Movement For Democratic Change
Weekly Briefing Note
19th August 2003
For Further Information Please Contact:
Nkanyiso Maqeda, MDC Director of Information: 0263 91 248 570
Grace Kwinjeh, MDC EU Representative: 0032 494 181621
James Littleton, London: 00 44 7771 501 401
Mdc Mourns Death Of Mp
MDC MP for Kadoma Central, Austin Mupandawana, died on 9 August at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare. He leaves behind a wife, Constance, and six children.
"We have lost a dear colleague, dependable friend and a courageous man. The nation is robbed of a dedicated leader and a man of integrity. While we grieve his death, we in the MDC cherish his deeds and the part he played in the struggle to bring a better life for all Zimbabweans," said Paul Themba Nyathi, MDC Secretary for Information and Publicity
Quotes
"It is clear that Zanu PF has no idea how to solve the crisis and is determined to hold onto power while the people suffer. We have chosen the path of dialogue in the hope that this will bring about a speedy and peaceful resolution of the country’s problems and stop all the suffering," said Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC President (10 August 2003)
"We are extremely disappointed that the High Court has chosen to put the President of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, to his defence in the treason trial….We in the MDC have absolutely no doubt of the innocence of Morgan Tsvangirai. We believe that once the defence has given evidence, and placed on record the true facts of what happened at the three meetings, the whole world will know wherein the truth lies," said David Coltart, MDC Secretary for Legal Affairs (8 August 2003)
"We have no fuel, we have no sugar, we have no cooking oil, we have no money, we have no mealie meal; the cost of these items if they become available are unaffordable. The government has asked WFP for the total food shortage this year as they have no money. If this is not an abrogation of responsibility and a total admission of failure then I don’t know what is," said Renson Gasela MDC Shadow Minister of Lands and Agriculture (13 August 2003)
Political Violence/Intimidation
Extortion
Numerous government workers informed the Daily News last week that they had been forced by war veterans to make contributions to the Heroes Day celebrations as a way of ‘showing gratitude’ to the Mugabe regime for awarding them salary increases. Many were forced to contribute as much as $Zim 5,000.
Local Government Elections Update
Free and fair elections are clearly anathema to Zanu PF. Ballot rigging, voter intimidation and the illegal registration of voters have defined Zanu PF election strategies over past few years. Such underhand and contemptuous tactics are an admission that they have nothing to offer the electorate. They are bankrupt of ideas. Zanu PF know that they cannot win an election if the people are allowed to exercise their basic democratic right in a free and fair poll.
In the build up to the local elections, scheduled to be held on 30 and 31 August, Zanu PF have certainly lived up to their reputation as an enemy of democracy. Their violent youth militia are omnipresent, over 40 MDC candidates have been prevented from submitting their nominations whilst recent evidence has come to light of Zanu PF illegally registering voters after the closure of the registration process in June. For instance in Gweru the MDC has already unearthed 6,000 phantom voters.
It has also been revealed that the Mugabe regime is using Central Intelligence Organisation and army officers to run the elections, in what is an unashamed attempt to rig the process. What functioning democracy has the army and the secret police running elections?
"It is like a repeat of the elections we have had before where electoral fraud takes centre stage," said Professor Welshman Ncube, MDC Secretary General
Humanitarian Crisis
EU Aid
The European Union has donated 25 million euros to help alleviate widespread hunger in Zimbabwe. Representatives of the WFP have reported that without the donation it would have run out of food stocks by the end of August. The EU donation will be used to buy 60,000 tonnes of maize from neighbouring countries that harvested a surplus this year.
5 Die From Hunger
Five people have died from food poisoning associated with hunger in Matabeleland.
Economic Crisis
Mining
According to recent press reports, Zimbabwe’s struggling gold sector, previously a major source of foreign currency, faces more mine closures unless the Mugabe regime devalues the dollar and manages to reign in spiralling inflation. Given the regime’s catastrophic record vis-à-vis the economy this is unlikely to happen, meaning that even more people face the threat of unemployment.
Travellers Cheques Fail
In a desperate attempt to tackle the cash shortages that are a direct manifestation of their flawed economic agenda, the Zanu PF regime last week issued travellers cheques, mostly in the denomination of $Zim 100,000. Thus far most retailers have refused to accept the cheques as they do not have sufficient cash available in order to give customers the necessary change. Moreover, most ordinary Zimbabweans do not have $Zim 100,000 in their bank accounts. As most basic commodities are now purchased on the burgeoning black market the travellers cheques are somewhat pointless because only hard cash is the recognised currency on the black market.
The idea of introducing travellers cheques follows fast on heals of another recent ‘initiative’to tackle the cash crisis: replacing the existing $500 note with a new one. Both of these absurd policy initiatives are further evidence that Zanu PF does not have a clue about how to resolve Zimbabwe’s economic woes.
Tensions Rising
Angry soldiers and police officers stormed the Chitungwiza (Harare) premises of the Beverley Building Society last week, smashing windows and threatening tellers after being informed that the bank had run out of cash.
General News
Tractor Scam
According to a recent article in the Zimbabwe Standard a tractor scheme, initiated by Mugabe for the benefit of newly resettled farmers, has been exploited by senior Zanu PF officials. The piece in the Standard alleges that the beneficiaries of the tractors thus far are Mugabe himself, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Judge President Paddington Garwe and Zimbabwe Defence Forces chief Vitalis Zvinavashe.
Brain Drain
A recent study, funded by the UN, into the extent of the brain drain in Zimbabwe, has confirmed what many already feared: that Zimbabwe has lost, and continues to lose, an unsustainable number of its skilled professionals, in particular doctors and nurses. The study concluded that, "..the level and trend of the brain drain in Zimbabwe has reached unacceptable and unsustainable height."
Over the past four years thousands of professional Zimbabweans have been forced to flee the country in response to both the politically induced economic crisis as well as the high level of state sponsored violence. The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe reported that between 2000 and 2002 five teachers were killed, 119 raped and scores tortured and beaten as a result of their suspected support for the MDC. In response to such a sustained campaign of violence scores of teachers have fled to safety overseas.
Commonwealth Members Condemn Mugabe Regime
The 11 South Pacific members of the Commonwealth condemned the Mugabe regime last Saturday for continuing human rights abuses, saying that no progress had been made to end Zimbabwe’s suspension from all councils of the Commonwealth.
Leaders of the Pacific states issued a statement at the end of the Pacific Islands Forum noting their "grave concern at the situation in Zimbabwe, in particular continuing serious human rights abuses and the worsening economic crisis". Leaders concluded that Zimbabwe was showing intransigence in its refusal to move back towards democracy.
END
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