Zimbabwe Weekly Update – week ending 1 Feb 2010

Posted by ZDN on February 2, 2010

Politics

Zanu-PF’s supreme decision making body, the Politburo, said there will be no more Global Political Agreement (GPA) compromises until targeted sanctions have been lifted. The sanctions question is not included in any conditions of the GPA.

A leaked Zanu-PF working document reveals that the party wants “an all-powerful presidency” and has no intention of sharing power in the future.

The MDC-T standing committee meeting has reportedly said that they want SADC to declare the GPA talks deadlocked.

A delegation of eight British MPs arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday for a four-day visit to review the effectiveness of British aid to Zimbabwe. The delegation’s report could inform the outcome of the EU’s sanctions review process, which is currently underway.

Meanwhile Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday urged the EU to maintain sanctions on Robert Mugabe and his inner circle until the GPA is fully implemented.

The new Zimbabwe Media Commission which is tasked under the GPA with reforming the country’s draconian media laws, and is chaired by Zanu-PF apologist Godfrey Majonga, has yet to convene a meeting. Journalists denounced the body as being ‘very political and partisan’. Leading civic society groups said on Wednesday that repressive media laws would hamper free debate during the outreach programme to gather people’s views.

Zimbabwe has been included in the African Union’s new Peace and Security Council for a three-year term. Malawian president Bingu Wa Mutharika replaces Libyan leader as chairman of the AU.

Governance

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is unable to feed suspects detained in holding cells owing to funding constraints. Operational activities such as transport for officers and crime scene attendance has also been affected. The organization received a budget allocation of US$30 million when it was hoping for US$230 million.

Civil servants are holding make-or-break talks with government negotiators on Tuesday to demand a four-fold increase in their salaries after a 14-day strike ultimatum passed without any action. Education Minister David Coltart and his Public Service counterpart Eliphas Mukonoweshuro failed to take the civil servants’ grievances to cabinet because it has not been sitting.

Tension between Zimbabwe and Botswana escalated after three armed officers from the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) were arrested for straying into Zimbabwe. The three scouts were picked up two weeks ago in Kazungula close to Victoria Falls after they allegedly crossed into Zimbabwe by accident while tracking lions that had killed two cows in Lesoma village along the border.

Police in Masvingo have arrested MDC Masvingo provincial chairman Wilstaf Sitemere on allegations of fraud involving $4 000.

Business

A new World Bank report reveals that Zimbabwe has very poor investment protection policies. The report, which compared 181 economies worldwide, said out of the total number surveyed Zimbabwe stood at 119. It came way behind such nations as South Africa, Botswana, Angola, and Namibia.

Citing strong growth in its Zimbabwe operations, LonZim reported a return to profit for the year ended 31 August 2009. LonZim reported a pretax profit of £1.08 million, compared with a £1.09 million loss in the preceding year. Shares were buoyed by the positive results, climbing nearly 9% following the announcement. The company’s subsidiaries have successfully positioned themselves to be ‘first back to market’ in Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has proposed changes to the Labour Act that might see men taking paternity leave, on the grounds that present regulations are discriminatory and disadvantage women. The proposals have already been submitted to the Minister of Labour Paurina Mpariwa.

Economy

Finance minister Tendai Biti is in Washington lobbying the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restore the country’s voting rights and offer lines of credit. The IMF suspended Zimbabwe’s voting rights in June 2003 after the country’s economy collapsed and government fell behind on debt repayments. Zimbabwe owes the IMF US$139 million under the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility – Exogenous Shock Facility.

Electrical power shortages in Zimbabwe will continue according to a Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) report. The report reveals that only one generator is working at Hwange and the other five have tripped due to ’system failure’.

Constitution

A compromise position has been reached on the issue of official rapporteurs on the constitutional outreach teams. Two members of each of the 70 outreach teams will be appointed by the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai, speaking at the World Economic Forum, said he expects the constitutional referendum to be conducted in October this year, allowing general elections to be held in 2011.

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri has demanded $3 million in payment to release 1000 police officers to accompany outreach teams during the constitution making process. The committee is also expected to provide food and transport for the officers. Parliamentary Select Committee co-chairman Douglas Mwonzora said he did not understand why civil servants should be paid extra, and such large amounts, for what should be a national duty.

The bunfight over allowances for the outreach teams continues: over 300 MP’s and Senators will earn between US$65 and US$300 per day in allowances for participating in the 65-day constitutional outreach programme. The number of legislators increased from 50 to 300, a move that nearly led donors to withdraw their funding.

Zanu-PF soldiers, youth militia and war veterans are reportedly forcing villagers to attend political meetings where they are cowed into supporting the Kariba Draft. Zanu-PF has been pushing for the draft to be adopted as the new constitution, while the MDC wants a “people-driven” process. Youth militia bases in the Masvingo and Nyanga are reportedly being reactivated, with soldiers seen to be training the youths.

Agricultural Sector

The government has signed a US$56.3 million fertiliser and seed deal with the African Investment Group (AIG) that will help ease the current shortage of the commodity, which was threatening the 2009-10 farming season.

The continued farm invasions have resulted in more than 1500 farm workers losing their jobs in January alone, the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (Gapwuz) has said. Gapwuz secretary general Gertrude Hambira said farm disruptions had a devastating impact on workers. About one million farm workers have been evicted from farms across Zimbabwe since the year 2000, according to the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

Two Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) members were arrested on Thursday on dubious ‘contempt of court’ charges after coming to the assistance of four other farmers who were all convicted for refusing to leave their properties. Magistrate Samuel Zuze, who ordered the evictions and arrests, is a beneficiary of one of the properties in question.

Zimbabwe Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa says the national army will be used to ensure the controversial land reform program is never reversed. CFU leader Deon Theron said the statement was “extremely worrying.” He said he believed the statement was ZANU-PF policy.

Hundreds of illegal settlers have invaded the western part of Burma Valley, one of the country’s leading banana producing areas and a once vibrant farming area, choking one of the sources of water in the area. Some of the settlers have invaded farms that are already under new black owners. Meanwhile the Zimbabwe ambassador to Tanzania Edzai Chimonyo continues to occupy Fangudu Farm in the valley, ownership of which is protected by a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA).

Law

At least 4,000 churchgoers held an open-air protest service in Harare on Sunday to protest police harassment and the continued occupation of the Anglican cathedral by excommunicated bishop and Mugabe crony, Nolbert Kunonga.

Police officers armed with batons this week drove out 60 children from a nursery school at Karoi Anglican church because their parents do not support Kunonga’s bid to seize control of the church.

Police in the Midlands province have been instructed to monitor and arrest members of the MDC, civic organizations, and NGOs holding public meetings. According to a radioed message sent to all police stations in the Midlands province last week, police commanders were being directed to closely monitor all meetings to be held by the ‘opposition’, NGOs and the civic society.

Three war veterans on Friday took Masvingo governor Titus Maluleke hostage for hours demanding money from him to bury bodies of former freedom fighters who did not get decent burials in the province. They were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct likely to disturb public peace.

Attorney-General (AG) Johannes Tomana last week failed to extract a confession from key state witness Peter Hitschmann during Deputy Agriculture Minister (designate) Roy Bennett’s treason trial. Tomana was given the chance to cross-examine Hitschmann after High Court Judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu declared him a hostile witness.

Violence

Aspiring ZANU PF MP Nathaniel Punish Mhiripiri told a ZANU PF meeting at Jani resettlement area in Makoni South that he had ‘authority and an open licence’ to eliminate opponents from the MDC, claiming he was allowed to kill in the name of ZANU PF. He also told the meeting he carried his guns in his vehicle and was always prepared to deal with ’sell-outs.”It’s either you are ZANU PF or an enemy’, he said. Mhiripiri was once a Selous Scout in the Rhodesian army.

Political violence has resurfaced in Tsvangirai’s home district Buhera, where ten families have been left homeless after their homes were burnt down. A local chief said there have been increased political tensions in the area.

The South African government is being pressured to release a potentially explosive report by four retired generals sent to investigate post-election violence in Zimbabwe during 2008. The report has been kept hidden from the public for over a year. The South African History Archive and the Southern African Centre for the Survivors of Torture will ask the Pretoria High Court to force the government to release the report, which was commissioned by SA premier Thabo Mbeki.

Evidence is emerging that individuals wanted for crimes of genocide in Rwanda are being employed by Zanu-PF for ‘dirty jobs’ in the youth militias that have terrorised MDC supporters since the 2008 election.

Health Crisis

A malaria outbreak has hit Mashonaland province, with a number of people feared dead in farming communities.

Japan on Tuesday donated US$1.4 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the Zimbabwean government to help buy vaccine to contain a measles outbreak that has killed more than 50 children countrywide. Most of them had not been vaccinated because their parents are members of an Apostolic Faith sect, which discourages medical treatment.

Cholera still lurks in Zimbabwe and the same problems that helped drive the last cholera epidemic remained unresolved. According to a report by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the cholera fatality rate of 1.8 percent, although lower than last year, is still too high.

Education

Zimbabwe may already have up to two million illiterate people and the number is rising. Last year 700 000 pupils in their mid-teens were scheduled to write the school-leaving Ordinary level examinations but three quarters of them were unable to. In 2003, the adult literacy level was estimated at 90.7 percent, one of the highest in Africa.

Zimbabwe student leaders held a crisis meeting with Tsvangirai last week after it emerged that 28 percent of students had dropped out of the University of Zimbabwe because of a lack of foreign currency to settle tuition fees. The university opened last Monday but students have been struggling to raise fees of between US$300 and US$1500.

Diamonds

A secret mile-long airstrip near Chiadzwa is under construction. Aerial photographs confirm the field will be capable of accommodating jets and cargo aircraft. Diplomatic sources speculate that such a facility would enable the shipment of arms, possibly from China, in direct exchange for newly-mined diamonds. Click here for more info >>

Hundreds of illegal diamond panners and foreign dealers have besieged Chipinge, Chimanimani and unsecured parts of Chiadzwa. Investigations are currently underway. Most of the diamonds are believed to be finding their way to Mozambique’s Manica Province where a willing market is reportedly available.

Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court has ordered the central bank to safeguard millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds from the Chiadzwa diamond fields amid an ownership battle over the mines. The chief justice said a neutral party should keep the diamonds pending a resolution of the dispute.

The World Diamond Council (WDC) has called on international buyers to shun Zimbabwean diamonds until ‘human rights concerns’ have been dealt with and full compliance with the Kimberley Process has been achieved.

Wildlife

National Parks rangers have shot five lions that killed four people in the northeastern district of Kanyemba. The lions were thought to have strayed from nearby hunting areas.

The Good News

United States Ambassador Charles Ray said on Friday the U.S. would help Zimbabwe restore basic services in the health sector. He handed over 50,000 personal protective clothing kits for influenza preparedness donated by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Australian government, instrumental in getting Zimbabwe kicked out of the Commonwealth, has agreed to now provide assistance to Zimbabwe. It will undertake projects to help with taxation laws as well as water and sanitation technical expertise.

Two former Arundel school students have raised the country’s flag high when they were nominated for entry to Oxford University. The 2009 Rhodes scholars of the year, Mutsawashe Mutembwa and Sarah-Jane Littleford, will be part of the 200 scholars nominated from 13 different countries.

Source: Zimbabwe Democracy Now

www.zimbabwedemocracynow.com