Relief ... Munyaradzi Gwisai and his
co-accused after the sentence was
passed
21/03/2012
00:00:00
by Phyllis
Mbanje
UNIVERSITY
lecturer, Munyaradzi Gwisai has indicated he will appeal his conviction and
sentence for conspiring to commit public violence after being arrested while
watching news videos of the Arab Spring uprisings.
Gwisai, Antonater
Choto, 36, Tatenda Mombeyarara, 29, Edson Chakuma, 38, Hopewell Gumbo, 32, and
Welcome Zimuto, 25, were sentenced to two years in jail, but the sentence was
suspended for five years.
Harare magistrate
Kudakwashe Jarabini also ordered the six to each pay a $500 fine and carry out
420 hours of community service.
But defence
lawyer, Alec Muchadehama said he would appeal the conviction and sentence at the
High Court.
"We felt that
the sentence was harsh and misplaced and therefore will battle it out at the
high court," he said.
Muchadehama also
said he would apply for suspension of the community service orders pending
hearing on the 26th of March.
Passing sentence, Jarabani claimed that
watching footage of the Arab Spring uprisings could have helped spark violent
upheavals in the country.
"The meeting was
very deliberate and the accused took advantage of the fact that the video was
being flighted on most channels and therefore information dissemination was
going to be easy," he said.
"It must be stressed that such conduct could
have easily led to turbulence and much blood shed.
"Peace and tranquility
must be preserved and even the principals in the Global Political Agreement
(GPA) are advocating for peace and not violence.”
He however,
dismissed calls by the prosecution for the maximum 10-year jail
sentence.
"Custodial
sentence has harsh effects on first offenders and giving the longest sentence
does not guarantee reformatory behaviour," he said.
"The court took
into consideration that the sentence should not be outrageous sending a shock
wave among the public."
Jarabani also told
Gwisai -- a former legislator – that as a law lecturer he was supposed to “set a
good example” and not use his academic achievements as a “passport” to commit
offenses.
Harare, March 22,2012 - Munyaradzi
Gwisai, the former Highfield Member of Parliament and five activists
convicted for plotting public violence aimed at following demonstrations
similar to the Egyptian revolution vowed to fight "dictatorship" in the
country.
Gwisai, the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) head was
jointly charged with Antoinette Choto, Welcome Zimuto, Eddison Chakuma,
Tatenda Mombeyarara and Hopewell Gumbo.
Gwisai described the
country's judiciary as a "shame" after they were fined $500 and that they
must do 420 hours of community service.
"The dictatorship is shaking, it
is not yet fallen and therefore the struggle must continue. The struggle
will continue, this is a temporary reprieve. We are going to be back in the
trenches," Gwisai said after the court sentenced the six
activists.
"Their real aim was to put us in (to jail us) as an example
ahead of their clear objective and agenda of stealing yet another election.
What we have shown them is that we cannot be stopped. Enough is enough, the
struggle continues. Aluta continua."
Another activist Antonette
Choto said :"This is a major step forward for the working class of Zimbabwe.
We want to say that the struggle against poverty and against dictatorship
continues."
Hopewell Gumbo said they have been on trial for "questioning"
the legitimacy of the unity government of President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai which has been in charge in the country through a
political agreement by the main political parties.
"We have been on
trial for questioning the legitimacy and questioning the current
dispensation in terms of running and leading this country, “Gumbo
said.
"We have been on trial for questioning the brutality the people
of Zimbabwe are seeing through their day to day lives. This is just a phase
in a permanent struggle for the liberation of the people of Zimbabwe and it
is going forward."
Gwisai and five other rights activists facing
charges of plotting to incite public violence to emulate Egypt and Tunisia
mass uprising in the country at a meeting in Harare where found guilty
Monday by the magistrate court.
Heavily armed police surrounded the
magistrate court which was full with activists from organisations such as
International Socialist Organisation (ISO), Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition,
National Constitutional Assembly and other organisations.
The case
which was delayed for months ended three weeks ago.
Treason charges which
were initially preferred on the six activists were dropped to alternative
charges of inciting violence and disturbing peace in the country after the
prosecution failed to present its case before the courts.
The six
activists were being represented by prominent Harare lawyer Alec
Muchadehama.
Zimbabwe police arrested 45 activists in February at the
time when the Arab spring citizens embarked on mass uprisings to topple
their governments which they accused of trampling on their rights and
looting state resources.
The other charges of the 39 activists were
dropped before trial.
Activist Munyaradzi Gwisai emerged from court pumping a
defiant fist in the air. His conviction, with five of his colleagues, on
charges of plotting to topple Robert Mugabe may silence some of the
president’s critics.
The group was arrested last year after police raided
the venue of what the activists said had been a discussion on the
possibility of an Egypt-style mass protest in Zimbabwe.
The six
escaped with a fine, community service and suspended jail terms. But the
fact that they were found guilty at all may have set a precedent that may
result in more convictions of activists.
Police said the group had been
plotting violence to remove Mugabe. They had been watching news coverage of
the Egypt protests and the court ruled it was to get ideas for similar
action in Zimbabwe.
As the magistrate read the verdict, there were gasps
of shock from the dozens of activists in the courtroom. Arrests for plotting
to topple Mugabe are common, but convictions are rare. Activists now fear a
precedent may have been set, forcing rights groups to scale back their
campaigns.
The case is an embarrassment for the country, especially
because some world headlines suggested that the group was arrested for
merely watching television.
Failing basic rights Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai said the conviction conveyed an image of a country failing
to respect basic rights. The conviction sought to “criminalise” civil
liberties, he said.
“This not only besmirches the government’s image, but
serves to confirm that Zimbabwe has not moved an inch in its respect for
human rights,” Tsvangirai said. But the case also adds pressure on
Tsvangirai, who has been criticised for failing to protect his civil society
allies.
Ahead of the sentencing, Gwisai had spoken of his anxiety. But,
perhaps emboldened by the fact that previous similar cases had always
fizzled out in court, he remained defiant. “It is hard to take, given that
one has a family to think about. But these are the sacrifices that those
that have gone before us, and those in Egypt and elsewhere, have made. So we
must prepare ourselves,” Gwisai said.
During the trial, he never
refrained from criticism of Mugabe. In one cross-examination session,
prosecutors, perhaps trying to paint the group as rebels, quizzed Gwisai on
whether he thought Mugabe should step down.
“It is no coincidence that in
all the richest and the most powerful nations in the world, such as the
People’s Republic of China, the United States of America and Great Britain,
their supreme leaders are less than 55 years old,” he replied. “So yes,
President Mugabe must go.” Asked whether he would call Mugabe a dictator,
Gwisai said: “I would call him an authoritarian leader.”
Gwisai is a
long-time critic of Mugabe and a former Movement for Democratic Change MP.
He holds radical left-wing views, which led to his sacking from the MDC
after he said the party had been “hijacked by the bourgeoisie” and failed to
respond to the need for land reform.
Questionable motives Arguing for
the maximum 10-year jail term on Tuesday, prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba said
the group would have been stoned in biblical times.
Magistrate Kudakwashe
Jarabini said the prosecutors had proved their case against Gwisai,
Antonater Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Edson Chakuma, Hopewell Gumbo and
Welcome Zimuto.
He said it was an “insult” for anyone to expect the court
to believe the meeting had been innocent. Watching the video was no crime,
he said, but “it is the motive behind it that is questionable”.
The
six “took turns to incite people to revolt against the government like they
had seen on the video”.
Leaving the courthouse, Gwisai raised a fist and
shouted “a luta continua!” to waiting members of his International Socialist
Organisation.
“We are not deterred, we are not intimidated,” Gwisai said.
“To the ordinary people this is not surprising. This is a staple of what is
happening in Africa and across the world. So, we take it as it comes. The
struggle continues.”
Gwisai is suing the police and the home affairs
minister for the torture he said he suffered in detention. One of the
activists, Hopewell Gumbo, said the group had been subjected to abuse for
days after their arrest.
Dewa Mavhinga of the Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition pressure group said the conviction had been a “direct message” to
activists. “We reject that message of fear,” Mavhinga
said.
Group beaten, imprisoned, ostracised for watching a
video I was on a train in the United States on the way to visit an old friend
when my phone rang. It was another friend in Zimbabwe, who had awful news.
Shouting into the receiver to try to make sense of things, my fear and
desperation were all too clear and my four-year-old son immediately knew
that something was terribly wrong.
Munya, my husband and Sankara’s
dad, had been arrested with 46 others. One, the state witness, was rapidly
released.
It was a Saturday afternoon in Harare and they were discussing
the momentous demonstrations of people power in North Africa.
It was
a peaceful gathering of student activists, union members and working-class
people who still believed in the possibility of a fairer and more just
world.
They had got hold of a compilation of news clippings from
international TV broadcasters, chronicling the days of revolution and the
fall of dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt -- clippings that had been seen
by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The next month
was an eye-opening journey for me into the fear and dysfunction of
Zimbabwe.
I had lived there in 2004 and made regular trips there. Munya
always promised to join me in my various postings around the world, but he
was too committed to making a difference in his own country ever to leave
permanently.
By the time I got to Harare a week later, we knew the
situation was serious. This was not going to follow the pattern of earlier
detentions and beatings.
The authorities’ fear of the domino effect of
events unfolding in North Africa and the Middle East meant that the charges
needed to send a strong message, particularly to the people of Harare’s
high-density neighbourhoods, where life is hard and unemployment
high.
The attorney general waited six days before laying crazy charges of
treason and planning to overthrow an elected government, charges that carry
the death sentence or 20 years in prison.
The prosecutor used
delaying tactics in court to draw the ordeal out and ensure that their
extended time in remand would serve as a severe punishment and a clear
warning to them and others.
Seventeen of the men spent a week in solitary
confinement. The 11 women were forced to do hard labour, even though no
sentence had been handed down. Indeed, the case had not yet even gone to
court.
But it was not just the stories from inside the prison that were
so devastating. For many of those arrested, especially couples who had gone
to the meeting together, the reality at home was grim. It was the end of the
month. Rents and school fees needed to be paid. One child spent a week in
hospital sick with fever. Another two-year-old developed acute malnutrition
because her grandmother was unable to feed her. But perhaps what scared me
most on my visits to some of the families was the hostility directed towards
them.
Instead of the community rallying round in solidarity, there
were stories of intimidation and harassment by Zanu-PF youth
militia.
In one home -- a small, dilapidated two-roomed house -- the
children sat inside, waiting for their parents to be released, living in
fear of their neighbours who accused them of being members of the
opposition.
Two weeks after the meeting, 39 of the accused were acquitted
by a magistrate and released. He agreed with the defence that it was
impossible for the one state witness to monitor the movements of so many
people.
But the most damning evidence against the state came from a
22-year-old woman who had simply been selling air time in the building when
the police raided it. Answering in Shona, her responses clearly illustrated
her confusion and her innocence.
Had she known what they were saying
in the meeting? No, she had been minding her own business. Her testimony
made it abundantly clear that the entire process was a farce but one that
was not remotely funny.
And, sadly, for many of those released, the
punishment did not stop when they stepped free from court after their
two-week ordeal.
In spite of their innocence, many came home to the harsh
reality of further retribution. They found that people were afraid to be
associated with them -- with people who had been in trouble with the “law”,
who had been in prison.
An HIV-positive volunteer counsellor and
father of five lost his stipend and his post. A union worker lost his
position as others took advantage of his trouble to play internal politics.
A school cleaner lost her job. Another worker was sacked because the company
was owned by a Zanu-PF loyalist. And Munya lost a month’s salary from the
University of Zimbabwe for not being at work.
By using the power of
Facebook and Twitter, this case generated interest and outrage around the
globe.
But it is just one of many cases.Lawyers for Human Rights have
been involved in more than 800 cases since January.
In April, an
82-year-old village headman, who had been arrested along with Movement for
Democratic Change MP Douglas Mwonzora, died.
He had never recovered from
being beaten and then spending three weeks in prison.
As Munya said:
“This is one more shameful tragedy for our country.” -- Shantha
Bloemen
Shantha Bloemen is the wife of Munyaradzi Gwisai, one of the six
Zimbabweans sentenced for watching the Arab Spring video.
On the day when Zimbabwe’s neighbour,
South Africa, celebrated Human Rights Day, with its President leading the
call for protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, Zimbabweans instead
face a renewed onslaught by the state which strikes at the very heart of
their hopes and dreams for a democracy which respects their views and allows
legitimate dissent and criticism to be expressed without fear of unnecessary
and vindictive retribution. 22.03.1206:15am by ZLHR
The
conviction of Munyaradzi Gwisai, Antonater Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara,
Eddson Chakuma, Hopewell Gumbo and Welcome Zimuto on charges of conspiracy
to incite public violence on 19 March 2012 by magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini
is highly regrettable. The sentencing of the six to a fine, 24 months’
suspended imprisonment, and 420 hours of community service each, is harsh to
say the very least.
Having carefully scrutinised the two judgments,
and the reasoning behind them, ZLHR is of the considered opinion that the
conclusions reached were supported neither by evidence led during the trial,
nor the laws of the land. Rather, they will be, and have been, perceived by
all reasonable people to be a conduit for the delivery of a political
message through the courts.
This political message is that
Zimbabweans are not expected to freely and peacefully associate, even in the
confines of their private and protected spaces; they are not expected to
freely express their views, legitimately critique public officers, or
express their dissent. Zimbabweans will not be allowed to question the
authority of those who hold national and political office even where such
officers may have failed to deliver on their mandate and
obligations.
Intelligence operatives will be allowed to infiltrate such
spaces with impunity, and the courts of our land will accept the fruits of
their unlawful activities without providing credible backing for reaching
such conclusions. Police will be allowed to torture detainees in attempts to
build a case, and the prosecution and the courts will not come to the rescue
of such victims by refusing to tolerate such heinous and now well-entrenched
practices.
It is on this basis that Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
(ZLHR) welcomes the news that both the convictions and the sentences imposed
on the six are to be appealed.
It is a sad day indeed when we witness
the destruction of public confidence in the ability of the courts to act
impartially and in terms of the law to the extent which has occurred in the
aftermath of this case.
The office of the Attorney General can also not
be allowed to escape criticism for the manner in which its officers have
conducted themselves in this matter.
International and regional human
rights norms and standards oblige the prosecution to accord an accused
person all the rights associated with a fair trial. A case in which
detainees are tortured during pre-trial detention, spend 27 days in custody
before being released on bail, and are then subjected to a protracted trial
which impacts on their freedoms is an inexcusable abuse of the justice
system for purposes of punishment whilst such accused persons are entitled
to the presumption of innocence and the protection of their fair trial
rights.
It is a sad day indeed when a prosecutorial authority is unable
to see accused persons as human beings entitled to the protection of the law
and their rights. The actions of the Attorney General, through prosecutors
and law officers such as Edmore Nyazamba and Michael Reza must be condemned
in the strongest possible terms. They must now search their consciences and
live with the destruction they have wrought on the public perception of the
office they represent.
ZLHR reiterates its call for comprehensive
reform of the justice delivery system to bring an end to the perception that
institutions such as the prosecutorial service and the courts are now just
vehicles for the protection of entrenched political interests and a barrier
to the legitimate questioning of public authority. The courts, in
particular, will need to work extremely hard to recover from the blow they
have been dealt as a result of this case in order to show that justice is
blind, and that every person who appears before them will receive protection
of the law and due process, without fear or favour, and regardless of their
political and social persuasions.
INFORMATION Minister Webster Shamu has ruled out making
changes to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) demanded by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who claims the body was illegally
constituted.
The BAZ recently riled Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party as
well we media reform activists by awarding radio licences to companies
claimed to be linked to President Robert Mugabe and Zanu
PF.
Tsvangirai is also concerned with the lack of progress in licencing
new television operators to break-up the dominance of the Zanu PF-leaning
state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
The
MDC-T leader says he wants the governing board of the BAZ reconstituted
claiming it was illegally put together. But Shamu insisted Wednesday that
no changes would be made to the BAZ as well as the management of the
ZBC.
“Some have questioned why we put former freedom fighters within the
hierarchy of the (BAZ and ZBC) boards,” he said.
“This is a legally
selected board which was constitutionally selected and until its term of
office expires, it will remain in place.
“These are men who have been
tried and tested, whose dedication to duty is unquestionable even under the
toughest of conditions and we are proud to have them working with
us.”
Tsvangirai claimed an agreement had been reached during a recent GPA
principals’ meeting with Mugabe and MDC-M leader Arthur Mutambara giving
Shamu a three-week deadline to implement the changes.
“At our
Principals’ meeting, we restated our position and gave the Minister three
weeks to comply with our directive to reconstitute the BAZ board, the ZBC
board and the Mass Media Trust,” Tsvangirai told a recent meeting in
Harare.
“We expect that to happen. Cabinet agreed to it, the
Principals agreed and we expect the Minister to implement this
position.”
But the MDC-T leader later admitted that Shamu had pretty much
ignored him over the issue. “The situation remains dire,” Tsvangirai
recently conceded.
“Media reforms as agreed in the GPA have not been
implemented and the responsible Minister and his officials are arrogantly
ducking from implementing what we have agreed as Principals, as Cabinet and
as political parties.
“They have instead gone further to ban foreign
newspapers and to grant radio licences to companies aligned to a political
party.”
Attorney General Johannes Tomana is blocking the arrest of two
ZANU PF government ministers, one accused of abusing the Constituency
Development Fund (CDF) and the other of corruptly acquiring council land,
among other things.
SW Radio Africa can today reveal that Youth and
Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Local Government Minister
Ignatius Chombo should have been arrested when other MP’s were picked up for
allegedly abusing the CDF funds.
In the last thirty days three MDC-T
legislators, Marvelous Khumalo, Albert Mhlanga and Cleopas Machacha, plus
Zanu PF’s MP for Magunje, Franco Ndambakuwa, were all arrested on
allegations they had diverted funds from parliament which were meant for
development projects in their constituencies.
SW Radio Africa
understands the Attorney General rushed to stop the Anti-Corruption
Commission from carrying out more arrests because two key individuals in the
ZANU PF regime were next in line. Tomana tried to justify his directive by
arguing that all MP’s should be audited first before any
arrests.
According to Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga,
10 MPs — six from Zanu PF and four from MDC-T — failed to submit returns to
prove how they had used the US$50,000 they had each received from the CDF in
2010. Concern has already been expressed that only one out of six ZANU PF
legislators has been arrested.
We have information that alleges that
Kasukuwere diverted the US$50,000 given to him by claiming that a company
owned by his sister had provided a ‘service’ in his constituency. “The
Anti-Corruption Commission has already completed its ‘docket’ on Kasukuwere
but Tomana is sitting on it,” a source told us.
SW Radio Africa has
in the past reported how Kasukuwere owns nine farms, despite claims by
Mugabe’s regime that they seized white owned land to give to landless
blacks.
Confidential documents sent to us showed how he owns part of
Pimento Farm in Mashonaland Central, South Bamboo Creek in Shamva,
Cornucopia Farm Orchard, 500 hectares of Harmony Farm in Mazowe, Bretton
Farm, Allan Grange Farm, Auchenburg Farm, Bamboo Creek Farm and Bourne
Farm.
Pimento was seized from white farmer Oliver Newton, South Bamboo
Creek from farmers N. Richardson and R. Morkel, while Kasukuwere reportedly
seized the Cornucopia Farm Orchard from Interfresh in 2006. His brother
Donald Kasukuwere also helped himself to two farms, Usaka in Mazowe,
Mashonaland Central and Sangokwe North in Mwenezi.
In addition to the
farms Kasukuwere is also involved in oil procurement and distribution,
owning ComOil (Pvt) Ltd. He has also managed to so run down United Touring
Company (UTC) that it is in serious financial difficulties. He also has
substantial shareholdings in Genesis Bank and Interfresh (Pvt)
Ltd.
In 2009 he was accused of trying to block fresh investment in
the energy sector to force companies like BP and Shell to sell their assets
to his oil company.
Chombo’s wealth was exposed in 2010 in a messy
divorce involving his wife of 25 years, Marian. Court documents exposed the
fact that Chombo, a former teacher, had tentacles in virtually all sectors
of the economy.
The minister has interests in several farms, mines,
hunting safari lodges in Chiredzi, Hwange, Magunje and Chirundu, as well as
properties in South Africa. Local properties included 75 residential and
commercial stands plus 14 houses and 5 flats, all dotted around the country.
Not to mention 15 vehicles.
Even when a probe team of Harare City
Councillors produced a report implicating Chombo and businessman Philip
Chiyangwa in the illegal acquisition of council land on the cheap, the
police refused to investigate the matter. Instead the councillors and
journalists who covered the saga were arrested.
Mine workers at the Anjin diamond firm operating in Chiadzwa are
reportedly continuing with planned strike action, over desperately low
salaries.
The estimated 1,300 workers started their strike on Tuesday and
have refused to go back to work until their demands for higher salaries and
better working conditions are met.
One of the workers has been quoted
as saying that they only receive between US$188 and US$266 per month. That
worker, who refused to be named, also reportedly said that the Chinese
managers at Anjin “randomly beat up people at work for no
reason.”
This is the second time in recent months that staff at the mine
have downed tools, and last December about 600 workers embarked on strike
action for the same reasons.
The workers want their salaries to be
increased to match the poverty datum line of about US$600 and better working
conditions.
Anjin, which is a joint venture between the Chinese and the
Zimbabwe state run Mining and Development Corporation (ZMDC), has faced
criticism before for how its treats its workers. It has also been condemned
for the forced removal of hundreds of Marange villagers, to make way for
diamond mining activities, without paying them
compensation.
Political analyst Clifford Mashiri called it “shameful”
that workers who daily handle one of the country’s richest resources are
being paid “such a pittance.”
“The companies mining at Chiadzwa are
shortchanging their employees, just like they are shortchanging the
country,” Mashiri told SW Radio Africa.
He added: “This just make it even
more unlikely that normal Zimbabweans will ever benefit from the diamond
wealth, when even the workers who mine there are not paid
properly.”
Mashiri again voiced calls for a proper diamond audit and the
implementation of diamond legislation, with transparency and accountability
at its core.
“Such legislation will play a very important role in the
future of the country, and must put the rights of Zimbabweans first,”
Mashiri said.
More than five thousand families benefit directly from the two
rivers. For years these families have relied on the two major rivers, which
empty into the Indian ocean in Mozambique, for their day to day
living
Loirdham Moyo | Mutare
Diamonds, they say, are a girl’s
best friend. But for the women downstream Odzi and Save rivers in Manicaland
province, in the east of Zimbabwe, the gems have become a constant source of
pain.
Skin diseases have become the order of the day, affecting the
ordinary poor and their livestock as companies mining in Chiadzwa continue
to pollute water sources.
More than five thousand families benefit
directly from the two rivers. For years these families have relied on the
two major rivers, which empty into the Indian ocean in Mozambique, for their
day to day living.
Prior to the mining activities in Chiadzwa, the areas
feeding of these rivers were known for their agricultural prowess as they
drew water to irrigate their crops and all.
But for many downstream,
skin diseases have become the order of the day, affecting the ordinary poor
and their livestock as companies mining in Chiadzwa pollute water
sources.
Pius Matovhoti, a Gudyanga resident, is one worried villager. He
said the presence of the diamond mining companies has caused distress to
people in his neighborhood.
Matovhoti complains villagers have
developed skin rashes from using water from the two rivers. Many are now
shying away from bathing, swimming or using water from these sources to wash
their clothes as toxins eat them away.
"The diamond mining companies
are emptying the waste especially toxins into the Odzi river thereby
contaminating it," said Matovhoti. "The major culprits are Anjin and Marange
Resources diamond mining companies, we have lost livestock to this
pollution."
Director Farai Maguwu of the Centre for Research and
Development, a non governmental organization which has been calling for
transparency in the mining and selling of Marange diamonds, says he has been
receiving a lot of complaints from villagers about pollution in the
areas.
the way companies mining in Chiadzwa, among them Mbada Diamonds
and Marange Resources, are polluting the two rivers.
Maguwu said the
government and organizations such as the Environment Management Agency, EMA,
must prioritize the situation in these communities to save lives.
"We
had a delegation of visitors from the area who came here complaining about
the polluted water, we were told children suffered from toxins emptied into
the water," said Maguwu.
However, Kingstone Chitotombe of the
Environmental Management Agency in Manicaland, denies companies in Marange
are polluting water sources.
He says tests have proved the water
to be clean. He, however, could not explain the sudden increase in skin
diseases in the community.
But resident Peter Ndozandonyi insisted the
livestock deaths have been caused directly by polluted
water.
Manicaland provincial health director Dr. Edmore Chemhuru said his
office is yet to conduct tests on water drawn from the two
rivers.
But as authorities and activities continue to argue and
procrastinate over this situation around the Chiadzwa diamond mines, many
residents continue to worry about their health and future.
An Israeli
pilot has been arrested at Harare airport after he was accused of trying to
smuggle £1.5m of rough diamonds out of Zimbabwe.
By Peta Thornycroft
and Aislinn Laing in Johannesburg
4:43PM GMT 22 Mar 2012
Shmuel
Kainan Klein, 55, was detained shortly before boarding a South African
Airways flight to Johannesburg when security officials at the airport
discovered a bag of more than 1,400 stones, weighing 1.7kg, in his hand
luggage.
He insists that he was simply passing through the airport in
transit as was "framed" by someone known to him.
He was arrested on
March 17 and appeared before Harare Magistrate's Court on Tuesday to face a
charge of unlawful possession of precious stones and immigration
offences.
Prosecutor Tracy Mundanga told the court that Mr Klein was
dressed in a pilot's uniform when he presented himself with his luggage at a
staff security point last Saturday morning, even though he had flown into
the country as a passenger.
She said the security officer noticed
that Mr Klein looked jittery as his two bags were put through the x-ray, so
she decided to undertake a physical check of his hand luggage.
Inside
one bag, she allegedly found stones wrapped in a plastic bag sealed with
sticky tape. Stashed in the lining of another were more gems wrapped in a $1
note, Miss Mundanga said.
"It will be a matter of evidence who owned
those diamonds," Mr Klein's lawyer Jonathan Samkange said.
Mr Klein
was released on bail after a Jewish resident in a smart Harare suburb
offered the title deeds to his house as surety.
Speaking from Harare
yesterday, he told The Daily Telegraph that he was a "freelancer" but
declined to give further details.
"I was framed and I know who framed me
but I can't talk about this now," he said. "I was arrested in transit and
was only on the ground for 15 minutes.
"I was working for an
international company inspecting the crew of the aircraft which took me from
Johannesburg to Harare. I have never been to Zimbabwe before."
Mr
Klein lives in Johannesburg and Tel Aviv and has worked mostly as a
commercial pilot since he left the Israeli Air Force in 1978.
Finance
minister, Tendai Biti, recently warned that the government could be forced
to "close" unless the Treasury was immediately given a slice of the
country's diamond revenue from the bountiful Chiadzwa diamond fields.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last evening
(Wednesday) met British Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons
in London.
The two leaders held a 45 minute discussion in which they
discussed the debt overhang, the investment opportunities in Zimbabwe and
how Africa has taken major strides to poise itself for business with the
rest of the world on a mutual benefit basis.
They also discussed the
situation in Zimbabwe, with PM Tsvangirai reiterating his position that
there was need to move with speed in instituting key reforms, such as a new
Constitution, if the next election is to produce an uncontested
outcome.
On Tuesday, the PM met Vince Cable, the secretary of State for
Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the doing business environment in
Zimbabwe and to showcase the vast opportunities that lie in the
country.
The PM was in London as a keynote guest at the Times CEO Africa
summit where he showcased Africa in general, and Zimbabwe in particular, as
the new frontiers for investment.
The PM was accompanied by the
Minister of State in his Office, Hon Jameson Timba and senior officials.
A report received by SW Radio Africa on
Wednesday suggested that three people had died when police went door-to-door
assaulting people in Shamva South on Saturday. But it has now been confirmed
that it was one person who died from injuries sustained during the “revenge
attacks” that happened late at night at Ashley Farm. Nine others were
hospitalised with serious injuries.
The brutal attack had been
ordered by a senior officer named Inspector Shumba, whose wife had been
robbed of one dollar and a cellphone.
An MDC-T official who lives near
the mining compound told SW Radio Africa on Thursday that at first there
were rumours circulating which suggested at least three people had died,
because of the brutality of the beatings and serious nature of the
injuries.
Leman Pwanyiwa, the MDC-T organizing secretary for Shamva
South, confirmed that the deceased was a mine worker named Luxmore Chiwamba,
who was woken from his sleep after police broke down the family’s front
door.
He explained that four of the seriously injured victims who were
hospitalized had been treated at a private hospital in Bindura, and five are
still receiving treatment for various injuries.
“We understand
Inspector Shumba is under arrest and detained at Bindura Police Station,
along with several other junior officers. It is not clear how many junior
officers were arrested,” Pwanyiwa said.
Relatives of the deceased
Chiwamba reported that police officers assaulted him with baton sticks,
clenched fists, and boots. According to the Daily News newspaper police
broke down the door and surprised Chiwamba who was asleep and tried to reach
for his clothes. Other family members managed to escape.
The report
quoted a relative who said Chiwamba cried out, asking the police why they
were killing him. But his pleas were ignored, even after he started bleeding
and begging to be taken to the hospital.
Pwanyiwa described police in the
area as “rowdy” and accused them of being very violent in the last few
months. He said they recently attacked workers who were demonstrating during
a wage dispute and also “pounced on” revellers at a live music event.
Inspector Shumba, who led Saturday’s attacks, is known to loot products from
shops and orders them to close when he wants to.
This abusive police
behavior has angered the Shamva South community and led to residents from
all political parties uniting in a demonstration at the police
station.
Some observers have expressed doubts that the arrested police
officials will actually face trial and be sentenced, citing a culture of
police brutality against innocent civilians which exists in Zimbabwe under
ZANU PF.
Armed police officers today at around 5am, raided the residence of
MDC Chief of Staff, Abisha Nyanguwo in Harare, claiming to search for
weapons of war and mass destruction before they impounded his Isuzu double
cab vehicle.
The officers claimed the raid was in connection with the
bombing of Zanu PF’s Gweru offices in December 2011.
No-one was
arrested but the impounded vehicle was taken to Mabelreign Police
Station.
The police went to Nyanguwo’s house in the morning but were
denied entry by his lawyer because they did not have a search warrant. The
police officers called for reinforcement and police officers from Harare’s
Law and Order Section arrived with a search warrant.
They searched
the house but failed to find any weapons. The police then impounded his
vehicle on allegations that it had been used to bomb the Gweru
offices.
Early this year, police in Gweru arrested three MDC members,
Shepherd Marange, Douglas Tsuro and Silas Mutendeudzwa on charges of bombing
the Zanu PF offices but were released later.
The people’s struggle
for real change - let’s finish it!!
The MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has suspended the
Mayor of Marondera, Farai Nyandoro, for allegedly being too close to ZANU
PF, among other issues.
Nyandoro has been suspended from the party
for five years after a Mashonaland East provincial party committee pressed
12 charges against him and found him guilty of being too close to ZANU PF as
well as reportedly flouting tender procedures.
MDC-T organising
secretary Nelson Chamisa confirmed they were dealing with the matter
internally.
Nyandoro’s relationships with ZANU PF’s Mashonaland East
provincial governor, Aeneas Chigwedere, and provincial chairperson Ray
Kaukonde, are believed to be what got him into trouble. He is also said to
have fallen out of favour with his own party for ‘wining and dining’ ZANU PF
provincial commissar Lawrence Katsiru and District Coordinating Committee
chairperson for Marondera, despite them apparently being responsible for
terrorizing MDC supporters.
In a suspension letter, MDC-T provincial
secretary James Jowa said: “Given the way the Mayors Cheer Fund was
conducted, the committee took the view that one would inevitably suspect a
strong ZANUPF hand in controlling, directing and executing the course of
events at the launch for a council in which the MDC-T controls 100% seats in
the chamber.”
“In fact, the committee feels that you are either an
implant or you have been seriously compromised by ZANU PF whose shenanigans
betray an agenda to infiltrate and divide.”
Nyandoro was also found
guilty of allocating stands to mainly ZANU PF supporters, which the MDC –T
ruled was in contravention of their constitution because he acted “in
collaboration with another political organisation in a manner which is
contrary to the achievements of the aims and objects of the
MDC-T.”
In suspending Nyandoro, the MDC-T said: “The committee noted that
the issue of corruption in local authorities has become a thorn in the flesh
for the MDC-T.”
The MDC-T’s Nelson Chamisa was unfortunately
unavailable for comment.
ZESA spokesman, Fullard Gwasira told VOA's Blessing Zulu the power
utility is happy that government officials and other customers have started
settling their bills while some are still negotiating payment
plans
Blessing Zulu | Washington
Senior Zimbabwean
officials, among them President Robert Mugabe and many new black commercial
farmers, have opened talks with the country's power utility, the Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority, to see how they can settle their bills, going
into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Private media have since the
weekend been publishing the names of defaulting senior government officials
following a decision by Mozambique's power utility, Hydro Cahora Bassa to
cut electricity exports to Zimbabwe.
Their exposure has, however, raised
tensions in the rickety government of national unity.
ZESA sources
told the VOA that the majority of the ministers have been told to pay 25% of
what they owe and settle their bills within six months or risk being
switched off completely.
Most cabinet ministers say they want to sell
their produce first before settling their huge bills.
President
Mugabe and vice president John Nkomo lead the list of defaulters. Other
senior government officials owing between $50,000 and $350,000 include
Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Minister of State in the President’s
Office Didymus Mutasa, State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi,
Information Minister Webster Shamu, Indigenisation Minister Saviour
Kasukuwere and Higher Education Minister Stan Mudenge.
ZESA is
struggling to offset a debt of $800 million dollars that includes a $75
million owed to Hydro Cahora Bassa.
Energy Minister Elton Mangoma says he
is headed to Mozambique next week for negotiations with Hydro since it
reduced exports to Zimbabwe from 200 to 50 megawatts only over non payment
of its electricity bill.
The Mozambican power utility maintains. though,
that it never switched off Harare.
ZESA spokesman, Fullard Gwasira
told VOA's Blessing Zulu the power utility is happy that government
officials and other customers have started settling their bills while some
are still negotiating payment plans.
Analyst Gladys Hlatyawayo says
ZANU-PF ministers must pay up and not try to politicize the
issue.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told lawmakers last week that he
had settled his $5,000 bill with ZESA, urging colleagues within both the MDC
and ZANU-PF to do the same.
HARARE - A Mutare magistrate has foiled a bid to
evict victims of the 2005 Murambatsvina demolitions who are now staying in a
disused council beerhall.
Mutare magistrate Langton Mukwengi gave a
lifeline to 19 families staying at the disused council beerhall in Sakubva
high density area when he granted a court interdict which provisionally
prevents the city council from ejecting the 19 families who have been
staying at Mushando Bar since 2005.
The families’ homes were destroyed by
government during operation Murambatsvina.
The city council, through
its health services department, had sought to evict the 19 families from the
beerhall where the council’s housing and community services department had
granted them temporary shelter after Murambatsvina.
One of the
Murambatsvina victims, Benita Goneso stated in her affidavit that the city
council served the families with letters of eviction hence the legal
fight.
Goneso said the families had made Mushando Bar home when they were
removed from various places of residence during operation Murambatsvina, a
process the previous Zanu PF government embarked to remove “illegal”
settlers in urban areas.
She said the city of Mutare had allowed them
to occupy part of Mushando Bar as an interim measure whilst the council
organised alternative places where they would occupy
permanently.
“They however, have not relocated us to any other place to
date but surprisingly they are seeking to remove us,” wrote Goneso in her
affidavit to the court.
She said the families did not have
alternative accommodation elsewhere and if forcibly moved, they would be
greatly prejudiced and become destitute.
Goneso argued that the city
council had through its housing department headed by Sternard Mapurisa,
indicated that the families register for consideration in the allocation of
residential stands but have been offered one to date.
Goneso and the
other 18 applicants had their order granted for the council to stop
evictions until the Mutare city council’s housing department provides them
with alternative accommodation.
They were represented by lawyer Chris
Ndlovu.
The council health department sought to evict the families on the
grounds that the “premises had deteriorated in terms of health and hygiene
to a point where they have become so dilapidated and so over-crowded that
they now pose a health hazard to the inmates and the surrounding
households.”
Simon Mashababe, the acting director of health services,
argued that the families needed to be evicted since only one toilet and two
water points were being used by the entire 19 families who altogether are 97
people.
“This huge population is just not sustainable considering also
that Mushando was set aside as a temporary accommodation for only six
families,” argued Mashababe.
“Please be advised that the council now
wants to restore normalcy at the premises and prevent an impending health
disaster by removing all inmates and revert the building to its original
use,” wrote Mashababe in his letter of eviction to the tenants.
The
acting health services director alleged some of the families staying at
Mushando Bar were not the initial recorded beneficiaries and therefore had
to be evicted, a claim disputed by Ndlovu.
Mashababe had offered only
three families whom he said were from the original council list of
residential stands in Hobhouse suburb.
He had proposed that the council
would provide transport to those who wanted to be repatriated within
Zimbabwe. He had instructed those wishing to stay in Mutare to register for
accommodation with Mapurisa’s department while staying at their original
place of bode.
By Maxwell Sibanda and Wonai Masvingise Thursday, 22
March 2012 14:40
HARARE - Chaos has rocked the Zanu PF aligned
Affirmative Action Group (AAG) with the organisation issuing conflicting
statements yesterday on who is in charge of the controversial
group.
One faction said they had expelled maverick businessman Themba
Mliswa from the organisation because of his “clear disregard and disrespect
for the group’s founders”.
Mliswa is reported to have claimed
presidency of the AAG after an “election” held in Chinhoyi.
But
Mliswa held a parallel press conference where he claimed leadership of the
organisation and dismissed the other faction.
Clifford Hlupeko, AAG
chairperson, Mashonaland West said Mliswa’s decision to set up a different
organisation left them with no option but to expel him from the organisation
with immediate effect.
“This decision means that you no longer make
statements on behalf of this organisation nor participate in the
organisation’s business forthwith. Any further attempt to present yourself
as a member of AAG or engage in any activity purporting to be associated
with AAG will attract appropriate action,” said Hlupeko.
He said he
was drawing Mliswa’s attention to the fact that “the name AAG or Affirmative
Action Group is a registered trademark under the Patents and Trademarks act
and can only be used with the express authority of the Founding president
who hasn’t done so to you.
“We have advised the president accordingly and
counsel to take stern measures if you do not comply.”
Businessman
Phillip Chiyangwa claims ownership of the largely discredited group saying
he is the founding president.
AAG executive director Davison Gomo told
Daily News yesterday that the leadership of his organisation fully endorses
the decision taken by the Mashonaland West AAG chapter to expel Mliswa from
AAG.
“No one takes such a decision lightly but given the dishonourable
way in which Mliswa sought to mount a coup on the legitimate leadership of
the organisation, the only option available to us was to take this drastic
action in order to retain organisational integrity.”
But Mliswa hit
back and said the AAG did not belong to any individual person.
He
said; “The moment that you invite people to form an organisation be it a
political party, be it any institution, it ceases to be an institution owned
by individuals.
“It ceases being an institution owned by founding
members. The moment they invite others to join they relinquish their power
to the whole group. The Supa Mandiwanzira executive was removed by the
membership. It is that very same membership that does not need founding
members."
“It is no secret that any organisation has its founders who are
well respected. I say this because there is confusion as to who is AAG. AAG
is very broad based. Today you see a structure and a face of AAG that you
have never seen. We have the disabled involved, we have war veterans
involved and this has never been done before, that is being broad
based.”
Mliswa added; “It becomes necessary for us to say the members say
that the Phillip Chiyangwa led AAG did not deliver in terms of their mandate
and their mandate was to elect a national executive.
“The
Mandiwanzira-led AAG also failed to put up a constitution that is
people-driven. The one that was there was individualistic,” charged Mliswa.
THE government has formulated a policy framework to guide
the country in clearing its debts and arrears, says Finance Minister Tendai
Biti.
Launching the Zimbabwe Accelerated Arrears Clearance, Debt and
Development Strategy (ZAADDS) on Wednesday, Biti said the country should
resolve the challenge of debts and arrears to be able to move forward with
its economic development agenda.
Strategies spelt out in the policy
document include engaging the international community and creditors to
remove sanctions as well as establishing a Debt Management Office in the
Ministry of Finance.
Zimbabwe's debt and arrears, which stand at 118 per
cent of its gross domestic product (GDP), have been cited as a major
developmental challenge.
Biti said: "Resolution of the debt issue will
unlock fresh financing for critical infrastructure reconstruction projects
and economic recovery programmes that will significantly improve the quality
of life of the ordinary Zimbabweans.
"In the absence of resolution of
Zimbabwe's external debt question, it will remain difficult for us to
realize the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and for the ordinary
Zimbabwean to participate fully in the country's economic
transformation."
Biti said it was important for development partners and
international financial institutions to note and appreciate the progress
which the country's inclusive government had made to resuscitate the
economy.
"Judge us by the track record of what we have done. Our figures
have spoken for us. GDP growth rates have been above 7.0 per cent after 2009
with industrial capacity utilization rising from between five to ten per
cent to 40 to 60 per cent," he added.
The Zimbabwean economy has been
on a recovery path since 2009 when the country adopted multiple foreign
currencies and the inclusive government was formed.
BULAWAYO - Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial youth member, Victor
Chiponda was arrested and appeared before a city magistrate yesterday for
threatening to kill a white businessman.
Chiponda is alleged to have
threatened to kill Wayne Newton Brenber, a white businessman who owns Grey
Fuel Service Station along 12th Avenue and Josiah Tongogara Street in the
city.
According to the state outline, Chiponda who had no permission from
the party’s provincial leaders,visited Brenber’s garage early this month
demanding fuel to transport Zanu PF youths to President Robert Mugabe’s 21st
February Movement 88th birthday music gala which was held in Chipinge in
Manicaland on March 3.
He failed to secure fuel from Brenber, but
returned to the Grey Fuel Service Station on Friday last week and did not
manage to locate Brenber.
The Zanu PF youth then shouted at the
businessman’s wife who was present saying “Tell him this is not Rhodesia,
its Zimbabwe, I am going to kill him”.
Chiponda appeared in court
yesterday, charged with extortion as defined in Section 134 of the Criminal
Law.
Magistrate Munjanja granted him $120 bail and postponed the matter
to next week.
The arrest of Chiponda comes just a week after four
Zanu PF youths were also arrested for extortion in Bulawayo.
The four
youths, Hardlife Ndlovu, Ngobani Mlilo, Mthunzi Mabhena and Obert Musendo
appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa facing kidnap
and extortion charges last week.
They are accused of extorting money from
touts who operate outside Mac’s Garage along the Masvingo - Bulawayo and the
Bulawayo - Harare highways.
The four are accused of having ordered a
group of rank marshals into a blue commuter omnibus last week and drove it
to the Zanu PF Bulawayo Provincial headquarters at Davies Hall, where they
demanded payment of $50 per route daily.
They allegedly told the rank
marshals that the money paid would be used to fuel all Zanu PF vehicles in
the city daily.
There has been an upsurge in the number of Zanu PF
members who are going around the city threatening businesspeople, ordinary
people and occupying buildings in recent months, claiming to be implementing
the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act.
Last year, several buildings
owned by foreign businesspeople were occupied by the party’s youths.
A firebrand MDC-T youth leader said on Thursday
his party has been astounded by a High Court Judge’s decision to postpone
indefinitely the bail application by the Glen View 29 group.
Before
Thursday’s decision the bail application for the group had been postponed
eight times in three weeks, due to various excuses.
Promise Mkwananzi,
the Secretary-General of the Youth Assembly, told SW Radio Africa they were
left shocked and disgusted at the disdainful attitude of the judiciary
system in Zimbabwe.
‘This is clear case of miscarriage of justice and a
deliberate ploy to continue the incarceration of innocent civilians for no
apparent reason. The judge has postponed the case indefinitely and what that
means is our guys are suffering indefinitely,’ Mkwananzi said.
Asked
how his party will react to the judge’s ruling, the youth leader was
unequivocal that they will take the fight to the highest political office in
the country.
‘We’re going to press ahead politically, legally and
otherwise to ensure that justice is delivered to the accused. Justice
delayed is justice denied and we take this whole issue as a political motive
by ZANU PF,’ Mkwananzi added.
The 29 MDC-T members are in remand
prison facing charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View, Harare
last May. The state last month added another charge of public violence
against the group.
Mkwananzi described as ridiculous the excuses and
number of times the bail application has been postponed. On Wednesday it was
adjourned after one of the assessors asked to be excused as he wanted to
catch a bus home. On Monday it was postponed due to electricity cuts in the
capital city. Twice last week the hearing was postponed because the judge
said he was sick. Before that, another High Court Judge, Felistas
Chitakunye, postponed the hearing on two occasions as she wanted more time
to go through the state’s response to the bail application.
When the
defence team, led by Charles Kwaramba, filed for a fresh bail application
soon after the group was taken into custody earlier this month, the hearing
had to be postponed twice after state prosecutors requested time to make a
response.
‘If the judges are lazy or too old to hear these cases they
should resign and go home. It’s absurd the entire High Court bench cannot
assign a judge to deal with this matter, which in our eyes is very simple.
Its either they grant them bail or not, and not this dilly-darling,’ said
Mkwananzi.
On Monday 26th March,
the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria will begin hearing a landmark case
brought by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) and the Zimbabwean
Exiles Forum (ZEF) to compel South Africa to abide by its legal obligations
to investigate and prosecute high level Zimbabwean officials accused of
crimes against humanity.
SALC and ZEF are asking the High Court to review
and set aside the decision of the National Prosecuting Authority and the
South African Police Services not to investigate Zimbabwean officials linked
to acts of state-sanctioned torture following a police raid on the
headquarters of the Movement for Democratic Change in 2007.
This case
will present the High Court with an opportunity to set an important
precedent, which will ensure that South Africa lives up to its international
and domestic legal responsibilities to prosecute perpetrators of
international crimes wherever they are committed.
The case represents the
first time that a South African court will have the opportunity to provide
guidance on the scope and nature of the obligations placed on the South
African authorities by signing up to the International Criminal Court and
domesticating its obligations.
Where – North Gauteng High Court,
Pretoria When – The hearing will run from Monday 26th – Friday 31st March,
starting 10am daily
The United Nations Children’s
Educational Fund (UNICEF) is succeeding in helping in the revival of
Zimbabwe’s education system that had been in free fall during the last
decade. 22.03.1206:18am by Byron Adonis Mutingwende
On
Wednesday UNICEF announced the completion of the first phase of the
Education Transition Fund in which it had dispatched textbooks for more than
2,300 secondary schools. It revealed that combined with the primary school
textbook distribution completed in 2011, the total number of textbooks
procured was around 23 million and the initiative was set to make Zimbabwe
the only country in Africa with an estimated ratio of pupils to textbooks of
1:1.
According to UNICEF, the Education Transition Fund (ETF) is a
multi-donor pooled fund guided by a steering committee, chaired by the
Ministry of Education Sports, Arts and Culture (MOESAC). The ETF was
established in late 2009 as a response to the decline in the quality of
education and the lack of availability of textbooks and other teaching
materials. The ratio of pupils to textbooks was estimated at around 10:1 in
2009 with a full 20% of primary schools having no books at all.
“ETF
funds are fully managed by UNICEF and, contrary to the Herald article
published yesterday (Tuesday) reporting on a parliamentary portfolio
committee debate, all procurement has been conducted according to UN rules
and regulations rather than government tender procedures. These rules
dictate that bids are adjudicated on the basis of both quality and value for
money.
A Contracts Review Committee must approve all such procurement
processes; such committees were comprised only of UN senior staff; these
committees did not include any government minister or indeed any other
government official and are subjected to the strictest conflict of interest,
transparency, confidentiality and audit requirements.
The original
target of ETF phase I was to improve the ratio of pupils to textbooks in
primary school from 10: 1 to around 2:1. Due to the economies of scale, the
successful procurement exercises using established UN procedures, as well as
the willingness of the Zimbabwean publishing houses to act in the best
interests of children, the ETF programmes was able to purchase textbooks at
less than $1 USD per book.
These savings not only allowed a 1:1 ratio of
primary school books to be achieved but also enabled the programme to be
extended to secondary schools within the same budget envelope; in total,
16.5 million more textbooks were therefore procured benefitting 2 million
more Zimbabwean children. The total estimated combined savings to
international donors, and ultimately to Zimbabwean children, has been more
than 50 million USD across both the primary and secondary school procurement
exercises,” read the UNICEF statement.
UNICEF procured textbooks in
Environmental Science, English, Shona, Ndebele, History and Geography. The
three main Zimbabwean publishing houses, ZPH, Longmans and College Press
were awarded contracts under this programme for either primary or secondary
schools, on a quality and value for money basis. As they hold copyright
under Zimbabwean law, each publishing house selected their preferred
printers.
The UNICEF statement went further to say that in addition to
core textbooks, ETF phase I has also supported procurement of Braille books
for children with visual impairments, minority language books, steel
cabinets and stationery as well as a capacity development programme for
School Development Committees. Phase II of the programme, which will
commence in 2012, will focus on quality of education, school governance and
access to education, the statement added.
Zimbabwe yet to conclude sale terms with miner Zimplats
(AFP) – 2 hours
ago
HARARE — Zimbabwe and mining firm Zimplats have yet to settle the
details of a deal in which the company is to cede a 51-percent stake to
local investors, a cabinet minister said Thursday.
"We agreed in
principle but there must be an evaluation of assets and resources," Youth
Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere told
journalists at an investment conference in Harare.
"At the end of the day
we want a win-win situation. We are on track and on course on the
realisation of the law. We want a fair share of what belongs to us and
discussions are on-going at the moment."
Zimplats, the local unit of the
world's second-largest platinum producer Impala Platinum, reached a deal
with the Zimbabwe government that will see the company give 10 percent
ownership to its workers, another 10 percent to a community trust near its
mine, and 31 percent to the government's Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment Fund.
But under the controversial local ownership law
championed by long-ruling President Robert Mugabe, the government must pay
for the shares it receives -- something the cash-strapped Treasury has not
budgeted this year.
Impala said last week that the agreement only
stipulated "that the shares sales would be at appropriate value".
Two
weeks ago the Zimbabwean government threatened to nationalise Zimplats for
non-compliance with the regulations.
The deal is being closely watched by
other foreign companies, including banks and retailers, as a bellwether of
Zimbabwe's investment climate and the security of their own
operations.
Mugabe's partner in the unity government, Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, has warned that the law passed two years ago would
discourage investment.
“I used to sell fish under the trees, and carry fish on my
head. I would wake up at 4am to walk a long distance to buy fish from the
fishermen. Now I sleep and wake up normal hours, and have my tea before the
Captain comes. I never thought I would have time to sleep, eat, work and
rest like this!”
So reveals Kuli Mungombe, one of ten women who are
making history in Zimbabwe by owning and operating a fishing rig in the
country. The women, from the Tonga ethnic group, formally entered the
male-dominated industry last year after being provided with the rig,
equipment and skills training. They have since been working to scale up the
venture in Binga, one of the country’s least developed districts, so that it
can sustain them and their families, as well as create opportunities for
other women in the area.
This is the first time since the 1950s that
women from their ethnic group have been able to fish at all. Although it was
traditionally the Tonga women who fished, using traditional Zubo baskets,
aspects of their matrilineal culture changed when the group were displaced
by the construction of the Kariba Dam during the colonial era. Their access
to resources reduced, and their participation in community fishing
ended.
The Zubo Basilizwi Trust, a women-focused development
organisation, secured the fishing rig for the women traders in Siachilaba,
supported by UN Women. Designed with women in mind, it has toilets and
showering facilities, includes special technology such as a fish locator,
and is slightly larger than those on most other rigs to provide more
stability on the river.
The ten women were selected from a group of 80
fish traders from Siachilaba village after they acquired a fishing licence
and passed the required fitness and medical exam. They were initially joined
by four male rig operators, who helped train them to handle the operation
themselves. The women have built temporary homes nearby on the riverbank,
and are devoting themselves full-time, and successfully, to their new jobs:
their sales average has doubled from the days prior to the rig, at about US
$2,500 per month.
With UN Women, the Zubo Basilizwi Trust is now
helping the women to organize into collectives, improve their market stands
and conditions in Siachilaba, and also market their fish to Zimbabwe’s
larger towns and cities. A revolving fund has been set up by the programme
to provide them with small loans.
“I grew up knowing that any
meaningful business was a preserve for men, not for us women,” says rig
operator, Sarudzai Mumpande, describing the difficulties the women have
traditionally faced. “We have since overcome those challenges because we
have organized ourselves into a serious business entity.”
The
businesswomen have also worked out a scheme for sharing their income so that
it benefits other women. From their earnings, 50 per cent will go to the
female rig operators; 30 per cent into a basket-weaving fund for women in
the area; and 20 per cent will be given to the Zubo Basilizwi Trust to
expand the revolving fund for women in other areas. And while many
challenges still remain, the women are starting to believe and accept that
they are champions of their own destinies.
“Although I grew up here I
had never been to the harbour. I had no idea what it felt like to sail on
the river,” says rig operator, Violet Mwinde. “I sold fish for years but
could not afford to eat the fish I sold. Now, our children come to visit
during the holidays and have fish. My life has changed significantly. I am
healthy, physically and in spirit.”
News that a pilot has been
nabbed in Zimbabwe with US$2m diamond stash is probably the biggest scoop of
the week.
A Harare court reportedly this week charged an Israeli pilot
Shmuel Kainan Klein, 58 with trying to smuggle diamonds worth US$2 million
out of Zimbabwe by pretending to be part of the crew of a South African
Airways flight.
It is gratifying to note the diamonds story in the wake
of our calls to curb gem smuggling through the Harare International Airports
in last week’s instalment: “2012 – The year of the New Diamond Mining Act,
12/03/12).
We hinted on the problem of smuggling and money laundering
that is allegedly taking place in some of the country’s banking halls and at
the Harare International Airport with some bent pilots being fingered as
actors.
AFP news agency has also said “Even gem-smuggling pilots are
cited,” in its story ‘Dirty deals dog Zimbabwe diamonds fields,’ France
24.com, March 4, 2012.
It will be recalled that India’s Revenue
Intelligence Directorate arrested two Indian nationals Zohra Desai, 53 and
Prema Desai, 49 with 9.72 kilograms or 48,663 carat consignment of Marange
rough diamonds valued at US$2 million in April 2011.
The two had
allegedly smuggled the Zimbabwe diamonds through Kenya and were caught
trying to sell the stones in Surat, India.
Investigations in 2010
revealed that US$1 billion of Marange diamonds were looted from 2006 to 2008
mostly by the Zimbabwean army and proceeds used to partly finance a campaign
of violence to keep Mugabe in power (The Zimbabwean, US$1 billion Marange
diamonds looted, 10/12/10).
According to reports, rich alluvial deposits
were allegedly smuggled to India and Dubai and proceeds were laundered into
offshore accounts and others held at the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe customs should therefore, be commended for a job well
done in rumbling a suspected gem smuggler.
However, the authorities
in Harare will have to invest in high tech scanning machines for unmasking
the numerous loopholes used by criminal gangs to smuggle drugs and gems
which include food, fake pieces of art and sculpture, machines parts, false
shoe soles, clothing and machine parts through the post office, airports,
official and illegal border crossings.
Analysis: Money will help, but the
country needs rational economic policies, rule of law and
democracy.
Andrew MeldrumMarch 22, 2012 06:26
BOSTON,
Massachusetts — What will it take to get Zimbabwe's economy back on
track?
How about $14 billion?
That's what Finance Minister
Tendai Biti said is needed to get Zimbabwe's economy back to its 1990
levels, according to Agence France-Presse.
Biti was speaking to a seminar
organized by the government to try to lure foreign investment to the
country. "We have a foreign debt of $9.1 billion. We have defaulted as far
back as 1999," he said.
Actually, no amount of money can fix Zimbabwe's
economy. Not as long as President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party
continue to control the economy.
The real solution for Zimbabwe's
economy is free. It is rational economic policies and good
governance.
Zimbabwe, once the most prosperous and productive country in
southern Africa, experienced a record-breaking economic crash as a result of
the the violent seizures of white-owned farms that President Robert Mugabe's
regime started in 2000. Then Mugabe rubbed salt into the wounded economy
with irrational currency regulations that sent inflation beyond one billion
percent.
Zimbabwe's gross domestic product hit a low of $4.4 billion
in 2008 and has since recovered to $7.4 billion, largely as a result of the
work of Biti, who restored some sanity to economic policies. Biti, in office
as a result of the power-sharing government between Mugabe's Zanu-PF party
and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC),
tamed inflation, but only by jettisoning the Zimbabwean currency.
Agricultural productivity remains low.
Biti's hands are tied because
Mugabe and his cronies still call the shots. And they continue to hurt the
economy.
The latest threat to Zimbabwe's economy is Mugabe's
controversial indigenization law, in which foreign firms are forced to
surrender 51 percent of their shares to black Zimbabweans. The government
has vowed to nationalize companies that do not comply with the
law.
That's a great way to frighten off investors.
Take a look at
Zimbabwe's largest platinum miner, Zimplats, a subsidiary of Impala
Platinum, the world's second-biggest platinum producer. Zimplats said the
government would have to pay up to $1 million for 31 percent shares in the
company. The Mugabe government rejected the proposal, saying it does not
have to pay for the shares and threatened to nationalize Zimplats, according
to the state-controlled Herald newspaper.
Threats like that can only
hurt an economic recovery.
Then there is the confusion over Zimbabwe's
diamond earnings. Biti warned that the state's decreased earnings from
Zimbabwe's Marange diamond fields could force the government to shut
down.
Zimbabwe anticipated $77.5 million in revenue from diamond sales
during the first two months of the year, but received only $19.5 million,
Biti said, according to AFP. He said the diamond earnings are down because
there had not been any international diamond auction since the beginning of
the year. Mugabe's critics and the international watchdog, Global Witness,
allege that his cronies are illegally funneling the diamond money into a
fund to get Mugabe and Zanu-PF reelected in the impending national
polls.
This week, six Zimbabwean activists were convicted on charges of
plotting to violently overthrow the government because they were caught
watching news videos of the Arab Spring revolts in Tunisia and Egypt. The
verdict shows that Zimbabwe's judicial system is still being manipulated by
the Mugabe regime.
The six, including former parliamentarian and
university lecturer Munyaradzi Gwisai, received lenient sentences of
community service. But they should never have been charged at all, let alone
found guilty. The erosion of the rule of law is a significant impediment to
economic growth.
Farm seizures, forced share transfers of companies,
ruling party control of diamond earnings, spurious charges against
government critics: These are all problems that will not be fixed by money —
not even $14 billion.
The real way to get Zimbabwe's economy working
again is to restore rational economic policies, the rule of law and
democracy.
Only a return to accountable governance will get the economy
growing again, so that ordinary Zimbabweans can have enough to eat.
Of all the philosophical stunts performed, none reflects the
shortage of decency and abundance of cynicism in society than that of
Diogenes, the Greek philosopher who begged for a living and made a virtue of
poverty. At midday, Diogenes carried a flaming oil lamp as he roved the
streets, claiming to be looking for an honest man. Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai has threatened to fire anyone of his cabinet ministers found
guilty of corruption in the abuse of government funds meant for constituency
development. Tsvangirai cracks whip, we are told. But Mr Tsvangirai must
be warned that “Diogenes looked for a human being but reputedly found
nothing but rascals and scoundrels”. Even in this day of fluorescent lights,
Tsvangirai is going to be hard pressed to find a decent man. We hold
Members of Parliament in high esteem because we collectively asked them to
be our messengers. And when they source or are given money to assist them to
assist their constituencies, we should believe that they are equalisers who
will do the right thing for the community. With that money, they can help
starving children, buy books for them, feed the elderly and the little ones
at a crèche or improve a road here and there. Anything they choose to
uplift their constituencies. But then how heartless does one have to be to
be given such money and then turn around, put that money in their pocket and
move away? Several Members of Parliament, across the political divide, have
been implicated in the abuse of public funds meant for constituency
development. The perks they get, ranging from sitting allowances,
accommodation allowances, transport, free meals here and there, are not
enough. They want it all for themselves. I also fear that this practice,
touching all political parties as it does, may also present us with further
conclusive proof that the MDC, let alone ZANU-PF, ever cared for the
people. MDC lawmakers are being implicated in such disgusting thievery. These
are the people we voted for because they were once so observant as to see
all the dirty games ZANU-PF MPs engaged in. Now the MDC MPs are also
passengers on the gravy train at the expense of the poor people in their
constituencies. This is organised crime. When this shameful scandal broke,
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson told the Daily News that any MDC party member
implicated in corrupt activities, including those found guilty of looting
the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), will face the chop. It sounds
good, doesn’t it? Unlike Mugabe, Tsvangirai is looking for an honest man. It
would be a commendable move under normal circumstances. But who are they
fooling? We have not heard from Mugabe about any menacing promises of
retribution of ZANU-PF lawmakers found guilty of looting the public
funds. I have, however, always lamented the integrity and calibre of our
Members of Parliament, who are practically picked off the
streets. Nondescript men and women who are shameless loudmouth praise singers
ending up being ‘Honourable Members of Parliament’ at the expense of
political decency and meaningful social activism. I have always warned us
to be careful whenever we vote for a Member of Parliament because we entrust
the welfare of the nation in the hands of these so-called Honourable
members. A rogue, sweet-talking local can easily mesmerise people in his area
and the very next day, he becomes a Member of Parliament. The one-time
vagabond has made it at last! From being homeless to being paid a housing
allowance; from walking in sneakers full of holes to driving a brand new 4
by 4 vehicle. None can believe themselves. These are the men and women we
expect to uphold the virtues of our nation and the decency of our political
parties. These are the men and women we look up to and hope for them to fight
corruption that is destroying our nation. These are the people we expect
to sit down and map “the way forward” on our behalf. These crooks are
there because honest men and women chose to do nothing about it. In the
end, our parliament is populated by people who are there for their own gain
with no national interest. Even the nation’s custodian of law and order,
Attorney General Johannes Tomana, at one time issued a directive to stop
arrests of MPs who abused these Community Development Funds… a clear attempt
to protect legislators from his ZANU-PF party. Who are these people and
where did they come from? They cannot govern us or rule our nation; they are
burdened with desire to fill their own stomachs and gather more than they
can use. Most of our MPs and government officials lack principles. They are
slaves of their own greed. Asked about his trade, Diogenes, who had been
sold into slavery, replied that he knew no trade but that of governing men.
He had, of course, noticed the inadequacy in those in position of
authority. Diogenes ended his answer with a plea to be sold to a man who
needed a master, meaning the governed can govern better than the
governors. Remember that on Election Day! Corruption, which, in simple
terms, is “the use of power by government officials for illegitimate private
gain”, is a cancer that no nation needs and which must be dealt with. It
is, however, a curable cancer that this ineffective government of national
unity cannot deal with because they all have men and women who have to
answer to one thing or other. While we are still trying to come to terms with
the missing Constituency Development Fund monies, we are hit with another
Tsunami. The same men and women who set our laws and regulations and who
govern our country and run our nation are not paying their electricity bills
at the same time the common people are having their electricity disconnected
for non-payment. Isn’t Mugabe himself ashamed that, in spite of the fact
that he and his family live virtually for free, with almost every tab picked
up by the common people, and always harasses national coffers, he does not
pay utility bills? It is a matter of decency and Mugabe should honestly
be ashamed of himself. Remember the guy who, about three weeks ago, was
sentenced to 10 years in jail for reconnecting electricity to his home after
being disconnected for a paltry amount? How did just four men, Mugabe,
Chris Mushowe, Saviour Kasukuwere and CIO supremo, Happyton Bonyongwe run up
a bill of more than a million dollars without being disconnected? A look
at the list of defaulters shows that big cats from all political parties are
involved once again. And how did Gideon Gono run up a telephone bill of $800
000? This, clearly, is an indication of the recklessness of these
people. Even Tsvangirai recently admitted to having paid $5 000 towards his
electricity bill, meaning that he, like many other top officials, was also
defaulting on his payments. The fact that such large amounts can be
accumulated in arrears is an indication of an across the board practice
adopted by top government officials. The heart of the matter is that we
have lost our identity and goodwill. We have become a nation with
animalistic, predatory instincts. We watch our sons and daughters kill
people. We applaud when our supporters murder our people. We do not
gather to say “stop it”, let alone admit our shortcomings. We have turned
into beasts, paying top money to justify our transgressions against
ourselves. Who are we and what do we want? How insensitive can politicians
get! Our country is going through very rough times and the poor people are
carrying the brunt of all the economic ruin brought about by the same people
who are literally stealing from us in broad daylight. Yes, stealing
because you can rest assured that most of these monies owed are going to be
written off by these overpaid, non-performing parliamentarians. When
elected officials from all political parties, including their leaders,
behave in such a manner, who then is going to police the other? And we
are talking about only one parastatal. None of us alive here today have the
authority to do to Zimbabwe what we are doing to this nation. Zimbabwe
never at any time gave Mugabe or anyone the authority to do what he is doing
to the country. We, all of us, are going to pay heavily for letting these
people do what they are doing to our nation. And, the most frightening
development is that the MDC is now being caught in the same corruption nets
that have always yielded ZANU-PF malcontents as the culprits milking our
nation dry. Yes, my dear compatriots, I am also looking for an honest man.
There is talk about elections; we must throw out all the rascals.
I
am Tanonoka Joseph Whande and that, my fellow Zimbabweans, is the way it is
to day, Thursday, March 22, 2012.
Harare- After failing to take more money from unsuspecting
residents, the bogus Welfare Trust organization has now resorted to violence
by identified rogue elements in communities who now use death threats on the
HRT community leadership and personnel, claiming they have police
protection.
Instead of resorting to violence and this thuggish behaviour
the Welfare Trust officials or activists could focus on what they really
want to achieve. The HRT is not an enemy but merely offering free advice to
an irresponsible outfit, drunk with confusion on how to become relevant
under these economic and socio-political conditions. The HRT is focused on
service delivery advocacy and policy reforms to strengthen citizen
participation in community development.
Since Saturday 17 March 2012,
a man who identified himself as Moffat Swizani, known to residents in Geneva
suburb in Highfield as the Secretary for Transport in Zanu PF’s District
Coordinating Committee 2, has been using an Econet mobile number 0773 864
480 to issue violent threats on HRT officials Precious Shumba (HRT Founder
and Director), Simbarashe Majamanda (Membership), Tariro Manhendere
(Advocacy and Communications), Sylvia Bhasikolo (Mabvuku Treasurer) and
community volunteers saying they will unleash violence similar to the
violence witnessed in Zimbabwe during the ‘June 27’ election run-off,
whatever he meant. This Moffat, who claimed that he was the director of the
Welfare Trust, said there was no one who could stop them, even the police.
The HRT believes that the Zimbabwe Republic Police knows they have a
Constitutional mandate to protect all citizens and will not sink so low to
protect criminal behaviour.
While there is nothing wrong about anyone
being a Zanu PF member, it is criminal for a person or a group of people to
hide behind Zanu PF, tarnishing its image and reputation by persecuting
innocent citizens. Asked why he was behaving like a village bully, Moffat
claimed that “the HRT is undermining the Welfare trust by telling people
that it was a bogus organization.’ The HRT maintains that this organization
is bogus and should be held accountable for the thousands of dollars that
they misled poor residents to part with. The Welfare Trust accuses the
HRT of influencing communities to resist the temptation to pay US$1 for
membership and US$20 to clear one’s debts, irrespective of amounts owed to
the City of Harare. This organization has no mandate; neither does it have
the authority to spread false information to the residents on cancellation
of debts. Only the City of Harare, through a council resolution, can cancel
residents’ debts. The HRT stands for justice in the interest of residents
in Harare Metropolitan Province. One major reason that this fly-by-night
organization has panicked and resorted to stone-age tactics of violence and
intimidation of those who hold different views to theirs is because they
have no agenda to advance community development. Their objective was simply
to dupe residents and disappear into thin air. If it is not money they were
after, let us see them in the communities discussing service delivery and
make meaningful contributions towards attaining real development in
communities. The HRT urges the police to put a stop to this madness where
political thugs come onto the development scene to instill fear in
legitimate organizations pursuing development objectives. Failure to
intervene in this matter leaves citizens with no option but to ask those
within communities to stand up to this bullying by insignificant individuals
who have even lost relevance in their respective political parties. As a
residents’ organization, the HRT serves communities through a participatory
development approach framework where citizens at community level determine
what kind of intervention they expect or require from development
partners. To the Welfare Trust, our message as the HRT is that you must be
careful how you behave because very soon you will be facing residents in
their numbers demanding their money back. In fact, residents are urged to
demand their money back because their debts will not just go away. Whenever
they move into their neighbourhood, residents are urged to shun their
meetings and stop this nonsense of opening ears and eyes only after being
conned. The City Treasury, the City Councillors have been releasing
information discouraging residents from being misled by this outfit. To
this end the HRT will be exposing one by one of this outfit until residents
are clear on who they really are. Who is the Welfare Trust? Is it another
Chipangano outfit? Those who live in glass houses should not throw
stones.
