattered and rapidly regressing economy, hardly anyone in the rural outskirts can afford to mantain a radio much less a television set. It is just too expensive and simply not a high enough priority. Second and probably much more frustrating, if you own a television set and/or a radio in Bveke, those two are most likely the most underused pieces of equipment in your household. Bveke is just too far out to receive signal from Zimbabwe's sole broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings. So even if you turned it on, the T.V. or radio will probaly pickup nothing.

People just didn't know the change was going to happen as fast as it has. Gono knew this and did little to alleviate the mass confusion that resulted. I'll explain that in a little bit. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy, Currency Change, Gono, Zimbabwe Crisis

Zimbabwe: a daunting social reality

2006-08-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

The big news out of Zimbabwe last week was that inflation had dropped down to three digits. Great! We're very happy for ourselves. But really, what does that news matter when prices went up dramatically and our currency was devalued this month on the heels of Gono's "Sunrise," more like sunset, project. For the record, inflation is a measure of the increase of prices over a set period. Why am I telling you this? Because dear reader, I want you not to be surprised when August's month on month inflation figures come out; it is going to be much higher than the celebrated levels of July.

Thank you very much Gideon Gono.

Speaking of Gono, there's a new consipiracy theory floating around out there. This one, sired by exiled businessman Mutumwa Mawere, speculates that Gono (like Jonathan Moyo) is exploiting the power vacuum in ZANU-PF to become law unto himself. Quoth Mawere

The role of emergency powers in a democratic state is a different subject that requires its own assessment but in this column, I thought it would be useful as we critically evaluate the assertion that Jonathan Moyo and Gono are probably the two most important individuals in Zimbabwe who have sufficiently understood the power vacuum in Zanu PF to effectively and efficiently use Presidential Powers to undermine not only parliament but unconstitutionally undermine civil liberties in the name of national interest.

Interesting theory.

It is startling but true that Mugabe has done nothing in both cases to reign in the apparently limitless power these "young turks" on their mediocre campaigns to "reform" Zimbabwe. On the contrary and much to the chagrin of ZANU-PF's elder statesmen Mugabe has defended both men viciously, at times threatening to the wrath of the law to protect his young guns. This despite everyone, and I mean everyone else's realization of how far "out in left field" their ideas and have been, to quote the oft used American analogy. What! Converting Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation into six strategic business units? That was Moyo. What! Converting Zimbabwe's currency midstream and dubbing that monetary reform? That was Gono.

If Mawere is right, it's only a matter of time before Gono's new found influence crumbles. Just like Moyo before him.

I've been wondering lately, is it me or is there a real irony of ironies playing out in Zimbabwean news reports. In this report from the Herald, president Mugabe suggests (for the umpteenth time this week) that agricultural output is increasing this year. Yet over here the nation,s millers are saying,

Zimbabwe has run out of maize-meal, its main staple food, in yet another sign of a deepening crisis in the southern African country.

In a stark reminder of how the gains of independence from Britain 26 years ago were fast eroding away, Zimbabweans woke up on Monday to celebrate Heroes Day holiday held in commemoration of fallen heroes of the liberation struggle, but with shops empty of maize-meal.

The chairman of the Zimbabwe Grain Millers Association (ZGMA) that groups private milling firms, Thembinkosi Ndlovu, said the countrywide shortage of maize-meal was because the state-owned Grain Marketing Board (GMB) had not supplied maize to millers because it did not have any in stock.

Isn't it ironic?

To be fair, allow me now dear reader to invoke yet another concept from basic economics ; market failure. A market failure is basically when the market system is unable to satisfy the public good and/or create the most efficient exchange of products and money.

(You should know by now) I belabor myself to elucidate economic concepts with just reason. The supply of grain to millers in Zimbabwe is a market. The Grain Marketing Board, a parastatal has a monopoly in this market but they are failing to satisfy the public interests. This is no small public interest either; in Zimbabwe, as in many places across Africa cornmeal is the staple. Therefore this (and can we have a drumroll please,) is a market failure. A (agricultural) commodity exchange market failure in an agrobased economy. Our economy cannot function if we cannot get agriculture right. Efficiently operating the agricultural sector is the most basic requirement for the sustenance of our entire economy.

Whatever it is, the mother of all ironies or a market failure, the reality is life on Zimbabwe's streets is officially past impossible. This is a daunting social reality.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe economy, Inflation, Market Failure

Life in Zimbabwe

2006-08-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

Nelson Katsande files a heartwrenching report report on the lives of prostitutes on Harare's streets

Excerpt:

Tsitsi, 15, ran away from poverty and abuse in the Musana communal lands. She was lured into prostitution by her elder sister, who died of HIV/AIDS six months ago. Tsitsi started prostitution at the age of 14 after having been subjected to physical abuse by her father. She reported the matter to her mother, who accused her of lying. She later made a report to the police and her father was arrested. He is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for child abuse as well as cattle rustling.

Tsitsi is one of the many teenage girls working for a group of men involved in vice. The men set targets that the girls have to make each night. If they fail to meet these targets, they are physically abused. In some cases, they have to rob their clients, in cahoots with the men, to make up the difference. The victims, most of them businessmen and respectable members of society, do not report the crime for fear of being identified.

Tsitsi was introduced to drugs and alcohol at the age of 14. She says prostitution is the easiest solution to find money.

Read the rest here.

Technorati Tags: Life in Zimbabwe, Prostitution, AIDS, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy

Zeronomics zeros heroes

2006-08-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

One of the lesser known calamities of Gono's recent policy crunch is the plight of the ordinary Zimbabwean. In country where so many have given up on the formal economy and turned to "illicit" activities for the survival of their families, there is still a suprising number of Zimbabweans tryng to live by the book. Sadly, it is these, the law abiding citizens of our not so great country that are being squeezed to death by the new policy.

Not only did Gono slash zeros in his "Sunrise for Zimbabwe" pronouncement, he also silently devalued the dollar against the greenback by some 40 per cent to 1US$:250zW$ (250,000 in old currency). While the press missed this, business owners across the country gingerly raised prices citing the devaluation of the dollar as heard in a commuter omnibus in Harare,

Dhora rakadonha futi. Munofunga kuti mafuta anofambisa mota anotengwa nei? (The [Zim] dollar fell again. How do you think we pay for [imported] oil?

Immediately after Gono announced the policy commuter omnibuses, the main mode of transportation within and between Zimbabwe's towns increased fares by 100 per cent blazing the trail for hundreds of other businesses to follow.

Why did they do this? How could they get away with such murderous greed? Tarry and I'll tell you.

When people realized that they risked losing a lot of money if they tried to keep hoarding the "old currency" a stampede began as they hedged against inflation and the new currency by investing in goods. Of course store owners are more than happy to see the capital they have seen disappear into the "black" market willingly return. Besides, they know as long as they keep copies of receipts of sales, they will have no problem converting the old currency to the new currency as per the terms of exchange Gono stiputlated.

So for the past week, retailers in the formal economy have become transaction bankers for the informal market and Zimbabweans who were hoarding cash. They accept the cash for goods that they sell and deposit that into banks in exchange for the new currency. Meanwhile the informal traders who are buying the goods are hoarding them just like they did with the money waiting for the hyperinflationary environment to make them "millionaires" in the new currency once it's available and has become legal tender.

So in a sense the unjustified price increases can be viewed as a tax levied on Zimbabweans using the retail system to update their illegally held currency. Simply put, as demand for goods (not services) has increased due to the currency repartriation stampede, the price of said goods has increased. This a phenomenon you learned in basic economics.

So now we return to our by the books hardworking Zimbabwean.

Never having engaged in illicit trade, he's now seen his purchasing power parity (PPP) eroded overnight. His far stretched income is now tattered beyond reprieve as he will not be able to keep things together. While everything else has increased, wages have not. This is a reality that set in early last week but the government is only catching on this week. They can't even do anything to fend against it.

The reality is Gono's zeronomics are making zeros of our nation's true hereos.

Technorati Tags: Life+in+Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe+Economy

Eddie Cross: Living on the edge

2006-08-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Sword of Damocles.

For those who are not familiar with the above saying, it is used to describe a situation where a heavy fighting sword is hung by a thread from the roof over the head of a person who was strapped down underneath it and awaiting death. The Zanu PF regime is in just such a position and during the Minister of Finance’s address to Parliament last week, he held a knife against that thread and threatened to cut it and in so doing, in my view, he would signal the death of Zanu PF and his own regime. The issue he was talking about was one that I have addressed several times before – the price of maize.

Maize is that stuff the Americans call corn and feed to their hogs and cows. In Africa – certainly southern Africa, it is the primary food staple and we eat huge quantities of it every day. It is cooked as porridge and eaten with some form of “relish”. Perhaps oil and vegetables, a bit of meat with some gravy or sour milk, sometimes even rough peanut butter. The great majority of Zimbabweans have not “eaten” if they have not had “sadza” at least once a day. Most poor families would have cold sadza for breakfast (left over from the evening meal) and then at least one large meal at lunch or in the evening with hot sadza as the main course.

We eat 115 kilograms of maize meal per capita per annum. It is therefore a very important component of daily life and the key to the tenuous stability of Zimbabwe lies in the fact that it is cheap and reasonably available. But there is a price to pay for this and no one – except poor old Herbert, dares to talk about it.

The facts are as follows: -

1. We need 1,2 million tonnes of maize a year for human consumption –
assuming no cross border activity.
2. We need another 600 000 tonnes for animal consumption as stock feed.
3. We need about 100 000 tonnes a year for industrial use – the production
of breakfast cereals and snacks, starch and alcohol.
4. We produced last year, about 700 000 tonnes of maize in Zimbabwe, we
imported over 1 million tonnes and maize was constantly in short supply.
5. This past season the government claims a crop of 1,7 million tonnes but
most observers think the actual crop is less than 900 000 tonnes and the expectation is that we will again have to import over a million tonnes.
6. The Grain Marketing Board has a total monopoly over maize grain imports,
purchases and sales. The Police and the military enforce this.

The economics of this trade are astonishing – even in a country and a continent where politically inspired skewed economic policies are rife. The South African grain industry grew a crop last year of over 10 million tonnes and with domestic consumption at about 7 million tonnes, had a significant surplus for export. This gave rise to price levels in South Africa at import parities and generally below R1000 per tonne. At one stage the price was as low as R700 per tonne and this threatened the viability of the whole industry.

This past year, South African farmers have cut back on their maize plantings and will produce less than 6 million tonnes – output will be below consumption for the first time in many years. As a result prices have risen sharply and are now running at about R1500 per tonne. South Africa is now importing grain from abroad (mainly yellow maize for stock feed) and is continuing to export white maize to the region.

This price translates to a landed cost of maize imported to Zimbabwe of R1750 per tonne. Transport charges from silos in South Africa to the closest silos in Zimbabwe have to be paid in foreign currency. This suggests a local landed cost of Z$60 million at bank rates and Z$140 million at parallel market rates. Local producer prices are currently set at Z$31 million per tonne.

These price profiles must be set against the selling price that has prevailed now for a considerable period of time of Z$600 000 per tonne or R17,50 per tonne – 0,1 per cent of the actual cost of imports and 0,2 percent of the local producer price.

This enormous price differential (administrative costs at the GMB are 10 times the selling price) leads to massive market distortions – cross border trade is huge as the cost of maize meal in Botswana and South Africa is equal to about Z$280 000 per kilogram compared to Z$18 000 to Z$28 000 per kilogram in Zimbabwe, depending on source and quality. Technically there are no reasons why a local farmer should not sell to the GMB. On paper the retail price of maize meal is so low that the GMB price should be very attractive. In practice this is not happening – deliveries to the GMB have been less than 100 000 tonnes total so far this year. With stock feed compounders paying the full price for imported maize and sourcing all their foreign exchange to do so in the parallel market, they offer high prices to producers even though this is illegal. Roadblocks are routinely manned by GMB staff to prevent this trade, but it happens – the differentials are just too great.

But the main impact lies with the GMB which, even though the World Food Programme is importing food to feed up to a third of our population, must itself import about 50 000 tonnes of maize a month to meet domestic needs for human consumption. The numbers are frightening: -

1. At official foreign exchange rates of 250 to 1 for new dollars to the US
dollar, the cost of imported maize to the GMB is Z$62 500 new dollars per tonne. Add to this handling charges of Z$10 000 per tonne and the cost out of a GMB silo is Z$72 500 per tonne.
2. The GMB recovers only Z$600 per tonne from sales leaving a deficit of
Z$71 900 per tonne or Z$3,6 billion new dollars a month. (US$14,4 million).
3. The cost of these direct imports will be US$150 million a year resulting
in combined losses of Z$43,2 billion new dollars.

With total foreign exchange availability to the Zimbabwe government via the Reserve Bank at about US$560 million per annum – all at about Z$250 to 1, it is most unlikely that the hard currency for these essential imports by the GMB will be available – competing demands for fuel and electricity and other essential imports will consume most available resources. I still think it likely that someone or another government is in fact funding the supply of maize to the GMB at present. Traders tell me they have no idea where the money is coming from. One local maize importer says he knows but will not tell me who it is. Whoever it is should take note that a new government here will never repay such loans – designed, as they are, to simply extend the life of a bankrupt and repulsive regime.

For the rest, it’s back to that statement by old Herbert and his threat to “review” the selling price of maize to millers. When he said that I bet every Zanu PF leader in the country shivered. Can you imagine what would happen if a 10 kilogram bag of this basic essential suddenly rose in price by 10 times. There would be a revolution. Herbert knows that time is running out – such distortions in prices simply cannot be sustained indefinitely and there are limits to the pockets of foreign donors. But for Zanu PF, the sword of Damocles hangs by a slim thread, rubbed day-by-day, hour-by-hour, by the winds of inflation.

E G Cross
Bulawayo, 5th August 2006

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy

Eddie Cross: Zeronomics=Zero Justice

2006-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Two pastors travelling to the rural areas to pay school fees for internally dispaced people were arrested yesterday for carrying "too much money".

They are still in detention.

Eddie Cross: New Beginnings

2006-08-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Better late than never.

The damage done by the split in the ranks of the MDC in October last year is now almost fully repaired. The reasons for the decision of a small group of leaders to leave the Movement and form a new political grouping are still unclear. But whatever the motivation I think they now realize that the exercise has taken them into a cul de sac.

MDC has regrouped and restructured around Morgan Tsvangirai and the newly elected leadership is beginning to function well. There are some very significant new players drawn from the academic world and the team of 15 policy portfolio secretaries is starting to work together to craft appropriate and effective new policy positions to assist in the eventual rehabilitation and reconstruction of our society and economy.

This process has not been easy or without pain. We continue to miss certain of the leadership that hived off into the new group and we eventually hope they will join the 30 or so leaders who have returned to the main wing of the MDC under its new leadership. These are now gradually being integrated into the structures of the Party and hopefully, this process will eventually heal the wounds in the ranks of the opposition. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Eddie Cross, MDC, MDC Debacle, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mutambara

MDC Secretary of Economic Affairs Responds to Gono’s Zeronomics

2006-08-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

If Zimbabweans needed fresh evidence that the Zanu PF regime does not understand how modern economies work, does not have a clue about what to do to fix Zimbabwe’s staggering problems and is totally impotent when it comes to addressing these issues, the policy statement by the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Reserve Bank provides ample such evidence.

The Minister tinkers while Zimbabwe burns and the Governor steps through a magic mirror into a fantasy world that is entirely of his own imagination.

The MDC has stated on many previous occasions that the collapse of the Zimbabwe economy can only be halted and reversed if we undertake the following with immediate effect: -

1. We agree to setting up an interim administration to oversee the return of the country to the rule of law and democratic sovereignty.
2. We collectively negotiate a new people driven constitution to replace the existing one and hold free and fair elections under international supervision to restore legitimacy to the Zimbabwean government.

Until we are in a position to resume inflows of finance and support from the international community and adopt more orthodox fiscal and financial policies, there can be no halting of the steady decline currently taking place in all sectors of the economy.

As far as the details of the two statements are concerned the MDC comments as follows: -

GDP Decline.

Since 1997, the Gross Domestic Product of Zimbabwe has declined progressively and continuously. It did so in 2005 and we expect the economy to shrink by a further 7 per cent in the current year.

The Fiscal Deficit

The IMF brought to the countries notice the massive deficit in the national fiscus in 2005 of an estimated 63 per cent. This must be compared to the maximum sustainable budget deficit of 3 to 5 per cent observed by most countries. The Minister of Finance has done nothing to address this issue except to be a little more honest than he was in 2005. The accumulated domestic debt of government at Z$43 trillion must be added to the estimate of parastatal debt of Z$73 trillion – giving rise to an astonishing figure for total government domestic debt of Z$116 trillion.

This confirms Zimbabwe’s status as a deeply indebted country and with our external debt now standing at almost US$4 billion with over US$2,2 billion in arrears Zimbabwe simply has no chance of either servicing such debt or redeeming it for many decades to come.

Of grave concern is the fact that the Minister has made no attempt to redress this issue or to halt the explosive growth in debt. This will inevitably lead to inflationary pressures being maintained in Zimbabwe and present inflation rates can only accelerate still further until more robust and substantial measures are taken.

The Absurd Monetary Situation.

The decision by the Reserve Bank to slash three digits off the national currency and to replace all existing currency in 21 days is a welcome, if stop gap, measure. The MDC hopes that the necessary administrative action to support such a radical step has been carried out in advance of this announcement or the long suffering Zimbabwean population is going to be faced to yet more chaos and confusion.

Tax Measures

The decision to raise the tax free limit from Z$7 million to Z$20 million a month is a belated attempt to redress the impact of inflation on individual incomes. MDC has argued that the tax threshold should be adjusted on a regular basis and in line with the assessed poverty datum line. Under the Ministers new tax regime, people earning significantly less than the PDL (Z$68 million a month) will pay tax at the maximum rate. This is simply another example of the depths to which Zimbabwe has sunk in the past 26 years.

Corruption.

The main source of corruption and theft in Zimbabwe remains the State administered system of under valuing exports in local currency and in the wholesale theft and expropriation of private assets. Mr. Gono is right to identify corruption as a major problem and one of the key areas that require the attention of the State. However, he fails to recognise that the Reserve Bank, an institution that he manages and directs, is in fact the main source of corruption in the country.

Inflation.

It is clear to all except those in privileged enclaves, that inflation continues to accelerate and that there is absolutely no way that this can be halted and reversed under the very conditions being created by these chaotic and piecemeal reforms. The massive reduction in interest rates will further devalue our capital stock and the massive expansion in money supply dictated by the unmanageable budget deficit, will only foster inflation and decay.

Conclusion

Inflation, shrinking economic output and declining foreign earnings are strangling Zimbabwe’s economy. None of the measures announced by the Minister of Finance or the Governor of the Reserve Bank will halt that process. The key to progress remains political rather than economic and monetary tinkering and time is not on our side.

Dr. F. Hove
Secretary for Economic Affairs

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economics, Inflation, Economics, MDC

Chaos, Censure meet Gono's "Zeronomics"

2006-08-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe central bank governor, Gideon Gono's bi-annual monetary policy review statement is the impetus of rampant confusion and contempt barely 24 hours after he presented the review. In a feeble attempt to infuse new energy into a productive sector in extremis, Gono slashed interbank interest rates and holdings requirement rates by around 300 per cent. However, by far the most controversial aspect of the statement has to do with phase one of Gono's two phase currency reintroduction; removing three zeros from Zimbabwean dollar denominations.

A one way commuter omnibus trip that cost zW$150,000 yesterday, today costs ZW$150. Bread, which was officially pegged at ZW$200,000, now is a mere $200. Likewise, a bottle of beer now sells for a cool 300 as opposed to the "old" 300,000. Zimbabweans have been given 21 days to convert their money to the new 'money bases.'

But this conversion is not going to be hassle free. People will have to explain the sources of their money when they make deposits of the "old" currency in order to recalibrate. From the governor's mouth,

Deposits that exceed $100 million for individuals and $5 billion for corporates will require proof of source of funds and a Zimra clearance certification for tax payment for a transaction underpinning the cash.

Where holders cannot prove legitimate sources of funds, the cash will be deposited into Anti-Money Laundering Zero Coupon Bonds (AMOLAZEBO), with a minimum tenor of two years.

The owner of the cash will hold the bonds pending investigations and clearance with Zimra, after which they will then be redeemed at face value.

However, those who prove their funds to be legitimate after they are locked up in the bonds, will receive interest at the prevailing Treasury Bill rates.

Therein lies the unheralded intent of the sudden changes. The goal of the new monetary policy is not to stimulate the languid economy: no, Gono wants to eradicate the formal economy's perceived worst enemy, the informal economy. It is evident from the policy pronouncement that Gono and a his coterie of assistants along Samora Machel Avenue have been planning how best they can ambush the informal market for months.

For years now, Gono has watched as money has literally "disappeared" from the formal market as people found better ways of using it on the informal market. Estimates suspect there is up to $35 trillion stashed in what Gono lampooned as "mini Reserve Banks" in the informal market. After months of wrecking his brain, he decided the only panacea to the formal market's anemea was to change the currency, and hopefully call the end on the informals.

Gono thinks changing currency denominations will force the informal market to fork over the money it has. In essence recalibrating the currency is a blitzkreig on the informal market.

If it works, it will only be a matter of time before the informals siphon out the "new" currency as they seek to escape the burden of overregulation of the formal market. Even worse for the governor is the possibility that the informal could completely dismiss the "new" currency and keep operating using "old" money standards.

In essence, we could now have two currencies; the new currency on the formal market, and the old on the informal market. That is one beast I am sure Gono did not intend to create.

Technorati Tags: Gono, Zimbabwe Economy, Monetory Policy, Economics

Eddie Cross; Tsvangirai's speech from the weekend

2006-07-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Churches in Zimbabwe held a National Convention to debate the crisis in Zimbabwe and the way forward. The meetiung attracted a large number of delegates - 300 plus - and representatives of the Unions, Civic groups and 5 political parties attended. The meeting was chaired and fascilitated by the Christian Alliance.

Morgan Tsvangirai played a key role and this is his address to the Convention. Because of time constraints he did not read this at the meeting but spoke to it. It makes interesting reading and I commend it to you. In addition to this speech, Morgan called all five political leaders to the podium to pledge their commitment to unity of purpose and action in the weeks ahead. The road map was accepted as was a draft "democracy charter". All constituent bodies are now being asked to register as part of a "Broad Aliance to Save Zimbabwe" and within 7 days the leaders of this Alliance will meet to agree on a combined action progragramme designed to force Zanu PF to come to the negotiating table.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 31 July 2006.

Tsvangirai address the Save Zimbabwe convention
Political Perspectives to the national crisis

Address by Morgan Tsvangirai, President of the Movement for Democratic Change at the Save Zimbabwe Convention, Harare, Zimbabwe.

29 July 2006

Introduction
May I open my address by thanking civil society and the people of Zimbabwe for staying the course? Against all odds, civil society has never wavered on matters of principle. You are with the people, as always. The record speaks for itself. In colonial times, it was the church, student movements and trade unions that spearheaded the struggle for freedom. After Independence, the people remained vigilant, constantly demanding their democratic space.

At the end of the first decade of our Independence, it became clear that our revolution was fast losing track. An avaricious nationalistic clique had abandoned the ideals of the liberation struggle. Corruption began to flourish. Our nation's political leadership began to lose their focus. The labour movement came under pressure from the workers to de-link itself from that ruling elite. The ZCTU declared its autonomy from Zanu PF. We were informed and guided by the workers whose welfare was now on the block.

The workers were concerned by a steady erosion of their gains since Independence and decided to confront both their employers and the government. The people raised their voices and demanded their space. Part of Zanu PF's response included far-reaching legislative changes to restrict academic freedom. This invited the anger of students and progressive intellectuals. They, too, like the workers, declared a rights dispute with the government. After the unification of Zanu PF and PF ZAPU and the declaration of intent to establish a one-party state, Zimbabweans realized that they faced a hard transition and began to search for political alternatives.

The introduction of Economic Structural Adjustment Programme in 1991 heightened the ideological confusion in Zanu PF and opened the way for even greater confrontation between the workers, the church, students and all advocates of free political space. We felt then that part of the problem lay with the Lancaster House Constitution. We began to agitate for a new Constitution. This led to the formation of the Constitutional Movement in the mid-nineties. After years of struggle along this route, we met as the National Working Peoples' Convention to debate our fate.

The National Working Peoples' Convention
In short, the National Working Peoples' Convention decided then to form an alternative political movement to take on Zanu PF. We agreed, as civil society, to challenge Zanu PF and to attend to pressing governance issues whose contagion cut across our political, social and economic life. Seven months later, the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, became a reality. In February, Zanu PF tested his first defeat in a national referendum to decide on a government drafted Constitution.

That was another major turning point in Zimbabwe. It was a people's
victory. This was the first victory for civil society. It is not my
intention at this forum to chronicle six years of struggle and intense political activity in Zimbabwe. But let me place on record that a wounded Mugabe, in response to the crisis, targeted the people. Mugabe declared a war with the people. Mugabe declared a war with the world. The aim was to stretch the MDC and to test the people's resilience and seriousness. Unlike his peers, Mugabe failed to work out an exit strategy when it was clear that he had outlived his usefulness.

For two decades, our national and institutional systems failed to address growing internal frictions and tensions arising from a self-created crisis of governance. The existing institutions and governance methods no longer worked. To this day, Zimbabwe finds itself saddled with persistent political imbalances, which can no longer be sustained because of numerous political deficits. However, these imbalances and policy flip-flops, which have affected all of us, show a dictatorship flame-out that should offer us a superb opportunity to start afresh.

Together, we are bearing the brunt of the social, economic and political costs of the dictatorship. The MDC, as you all know is an institution that arose from a resolution of the National Working People's Convention. The MDC is the political face of the people's struggle. The MDC is a mere symbol of the people's resistance. But the bulk of the work rests with all of us, with the people, through the party, civil society and through you. The view of the National Working People's Convention was that a political alternative should challenge the status quo and to bring about change. The birth of the MDC was a people's response to an unbearable set of circumstances around them.

Our main strategy was to take on the regime at the ballot box. We succeed in this approach. But the people were unable to assume power. The dictatorship responded in a manner that has surprised the world. It is fair to note that on our part, we seriously under-estimated the dictator's ability and determination to defy reasonable opinion. As we review the performance of the entire democratic movement, an opportunity presents itself for self-introspection. It is a fact that the MDC is still more of a broad-based movement than a political party in the strict sense of the word. We draw our support from everywhere, literally. Our support emerges from any person keen to see a new dispensation, a new democratic framework, and a New Zimbabwe. While some in civil society may argue that they have no vested interest in attaining political power as individuals, they remain an indispensable part of this liberation culture.

After February 2000 and the wholesale destabilization of commercial agriculture and the rule of law, the MDC attracted millions of new members, new supporters, new sympathizers and new allies whose ideological positions were at variance with the thrust of the initiators of the MDC project.

Conservatives, liberals, democrats, socialists, patriots, anarchists and extremists in our society and beyond found a home in the MDC, creating a mix that was not only difficult to manage but highly open to infiltration, manipulation and opportunism.

The mix became pronounced more glaringly in our international relations regime. Liberal democrats sought an association with us; so did the conservatives and liberals. They invited us to join their international solidarity groups and to take up membership of the same. But our ideology, Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, is social democracy. Quite often we were embarrassed to be lumped in the same basket with rebel African rag-tag and ornamental opposition forces and extremely conservative and racial units. These contradictions have earned us a lot of misunderstandings and sometimes open hostility.

Our goal is to complete the unfinished agenda of the liberation struggle: to extend the people's freedoms. Our objective remains and has always been to search for a lasting solution to the national crisis. Our vision is a New Zimbabwe.

We have tried everything: elections, dialogue, local and international lobbying, symbolic mass action, judicial redress and the law, and Parliamentary pressure. We know something out of all that. While we made some inroads here and there in exposing the weaknesses of the dictatorship, we believe we now have to break new ground in order to make real progress.

The experiences of the past six years are instructive. Countrywide, the people are demanding a short final phase of the struggle. We all realize that a long struggle wears down its own activists and supporters. A long struggle tends to be overwhelmed by unexpected challenges and changed circumstances. Many expected a short and clean sweep, but that was not be. We have to be realistic: you can't put time frames to a struggle of this nature. Together, we have been exposed to a serious onslaught from the regime. That onslaught almost disorganized us.

The final phase of our struggle
As we enter the decisive and final phase of our struggle, allow me Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen to reflect on my experience and to attempt to place a forecast on what lies before us. The roots of this struggle reside on a serious national grievance: a grievance that is at the heart of our national politics. The MDC represents a rallying cry for the fulfilment of an uncompleted national agenda, a national assignment and a national revolution.

We cherish a value system that bound us together to confront colonialism. Zimbabweans always believed in, and even fought for, justice. We respect our dignity. The concept of hunhu hwe munhu or ubuntu, has guided our relations in our homes, in our communities and in our natural interactions with our neighbours from time immemorial. We long for liberty and personal advancement. We aspire for a society with equal opportunities. Our culture calls on us to support each other. We believe in stability and empathy. As a people, we are natural social democrats.

Zimbabweans look in hope and a deep longing for a united nation. Inside our chests moves a spirit that seeks to express freely the basic traits of our common humanity and togetherness, which for so long has been suppressed and negatively exploited by a variety of political parasites.

We feel betrayed because we never expected the nationalistic elite to simply replace the colonial administrator at Independence and perpetuate inequality, political corruption and divisions in our society. We question the seriousness and the changed, modern-day credentials of the new minority in our midst, the new elite in power. We realized that Zanu PF's equality debate was flawed right from the beginning - it was based on a narrow principle of equality across race and colour. The party failed to see beyond this, such that today, we live in a society soaked in black-on-black oppression.

Colonialism taught us that a minority always tampers with our national values. A minority thrives on a patronage system. A minority develops cartels and breeds corruption. And when challenged, a greedy minority in power often retreats into a distorted form of nationalism and invokes fears of the unknown; a minority looks to our colonial past for opportunistic and comparative defence.

As I said earlier, after 20 years of abuse our national institutions and systems gave in. The crisis of governance reached a stage when it was no longer possible to keep the lid on. The people refused to be cowed into submission. Today, Zimbabweans desire and demand a leadership, at all levels, with a clear vision, a national sense of modesty, and much courage, born of honest and patriotic concern to articulate our common humanity, our common goals and our Zimbabwean identity within the global community.

Zimbabweans are keen to restore their confidence in the concept of public service and public good. After a serious bruising and more than two decades of unfulfilled promises and political deception, the people eagerly wait for leaders with hearts and minds large enough for the urgent task of attending to our immediate humanitarian emergencies, national healing, national reconstruction, justice and equality. There is a national consensus accepting that it will take a great deal of hard work, personal humility and patriotism to bring us together and rebuild our tattered lives and our shattered nation.

Zimbabweans expect an extension of a system of values that celebrates the sanctity of life and an unfettered extension of freedom. As a people at the heart of danger and struggling with hard transition, we must exercise caution and demand irreversible safeguards to insulate the nation against possible future abuse, regardless of who is in power. The people expect a permanent opening for liberty, personal security and collective advancement. We risk sliding into a form of generational irrelevance; we risk permanent national disability unless we show leadership and confront the dictatorship at a time when literally the nation is fully behind us.

More than at any juncture in the past, this is certainly the time we must take a proactive stance and work out the necessary political and institutional arrangements that will form the basis of a broadly shared sustainable solution to the crisis. The crisis here may be clear to every Zimbabwean, but not to Robert Mugabe and a few of powerful cronies and associates. Their mental block has become a major source of national implosion. Mugabe and his team are failing to connect with something larger than their personal egos. As a result, their leadership is unable to give Zimbabwean life any meaning at all.

We believe the time has come for Robert Mugabe to step aside because he has become an unacceptable national liability. He has lost himself. He seems stuck in a time warp and within the myth of measurement, propelling him to think that if he goes, Zimbabwe will varnish. In life, you cannot measure what you have done, especially that which is good. We recognize Mugabe's contribution to the liberation struggle. However, we differ with his apparent reluctance to take an exit package and to enjoy, in retirement, an otherwise noble position as one of the icons of the liberation struggle and a founding father of modern Zimbabwe.

We find discomfort in his insistence to cling on to power, run the country aground and destroy the future of millions of young people. We believe he no longer has the ideas and the energy to grapple with the needs of a new generation to pilot the ship of state in the right direction. But, we still need him to assist us in this transition because while he is the source of the problem and he is also part of the solution.

With his concurrence and influence, we can soft-land the crisis; achieve our main goal of completing the unfinished business from the liberation struggle and realize our vision of a new Zimbabwe. If Mugabe allows Zimbabweans today to search for an honest national solution, the discussion will be over in a few hours because we all know and agree on what needs to be done to impel the nation out of the woods. Leadership must give meanings to the lives of others. Leadership requires an honest application of love and an open heart.

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, the MDC is fully behind an orderly transition to a new Zimbabwe. We are against any form of retribution. We are against the use of force to settle political scores. We pledge to allow the past to guide, and not to derail, us as we work into the future. We shall never allow history and our personal preferences or grievances to interfere with this vision.

We support a democracy charter as a moral, contractual barometer for our society and a guiding expression of our national values, regardless of who is in government. We are unhappy with the unnecessary delay in resolving our national crisis at a time when all Zimbabweans, across the political divide, are agreed on the fundamental issues confronting our country.

We are dismayed that despite the national consensus on the need for a new Zimbabwe, some among us wish to see Zimbabwe burn when we know our problem and politically we have the solutions. For instance, the nation accepts and expects a new Constitution, good governance and a compassionate state, economic revival, land and agrarian reform, respect for private property rights, direct foreign investment and international legitimacy, food security, an open government, strong national institutions and jobs. We sincerely believe Zimbabwe must move fast and sort itself out because of the geo-political, social and economic developments facing the SADC region. In 2010, the region, led by South Africa, hosts the soccer World Cup.

As I said earlier, there is a real possibility of creating a dangerous political vacuum in Zimbabwe. Together with Mugabe and Zanu PF, we must seek a way to avoid further damage to our nation. We need everybody in this delicate transition. As a nation, we must manage that process; otherwise the 2010 World Cup shall be marred by a political blot. A military junta could step in to fill the possible political vacuum.

Already Mugabe, conscious of his advanced age and with a view to increase his own security, has militarised our main national institutions: power generation and supply, food production, food procurement and food security, fuel management and distribution, national parks and wildlife management, agriculture, industry and commerce, election management and administration, key civil service departments and parastatals, land distribution and local government. The entire state sector is now in the hands of the military.

In theory, there may be nothing wrong with military personnel offering assistance to a beleaguered regime on behalf of the people. But our experience in Zimbabwe is unique. In 2002 and thereafter, the military took over the administration and management of national elections, with disastrous results. We have it on record that some ambitious elements in the military harbour a negative view of the people's sovereign right to elect a government of their choice.

International attention shall shift radically to Southern Africa over the next four years as the region prepares for the international soccer competition. Our crisis shall interfere with regional harmony if we continue to postpone the inevitable. A solution is urgent because of the historic task ahead. Zimbabwe needs to embark on a major reconstruction agenda and to re-set its mind and consciousness in order to play a meaningful part in the hosting of the World Cup.

History will judge us harshly if we allow our own internal problems to soil this critical event with, as expected, haphazard migration across the Limpopo, squabbles over disputed elections, lack of political space, a flawed Constitution, starvation and insecurity and bad governance.

Although Germany played host to the 2006 World Cup, 13 European nations participated and assisted in one way or the other. Europe housed and provided facilities to various national teams, visitors and official delegations before the official kick-off of the competition. We are hosting the World Cup. Let us join the region in the preparations for this event.

We are therefore proposing that we deal with our national issues way before 2010, better still three or four years before this international showcase to allow us to rehabilitate our nation, recover our national pride and dignity and play our complimentary role in hosting the World Cup. Let us avoid alienating ourselves further from our neighbours. We must work together to re-open our links with the rest of the business community and participate, as a stable community, in international events. At the moment, we are simply an irritant, a gadfly ready to muddy a noble cause in 2010. We hope and pray that Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF understand that as Zimbabweans we have a responsibility, a duty to our people and to the region.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, while some in this struggle may feel tortured and betrayed, powerless and hopeless, my sincere advice to the people is: stay the course and lead with an open heart. Let us remain compassionate in our search for a lasting solution to the national crisis. Let us pay attention to the people's pain, against all odds.

I thank you.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, MDC, Zimbabwe Crisis, Morgan Tsvangirai, Democracy, Zimbabwe Politics

ICB goes before parly

2006-07-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the second day of the second session of Zimbabwe's sixth parliament, the government presented the dreaded Interception of Communications Bill (ICB) reports Zimbabwe Journalists. This development essentially means the bill only two steps from promulgation.

Before it can be voted on in august house, the ICB shall be evaluated for constitutional consistentcy by the Parliamentary Legal Committe.

Of course, this the same legal committe that gave the nod to the electoral act which empowered the chief justice to unilaterally appoint judges to the electoral court giving ZANU-PF unchecked access to the electoral legislative process. The Electoral Act has since been struck down because it does not honor the constitutional mandate that judges be appointed (by the president) and confirmed by parliament. See this.

Once assented by the legal committe, the bill will go before the main floor where it will be voted on by the legislators. Since ZANU-PF has control of both houses of the legislature, there's little doubt the bill will pass and be gazetted as law in short order.

Details about Communications Monitoring Center, which the bill proposes to establish, still remain unclear. What is clear however, is effect such a proposal has on the freedom of expression of the Zimbabwean people.

This is Zimbabwe the prominent blog of the Sokwanele/Zvakwana civic action groups appears to have folded. Many of us involved in Zimbabwean cyber activism are now in limbo as we are unsure how the new law will affect our wellbeing. We've always known ZANU has little sympathy for the things we do, now they will have legal sanction to snoop and harass those us working to tell the story as we see it.

With little recourse left, all we can do is wait to see how the law will affect our lives.

Technorati Tags: ICB, Zimbabwe, Human Hights, Freedomof Expression, Zimbabwe Parliament

Sekai Holland: The Opening of Parliament Drama Today

2006-07-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

Sekai Holland is a member of the MDC's National Executive Committee. Here's her account of how events unfolded at opening ceremony of the second session of the sixth parliament of Zimbabwe. Via:The Zimbabwe Situation

Two weeks ago the MDC Women's Assembly Chairperson, Mrs lucia Matibenga invited women across all the divides, that keep women apart, to meet at Africa Unity Square, at the opening of Parliament today, to launch the programme to promote the Peace and Tolerance agenda in Zimbabwe. We were told not to wear our party regalia, not to sing our songs as it was a public function, and that we were to respond politely to all forms of provocation, if it arose.

Zimbabwe's Formidable Security Services in Full Force

MDC women were the first to arrive at the venue by 10.00 am. We were searched by the Police as we entered the Africa Unity Square, a park facing Parliament House. After being cleared, we were told by the Police who searched us, that we were not to leave the park, until the end of the opening of Parliament ceremony.

We were all shocked when we entered Harare, by the large numbers of security services surrounding the city. There were ZR Police placed everywhere, blocking off streets around the Parliament, army personnel, the riot squad, prison police, and airforce. It was an act of courage for all of the women who came to attend the opening of Parliament in this environment of the signs of repression, the instruments of violence.

It was an act of great conviction by the women to approach the ZR Police personnel surrounding the Africa Unity square, with this consentration of armed personnel to see whether we would be allowed to enter the square. It bacame a test of how far any of us would go this morning, to get into the square, stay in the park, before we were stopped by some force, one of the many in our country today! We walked in one by one. Many were terrified, but even they, simply took courage, and all of us eventually were inside Africa Unity Square.

The Park Bench

Once inside we were advised by a uniformed Police-woman officer where to go to observe the opening of Parliament. We found a bench, the first one as one walks on Nelson Mandela Avenue side, immediately after crossing Sam Nujoma street, along Africa Unity Square, and we sat on that, while the rest preferred to stand around the bench, as we waited for both the others to join us, and also for the ceremony to begin..

Ruling Party Districts March into Africa Unity Square

By 11.30 am the zanu/pf groups from the districts began to assemble inside the square, singing their songs, all of which were aimed at the MDC. We sat on our bench unabashed, and the singers in their district formations began to come into the square, along the route where we sat. They turned into the lawns to the end of the park by Third Avenue. The songs were loud and meant to provoke us, but we sat on. We awaited for the arrival of the Mugabe entourage into the Parliament.

Types of Zanu/Pf songs sung Today

Call: Musha unechinja ndewani, tibombe !
Umuzi ka guqula ngokabani, sibhombe !
The home of the one who wants change, whose is it, so that we can bomb it !

Response: Musha unechinja ndewani !
Umuzi ka guqula ngokabani !
The home of the one who wants change, whose is it !

The songs were in that mode.

Ruling Party Women Greet Women by the Bench

With this prevailing hostile environment generated by the militia, we were pleasantly surprised when some of the Zanu/Pf women, dressed in their party regalia, recognised us as they arrived, walked to us at our bench, greeted us before they moved on to join their own colleagues, and all of them who came, shook our hands, all of us on the bench, and those standing around it. They even afforded us not just the handshake, but a smile, as we exchanged that traditional greeting.

Provocation of Those by the Bench by Militia and Provincial Leader

As soon as the ruling party districts took their places, some of those plainclothes who had shown us where to sit, came to tell us 'to join the others'. We asked them who the 'others' were. Another of the same group who had shown us where to sit, again came to ask us to stand up from our bench, to 'join the others', this time pointing to the crowd of zanu/pf districts. We asked why we needed to relocate to the other side of the path when the rope on our side had no one. We were the only ones where we were sitting down on the bench on the other side of the path.

When we asked them who gave them the instruction that we be moved they went away and came back with junior ruling party youth to give us the reply to our question.

A well known ruling party harraser of MDC members in Mbare, a woman, called Oripa, came towards us playing to the gallery of her colleagues around her, which was made up of the assembled Zanu/Pf districts. She shook her fists at us, and angrilly shouted at us:

ngavabve pano tisati tavarakasha !
kabasuke singakabamukuli !
let them get out of here before we beat them up !

When she got to where we sat, she instructed us to get out of the park or else, and she did not complete that sentence, but she went into a frenzy, throwing her fists at us, and in the air. The women asked her who gave her the instruction that we leave the square, she was even more angry this time, and replied, facing us:

ma chef
ngama chef
it is the chefs

The women asked her which particular chef gave her the instruction that we leave the park, and Oripa left. Meanwhile William Nhara, the Zanu/Pf Harare Province Publicity Secretary, came hurriedly to where we sat, and his instruction was made directly to me. He instructed me and the women on the bench, and those standing around it, to leave the park, before they did something to us. He got more and more worked up as he spoke to me. Before we could put our questions to him, he looked at me and addressed me by my name:

"Sekai Holland, this is not Tony Blair's place, go back to America, get out of here, quickly, before we beat you up."

The Zanu/Pf youth who had been listening to this interraction by now began to converge around us, sitting on the bench, and looking at those standing around the bench, with anger. They now also talked loudly at us, most of them, at the same time, demanding that we vacate the park, or else they would deal with us.

Hapasi penyu ka, apa, ito bvai pano, izvozvi tisati taku........
Kasindawo yenu le phela, wohlani lisuke lapha khathesi nje, singangakali.....
this is not your place, just get out of here right now, before we.....

Hapasi pa Tony Blair apa, harisi benji ra Tony Blair iri, ibvai pano !
Kasi ndawo ka Tony Blair le, kasi bentshi lika Tony Blair leli, sukani !
This is not Tony Blair's place, this is not Tony Blair's bench, get out !

Decision to Avoid Violence Against Us by Militia - by Leaving Bench

There was a barrage of insults aimed at all of us sitting and standing around the bench, from all sides of where we sat and stood, from the gathering motley crowd of Zanu/Pf militia. As that crowd began to swell and converge around us, I stood up, looked at them directly, and told them to open the way for us to leave the bench. We wanted to see what to do next, to ensure that we saw the opening of the Parliament ceremony to the end. As we walked away from the baying crowd, we bumped into a uniformed Police officer, walking towards the crowd. We explained to him what had happened to us, as we sat quietly on a park bench, to witness the opening of the Parliament.

Search for Police Protection in the Park

The friendly Police officer directed us to the superitendant in charge of the occassion, at the end of Africa Unity Square, on Third Avenue side. When we got there, we were directed to another uniformed officer who called a uniformed woman Policer officer, who then went to get us the plainclothes Police officer, who told us to stand there while he organised his next step. The remaining officers wanted us to move to the area where the cannons for the gun salute were located, and actually firing. We refused their persistant advice that it was a safe area, to which they were guiding us to stand.

Plainclothes Take us to Harare Central Police Station to Lay Our Complaint

After repeated questions from other Police officers who wanted to know why we were standing there, the plainclothes officer eventually returned, to take the 9 of us to Harare Central Police Station to have our statements recorded. A docket was opened, based on our complaint.

Family Experience at Harare Central Police Station

Meanwhile we rang my husband at home to tell him that we were at Harare Central Police Station, on a borrowed cell phone, whose battery was on its last bar. Jim assumed that we were arrested, put out the call to that effect, made lots of sandwiches for the group, and with our neighbour and friend, hurried to the Police station.

The Police took Jim and Dr Val Ingham Thorpe to the cells where they assured them that they were not holding any white women. Jim was agitated by what to him were ridiculous assumptions, and to their question whether his wife was black or white, he insisted on that detail by giving them my name. Eventually it cliqued on the Police that it was our group my husband was after. Val also had called the Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyers to attend to our demise before she drove to the Police station. The lawyer arrived and immediately interracted with the Police officers who were interviewing us, to get the sense of what our complaint was. He assured us that he would chase up the case into court. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, MDC, Human Rights, Zanu, Zimbabwe Violence

Eddie Cross: Nearly There

2006-07-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Is the end in sight?

There are growing signs that we may be seeing the end of the Mugabe regime. The principle driver is the economy, but this is now being supported by regional consensus that he has to step down so as to allow intervention and recovery. Political momentum is also being supported by renewed global agreement that Zanu has exhausted all options, save one and must now step down and allow change to take place.

On the economic front the pace of collapse has accelerated sharply. This is not reflected in official statistics but today the US dollar is trading at five times the official rate, fuel prices have risen to over Z$500 000 a litre and a loaf of bread is selling at Z$200 000 with milk not far behind for a half litre. This week maize meal prices have doubled, pushed by the first price increase in maize from the GMB in nearly two years. In the past 24 hours, we have been without electricity for 12 hours – many areas are also without water.

I watched the Zimbabwe television news the other night and heard Mr. Mugabe announce that we are no longer importing maize – we have after all grown enough maize to feed ourselves! The reality is that in the week ending the 14th July, we imported 17 000 tonnes of white maize from South Africa. No matter what the rhetoric, the reality stays stubbornly in sight – we will only reap a third of our maize needs, imports will again have to be over a million tonnes. We have grown a scant 20 000 hectares of wheat and barley and will have to import three quarters of our needs of these essential grains as well. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Eddie Cross, MDC, Zimbabwe Crisis

That is the economy, stupid.

2006-07-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

While reading Saturday's edition of the Herald I was reminded of how badly the Zimbabwean government has misunderstood the capitalist system and how it is playing itself out our country. Generally put, the Zimbabwean government, is guilty of distrusting the market system. In their bid to correct all that is wrong with the economy, they've overregulated the formal market, so much that it has become inaccessible for most Zimbabweans and Zimbabwean businesses.

But there's a minority in Zimbabwe who, in the face of the failure of the formal economy, have become part of a vibrant alternative market. In the informal market people operate laissez faire; free from the entrapments of government precipitated laws and unweilding influence. Here they have been able to unleash the power of their creative thinking and be rewarded fairly well for it. Just like it is supposed to work.

The Herald's erstwhile business editor, Victoria Ruzvidzo, is astonished to find just how well the informal economy is doing when she immerses herself into one of it's most prosperous markets; the Dubai cross border trade.

At least 170 shoppers travel to Dubai every week, spending an average of US$3 000 each.

Some spend tens of thousands of the greenback and have to bring their wares in containers by sea.

On each visit, one person folks out US$115 for a single entry visa and $258 million for a return ticket.

This effectively means that on average, the shoppers, or cross-border traders as they have come to be known, spend a combined US$510 000 per week or about US$2,4 million per month on their trips, enough to buy a day’s petrol supply for the whole country.

Add this to the figures spent by those who ply the China, Singapore, and other traditional routes such as South Africa, Botswana and Zambia and you have a huge figure of foreign currency that could otherwise be allocated to more deserving national needs.

Sadly, like the officials over at the Reserve Bank and in the Ministry of Finance, Ruzvidzo is resentful of the informal market because the government cannot regulate and influence it. More importanly, they cannot levy and collect taxes on most informal market activity. So they yell and scream, deride and chase, but fail to realize that they cannot eradicate the informal market.

No one can do that.

Like the Zimbabwean government, many people don't understand that the miracle of the capitalist free market resides not in the places where the business transactions occur (eg. Wall Street, Nikkei), or in the currencies of trade (US$, Yen). No, the magic of the free market is in the mind where an unparelled creative capacity ensures the most efficient matching of needs and resources.

Look around you, is there a "black" market? It's doing just that; making sure that people with needs are brought into contact with resources that address their needs.

In many cases, say the U.S. (where, for the most part, the formal market is doing a phenomenal job of allocating resources to the needs of people) for example the informal market becomes "black" because it isthe place where trade in illicit goods is happening.

This is not the case everywhere; certainly not in developing countries like Zimbabwe.

Those readers who've read me for a while know that I have long been intrigued in discovering the reason why the market economy has succeeded so well in some parts of the world, while it let the rest of the of us down. My quest has led me among other things, to Hernando De Soto and this erudite assertion of his; the free market hasn't failed in the developing world, it just hasn't been discovered yet. De Soto claims contrary to popular opinion, the free market is alive in the developing world; it is just not recognized as the "formal market." (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe Economy, Zimbabwe, Development, Economics, Informal Market

Indictment of the world

2006-07-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

The past week's events in the Middle East have confirmed Zimbabwean's fears that in eyes of the world some lives are intrinsically more valuable than others. And we now know without a doubt that our lives, those of millions of Zimbabweans ravaged by years of misrule and the extinction of democracy in our homeland, are less valuable than those of the Israeli people.

You see it has become apparent that Zimbabweans are on the opposite end of the global totem pole than the Israelis. How else are supposed to process the reality that: it has taken the death of less than 50 Israelis (in this latest episode of longranging dispute) to garner global media attention and bring diplomatic initiatives around the globe to a virtual standstill.

Less than 50 deaths, and every major media outlet across the USA and Western Europe has been fixated on the crisis. All the major bulletins, front page headlines, and syndicated commentators are focused on the crisis. Most if not all have sent their most capable and prominent personnel to report live. Incessantly returning viewers to check on new developments throughout the day (and night), the media are crooning over the crisis with the devotion like that of a physician to a patient in extremis.

It is a global crisis. And less than 50 deaths is all it has taken.

I don't mean to minimize the value of any human life anywhere, especially (and God forbid) in Israel. But, I'll let Mandebvhu, speak for me;

Firstly, the world is falling over themselves to assist where they can because there is a fear that there may be as many as half a million displaced people as a result of the ongoing Israeli/Lebennon crisis. According to a report from the UN's special envoy last year, displaced people in Zimbabwe number around 700 000 - and yet no one wants to help - because Zimbabwe has no oil.

Secondly. Mugabe has a habit of using world events and the fact that world attention is elsewhere to cover another audacious move against his own people. Watch and see.

Hundreds were killed during Operation Murambatsvina. Over three thousand people are dying in Zimbabwe every week. Where is our global spotlight? Where's our Charlie Gibson, Washington Post,BBC, AFP, or carnival in the blogosphere?

Some lives have more intrinsic value than other lives--I guess.

Technorati Tags: Israel, Lebannon, Zimbabwe Crisis, Zimbabwe, Operation Murambatsvina

Cross Posted on Global Voices

2006-07-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's blogosphere has virtually been deflated by threats of new legislation allowing government to surreptitiously spy on people's cyber actvities. Their numerous voices have been silenced leaving a marked void in the chronicling of the one the world's worst crises. Please keep this troubled nation's valiant bloggers in your minds and prayers. Few bloggers still persist, here are some of the issues they have been reporting;

After an acrimonious split, Zimbabwe's opposition MDC is steeped into further controversy after a ghastly attack on Gertrude (Trudy) Stevenson. Stevenson, who has aligned herself with Arthur Mutambara's "pro-senate" faction, is the MP for Harare north constituency on an MDC ticket. Zimpundit is sickened by the attack.

The Bearded Man posts and discusses headlines on Zimbabwe everyday.

D.R.C>:Carl at Because we're here boy no one else; just us shares his version of elections related developments. These include; increased patrols by the airforce, the arrival of EU troops, a war threat by a presidential candiate if the elections don't go well, and relief organizations cutting back their operations in the country.

Meanwhile Fleurdafrique contempletes whether the elections will be just another historical event or if they will be democratic at all:

Should I sit here and say “well at least we’re having elections”? What’s the point of having them if it’s clear who’s running the show?

Somebody is clearly taking a piss.

(more...)

MDC Releases Road Map

2006-07-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

The MDC has released their "Road Map." The document, which charts the party's way forward is posted here.

Technorati Tags: MDC, Zimbabwe, MDC Road Map

Mugabe chastizes party on corruption, succession

2006-07-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently frustrated by his party's penchant for a quick buck and lust for power, Mugabe bombarded his party's top members not once but twice over the weekend. Speaking to ZANU's central committee on Friday Mugabe lashed out at the members over corruption saying,

These cases of [members] wanting to enrich themselves are increasing in number. You are not being fair -- some people are just being crookish. Zanu-PF is going to embark on a major cleansing exercise to remove those elements bent on tarnishing the image of the party by their wayward behaviour with their private and public lives.

The aged leader, did not leave any stone unturned in his long harangue. Taking a swipe at the MDC over recent violence within the party, Mugabe charged lies and violence were seated deep within the party. He contended this was something western powers refused to listen to. He alsoissued a thinly veiled threat to the MDC about their planned mass action saying he wanted police given more powers to crush such revolts. He continued saying the only way to secure power was by election.

On Saturday the Central Committee found themselves under Mugabe's cross hairs when Mugabe characterized some of them as rabidly power hungry.

The things we hear about succession, succession, succession — zvatinonzwa zvacho, zvakaoma. Hapana zvakadaro. If I were to write books, I would write volumes and volumes of nonsensical things. Vamwe vanoenda kun’anga kuti ndinoda kuita ichi. Imi weee . . . N’anga huru is the people of Zimbabwe. Hazvina n’anga mukati izvi. (We hear lots of unbelievable stories about succession. We hear some people are consulting witchdoctors . . . but the biggest witchdoctor is the people of Zimbabwe. There is no need to consult witchdoctors.)

"If you do your work and work with the people well, the people will recognise you. Unhu hwako tinenge tichida kuti hunge huri hwakanaka." (We want people with dignity.)

Fascinating.(more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, ZANU PF, Corruption, Mugabe, Succession

Weekend Reading

2006-07-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

The Muckraker, the Independent's satirist is juicy this week. The installment lampoons the contradictions of the Mugabe regime highlighting their onesided mentality.

Muckraker also critizes Mugabe's press secretary George Charamba, who, while writing under the Nathaneil Manheru nom de plum, savagely attacked Jonathan Moyo in a clearly tribalistic and xenophobic outburst.

It was Jonathan Moyo, the former information minister, who outed Charamba as the impetus behind the Manheru's bitter protests against all government critics almost a year ago. Now, he finds himself, the object such an attack.

Known for his ascerbic two forked tongue, the former minister wasted no time firing back in this article carried by New Zimbabwe, one the Zimbabwean publications with a soft spot for the former minister best known for presiding over the closure of four newspapers deemed unfriendly.

Apparently unsatisfied by the the attention Moyo's response garnered, New Zimbabwe editorial core decided to spinoff a tabloid style headline, "Charamba tried to kill wife..."

This should making for some fascinating reading for your weekend.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Jonathan Moyo, Corruption

Whither Zimbabwe: What's holding back our desire for change?

2006-07-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

With winter almost over, there's no doubt in my mind that there will be no "winter of discontent". Streets across the country are devoid of the anticipatory buzz that is a mundane precursor to any significant upheava. With the grizzly attack on Trudy Stevenson, theHarare North MP the main faction of the MDC pounded in the last nail on their coffin. And with this failure to deliver, Morgan Tsvangirai and his cronies have unwittingly failed to distinguish themselves as authentic politicians apart from the legacy of false prophets and self-aggrandizing impostures that have dominated Zimbabwe's political landscape over the years.

Since (thankfully) the MDC does not represent the entirety of Zimbabweans who feel ZANU-PF is long past its' due, I get asked why someone else hasn't stepped into the void and galvanized the masses in a Nepal-style uproar. To be frank with you, on days like this I catch myself wondering what it is going to take for us, the laity in Zimbabwe, to take our destinty from the hands of fate and render our influence on what the future holds for us. In short, whither Zimbabwe; what is holding back our desire for change.

Eddie Cross thinks it's the leadership not only in Zimbabwe but across the continent. That's fine, I still refuse to lump an entire nation's culpability on one single function in political machinary that makes up a succesfull country. Posterity manifestly bears out the fact that even more important than political leaders the world over, so called "followers" have consistently risen to the occasion when the leadership has failed, Nepal being the latest example.

So why not in Zimbabwe? We've already endure seven hears of a hellish economic meltdown. Parents have found themselves haplessly observing has the bread has been taken from their families plates, tables, and homes as inflation has roared out of control. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis, Democracy

Eddie Cross: Leadership in Africa

2006-07-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

There is a great deal wrong in Africa. The continent has the highest ratio of internally displaced people in the world, we generate more refugees than any other continent, and we are poorer now than we were before independence.
We are the Aids capital of the globe and our life expectancies are retreating on a scale seldom seen in history.

Why?

It's not for lack of resources – we have those in abundance and if we rated Africa on the basis of population to its natural resource base we would find ourselves at the top of the log. It's not for a lack of energy – we are now a major producer and exporter of oil, we have vast reserves of coal and hydroelectric potential to light the continent for decades to come. It's not for a lack of aid from richer countries – many States in Africa draw up to half their annual budgets from donors in the West. Per capita we are one of the largest recipients of aid in the history of the world

The reason for all these problems lies not in our history nor in the predation of industrial economies, it lies in our leadership.

No better example of this could be found than the latest meeting of African Heads of State in the Gambia. This leadership summit of the African Union was expected to yield new consensus on Darfur, condemnation of human rights abuse in a number of countries, including Zimbabwe and the adoption of a Democracy Charter for the continent. On the sidelines it was expected to
yield a breakthrough in the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Instead we have the spectacle of the Heads of State rejecting the Democracy Charter, refusing to face up to the genocidal activities of the government of the Sudan and complete failure to come to grips with the crisis in Zimbabwe. A two-year-old report on human rights abuse is again deferred at the request of the perpetrators. I despair and so do many others who hold the welfare of Africa and its people's dear. (more...)

Sick

2006-07-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Gertrude "Trudy" Stevenson, a member of parliament representing Harare north constituency was brutally attacked by thugs suspected to be Tsvangirai sympathizers. New Zimbabwe has the story.

Looking at he images, one would think this yet another onslaught by ZANU-PF on it's opponents. Think again. This brutal voilence was for the cause of none other than Mugabe's most celebrated opponent, Tsvangirai.

This grotesque disregard for human life is the precise reason David Coltart cited for his decision to join the Mutambara faction. Anyone who condones this kind of barbarous behavior cannot be a champion for democracy and justice.

This only gives credance to suspicions that Tsvangirai is more like Mugabe.

Technorati Tags: Violence, Human Rights, MDC, Zimbabwe

Cross Posted on Global Voice

2006-06-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe: The Interception of Communications Bill is having a pronounced toll on the Zimbabwean blogosphere. Posts from domestic bloggers have slowed down noticably over the last two weeks. Despite this tragic reality, several cyberactivists continue to chronicle the largely unheard Zimbabwean story.

The unceremonious death of Tichaona Jokonya, the minister of information is the biggest news out of Zimbabwe this weekend. Jokonya died in his hotel room Saturday morning. Describing Jokonya's death Zimpundit expresses reservations about late minister regarding his role with the Interception of Communications Bill,

Jokonya’s tenure at the helm of the ministry was clearly marked by a softening of the government’s stance on independent media practitioners. Jokonya was even rumoured to have been making benign attempts at “defrosting” relations between his ministry and the independent media establishment.

Lately, he appeared to have buckled down and had began singing along to ZANU-PF’s abuses of independent media. Addressing a press conference earlier last week, Jokonya described locally based correspondents of foreign media as “traitors” saying,

“You know what the end of a traitor is? The end of a traitor is always death. The unfortunate thing about a traitor is that you are killed by both your own people and the person whom you are serving,”

Further, even though it is yet unclear what role he played in instituting it, the repressive Interception of Communications Bill came into effect during Jokonya’s reign.

Still on the subject of death, the father of Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the MDC died this past week too. Zimbabwe's overenthusiastic police brazenly distrupted funeral proceedings calling on MDC supporters at the funeral to remove party regalia they had on. Said The Bearded Man
The police have overstepped the mark and I am horrified at the actions. A death in the family is hard enough, without Mugabe's heavy-handed tactics making it any harder. Morgan, I am so sorry for your loss. My sympathies to you and you family. May your father rest in peace.

The Bearded Man continues to do daily news roundups. (more...)

Information Minister Dead

2006-06-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Both New Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Journalists are reporting the death of Zimbabwe's information minister Tichaona Jokonya early Saturday morning.

Jokonya, who took over the controversial ministry from Jonathan Moyo had previously been Zimbabwe's ambassador to the UN.

There had been longrunning rumors that he had been unwell.

According to New Zimbabwe,

Jokonya's body was recovered from a bath tub of the Rainbow Towers Hotel, formerly Sheraton Hotel, in Harare.

He had booked a 16th floor room and when he failed to answer the door to his bodyguard, hotel staff forced open the door.

It is not known if there was any other person in the room with Jokonya who has a house in Harare and lived with his wife, Winnie Friede and children.

After taking over the information portfolio, Jokonya had, until last Wednesday, done little to reverse his ministry's legacy of mantaining ZANU-PF's absolute monarchy on Zimbabwe's information outlets, and dealing harshly with independent media. On Wednesday, the formerly mild Jokonya boldly announced he was going recentralize the operational structure of ZBH, a wholly owned parastatal, and Zimbabwe's sole radio and T.V. broadcaster. The move, which will eradicate the national broadcaster's "small business units" was Jokonya's first real challenge to the establishment left by Moyo. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbababwe, Zimbabwe Government, Interception of Information Bill

Getting too personal with the politics

2006-06-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwean police can be disgusting. Like yesterday, when disrupted the funeral for MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai's father. Zimonline has the report:

About 25 police some carrying guns and teargas canisters stormed the funeral of the father of opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai, ordering mourners to remove the party's regalia and stop sloganeering.

Tsvangirai's father, Dzingai Chibwe, died at Murambinda Hospital in rural Buhera district last Sunday at the age of 78. He was buried at a family compound in the arid district, about 200 km south-east of Harare.

But the burial ceremony - a hallowed occasion in the local Shona culture - was thrown into chaos as police attempted to force the about 1 000 mourners to remove MDC -shirts and bandanas in yet another clear example of harassment of the opposition leaders and supporters.

The police, who were said to have been in a fighting mood, bizarrely claimed that the mourners were violating the government's tough Public Order and Security Act (POSA) that forbids political gatherings without prior permission from the police.

Disgusting.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Police Brutality, Morgan Tsvangirai

Hot Seat: Moyo, Raftopoulos and Robertson

2006-06-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Violet: We continue the teleconference interview discussing various issues of national interest with three people who have at one time or another advised some of the key players in Zimbabwean politics - political analyst Professor Brian Raftopoulos, former Information Minister, now independent MP Professor Jonathan Moyo and leading economist John Robertson. This week we are going to be discussing how Mugabe thinks. What is his mindset? Why is he allowing the country to collapse so totally? A huge part of that collapse has been economic and so we start this week’s discussion with the economy.

With inflation nearing 1200% it’s been said the economy has become Mugabe’s real opposition. So I first asked economist John Robertson to explain the state of the economy and tell us how bad things really are.

Robertson: The state of the economy is certainly extremely serious. We have lost about half of our gross domestic product. The GDP per capita has come down to less that US$1 per day for the population as a whole and at that level we have, I am afraid, a very debilitated population. I think many, many people are suffering malnutrition and because of the treatment and the various little security measures taken by the government we have also a traumatised population. Which might explain why they have not taken mass action to date. There was some evidence of courage to do that back in 1997/ 98, but the treatment that was meted out to the people after that has left them very, very cautious and very anxious not to have that experience again.
Now these problems are mounting in such a way that the economy can no longer employ most of the people. We’ve got some 300 000 youngsters turning 18 in this country every year – about maybe 10% of them can find work – the rest of them are unemployed and unable to find any kind of suitable employment anywhere. So they have to leave the country if they want work. We’ve got many of them leaving for South Africa illegally and facing very serious problems when they do that. I think that we face a very, very long recovery unless we get a massive amount of assistance from abroad. And once again I say that South Africa’s position here is the most important. We could speak of following the same path of recovery as say Uganda or Ethiopia or Mozambique and each of those cases we are talking more than 30 years and they still haven’t come right. We could come right very much more quickly with a lot of assistance from South Africa. I believe that the South African assistance could be in the form of the assistance given say to East Germany by West Germany when the Berlin Wall came down. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy, Zimbabwe Crisis

Coltart's procrastinated decision evidence of a crippling pandemic

2006-06-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently David Coltart has finally made a decision about his political future. Not anyone was holding their breath. The prominent lawyer, human rights activist, found MDC member, and, I think, Zimbabwe's sole white male MP aligned himself with the "pro-senate" faction of the MDC. Read his statement here.

Not that anyone was holding their breath.

By his own confession, Coltart was seven months in limbo. Seven months, before acting. Seven months sprinkled with loquacious statements planned to whet the public's interests in him. Seven months of endless mediocre attempts at mediating the crisis all to naught. Seven months this man has had his way with national politics.

But these have also been seven months during which inflation for the first time passed 1,000%. Seven months during which the poverty datum line shot to over 50 million dollars. Seven months during which the not-so-august house Coltart sits in crafted and tabled a new bill aimed at shutting down sites like this very one and eaves dropping on innocent Zimbabwean's conversation. Seven months during which Coltart has contributed nothing towards the national debate. (more...)

Technorati Tags: David+Coltart, MDC, Zimbabwe, Pro Senate Faction

Eddie Cross: Once more into the breech

2006-06-20T04:24:00.000-07:00

Morgan had lunch with a group of local business leaders this week. During the conversation he made the point that he would never have predicted that the Nationalist government in South Africa in 1989 would have accepted the changes that were about to break over the heads of all who lived in South Africa. They controlled all the instruments of the State, huge resources, the electoral system and the media. Domestically they seemed to be unassailable. Five years later they were defeated, out of power and the party that had dominated South Africa for the previous 45 years had disintegrated.

It happens. Never say the word “impossible” in politics.

Suddenly there is a new consensus in the international community about Zimbabwe. This replaces the assumed approach sculptured by Tony Blair at the G8 summit in mid 2005 when the G8 renewed its commitment to helping put the Zimbabwe economy back on its feet and its support for the approach proposed by the South Africans. After the Gleneagles summit, Thabo Mbeki has had a go at getting Mr. Mugabe to step aside and allow reform and recovery on three separate occasions and on each occasion he was frustrated by the local leadership. (more...)

Hot Seat: Analysts say engagement not mass action

2006-06-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

Transcript of 'Hot Seat' programme in which SW Radio Africa's Violet Gonda talks with Professors Brian Raftopoulos, Jonathan Moyo and Economist John Robertson.

Broadcast on 13th June 2006

Violet: Zimbabwe is a country in crisis and many have asked what needs to be done internationally by all democratic forces and what role the regional and international community can play – now, and in the post Mugabe period. To help discuss various ideas I've invited three people who have at one time or another advised some of the key players in Zimbabwean politics. They are political analyst Professor Brian Raftopoulos who once acted as an advisor for Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC, independent MP Jonathan Moyo, who was widely described as an advisor and strategist for Robert Mugabe and well known economist John Robertson. Welcome to the programme gentlemen. Now we will start with a common question, ah, well, there is no question, but there is a serious political crisis in Zimbabwe and that the economy has collapsed with inflation officially at 1 193.5 % but generally it's understood to be much higher than that. Now obviously something must be done about Zimbabwe but what are the suggestions? Let's start with Professor Moyo.

Jonathan Moyo: Well, the suggestions - I don't think that the way our country is and how things are going invites suggestions, clearly what is needed is action. The first action, of course people would reasonably expect, that it must come from government - what government should do. And, the problem we have at the moment is that the government seems to be in a policy paralysis and it does not have a response. Although, I must say, the recent developments suggest that there is some international engagement which might lead to some resolution of this crisis because of the consequences of this economic meltdown. All this discussion around a possible initiative led by Kofi Annan suggests that the government now wants a way out and the question is, what it would be? There are a number of scenarios we can talk about in the course of the discussion.

Violet: Ok, we'll talk about that later, but I would like to know the views of John Robertson and Professor Raftopoulos about what they think needs to be done. John Robertson?

John Robertson: I believe that the government today is completely out of its depth and doesn't have the resources any longer to deal with these crises. Unfortunately it has constantly sought economic answers to what are basically political problems. I feel that strenuous efforts must now be made to devise political policies that are there to fix the political problems. We've seen a massive decline in the level of production, a total absence of new investment into the country, a massive flight of skills from Zimbabwe and the country now has no credit rating internationally. And, although we might have raised a bit of money to pay for fuel by pledging exports of certain minerals, we have come nowhere near solving any of these problems because the political hang-ups still keep the people who could help the country at arms length. So, I think that the answer has to lie in the political arena, not in the economic one. (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe Crisis, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Economy, Mugabe, Tsvangirai

Eddie Cross: "Breakdown or Breakthrough"

2006-06-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

I walked into a business here in Bulawayo this morning to discover that the staff was basically cleaning up prior to shutting down. The owners were already in South Africa – they had left without telling many friends that they were going. This is an event taking place across the country right now – business people are deciding that they have had enough. They cannot export at ruling exchange rates, local demand has simply disappeared and they have no raw materials and no cash to continue operating.

The Zimbabwe economy is closing down – literally. We have inflation now at nearly 1200 per cent per annum (28 per cent in May and 21 per cent in April so it is still accelerating). But unlike the situation in most other countries that have experienced hyperinflation, the Zimbabwe economy is imploding at the same time. GDP is now down about 50 per cent, exports by two thirds and if it is at all possible, output in all sectors – mining, agriculture, industry is down again this year over last.

The reasons for the implosion in the economy are largely self-inflicted. They rank from open threats against owners of businesses, expropriation and theft of assets by people associated with the ruling Party. The near collapse of the legal system and massive political interference with what is left. To this you can add total confusion in terms of macro economic, monetary and fiscal policy. Totally skewed exchange rates accompanied by wholesale theft of revenues and the misuse of scarce resources allocated on a patronage basis.

In recent weeks the reports of accelerated decline have poured in – gold output down by a third on last year, winter cropping down 50 per cent, electricity supplies down to 70 per cent of demand and threatening economic activity across the board. The tobacco crop down by a third and prospects that the coming crop could be very small – perhaps less than 20 000 tonnes. Industrial activity shrinking fast and, if it was at all possible, the numbers of foreign tourists still dropping. (more...)

Great Post

2006-06-13T04:36:00.000-07:00

Accoustic Motorbike has a great post titled, "Yes I Am Sexist" about the unfair reality of being a woman in Zimbabwe. It's sad but true, the amount of oogling, cackling, whistling, staring, shameless overtures, that meet any woman that isn't carrying a baby on her back is downright disgusting.

If you know any Zimbabwean men or any men encourage them to read it. If we want progress anywhere in the world, we must fight just as hard to end the kind of oppression expressed in the post just as hard as we fight the wors dictators. Here's an excerpt:

I hate that I don’t feel safe on my own at night in my own neighbourhood. I hate that I don’t enjoy going to one of my favourite local restaurants, a few blocks from my flat, on my own—the sea of testosterone that awaits inside those doors is too much to navigate alone.

And, of course, it’s not just about sex. It’s about men’s attitudes towards women. Maybe the message that a woman is not for beating already resonates with many men. But gender based violence is about much more than beatings. It’s about much more than rape or sexual assault. Surely it also includes the safety with which women move around in their own homes, their own streets, shops and neighbourhoods. Women are not for beating. They are also not for raping, heckling, objectifying or harassing. What messages do men grow up with then about what women are for. What do men think men are for? What do women think women or men are there for? Society has changed dramatically in the past 100 years. It is no longer acceptable to judge or stereotype someone on the basis of their race. Somehow gender differences feel like a harder thing to crack.

(More...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Human Rights, Women's Rights

Cross Posted at Global Voices

2006-06-12T04:14:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe: Announcing AI's irrepressible.info and explaining why Zimbabwe badly needs the project, Accoustic Motorbike illustrates the impending fate Zimbabwe's bloggers face owing to the new Interception of Communications Bill;

So it all works something like this:

1) The army, police, or intelligence service decides that Jane Bloggs is a dubious character, and applies for a warrant to intercept her communications. These could include her text messages, cell phone and land line calls, emails to her known email address(es), communications sent electronically via her ISP, and post arriving at her house.

2) She is not told by any authority that an interception warrant has been issued in her name. The friendly technician at her ISP might want to give her a heads up that she is now being monitored, but given the threat of a three year prison term, is unlikely to do so. Similarly the ISP, phone company and postal workers also face a fine and/or three years jail time for not assisting the “MICC” – Monitoring and Interception of Communications Centre—with whatever information it requests.

3) Knowing the risk of her emails being watched, Jane might choose to use some kind of encryption device. But even if she did, she could at any time be instructed to hand over these passwords—or risk a fine and/or five years imprisonment.

4) With all of Jane’s text messages, emails, internet searches, etc, the state is sure to find something dubious with which they can charge her under any one of Zimbabwe’s other draconian laws—the Public Order and Security Act, the Miscellaneous Offences Act, the Foreign Exchange Controls Act, or the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, for starters. And, since it will have collected this evidence in a nicely “legal” manner, it will be able admissible in court, to strengthen whatever case the state might wish to make against her.

(More...)

Zim Blog Drive

2006-06-02T04:35:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe has quite a few bloggers under threat from the IC bill. The bill could mean that some if not all of these blogs are going to close down.

In light of this discouraging reality, please take time to read other Zimbabwean bloggers. Follow the links I have or go here.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Bloggers, Media Oppression, Information Communication Bill

Bennett: "CIO, Chinamasa botched my application."

2006-06-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

Former Zimbabwean MP Roy "Pachedu" Bennett blames Zimbabwe's dreaded CIO and justice minister Patrick Chinamasa for his failed asylum application in South Africa claims a report published in The Zimbabwean.

In a Home Affairs document in the possession of CAJ News, the SA government denied Bennett asylum, saying his claims had not been substantiated.
"After a thorough assessment of your claim and careful scrutiny of all the available information the Refugee Status Determination Officer has come to a conclusion that your testimony does not warrant the granting of refugee status. In consequence thereof your claim has been rejected in terms of Section 24 (3) c. of the Refugee Act of 1998 as unfounded for the reasons stated hereunder," reads the document.
However, Bennett dismissed the Home Affairs' refusal, arguing that there had been manipulation of the process by Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). He said justice minister Patrick Chinamasa had actually flown from Harare to see his South African counterpart over his application.

Bennett, who the MDC has revealed will remain the party's national treasurer, declared his affiliation with the Tsvangirai/anti-senate faction of the MDC claiming that was the only MDC the grassroots people were interested in.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, MDC, MDC Debacle, Roy Bennett

Where to start.

2006-05-31T04:30:00.000-07:00

Some days, today is one of them, there's seems to be too much going on I just don't know where to start or focus my energy.

I could spend hours bloviating on the not so pleasant plight of Lovemore Madhuku the leader of Zimbabwe's National Constitutional Assembly--an umbrella body of civic groups pushing for a new constitution in Zimbabwe. He has taken a battering in the news over the last few days because he somehow managed to secure himself a third term at the helm of NCA in violation of the groups constitution. He took care of that though, he ammended the constitution. Needless to say, Dr. Madhuku is swimming in controversy. The activist is accused of manifesting the same despotic tendencies his opposes in Mugabe. He fired back at his critics in an interview with SW Radio's Violet Gonda.

The Interception of Communications Bill, which empowers the government to monitor cyber and telephony activities of individuals "suspected of threatening national security" continues to sail through the legislative hoops on its way to becoming law. After being gazetted late last week, it went for reading in parliament's legal committee. If they pass it, the bill could be tabled on the floor for a vote in a matter of days. By the end of the week it could be signed into law.

That's a bogus concept for you, national security in Zimbabwe? Security from what, certainly not from hunger, disease, dilapidated infrastructure, economic implosion and so on. The governent can't even provide workspace for some of their own functions and they want to talk about "national security?" (more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Crisis, Media Oppression, Human Rights

Scenes from Tsvangirai's UK Rally

2006-05-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Speculation continues on the actual number of people who attended Morgan Tsvangirai's Leeds rally on Sunday. Zimbabwe Journalists estimates that a crowd of around 500 people gathered to hear the Tsvangirai and his team address diasporans on Sunday. This is pretty much a consensus figure I have thus surmized from various reports on the rally.

Here are pictures taken during the rally. All photos courtesy of Zimvigil.

Technorati Tags: Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC, Zimbabwe Crisis, Zimbabwe

Cross Posted at Global Voices

2006-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe: The first anniversary of Zimbabwe's notorious "cleanup" operation, Operation Murambatsvina passed recently. There was a marked reticence among Zimbabwean bloggers towards organized commerations. Accoustic Motorbike explains her reasons;

Marking the “one year” anniversary of this destruction ignores the fact that Murambatsvina is on going. It’s become a verb, a noun, and a state of being for both the people and the government of Zimbabwe. In the past four weeks alone, Murambatsvina-style evictions have been carried out in cities like Masvingo and Ruwa. Operation Round Up has seen police in Harare “sweep up” over 10,000 homeless people and dump them on a farm outside Harare.

...The government isn’t pursuing any long-term development or assistance project here. But sadly, by not integrating an element of resistance and defiance into the “commemorations,” civil society also will not move towards the long term programme it needs to see genuine democratic change in Zimbabwe. It seems like Zimbabweans are more and more trapped in our own victimhood. We say that things will change when the old man dies. Or that God is watching, and won’t let our suffering continue forever. But there is not the spirit of defiance that is essential if things like collective non violent action are ever to succeed here. As a friend of mine said the other day, “we’re missing the belief that we deserve better. And that we have the right to demand it.”

Over at This is Zimbabwe, the commemoration events were cast acts of defiance in themselves. This post, replete with pictures, honors those who did take a moment to remember the Murambatsvina's hapless victims and explains that the few people that did turn out for the march did so in the face assured police action;

Church leaders in Zimbabwe’s second city, Bulawayo, achieved a remarkable victory today in keeping to their original plan to stage a peaceful protest march and hold public prayers, despite the most severe intimidation from Mugabe’s security forces. Many similar events planned by churches and civic groups in other parts of the country to commemorate the anniversary of the regime’s infamous Operation Murambatsvina were either called off or postponed in the face of massive police intimidation. But the steely resolve of the pastors leading an informal group called Churches in Bulawayo, and the courage of several hundred church members who turned out in support enabled the Bulawayo protest to go ahead notwithstanding.

Zimpundit, at Enough is Enough expresses reservations about commemorating Murambatsvina now,

We’re still reeling from the problem of Murambatsvina, you still hear reports of police inadvertently raiding markets, and we still have the same brute leadership. We’re trying to work on this here problem, we haven’t given up yet. We’re not quite ready to even think of giving up yet.

In sense, there’s still too much pain everywhere for us to take time to mourn right now.

The Bearded Man has several news roundups and a couple of podcasts to update you on the latest headlines out of Zimbabwe.

Burundi: Agathon Rwasa cites a report which details how Tutsi activist were arrested for arranging commeration of their brethren massacred by the Buranda government.

He also blogs about the arrest of Térence Nahimana, a former parliamentarian turned activist who was incarcerated after questioning why the government had not started peace negotions with the FNL.
(more...)

Desperate for Attention, Moyo "Advises" Tsvangirai

2006-05-25T05:16:00.000-07:00

Deposed information minister and political turncoat Jonathan Moyo is out courting ire of Zimbabweans again. This time, he used a long diatribe titled Beyond Budiriro in which assumes a lofty position of wisdom and attempts to dish advice to the MDC. Roundly castigated for his oppressive role in crafting AIPPA (Zimbabwe's unliked media regulation law), Moyo, now Zimbabwe's lone independent parliamenterian is seemingly desperate to rejuvinate his political career.

In the piece, Moyo asserts among other things that Tsvangirai is myopically obsessed with the idea of asserting his faction of the MDC as the "real MDC." In so doing Moyo counters, Tsvangirayi is foolishing extrapolating his popularity within the MDC to reach across to all other Zimbabweans. Like the long slumbering Rip Van Winkel, Moyo seems oblivious to what has been going on around him; Tsvangirayi has been going around the country courting all Zimbabweans to respond to a national agenda for progress and the end of tyranny. This idea that his travels are intended solely for flexing his political muscle is far fetched at best.

Building on the fallacy that Tsvangirayi is in operating from the throes of self aggrandizing ambition, Moyo "challenges" Tsvangirai to pursue the building of a "coalition of the willing" of sorts. It is clear Moyo writes from the deluded assumption that politics in Zimbabwe remains an esoteric confine accesible and malleable only to the elite and the educated. Alas, those days are long gone in Zimbabwe. Fortunately, the new generation of politicians on the rise in Zimbabwe (which include Tsvangirayi and Mutambara but not Moyo) have latched onto this already. This is why they are travelling so extensively and are reaching out to ordinary Zimbabweans.
(more...)

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, MDC Debacle, Jonathan Moyo, MDC, Morgan Tsvangirayi, Mutambara

Militarization of Agriculture Failing

2006-05-24T04:30:00.000-07:00

Over a month ago, I highlighted the fact that the army had taken over agriculture in Zimbabwe. Apparently Joice Mujuru, the vice president, went to check up on the project on our behalf and was infuriated with what she saw. Zimonline has the report illustrating yet another ZANU-PF failure.

This is the Zimbabwean story not being told or heard in the outside world. Evidence is mounting galore for ZANU-PF's abundant failures: in the economy (inflation, unemployment, GDP decline); education (unmotivated staff, unaffordable fees, insufficient supplies); health (nurse/doctor shortage, hospital/clinic closures, denial of service due government debt by critical suppliers viz a viz pharmaceutical firms); and in politics (corruption, lost election).

The list is endless but we cannot talk about it within the country. It's all an open secret, but there is such a pervasive fear among the people of the dreaded CIO (Central Intelligence Organization) that no one wants to talk about the reality of life. That fear has become the basis of ZANU-PF's endurance.
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Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, Famine, Fear, Oppression, Violence, Human Rights

Tsvangirai Ventures Abroad Justified?

2006-05-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

Just hours after picking up the election victory over the weekend, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai set foot for Europe where he is hoping to hold diplomatic consultations that will help Zimbabwe's tyranny. While the sequencing of his events has been nothing short of brilliant (i.e. going abroad after energizing his parties local spheres,) I'm taken aback at the timing of the trip.

After months of criss-crossing the nation gathering momentum for he dubbed the "winter of discontent," Tsvangirai is leaving the engine unmanned after stoking into life. Several things have happened in Zimbabwe over the last few weeks which in my opinion would have lent themselves malleable as impetus for mass protest. In my young and foolish opinion, now would be the time to strike the match and set the regime asunder because of their calloused temerity.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the economy. The climate in Zimbabwe nothing but disatisfied by the ruling elite's pallid efforts at calming the chaos that is the Zimbabwean economy. With April's inflation figures catapulting Zimbabwe to the heights of global inflation, and parents struggling to send their children to school for the second term (which started two weeks ago), our emaciated economy is at its weekest.

The civic landscape appears primed and ready for countrywide protest. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the umbrella body for Zimbabwe's workers endorsed their leadership late last week. The show of confidence is an indication of of the working class' propensity to follow their leaders should they call a stayaway. Not only is the MDC is a birth child of ZCTU, but Zimbabwe's workers have ground the country to a halt more than once. To date, no other political party, either ruling or opposition, has galvanized public opinion enough to rally the people to hold nationwide protests.
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Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai

Budiriro Spurns Mugabe, Mutambara

2006-05-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

The anti-senate faction of the MDC--that led by Morgan Tsvangirai--won the Budiriro bye-election over the weekend. In an election deemed pivotal because of surging inflation and calls by the opposition for mass protest this winter, the people clearly signalled that their loyalty is preserved for the party will best represent them. Gone are the days where glamor and glitz, violence and force can will people to vote for a party.

Budiriro is a high density suburb in the western half of Harare. It's a typical working class suburb where the pangs of Zimbabwe's militant inflation have been felt with little mitigation. Last week, it seemed the whole country focused in Budiriro; Mugabe and his deputy came and addressed rallies there, Mutambara attempted a "roadshow" but was rebuffed by the biased police, and after addressng a rally Tsvangirai hung around and visited people in their homes. On Saturday the people of Budiriro chose the suitor whose overtures they had appreciated most; it was Tsvangirai.
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Technorati Tags: MDC, Zimbabwe Elections, Zimbabwe