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Archived News
18th February 2003
Statement of Andrew Flower and Henry Olonga
High Court bars MDC rally
Key tape in Tsvangirai trial is 'inaudible'
Plots Abound as Zanu-PF Leaders Try to Shed Mugabe, Pacify MDC
Court to rule on questioning
PR contract kept from Zimbabwean treason trial
Mugabe signs land deal with Chinese to tackle food crisis
Riot police disperse food queues
Flower and Olonga reported
Full statement of Andrew Flower and Henry Olonga
England down to last appeal
Cricket's catch dropped
Treason trial in secret session
Robert Mugabe: Green light given despite EU travel ban
No quick C'wealth re-entry for Zimbabwe
'The time is auspicious to lift the sanctions on Zimbabwe'
Cricket support
Witness admits payment from Zim
Zimbabwe exclusion must not be lifted says Kenya
Protesters burn Nigerian flag
Zimbabwe police raid reform meeting
AirZim to lease smaller planes from French firm
US$30 million fuel deal signed
Zim to ignore DRC looting report
London Service for the Todds - who saw ideals turn to tyranny
Bizos questions CIA involvement in murder plot
Key witness in Zimbabwe trial barred from leaving country
Valentine marchers arrested
Bulawayo marchers released
Disarray over Mugabe forces EU to delay summit
Zimbabwe police 'rigged poll'
Docket for MDC supporters vanishes
Flower, Olonga escape ICC rap
England forfeit Zimbabwe game
Bizos lashes key witness
US wants answers from Zim over detained diplomat
Zimra sells MDC-sourced maize
Harare mayor learns price of speaking out
Why I wore a black band for Zimbabwe
Mbeki raps Howard over Zimbabwe
NZ backs Zimbabwe's suspension
Zim looking at media law - Mbeki
Police quiz Anglicans
US warns about food situation in Zimbabwe
Police assault toddler
Zimbabwe opens third week of Tsvangirai treason trial
'Evidence being withheld in Tsvangirai trial'
Now it's the Brits
Zimbabwe judge arrested
Mbeki, Zanu moderate in secret crisis talks
Moyo silent on media laws
No nine day wonder
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From News24 (SA), 11 February
Court to rule on questioning
Harare - A court in Zimbabwe is on Wednesday expected to rule on whether lawyers for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, on trial for treason, can question a key state witness about a deal he signed with the government. Tsvangirai and two senior Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) officials are accused of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe ahead of presidential elections last year. They deny the charges, which carry the death penalty on conviction. Defence lawyers want to question the witness, Ari Ben Menashe, a Canadian-based political consultant, about a contract he signed a few weeks after he secretly videoed Tsvangirai allegedly requesting assistance for the "elimination" of President Robert Mugabe. Security Minister Nicholas Goche has signed a certificate saying that if the details of the contract are revealed, they will prejudice state security.
The defence also want to find out details of the work Ben Menashe did after the contract was signed. On Monday, they said they wanted to determine whether or not the deal signed in January 10, 2002, a month after Ben Menashe's meeting with Tsvangirai, was payment for a "trapping exercise". However the state has opposed the defence lawyers' request, saying giving out details of any work done on the government's behalf will "neutralise" its effect. The state lawyer has said Minister Goche is willing to give evidence in private to explain his concerns about state security. Tuesday was the seventh day of the high-profile trial, which is expected to last at least three weeks. Journalists, lawyers and diplomats and members of the public spent the day waiting for the court to resume after it adjourned on Monday to give the judge time to consider the submissions by the defence, but no announcement was made. Court officials told them to return on Wednesday morning. Also charged with treason are MDC Secretary General Welshman Ncube and shadow agriculture minister Renson Gasela.
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From The Globe & Mail (Canada), 11 February
PR contract kept from Zimbabwean treason trial
Montreal-based consultant paid to spread negative information about defendant
By Colin Freeze
A contract kept out of evidence in a Zimbabwe treason trial yesterday because it is considered a state secret has been publicly available in North America for months. It shows the star prosecution witness remains a hired mouthpiece for increasingly iron-fisted President Robert Mugabe. In the past year, Montreal-based consultant Ari Ben Menashe performed various paid public-relations jobs for Mr. Mugabe, which included spreading negative information about the defendant, Morgan Tsvangirai. Mr. Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and two other MDC members are charged with plotting to assassinate Mr. Mugabe. They face the death penalty if convicted. Mr. Ben Menashe signed the Zimbabwe contract with an official from Mr. Mugabe's office on Jan. 10, 2002, according to documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. (According to the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, international lobbyists such as Mr. Ben Menashe are required to publicly reveal their clients.) Mr. Ben Menashe was to get $100,000 (U.S.) upon signing. Although the stated value of the contract was $225,000, the bill ran up to $400,000 within a matter of months, according to the FARA filings.
There is nothing that appears to be particularly sensitive about the U.S.-filed memorandum of agreement, nor is there explicit mention of Mr. Tsvangirai. Rather, Mr. Ben Menashe undertakes to create "goodwill" for the regime and get rid of "the pariah state label currently attached to Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe government." He also vowed to try to get the United States to declare "the March, 2002, presidential election held in Zimbabwe was conducted freely and fairly." In the most recent FARA filings, Mr. Ben Menashe lists some of the paid "political activity" he has undertaken, including press releases that were unflattering to Mr. Tsvangirai. A spokeswoman for Mr. Ben Menashe said yesterday that the terms of the contract had expanded beyond what was originally written, but the matter couldn't be discussed further because "it definitely jeopardizes national security." Documents also show that press releases entitled "Tsvangirai attempts assassination of Mugabe" and "Tsvangirai attempts suppression of evidence" - allegations circulated during last year's presidential election - are among some of the jobs for which Mr. Ben Menashe has been compensated by the Zimbabwe regime.
But these facts won't be heard at the current trial. Yesterday, Zimbabwe's State Security Minister issued a certificate ordering Mr. Ben Menashe not to divulge any details of the contract. The consultant is complying, as are prosecutors. "Any attempt to disclose these [contract] details would impair the security of the state," prosecutor Bharat Patel said. The defendants' lawyers, however, complain the ban is an unconstitutional cover-up. "If our hands are going to be tied behind our backs, there will be untold prejudice to the accused in this case," said lawyer George Bizos, who once represented former South African dissident Nelson Mandela in a treason trial 40 years ago. A judge is to determine whether the contract will remain under wraps. Long before they were courtroom adversaries, Mr. Tsvangirai and Mr. Ben Menashe were on better terms. The opposition leader flew to Canada to talk business with Mr. Ben Menashe and the meeting was secretly videotaped inside the Montreal consultancy known as Dickens and Madson Canada Inc. The videotape, which purportedly shows a coup plot taking shape, has been entered into evidence at the treason trial. Though Mr. Ben Menashe formally went to work for Zimbabwe a month after making the video, he denies he was ever paid for making the tape.
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From The Independent (UK), 12 February
Mugabe signs land deal with Chinese to tackle food crisis
By Basildon Peta, Southern Africa correspondent
Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, has awarded a contract to grow food crops on more than 100,000 hectares to a Chinese company in a desperate attempt to avert an unprecedented farming crisis. The land was mostly seized from white farmers and is now lying derelict after its new black owners failed to take it up because no agricultural equipment was available. Mr Mugabe's decision to approve the land allocations to the China International Water and Electric Corporation, a state-owned company, contradicts his claims that he wants to empower black Zimbabweans by giving them land seized from white farmers. State media said the deal would restore Zimbabwe's agricultural strength to its former position of glory in Africa's agriculture sector. It proved that Mr Mugabe's policy of co-operating with Asia and former Communist countries in Eastern Europe at the expense of the West was paying dividends. Mr Mugabe has said that his government will no longer work with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank but will concentrate on finding new friends in Asia.
But a senior government official said the deal was a direct indictment of Mr Mugabe's chaotic land reforms. "I think what it proves is that our system of chasing farm owners and confiscating their land has not worked," said the official, who was interviewed on condition of anonymity. "We are now stuck with a huge amount of derelict land, which could have been under good use if the politicians had taken our advice to implement a phased and systematic land reform exercise." Joseph Made, the Agriculture Minister, publicly admitted for the first time last month that most of the seized land had not been taken by its new owners. In some of the most important agricultural provinces, less than half of the land allocated to blacks has been occupied. New black occupants often become frustrated by the government's failure to give them resources to farm and return to communal areas, where there is infrastructure such as boreholes. The government is trying to lure back commercial farmers displaced from their properties by violent occupations and seizures, which began three years ago and accelerated after the President was re-elected last year in polls that independent observers said were rigged.
Mr Mugabe's government claims that it has drafted a memorandum of understanding, which awaits signing. But farmers say nothing has materialised from talks that began a few weeks ago. As part of the deal, the government wants to give back to white farmers some seized properties in exchange for farming equipment needed to help to resettle black farmers. The white farmers have rejected the offer, saying the government is not sincere. According to state media, the deal with the Chinese will yield at least 2.1 million tons of maize a year, enough to feed Zimbabwe's 12 million people. The project, which is expected to start soon, would play an important role in reducing inflation, which reached 200 per cent last month. The Chinese are expected to bring in massive irrigation equipment for use on the project. Meanwhile, in a sign of the country's deepening economic troubles, a parliamentary inquiry said the national airline was heading for collapse. Silas Mangono, head of the inquiry, said two of Air Zimbabwe's six planes had been grounded because there was no hard currency for spare parts.
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From The Daily News, 12 February
Riot police disperse food queues
Staff Reporters
Baton-wielding riot police intensified dispersing people queuing for basic commodities on Monday in Highfield and the city centre as the government struggled to paint a picture of tranquillity to the visiting Cricket World Cup teams and foreign journalists covering the tournament in Harare. At Machipisa shopping centre there was a heavy presence of the police who harassed groups of people. Tinarwo Musosa of Highfield said: "We cannot buy bread here because the police said queues are causing disorder at the shopping centre." Mildred Zimuko from Glen Norah said on Saturday the police with the help of ruling Zanu PF youths beat up people queuing for maize-meal. A worker at one supermarket confirmed that police started beating up people in Highfield on Friday. The police in Harare on Saturday ordered the closure of all fuel stations along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Road, which leads from the Harare International Airport into the city centre. This was an apparent bid to deceive the arriving Cricket World Cup teams about the fuel crisis in the country. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) said they were disturbed by the spurious move to impress visitors, more so when some workers have to take some time off work to hunt for food and fuel. Wellington Chibhebhe, ZCTU’s secretary-general, on Monday said: "Over the days leading to the commencement of the International Cricket World Cup, the police have been chasing away people from fuel, bread and mealie-meal queues which are the order of the day all over the country."
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From The Guardian (UK), 12 February
Flower and Olonga reported
The Zimbabwe players Andy Flower and Henry Olonga, who made a protest against their country's president Robert Mugabe and his government on Monday, have been reported to the International Cricket Council by their own board. "They have been reported to the ICC's technical committee by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union," an ICC spokesman said. "But I can't give a specific time for the hearing." Flower, the former captain, and Olonga, the first black player to represent his country, made the protest - "a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe" - just before their opening World Cup game against Namibia in Harare. They could face a charge of bringing the game into disrepute and could also be sanctioned for wearing black armbands as part of their protest.
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From The Times (UK), 11 February
Full statement of Andrew Flower and Henry Olonga
It is a great honour for us to take the field today to play for Zimbabwe in the World Cup. We feel privileged and proud to have been able to represent our country. We are, however, deeply distressed about what is taking place in Zimbabwe in the midst of the World Cup and do not feel that we can take the field without indicating our feelings in a dignified manner and in keeping with the spirit of cricket.
We cannot in good conscience take to the field and ignore the fact that millions of our compatriots are starving, unemployed and oppressed. We are aware that hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans may even die in the coming months through a combination of starvation, poverty and Aids. We are aware that many people have been unjustly imprisoned and tortured simply for expressing their opinions about what is happening in the country. We have heard a torrent of racist hate speech directed at minority groups. We are aware that thousands of Zimbabweans are routinely denied their right to freedom of expression. We are aware that people have been murdered, raped, beaten and had their homes destroyed because of their beliefs and that many of those responsible have not been prosecuted. We are also aware that many patriotic Zimbabweans oppose us even playing in the World Cup because of what is happening.
It is impossible to ignore what is happening in Zimbabwe. Although we are just professional cricketers, we do have a conscience and feelings. We believe that if we remain silent that will be taken as a sign that either we do not care or we condone what is happening in Zimbabwe. We believe that it is important to stand up for what is right. We have struggled to think of an action that would be appropriate and that would not demean the game we love so much. We have decided that we should act alone without other members of the team being involved because our decision is deeply personal and we did not want to use our senior status to unfairly influence more junior members of the squad. We would like to stress that we greatly respect the ICC and are grateful for all the hard work it has done in bringing the World Cup to Zimbabwe.
In all the circumstances, we have decided that we will each wear a black armband for the duration of the World Cup. In doing so we are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe. In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In doing so, we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our Nation.'
Harare 10th February 2003
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From The Guardian (UK), 12 February
England down to last appeal
The ECB still holds out hope of playing Zimbabwe
Paul Kelso in Cape Town
The England and Wales Cricket Board finally signalled last night its intention to pull out of tomorrow's scheduled World Cup match against Zimbabwe, but any hopes that the decision had ended this wearying and damaging saga were dashed by the announcement of a further appeal by the ECB to have the match rescheduled. After six days of meetings and missed deadlines, the International Cricket Council last night officially confirmed that England would not be going to Harare because of concerns over player safety. Speaking at the fifth press conference in six days about the match, the ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "The ECB has informed the ICC that it will not play its match scheduled for Harare on February 13 2003. The ECB cited continuing safety concerns for its players as its reason for not going to Harare." Speed went on to say that, despite apparently having exhausted all avenues of appeal, the ECB would lodge an application to have the match relocated and played at a later date in the light of what it claims is "fresh evidence". The submission will not be heard until next week, by which time England will have played against Holland. The World Cup technical committee will meet to discuss repercussions. If England's appeal fails then Zimbabwe will receive four points, but if the committee agrees with the ECB that Zimbabwe is not safe then the match will be relocated or the points shared. It remains to be seen whether the schedule has room for a new fixture, let alone whether Zimbabwe will agree to play. Remarkably, the ECB did not rule out going to Zimbabwe to play at a future date. The ECB's concerns centre on a death threat against the players and their families, received by the chief executive Tim Lamb on January 20 but not disclosed by him to the squad until Friday night. The letter, sent by a group calling itself the Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe, warned that the players would be "coming home in coffins". On Saturday, however, Lamb said that advice he had received from Scotland Yard and the British high commission in Harare indicated it was "almost certainly a hoax".
On Monday, after an appeal for further scrutiny of the threat from the ECB, Andre Pruis, the second most senior policeman in South Africa, said the letter was the work of an individual and "nonsense", and cited the evidence of the South African intelligence agencies and the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Last night, however, Lamb said: "The ECB stance is and always has been that safety and security is the ultimate concern as a duty of us as employers. "The new information we've provided we consider provides ample justification for these concerns and no evidence that the ICC have provided to date has allayed these concerns. "The Sons and Daughters letter is our principal plank of concern. Our position is that the wellbeing of the players would be endangered if they go to Zimbabwe on February 13." Lamb declined to explain what new information had led him to alter the ECB's position, but sources close to the negotiations indicated that the ECB's request will centre on technicalities associated with the disclosure of information rather than any new evidence of a material threat to the players. A source said: "Whether or not this group is a threat is almost irrelevant. The point is the ECB has not had information revealed to it when it should have, and that has hampered its ability to fulfil its duty of care to its players." Last week the World Cup technical committee and its appeals commissioner, Justice Albie Sachs, ruled that the letter was insufficient reason to move the match. The ECB will now claim that neither forum had seen an email from the Zimbabwe police saying the threat was being taken "seriously". On receipt of the email on Sunday the England management interrupted a players' meeting, convened to take a final decision on whether they should travel, and said the email forestalled that decision. According to sources, the players were on the verge of deciding to go ahead with the match.
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Comment from The Guardian (UK), 11 February
Cricket's catch dropped
At the end, only players emerged with any credit in the boycott of Zimbabwe in cricket's world cup. Most credit of all goes to the two Zimbabwean players, who yesterday wore black arm bands to mourn "the death of democracy" in their country under Mugabe's oppressive regime. Even braver, was their brief but moving statement before the match began: "We are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. We pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our nation." Not only have they risked their cricketing careers, but given the totalitarian politics of Zimbabwe, their liberty too. Compared to this shining and courageous act, all others look tarnished. Yet to be fair to the English players, after a dreadful initial response in which Nasser Hussain, the English captain, questioned whether it was right for players to be taking political judgments, it was the players who pushed the administrators of the England and Wales Cricket Board to recognise just how morally improper it would be to play in the police state.
The performance of the ECB's officials has been nauseating. Their first, second and third arguments were all based on commerce. Forget sport. When the losses of not competing - and possible fines for not doing so - failed to move anyone, they turned to security, but failed to tell the players of the death threat from a previously unknown organisation. The Zimbabwean response was predictable: the promise to provide security equivalent to what a head of state would receive. The International Cricket Council, still wrangling with the ECB last night, has been equally money-driven. It has opposed any change of venue for fear the Rupert Murdoch company that secured the TV rights for an overpriced £350m would be able to reopen its contract. Thanks then to Zimbabwean cricketers, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga, for restoring some sanity and dignity.
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From News24 (SA), 12 February
Treason trial in secret session
Harare - The trial of Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on treason charges was held behind closed doors Wednesday after the government said some evidence by the main state witness would endanger national security. Judge Paddington Garwe made the unusual decision to allow the main state witness, Canada-based political consultant Ari Ben Menashe, to be questioned in a closed door session. Public disclosures are rarely forbidden in criminal trials in Zimbabwe. The move appeared to be a compromise ruling by the judge who was navigating between the government's demands for a gag order on Ben Menashe's work for them and defence attorneys' request to question the witness further on the nature of his business dealings with the government. By not accepting the government's gag order outright, the judge's compromise ruling allowed Bizos to question Ben Menashe on what the government insisted was confidential and demand the court force him to answer or face contempt charges, lawyers said.
Lead defence attorney George Bizos has repeatedly accused Ben Menashe of lying and being evasive in his open testimony on the nature of his work while under contract for the Zimbabwe government. He has argued that Ben Menashe was paid to entrap the opposition leader and senior opposition officials Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela. The three deny treason charges that they plotted to kill President Robert Mugabe ahead of presidential elections last year. Security Minister Nicholas Goche said on Monday that Ben Menashe should not be questioned on what work he did for the government and money he received for it, claiming such testimony was secret. Garwe said it was within his powers to declare some evidence be heard behind closed doors. "I believe justice would be achieved by this approach. The evidence in camera shall not be disclosed by anyone," he said.
Ben Menashe has testified Tsvangirai hired him to help kill Mugabe. The opposition politicians deny the treason charges, saying Ben Menashe framed them. They could face the death penalty if convicted. The charges are based on a grainy 4-hour video that was secretly recorded during a meeting between Tsvangirai and Ben Menashe in Montreal on December 4, 2001. In the first week of the trial Ben Menashe testified he was to receive US$1 million from the Zimbabwean government and was given a US$100 000 payment when he signed a consulting contract on January 10, 2002, two weeks after he gave the video to the government. However, Ben Menashe said he was not working for the government during the time he met with Tsvangirai. He said the money was payment for him to produce and air four short Zimbabwe-friendly films in North America as well as to win export orders and circulate newsletters on political and cultural life in the country. He refused to give details of his accounts and the work he actually did before receiving a total of US$400 000 from the government.
Tsvangirai was charged with treason two weeks before he ran against Mugabe in the presidential election. He narrowly lost the vote, which independent observers said was swayed by political violence and vote rigging. Bizos said he would prove Ben Menashe was a fraudster and "unmitigated liar" who meddled in foreign elections and reneged on deals to supply food to developing nations after he was paid. Ben Menashe, 51, who claims to have been a former Israeli intelligence agent, was acquitted by a US federal jury in 1990 of charges he illegally arranged a US$36 million deal to sell US-made military cargo planes to Iran in exchange for the release of four American hostages in the Middle East. Israel denied he was connected to intelligence work but said he served for a brief period as a junior clerk in its civil service.
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From The Irish Examiner, 13 February
Robert Mugabe: Green light given despite EU travel ban
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe will be allowed to visit Paris next week for an African leaders' summit, European Union governments reluctantly agreed yesterday. The go-ahead was given despite an EU travel ban on the president, his wife and more than 70 members of his political circle and their families in protest at human rights abuses by Mugabe's regime. EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels renewed the ban for a year but with a temporary "opt-out" for France, so President Chirac can play host to Mr Mugabe at a Franco-African summit discussing human rights on February 19. Britain's disapproval of the French action was marked by a formal reservation written into the accord expressing "grave concern" a view echoed by Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. And, privately, many more EU governments are uncomfortable that Paris is according respectability to a man seen as an international pariah.
But, with enough European discord already on display over Iraq, the temptation to deepen rifts by taking on the French was resisted. Another potential foreign policy row over Portugal's bid to invite Mr Mugabe to an EU-Africa summit in Lisbon in April was put off, with a decision due tomorrow on whether to cancel the meeting altogether. British Prime Minister Tony Blair would certainly boycott the Lisbon gathering if Mr Mugabe attended but ministers are wary of abandoning the entire event and may tolerate the presence of a more lowly representative from Zimbabwe. The renewal of the anti-Mugabe sanctions which will be formally endorsed tomorrow includes a freeze on any assets held in EU countries by the 79 people named in the travel ban. British Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock welcomed the decision: "I'm glad EU governments have maintained their resolve. "Now there is a need to extend sanctions to elements of the business community in Zimbabwe which have strengthened Mugabe's regime." British Prime Minister Tony Blair would certainly boycott the Lisbon gathering if Mr Mugabe attended but ministers are wary of abandoning the entire event and may tolerate the presence of a more lowly representative from Zimbabwe.
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From AlertNet/Reuters, 12 February
No quick C'wealth re-entry for Zimbabwe
By Sinead O'Hanlon
London - Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said on Wednesday Zimbabwe would not automatically be readmitted to the group when its 12-month suspension comes up for review next month. Although Nigeria and South Africa, both members of a three-nation Commonwealth committee on Zimbabwe want the suspension lifted immediately, the issue was for the whole Commonwealth to decide, he said. "The suspension was to be for 12 months and at that time there was to be a review of the developments that have taken place and therefore leaders have the option of what happens at the end of that 12 months," McKinnon told Reuters after talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard in London. The European Union edged towards renewing its sanctions for another year against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and his entourage on Wednesday, but postponed a likely deal until Friday, diplomats said.
The Commonwealth was plunged into controversy after Nigeria and South Africa urged an immediate end to the suspension and accused the third member and chair of the "troika" Australia of failing to act as an honest broker. McKinnon said before sanctions come up for renewal on March 19 he would compile a report on Zimbabwe and canvass other Commonwealth leaders for their views and input. "If you have a situation in the troika as it is now where two are suggesting one thing and one is suggesting another, the views of other Commonwealth leaders become very important." Western powers have isolated Mugabe because of March 2002 elections foreign observers say were flawed and controversial policies such as the seizure of many white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks. Nigeria and South Africa advocate a less confrontational approach to Zimbabwe than Australia and Britain in a dispute that has split the Commonwealth on roughly racial lines. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo called for an end to the suspension in a letter to Howard detailing what he said was progress made by Zimbabwe in the last year. Obasanjo said he was backed by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
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From Business Day (SA), 13 February
'The time is auspicious to lift the sanctions on Zimbabwe'
This is an edited version of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's letter to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, in which Obasanjo tells Howard of his and President Thabo Mbeki's latest thinking on Zimbabwe
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to you at this time in continuation of our consultations and especially to brief you on issues on which we have been engaged relating to Zimbabwe. This briefing has become necessary following my recent visit to South Africa, where I had extensive discussions with President Thabo Mbeki , and then to Zimbabwe, where I was engaged in very useful and constructive exchange of views with President Robert Mugabe.
President Mbeki seized the opportunity of my visit to brief me on his recent trip to Britain, including his discussions with Prime Minister Tony Blair on Zimbabwe. You may recall that Zimbabwe was one of the issues discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Coolum, Australia, in February 2002, as a result of which a troika was established to follow up on the matter. Soon afterwards, we had our first meeting at Marlborough House in London in March 2002 to consider the report of the Commonwealth Observer Group on the Zimbabwean elections, and it was also decided, among other things, that Zimbabwe should be suspended from the Commonwealth councils for one year and that we would meet in a year to review developments during that one-year suspension.
In spite of the one-year stipulation for meeting, the troika still met in Abuja at your request. Since then, your government has proceeded to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe, a decision which of course is your government's prerogative. However, this unfortunate decision would seem to me to compromise Australia's position as an honest broker in the Zimbabwean crisis. Meanwhile, I am sad to note that the unhelpful media war between Britain and Zimbabwe has not abated, but actually exacerbated matters, thereby worsening the already charged situation. It was against this background that I concluded that another meeting of the Commonwealth troika on Zimbabwe at this time might not serve any useful purpose. Indeed, President Mbeki shares the same view. This position is further reinforced by the fact of certain critical developments that have occurred in Zimbabwe and which must be acknowledged.
In many of our previous meetings, it had been admitted that the issue of land is at the core of the current crisis in Zimbabwe and that an appropriate solution to this problem would go a long way in bringing to early conclusion other associated issues. Following my recent visit to Zimbabwe, I have come to realise that the land issue may no longer be the most serious problem at this juncture as it cannot be compared to the situation during the Lancaster House conference in 1979 or even in the last 10 years. It is now a matter of reality that the fast-track land resettlement programme, adopted by the government of Zimbabwe in order to address the situation that was developing in the country at that time, has substantially ended since August 31 2002. Since then, the Land Reform Programme (LRP) has continued to be implemented in the normal regulatory process. I note, in particular, that land occupation by demonstrators has ended, while the government of Zimbabwe has agreed to pay compensation for any improvement on land acquired under the fast track programme and the LRP.
I am informed that in the current financial year, the government has actually allocated the sum of Z4bn to pay for full and fair compensation for whatever improvements may have been made on the land being acquired. Although this may be a far cry from adequate compensation, the good intention on the part of a government cash-strapped should not be overlooked. However, the government still insists that compensation for the true commercial value of the land, at today's prices, must be paid by the British government, which did not pay anything when the lands were taken from the African owners during the colonial period. Furthermore, the government of Zimbabwe has recently been engaged in dialogue with the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU). Indeed, the government has again reiterated to these farmers its readiness and preparedness to provide land to anyone who wishes to continue farming and has so applied. More work needs to be done in this process and it is therefore necessary that every encouragement must be given by all concerned. I emphasise that the government of Zimbabwe should always keep open the channel of dialogue with the CFU who felt a sense of loss in the exercise.
The results of the government's effort in the land redistribution exercise have been acclaimed as remarkable. By 1998, 74000 families had been settled under the willingseller/willing-buyer basis. An additional 220000 communal peasant families and 54000 indigenous commercial farmers were settled under the fast-track resettlement programme on 11-million hectares of land. Ideally, full compensation should have been paid as the land was being appropriated. This programme has no doubt addressed, to some extent, the internal dissatisfaction arising from the skewed colonial land policy which remained a potential source of conflict in Zimbabwe. On the other hand, it is reasonable to except that a major reform on this vast scale would be attended by some measure of corruption together with complaints of unfairness. In response to these criticisms, President Mugabe confirmed to me that he had in place procedures for receiving complaints, and that all those found guilty of malpractices have been brought to book. Moreover, in order to promote transparency, equity and ensure sustainable utilisation of resettled land, as well as determining the level of uptake, the government of Zimbabwe has instituted a land audit that aims to generate confidence in the whole process.
With regard to the criticisms on land given to some officials but not utilised, it seems that this may not be directly connected with the fast-track programme. Generally, the Zimbabwean government gave land to those who intended to utilise it for farming purposes. It is also true that many of those allocated land need financial assistance from government for optimum utilisation. Unfortunately, with priority being given to payment of compensation for improvements on the land, the government has only been able to provide financial assistance to about 30% of this group. This, I believe is an area where the international community can genuinely provide assistance, not to the government, but to those genuinely desirous of farming. It is encouraging that there has been renewed international interest in supporting the LRP in Zimbabwe. Given the progress which I have outlined above, it is essential that we should continue to look at ways by which we can get more members of the international community not only interested but actively involved in the programme. Only then can the average Zimbabwean begin to reap the benefits of the exercise and the country would be helped to cope with the issue of scarcity of food. A major concern and perhaps criticism of the LRP by the international community has been the fate of former farm workers from neighbouring states of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia particularly affected by the redistribution programme. I am informed that, of the estimated 400000 people affected, some have been resettled, while many others have been re- employed on the 54000 recently created commercial farms.
On the issue of interparty dialogue, the government of Zimbabwe remains committed to resuming the talks but feels that this can only happen after the court's ruling on the petition by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). In my separate meetings with Mr Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC, I have brought to his attention the position of the Zimbabwean government with regard to negotiations. The MDC will now therefore have to decide on whether to withdraw the case from the court so that the negotiations can resume in earnest or wait until the determination of the case by the court. There is a need for Zimbabweans of all parties to dialogue and reach consensus on good governance, human rights, stability and general direction of development of their country. During my visit to Zimbabwe, Honourable Job Sikhala, the MDC MP for St Mary's, forwarded a petition to me complaining of a breach of fundamental human rights on the part of the Zimbabwean police and possibly sponsored by government. I raised the issue with President Mugabe who confirmed that the MP concerned had taken the case to court and that the police admitted with apology that the MP was assaulted. The police were to take necessary disciplinary action against the culprit. President Mugabe denied any government involvement in such police acts. Allowing the case to be prosecuted in court must convince people that government was not behind the act and would not condone it. From all accounts, it would be appear that violence political or nonpolitical is fairly pervasive in Zimbabwe.
If there is some coming from government agencies, there is certainly some coming from nongovernment agencies. All stakeholders in Zimbabwe have to work together to stop the reign of terror and violence. The government must be in the vanguard of such efforts. With the above, it is clear to me that we must concert to give every assistance to Zimbabwe so that the present crisis may be speedily brought to an end. We should encourage the international community to redeem the pledges of financial assistance, reaffirmed in our Marlborough House decision, in order to expedite the land reform process and bring about the desired improvement in the standard of living of the generality of Zimbabweans. The earlier Zimbabwe can get out of her political crisis, economic difficulties and food shortage, the better it would be for the country, the subregion and the continent. It is important that we remain positively engaged with Zimbabwe. We must continue to make good offices available for mediation between the UK and Zimbabwe, a rather unfortunate confrontation in which rhetoric and media warfare tend to be suppressing reason and fair mindedness.
From the above, together with what I personally saw in Zimbabwe, I believe the time is now auspicious to lift the sanctions on Zimbabwe with regard to her suspension from the Commonwealth councils. This will represent an appropriate development for the final resolution of the crisis in that country. I crave your indulgence to forward a copy of this letter to President Mbeki and another copy to the secretary-general of the Commonwealth who can use it as a basis for re-establishment of contact with Zimbabwean authorities at all levels. This will be made easier with Prime Minister Blair already accepting an appeal to discourage the media offensive against Zimbabwe from the UK side and President Mugabe agreeing to reciprocate in kind. This should be the precursor to re-engagement between the UK and Zimbabwe. Copies of this letter will also be forwarded to President Mugabe and Prime Minister Blair.
Yours sincerely,
Olusegun Obasanjo
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From ZWNEWS, 13 February
Cricket support
Those wishing to express support for the stand taken by Zimbabwean cricketers Henry Olonga and Andrew Flower at the start of the World Cup, and to protest against possible disciplinary action against them by the ZCU, can email the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. Messages urging that no action be taken against them can also be sent to the ICC at the following addresses: via email fax: 44-20-7266-1777 or letter: The International Cricket Council, Lords Cricket Ground, St. John’s Wood Road, London NW8 8N.
Olonga and Flower could face charges of bringing the game into disrepute and could also be sanctioned for wearing black arm bands in mourning for the death of democracy in Zimbabwe. The brutal reprisals meted out by the regime of Robert Mugabe - also patron of the ZCU - against those who dare to dissent are well documented. The ZCU should protect, not report, its players. In addition, both the ZCU and the ICC should be aware of the widespread admiration around the world that Olonga and Flower have aroused by their brave action. As Olonga commented in a BBC interview after Zimbabwe ’s opening match in Harare: "We will have to deal with whatever repercussions come along our way in the best way that we can, but we believe in the greater good."
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From News24 (SA), 13 February
Witness admits payment from Zim
Harare - The main state witness in the treason trial of Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai admitted on Thursday he received US$200 000 from the government after providing a secretly recorded video tape incriminating Tsvangirai in a plot to kill President Robert Mugabe. Canada-based political consultant Ari Ben Menashe denied the money was paid under a deal with Zimbabwe's security chiefs to entrap Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change candidate, before presidential elections last year. He told the Harare High Court the money was a fee for other research work by his Montreal firm, including intelligence and information gathering and "background work" for the Zimbabwe government. "It may have had to do with the treasonous activities of the MDC but it had nothing to do with this case," Ben Menashe said. He said his wife, a Montreal lawyer, received another US$30 000 from Zimbabwe to cover the expenses of making the secret video. She was to pay for technical services involved in concealing two ceiling-level cameras and making the recording.
Ben Menashe, 51, has testified before Judge Paddington Garwe that Tsvangirai and senior opposition colleagues Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela hired him to help kill Mugabe. The opposition politicians deny the charges and say Ben Menashe framed them. They could face the death penalty if convicted. The charges are based on a grainy 4-hour video recorded during a meeting between Tsvangirai and Ben Menashe in Montreal on December 4, 2001 in which Tsvangirai allegedly asked for help to "eliminate" Mugabe. In heated exchanges with defence attorney George Bizos, Ben Menashe admitted a member of Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation collected the tape from his offices on December 5 after he informed the government of its contents. He said he wanted to expose Tsvangirai to 50 leaders of the Commonwealth of Britain and its former territories in Australia for a Summit. To this end he approached his contacts at the Australian TV station that broke the story.
Ben Menashe said he did not sign a formal consultancy contract with the Zimbabwe government until January 10. In terms of that contract his firm was to be paid US$1m including what he termed "a performance bonus." Bizos said records of payments Ben Menashe received before being contracted indicated he was rewarded for an operation to entrap the opposition leaders. He has repeatedly accused Ben Menashe of lying and being evasive in his testimony on the nature of his work for the Zimbabwean government. Ben Menashe said he was once an Israeli intelligence agent - a claim denied by Israel. He said he led Israel's raid to rescue Israeli hijacking hostages at Entebbe airport in Uganda in 1976 and "meddled" in the US presidential vote in 1980 and Australia's 1986 elections. A congressional committee and Australian lawmakers concluded he lied on both occasions to discredit election candidates, Bizos said.
Ben Menashe earlier testified the US government of then President George Bush and the Western media tried to discredit him after he exposed US weapons sales to Iran and apartheid-era South Africa. He was acquitted by a US federal jury in 1990 of charges he illegally arranged a US$36m deal to sell US-made military cargo planes to Iran in exchange for the release of four American hostages in the Middle East. He said his Montreal partner Alexander Legault, who attended the taped meeting with Tsvangirai, could not testify in Zimbabwe "because someone has to be in the office". Bizos said Ben Menashe had been a character witness for Legault at a hearing to have him extradited to the US to face fraud charges. Legault avoided extradition by seeking asylum in a Canadian court by pleading the US Central Intelligence Agency wanted to "act unlawfully against him". He claimed the CIA was conducting illegal brain washing experiments with hallucinogenic drugs in Montreal. Ben Menashe said he could not remember details of the hearing "about 20 years ago" but said the court cleared Legault of all wrongdoing in the United States. Bizos said Canadian records showed the asylum hearing was in 1993 and could not overrule fraud allegations in three US states.
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From The Times (UK), 14 February
Zimbabwe exclusion must not be lifted says Kenya
By Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor
Kenya broke ranks with other leading African members of the Commonwealth yesterday when it insisted that Zimbabwe should remain suspended from the organisation for the rest of this year. In a pointed criticism of the failure of African states to conduct free and fair elections, Kalonzo Musyoka, the Kenyan Foreign Minister, urged fellow Africans to follow his own country’s "velvet revolution". Speaking in London, where he met Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, he said that Kenya had peacefully changed government in December’s election without "a single bullet" being fired. "We do not want to issue moral edicts against any of our African brothers but, quite frankly, Kenya can speak with a little bit of authority on the crucial matter of democratisation in the continent," he said. "We would want our African friends to emulate our example in terms of democratic practice. That is what we would be able to tell our brothers in Zimbabwe."
Kenya’s elections, widely hailed as free and fair, are in stark contrast to Zimbabwe’s polls earlier last year, which were condemned by international monitors for political violence and intimidation by the ruling Zanu PF party against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Because of the abuses, Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in March. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, who are part of a Commonwealth troika reviewing the suspension, now believe that Zimbabwe’s human rights record has improved sufficiently for President Robert Mugabe’s regime to be reinstated. John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister and head of the troika, is strongly opposed. Mr Musyoka sided with the Australian position, backed by Britain, that Zimbabwe’s fate should be decided in December when Commonwealth heads of government meet in Abuja, Nigeria.
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From News24 (SA), 13 February
Protesters burn Nigerian flag
Harare - Demonstrators burnt the Nigerian flag in a brief protest in Harare on Thursday against Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's support for the end of Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth. The group of about 80 people outside the Nigerian high commission in central Harare held posters reading "Obasanjo is an imperialist" and "enough is enough - we have no transport, we have no food, we have no future - he (President Robert Mugabe) must go!" The youths from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) set the flag alight, and the crowd dispersed before riot police could arrive. Authorities have banned all public demonstrations by any non-ruling Zanu PF party organisations for nearly three years and "illegal" demonstrators are routinely baton-charged, tear-gassed and arrested.
In a letter this week to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Obasanjo argued against the renewal of the Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth, saying the "progress" by Mugabe's government toward resolving the country's crisis made it "auspicious" for the lifting of the Commonwealth action. Obasanjo, Howard and South African President Thabo Mbeki are members of the Commonwealth "troika" set up in March 2002 to decide on action against Zimbabwe after Mugabe's victory in presidential elections resulted from fraud and violent intimidation. Critics say that the lawlessness, violent repression and illegal seizures of white-owned farms begun three years ago have continued unabated. MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai was quoted in the independent Financial Gazette on Thursday as saying that the action was "contrary to the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe, and may trigger a rebound against the on-going repression."
Also on Thursday, reports said that Gabriel Shumba, a human rights lawyer who with leading MDC member Job Sikhala, was tortured by secret police for eight hours last month, had fled the country a week ago. Other unnamed legal sources said Shumba had contacted them from South Africa. The Financial Gazette quoted him as saying that he had received death threats from secret police after a court had thrown out state charges against him. He and Sikhala were arrested on January 14 for possession of an allegedly "subversive document" with plans to overthrow Mugabe's government. Shumba said that after their acquittal, state agents told him they were going to "silence me forever." Sikhala is among several MPs and journalists to have been arrested by state security agents recently. They have all either been released without charge or had charges against them dismissed due to lack of evidence.
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From The Guardian (UK), 13 February
Zimbabwe police raid reform meeting
Harare (AP) - Police raided a meeting of opposition and reform groups at a church in Zimbabwe's capital on Thursday, arresting a bishop and four human rights activists, witnesses said. Police used riot sticks to disperse about 60 people who had gathered to discuss the role of the church in Zimbabwe's deepening political and economic crisis, said Mike Davies, a member of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, an alliance of reform groups. Bishop Trevor Manhanga was among those arrested. Also arrested at the Northside Community Church were human rights lawyer Brian Kagoro, university political scientist John Makumbe, activist John Stewart and a church worker, Davies said. An official of the U.S. Agency for International Development also was arrested but released when police learned her identity, Davies said. The government did not disclose the charges against those who were taken into custody. Davies said police had been informed in advance of the meeting as required under the nation's sweeping security laws. But officers claimed the meeting was not approved. Police officials were not immediately available for comment. On Wednesday, the European Union renewed diplomatic sanctions against the government of President Robert Mugabe, accusing it of violating human rights and pursuing policies that have led Zimbabwe into economic and political chaos.
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From The Financial Gazette, 13 February
AirZim to lease smaller planes from French firm
Staff Reporter
Air Zimbabwe is expected to begin leasing small aircraft from French aviation firm ATR in April to service its domestic and regional routes as the number of passengers travelling locally and into southern African countries continues to plummet, according to company officials. The officials, who spoke on condition they were not named, said the financially troubled airline was expected to lease ATR 42500s, 50-seater planes that would replace the Boeing 737s it is presently using. They could not disclose how many airplanes would be leased, although the Air Zimbabwe officials said the French-made aircraft would make their maiden flights in April. "The move has been necessitated by the decline of travellers both locally and regionally," an official told the Financial Gazette. "At times, we are forced to carry 26 passengers in a 113-seater 737 plane. This is proving to be very expensive for the airline, so we have decided to lease the smaller planes. The ATR is similar to the planes that are used by Air Botswana. All our area managers know about this deal, so everyone is now awaiting these smaller French planes." It was not immediately clear what would happen to Air Zimbabwe’s larger carriers or how much the national airline would pay its French supplier.
The airline’s general manager, Rambai Chingwena, would this week neither confirm nor deny that Air Zimbabwe had entered into a deal with ATR. He told the Financial Gazette: "I cannot say anything at the moment, but we will be making an official comment at the appropriate time." Air Zimbabwe has been hard hit by the decline in foreign tourist arrivals in Zimbabwe, which have fallen more than 50 percent in the past three years mostly because of the country’s deteriorating image as a safe destination. Domestic passengers travelling within the country and to foreign destinations have also declined because of rising airfares, which have reached a million dollars for some overseas destinations. In December, Chingwena admitted that the national carrier was incurring huge losses on its domestic route. The company has also been adversely affected by soaring inflation, rising operating costs and severe foreign currency shortages. A parliamentary portfolio committee is looking into the operations of Air Zimbabwe, some of whose senior employees are accused of fleecing the airline of foreign currency.
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From The Zimbabwe Independent, 14 February
US$30 million fuel deal signed
Vincent Kahiya
Mining giant Anglo American (Zimbabwe) has come to government's rescue by making available US$30 million from its off-shore account for the procurement of fuel, it has been learnt. Sources in the financial services sector this week said the deal was concluded at the end of last month. Government will repay the loan in Zimbabwe dollars, albeit at a black market rate of US$1:$1 300. The foreign currency situation in the country has continued to deteriorate as a result of reduced exports and increased demand prompted by food imports. The deal comes amid reports this week that a government delegation to Libya a fortnight ago to discuss the transfer of Noczim assets to Libyan firm Tamoil came back empty-handed after the two parties failed to agree on the value of infrastructure. Sources said the deal to form a joint-venture company, Tamoil-Zimbabwe, now looked irretrievably scuttled and with it efforts to resume imports from Libya.
Anglo spokesman Dr Ezra Kanganga yesterday refused to discuss details of the latest deal citing confidentiality. "We are not at liberty to discuss the issues which are covered by confidentiality clauses," said Kanganga. The finance-sector sources said government had used the Anglo funds to enter a deal with Exor Petroleum to import fuel on behalf of Noczim. The forex should enable Zimbabwe to import a month's supply of fuel. Under normal circumstances Zimbabwe requires US$40 million for fuel imports monthly. Last week Energy and Power Development minister Amos Midzi announced the government had entered a deal with an indigenous company to import fuel as the state's poor creditworthiness made it difficult to negotiate large deals. Midzi yesterday confirmed Exor's involvement but referred inquiries about the foreign currency arrangement to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Fuel industry sources said the new move to import fuel through middlemen was another sign of desperation by the government. "This arrangement will not solve the problem because what it is only doing is to add to Noczim's indebtedness because procuring forex on the black market and selling fuel at a giveaway price is bad business practice," an industry source said. The government has already drawn down US$12 million from the line of credit to import fuel from Iran which is set to replace Kuwait as a major supplier to Zimbabwe.
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From The Financial Gazette, 13 February
Zim to ignore DRC looting report
Staff Reporter
The Zimbabwean government will not take any action against officials named in a United Nations (UN) 2002 report on the plunder of resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite a recent UN resolution, it was learnt this week. The UN two weeks ago resolved to extend the mandate of the investigating panel that compiled the report, tasking it to assess how governments had responded to allegations made by the team. According to the UN resolution, the 54 companies and individuals named in the report are required to respond to allegations by March 31. However, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the Zimbabwean government was not planning to act against several top government and army officials named in the UN document. He told the Financial Gazette: "We do not respond to malicious allegations by the British masquerading as the United Nations. We did a good job in the DRC and we won’t act on anyone." Officials named in the report include Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Commander of the Defence Forces, Vitalis Zvinavashe, both of who have denied allegations that they were involved in the exploitation of DRC resources. Zimbabwean troops, deployed to the DRC to help quell a rebel uprising, are said to have participated in the looting of Congo diamonds, charges that are denied by the government. Chinamasa said yesterday: "We know where these allegations are coming from and what is motivating them. As a government, we have more important business to do."
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From ZWNEWS, 14 February
London Service for the Todds - who saw ideals turn to tyranny
Some 600 people on Thursday packed a Thanksgiving Service in London for former Southern Rhodesia Prime Minister Sir Garfield Todd and his wife, Grace, who, in the words of a bishop, witnessed "the ideals of Zimbabwe’s independence become a nightmare of corrupted power and tyranny." "It was difficult to delude them, difficult to get them to compromise about anything important and absolutely impossible to get them to collaborate with evil," said the couple’s daughter Judith during the service in the historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, a few blocks from the Zimbabwe High Commission. "That was why they suffered in both Rhodesia and Zimbabwe." Sir Garfield, a missionary, was ousted as prime minister in 1958 largely because he was seen as too sympathetic toward the black majority. He was detained in 1965 and imprisoned in 1972 by Ian Smith’s white-minority regime. Sir Garfield was equally critical of Robert Mugabe’s increasingly repressive regime which last year stripped him of the citizenship he had held for 67 years, and of his right to vote. Sir Garfield died in Bulawayo a few months later, aged 94. His wife died in December 2001.
The theme of the couple’s courage, kindness and unflagging principles ran through the service of traditional Christian hymns and readings that culminated with the African anthem, "Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika." There were tributes and anecdotes by a bishop, by a former pupil of the Todds’ Dadaya mission, by Commonwealth diplomats, and by old friends. Distinguished Zimbabwean journalist and writer Lawrence Vambe described seeing Todd, as prime minister in 1956, standing forlornly in a black township looking at the debris from rioting during a bus boycott called by the then fledging nationalist movement. "White Rhodesians simply did not enter into black ghettoes, but Todd saw it differently," said Vambe. "He was my kind of freedom fighter because he fought with a clean hand and an open heart." Vambe added that his fellow Shona speakers dubbed Todd "Muda Vanhu" he who loves and respects the African people. Anglican Bishop Jim Thompson, another longtime friend, predicted that the achievements of the Todds’ lives "will be a cornerstone of the new Zimbabwe that will emerge these horrors will be seen as the death throes of Mugabe’s tyranny." Judith Todd recalled her father’s reaction to losing his vote. "He did not say, 'This is an African problem for which there must be an African solution' … Although nearing 94 and rather shaky, he went down to the polls to vote. He got just as close to the ballot box as he physically could before he was turned away."
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From The Daily Dispatch (SA), 15 February
Bizos questions CIA involvement in murder plot
Harare - A political consultant said yesterday he pretended to go along with a plan by Zimbabwe's opposition to assassinate President Robert Mugabe so he could report it to the government as it unfolded. Montreal-based consultant, Ari Ben Menashe, the main state witness in the treason trial of Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, claimed he was asked to co-ordinate dealings already begun between the opposition and the US government and the Central Intelligence Agency to kill Mugabe. "We are not assassins and murderers. We agreed to go along with the plan only after it was reported to authorities in Zimbabwe," he said. Ben Menashe has denied he was paid by Zimbabwe to entrap Tsvangirai and two senior opposition colleagues, Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela. The politicians deny treason charges and say Ben Menashe framed them. They could face the death penalty if convicted. Ben Menashe alleged in the high court yesterday that Tsvangirai told him he frequently met US officials on trips to the United States, whom he said were "agreeable" to killing Mugabe. "He went on about it. He mentioned the CIA ... and execution squads of the US government. It was his fantasy the American government would make him president," Ben Menashe said. He is the first witness in the trial, in its tenth day yesterday.
Lead defence attorney George Bizos said neither the US government nor the CIA's alleged contacts with Tsvangirai were mentioned in Ben Menashe's sworn statement to the Zimbabwe police. The statement is regarded as key evidence in the trial. "If they were indeed involved, President Mugabe was surely in serious and immediate danger, and yet there is no such mention in the police statement?" said Bizos. Ben Menashe said he verbally reported the alleged US involvement to Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation and police. "That was sufficient," he said. The charges are based on a grainy four-hour video recorded during a meeting between Tsvangirai and Ben Menashe in Montreal on December 4, 2001 in which Tsvangirai allegedly asked for help to "eliminate" Mugabe. On Thursday, Ben Menashe admitted receiving US$200000 (R1,72 million) from the government soon after providing a secretly recorded videotape allegedly incriminating Tsvangirai in a murder and coup plot. Ben Menashe claimed the money was a fee for other research work by his Montreal firmfor the Zimbabwe government.
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From VOA News, 14 February
Key witness in Zimbabwe trial barred from leaving country
Tendai Maphosa
Harare - The judge in the treason trial of Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has ruled for the second time since the trail began that the state's key witness cannot leave Zimbabwe. Judge Paddington Garwe ruled in favor of the defense, which argued that allowing the state's star witness, Ari Ben Menashe, to be excused before the end of his cross-examination would be disruptive and prejudicial. Mr. Ben-Menashe had appealed to the court to be allowed to go back to Canada for two weeks to attend to what he called "pressing personal and business matters." The judge said it was not possible to consider his request, without knowing the specific nature of the commitments. Friday's cross-examination of Mr. Ben Menashe was once again characterized by his refusal to answer many straightforward questions. He said he did not remember the details he was being asked to furnish. The judge asked Mr. Ben Menashe several times to stick to what had been asked. He was also told to mind his language, as he continued to insult Mr. Tsvangirai and his two co-defendants, whom he has called 'stupid criminals' and 'terrorists.' He also refused to answer certain questions, saying "the video speaks for itself." The video in question shows a meeting at which, he says Mr. Tsvangirai asked for help in assassinating President Robert Mugabe and arranging a coup d'etat in Zimbabwe. Mr. Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and his two co-defendants, Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela deny the allegations against them. If found guilty of treason, they face the death sentence.
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From The Daily News, 15 February
Valentine marchers arrested
Staff Reporters
Seventy-two demonstrators, mostly women who were marching for peace and love in Harare and Bulawayo, received a rude Valentine’s Day present when they were arrested by the riot police yesterday. They included two MPS who are members of the MDC, Trudy Stevenson (Harare North) and Evelyn Masaiti (Mutasa). Also arrested in Bulawayo was Zodwa Sibanda, the wife of MDC vice-president and MP for Nkulumane, Gibson Sibanda. Seven journalists covering the Harare march were detained for two hours at Harare Central Police Station before being released without charge. Fifty-nine women and the 18-year-old son of one of the women who heeded a call by a new action group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were arrested at the United Nations offices in Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare, where they presented a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan informing him that they had chosen him as their Valentine for 2003. The women, who included WOZA’s spokeswoman Jenni Williams, an elderly nun and an 83-year-old, were taken to Harare Central Police Station in four truckloads. Williams is the former spokesperson of Justice for Agriculture, a lobby group for evicted commercial farmers. In Bulawayo, 14 women and Father Nigel Johnson of the Roman Catholic Church were arrested and detained at Bulawayo Central Police Station. The police are alleged to have violently manhandled Johnson, angering members of the public who threatened to beat them up if they did not stop assaulting the clergyman. The police bundled him into their vehicle before speeding off. Smile Dube, the Bulawayo police spokesperson, confirmed the arrests, but said he had no details.
The latest police clampdown follows the arrests of Bishop Trevor Manhanga, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe president, Brian Kagoro, the co-ordinator of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, John Makumbe, a University of Zimbabwe lecturer, and Ian Makone, a Harare businessman, for allegedly attempting to address a public meeting without police clearance. The women were arrested as they distributed red roses to pedestrians as a symbol of love and an appeal to end all forms of violence. Lloyd Mudiwa and Aaron Ufumeli, both of The Daily News, Brian Hungwe and Davies Sidube, both South African Broadcasting Corporation correspondents, Maria Nyanyiwa of the Voice of the People, and freelancers Cyrus Nhara and Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi were arrested briefly. The police demanded to know from the journalists who had invited them to cover the demonstration and warned them against reporting falsehoods before releasing them.
Meanwhile, civic leaders yesterday vowed direct confrontation with the government, urging people to act against the regime because of its use of brute force. Makumbe yesterday told journalists the government’s use of force against all dissent had scaled new heights. "We are seeing our resistance being taken to a new level where we should confront President Mugabe’s government head-on, on the streets and physically," he said. "Enough has been written and said about the repressive nature of Mugabe’s illegitimate government. We now need to take action." Kagoro said: "The ink is not yet dry on (Nigerian President Olusegun) Obasanjo’s letter to (Australian Prime Minister John) Howard claiming the situation in Zimbabwe is now normal, and yet the clampdown on democratic voices is worsening." Manhanga said the arrests were a serious affront to people’s freedom of assembly and worship. The arrests came five days after Obasanjo and South African President Thabo Mbeki said Zimbabwe’s suspension from the Commonwealth should be lifted because the political situation in the country has improved since the disputed March presidential election. Last night, Williams said the women arrested in Harare were released last night without being charged, except herself.
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From ZWNEWS, 15 February
Bulawayo marchers released
The Valentine's Day love marchers arrested in Bulawayo on Friday were finally released on Saturday morning, having spent the night in police custody. They were charged under the Public Order and Security Act with holding a meeting without police permission. Their delayed release - the Harare marchers were released on Friday - is thought to be because the senior Bulawayo police officer who had withdrawn his previous permission for the march took personal umbrage that the group had defied his authority. Most of those marching managed to escape arrest by disappearing into the crowds. After their release on Saturday, the group laid red flowers outside the police station in a gesture of love and peace.
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From The Guardian (UK), 15 February
Disarray over Mugabe forces EU to delay summit
Ian Black in Brussels
The European Union is putting off a fully fledged summit with African countries because it cannot find a way of excluding the Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe. EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels yesterday decided that the Lisbon summit, originally scheduled for April 5, would have to be postponed indefinitely. "In the present circumstances it would not be possible to achieve the broadest participation at the highest-level by both sides," a statement said. "It would therefore be in the best interests of EU-African relations to postpone the summit." The decision coincided with the long-delayed renewal of EU sanctions against the Mugabe regime, targeted because of democratic and human rights abuses, the seizure of white farms and a crackdown on the media. The punitive measures were rolled over only after weeks of embarrassing public disarray in Europe.
The price was reluctant acquiescence in a controversial visit by the Zimbabwean president to a Franco-African summit in Paris next week. President Jacques Chirac had insisted that the invitation was justified because of the need for dialogue with Mr Mugabe. But his many critics, including a furious Tony Blair, said he was making a mockery of EU attempts to forge a common foreign policy. France made clear, however, that it would block the renewal of the sanctions if it did not get its way. The measures include a visa ban on Mr Mugabe, and some 70 of his ministers and senior aides, a freeze on their financial assets, and an arms embargo. Greece, holder of the EU's rotating presidency, made a last-ditch effort to salvage the Lisbon summit by seeking a guarantee that Mr Mugabe would stay away. But with several African countries, led by South Africa and Nigeria calling for an end to Commonwealth sanctions against Zimbabwe, this was always a fairly slim prospect. Several EU member states, led by Britain, had threatened to boycott the Lisbon meeting if the Zimbabwean leader attended. But African states made clear they would refuse to attend if Mr Mugabe was not invited.
Diplomats said that EU was anxious to maintain dialogue with its African partners but insisted it was up to them to ensure that the Zimbabwean president did not attend. Issues such as African economic reform, governance and debt relief can also be handled in the forum of the G8 group of the world's leading industrial countries. Mr Mugabe's visit to Paris next week has been roundly condemned in advance, especially as he will be accompanied by his wife Grace, who is reportedly keen to spend lavishly in the city's finest shops while seven million people face starvation at home. Peter Tatchell, the gay activist, has pledged to try to have the Zimbabwean leader arrested on charges of torture under a UN convention which forms part of French law. "If Slobodan Milosevic can be put on trial for human rights abuses, why can't Robert Mugabe?" he said. Mr Tatchell has made similar attempts to arrest Mr Mugabe in London and Brussels. Glenys Kinnock, the Labour MEP, is demanding that the existing sanctions be extended to deny Zimbabwe's elite and their families, and that the right of residence and education in EU member states should also apply to business people collaborating with the ruling Zanu PF party. As a result of the wrangling over the extension of the sanctions, the EU will from now on agree to allow exemptions to be granted by a majority of the 15 member states rather than under the current system of unanimity.
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From BBC News, 14 February
Zimbabwe police 'rigged poll'
A former Zimbabwean police commander has told the BBC that police officers helped rig last year's presidential elections, won by Robert Mugabe. He said that all police officers were told to vote three times in postal ballots and three more times in person - each time for Mr Mugabe. He said that he was sacked after having voted for Morgan Tsvangirai from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mr Tsvangirai has asked the courts to annul the results, alleging fraud and intimidation. The government has denies these allegations and says the poll was free and fair. The former policeman says that he is ready to testify in support of Mr Tsvangirai's court case. "I have all the proof that can help the MDC win its case in court. Mugabe did not win the presidential election. It is the police and other security organs which helped rig the election," said the former officer. "There are some policemen who are willing to testify if they are assured of their safety," he said.
Election observers from the Commonwealth said the election was held in a "climate of fear", a finding backed up by western countries. However, some African observers backed Mr Mugabe's re-election. The 36-year-old is now on the run and is in hiding in Matabeleland South province. He claims his life is in danger and that state security agents are after him. He was the Beitbridge commander during the elections and says that his superiors checked all ballot papers and when he was found to have voted for Mr Tsvangirai, he was arrested and suspended. He told the BBC that he was tortured by the police and government agents while in custody and threatened with death. When they finally released him, other policemen told him to flee the country because his life was in danger. He then illegally crossed the border into South Africa but was arrested by police in the border town of Messina. He was accused of being an illegal immigrant and deported. He managed to escape from state security agents in Zimbabwe and is now in hiding. "I lost all my property. I have nothing. I am now a destitute yet I had everything," he said. "I really want to expose this government before they kill me." the former police officer said.
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From The Daily News, 14 February
Docket for MDC supporters vanishes
Correspondent in Bulawayo
A docket for 15 MDC supporters allegedly shot at by Andrew Langa, the MP for Insiza (Zanu PF) in the run-up to the parliamentary by-election last year cannot be located. This was heard on Monday when the group appeared before a Gwanda magistrate, Douglas Zvenyika. One of the MDC supporters, Darlington Kadengu, was shot in the back. He allegedly still has the bullet lodged in his body. The 15 supporters, who were not asked to plead, were remanded out of custody on $5 000 each and are expected to appear in court on 29 April. As a result of the missing docket, the prosecution failed to set a trial date for the accused. The group includes Alderman Charles Mpofu, a Bulawayo councillor, Siyabonga Ncube, the losing MDC candidate's campaign manager. The 15 were charged under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) for allegedly disturbing public peace. The other accused are Wilson Phiri, 32, Gift Muchenje, 25, Trigger Monalisani Mkhize, 20, Simangaliso Kodzai, 28, Dumisani Siziba, 27, Charles Ncube, 37, Absolom Tshuma, 50, Jabulani Mathuthu, 30, Vusumuzi Mpofu, 23, Danisa Mlilo, 21 and McTavish Lunga, 22.
The group is alleged to have gone to Langa's house "making a lot of noise". They allegedly pushed a Zanu PF vehicle which was parked near Langa's home and smashed it against one of the house's walls. The State alleged that Langa armed himself with a hunting rifle and fired a warning shot to scare the MDC supporters away. In their defence, the group will argue that they had gone to Insiza Police Station to report that they had been ambushed and robbed of $5 million in cash and several campaign posters. The 15 will say that as they made the report Langa burst into the police station and fired several shots at the group, hitting Kadengu in the back. They will argue that the police initially said they were being detained for their own safety but later arrested and charged them under POSA. But Langa was not arrested in connection with the shooting of Kadengu. The accused were represented by Robert Ndlovu of Moyo and Majwabu. Elias Nyoni prosecuted.
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From Reuters, 15 February
Flower, Olonga escape ICC rap
The International Cricket Council (ICC) decided yesterday not to charge Zimbabwe players Andy Flower and Henry Olonga with bringing the game into disrepute during a World Cup game in Harare. Former skipper Flower and pace bowler Olonga spoke out against President Robert Mugabe's government and its human rights record moments before Zimbabwe's tournament opener against Namibia at Harare Sports Club on Monday. Both players also wore black armbands during the match and said they would sport them throughout the Cup. The ICC's tournament technical committee said it had considered the matter after the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) argued that the actions of the players had brought the game into disrepute. The committee stressed that cricket should not be used as a "platform on which to advance political agendas" but decided not to charge the pair. The committee also said it would request Flower and Olonga to stop wearing their black armbands. "There are enough people outside the sport seeking to achieve political ends through cricket for their own purposes, without the sport's participants contributing to this matter," the committee said in a statement. "The players have blurred the lines between political issues and the sporting arena."
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From BBC News, 15 February
England forfeit Zimbabwe game
England have been told they must forfeit four points for refusing to play their World Cup game in Zimbabwe. The World Cup technical committee announced on Saturday morning that it would not relocate Thursday's cancelled game from Harare to South Africa. As well as missing out on the points, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could face a huge claim for compensation for cancelling the match. The ECB has three hours to decide whether to appeal and is due to give its reaction in a news conference at 1000 GMT. England's players, backed by the ECB, refused to travel to Zimbabwe because of security concerns. The ECB had hoped that the death-threat letter they received from an organisation called Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe, would act as the key evidence to support their case. But their attempts to switch the match had faced serious opposition, with India's cricket chief Jagmohan Dalmiya insisting Nasser Hussain's team should be docked points. And the technical committee ruled against them after considering a legal submission from the ECB in a seven-hour meeting in Johannesburg on Friday. International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "It's a decision that gives the committee no pleasure." An ICC statement added: "It is unanimously decided by the techinical committee that concerns raised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) relating to new evidence over safety and security are not justified." The ruling is a big blow for England's World Cup hopes as they prepare to begin their campaign against Holland on Sunday.
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From The Sunday Times (SA), 16 February
Bizos lashes key witness
Mugabe agent described as a 'clown and fantasist'
Sunday Times Foreign Desk
The Harare treason trial of Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai and top officials of his party gathered pace this week - culminating in a dramatic battle of wills between South African advocate George Bizos and the state's key witness, Ari Ben-Menashe. At times, our Harare correspondent reports, the case "deteriorated into a theatre of dramatics" as the two clashed during lengthy cross-examination . While the case is a serious one, it sometimes provided free entertainment to the accused, journalists, observers and others in the court. Tsvangirai, his party secretary-general Welshman Ncube and secretary for agriculture Renson Gasela are facing treason charges stemming from an alleged plot to assassinate President Robert Mugabe. The plot was allegedly hatched in meetings with Ben-Menashe's political consultancy, Dickens & Madson, in London and Montreal in 2001. The trio deny the charges, but face the gallows if convicted. After spending nearly the whole of the trial's opening week bogged in watching and analysing a fuzzy and inaudible videotape, which the state says is its key piece of evidence, the court last week got stuck in another hurdle: Ben-Menashe's contract with the Zanu PF government. Bizos demanded that Ben-Menashe reveal details of his contract during his testimony and cross-examination. The defence wanted the details to verify whether or not Ben-Menashe was actually paid US$ 615 000 for publicity work as part of the sum of about US$ 1 million he was owed for professional services. Ben-Menashe admitted he received US$ 200 000 from the government immediately after providing the videotape, which purportedly shows Tsvangirai planning to kill Mugabe. Bizos argued that Ben-Menashe was paid for arranging a sting operation against his clients and not for promoting the government's image abroad. Ben-Menashe denied this but refused to disclose details of the contract, citing confidentiality.
Then proceedings verged on the farcical, with State Security Minister Nicholas Goche gagging the release of the contract details, claiming they would be "prejudicial to state security". Bizos countered that the minister's order was "simply unconstitutional". Judge Paddington Garwe was forced to postpone his ruling on the issue four times in two days. When he finally delivered his judgment on Wednesday, he said the evidence should be led in camera. Lawyers were barred from disclosing details of the closed hearing. The trial then shifted into the judge's chambers. But it later emerged that the contract details have been freely available in Canada and the US. Information in the US Foreign Agents Registration Act files shows that Ben-Menashe was hired in January last year as a propaganda mouthpiece for Mugabe's government.
After the judge's ruling, Bizos went on the offensive, describing Ben-Menashe as a "fraudster, a clown and fantasist". Quoting from newspaper articles on Ben-Menashe, Bizos said: "Anything that Ben-Menashe is involved in is, prima facie, a scam." But Ben-Menashe hit back, dismissing the newspaper allegations as "nonsense". "This is all a smokescreen because he (Bizos) can't explain the videotape," Ben-Menashe said. "I deny everything you say . . . It's just all innuendo. You lie, I don't." Bizos insisted that Ben-Menashe was seen in international circles as "a fraud". The star witness, who admits he is a former Israeli intelligence operative, was once described by Time magazine as a "veteran spinner of stunning-if-true-but . . . yarns". In the heat of court battle, Ben-Menashe launched stinging tirades against Bizos, portraying him as a "liar" and the MDC as a "terrorist organisation". Unfazed , Bizos cornered the Canadian - who he said was an "unco-operative and cagey witness" - on his chequered past. Ben-Menashe ducked and dived when questions were fired at him. He often said "I don't know" or "I can't remember that". Bizos insisted that "at the end of the day it is Ben-Menashe's credibility which is on trial". The hearing continues.
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From The Mail & Guardian (SA), 15 February
US wants answers from Zim over detained diplomat
Washington - The United States on Friday demanded an inquiry, an explanation and an apology from Zimbabwe, saying one of its diplomats was questioned in Harare in a "serious breach" of international law. The latest incident in poisoned relations between Washington and President Robert Mugabe's government took place on Thursday, State Department representative Richard Boucher said in a statement issued here. "On February 13, police in a Harare suburb detained and questioned a US diplomat for approximately one hour. This incident marks a serious breach of Zimbabwe's obligations under international law to protect diplomatic privileges and protections." Boucher said the Zimbabwean ambassador to Washington had been called into the State Department to "protest this incident and to demand an inquiry, explanation, and apology." "This is the third time in the past year that Zimbabwean government officials or supporters have detained, robbed, threatened or interfered with US diplomats performing official duties." "In this incident, the police knew of our diplomat's status yet chose to detain and question her anyway."
Boucher said that the incident took place after police violently broke up a gathering of Zimbabweans and diplomats wanting to attend a public meeting on the country's political crisis. "We look to the government of Zimbabwe to conduct a thorough investigation of the detention and questioning of our diplomat and to provide us with a prompt and thorough explanation," he said. The United States has fired frequent, harsh criticism Mugabe's way in recent months, charging him with running the country to ruin. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Mugabe had created a disaster "in every way imaginable with respect to the economy, agriculture, its political system and the human rights situation". Washington accused Mugabe over rigging an election last year and imposed travel and other sanctions against top government leaders.
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From The Zimbabwe Standard, 16 February
Zimra sells MDC-sourced maize
By Walter Marwizi
Over 130 tonnes of donated maize impounded by Beitbridge customs officials last year from the Feed Zimbabwe Trust, an MDC-aligned relief organisation, has been sold by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) in controversial circumstances, it emerged yesterday. The consignment, meant for starving Zimbabweans, was impounded last September on the grounds that FZT did not have an import permit to bring relief food into the country where over six million people are threatened with starvation. Zimra public relations officer, Priscilla Sadomba, confirmed to The Standard that the consignment had been sold. "The 132 tonnes of maize that was held by Zimra pending production of an import permit were sold to GMB. The maize was sold to GMB because they are the only organisation in Zimbabwe that has the authority to buy and sell maize. The maize had to be disposed of because the three-month statutory period had expired and Zimra has limited capacity to hold such a large amount of maize," said Sadomba.
MDC shadow minister for lands and agriculture, Renson Gasela, said the revelations come at a time when the MDC was under the impression that its application for an import permit was still being processed. "All these months have been a nightmare for us as we have been moving from office to office seeking the permit. We have been to the ministry of lands and agriculture, the GMB and the Department of Social Welfare, but nothing has succeeded. "At one point I went to see minister Joseph Made after being frustrated by officials at his ministry. He gave me the impression that I would be assisted by an official responsible for issuing permits. Again this did not bear any fruit," said Gasela. The MDC legislator, who is a former GMB boss, disclosed that they had information indicating the maize was sold to Zanu PF cronies. "When a regime goes to the extent of selling donated maize meant to be freely distributed to starving masses, it just shows how insensitive it has become. We are reliably informed that this maize was secretly sold to Zanu PF cronies, one of them a senior official at the Beitbridge rural district council who purchased 30 bags. Some of the maize is already being sold on the streets in the border town for as much as $10 000 a bag," he said.
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From The Globe and Mail (Canada), 14 February
Harare mayor learns price of speaking out
Beatings, death threats all part of the job for political figures opposed to Mugabe
Harare - Elias Mudzuri is in a tough line of work - he's been arrested, beaten up and threatened with death in his first year on the job. But he's not a union leader, an activist or a criminal; he's the mayor of Harare, and his offence is affiliation with the country's political opposition. In most countries, the position is highly respected and comes with key functions and the full support of the state. But Zimbabwean authorities are decidedly less supportive of Mr. Mudzuri, who has used his position to challenge the long-ruling Zanu PF of President Robert Mugabe. "If anything happens to me, I'll be proud that I've done service to my people," Mr. Mudzuri, a solemn 45-year-old engineer, said during an interview at his office in the capital's Town House building. "I refuse to be silenced." The outspoken official, who belongs to the upstart Movement for Democratic Change, is conspicuously boycotting 2003 World Cup Cricket matches in Harare, and has called for a full boycott of the event in protest against alleged government human-rights abuses, economic mismanagement and vote-rigging. Displeased with Mr. Mudzuri's views, police recently detained the mayor on the grounds that he had held an unauthorized political gathering - actually a civic meeting. "They took me out of my consultative meeting by force, tore my shirt, beat me and dragged me out of my car, which I resisted," the mayor recalled. He was arrested under the Public Order and Security Act, threatened with death and held in jail cells like a common criminal for two days without access to food or legal representation before the charges were thrown out in court. A High Court judge had twice to order his release - and that of 11 council workers held with him - before they were freed. The case sparked international criticism as well as local protests that were quickly suppressed by force. It's been a rough ride, but this has by no means been the mayor's first clash with higher authority.
Mr. Mudzuri comes from humble beginnings - he describes himself as a "village boy" from southern Masvingo, where his mother was a domestic worker and his father a clerk. He joined the struggle to liberate Zimbabwe from white rule as well as studying in Sierra Leone, where he earned an engineering degree in 1986. He returned home and joined the Harare City Council in 1987, rising up the ranks to become Harare's director of works. But that fell apart in 1999 when he clashed with city leaders over what he perceived as mismanagement. After an acrimonious battle, council suspended him. The High Court overturned his suspension, but Mr. Mudzuri left anyway. Disenchanted with Zanu PF, he joined the fledgling MDC, becoming a ward secretary and finally running for the mayoralty last year. Impressed by his courage, Harare voters gave him 260,000 votes - against 50,000 for his Zanu PF rival - in the election last March, part of a wave of urban sympathy for the opposition that also saw the election of an MDC mayor in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city. Suddenly, with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on trial for treason and other party leaders stymied by Draconian security and media laws, the humble engineer was in a position to play a prominent role in the opposition. That fact hasn't been lost on Mr. Mugabe's government, which is determined not to relinquish even local powers to a party that formed three years ago and nearly rode a tide of popular discontent to topple Zanu PF in the 2000 general election. So determined, in fact, that Zanu PF has announced its intention to appoint new "city governors" to rule over the elected MDC mayors of Harare and Bulawayo. The government said the move was in line with the long-accepted practice of appointing provincial governors. Mr. Mudzuri says he is now barred from using state media and has been refused state funds vital to running the capital area, home to four million people. "I've been cut out completely from using television to reach the population. I can't use radio either. I have to advertise and pay money. The democratic space for anyone perceived to be opposition is closed," he said.
Since the MDC mayors were elected, the national government has refused to pay rental money owed to the city of Bulawayo or to approve capital loans to either city. It is building to a crisis, since the cities are restricted from financing with private loans. In Harare, the dry coffers are leading to the erosion of infrastructure and basic services, such as the provision of safe drinking water. With water-treatment chemicals running low, the city has been forced to implement rotating shutoffs. "We are under siege," Mr. Mudzuri said. "We've allowed this economic mess and misgovernance to happen - it is now up to Zimbabweans to say no to prevailing conditions."
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From The Observer (UK), 16 February
Why I wore a black band for Zimbabwe
Andrew Meldrum in Harare meets cricket hero Henry Olonga and learns what led two players to defy Robert Mugabe on the pitch
It was the defining image of this, or indeed of any, World Cup: the dread-locked Zimbabwean cricketer and his team mate proudly wearing black armbands as they strode onto the pitch to face their opponents. The remarkable act of defiance, a public protest against the death of democracy in their country, stunned the sporting world. Echoing the Black Power protest on the medal podium of the 1968 Olympic Games, it was an historic moment in which sport took a rare stand against a repressive regime. Last week's brave gesture by Henry Olonga and Andy Flower struck a symbolic yet powerful blow against Robert Mugabe's brutal government. In a country in which dissenters are subjected to violence by the President's henchmen, the courage of the two cricketers cannot be underestimated. A few days on, as he adjusts his sunglasses and gazes across an empty pitch, Olonga can reflect on the enormity of his actions. Fresh from a training session, the 26-year-old revealed in an interview with The Observer the inspirations for both his career and his decision to risk his life by making a stand for democracy.
'I have thought about the costs of making a stand and I think Christianity transcends everything else. Christians are called to speak out against evil, to speak out against things that are wrong and that are wicked. In the face of wickedness, my stand is simply that I am merely doing my duty as a Christian. 'I believe things will come right with regards to the future of the country. Everyone must realise they have to make a stand for what is right. Many issues are thrown around in this nation, but the real issues get clouded. In my opinion it's not about white or black, it's not about race. Sometimes it's not even about money. It's what is right and what is wrong.' Olonga grew up in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the son of a Kenyan father and a Zimbabwean mother. It is clear who provided him with the iron will he now displays. 'I learnt a great deal about character from my father, who is disabled. He overcame his disability from polio and worked hard to become a doctor. He has served as a paediatrician for many years and has helped many families. I admire him a great deal.'
His father encouraged him and his brother in sport. 'He couldn't throw cricket balls with us or hit tennis balls with us, but he was very supportive. He would get us whatever equipment we needed and he followed our activities.' The Olonga boys went to boarding school and at the well-known Plumtree secondary school he excelled in academic subjects, music, sports and drama. Before he finished school he had been called up for the national team. He became the first black person to play cricket for Zimbabwe. 'I didn't really think much about it at the time. It is only now, years later, that I realise how many young people looked up to me. Now I know I must lead an upright life. I take seriously being a role model for young people. It is a responsibility that is very important to me.' Olonga and Flower followed their gesture of defiance by issuing a statement that sent shockwaves through the worlds of sport and politics. 'We are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe,' said the two sportsmen. 'In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible, to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In doing so we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our nation.'
In Zimbabwe's opressive and highly charged atmosphere, their statement was a direct challenge to Mugabe and his cronies. It cut right through the blustering, omnipresent state propaganda which has used the cricket team and the World Cup as a publicity tool. The pair became instant heroes. 'Every now and again, amidst the gloom of our present darkness, a small light will shine reminding us of the principles and courage still out there,' wrote Iden Wetherell, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent . 'Just when we needed people to stand up and be counted in the struggle for freedom and justice, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga stepped forward. Now others need to follow their lead.' A minority, however, vilified their stand, especially the state-owned press and die-hard supporters of the government. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union, whose official patron is Mugabe, said the matter would be investigated and it was referred to the International Cricket Council for disciplinary action. But the most hateful attacks were aimed at Olonga, accused of being a traitor to black people. His cricket club, Takashinga, said it would consider suspending him. 'It is disgraceful,' said Givemore Makoni, chairman of the club. 'Taking politics onto the playing field is a thing the International Cricket Council and all sports organisations have been trying to avoid. It is disappointing because Olonga was a hero and a role model to black cricketing communities. By taking politics on to the field and bringing the game into disrepute, Henry appears to have breached Takashinga's code of conduct.'
Olonga's Zimbabwe career may be cut short just as he reaches his peak. International contracts may not be forthcoming. The threat of violence from Mugabe's thuggish groups is never far away. However, Olonga remains optimistic about his future. 'I believe I've got a lot to offer to Zimbabwean cricket. But Zimbabwean cricket has got to be honest enough with itself to decide whether I have a part to play. I believe I've stood up for what is right. And I believe it is time for other people to stand up for what is right. If you don't stand up for what is right, you deserve what comes your way. 'The consequences of my stand? If Zimbabwean cricket believes I have a part to play... I'll play my part. I'll gladly remain and I'll feel duty bound to cricket. It's given me a great life, great opportunities and a great platform. If they decide they want me out, I won't fight them. But obviously when I say cricket I'm not talking about one or two people who might have a bone to pick with me. I mean the majority of the people. If I get a sense they don't want me in cricket because of the stand I've taken, there are lots of young people out there who can take my place.'
Although others in the team have been quiet about politics, it seems they are behind the two players. Today, 23 years after independence, Zimbabwe is still divided by race, and Olonga is proud of trying to bridge that gap. 'To reduce Zimbabwe's racial differences, the first thing needed is a tremendous amount of forgiveness. When I look at the example of Nelson Mandela, the reason he is such a great man is because he learnt the concept of forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn't mean you don't hold those who have wronged you accountable. It does mean you release them and you recognise you cannot change the past.' Olonga speaks highly of his team mate, Flower. 'I've discovered what tremendous strength of character Andy has. I also commend the English cricket team and Nasser Hussain for voicing their reservations about the morality of all the issues at stake here.' This is not the first time Olonga has made a statement about Zimbabwe. In his song 'Our Zimbabwe', his rich baritone voice sends out a message of national unity. It was recorded in English, as well as Shona and Ndebele, to reach all the country's main languages. 'The song is about faith in our country's future,' said Olonga. 'If all you see is hardship, pain, struggle, poverty, starvation, Aids, racism - those things exist - but if that is all you ever see you will never see the promised land.' Sports star, singer, Christian - he appears to be exhilarated by the challenging position which may be fulfilling his destiny. ' It's exciting, it's an adventure, but it's quite freaky,' he said.
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From News24 (SA), 16 February
Mbeki raps Howard over Zimbabwe
Kuala Lumpur - The Malaysian New Sunday Times reports that President Thabo Mbeki says Australia, which wants a regime change in Zimbabwe, should consult with other members of the Commonwealth on additional sanctions against Harare. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said in September last year that the sanctions, set to expire on March 19, should be tightened, a move opposed by Nigeria and South Africa. The three countries form a troika which is to decide for the rest of the Commonwealth whether sanctions should continue or be lifted. Mbeki said in an interview with the Malaysian newspaper that the troika had no mandate to impose additional sanctions. The 54-nation Commonwealth, a group made up mostly of former British colonies, suspended Zimbabwe in March last year after President Robert Mugabe was re-elected in bitterly disputed circumstances. South Africa and Nigeria have said Mugabe's government has recorded enough progress over the past year - in land reform, human rights and democracy - to warrant re-admission to the Commonwealth. But Mugabe's opponents say that stance is a betrayal of Commonwealth principles. They point to the treason trial of opposition politicians and harsh media and security laws. Zimbabwe is grappling with its worst economic crisis -fueled by soaring unemployment and food shortages - since Mugabe came to power after independence from Britain in 1980.
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From The Age (Australia), 17 February
NZ backs Zimbabwe's suspension
New Zealand has backed Australian Prime Minister John Howard's push to continue Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth. NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark spoke with Mr Howard, who chairs the Commonwealth committee set up to oversee Zimbabwe's year-long suspension from the 54-member Commonwealth. In the countdown to the expiry of the sanctions on March 19, a rift has developed within the committee over what should happen to Zimbabwe. The other two members - South African president Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo - have indicated they want Zimbabwe readmitted to the Commonwealth. This has put them at odds with Mr Howard who wants sanctions tightened. The issue is due to be discussed by Commonwealth leaders meeting in Nigeria in December. Miss Clark today said it would "seem a little bizarre" for the suspension not to continue "when clearly things are not only no better in Zimbabwe, they are demonstrably even worse. The question is whether a way can be found for it to continue through to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) between the 5th and 8th of December in Nigeria."
As chairman, Mr Howard could write to Commonwealth leaders suggesting the matter be referred to Chogm with no change in Zimbabwe's suspension at this point. "The suspension has to carry on," she told reporters at her post-cabinet press conference. "Our position's been that the suspension should have been more thorou |
