Lie-O-Meter – Obert Mpofu is this week’s champ
Posted by ZDN on October 30, 2009
Week Ending 30 October 2009
Our Lie-O-Meter needle remains firmly in the ‘pants on fire’ zone as Zanu-PF ministers continue to concoct a whole host of lies. Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu, in a sharp suit and with a shifty expression, told a bunch of bare-faced lies on SABC3 this week. Mugabe used his forked tongue with the state-owned Herald, claiming that the MDC’s actions were driven by emotion and not reason.
And Moyo, again in the Herald of course, gave us several of his most blatant lies to date. So here goes – first the lie, then what’s really going on:
The Lie
Obert Mpofu said on SABC 3′s Special Assignment that there have been no atrocities at the Chiadzwa diamond fields and there is no illegal diamond smuggling.
The Reality
Human rights violations abound at Chiadzwa. The military launched ‘Operation No Return’ in Oct. 2008, where the army ordered a shoot-on-sight policy, killing hundreds of illegal miners. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said that up to five people died virtually every week as a result of being shot by the police or after being bitten by police dogs and left for dead.
The army then recruited local villagers at gunpoint and forced them to dig for diamonds. This is the situation that remains today.
Smuggling of uncut gems is rampant, and an official report by the Kimberley Process Group called for a ban on Zimbabwe diamonds as a result. The report shows that the police and military have benefitted greatly from illegal access to Marange’s mineral wealth.
The Lie
J. Moyo: The MDC cannot win a free and fair election, as was shown in March 2008.
The Reality
The MDC won the 2008 election, plain and simple. Moyo himself wrote on his website last year that “the simple truth…which Mugabe and his shocked cronies have found hard to swallow is that Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential election even if with less than the required absolute majority. In other words, Tsvangirai got more votes than Mugabe and thus defeated him.” (prof-jonathan-moyo.com/?itemid=55). Need we say more?
The Lie
From Moyo: MDC-T and its “foreign and Rhodie handlers…are in conspicuous and very serious breach of Articles IV and XIX of the GPA while Zanu-PF has fulfilled all its formal GPA obligations”.
The Reality
Article IV covers sanctions and measures, stating that both parties “commit themselves to working together in re-engaging the international community…” The MDC has been doing just that, yet their efforts have only drawn scorn from Zanu-PF, who accuse the MDC of running a parallel government. Article XIX covers freedom of speech, and states that the public and private media must refrain from hate speech. If anyone is in breach of that, it’s Moyo and Zanu-PF. And regarding his tired refrain that Zanu-PF has fulfilled all its GPA obligations, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Zanu-PF has not honored the GPA in the following areas: The appointment of key government positions, the democratization of the media, the land audit, the drafting of a new constitution and the rule of law issues.
The Lie
Moyo: The incidents of political violence and kidnappings of MDC-T activists across the country are not really happening. (Nelson Chamisa singled out Chiweshe in Mashonaland province as the most affected).
The Reality
It’s all true. Amnesty International said this week that they have verified reports of increased violence in Mashonaland East and Central provinces against known supporters of the MDC. Some examples:
- On Oct. 27, Edith Mashayire, senior security officer for the MDC Headquarters at Harvest House, was accosted by four armed men in civilian clothing, three with AK 47 assault rifles and one with a pistol. They tried to abduct her but people in the vicinity reacted immediately and were able to free her.
- The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said ZanuPF youth militia are targeting teachers who are regarded as MDC loyalists in the wake of the MDC’s withdrawal from ZanuPF. The PTUZ reported incidents in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central province, Buhera, Manicaland province, and Murehwa, Mashonaland East.
- Fifty homes belonging to known MDC supporters in Chiweshe district were burnt down by ZanuPF militias last week. MDC MP for Mazowe central Shepherd Mushonga told SW Radio Africa that MDC supporters and activists are being driven out by the militia.
The Lie
Moyo again: There are no white owned farms left out there to be invaded…
The Reality
There are an estimated 400 farmers remaining, with 152 currently facing prosecution.
The Lie
Media, Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu said that Mugabe “may have to consider appointing ministers in an acting capacity to key ministries for the sake of a successful agricultural season and general economic turnaround.”
The Reality
Mugabe can only appoint or fire ministers after consulting his coalition partners, according to the GPA. The MDC said “what ZANU-PF intends to do is not to appoint acting ministers, but to usurp the Constitution of Zimbabwe by appointing their own ministers.”
The Lie
Mugabe: “You will always get people in any arrangement who are guided by little emotional thoughts and act in accordance with them and who would want things to go their way, and not the national way and not the agreed way.”
The Reality
Mugabe is not describing Tsvangirai here, he’s describing himself, particularly his reaction to losing the election last year. Zimbabwe wouldn’t be in this mess if Mugabe had gone “the national way” and “the agreed way,” which was to have MDC is power.
Most breathtaking barefaced fibber of the week: Obert Mpofu.
Submit Reply
