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Archived News
17th August 2004
Mugabe vows to maintain military spending
The Mugabes bring home more luxury goods from Malaysia
Mugabe wants successor with struggle history
Zimbabwe election torture warning
Zimbabwe, Myanmar given the cold shoulder
Tensions continue to simmer
Botswana - the US-UK "Trojan Horse" in the SADC?
Panel appointed for Zimbabwe race probe
Politburo set to grill Prof Moyo
UK blamed for games ban
Maize makes its way to Zimbabwe
Zim 'gambles with citizens' access to food'
Donor mistrust worsens AIDS in Zimbabwe
Mugabe plans to starve voters into submission, says rights group
Zimbabwe police detain minors for two days
Bishops want government action on refugees
UN itches to tighten screws on Zim
Zimbabwean women call on 'sisters in arms'
Compliance will be the litmus test
Enough maize or not enough maize - Parliament receives conflicting figures
WFP woos Zambia for Zim food aid
Nigeria protests Zimbabwe's accusation
Zanu PF probe turns ugly
Zim chiefs crack down on Moyo
Wildlife sanctuary now a hunting ground
SA churches call for tough action against Mugabe
Catholic bishops: Impose smart sanctions against Zimbabwe's rulers
SADC won't punish Zimbabwe
The new face of Mugabe
Violence erupts in Makoni East - MDC officials in hiding
Zimbabwe inflation declines
More banks in trouble
Food crisis looms
New report shows millions need food aid in Zimbabwe
5000 families go hungry, with food in store just sixty kilometres away
Nigeria, Zim in diplomatic row
Zimbabwe's judicial system is on trial
African leaders slam West's lectures on democracy
Zim NGOs strangled
Churches condemn proposed clampdown on Zimbabwe charities
The fate of a judiciary once renowned in the commonwealth for its independence
Zimbabwe's despot watches his people starve
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From AFP, 10 August
Mugabe vows to maintain military spending
Harare - President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday said military spending would always be a priority to ensure that Zimbabwe's forces are able to confront "imperialistic efforts to destabilise the nation." "We should always maintain a high level of preparedness in order to safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mugabe said in a speech to mark the 24th anniversary of the creation of Zimbabwe's defence forces. We should... remain vigilant and wary of increasingly desperate and dangerous imperialistic efforts to destabilise our nation," he said. "Government will always continue to give priority to the defence forces training and equipment programme in order to ensure the existence of a credible defence system capable of defending the gains of our hard-won independence." The Zimbabwean military was active in the Democratic Republic of Congo where Mugabe deployed more than 10,000 troops to shore up government forces of assassinated leader Laurent Kabila and then his son Joseph, from 1998 to 2002. In June, Zimbabwe's parliament was told that the defence ministry had bought 12 fighter jets and 100 military vehicles from China, at an estimated cost of around $200 million. Zimbabwe has been grappling with runaway inflation of just under 400%, 70% unemployment and capital flight since Mugabe launched a controversial land reform programme that saw thousands of white-owned farms seized and redistributed to landless blacks.
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From Zim Online (SA), 11 August
The Mugabes bring home more luxury goods from Malaysia
Harare - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace last week brought back several tonnes of timber and household goods from Malaysia for their mansion under construction in Harare's exclusive Borrowdale suburb, ZimOnline has learnt. Staff at Harare International airport said Mugabe, who was in Malaysia on official business, arrived back in the country at about 4 o'clock in the morning of August 3 aboard an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767. The 767, which Mugabe kept in Malaysia for more than a week, is one of Air Zimbabwe's two remaining usable planes. The national flag carrier, which had 15 working aeroplanes at independence 24 years ago, owns a third jet presently not in operation because it needs extensive repairs. Airport staff who helped offload the jet said it was heavily laden with several tonnes of dark redwood timber, kitchenware, household electronic equipment, computers and television sets. A senior official, who did not want to be named, said, "The timber was offloaded and left lying at the airport hangar for some hours before a 7-tonnes Mercedes Benz open truck and a 30-tonnes lorry arrived to ferry the timber to his (Mugabe's) house in Borrowdale."
Before the trucks arrived at about 7.30 am, agents of the government's Central Intelligence Organisation kept a watchful guard, preventing airport workers from getting too close to the goods. "Several other personal goods like kitchenware and clothing were put in the presidential vehicles. The First Lady (Grace Mugabe) monitored everything while the airport crew loaded the goods," another airport official said. As far as the officials could see, the Mugabes did not pay duty for the goods whose value airport officials estimated could be several million United States dollars. Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba could not be reached for comment. His phone was not being answered when ZimOnline tried to call him from Johannesburg. Mugabe has been building his retirement home for the last four years. The property includes two man-made lakes and a small nature reserve. Most of the material being used to construct the opulent building was imported from Malaysia and other countries. The Malaysian Parliament last month queried why the country's former prime minister Mahatir Mohammed donated timber to Mugabe. The Mugabes now do most of their shopping in Malaysia and South Africa. The European Union and the United States of America have banned the Zimbabwean President, his wife and other top officials from visiting their territories because of gross human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
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From Business Day (SA), 11 August
Mugabe wants successor with struggle history
Harare Correspondent
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has for the first time outlined the criteria his party will use to select his successor when he retires in 2008. Mugabe told his ruling Zanu PF mouthpiece, The Voice, at the weekend that only "honest" candidates with liberation struggle credentials would be considered. "I look at someone who will appeal to the people and who the people will have chosen naturally as having the qualities of a leader," he said. "We must have honest leaders and that comes first." The 80-year-old Zimbabwean ruler who has been in power for almost 24 years said he would not accept a corrupt leader. Mugabe said this week that he would continue to crack down on graft, even if it meant arresting his relatives. This puts potential successors in a fix. Mugabe's perceived heir apparent, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been linked to several corruption cases although he has consistently denied the accusations.
Mugabe said his successor should also have a record of participation in the struggle against British colonial rule. "(It must be) someone naturally with a political record of participation in the struggle and one who cherishes the principles and objectives of Zanu PF and who is also people-oriented and knowledgeable in other ways," he said. "We want a successor who will cherish our revolutionary gains and ensure these are a national preserve." This effectively shuts out the so-called Young Turks such as former finance minister Simba Makoni. It also thwarts ambitious junior ministers such as Information Minister Jonathan Moyo from ascendancy. The criteria favour the old guard and make ministers such as John Nkomo, Sydney Sekeramayi, Didymus Mutasa and Dumiso Dabengwa potential frontrunners in the succession race. Mugabe said he would not accept a "stupid fool" or people with money to buy their way into power. His unusual remarks came ahead of the ruling party's December congress, at which new leaders will be elected for five years. The congress, which party spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira has said will be a "watershed event", is expected to come up with a major shake-up of the party's fossilised leadership and command structure.
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From BBC News, 10 August
Zimbabwe election torture warning
By Grant Ferrett
A British-based lobby group has accused Zimbabwe's government of carrying out a systematic campaign of violence and torture against its opponents. The campaign group, Redress, says the scale of abuse increases in the run-up to elections. Their report refers to documented examples compiled by local human rights groups of nearly 9,000 violations in Zimbabwe from the year 2001 to 2003. It covers incidents such as torture, abduction and murder. The accounts are based on the work of human rights groups inside Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean government, which routinely dismisses allegations of state-sponsored violence, has so far made no comment. Redress says the abuses were carried out by government employees, such as the police, or supporters of President Robert Mugabe's party, Zanu PF. The executive director of Redress, Kate Rose-Sender, says the violence was particularly pronounced before the presidential election two years ago. "There seems to be the kind of correlation that indicates that the state is using torture in a direct attempt to control the people around the time of elections. They're doing it with impunity, and it's an impunity which we're trying to address," she says. With parliamentary elections expected to take place in March, the report concludes that the problem of organised torture should be tackled as a matter of urgency. Redress expresses the hope that Zimbabwe's neighbours will put pressure on it. But there is little sign of any change in the low-key approach of the regional power, South Africa.
From ZWNEWS: If you would like to read the Redress report, please let us know. It will be sent as a Word attachment to an email message, size approximately ten times that of the average daily ZWNEWS.
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From AFP, 10 August
Zimbabwe, Myanmar given the cold shoulder
Athens - Greece has barred the sports ministers of Myanmar and Zimbabwe from the Athens Olympics as part of the European Union's sanctions against the two countries for human and civil rights violations, a senior official said on Tuesday. Zimbabwe's Aeneas Chigwedere and Myanmar's Brigadier General Thura Aye Myint are already barred from entering the European Union as part of the bloc's political sanctions against the two countries. "We are just complying with EU rules," a senior Greek official told reporters. It was unclear if the two men planned to visit the Games, which open on Friday, or if they held valid Olympic accreditations. Last week, EU member Greece announced it was barring Belarus' sports minister Yuri Sivakov from attending the Games after Brussels set into motion his inclusion onto a blacklist of people to be denied entry visas to the 25-country bloc over alleged links to human rights abuses. In February, EU interior and justice ministers adopted an extended list of 95 Zimbabwean officials who are banned from entering EU countries and a freeze on their assets. The EU has also tough political sanctions in place against military-governed Myanmar to press the regime for democratic reforms.
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From IRIN (UN), 10 August
Tensions continue to simmer
Johannesburg - Botswana has defended the practice of caning people, including illegal immigrants, convicted of petty offences, despite protests from neighbouring Zimbabwe over the "primitive" punishment handed out to some of its citizens. Tension between the two countries has been simmering in recent years as increasing numbers of Zimbabweans enter Botswana, both legally and illegally, in a bid to escape the economic crisis at home. On Monday Zimbabwe's official Herald newspaper quoted Junior Security Minister Nicholas Goche as saying: "The act of flogging law-breakers in public is primitive and unruly. We have even stopped flogging our children in schools here in Zimbabwe, and feel Botswana should move with the times." The practice of caning had to be "aborted", he said. Zimbabwean officials have previously objected to Botswana court decisions sentencing Zimbabwean immigrants to corporal punishment, but Botswana has reiterated that its laws are applied universally within its borders and are not targeted at Zimbabweans.
Presidential spokesman Jeff Ramsay told IRIN that "flogging under certain circumstances is allowed and it would apply to anybody, it is not targeted to any one group of people". However, "certain categories of people, such as the youth, women, the elderly ... are excluded" from the sentencing option of corporal punishment. There were "two parallel legal systems" in Botswana, and "most of the floggings have been in the context of customary courts run by traditional authorities [deliberating] on minor cases", he explained. "In the original case that caused something of a stir, the people who had been caned happened to be Zimbabwean and admitted their guilt and opted for caning. Some of the Zimbabweans [familiar with Botswana's customs] ... frequently take the option of customary courts because they are quicker, and people don't want to go to jail for petty theft," Ramsay said.
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Comment from New Era (Namibia), 10 August
Botswana - the US-UK "Trojan Horse" in the SADC?
Joyce Ncube
Pretoria - How safe is the stability of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)? How much pressure do the US/UK/EU governments exert on the now vulnerable southern African state, Botswana? Which type of covert diplomatic games are being played to manipulate interference by African armed forces to bludgeon change on behalf of the international west in Angola, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe?
Botswana played a major role towards the exclusion of Zimbabwe from the British Commonwealth, when it was the only SADC-member that distanced itself from SADC's unanimous decision to bring Zimbabwe back into the mould of the said Commonwealth in Abuja, Nigeria, in December last year. Botswana's decision was made clear in a letter construed by a certain Jeff Ramsay, an American spokesman operating from the Office of Botswana's President Festus Mogae. Ramsay seems to be employed by Botswana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, but positioned in the Office of the President. Highly placed officials in Gaborone explain apologetically that it was the US Embassy in the capital that strongly recommended the former headmaster, Ramsay, to the government of Botswana.
The American professor of history at the University of New York and one of the most celebrated intellectuals in the US, Niall Ferguson, claims in his new book and television series under the title Colossus, that the problem of most African states "is simply misgovernment: corrupt and lawless dictators whose conduct makes economic development impossible", a school of thought zealously nurtured by colonial-apartheid whites throughout sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. "Intellectuals" of such "calibre" and the US Foreign Policy seem to obviously assert to "direct rule" over sovereign countries with elected governments that "require the imposition of some kind of external authority", meaning that imperial Washington should ultimately govern. Today, it is common knowledge that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) controls the economies of most of the so-called Third World, particularly those of sub-Saharan Africa. Poor nations were forced to structure their economies to accommodate international financial speculators and corporate theft that plunder Africa to the benefit of the manufacturing industries of the G-8 countries, the very same countries that are supposed to support NEPAD.
Well-informed sources in Gaborone, speaking as concerned citizens, insist that Botswana, as host of SADC Headquarters, seems to be pressurised to force its neighbour, Zimbabwe, to rid itself of President Mugabe and his Zanu PF rule. Botswana's geo-political position in southern Africa; its willingness to cooperate with the US/UK alliance; an unbalanced economy perceived to be strong, which explains the neglected infrastructure; the strength of the currency, the Pula and its position as host for the SADC Headquarters have created a situation for that country, to be pressurised into accepting the role of a "Trojan Horse", a role that could endanger the stability of the region. This gives the plea of the concerned citizens from Botswana credence, when they demand that the SADC Headquarters should be spread throughout the SADC on a rotating basis, similar to the EU, if the region wants the SADC to be effective.
The US/UK currently seem to find it too difficult to directly interfere in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi, as their forces seem to have their plates filled to capacity in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Mid-East. Despite continuous efforts by Botswana's minister of foreign affairs, who last year went to great lengths to assure the region that its territory is not being used as a springboard into the region by foreign forces in their ef-forts to destabilise, it has come to the attention of SADC member countries, according to the highly placed and reliable sources in Gaborone, that every time members of the government of Botswana meet with the ambassador of the US and the high commissioner of the UK, those government officials go onto public platforms to express their concern about the situation in Mugabe's Zimbabwe. The government in Gaborone has also become vocal in its criticism of crimes committed by economic refugees from Zimbabwe, who nowadays make out about one-tenth of Botswana's population. As many Zimbabweans are detained and deported, the relations between Botswana and Zimbabwe grow in hostility, those highly positioned and reliable sources observe.
Meanwhile, the Botswana government has undertaken to improve its relationship with its eastern neighbour, particularly by developing a framework for a "Standing Committee on Defence and Security". This would be just another covert manner to monitor developments in Zimbabwe, the above reliable sources complain. They further express their fears that Botswana's foreign policy of "silent diplomacy", particularly for the SADC, allows their country to be covertly used to initially undermine the Zanu PF led government in Zimbabwe. Well-informed sources within the SADC member countries point out that Botswana's role becomes clearer now, to be one that compensates for the positions lost so far by the regional organisational structures of the international West. However, Botswana's government does not disclaim the principle of "African solidarity", as it is also not open about its cooperation with the US/UK/EU, so the concerned sources in Gaborone explain. They further add that the levels of close cooperation with the US/UK/EU include intelligence and counter-intelligence.
Meanwhile, the establishment of American military bases and British police schools on Botswana territory have not gone unnoticed in Harare. Zimbabwe's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is openly critical of such developments. Another bone of contention within the SADC is the position of the relay station of the "Voice of America" in Botswana, blasting US-propaganda in its daily broadcasts into the region, a station that under Reagan/Kissinger and Bush Senior described African national liberation movements as "communist terrorists". It is thus small wonder that informed sources in the SADC refer to Botswana as the "fifth column" of the US/UK/EU. The latest of the above international foreign axis policy of "anti-terrorism" provides a cynical legitimacy for interference in countries perceived to accommodate "terrorists", or allow their territories to be infiltrated by such "evil forces". That policy motivates the establishment of army and more particularly, police schools in southern Africa. Highly reliable sources in Botswana insist that the US government in particular shares such "anti-terrorist training programmes" with its Botswana counterpart.
They explain that in 2003, American instructors prepared about 30 policemen from Botswana at an International Academy in their fight against terrorism. In addition, the UK government assisted the Botswana police with a programme to improve structure, methods of operation and the sub-division of the police force. The abuse by a super-power such as the US and its allies, of their foreign policy against world terrorism by directly or indirectly interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states, renders smaller nations vulnerable and even fearful. Specially trained anti-terrorist police sub-units of countries sympathetic to the international West's efforts to destabilise a country and/or a region and funded by Washington/London, could put those exposed to the wrath of such forces under enormous pressure. The reliably informed sources also claim that particularly leaders with a history of liberation struggle in Africa could become first victims of the international West's "anti-terrorist operation in southern Africa" with the help of neighbouring African armed forces and from their territories. History will show whether Botswana and leaders from other African countries will allow the international West to use them as their mercenaries in covert "Trojan Horse" or "fifth column" structures to overthrow their own kith and kin in fellow African countries that refuse to cow tow the neo-colonial foreign poicies of the US/UK/EU and therefore are condemned as "terrorists".
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From cricinfo, 10 August
Panel appointed for Zimbabwe race probe
The International Cricket Council has appointed a two-man panel to investigate the allegations of racism that have torn the Zimbabwean national team apart. Nearly six months have passed since 15 white Zimbabwean cricketers, led by their captain, Heath Streak, boycotted the national team in protest at what they perceived as its biased selection policy. India's Solicitor-General, Goolam Vahanvati, and South African High Court judge Steven Majiedt have been appointed to carry out an independent review into the claims. "The ICC regards allegations of racism as a serious matter," said their president, Ehsan Mani. "The process which is now in place to investigate these claims will ensure that the issues and concerns are addressed thoroughly and independently. "Judge Majiedt and Mr Vahanvati both have considerable experience in overseeing legal hearings, and dealing within a fair and considered framework for all parties," added Mani. "We have strong confidence and faith in the approach they are undertaking, and the ICC executive board will receive their findings and recommendations in October." The row between the 15 players and the board escalated in June when, after a string of dismal results, the ICC was forced to step in and suspend Zimbabwe from Test cricket. Zimbabwe were, however, allowed to carry on competing in one-day matches, and England are due to tour there in November. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union, whose members were unanimously re-elected at their annual general meeting last week, agreed to the arbitration process last month, and the findings of the two-man panel will be binding.
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From The Daily Mirror, 11 August
Politburo set to grill Prof Moyo
Nkululeko Sibanda
Information and Publicity minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo is today likely to be arraigned before a politburo-appointed investigation committee that was mandated to probe his conduct following vitriolic attacks on senior party officials. Politburo and other high-ranking officials were yesterday mum on the issue, with some arguing that politburo discussions were for the politburo alone and not for public consumption. Nathan Shamuyarira, Zanu PF' s information and publicity secretary, said it was taboo for him and other party and politburo members to discuss the goings-on in the politburo to members of the public as this action had far-reaching effects. "That is a politburo issue which cannot be discussed in the public domain as it is for the party members and not for the public. It is taboo for me to release such details and I would not want to be found wanting in that aspect," he said. Despite the refusals to discuss the issue, The Daily Mirror is reliably informed that there was dissatisfaction within the party, during Wednesday's politburo meeting, over the manner in which Moyo has been conducting business in recent months.
Senior party officials who have been subjected to Moyo's tirades include national chairman, John Nkomo, Vice President Joseph Msika (over the Kondozi farm issue), Shamuyarira and other officials among the old guard of the former PF Zapu. According to sources, the discussion on Moyo's conduct was raised in the politburo by retired General Solomon Mujuru, Thenjiwe Lesabe, and Dumiso Dabengwa, among others, who are alleged to have asked President Mugabe to "cut Jonathan Moyo to size". They said the continued attacks on the party's senior members could have an adverse effect on the party's campaign come next year as people could regard the goings-on as clear confusion reigning supreme in the party. Said one source: "Some of the politburo members questioned Moyo's continued attack on the party's official mouthpiece, The Voice (formerly known as The People's Voice), saying there was supposed to be harmony between Moyo's office and that of the paper." The source said this follows Moyo's "uncalled for" attack on the paper after it wrote a story in which it claimed there were discussions between the ruling Zanu PF and the opposition MDC over electoral reforms proposed by the cabinet.
Moyo described The Voice editor, Lovemore Mataire as "ideologically confused" and accused him of publishing "complete falsities". "It is appalling that an editor of an organ of the ruling party can get it so wrong," a statement from Moyo's office read. However, Mataire hit back through a "Candid Brief from the Editor" last week saying, "As an editor, I will not be intimidated by individuals whose dubious past always haunts them to a level where they are now evidently suffering from a serious megalomaniac disease - trying to cover up for the time that they were on the other side of the political divide." Mataire ominously ended: "I am not a prophet, but let it be known that the people who are watching in silence are surely not stupid or dummies. One cannot continue insulting everyone in the party without any reprisals. In Shona they say: Kana ngoma yoririsa inenge yoda kuparuka."
The Voice, which is the official mouthpiece of the ruling party, had hitherto played second fiddle to Moyo's department even on party matters. But this week the paper declared that it was reclaiming "its rightful status as the mouthpiece of the party" and would, in that regard, launch a "Presidential column to be written by the First Secretary and President of the party, RG Mugabe." Party sources disclosed to the Daily Mirror that although The Voice had successfully sought an exclusive interview with President Mugabe, which was subsequently published in this week's issue, officials from Moyo's office sneaked in the Sunday Mail's political editor and Moyo's blue-eyed boy, Munyaradzi Huni to also cover the interview. The sources said President Mugabe is said to have expressed strong reservations at this invasion of what was essentially supposed to be an exclusive interview with the party mouthpiece. Moyo last night refused to speak to this reporter after he had learnt he was from the Daily Mirror.
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From Business Day (SA), 12 August
UK blamed for games ban
Harare - Zimbabwe Sports Minister Aeneas Chigwedere has accused Britain of pressuring Greece into barring him from attending the Athens Olympics. "The Olympics are an international event, not a European Union (EU) thing. They are not an African Union thing, they are like the United Nations (UN)," Chigwedere said in an interview. In my view it is completely out of order," he said. EU member Greece said on Tuesday that it would bar Chigwedere from attending the Athens Olympic Games, thereby supporting political sanctions against Zimbabwe for human and civil rights violations. "We can't force our way in, but it does not make any sense that our team goes but the minister is not allowed," he said. "I know they were put under a lot of pressure by Britain." Chigwedere is not allowed to enter EU countries as his name is on a list of 95 top Zimbabwe government officials blacklisted by the 25-nation bloc. President Robert Mugabe is also barred from the EU, but he has over the past two years been allowed to attend UN conferences in Europe. Chigwedere was supposed to accompany the Zimbabwe team participating in athletics, tennis and swimming competitions. In February, EU interior and justice ministers adopted a list of 95 Zimbabwean officials who are banned from entering EU countries, and whose assets have been frozen.
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From IRIN (UN), 11 August
Maize makes its way to Zimbabwe
Johannesburg - The South African Grain Information Service's weekly import/export charts indicate that between 2,000 and 6,000 mt of maize was being exported to Zimbabwe every week from April until the first week of July, a total of almost 40,000 mt. Over the same period, about 23,600 mt of maize from the United States, as well as 19 mt from Argentina, also made its way through South Africa to Zimbabwe, according to the import/export figures. Grain SA, the South African grain growers' association, said the export figures included food aid donations to Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean government has forecast a bumper maize harvest of over two million mt since the beginning of this year, but other analysts have consistently warned the crop was likely to be well below national demand. Zimbabwe's Grain Marketing Board last week said it had received about 119,000 mt of maize from local farmers since the beginning of the marketing season in April. The country needs at least 100,000 mt of maize every month to feed its people. Zambia's Food Reserve Agency (FRA) told IRIN last month that it had received export queries from Zimbabwe, but Charles Chabala, FRA's director of operations, said on Wednesday no maize had been exported, although a trade mission was expected to visit Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee calculated earlier this year that 2.5 million people in rural areas would require food assistance in the 2004/05 marketing season. A similar number of urban poor are likely to be in need of aid. A food relief agency official said, "The importation of almost 40,000 mt of maize is only the beginning - we expect the amount of grain imported by Zimbabwe to increase by the end of this year."
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From The Mail & Guardian (SA), 12 August
Zim 'gambles with citizens' access to food'
Johannesburg - Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday called on the Zimbabwe government to release information on grain availability in the country as part of its obligations to ensure its citizens' right to food. "The Zimbabwean government's lack of transparency on grain availability in the country could jeopardise access to food for millions of Zimbabweans in the coming months, HRW said in a briefing paper. It called on the government to make the information public immediately saying that by withholding vital information on grain availability, the government was "gambling with its citizens' access to food". The group said that in May the Zimbabwean government announced that this year's harvest would produce 2,4-million metric tons of maize -- significantly more than last year. Donor countries and non governmental organisations challenged the estimate and a question in Parliament led to the government authorising an investigation. Based on the estimate, the government decided not to renew its appeal for general international food aid, so the World Food Programme was unable to begin fund raising. The government has already been accused of politicising the distribution of grain, which by law, has to go through the parastatal Grain Marketing Board. The group also expressed concern that the process used to register food beneficiaries may still leave out certain highly marginalised groups like households headed by children. United Nations news service Irin reported that the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee calculated earlier this year that 2,5-million people in rural areas would require food assistance in the 2004/05 marketing season. A similar number of urban poor are likely to be in need of aid.
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From The New York Tiimes, 12 August
Donor mistrust worsens AIDS in Zimbabwe
By Sharon LaFraniere
Mabvuku - Edson Muchenjekwa says he spent three weeks persuading Alista Bhero to overcome her rage at her husband, Khemist, for infecting her with H.I.V., which has rendered her all but immobile at 42. He does not intend to waste her time discussing a treatment. In Zimbabwe, where 1.8 million people are H.I.V. positive and 360,000 need life prolonging antiretroviral drugs, virtually the only ones who get them are the 5,000 who can afford them. The Bheros are not among that select few. So instead, said Mr. Muchenjekwa, a local charity worker, he will help the Bheros draft a will disposing of their home, a four-room concrete-block cube in this teeming township outside Harare, Zimbabwe's capital. Then he will try to steel them to tell the six Bhero children that they are about to become orphans. He does not relish the task. "It is not easy to face death," he said. In fact, the Bhero family is facing the sort of tragedy that unfolds daily throughout southern Africa, the region hardest hit by an escalating AIDS epidemic. Zimbabwe, however, is different. Relief workers here estimate that fewer than 1,000 Zimbabweans receive antiretroviral drugs free through government or charitable programs, with little hope of expanding that number.
In contrast, every neighboring country is giving antiretrovirals to 2 to 15 times as many people - and planning to expand treatment to tens of thousands more within a year. The principal reason Zimbabwe is falling behind is that President Robert G. Mugabe's increasingly repressive government has lost foreign donors' trust that it will fairly or honestly channel money for antiretroviral drugs to those who need it. Major foreign supporters in the battle against the disease - the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank, the United States and Britain - are skirting Zimbabwe or giving it a trickle of aid compared with the torrent they are unleashing on governments they deem more reliable. That, many here say, poses a wrenching question: Is it right to withhold life-saving aid from a population because its rulers are viewed as likely to manipulate that aid for political ends - or worse, steal it? In Zimbabwe, where roughly one in four adults is infected with H.I.V. and more than 2,500 people a week die of AIDS, relief workers do not consider the question academic.
The plight of this nation of more than 11 million people is evident at Harare Central Hospital, where workers say just 23 patients are receiving antiretroviral treatment and no more can be started until next year because of lack on money. It is obvious at the Parirenyatwa city hospital, where, local news reports say, the morgue reeks of bodies of AIDS victims whose relatives cannot afford to bury them. And it can be seen at one seven-year-old cemetery south of Harare, where more than 14,000 people have already been buried just 18 inches apart, and workers say they dig about 25 graves each day. On the crowded streets of Mabvuku, Mr. Muchenjekwa said, 50 people a day come to Island Hospice, where he works, to seek help for the dying. A neighbor, he says, alerted the organization to the Bheros' case. Mrs. Bhero tried to sum up the situation last week in her tiny living room, her 2-year-old son on her lap: "Our life is just falling apart. We don't know what to do. We are panicking."
So, to some degree, are Zimbabwean health officials. Last month they lost in a bid for $218 million from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. One United Nations official said evaluations raised concerns, including whether Zimbabwe's government could be trusted to enlist independent groups in its AIDS fight. "I am very angry about it because many people are going to die because of these heartless people,'' David Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwe's minister of health, said in an interview last month with The Standard, an independent weekly. The government has refused to comment to foreign reporters. Officials from the Global Fund and other relief agencies say heartlessness has nothing to do with it. Rather, they say they are trying to save as many lives as possible without channeling money to untrustworthy governments. Critics of Mr. Mugabe note that his government has persecuted political opponents, all but shut down the independent media and seized land from white farmers, shriveling farm output and driving the economy into the ground. "They are not spending their money well, so why would they spend ours well?'' asked a European diplomat whose government had restricted aid. The Bush administration came to much the same conclusion, excluding Zimbabwe last year from the president's five-year, $15 billion emergency AIDS plan that focuses on 12 African countries, plus Haiti, Vietnam and Guyana.
The United States is spending just $20 million a year to battle AIDS in Zimbabwe, one-third less than it has devoted to Botswana, a nation with less than one-sixth Zimbabwe's population. The British government gives about $11 million a year - and would give more, a spokesman suggested, if Mr. Mugabe made political and economic changes. The World Bank, which has granted more than $1 billion to other African countries to fight AIDS, pulled out of Zimbabwe four years ago after the government defaulted on its debts. So did the International Monetary Fund and the Danes, who had given millions every year to humanitarian and development projects in Zimbabwe. But it was the rejection from the Global Fund, designed to pool contributions from all foreign donors and to distribute them on an apolitical basis, that brought home Zimbabwe's isolation. Zimbabwe sought money to provide antiretroviral drugs to 70,000 people - less than one-fifth of those in need. Although Global Fund officials insisted that the rejection was not politically motivated and could be appealed, many relief workers here took it as a sign that international donors had dealt Zimbabwe a death sentence. "I personally feel this is very unfair,'' said Bernard Mokam, program director for the United Nations's development agency here. "I personally do not comprehend that the donor community could continue to refuse to support people in need for political reasons. H.I.V.-AIDS should be dealt with as a humanitarian issue. This is just unacceptable.''
Still, no one, including Mr. Mokam, disputes that Zimbabwe's government is making life difficult for donors and the charities they subsidize even when, as in the case of AIDS, the government pledges its full cooperation. Fear that the government will misspend the money has delayed release of a $10 million AIDS grant from the Global Fund that was approved two years ago. That sort of mistrust permeates relations between the government and outsiders seeking to help it. For example, Mr. Mugabe's government not only forced the United Nations in the spring to scale back a general feeding program that has sustained millions during three years of crop failures, but barred United Nations specialists from measuring the fall harvest that ended in June. The government insists a bumper crop will more than cover the nation's needs. But foreign specialists say they suspect Mr. Mugabe is reducing foreign food aid in advance of next year' s national election so that he can reward supporters with warehoused stocks of government maize, and withhold it from opponents.
Mr. Mugabe also keeps nongovernmental organizations on a short leash - and intends to restrain them further. Zimbabwe's few remaining donors of drugs and medical services tend to bypass the Harare government by channeling AIDS donations to local nongovernmental organizations or giving them directly to clinics or laboratories. But in July, Mr. Mugabe announced that the government would rein in nongovernmental organizations that are "conduits or instruments of interference in our national affairs." A draft government bill would ban foreign groups involved in "issues of governance'' from operating in the country. Although the legislation is apparently directed at human rights groups, leaders of charities involved in AIDS work say it is yet another sign of tightening control. All that adds up to what Mr. Mokam, the United Nations development official in Harare, diplomatically describes as "an extremely challenging environment" in which to battle an epidemic. Even his agency, which is trying to act as a bridge between Zimbabwe and the international community, has adopted a more cautious approach toward its work in Zimbabwe. After United Nations and Zimbabwean officials failed in negotiations to agree on an assessment of the country's situation, including the government's attitude toward human rights, United Nations officials decided to extend development assistance for just two years, rather than the five-year program that is standard for most developing nations. "We could not commit to a five-year program," Mr. Mokam said. "We don't know where this country will be in five years."
Stella Monda, 39, a mother of three, does not expect to live long enough to find out. Her husband, an accountant for a local company, died 14 years ago of AIDS. Her glazed eyes and history of hospitalization suggest she soon will follow him. Her 12-year-old son, her youngest, is also infected with the virus. In an interview last week, she said she had no idea who would look after him and his two older sisters. Of Ms. Monda's six siblings, four have died of AIDS. "Those who I expected would look after my children have all died,'' she said. She expects nothing from her husband's relatives. After he died, she said, they took everything the couple owned, leaving her with a few stools, plates and a hot plate. She now lives in her parents' house in Mabvuku without even a table - and no food to serve when her last, small plastic container of cornmeal runs out. She say she survives on the generosity of neighbors and tries to ward off constant waves of depression by crocheting. "My aspirations are gone,'' she said. "What I expected from life is no longer the case. I wanted to fend for my family. To have my children lead a decent life. To send them to school. To eat good food. To have a furnished house. I can't do any of that any more," she said. AIDS "has wrecked everything for me."
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From The Guardian (SA), 13 August
Mugabe plans to starve voters into submission, says rights group
Malnutrition deaths disprove boasts of bumper crops
Andrew Meldrum in Pretoria
The government of Zimbabwe may be planning to use food scarcity as a political weapon in next year's elections, Human Rights Watch said yesterday. Millions of Zimbabweans are in danger of famine because the president, Robert Mugabe, has refused to ask for international aid, and there is increasing evidence to contradict his government's claim that the country has sufficient food. In the opposition stronghold of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city, 125 people have died from malnutrition this year, it was reported this week. The toll in rural areas is unknown as there are no health statistics unavailable. Human Rights Watch said it feared that food under government control would be restricted to those who supported Mr Mugabe's party, Zanu PF. By law maize must be transported and distributed by the state Grain Marketing Board. Rural people have to go to its local offices to buy subsidised maize, and the board controls how much is sold in the cities. "In recent years the grain board has been widely accused of discriminating against supporters of the political opposition," HRW's report said. Many witnesses say grain board officials turn away those who do not have a Zanu PF card.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, has accused Mr Mugabe of wanting to use food relief as a weapon to win the polls. "They are planning to starve people into submission," he said in London last month. HRW's paper says the government must make a full disclosure of the food stocks. By withholding vital information it is "gambling with its citizens' access to food". Earlier this week the Zimbabwean government said it was looking forward to "an above-average national harvest". But farm output has plummeted as a result of Mr Mugabe's chaotic and often violent land seizures and failure to provide poor black farmers with enough seed and fertiliser. For the past three years the country has depended on international food aid. In May the government boasted that farmers had produced a bumper crop of 2.4m tonnes of the staple grain, maize. Mr Mugabe said there would be no need for international food aid. "We don't want to choke on your food," he told an interviewer. Experts, including the UN world food programme, dismissed the estimate as a fantasy, but the government ordered the WFP to stop its crop survey, saving its widely disputed figures from being factually contradicted. The WFP has been forced to dismantle its operations in Zimbabwe and dismiss nearly half its 230 staff.
Virtually all independent agricultural experts reject Mr Mugabe's figures. "Anyone driving through Zimbabwe can see that there are not many fields with healthy maize crops," a local grain specialist said. "Areas that used to produce large maize and wheat crops are now lying fallow." An estimated 4.8 million of Zimbabwe's 12.5 million people will need food assistance in the coming year, the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee says. To avert a famine last year, the WFP provided food to nearly six million people at the height of the country's lean season. It is currently feeding about 650,000 a month. The privately owned Standard newspaper questioned assurances that Zimbabwe had plenty of food when it reported this week that 125 people had died of malnutrition-related causes in Bulawayo. Twenty-one of them were children under five. The mayor of Bulawayo, Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube, confirmed the number, saying it came from city records. He said it was the responsibility of Mr Mugabe's government to feed the people. "This definitely needs a government approach if we are to save lives," he told the Standard.
The government reacted with fury, threatening action against the mayor of Bulawayo and other city officials, and legal action against the newspaper. "We are sure of our story," the Standard's editor, Bornwell Chakaodza, told the Guardian yesterday. John Makumbe, a civic leader and political scientist, said: "The truth is that there is not enough food in Zimbabwe and the government is hiding that. "I have just come back from my home area of Buhera and I can tell you that there is very little food there. And in Matabeleland people are literally starving. People are desperate for humanitarian assistance." Mr Makumbe said the government intended to use food to lure political support. "The public will have to toe the Zanu PF line in order to get any food."
From ZWNEWS: If you would like to read the HRW briefing paper, please let us know. It will be sent as a Word attachment, approximately eight times the size of the average daily ZWNEWS.
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From Zim Online (SA), 13 August
Zimbabwe police detain minors for two days
Mutare - Police in Zimbabwe detained four primary school children for two days for allegedly breaching the Public Order and Security Act. The children, who were part of a group of 13 people arrested by police on August 6, were only released after their shaken and weeping mothers paid a total of Z$350 000 in fines for them. The incident took place at Middle Sabi in Chipinge North, about 200 kilometers south of Mutare. The minors, all aged below 14, are pupils at the local primary school. They were arrested after they had allegedly thrown stones at a car belonging to a local Zanu PF official. According to eye witnesses the children were playing around in the school grounds when the police rounded them up and took them to Middle Sabi Police station. 'The parents of the children came to the police station and had to weep in front of the police officers. It was only then that they were allowed to pay fines for their kids before they could be released,' said one resident here who spoke on condition he was not named. The nine adults also arrested by the police for allegedly holding a political meeting without police permission were on August 11 released on bail of Z$10 000 each. Police accused them of belonging to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and of having illegally held a political rally. Under the Security Act Zimbabweans are not allowed to hold gatherings of three or more people to discuss politics without first seeking permission from the police. Children suspected of breaching the law are usually not kept in jail but instead released into the custody of their parents or guardian who must ensure they appear in court should they be required for trial. National police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said he did not have the details of the Chipinge incident when contacted yesterday. He advised ZimOnline to talk to provincial spokesman, Edmund Maingire. Maingire was said to be out of town on business.
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From The Mercury (SA), 12 August
Bishops want government action on refugees
Patrick Leeman
It was essential that there should be sustained, independent, international and regional monitoring of the pre-election process as a prerequisite for validating the election itself. Archbishop Buti Tihagale, the Archbishop of Johannesburg, said the South African government was not helping the churches and the non-governmental organisations to care for refugees. He estimated that 75 percent of the population of Joubert Park, Hillbrow and Berea in Johannesburg were immigrants from neighbouring countries. The Roman Catholic bishops of Southern Africa have called on the South African government to intervene urgently in the refugee crisis facing South Africa. The bishops said after their conference at Mariannhill near Durban on Wednesday that the Zimbabwean situation of "starvation and malnutrition, willful political violence and intimidation", and the "immoral" use of food aid by the Zimbabwean government demanded stronger and transparent intervention by African governments through the African Union. "With more than three million people displaced as a result of the crisis in Zimbabwe, a generation of exiles and refugees has been created," they said. The bishops, who represent five million Catholics in the region, said the international community should take strong measures to ensure a "meaningful and honest" election in Zimbabwe in 2005. The archbishop said the churches could offer spiritual support, but did not have the resources for material assistance.
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From The Financial Gazette, 13 August
UN itches to tighten screws on Zim
Njabulo Ncube
Crusading United Nations (UN) secretary general, Kofi Annan is expected in Harare before the end of the year to gauge the political temperature amid revelations the world policing body is on the verge of toughening its stance against Harare, which stands accused of gross human rights abuses. Diplomatic sources said September had been pencilled as the tentative month for Annan's visit but the actual details hinged on a fresh report on the country's political climate being prepared at the UN headquarters. The sources said the UN, whose powerful members, notably the United States and Britain are itching to severely punish Harare for alleged human rights abuses, wanted to "hear it from the horse's mouth (the Zimbabwean government)". The UN has twice stifled attempts by London and Washington to have severe sanctions imposed on Harare. "His (Annan) next visit to Southern Africa is to Zimbabwe. His top envoy has been there, so everything will then follow," said a diplomatic source yesterday, adding that the UN chief would meet all major stakeholders, among them President Robert Mugabe, the opposition and even the displaced white commercial farmers.
The scheduled visit by the UN secretary general comes on the back of a secret sojourn a week ago by one of his top special envoys who quietly jetted into the country on what diplomatic sources said was a "spying" mission on Zimbabwe. They said Tuliameni Kalomoh, the UN assistant secretary-general (political affairs), who left Harare last Saturday after a six-day secret mission, had come into the country to assess the country's volatile political climate on behalf of his boss. Diplomatic sources said this week the visit by Annan was a result of the findings of his special envoy Kalomoh, who came into the country as a guest of the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa. Both the UN and Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs Ministry were tight-lipped on Annan's diplomatic mission to Harare. Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs spokesperson said the government had not received a request from any of the UN agencies in the country. But the diplomatic sources were adamant Annan would visit the country, which has emerged as southern Africa' s problem child for nearly five years now.
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From The Mercury (SA), 11 August
Zimbabwean women call on 'sisters in arms'
Basildon Peta
Harare - Representatives of Zimbabwean women who have suffered rape, torture and victimisation under President Robert Mugabe's regime have called on South African women to help lobby President Thabo Mbeki's government to end its support for the Mugabe regime. The Zimbabwean women, represented by the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) lobby group, joined South African women in celebrating Women's Day this week. They performed an emotional play at Johannesburg's main Methodist church complex, depicting how Zimbabwean women have suffered under Mugabe's regime. At the gathering, Walter Sisulu's daughter-in-law, Elinor, author of a biography on Walter and Albertina Sisulu, chronicled the suffering of the Zimbabwean women and spoke at length about how South African women could help their Zimbabwean counterparts. She also told of the suffering of women in other parts of Africa, including the Sudan, Swaziland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Woza representatives have been arrested several times. In their play they described the harsh treatment their leaders had received in jail, incarcerated in tiny cells without flushing toilets. In winter they had to sleep close to each other to keep warm after being stripped naked.
Last month the police stormed the Woza head office in Harare, claiming to be searching for weapons of war, subversive materials and inflammatory pamphlets meant to "incite the overthrow" of Mugabe's government. Woza spokeswoman Jenni Williams said the police had not found anything, yet had "proceeded to burn copies of the newsletter and later arrested 73 women" She has been jailed 13 times. Williams said the Zimbabwean women had come to South Africa as part of their mission to build a community of sisterhood in African countries that could apply pressure for change in Zimbabwe. Williams said Mugabe's late mother would most probably not have approved of the crimes being committed by Mugabe's militia against women in Zimbabwe. She said Mugabe knew well the power of women in mobilising against his misrule, if they chose to do so. Masechaba Mabaso, the founder of South Africa's Inter-denominational Women's Prayer League, lamented the much publicised extravagance of Mugabe's wife, Grace, while the rest of Zimbabwe's women suffered.
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From This Day (SA), 11 August
Compliance will be the litmus test
Welshman Ncube
Free and fair elections are an essential component of the broader process of democratic transition and the institutionalisation of democracy. The current regional consultations on developing electoral norms and standards for the SADC are an acknowledgment of this and signal the increasing maturity of the region's nascent democracies; the deliberations underline the determination of most SADC leaders to deepen democracy and consolidate the democratic gains that have been made since the revival of multi-party democracy across Southern Africa in the 1990s. The twin evils of poverty and inequality can only be properly tackled in an environment where people are free to participate in the democratic process, make their voices heard and periodically have the power to vote out the incumbents and elect leaders they believe are better equipped to address their basic needs and grievances. Governments, whose authority to govern is based on the people's will secured through a genuine ballot, are more likely to drive and deliver a country's human development objectives. When SADC leaders gather in Mauritius this week for their annual summit it is hoped that the current deliberations will progress into a concrete set of principles and guidelines for democratic elections that are agreed to by all members. It is critical though that any norms and standards that are agreed upon are comprehensive: they need to encourage both the establishment of enabling political environments for democratic elections as well as legal, institutional and administrative electoral frameworks that harness transparency and fairness and therefore build public confidence in the entire electoral process. In order to avoid undermining the credibility of its democratic governance agenda, SADC must resist the temptation to produce a "compromised protocol" based on narrow criteria, in order to secure agreement from those member states who do not instinctively share the commitment to democratic governance in its broadest context.
The recent electoral proposals tabled by the Zimbabwe government underline the urgent need for SADC leaders to come up with a broad set of criteria for elections. In the absence of a collectively agreed set of benchmarks, the leverage, at the multi-lateral level, to encourage miscreant members (who are reluctant to properly address flaws in their electoral processes) to conform, is very much weakened. Moreover, the absence of binding rules and regulations creates a dangerous vacuum in which the definition of what constitutes a legitimate ballot is often subject to a very narrow and politically expedient interpretation, a factor, which retards the growth of democracy by impairing citizens' ability to have a free say in influencing the type of society they wish to live in. This is technically what is currently taking place in Zimbabwe. In his address marking the opening of Parliament on Tuesday 20 July, President Mugabe announced that a number of electoral reforms would be introduced that are designed to level the playing field. These measures, he believes, will go someway towards appeasing those who are critical of how Zimbabwe manages and conducts its elections. Moreover, President Mugabe will no doubt attempt to ensure that any agreement between SADC leaders on election benchmarks is similar in scope to his own definition. The proposals, which include the establishment of a new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the reduction of polling days from two days to one, the counting of votes at polling stations and the use of translucent ballot boxes, whilst a step in the right direction, do not tackle the more fundamental obstacles to genuine democratic elections in Zimbabwe.
What the reforms clearly indicate is that Mugabe and the ruling Zanu PF government define the concept of an election through a narrow prism and view it purely in terms of the actual polling day. The reforms therefore are primarily focused on addressing technical and administrative issues to improve the levels of transparency associated with the casting and counting of ballots. These reforms do not take into account the context and political environment that has caused the democratic deficit in Zimbabwe. The MDC is of the view that an election is a process, not an event; and the minimum standards for elections that have been published by the party in our 'RESTORE document, are premised on this broader interpretation of what constitutes an election. The proposals of the Zimbabwe government may well secure the objective of ensuring transparency and fairness on polling day but, given the context of the Zimbabwe's political crisis, they are woefully inadequate and in no way build the crucial levels of transparency and fairness in the entire electoral process necessary to ensure that the poll will be an accurate reflection of the will of the people. For instance, the appointments' procedure for the new electoral commission casts serious doubt on whether this new body will discharge its mandate in a non-partisan manner; its chair, for example will be appointed by Robert Mugabe whilst the other members of the commission will be appointed subject to parliamentary approval. Given Zanu PF's parliamentary majority, this technically means that Zanu PF can submit a list of candidates and exploit their parliamentary majority to rubber-stamp their appointment. Moreover, the new commission will not have the mandate to carry out voter registration; this remains in the hands of the office of the Registrar General, which continues to manipulate the voter registration exercise in the interests of the ruling party.
For genuine democratic elections to take place there has to be a free flow of information and ideas; voters have to be able to access alternative views, without fear of intimidation and violent retribution, so that they can make informed choices when it comes to casting their ballots. These democratic conditions can only exist within a political environment whereby the rule of law is upheld, the independent media is allowed to flourish, opposition parties enjoy equal access to the state media and all political parties are able to campaign freely without fear of persecution and violence. Such democratic conditions do not exist at present in Zimbabwe; the government remains dogmatically committed to shutting down the democratic space, as illustrated by its refusal to consider amendments to draconian pieces of legislation that curtail civil and political liberties, its closure of three independent papers over the past six months and its recent announcement of plans to introduce legislation aimed at controlling the activities of civil society organisations. Unless the political space is opened up a legitimate ballot is simply impossible, regardless of what reforms are introduced to improve the transparency of electoral procedures on polling day. SADC leaders must therefore base their considerations for a protocol on guidelines and principles for elections on the broad premise that an election is a process, not an event. A failure to do so will play into the hands of those who view elections as an opportunity to distort and manipulate the democratic process to 'legitimise' their retention of power. Finally, establishing consensus around electoral benchmarks is not in itself an accurate measure of success; success in this context can only be measured in terms of the level of compliance and how the SADC responds when member states fail in this regard - this will be the real litmus test of any new democratic election standards. If compliance is successfully enforced the SADC region has the potential to act as the template and engine for sustainable development and good governance across the African continent.
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From Zim Online (SA), 14 August
Enough maize or not enough maize - Parliament receives conflicting figures
Harare - A parliamentary committee investigating food security in Zimbabwe has received conflicting information on the amount of maize harvested last season, ZimOnline has established. The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) told Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Lands and Agriculture that Zimbabwean farmers produced 2.4 million tonnes of maize last season, well placed sources said. This is 600 000 tonnes more than the 1.8 million tonnes required to carry the country through until the next harvest to begin around March 2005. The government's Central Statistical Office (CSO), on the other hand, told the committee that maize production would at most reach 1.2 million tonnes, exactly half the amount reported by the GMB. Zimbabweans consume at least 100 000 tonnes of maize per month or about 1.2 million tonnes a year. In addition, the country requires at least another 600 000 tonnes for its strategic grain reserve stock. Maize is the staple food for more than 90 percent of the 12 million Zimbabweans. Chairman of the food committee Daniel Mackenzie Ncube (Zanu PF) refused to discuss the discrepancy in the GMB's and the CSO's information on maize quantities. But he said his committee was now planning to go around the country to verify physically the amount of maize held at GMB depots. 'We are ready to embark on the assessment. Our task is establishing the reality in the face of conflicting reports, some which say we have enough food whilst others say we don't.' He did not say when exactly his committee would have finished establishing the amount of maize in the country, only saying the committee would be ready with a final report soon.
President Robert Mugabe and his Agriculture Minister Joseph Made have publicly insisted that Zimbabwe produced a bumper maize crop of more than two million tonnes. Two months ago Mugabe told international food agencies that have been helping Zimbabwe to take their aid elsewhere. But assessments by the United Nations and other independent food relief groups indicate that Zimbabwe did not harvest enough food and would still require assistance to avert hunger. In a report released yesterday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the Zimbabwe government to 'publish all figures on maize imported and traded internally as well as figures on the size of the government's strategic maize reserve' and to 'invite the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food to Zimbabwe to report on the food situation and allow him unrestricted access'. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) accuses the government of wanting to bar international food agencies from the country so that it can use food to buy political support ahead of a general election in March next year. The government denies the charge.
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From The Zimbabwe Independent, 13 August
WFP woos Zambia for Zim food aid
Staff Writer/IRIN
The World Food Programme (WFP) has approached the Zambian government to mobilise maize for Zimbabwe in light of growing fears of food shortages in the country. The food aid talks between the Zambian government and the WFP come amid revelations by the South African Grain Information Service, a crop monitoring agency, that 40 000 tonnes of maize have been brought into Zimbabwe through South Africa between April and July this year. Figures from the South African commodity exchange, Grain SA, confirm that during that period 23 600 tonnes passed through South Africa from the United States, with an additional 19 000 tonnes making their way from Argentina. The figures include food aid donations to Zimbabwe. The revelations flatly contradict claims made by President Mugabe and government officials that Zimbabwe can feed itself. The country will record a bumper maize harvest of 2,4 million tonnes, they claim.
However, aid organisations and independent analysts have forecast serious food shortages before the next harvest. They estimate that the best the country can expect is about 900 000 tonnes. The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee, on which UN agencies and government representatives sit, recently reported that 2,3 million people faced food shortages. The country needs 1,8 million tonnes of maize for consumption and a further 500 000 tonnes for the strategic grain reserve. Zambia's Minister of Agriculture Sikatana Mundia told the Zimbabwe Independent in an interview recently that senior officials from the WFP approached his office to arrange maize imports in case Zimbabwe urgently needed food assistance. "They (WFP) wanted assurance that Zambia would provide maize in case Zimbabwe had an urgent need," said Mundia. "We however told them that we could not give them an assurance." The recent move by the WFP indicates that the United Nations food agency still believes that Zimbabwe does not have enough food this season despite government claims. Mundia also revealed that there were a number of private companies that had applied for licences to export maize to Zimbabwe. "We have a number of companies that want to export maize to Zimbabwe. They have since applied for export permits," said Mundia.
Zambia's agricultural sector has been on the recovery since it opened its doors to white commercial farmers who had been affected by the land reform in Zimbabwe. Preliminary estimates show that Zambia will harvest about 1,6 million tonnes of maize. Last month, Zambia's Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was quoted in the international media as saying it had received food export queries from Zimbabwe, but Charles Chabala, FRA's director of operations, said this week no maize had yet been exported to Zimbabwe. He however said that a "trade mission was expected to visit Zimbabwe" soon. Meanwhile, in a related event, Human Rights Watch yesterday accused the government of gambling with its citizens' access to food. In an 11-page report titled "The Politics of Food Assistance in Zimbabwe", the New York-based agency said the Zimbabwean government's lack of transparency on grain availability in the country could jeopardise access to food for millions of Zimbabweans in the coming months. "By withholding vital information on grain availability, the Zimbabwean government is gambling with its citizens' access to food," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Africa Division. "Under international law, the government must take all necessary steps to fully ensure its citizens' right to adequate food."
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From This Day (Nigeria), 13 August
Nigeria protests Zimbabwe's accusation
Iyefu Adoba
Abuja - Nigeria has sent a strong protest to the Zimbabwean Government over a newspaper publication accusing the country of acting as a conduit for Britain government, to bankroll Zimbabwe's Opposition Movement for Democratic Change. The Zimbabwean Sunday Mail had in its August 9 edition alleged that Nigeria was working in concert with Britain in financing the opposition movement in that country. But Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olu Adeniji expressed the Federal Government's displeasure over the publication to the Acting High Commissioner of Zimbabwe in Nigeria, Mr. Gwenzi, when he paid him a visit in Abuja. The Minister described as ludicrous and false, the publication, which insinuated that Nigeria was bankrolling the MDC to defeat President Robert Mugabe's government in next year's legislative elections. Adeniji said Nigeria least expected such "patently untrue publication in the press of a friendly country for which Nigeria has sacrificed so much." e charged the Acting High Commissioner to convey the Federal Government's displeasure and disappointment to his government over such periodic publications against Nigeria, which has become a pattern in Zimbabwe.
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From The Financial Gazette, 12 August
Zanu PF probe turns ugly
Hama Saburi
The committee tasked to investigate a swathe of Zanu PF companies has predictably stirred up discord within the various camps in the faction-riddled party, which threatens to blow up former alliances and blocs. Impeccable inside sources yesterday said what started off as a noble fight against deep-seated graft has taken an ugly turn that might split the ruling party right through the middle. According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the twisty investigations have touched off a drama of political gamesmanship, intrigue, hate, deception and possible blackmail. Fears of the probe-induced fissures have been more than a whispered "concern" in the ruling Zanu PF's corridors of power. While the high-powered probe team painted a rosier-than-real picture of the reception of its findings by the Zanu PF supreme decision-making Politburo, which were expected to be discussed on Wednesday last week, all was not well, they said.
They said the five-member committee's findings suffered a serious crisis of confidence after former Finance Minister Simba Makoni, who is seen as a possible successor to President Robert Mugabe, reportedly clashed with the other members over the presentation of the final report. The unassuming Makoni was also "not happy" with an unspecified part of the findings which he felt was not factual. The unpredictable politician, who became one of Zimbabwe's youngest ministers in 1981 when he landed the top post at the then Ministry of Industry and Energy Development, not only protested against the actions of his colleagues, the sources said, but went further and produced his own report. They said Makoni, known to speak his mind regardless of the popular view, produced his own report that seemed to contradict certain aspects captured in the main report. This added a new twist to the rocky investigations.
Makoni's stance seemed to give credence to earlier sentiments by retired army general and Zanu PF kingmaker, Solomon Mujuru, who is also part of the committee. Mujuru, widely seen as the conscience of Zanu PF politics, is understood to have raised suspicion that the former finance chief, who offered to resign from President Mugabe's Cabinet in August 2002 following differences between him and other Cabinet members over economic reforms, had sided with senior ruling party officials implicated in allegations of corruption. The investigations were over four months. The split in opinions adds a fresh dimension to the succession struggle within Zanu PF where the investigations were seen as an extension of the war of attrition against President Mugabe's possible successors. Sources said, as predicted, the main report implicated the Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa, the immediate past finance chief for the party, in 31 cases. The nature of the cases against Mnangagwa, seen as the quiet man of Zanu PF politics, could not, however, immediately be ascertained. Mnangagwa twice appeared before the committee to explain his role in Zanu PF's octopus like investments.
Mnangagwa, the current Zanu PF secretary for administration was, up until his political fortunes started to falter for as yet unexplained reasons, considered as President Mugabe's heir apparent although he has denied any interest in the high-pressure job at State House. While the report on the investigations was presented before the Politburo on Wednesday last week, it could not be tackled as the Politburo discussion is understood to have centred on the behaviour of Information Minister Jonathan Moyo. The minister is accused of attacking senior party members in the public media. Contacted this week for comment, Makoni referred all inquiries to David Karimanzira, the chairman of the investigating committee who doubles up as the Zanu PF secretary for finance. The Mashonaland East Provincial Governor professed ignorance on the Makoni issue, but confirmed that the findings were handed over to the Politburo. He also declined to shed light on the contents of the report.
"I cannot comment on the report now because it is now in the hands of the Politburo. It is now up to the Politburo to disclose our findings," said Karimanzira. In March this year, the Politburo took the decision to investigate the goings on in Zanu PF companies, namely M & S Syndicate, Zidco Holdings, Treger Holdings, Catercraft, Ottawa, Zidlee Enterprises, First Banking Corporation and Southern Africa Reinsurance. A committee comprising Karimanzira, Mujuru, Obert Mpofu (Matabeleland North Governor) and Thoko Mathuthu (Zanu PF deputy secretary for transport and welfare) was set up to investigate the companies. As the probe gained momentum, three directors of Zanu PF companies - Jayant Joshi, his brother Manharlal and Dipak Pandya - fled the country and sought refuge in the United Kingdom. Attempts to extradite the directors have hit a brick wall.
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From The Mail & Guardian (SA), 13 August
Zim chiefs crack down on Moyo
Godwin Gandu
Zimbabwe's Information Minister Jonathan Moyo is being reined in by the Zanu PF supreme decision-making body, the Politburo, for publicly attacking his rivals in the party leadership. This is the second time in two months that the Politburo has asked party boss President Robert Mugabe to deal with Moyo. There are now signs that Mugabe may be listening, although his options for dealing with the Information Minister may be limited. Some analysts point out that Mugabe needs Moyo's combative character ahead of the 2005 parliamentary elections, now only eight months away. Zanu PF information head Nathan Shamuyarira - a rival who has been on the receiving end of attacks by Moyo - was tight-lipped about the party leadership's intentions. He professed to know nothing, despite it being an open secret that all is not well in the party. In a show of confidence in Shamuyarira who runs the party paper, The Voice, Mugabe granted the newspaper's editor Lovemore Mataire an exclusive interview, saying that whoever succeeds him must have participated in the liberation war. Party sources saw the statement as sidelining Moyo, who is alleged to have fled the Mgagao Training camp in Tanzania in the late 1970s.
Political analyst Professor Heneris Dzinotyiwei of the University of Zimbabwe said Moyo's style had "been antagonistic" and not consultative, as was customary in Zanu PF. Attacking senior party leaders openly "is not in line with normal Zanu PF style", said Dzinotyiwei. Dzinotyiwei did not agree that Moyo had launched the attacks with Mugabe's blessing. "President Mugabe has a style of handling issues. He tends to let people go on and on before intervening. He might have to intervene at a later stage," said Dzinotyiwei. Another of Moyo's rivals, Zanu PF national chairperson John Nkomo, who also chairs the Presidential Land Resettlement Committee, presented a damning report in April implicating 329 people - including top party officials - in receiving more than one farm, a violation of the one-person-one-farm principle of the land reform programme. Nkomo provoked the ire of Moyo when he sent land withdrawal letters to his office, demanding that he return public property. Moyo responded by publicly attacking Nkomo and denying the allegations, despite claims by Nkomo's office that it had evidence against him. Last month Moyo attacked Zanu PF vice-president Joseph Msika for refusing to acquire a farm owned by Kondozi, a horticultural export company, under the land reform programme. Msika reacted swiftly calling Moyo "an immoral little boy".
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From The Daily Telegraph (UK), 14 August
Wildlife sanctuary now a hunting ground
Harare - Zimbabwe's information minister, Jonathan Moyo, has seized a celebrated African wildlife sanctuary, government documents have shown, and turned it over to hunting. An agriculture department letter shows that Mr Moyo was allocated the conservancy during President Robert Mugabe's land-grab, which began in 2000. The minister has denied taking Sikumi Tree Lodge, one of the biggest prizes on offer under the mass appropriation that has stripped 4,000 white farmers and hundreds of thousands of their workers of their property. The lodge was once a showpiece of eco-tourism and was where the Queen had lunch during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 1991. Now it plays host to those willing to pay to shoot rare game. The legal owner of Sikumi Tree Lodge and 45,000 acres of adjoining conservancies that border the Hwange National Park in northern Matabeleland is an ecologist, Thys de Vries, 44. His wife, three children and staff fled after armed men invaded a year ago, according to a complaint lodged by Mr de Vries in court. He is also challenging the seizure of other conservancies by other cabinet ministers and the ruling Zanu PF party's elite.
Mr de Vries said yesterday: "Jonathan Moyo staked out Sikumi Tree Lodge several times before the invasion, but we couldn't prove his involvement until now." A document from the department of agriculture purports to show Mr Moyo's "ownership"' of Sikumi Tree Lodge, via its registered name, Lot 2 of Dete Valley. Mr Mugabe decided earlier this year that he would no longer allow anyone to own more than one farm, although several family members, including his wife, Grace, have ignored him. Mr Moyo is repeatedly accused by his enemies within Zanu PF and opposition parliamentarians of having grabbed more than one formerly white-owned farm. John Nkomo, the lands minister, told local journalists two weeks ago that any (black) man who "occupies" more than one white-owned farm must withdraw. But, in addition to Sikumi Tree Lodge, Mr Moyo said in the state-controlled press recently that he had paid the government about £2,000 for a 1,000-acre farm near Harare. The farm is still legally owned by the estate of Tom Bayley, a Briton. Mr Bayley, 88, was under siege in his homestead from Mr Mugabe's supporters for 35 days before he fell and broke a leg and abandoned the farm he had worked for 66 years. He died a week later.
At the height of Zimbabwe's tourist boom, Sikumi Tree Lodge earned up to £3,000 a month, though tourism has collapsed in recent years. It appears that those now running it are making up the shortfall by letting in hunters. Mr Mugabe's supporters control most hunting licences and sell quotas of trophy animals to safari operators. The Wildlife Association of Zimbabwe has said the quotas are unsustainable and threaten cheetah, leopard and lion populations. A South African company, Out of Africa, takes hunters to Mr de Vries's land. One of his partners was there this week with a group of about 10 Canadians. Mr de Vries said: "The animals are being slaughtered there." Mr Moyo was not available. He was appointed to Mr Mugabe's cabinet in 2000 and drafted media laws widely regarded as among the world's most repressive. Many journalists have been beaten, arrested and deported under the provisions of his Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
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From The Daily News Online Edition, 13 August
SA churches call for tough action against Mugabe
The Southern African Council of Churches (SACC) yesterday said the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) should condemn Zimbabwe if there are substantial reports that there are human rights violations. The call by SACC comes a day after the South African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) called on various organizations and countries to impose targeted sanctions on President Robert Mugabe's government for alleged human rights violations. Molefe Tsele, the general secretary of SACC told the Daily News Online in an interview that time had now come for the UN, SADC and the AU to act against traditional human rights violators hiding behind flimsy excuses. He said the churches should send a clear message to human rights violators that they would be held accountable for human rights abuses at some stage once they are ousted from power. "We have to be unapologetic in requiring the human rights of ordinary Zimbabweans to be upheld," Tsele said. "Their rights are being sacrificed and we have to resolutely defend the rights of Zimbabweans who continue to suffer.
There should be no apologies against the Zimbabwe government in terms of human rights violations. "There has to be a strong and clear condemnation of the Zimbabwe government by the SADC leaders, the UN and the AU and where necessary such violators should be served with notices of intention to punish them." He said victims of state sanctioned human rights violations have rights under international law to bring the violators of human rights to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) so that justice is seen to be done. Tsele said what the SACC is not expressing their opinion on was whether or not SADC and the AU should intervene regarding the political processes in Zimbabwe like the challenges to election results, and the ongoing electoral reforms. "It is not for us to call for Mugabe to step down," Tsele said. "Any outside interference must be premised on clearly documented cases of human rights violations. After our conference here we have met the SA deputy foreign affairs minister to formally brief him on our programme of helping the people of Zimbabwe. A delegation of church leaders would be meeting government officials very soon so that we attend to the specific concerns of Zimbabweans like the climate and environment under which next year's election would be held."
The general secretary said the independence of the electoral commission has to be legitimate so that the election result would not be controversial. However, he said their major concern was that repressive legislation remains in place, closing the democratic space for the media, civic society and the general freedom associated with democracy. "There is no disagreement from SACC that the Public Order and Security Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act are all very draconian and should be repealed," he said. He refused to comment on the Catholics statement calling for sanctions at the end of the annual conference in Durban on Thursday. A senior church leader in Zimbabwe who asked not to be named said Zimbabwe's church groups were agreed that sanctions against Zimbabwe were undesirable because they were in the process of trying to bring the major stakeholders to the negotiation table to resolve the political and economic crisis.
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From Zim Online (SA), 14 August
Catholic bishops: Impose smart sanctions against Zimbabwe's rulers
Johannesburg - The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has called on South Africa to lead the African Union (AU) in imposing targeted sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and his government. The Conference's information officer Efrem Tresoldi told ZimOnline in an interview yesterday that Pretoria had the knowledge and wherewithal to effectively pressure Mugabe and his associates to abandon their controversial policies. "We believe that the SA government knows the appropriate sanctions to take against Zimbabwe as happened during the apartheid era. We are saying the South African government and other powerful African countries should impose targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe's ruling elite. The sanctions should spare the already suffering people but would be directed at mostly those in power who have continued to benefit from the regime's system." The European Union and the USA have already introduced so called smart sanctions against Mugabe and top Zanu PF and government officials. These include travel bans and the freezing of bank accounts.
In a statement issued at a meeting of the SACBC earlier this week in Durban the organisation called for Africa and the international community to take stronger action to end human suffering in Zimbabwe and Sudan. The statement said, 'The Zimbabwean situation of starvation and malnutrition, wilful political violence and intimidation, and the immoral use of food aid by the Zimbabwean government demands stronger and transparent intervention by African governments through the AU. "The AU must now abandon its kid-glove approach on Zimbabwe and take more robust action to pressure Harare to end political violence and the use of food by the government to punish opponents and reward supporters." The Zimbabwe government has repeatedly denied using food for political gain.. The 30 bishops called on the international community to pressure Mugabe to ensure a parliamentary election due in march 2005 was free and fair. African leaders, especially South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, have in the past resisted open criticism and tougher measures against Mugabe, favouring 'quiet diplomacy' instead.
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From The Sunday Times (SA), 15 August
SADC won't punish Zimbabwe
Despite damning report, sanctions are not on
Sthembiso Msomi
Mauritius - Southern African ministers are to re commend that no action be taken against Zimbabwe despite a recent African Union report detailing human rights abuses committed by President Robert Mugabe's government. In a report prepared ahead of tomorrow's Heads of State summit, the Southern African Development Community's foreign affairs ministers say they are opposed to sanctions but propose that the region should be more active in ensuring that Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections in March next year are fair. "We remain opposed to sanctions as we believe that they impact negatively on the poor... We are committed to work within SADC organs to help the Zimbabweans find a solution to their situation," the council of ministers recommends. Zimbabwe has faced renewed regional attention since the release of a damning report by the AU Human Rights Commission detailing the government's role in violence and inti midation. The Zimbabwean government has refused to recognise the report, saying it was never given an opportunity to give its side of the story. Despite the AU last month giving Zimbabwe two weeks to reply to the report, Foreign Affairs Minister Stan Mudenge appears to be in no hurry to do so.
The presidents of the 13 SADC member states, who include President Thabo Mbeki, begin a two-day meeting in Mauritius tomorrow where the political situation in Zimbabwe, the recent attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the creation of a regional standby force to maintain peace in the region are expected to top the agenda. The summit is also expected to adopt guidelines for future elections and decide on Madagascar's application for SADC membership. The election guidelines, which insist on the establishment of electoral bodies that are independent of the state, will come into effect before Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections. But despite Zimbabwean electoral laws being in clear contravention of some of the guidelines, government officials say Mugabe will vote in favour of the guidelines on Tuesday. Critics of the guidelines point out that they set out no punitive measures. The start of the summit will also mark the start of South Africa's one-year term as chair of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad says Mbeki's first task as chairman of this organ will be to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo later this month to discuss the conflict in the Great Lakes Region.
The summit will be the last regional gathering to be attended by Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and Namibian President Sam Nujoma. The two men, who will step down when their countries go to the polls later this year, will bid formal farewells at the summit. But the celebratory spirit was spoilt on Friday when Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma angrily told ministers of the other member states to remain behind during a lunch break. She was unhappy that some had held a meeting on Thursday where they decided to remove the SADC's executive secretary, Prega Ramsamy, and replace him with a Lesotho candidate. Dlamini-Zuma argued that the Thursday meeting, chaired by Lesotho, should not have taken place in the absence of South Africa and a number of other member countries. Following South Africa's intervention, Ramsamy's successor will now be chosen when his term expires next March.
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From Radio Natherlands, 13 August
The new face of Mugabe
By Bram Vermeulen
This week, the voice of the "old" Robert Mugabe - the president of Zimbabwe who has used every means possible to stay in that job for the past 24 years - was heard once again. Imperialists such as the United Kingdom and United States are threatening our nation, he told the generals and commanders of Zimbabwe's armed forces. President Mugabe mentions his theory about a western plot against the Zimbabwean government at almost every public speaking engagement. Yet, in recent weeks, Zimbabwe has frequently heard Mr Mugabe speaking with a different voice, one that that asks the opposition and other troublemakers for their "cooperation". A Robert Mugabe who not only promises free and fair parliamentary elections in March next year, but who also indicates how he intends to bring about "electoral reform". A man who's started to have corrupt businessmen and politicians - from his own party - arrested, and who's managed to halve the country's inflation in just a few months. This is the charming side of Mr Mugabe. A man who, according to Rindai Chipfunde of human rights organisation Zimbabwe Election Support Network, is desperately seeking credibility and legitimacy: "Following the controversial 2002 elections, he's lost credibility, and he'll use this year to try and win it back." This is how Ms Chipfunde explains Mr Mugabe's radical change of tone and the fact that there were considerably less reports about opposition supporters being mistreated during the recent interim elections for a couple of parliamentary seats. "Mugabe seems to believe he can also win the elections with less intimidation. I'm afraid he could be right."
Intimidation and violence against the opposition and others who hold different views have become commonplace in Zimbabwe over the last four years. At the beginning of 2000, the president lost an important referendum on his proposal to change the constitution so that his term in office could last indefinitely. Later that same year his party just managed to win the parliamentary elections thanks to a law which has ensured, for many years, that the governing party always gets 30 extra seats. Since then, Zimbabwe has seen how many opposition supporters - particularly in the countryside - have been tortured, raped and sometimes killed by armed gangs of youths. The violence continues, but the Amani Trust human rights organisation says the methods have changed. A spokesperson for the group says: "We mainly get victims coming in here who've had the soles of their feet beaten or been injured on their behind or back. These are parts of the body which recover quickly, and the wounds have disappeared by the time the election observers arrive". Human rights organisations say Mr Mugabe has adopted a new approach. "On the surface, he's playing the pro-reform leader. Beneath the surface, the repression goes on unchanged.''
One of his key instruments is the law. Under proposed new legislation, human rights organisations will be required to register this year with a special state commission. The bill also states that these groups may not meddle in government affairs or rely on foreign donors. "You can safely assume that organisations which voice no criticism will be the only ones that can count on getting a licence," is the reaction of one anonymous campaigner. The draft law has caused fear among non-governmental organisations. Last year, the country's media were ordered to register with a state commission, and three independent papers were shut down as a result. Political scientist Brian Raftopoulos of the University of Zimbabwe says Mr Mugabe particularly wants the approval of Zimbabwe's neighbours, who'll be sending observers to the elections in March next year. Over the last year, the regional development group SADC and the African Union have both grown fiercer in their criticism of human rights violations in Zimbabwe. "Yet they're also very receptive to his rhetoric against big business, against the United States and Great Britain. If Mugabe combines that with the promise of democratic reform, they'll be able to back him again without any worries.''
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From SW Radio Africa, 14 August
Violence erupts in Makoni East - MDC officials in hiding
At least 42 MDC provincial officials are reported to be in hiding after violence broke out in Makoni East. A group of war veterans and youth militia are said to be going door to door attacking opposition members. The perpetrators are alleged to be sponsored by Anti-Corruption Minister and Makoni North MP Didymus Mutasa. The MDC district chairman, Bothwell Kawadza and his entire executive have now been forced into hiding. MDC spokesman for Manicaland Pishai Muchauraya said that Rusape police say they will not intervene because it is a political matter.
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From Business Day (SA), 14 August
Zimbabwe inflation declines
Favourable base effects and slower money supply growth have resulted in further declines in Zimbabwe's annual inflation, Standard Bank said. Zimbabwe annual inflation declined to 362.9% y/y in July from 394.6% y/y in June while on a monthly basis inflation edged up from 9.2% m/m in June to 9.5% m/m in July following increased inflationary pressures in non-food inflation categories of the consumer price index. The bank said this suggests that inflation declines may have started to level off. Food inflation declined to 378.4% y/y in July from 430.6% y/y in June, while monthly inflation declined to 6.2% m/m in July from 13.5% in June. The major components of the food sub-index namely, bread and cereals, meat, fruits and vegetables had monthly inflation rates of 9.9% m/m, 10.1% m/m and -2.1% m/m in July following June's inflation rates of 9.1% m/m, 12.3% m/m and 22.3% m/m. Food inflation remains high despite the decline in monthly inflation and structural rigidities inhibiting production need to be addressed before production can rise to higher levels, the bank stated. The country's annual inflation in the beverage and tobacco category of the inflation index declined to 293.4% y/y in July from 319.5% y/y in July, while monthly inflation rose to 8.3% m/m in July from 5.9% m/m in June. Higher monthly inflation in the beverage component of 9.1% m/m in July up from 5% m/m in June was behind the higher level of inflation in this category.
The rent, rates, fuel and power category of the inflation index also had inflation decline to 357.2% y/y in July from 451.2% y/y in June while monthly inflation edged up to 2.1% m/m in July from 1.9% m/m in June. All components of the category recorded modest inflation rates on a monthly basis. The category accounted for 61.8% of the total annual inflation rate making it the second largest contributor after food. The furniture and household stores category of the inflation index has the lowest annual inflation rate at 231.1% y/y in July down from 307.1% y/y in June. The equipment component in this category recorded monthly inflation of 9.6% m/m in June reflecting Zimbabwe dollar depreciation. The clothing and footwear category's annual inflation declined to 313.3% y/y in July from 339.1% y/y in June. The transport and communication category had annual inflation of 694.9% y/y in July up from 499.4% y/y in June making it the only category to register an increase in inflation. The increase was occasioned by a sharp jump in monthly inflation in the communication component, which rose to 381.5% m/m in July from 0.8% m/m in June. The bank added that annual inflation in the medical care, recreation and entertainment, education and miscellaneous items categories was 407% y/y, 442.3% y/y, 675.5% y/y and 250.2% y/y in July as compared to 500.4% y/y, 446.4% y/y, 712.2% y/y and 302.4% y/y in June respectively.
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From The Zimbabwe Independent, 13 August
More banks in trouble
Shakeman Mugari
Most banks will likely not meet a Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) deadline to shore up their capital requirements and repay RBZ loans by September 30, it emerged this week. The banking sector is still struggling to regain balance after tremors caused by RBZ governor Gideon Gono's monetary policy initiative introduced last year. By the end of September all commercial banks will be required to have a capital requirement of $10 billion, merchant banks $7,5 billion, and finance houses $7,5 billion. Building societies and discount houses will be required to raise their capital adequacy ratio to $7,5 billion and $5 billion respectively. The RBZ also wants those banks that received a life-line through the Troubled Banks Fund to have repaid their loans by the same deadline. Sources said several banks were still facing liquidity problems. This was highlighted by last week's placement of Royal Bank under curatorship. Royal joins Barbican Bank, which was placed under a curator earlier this year for bankruptcy. Troubled Intermarket Holdings' banking division, its building society and discount house were also recently placed under curatorship. But Intermarket Building Society has since been removed from curatorship. Out of Zimbabwe's 41 banking institutions before December 1 last year, six are now under curatorship, two under liquidation and four on life support through the Troubled Banks Fund. But sources say several banks are virtual shells waiting to collapse. The sources said the only solid banks were the traditional international institutions such as Standard Chartered, Barclays and Stanbic, as well as a few local ones such as Jewel Bank, Zimbank, NMB and Kingdom.
Recent rankings of banks by the RBZ showed that there were only six out of 17 commercial banks rated as "strong". One building society out of five, CABS, was rated as "strong". Banks such as Trust, Century, Metropolitan, Intermarket and Barbican were saved from collapse through the RBZ's Troubled Banks Fund which advanced them almost $500 billion in liquidity support. It is understood that Trust's debt to the RBZ has since ballooned from $208 billion to $1,5 trillion. Sources said it was likely taxpayers' money was going into a bottomless pit as some banks were unable to recover. Analyst John Robertson said the whole sector was still facing serious liquidity challenges. "Overall, the financial sector is not yet stable. The difficulties that beset most banks a few months back are still there," he said. "There are still banks in the market that have liquidity problems. As the deadline draws near we might see weaker banks courting stronger ones for possible mergers." Robertson said contrary to Gono's claims that the sector was stable, the situation on the ground showed most banks were still shaky. "Most banks are likely to struggle to repay their loans to the RBZ. The sector has not recovered because the economic fundamentals that caused their problems are still the same," he said. Gono refused yesterday to shed light on the situation, saying he had already explained the issues. "No, no. I spoke to the nation a few weeks ago. Please refer to my statement. I can't be speaking to the press everyday. No! That cannot be," he said. Many banks have not been able to access loans offshore because of weak fundamentals in the economy and the country's poor credit rating.
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From The Zimbabwe Standard, 15 August
Food crisis looms
Three provincial governors have requested for food aid from central government and for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be allowed to continue distributing food aid in their drought-stricken areas as hunger takes its toll in the country, The Standard has established. The governors, Josiah Hungwe of Masvingo, Angeline Masuku of Matabeleland South and Obert Mpofu of Matabeleland North recently made the pleas because their provinces, which fall under regions four and five, have run out of food. The latest appeal by three governors fly in the face of government, which has insisted that Zimbabwe has enough food to feed its people until the next harvest in 2005. President Robert Mugabe openly told the international donor community to direct the food aid to more needy people elsewhere in Africa. In an interview with The Standard last Friday, Hungwe, who is also resident minister for Masvingo, confirmed that he had made an urgent appeal to central government for food to feed starving people in his province. He said: "I have already written to the central government appealing for food aid because three districts are facing acute food shortages. There is food scarcity, and villagers here are severely threatened with hunger owing to the poor harvest worsened by Care International, who gave poor seed to our subsistence farmers." Mpofu refused to comment saying: "The Standard again, oh no,"before switching off his mobile phone. Masuku could not be reached for a comment.
Parts of Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South regions fall under regions four and five and receive very little rainfall throughout the year. In June, a Zanu PF central committee member Titus Mukhungulushi Chauke told The Standard that claims by President Robert Mugabe and other government officials that Zimbabwe had enough food until the next harvest were "irresponsible and utter rubbish." Chauke said thousands of people in Chiredzi, Mwenezi and some parts of Zaka were buying food because they failed to realise a bumper harvest. Renson Gasela, the MDC shadow secretary for agriculture, said people have started dying in urban areas because the country has not produced enough maize this year. He said Zimbabwe will need to import more grain in order to meet domestic maize requirements and avert a humanitarian crisis. His remarks followed a tour of some parts of the country last week. A former general manager of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) himself, Gasela said Mhangura silos has 5 000 tonnes of maize compared to 50 000 tonnes it can take. Kadoma only has 7 000 tonnes compared to 40 000 tonnes it can take. In areas such as Mhangura, Vuti and Lion's Den,the GMB is offering its trucks to go and collect maize from villagers, he said. A fortnight ago Winston Dzawo, the acting chief executive officer of the GMB, said 119 000 tonnes of maize had been delivered to the parastatal.
According to last year's consumption patterns, Zimbabweans were consuming 5 000 tonnes a day, which gives a monthly total of 150 000 tonnes or an annual figure of at least 1.8 million tonnes. The harvest season starts in April and runs until October, with July being the peak period for deliveries. But if the season is late, the peak period straddles July and August. The government says it expects a crop of 2.4 million tonnes of maize and that domestic consumption will run to 1.2 million tonnes. But Gasela says this means by now more than half of the total maize production would have been delivered to the GMB. "Remember, no one can sell maize to anyone except the GMB. Now if we say that in August we take in another 120 000 tonnes, September 120 000 tonnes and October a further 120 000 tonnes, that will be 480 000 tonnes. There is no way we are going to reach the government's figure and that is why people are dying in Bulawayo". The Standard last week reported that 152 people, mostly children, have died of hunger in Bulawayo this year, with 29 of these deaths recorded in July. Twenty-one of the 29 deaths in July were children. The Bulawayo City Council keeps records of the deaths. The records include information on the ages and the addresses of the hunger victims. The report drew the usual shrills of criticism and emotional outbursts from Jonathan Moyo, who declared: "Zimbabwe does not face any food shortages." Gasela said: "Moyo's reaction is not surprising. This is typical of Zanu PF. They want to cover up everything so that issues that are failures are not reported." Bulawayo executive mayor Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube last week confirmed The Standard report was accurate. "Those statistics are true and we have been compiling them painstakingly." But in a move that suggests the government concedes the country will not have enough grain, Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) reports that the South African Grain Information Service's weekly import/export charts indicate that between 2,000 and 6,000 tonnes of maize was being exported to Zimbabwe every week from April until the first week of July. A total of almost 40,000 tonnes had been delivered.
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From VOA News, 15 August
New report shows millions need food aid in Zimbabwe
Harare - According to a new vulnerability assessment, Zimbabweans are again in need of food aid, and, by November, nearly five-million will need emergency assistance. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, known as FEWS Net, paints a grim picture of last season's harvest. FEWS Net estimates that Zimbabwe's total grain harvest last season may have reached up to 1.1 million tons. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization provides a slightly lower estimate. Zimbabwe's government insists that the country grew more than double that amount. FEWS Net, which is funded by U.S. Agency for International Development, is considered a long-standing and reliable barometer on the issue of food security for southern Africa. The organization says in its latest report that hunger began becoming a serious problem for many communities at the end of July, and that it would escalate in the next four months. It said the feeding of vulnerable communities by international food agencies ended in response to the Zimbabwe government's own announcement that the last harvest was a good one.
FEWS Net said that, in addition to food shortages, millions of urban |
