Friday, 20th November 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated...

-o00o-

PACHEDU (Roy Bennett)

Racist taunts from Chinamasa
Made Roy Bennett cross the line
Minor scuffle led to trauma
Jail was worse than any fine

Justice more than once miscarried
Babe knew naught of lost Estate
Nor how much Heather was harried
Brutalized by greed and hate

Tortured thoughts of one in prison
Suffering subhuman woes
Lice enjoy incarceration
With its excremental clothes

Freedom led to swift self-exile
Branded with new trumped-up charge
Treason in false weapon stockpile
One more travesty writ large

Promise of assured protection
Brought him back with hopeful heart
But denied his new position
Prosecutors made fresh start

With stale case and perjured witness
They made mockery of law
Tomana robed in absurdness
Ought to shamefully withdraw

Are they bent on a death sentence
Or eventual amnesty
To prop up their crumbling pretence
That Zimbabwe’s really free

Keep Roy Bennett here between us
Lend support through thick or thin
Justice can emerge victorious
Evil forces must not win

© duaneudd.com
18^th Nov 2009

-o00o-

We are getting used to Mugabe-ites pulling stunts that would make them look good - but sometimes these stunts beggar belief...

"Lawyers for senior MDC official Roy Bennett on Thursday accused Zimbabwe police of parading in court weapons not related to his terrorism trial in a bid to whip up public sentiment against him.

Bennett, an ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was arrested in February and charged with possessing weapons for purposes of terrorism, insurgency and banditry, charges which carry a potential death sentence upon conviction.

The case has raised tensions in a fragile unity government formed by President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose Movement for Democratic Change says the trial is political persecution.

On Thursday, defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said police had brought to court licensed weapons belonging to Peter Hitschmann, who prosecutors say implicated Bennett when the registered arms dealer was arrested for possessing dangerous weapons in 2006."

Think of it. Whenever the court convenes, the officers of the court make a big thing of carting the weapons into court - just to give the sitting judge an idea of the seriousness of the case - but now we discover that the weapons do not have anything to do with this case, but were used in the case against Hitschmann, the man who's 'confession' implicated Bennett.

In any decent, law-abiding country this sort of activity would not be allowed, but even though the defence has indicated that the weapons have nothing to do with this case, the initial impression given will be hard to cancel out.

But the defence lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, has done a good job in teaching the Attorney-General just how tough court cases can be. I read on Denford Magora's blog that the AG was nonplussed at a ruling made by the judge and actually stated that he didn't expect the ruling - a thought perhaps that the case has a pre-written script?

"Mtetwa said police in Bennett's case had added several other guns, anti-riot grenades, stun grenades and thousands of rounds of ammunition, whose origins could not be established and were never produced in the trial of Hitschmann, an accomplice witness in Bennett's trial.

Bennett is accused of paying for weapons found in Hitschmann's possession.

"This is part of a police publicity stunt to whip up public sentiment and misrepresent facts to this court," said Mtetwa.

Mtetwa also accused police of failing to document weapons found in Hitschmann's possession and that they were stored at an army barracks, making it possible that more weapons could have been added to strengthen the state's case."

And on the same blog by Denford Magora, there was an article which suggested that ZANU PF has a stockpile of weapons dating back to the chimurenga which they use to arm their brigands - and could quite easily have been used for other purposes, like being used as 'exhibits'...

"Hitschmann says he was tortured into implicating Bennett. He later recanted his confession in the presence of his lawyer.

Hitschmann, who was a policemen during white minority rule when Zimbabwe was known as Rhodesia, has also written to the attorney general saying he was not prepared to testify against Bennett because he had no evidence to give.

Mtetwa said Hitschmann had been tortured while in the custody of central intelligence operatives and the army.

State witness Sipho Makone, a senior police officer, denied the torture charges. The trial continues."

-o00o-

Just who is Tomana? Up until the time that Mugabe unilaterally appointed him, I had never heard of him...

"Zimbabwe’s attorney general developed cold feet on Thursday after MDC treasurer Roy Bennett’s lawyers demanded that crucial computer and police log evidence be produced immediately.

Defence lawyers Thursday demanded a police log book and 'recorded' laptop email evidence linking arms dealer Michael Hitschmann be produced. Attorney General, Johannes Tomana began saying that the logs were confidential and that the defence could only obtain them after a successful court application, which usually takes weeks to be approved. Tomana also defended his position saying that production of the log in court 'would jeopardise State security.'

When called forward, the police officer in charge Chief Supt Makone also began to say that the State was ‘relying on other information’ apart from Hitschmann’s affidavit."

The only 'State security' that would be under threat would be their ability to tell the truth and their reluctance to follow due process...

"There is a video clip showing Hitschmann confessing freely without any pressure."

"The e-mails are another form of evidence linking the accused to the offence," Makone said.

However, Hitschmann’s confession has been challenged on credibility grounds as Hitschmann has recently said that he confessed while under duress. Hitschmann was convicted and jailed for illegally possessing firearms and is a key prosecution witness. But Chief Supt Makone continued claiming that Hitschmann was never subjected to torture."

Obviously, with anything electronic, these days it is easy to show falsehoods from a computer - but the sentence that caught my attention was: "The State under Attorney General, Tomana claims that ‘e-mail messages’ implicating Bennett were downloaded from Hitschmann’s laptop." If the emails were 'downloaded' then they are open to abuse and can be rewritten.

But the defence knows of these emails as it is a requirement of law that the State gives their case in writing to the defence prior to the court case. Mtetwa knows what she is doing...

-o00o-

This was an editorial that I wrote yesterday...

"Robert Mugabe once threatened that he would rule Zimbabwe ‘from beyond the grave’. Well, it looks like some of his supporters have started without him!

I am 46 years of age - and in Zimbabwe I would be an old man - someone who has lived beyond the expected lifetime, which sits at about 44 years old.

And yet the Registrar-General, Tobiwa Mudede, would have us all believe the information in the current voters’ roll in Zimbabwe.

I would hazard a guess that my name is still on that roll, even though I never registered as a voter and my first vote ever was here in the United Kingdom!"

Read more...

-o00o-

As if the situation in Zimbabwe is not volatile enough, here we have a person selling ammunition...

"A Harare man has been jailed 20 months effective for selling firearm ammunition to members of the public without a licence.

Tichaona Kamikani (31) and his co-accused Martin Chinomona pleaded guilty to possession of firearm ammunition without a licence or permit when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Kudakwashe Jarabini on Wednesday.

The duo was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment but four months were conditionally suspended.

The court heard that between November 13 to 15 this year Kamikani, a senior security officer in the President’s Office and stationed in Tsholotsho, had 30 rounds of 7,62 by 39mm live firearm ammunition that he gave to Chinomona.

On November 15 this year, detectives from CID Law and Order Section Harare received information that Chinomona was in possession of firearm ammunition that he was offering for sale.

The detectives approached him purporting to be buyers of firearm ammunition."

It is interesting that the accused was a 'senior security officer from the President's Office' - I thought that Mugabe looked after jis own. Perhaps not as one of his security detail is so hard up for cash that he is attempting to sell the ammunition from his weapons!

And when you look at the price he was asking for each round, it borders on the ridiculous - and he has 20 months to think about his actions...

"The detectives subsequently arrested him when he returned with the 30 rounds that he was selling at US$10 each."

-o00o-

It is very apparent that the ante in Zimbabwe has been raised. Mugabe's security services are reportedly finding firearms all over the place - but I feel that much of the 'evidence' has been planted as ZANU PF seeks to remove various people from circulation with trumped up charges.

"In a dramatic event at Great Zimbabwe University this afternoon, seven student were arrest for possession of a gun in their room.

The students had gathered in Blessing Dubi’s room, one of the aspiring ZINASU National Executive Member candidate to try and caucus before the scheduled ZINASU National Bi- Annual congress on the 5th of December 2009.

The students were surprised when 15 college security guards pounced on them accusing them of holding an illegal meeting. The guards started beating them up and the students left the room in a rush.

The students quickly dispersed but to their surprise one hour after the disturbances, three students namely, Blessing Dubi, Robson Ruhanya and Zivanai Muzorodzi (SRC President) were picked up by police citing that they had found a fire arm in Blessing Dubi’s room after searching.

At first, the three students thought the police were joking but were shell shocked when four other students were picked up on similar allegations and were quickly whisked away to Masvingo Central Police Station."

Seven people gathered constitutes an illegal meeting?

I thought that the agreement signed by the three political principals in September last year allowed freedom to gather - but obviously not!

Article 10 of that agreement reads: "Recognising that the right to canvass and freely mobilise for political support is the cornerstone of any multi-party democratic system, the Parties have agreed that there should be free political activity throughout Zimbabwe within the ambit of the law in which all political parties are able to propagate their views and canvass for support, free of harassment and intimidation." So even if the seven were conducting a meeting, they were well within their rights...

"Security guards and the police have been on a rampage of harassing student activists and selected politicians on trumped up charges evidenced by the charges levelled on the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Designate, Hon Roy Bennet who is being charged with possession of fire arms.

These abuses should stop forthwith as it violate on the right to freedom of association and expression."

Mugabe is aware of the potential that university students represent. Indeed, so should Arthur Mutambara, who was one (reportedly) a 'student firebrand'.

I recall that when I was working for a car dealership on the Lomagundi Road, my journey home was often delayed because of student unrest at the University of Zimbabwe and many times the unrest deteriorated to running street battles with the police...

Mugabe has shifted his emphasis in oppressing the people of Zimbabwe - and I believe that there will shortly be an attempt by Mugabe and his supporters to cause the unity government to collapse, and thereafter it will be ZANU PF 'business as usual'...

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Thursday, 19th November 2009

Howzit

Among the list of obstacles that face the unity government, there is the appointment of the Attorney-General (who spent most of this week in court prosecuting Roy Bennett - and who was having a hard time of it) and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Gideon Gono. Both appointments were made unilaterally by Mugabe, and he has stated that neither man is going anywhere.

But perhaps there was a spanner inserted into the works by Parliament yesterday...

"Zimbabwe's parliament on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to reform the central bank, including reducing the powers of the bank governor accused by critics of policies that ruined the economy.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti said last week the government had failed to attract funding from foreign donors for next year's budget because they feared the money could be misused by the Reserve Bank.

The bill is the first major law to be passed by parliament since the formation of a unity government between Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and rival President Robert Mugabe in February.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Bill will reduce the powers of the governor by appointing an independent chairperson and board, and restrict the bank to dealing with interest rates, currency management and regulating banks.

The governor's core function would be to chair a planned monetary policy committee.

"There have been extreme discussions with the Minister (Biti) that there be amendments... and we have agreed on these amendments," Paul Mangwana, a member of parliament's legal committee and from Mugabe's ZANU PF party told parliament.

The bill will now be debated in the upper Senate, and if approved would be signed by Mugabe."

So even though parliament may back the revamping of the central bank's authority and that os the governor, it still has to be ratified by the senate and then be signed into law by Mugabe. Why do I get the feeling that Mugabe is going to reject it - that is assuming that the senate passes it?

Gono is Mugabe's financial lap dog and is responsible for more than just a few queries with the financial world in Zimbabwe. We all know how he happily introduced new bearer cheques into the system, some of them with a face value that ridiculed the economy, and, of course, we are aware that Gono helped himself to the foreign currency held in accounts at the bank...

That money has yet to be returned - and Mugabe says that Gono is 'no thief'.

"ZANU PF legislators had last week threatened to block the bill, arguing that it targeted central bank governor Gideon Gono, a Mugabe ally with whom Biti has had an uneasy relationship.

But an agreement was reached between Biti and ZANU PF lawmakers to make changes to the bill, including a clause giving immunity to the bank governor and employees "for anything done in good faith and without negligence".

Biti had, before his appointment, been vocal against Gono, at one time calling him "the country's number one enemy".

Critics blame Gono for policies that helped cripple the economy - stoking inflation by printing money and taking over functions of the national treasury, including buying farming inputs and extending financial support to government departments."

As with most things that relate to politics in Zimbabwe, I do not see there being any rush to clip Gono's wings. Mugabe is a past master in delaying any process, and in this particular this process, I can see Mugabe delaying at ratification for as long as possible before rejecting it completely.

-o00o-

I find it laughable that Jonathan Moyo, a veritable political chameleon, should object to the appointment of Makumbe. Moyo is obviously nothing more than an objector who would prefer that the audit be headed by a ZANU PF stooge.

The audit is aimed at checking and double-checking the number and validity of civil servants within the government.

We fully expect the ZANU PF objection simply because the civil servants are bolstered with a certain number of ZANU PF youth, war veterans and militia.

"Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro has appointed prominent University of Zimbabwe lecturer, Professor John Makumbe, as lead auditor, a move that has received instant condemnation from ZANU PF.

ZANU PF Central Committee member elect Professor Jonathan Moyo yesterday said Makumbe’s appointment was inappropriate since he "already" has conclusions before the actual audit.

Jonathan Moyo said such an appointment would even require a legal challenge.

"Such an appointment would be scandalous because Makumbe has already made conclusions before the actual audit. That would be prejudicial to have such a person for that job," said Moyo.

"It is important for such a committee to have people whose political opinions we don’t know than have Makumbe whose political opinion is a public secret.

We cannot have people who, for years, have been manufacturing falsehoods and their secret agenda is public."

Moyo hs no room to talk about preconceived ideas - he was elected on an independent ticket and very quickly thereafter he returned to ZANU PF and is now listed as a "Central Committee member elect"...

He was elected by the people as an independent and then cheated everyone of the ballot number by returning to the mother body. Is that not something akin to what he is objecting to?

At least Makumbe has been honest and open with his attitude and feeling...

"Efforts to get comment from Prof Makumbe were fruitless last night as his mobile phone was unreachable.

The costly payroll and skills audit will gobble about US$4 million and also requires 350 motor vehicles that would be provided by Government.

Minister Mukonoweshuro said the ministry had hired a private consultants company, CGI Consultancy Auditors, to carry out the audit that would run between November 23 and December 18.

Cabinet mandated the audit in April to unearth possible ghost workers in the civil service and address other related irregularities."

-o00o-

This is just plain stupid! And it does lend itself to the idea that the army is an 'uncivil' service...

Why should the ZNA not be included? Are they not government employees?

"Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro has announced that the coalition government will this month begin an audit of the civil service, to weed out ghost workers. The audit follows reports over the months that tens of thousands of workers were on the public service payroll, despite not doing anything.

In an interview with Newsreel, Mukonoweshuro said the audit would not cover members of the security forces because they did not fall under his ministry. The Public Service Ministry had sought permission from cabinet to carry out the audit and this would be restricted to the state workers covered by his ministry.

In April Newsreel broke the story that 29000 youth militia loyal to ZANU PF were still on the payroll and listed as civil servants. Youth Development Minister Savior Kasukuwere was quizzed in parliament over the matter and claimed most were youth officers, employed to work in the different wards around the country."

Even if the audit is permitted to go ahead, the results will never be made public, so the illegal activities of ZANU PF will never really be known.

Even though ZANU PF lost the election, they still hold kingpin positions in the unity government and continue as if they had won the election.

"In May it was then revealed that other civil servants were receiving multiple salary payments. The revelations led to a freezing of payments to hundreds of civil servants while some had their contracts terminated. An audit, started by Public Service Commission Inspector General, Clifford Matorera, exposed how some nurses, soldiers and other civil servants in the Youth, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Legal Affairs Ministries, were paid up to 5 salaries each month. Some of the civil servants implicated say their names were used, but they never received the money themselves.

The new minister Mukonoweshuro, who is from the MDC, promised a clean-up of the payroll to weed out the ghost workers. He said the audit would begin on the 23rd November and end on the 18th December.

"The idea is that government can vouch for the integrity of the payroll, audit staffing levels and eradicate irregularities if any. The audit is not in any way or in any form a witch hunt. If mistakes are found we want, as government, to stand up and have the courage to look up to those mistakes," he said."

At the same time, the voters' roll needs to be audited so that only those that are permitted to do so appear on the listing, and then they only appear once.

-o00o-

If the voters' roll is to be believed, then Zimbabwe has a better longevity than most Western countries - and we know that it just isn't true...

"A Zimbabwean MP shocked parliament when he produced evidence that the voter's roll used in last year's elections had names of hundreds of dead people who had been registered to vote.

MP Tongai Matutu said the anomaly showed "the extent to which the voters' roll should represent the graveyard."

"Of those 503 (dead voters), the surprising thing is that they all have a similar date of birth which is 1 January 1901," said Matutu."

Now, the MP concerned is from MDC and either his presentation will be ignored, or shouted down as MDC authored, or he will be arrested on some nefarious charge.

"I have the list of those people who are 107-years-old still appearing on the voters roll," said Matutu.

He said he had copies of the voter's roll used in the disputed elections, which resulted in the formation of the unity government.

"We have 144,202 [people] over the age of 90 on the voters' roll," said the fiery MP, adding that the average life expectancy of Zimbabweans was about 44 years.

"There were 115 voters who were below the age of 18 (legal voting age) with the youngest being one-year-old at the time of 2008 elections," said Matutu. ''So what it simply means is we are going to have more ghosts than registered voters.''

I sincerely hope that the observers at the polling stations were aware that their duties included changing the nappies of the voters...

-o00o-

The courts overflow with cases that concern the cheating of the public by representatives of ZANU PF - and then you get those that are just cheats. This is one of those...

"Suspected fraudster and CH marketing director Takesure Chingono was yesterday back in court facing fresh charges of swindling farmers of maize worth over US$80000 after allegedly misrepresenting that he was an agent for non-governmental organisations.

Chingono (31) was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate, Mr Archie Wochiunga, who remanded him out of custody to November 28 this year.

His lawyer Mr Stephen Rugwaro of Baera and Company, successfully applied to have the new charges married to those he was already facing in the same court.

He told the court that the charges were not "new but additional ones"."

I don't know why his lawyer should even bother to comment. Any crime that prejudices anyone to a total of US$80000 is not a trivial matter and I am a little surprised that the accused was remanded out of custody. We have seen people held in custody for crimes worth a lot less...

"Outlining the State's case, Mrs Phillis Zvenyika said sometime in August this year Chingono placed an advert in The Herald that he was buying maize for NGOs at US$300 per tonne.

This was above the US$265 offered by the Grain Marketing Board.

It is alleged that companies and individuals approached him and he made them sign supplier's agreements, promising in turn to pay them within five days of delivery.

Chingono allegedly told the suppliers to deliver the maize at various places.

The State says Chingono did not pay for the maize delivered to him and kept giving the suppliers excuses on the delays.

He was reported to the police leading to his arrest. Police investigations revealed that Chingono had sold the maize to third parties who had fully paid him, it is alleged."

Throw the book at him - but the system will allow him to do 'a Mugabe' - delaying the due process of law, and by the time the case is complete he will have dodged the full remit of the court.

And his authority will not be removed.

-o00o-

ZANU PF argue that there was no timeframe set by SADC, and even if there was, Mugabe will never march to someone else's beat.

"Zimbabwe’s feuding political parties look set to miss a monthend deadline set by the Southern African Development Committee (SADC) to conclude outstanding issues of their power sharing agreement as negotiators are yet to meet.

SADC averted a political meltdown on November 6 when it convinced Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to end a three week boycott of the unity government.

But the regional body gave the squabbling parties a 30-day deadline to resolve a slate of thorny disputes.

An emergency SADC mini summit in Mozambique to tackle the Zimbabwe crisis gave the parties 15 days to kick start negotiations.

The deadline is fast approaching without any signs of movement signalling the parties’ seriousness to end their disputes, including the arrest and harassment of Mr Tsvangirai’s loyalists."

The problem is that SADC holds no authority for Mugabe. He treats them with utter disdain.

In fact, Mugabe has decided that it was more important to attend a food summit convened by the UN in Italy.

Who's idea was it to invite him? Who's idea was it to give him the floor?

And while he and a 60 man entourage are in Italy, nothing is happening with regard to the negotiations in Zimbabwe...

"On Monday, some of the negotiators from President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions met the PM, in what officials said was a brief meeting to set the tone for the talks.

The meeting only lasted about two minutes as some of the negotiators were said to be out of the country.

This means that negotiations will not start until Friday, a senior official in Mr Tsvangirai’s office said.

"They will work from Friday right into the weekend to deal with the matters as brought on the table through the SADC troika summit," said Mr Gorden Moyo, the Minister of State in the PM’s office."

Don't be fooled by this statement. Come Friday there will be another reason for the meeting to be postponed.

"PM Tsvangirai implored us to start the negotiations but the meeting did not go far because there was no representation from the other party (small MDC faction) whose negotiators are out of the country," he said.

"We are hoping to start the negotiations as soon as the other negotiators are back and we will work hard to make sure we meet the stipulated time frame."

The whole debacle in Zimbabwe is being drawn out by all three prinicpals. The election was almost two years ago...

"The former foes are still wrangling over the appointment of provincial governors, ambassadors, permanent secretaries and lack of progress in political reforms.

Mr Tsvangirai’s MDC also wants Mr Mugabe to reverse the unilateral appointment of his cronies to head the central bank and the attorney general’s office and also swear in its deputy agriculture minister designate who is facing terrorism charges.

On the other hand, ZANU PF says it will not move on the demands until the MDC calls for the lifting of sanctions against Mr Mugabe’s inner circle and the closure of pirate radio stations.

Mr Mugabe also accuses his coalition partners of setting up parallel government structures to try and topple him from power. ZANU PF says MDC is working with Western powers on a regime change agenda. Analysts say the parties are unlikely to meet the SADC deadline because they are poles apart on a number of fundamental issues."

The time wasting is epic!

And the free world just sits and watches... and does nothing.

-o00o-

Y'know, when you read Mugabe's tirades - and there are plenty of them - they always have a common grounding - that the Western world has instituted illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, and that these measures have been adopted at the request of the MDC.

First of all, the sanctions are targeted travel sanction - just read what Didymus Mutasa had to say about them less than a week ago - and they have been in place for longer than the MDC has been in existence!

But Mugabe believes his own lies and makes a point of telling the MDC to have the sanctions lifted...

"While President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe again called this week for the lifting of travel and financial restrictions imposed by Western countries on him and other ZANU PF officials, some argue that targeted sanctions should be tightened to increase their effectiveness.

Addressing a United Nations summit on food Rome this week, Mr Mugabe accused "neo-colonialist enemies" of sabotaging Zimbabwe's economy with sanctions, urging their lifting.

The United States, the European Union and others have said they will not seriously consider lifting targeted sanctions until Mr Mugabe and his former ruling ZANU PF party fully comply with the 2008 Global Political Agreement for power-sharing in Zimbabwe."

The labelling of ZANU PF as the "former" ruling party is incorrect. Mugabe and ZANU PF are in full control in Zimbabwe. Do not allow the idea that Mugabe has relinquished authority for any part of government derail your focus.

Mugabe is invited to these summits - for some reason UN summit attendance excuses travel sanctions - and then is allowed to address them. Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier if someone recorded his latest lambasting of the West and then they just play the tape in future summits?

Ridiculous!

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Wednesday, 18th November 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated...

-o00o-

It isn't very often that household names stand up and are counted - especially when the person that they are standing up against is Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

"Peter Gabriel, Susan Sarandon, Cyndi Lauper, and Citizen Cope have signed a petition calling on Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, to help end politically motivated violence against women. Their actions were inspired by remarks made by Kuda Chitsike, Program Manager at the Research and Advocacy Unit in Zimbabwe and keynote speaker at the WITNESS Focus for Change Benefit Dinner and Concert in New York last week.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090327/DC89763LOGO)

In 2007, Ms Chitsike and her organization partnered with WITNESS, the international human rights organization, to produce visual evidence of violence against women in the region.

In 2008, political violence erupted throughout Zimbabwe as a result of highly contested national elections. Between the months of May and July, local organizations estimate that state-sanctioned groups abducted, raped, tortured, and beat over 2,000 women and girls due to their political affiliations. Human rights groups believe these numbers to be much greater, as currently there are no formal mechanisms to report these types of attacks. Local police ignore these women's pleas for protection and accountability, and national leaders have been equally unresponsive. As the country prepares for another election year, women's groups are bracing again for an increase in attacks for real or perceived affiliations with the MDC Party, headed by Mr Tsvangirai.

Signatories implore Prime Minister Tsvangirai to ensure that the government of Zimbabwe investigate and prosecute all cases of politically motivated violence against women and bring the perpetrators to justice, as stipulated in the Global Political Agreement through national justice institutions, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development, or SADC tribunal. The petition advocates for financial assistance, including medical and psycho-social support, to women who have experienced violence, as reiterated by the Zimbabwean Global Political Agreement and the South African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development."

I expect Mugabe to say nothing on the issue.

-o00o-

It is not above expectation that Mugabe will seek to silence Roy Bennett another way if the criminal case against him is thwarted. We have already seen an attempt by the ZANU PF riddled judicial system to have him thrown in jail for the duration of the trial...

"There are new fears this week that MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett could be rearrested on yet more spurious charges, as the state’s treason case against him grows ever more flimsy.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa reported after the morning’s High Court proceedings that the state’s case is already proving to be based on hearsay and fabrication. He explained that the state’s chief witness, Police Superintendent James Makoni, who took the stand again for cross examination by the defence on Tuesday, has further crippled the state’s case. The witness moved to deny everything that Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa was asking him, going as far as to contradict his earlier statements and expose his own mistakes.

The prosecution, being led personally by Attorney General Johannes Tomana, has rested its entire case on the testimony of their chief witness, Makoni. But while Muchemwa explained that Makoni’s performance in court Tuesday proves the flimsy nature of the state’s case, he explained there are now fears for Bennett’s re-arrest. Muchemwa continued that defence lawyer Mtetwa has ended each court day trying to secure a promise from the court that Bennett will not be rearrested, further heightening concern that more charges will be brought against her client."

We don't really expect anything different from the State - and Mugabe. He is determined that he will never swear Bennett into cabinet - even though he said he would do in the event that the court acquit him.

The threat that Bennett may be re-arrested on new charges is very real.

"The treason trial against the MDC official hit a snag on Monday when Judge Chinembiri Bhunu refused to recuse himself from the case. Bennett’s legal team last week requested that Justice Bhunu hand the trial over to another judge, saying his handling of the related Peter Hitschmann trial in 2006 showed he might be ‘prejudicial’ to Bennett. But Bhunu refused to hand the case over when proceedings got under way on Monday, saying the cases of Hitschmann and Bennett were separate.

But it was not smooth sailing for the state prosecution either, after they introduced Superintendent Makoni as their first witness. Makoni’s entire testimony was based on what was allegedly said by Hitschmann during the police’s investigation, evidence that Mtetwa immediately argued was inadmissible. Hitschmann’s testimony, which will allegedly implicate Bennett, has been critical to the state’s case, with the majority of state witnesses relying on the arms dealer to corroborate their stories. But Hitschmann has since disowned everything he allegedly told police during their investigations, leaving the state with a skeletal case."

The State case lies in ruins and the Attorney-General has proved that he is not a fighter for justice, but a pawn in Mugabe's chess games - easily sacrificed...

His poor performance in court adds weight to the idea that he needs to be removed from office - bearing in mind that his appointment was unilateral in the first place.

-o00o-

Another take on the failure by the State's witness to make any impact in the Roy Bennett case at the High Court in Harare.

"A police state witness in MDC treasurer general Roy Bennett’s ongoing terrorism trial admitted Monday that police falsified evidence when they added weapons which were not recovered from Peter Michael Hitschmann, Bennett’s co-accused.

Sipho James Makone, a Chief Superintendent in the police force, made the startling admission when he was testifying in the high profile trial.

Bennett’s trial opened Monday with the deputy minister-designate denying all the charges levelled against him.

He is being accused of possessing dangerous weapons as well as inciting acts of insurgency.

On Tuesday, Makone, the investigating officer in Bennett’s case, showed the court an assortment of weapons which were allegedly recovered from Hitschmann’s house.

They included one FN rifle, an MP5 sub machine gun, an AK rifle, 8 Uzi sub machine guns, a one-inch signal pistol and some 3000 bullets of different sizes and types.

Also recovered were 19 anti-riot hand grenades, 6 Stun MIA3 hand grenades, 2 Schermuly signal smoke hand grenades, one illuminating hand grenade and a rocket flair illuminating hand grenade."

The witness then admitted to the court that the Uzi's were not part of the Hitschmann case. Which then begs the question - if the State is prepared to falsify the exhibits in this case, then how much else in the case are they prepared to falsify?

It goes without saying that the State case needs to be rock solid - I know, I have presented enough of them in my time - and when a crack shows itself, it isn't very long before the case collapses.

"But Makone told the court during cross examination by Bennett’s lawyers that two Uzzi sub-machine guns were not among the weapons recovered from Hitschmann’s Mutare house.

Makone, who looked bamboozled by the plethora of questions fired at him by Beatrice Mtetwa, the lead defense counsel, blamed his juniors for the oversight.

He said they were recovered from a Masvingo house belonging to Major Israel Phiri, an army officer who was Hitschmann’s co-accused. Two other army officers were arrested.

Charges against the army trio were dropped before plea leaving Hitschmann, a firearms dealer, to face the charges on his won and be convicted and sentenced for two and a half years."

The trial continues to be the focus of many Zimbabweans throughout the world.

-o00o-

It is a well-known fact that politics and religion shouldn't mix. And when we read about a priest being beaten by a soldier, the mix is a very dangerous one indeed.

"We received a very disturbing report today that is yet another indication that the army is getting completely out of line. A well known Catholic priest in Banket has been savagely beaten by a soldier.

Father Wolfgang Thamm is in his late 60’s and is a man who is deeply respected by everyone who knows him. He’s been a priest in Zimbabwe for most of his life and for the past 12 years has been ministering in Banket.

On Sunday afternoon he was on a mercy mission to Darwendale with one of the hospital nursing sisters, to fetch an asthmatic boy from the Darwendale clinic and take him back to Banket hospital for better care.

From Trelawney he took the Maryland Road to Darwendale and about half way, passed the farm buildings which have been commandeered by the army as a sort of barracks, because it is close to their national armory in Darwendale.

He was flagged down by a soldier standing at the side of the road, but he didn’t notice the man until the nursing sister with him said she thought they were being waved down. He reversed the vehicle back about 50 metres and was met with full abuse for his failure to instantly obey the signal.

The armed man ripped off his glasses and gave him a full punch to the right eye (already damaged from a vicious beating he had in the 2002 elections). He was then hauled out of the bakkie, punched again and shoved into a large muddy puddle, where he was kicked in the stomach twice and beaten again. They then used a container to pour muddy water over him from head to toe, until even his shoes were full of mud. He was then told to get out of there."

I have asked this before and no doubt will ask it many times again - since when do the soldiers, the police, war veterans, youth militia and any other wing of ZANU PF have the right to beat up on anybody - much less a man of the cloth?

I reckon it is a safe bet that nothing will come of this incident. Even if the soldier is identified, the ZANU PF structures will fall in place to protect him from any prosecution.

"He drove to Darwendale clinic where they cleaned him up, gave him aspirin, lent him a pair of old trousers and a blanket for his shoulders to replace the wet, muddy clothes and in driving rain he drove all the way back to Banket hospital, in the dark.

His one eye is now completely red where the white should be and his cheeks puffy and bruised. His stomach is also still very sore.

His staff and parishioners are devastated by this attack on such a good man. Apart from anything else Banket has had no power (therefore no water) for the past seven days and Father Thamm has been running a generator a few hours a day to pump water free of charge, so that people in Kuwadzana township can collect in their buckets.

It is of great concern that the army feels so unaccountable and free to abuse anyone they want to. It does not bode well for the future of Zimbabwe."

-o00o-

I maintain just what good will be done by inviting Mugabe to the various summits as he just uses them as an excuse to go shopping, but then the convenors add to the problem by giving Mugabe the floor. He then attempts to justify not only his presence, but uses the summits to launch all manner of allegations - none substantiated - against the free world.

"Inflation has been tamed, a few goods have reappeared in the shops and a little more food is available to a hungry nation. But President Mugabe has lost none of his venom or readiness to hound, torture and repress his enemies. Nor has he ceased trying to thwart and isolate Morgan Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister and bitter Mugabe opponent, with whom the Zimbabwean President has been forced to share power after last year’s rigged elections .

Even as Mr Mugabe was railing yesterday against the "hostile interventions" against Zimbabwe by "neocolonialist enemies", his prosecutors were attempting to secure the hanging of one of his political opponents, Roy Bennett, who is facing treason charges in a Harare court. Mr Bennett, the white treasurer of Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change, is accused of providing $5,000 to buy arms for plotters planning to topple Mr Mugabe. His trial, the latest of several attempts to convict him of various charges, is a blatant piece of political theatre to intimidate other white farmers resisting Mr Mugabe and to undermine Mr Tsvangirai and the MDC."

I will say it again. There were only 60 heads of state invited to the food summit in Rome - and Mugabe took no less than a like number in his entourage! Why was he invited, let alone permitted to take such an inordinate number of people with him?

What happened to the travel sanctions - or were they lifted to allow him and so many others to attend the summit? And I'll bet that the entire entourage remains in Italy for a few days after the end of the summit so that Mugabe can get the shopping in...

"Mr Mugabe, meanwhile, has been relishing the trappings of power, reluctantly accorded to him in Rome, where he is attending a United Nations food security summit. A ban on visits to the EU does not cover UN meetings, and Mr Mugabe is exploiting his platform to renew his accusations against the West and blame his country’s food shortages on sanctions.

It is high time the world took firmer steps to destroy this malign dictator’s continuing grip on power. It needs to send a clear message to two men in particular: Mr Tsvangirai and Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa. Mr Tsvangirai should be told that there will be no large-scale Western help for his suffering nation unless his power-sharing Government halts police repression, curbs the violence of Mr Mugabe’s "veterans" and ends the judicial hounding of opposition leaders. Mr Tsvangirai may be unable to deliver this message to the embattled President; in which case, he should resign."

The time has come (and gone) for the free world to stand up against Mugabe, The United Nations are not helping anything...

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Tuesday 17th November 2009

Howzit

Yesterday the news wires were buzzing with news about Roy Bennett's trial. I wrote an Instablogs editorial (Justice, Honesty & Integrity - The Three Missing Elements In Roy Bennett's Trial)as more information came in - and it is your choice as to which side is ahead on point.

"A senior official in Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party pleaded not guilty on Monday to terrorism charges in a trial that has raised tensions in the unity government formed early this year.

Roy Bennett, treasurer-general in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was arrested in February on charges of illegal possession of arms for purposes of committing terrorism, insurgency and banditry.

Bennett's lawyer said he viewed the case as "political persecution".

Bennett is the MDC's nominee for the post of deputy agriculture minister but President Robert Mugabe has refused to swear him in, saying he should be acquitted first.

Asked on Monday by High Court Judge Chinembiri Bhunu how he pleaded to the charges, Bennett said: "Not guilty, my Lord."

Mugabe has insisted that he will not be swearing Bennett into cabinet until the courts have exhausted their authority - and has sent his Attorney-General to prosecute the case. And, if reports coming out of Harare are correct, Tomana is not having everything his own way.

"Attorney General Johannes Tomana told the court that Bennett, together with accomplice Peter Hitschmann, were involved in an anti-government plot to destabilise the country between 2002 and May 2006.

Tomana said Bennett was the chief financier, at one time depositing $5,000 in Hitschmann's account to purchase arms, including rifles, eight machine guns, ammunition and grenades.

"The grand plan included assassinating certain individuals in government," Tomana said.

Beatrice Mtetwa, Bennett's lawyer, said Bennett denied all the charges.

"The accused will contend that the state summary discloses no offence and that this is continued political persecution from his rivals who continue to stop his participation in the unity government," she said.

Judge Bhunu refused a request by defence lawyers for him to step aside from the trial. The defence says he previously made certain comments that could be prejudicial to Bennett's case."

-o00o-

More about the Bennett trial - which has a huge following as Zimbabweans to world over wait to see if justice will be served.

"Attorney General Johannes Tomana found himself in a quandary during MDC treasurer Roy Bennett’s terrorism trial after High Court Judge Chinembiri Bhunu barred him from submitting in court, evidence obtained through torture.

Bennett (52) faces charges of possessing dangerous weapons for terrorism as well as inciting acts of insurgency.

Thirteen witnesses, who include firearms dealer Peter Michael Hitschmann, Bennett’s co-accused are set to testify in the high profile case.

But the state walks a tight rope after its main witness; Hitschmann later disowned everything he allegedly told the police during their investigations.

All other state witnesses, the majority of whom are police officers, rely on the firearms dealer corroborating their evidence."

I find it mischievous to refer to Michael Hitschmann as Bennett's 'co-accused'.

"Bennett’s trial started in earnest on Monday when Chief Superintendent Sipho James Makone, the first among the state’s 13 witnesses, took to the witness’s stand to testify against the agriculture minister designate.

Chief Superintendent Makone claimed all what he was telling the court was sourced from Hitschmann during investigations and through the latter’s confessions.

But he could not spend longer in the witness’s box when the defence counsel, led by Beatrice Mtetwa quickly objected to what she contended was inadmissible evidence being led by the State.

Mtetwa said it was "trite law" that in terms of Section 259 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, the purported confession by one accused is inadmissible against the other persons.

"The state is aware that Peter Michael Hitschmann successfully disowned all alleged confessions and indications made by him and the State did not, at his trial, even use the alleged confessions against him," she said.

"At his trial," said Mtetwa, "the court accepted Hitshmann’s explanation of his possession of the bulk the firearms and such explanation did not in any way implicate Roy Bennett."

Justice Bhunu agreed with the defence that the state could not rely on evidence which was declined in Hitshmann’s own trial.

He also dismissed attempts by Tomana who claimed Hitschmann, who has been placed last to testify, would come and confirm what the other witnesses would have said.

Bhunu berated Tomana for ignoring the circumstances behind Hitshmann’s confessions to committing the crime.

"Whenever an accused person makes a statement to a police officer whether written or oral," Bhunu said, "the state must first establish that the accused person was properly warned and cautioned before making the statement.

"A police officer may not give evidence of any such statement unless he first satisfies the rules about the admissibility of evidence before he can tell the court what the accused told him."

When Mugabe's people attempt to take down someone in the MDC, either in court or on the streets of Zimbabwe, they go full force - they disregard the law and procedures and just bully their way through. Justice Bhunu, even though he has a history of involvement in this case, seems - so far at least - to have abided by the evidence procedure.

"It is my considered view that admitting the statement against the accused in circumstances where it might turn out to be inadmissible against Hitschmann might lead to an absurdity,” said Bhunu.

"Thus, the state needs to demonstrate that the statement is admissible against Hitschmann before that statement can be used against his accomplice.

"I think this stands to reason that if the statement was inadmissible against Hitschmann it follows that it would be inadmissible against Bennett.

"At this juncture, the state witness is restricted to say what he deemed, and found out or discovered as a result of what he was told by the witness, until such time the state can demonstrate that whatever Hitschmann said to the police officer was admissible against him."

The State case was then stalled as the Attorney-General had prepared to proceed with the evidence as given.

-o00o-

And whilst the trial of Roy Bennett continues, an NGO has released to the press four videos of the victims of political violence in Zimbabwe.

I sincerely hope that one of the press organisations sees fit to release the videos online so that I can include them on this page...

"The Solidarity Peace Trust has released four videos to the media showing the victims and testimonies of the horrific political violence last year towards June after President Robert Mugabe lost to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in the first round of the presidential elections in March.

The videos which were shot last year as the country's political and economic crisis worsened, shows victims, mainly opposition supporters narrating their ordeals.

On two of the videos titled Democracy: Missing Presumed Dead and After The Elections: A Crisis In Zimbabwe, supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) narrate the ordeals they went through, how they were abducted, beaten using various weapons that included chains, iron bars, whips while others were burnt under their feet with burning grass for supporting a 'British' funded party.

The other two videos are titled Death Of A Nation and A Marriage Of Inonvenience narrate the effects of the cholera epidemic and while the other video chronicles stages to the formation of the inclusive government."

It is unacceptable that the Mugabe-ites continue with their violent incursions, and the free world may look on and watch videos such as these - and nothing is done about it...

Some days I wonder why it is that Mugabe's people can commit such crimes and the international community does nothing.

Why? What hold does Mugabe have over them that they elect to keep quiet?

"The videos on violence shows property and houses that were burnt down and destroyed which were for MDC supporters in various parts of the country as ZANU PF supporters and state security agents reigned on anyone perceived to be an MDC supporter.

The role of the dreaded government spy agency the CIO, the police and the army is told in the videos , how they were using state institutions to suppress ordinary people and how they used cars without registration plates to abduct and kill opposition supporters.

Names of ZANU PF Members of Parliament, Newturn Kachepa, Edward Raradza, Saviour Kasukuwere are mentioned frequently in the testimonies by the victims of the political violence on their role in the violence against MDC supporters.

Mugabe's presidential run-off election campaign last year was spearheaded and led by the military at the highest level leaving dozens dead, thousands displaced and resulted in Tsvangirai pulling out of the presidential race days before the polling day citing 'unprecedented' violence against his supporters by Mugabe's ZANU PF supporters and state security agents."

The silence we hear is unacceptable.

-o00o-

Nepotism is alive and well in ZANU PF...

"Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's personal pilot, Wing Commander Edwin Tanyanyiwa who was the son of ZANU PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, has died.

He was 49.

Edwin, who was a Wing Commander in the Air Force of Zimbabwe, died after a long battle with kidney problems.

AFZ public relations officer Flight-Lieutenant Don Muroyiwa yesterday said Mutasa would be buried tomorrow at his rural home in Rusape.

AFZ Commander, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, described Mutasa as a proficient pilot and a dedicated senior officer who had loyally served the force and the nation for 24 years.

"It is with heavy hearts that we have learnt of the death of a dedicated, loyal senior officer and veteran pilot and we express our condolences to the Mutasa family," he said."

I must say that I am surprised that he is not being considered for national hero status...

-o00o-

As if to prove a point, ZANU PF continue to defy court orders. This is just one more to add to the very long list of court orders defied by individiuals, the police, the army, the air force, the prison services...

"The MDC transport manager who was severely tortured after he was abducted by state security agents last month, is still being denied private medical care, in what his lawyers say is a 'calculated' and 'deliberate' act by the state.

Pascal Gwezere has remained behind bars at Chikurubi maximum security prison after he was finally brought to court, a week after he was abducted from his home. His lawyers have been fighting ever since for Gwezere to have access to private medical care as a result of the serious injuries he sustained after being tortured by his abductors.

But despite a court order issued more than two weeks ago, directing prison officials to allow doctors to examine and treat Gwezere, this has still not happened. According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Gwezere's doctors said last week that a prison doctor, identified as Dr Makanza, who had agreed to accompany them to see Gwezere on Friday, did not show up."

This is the sort of daily episodes that play out across Zimbabwe on any day ending in the letter "y".

And a simple check through any site that has been reporting on events in Zimbabwe for any length of time will satisfy any reader that the defiance of the orders remains unchecked and unpunished.

Mugabe is held in such esteem that even breaking the law means nothing in the scheme of things.

He and his minions continue to work to their own standards - even as low as they are.

-o00o-

"Freed British mercenary Simon Mann has threatened to spill the beans on the failed Equatorial Guinea coup plot in a development that may shed some light on the role played by Zimbabwe’s state-owned arms manufacturer in the 2004 plan to topple the Central African country’s long-serving leader.

Mann was arrested at Harare International Airport in March 2004 together with 69 South African and Congolese mercenaries en route to Equatorial Guinea where they were on a mission to stage a coup against the country’s leader President Theodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The Harare leg of the mission was meant to take delivery of an assortment of arms the mercenaries had bought from the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI) but turned sour for the mercenaries after the arms supplier set a trap at the last minute.

He was extradited to Equatorial Guinea in February 2008 after losing a Zimbabwe High Court appeal against being moved to the Central African nation where he had been convicted of plotting to topple the government in absentia. The High Court in Malabo sentenced Mann the former British army officer to 34 years in prison last year but he became eligible for presidential clemency this year due to "good behaviour". The Briton was freed from an Equatorial Guinea prison in the capital Malabo two weeks and immediately threatened to spill the beans of the roles played by several purported financiers and conspirators, including South African-based British businessman Mark Thatcher and Ely Claude Alan Calil, an oil trader who has dual Lebanese and British nationality."

I wonder what Mann could say that might make Mugabe even more uncomfortable? Do you think that he has enough on the ZDI that it may prove to be Mugabe's undoing?

I doubt it. Any revelations may result in a few people being prosecuted in Zimbabwe, but that is about it.

"The Zimbabwean arms manufacturer is said to have had an "excellent working relationship" with the alleged coup plotters, raising further questions about whether this was a one-off transaction or part of a long-running business association between the two sides. Zimbabwe military sources told The Zimbabwean On Sunday last week that Harare, like Pretoria, was aware of the coup plot and was even willing to sell the arms to the insurgents until the deal went sour at the last minute.

"Both (President Robert) Mugabe and former South African president Thabo Mbeki knew about what was going on and only decided to turn on the mercenaries after it became clear that Equatorial Guinea’s military intelligence had also received word of the planned coup," one source said.

South African intelligence services had apparently known about the coup plot since mid-2003 and even offered tacit support, according to some of Mann’s fellow mercenaries. ZDI was created in 1984 by the Ministry of Defence to provide the Zimbabwean army and airforce with supplies ranging from small arms and ammunition and landmines to camouflaged combat clothing and rocket launchers."

Even if Mann were able to prove - categorically - that Mugabe has knowledge of the planned coup, it wouldn't make any difference to the Zimbabwean President. He is so well ensconced in power that nothing - bar his own death - would dislodge him...

-o00o-

I view this with some serious suspicion.

Only just last week we read about him selling Harare Remand Prison to the Chinese. My question there was would his regime then take 51% of the company seeing that the company would be foreign owned?

If he does this, then perhaps the Chinese - and any other foreign investors - need to be aware of this.

"President Mugabe yesterday said the Government will not nationalise foreign-owned companies, but will insist on the 51 percent local ownership on all companies according to the country's indegenisation laws.

The President, who is the Head of State and Government as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said this while addressing Italian business representatives at a luncheon hosted by Harare's embassy here.

"We have not nationalised companies. We have many companies that are in the mining, agro-industry and manufacturing sectors. We will not nationalise them because that has not been our policy. We have our indigenisation laws that say for all the companies, at least 51 percent of it must be locally owned.

"This is the law we should apply in respect of all the new investments in the country. We have never offended against this pledge," said the President."

Right. If you believe that, I have a bridge I could sell you - but Mugabe would ensure that 51% of that bridge would be in ZANU PF control.

"Before the land reform programme, about 70 percent of Zimbabwe's arable land, was owned by a minority 4000 whites.

"However, after the rationalisation of the land tenure system in the country, over 300000 Zimbabweans now own good farming land.

"Come and invest and make profit. You are aware that some European countries and America have imposed some sanctions on us. As for you, you have defied that because you know what is morally right. It is that understanding that we praise you for.

"During that time when others were imposing sanctions on us, you worked with us as if you were a humanitarian organisation because you wanted to see Zimbabwe grow," he said."

Why on earth should this summit give the floor to Mugabe? Is this a worldwide weakness - an inability to stand against people like Mugabe who spend 90% of his life lying, and the other 10% living that lie?

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Monday, 16th November 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated.

-o00o-

Perhaps I spoke to early. The email I sent to the BunduBlog webmaster bounced - so I have performed the sad task of removing the link from this page.

Obviously, if the situation resolves itself, I will reinsert it and advise accordingly.

-o00o-

And to temper the bad news, here's a video track done by David Scobie and Brigitte Rodriguez (known as Brogue) which I thought was well cool...

-o00o-

Mmmm. This sort of thing is not going to enamour SADC to Mugabe - and therefore we can expect the negotiations to either be rather protracted or Mugabe will dig in for the duration.

"Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministerial team that assessed the implementation of Zimbabwe’s troubled power-sharing arrangement recommended that Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono should be reassigned to save the coalition government from collapse.

The recommendations by the brokers of last year’s Global Political Agreement (GPA) were given to the members of the SADC troika on politics, defence and security who met in Mozambique on November 5 to deal with the Zimbabwe crisis.

They also set the tone for the negotiations between the three coalition partners, ZANU PF and the two MDC formations due to start this week as directed by the mini SADC summit."

I see that ZANU PF have countered with the submission that Gono is not a member of ZANU PF's central committee. They miss the point. Gono's position is as the result of a unilateral appointment by Mugabe.

Totally unconstitutional.

But Gono is sympathetic to ZANU PF and also holds the keys to many a deal that if made public could bring down Mugabe and his cronies overnight.

"A communiqué issued after the Mozambique meeting said: "The parties should fully comply with the spirit and letter of the GPA and Sadc summit decisions of 27 January 2009."

One of the negotiators confirmed that Gono’s reassignment would be top on the agenda when the negotiations, which according to a strict SADC timeline must be concluded by month-end, resume.

"He is not going to be put anywhere near finance, actually he must not even be seen in a tuckshop," said the source. "He has done his part, let him give others a chance to do the job."

Mugabe will not give an inch - even to SADC.

-o00o-

Mutasa says the Tsvangirai should be grateful. For what?

The MDC won last year's election and they still play second fiddle to ZANU PF. Tsvangirai won the first round of the Presidential election, and if the ballot boxes had not been hijacked by ZANU PF, there is a very good chance that he would be President today.

Grateful? For what? His MDC members arrests and beating?

"After weeks of paralysis, Zimbabwe's Government of National Unit is functioning again. Prime Minister Tsvangirai says he's prepared to work with Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF party if it honours the power sharing agreement.

The ABC’s Africa Correspondent Andrew Geoghegan was in Zimbabwe recently and he was granted a rare interview with one of Robert Mugabe’s closet allies.

Didymus Mutasa was head of the country’s feared security services and is now the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.

He makes it clear that Prime Minister Tsvangirai should be doing as President Mugabe says.

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: How would you describe the relationship between ZANU PF and MDC? Is it working?

DIDYMUS MUTASA: We are doing our best. We are working as well as can be expected. Tsvangirai takes his orders from the president and I always feel that members of the opposition, Tsvangirai’s party should have seen this much earlier on and started to work with us as Africans, and not take their orders as they had done from Europe, Britain and the United States (Tsvangirai does not take orders from the President. He is part of the executive who apply laws promulgated in parliament (Ed))

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: They say political intimidation is continuing and there’s no respect for the rule of law, and that human rights are being violated. What do you say to those claims?

DIDYMUS MUTASA: Well I say that’s nonsense. There has never been non-observation of human rights in this country. In fact, it is our party, ZANU PF, which has been fighting for human rights ever since – there were no rights in this country at all during the colonial period. The lot of us used to have dogs set up on us and we had to decide to take up arms in order to achieve both democracy and human rights. (For Human Rights read ZANU PF Rights (Ed))"

I find the ignorance and arrogance of Didymus Mutasa to be quite galling. He ignores facts and parades the ZANU PF version for the world to see.

He goes on to claim that human rights atrocities were not existent until the MDC arrived on the scene. That statement means nothing when you remember that until then ZANU PF had free rein in politics.

Once the MDC arrived, then ZANU PF had no other option but to start beating up on the people.

And then he attempts to argue sanctions...

"ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: Can I ask you: what do you believe has been the cause of Zimbabwe’s economic collapse?

DIDYMUS MUTASA: Well, one chief cause has been the sanctions that were imposed against us by your country, Australia, most of the white Commonwealth countries. And I can’t understand why.

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: But those sanctions are targeted at individuals.

DIDYMUS MUTASA: Illegally.

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: But how would targeted sanctions at individuals in a government affect all Zimbabwe?

DIDYMUS MUTASA: Why should they ever done? What right have other countries to do, what right have they got with the affairs that are going on in Zimbabwe?

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: But I don’t understand how those targeted sanctions would cause economic collapse.

DIDYMUS MUTASA: My dear, they are not targeted. It targets the relationships between their companies and our companies, and those companies are not individuals. I am one of the targeted people in sanctions, that doesn’t affect me at all. I mean the fact that people stopped me from going to Australia or going to Britain, doesn’t affect me at all.

But the fact that those sanctions have on the ordinary people in this country is what really annoys all of us."

If the targeted sanction don't affect the listed people, then why are they daily crying for the same to be lifted?

But perhaps the biggest porkie was in one paragraph that Mutasa came out with in response to a question about elections.

"My dear, free and fair elections have been taking place all through in Zimbabwe since 1980. We have never cheated as a party and as a government. Free and fair election will continue to take place in Zimbabwe and in this case ZANU PF will win. ZANU PF will win because it is now beyond any doubt that you Europeans, you Australians and all you white Commonwealth – the so-called international community, if you behave yourselves and do not come and interfere in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe, no doubt ZANU PF will win."

Oh well, whatever he is on are pretty strong and he should really have someone look at the prescription again... soon.

-o00o-

Since this article is all about Billy Rautenbach, I thought that I will clear up - again' the belief that Rautenbach has that by paying a rather large 'admission of guilt' fine in South Africa, that he has no convictions to his name.

An 'admission of guilt' is precisely that. All the fine has done is circumvent the need to appear in court. The fine is paid because of an agreement that Rautenbach would plead guilty...

"Zimbabwe defence Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa's business front-man, Billy Rautenbach has gone into hiding to avoid testifying in the corruption trial of former police chief Jackie Selebi, reports from South Africa said.

Reports from South Africa said that prosecutor Gerrie Nel and his team were trying "frantically" to find Rautenbach amid reports that Zimbabwean authorities and former South African President Thabo Mbeki have asked the rogue businessman not to turn up for court proceedings or risk 'unspecified actions'.

Last week, Judge Meyer Joffe adjourned court proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court at Nel's request because of "difficulty" in consulting witnesses.

"There is difficulty I have had with consulting the next three witnesses... to prepare them for court," said Nel. "I would require the court to stand down."

Quite frankly, I do not care that Rautenbach is wanted in South Africa to testify in the trial of Selebi. If the South Africans want him, let them find him and take them.

I do find it interesting, however, that Rautenbach's 'disappearance' may have been 'suggested' to him by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki - the man that allegedly mediated the power-sharing agreement between ZANU PF and the two MDC factions.

If that mediation is anything to go by, then the South Africans will have their hands full trying to find Rautenbach.

"Rautenbach, who lives in Zimbabwe, spent almost a decade on the run before entering into a plea-sentence agreement with the NPA on tax evasion charges on September 16, just 16 days before the start of Selebi's trial.

Under the deal, Rautenbach, as a director of SA Botswana Hauliers, agreed to pay a fine of R40 million on 326 counts of fraud.

Convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti testified that Rautenbach paid him USD100,000 (about R743,500) as an alleged bribe for Selebi to assist him with his run-ins with the law.

Agliotti said Selebi, who was also president of international police body Interpol, was to check whether there were any international warrants out for the then fugitive Rautenbach.

Former South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss Bulelani Ngcuka was named in the Jackie Selebi trial with revelations linking him to Zimbabwe's spy agents and the shady deals in mineral rights."

It all gets major confusing, and I do not believe that it has anything to offer towards the Zimbabwean crisis talks, so I will discount the story.

-o00o-

The National Heroes Acre in Harare is really the ZANU PF Heroes Acre. We see no one but former ZANU PF big shots, ministers and fighter there. We don't see anyone who actually did something for the Zimbabwean people there...

"MDC legislator Magalela Felix Sibanda has moved a motion in Parliament calling for changes to the National Heroes Act to allow the setting up of a non-partisan committee to determine and confer national hero status on deserving citizens.

Presently President Robert Mugabe and the politburo of his ZANU PF party decide on who to declare national hero, a situation that has seen several deserving citizens not being recognised as heroes despite making immense contribution to the national cause.

ZANU PF has also used its unilateral powers to confer national hero status on some dubious characters most of them allies or members of Mugabe’s party."

Mugabe had the national shrine built with a distinctive Chinese memorial feel about it, and it has been an ongoing headache for Zimbabweans ever since. Among the number of 'heroes' enshrined there are included some individuals that the population had never heard of - let alone knew they were 'heroes'.

And whenever a ZANU PF cadre dies in suspicious circumstances, the 'hero' status is bestowed upon them - in an attempt to keep the family quiet.

"Sibanda’s motion comes amid recriminations between MDC and ZANU PF over respect for national heroes with Mugabe’s party accusing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of snubbing the recent burial of liberation war veteran Misheck Chando at the national hero’s acre shrine.

Tsvangirai did not attend the burial of the national hero saying he was not consulted when the decision to confer hero status on Chando was made."

When is ZANU PF going to grow up? Their hero is not necessarily a national hero...

-o00o-

And once again the judicial system in Zimbabwe will let the population down.

How is it that soldiers can, with absolute impunity, mete out their form of 'justice' when the country is supposedly working towards national healing?

"Three uniformed soldiers here beat a civilian for wearing an Anti-Kariba Draft Constitution t-shirt on Saturday and left him unconscious.

The t-Shirts were distributed by a Harare Non-Governmental Organisation, Crisis Coalition recently when it held its 2009 People's Convention meeting in Harare.

The Civic society in Zimbabwe is against the adoption of the Kariba Draft Constitution as the new constitution of Zimbabwe before Zimbabweans are given a chance to debate and contribute to it. The draft was adopted by the three political parties in Zimbabwe, the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations and ZANU PF, prior to the setting up of a new unity government in February. However MDC has agreed to have the draft further discussed by Zimbabweans before coming with a final constitution but ZANU PF has been campaigning against the move, saying there was nothing wrong in adopting the draft as it is."

This is Mugabe at his best. He has his soldiers, police, intelligence agents, militia and war veterans do the 'blood work' on the streets and will not comment, allowing the likes of Didymus Mutasa to deny that there are any political tensions in the country; deny that there is any political violence in the country; and object to the idea that the tension and violence that does exist is begun by ZANU PF.

"The man was wearing a "No to Kariba Draft" t-shirt when he was approached by the soldiers who demanded to know what message he was trying to give by putting on such a t-shirt. "Who do you want to see in power, now that you are against President Mugabe and ZANU PF here and what do you intend to achieve with your t-shirt in this area? asked the soldiers. "We want to teach you a lesson in front of your friends and we want you to know that we are in-charge,” said the soldiers before tearing the man's t-shirt and beating him up using booted feet and open hands.

Most patrons, at the beer drinking place, where the incident took place, took to their heels, fearing for their lives. The man was left unconscious after the intervention of a bar attendant."

Violence is present in every strata of life in Zimbabwe, and if the perpetrators are pro-Mugabe, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be no justice for those that have been assaulted, beaten up and abducted.

-o00o-

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Sunday, 15th November 2009

Howzit

The more eagle-eyed of the readers of my other pages may have noted that Bundu Blog seems to have died. Which is a pity as it was a page that I had put a lot of work into. I will leave the link in place until the end of next week in the hope that the webmaster sorts out whatever the problem maybe.

But I am sad that the page seems to have died.

-o00o-

I have a friend who lives elsewhere in the world and he teaches Africa history and African warfare...

Recently he sent me a number of student opinions of Mugabe, and I thought that they deserved an airing on this page...

"The people do not want him in power because he has let them into a huge economic crisis. His opposition has asked him to please step down. They believe he is intimidating people to vote for him, even using violence."

"Robert Mugabe is the leader of Zimbabawe. He is selfish and does not care about his people or his country. The people do not want him in power, but have no choice."

"Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since the country's independence. The people of this country do not care for this man. However, he will not back down form his office."

"The current ruler of Zimbabwe is Mugabe. The people of Zimbabwe are not pleased with the way that he is ruling because it is more like a dictatorship. He is ruling selfishly and not for the best interest of the people."

"The ruler of Zimbabwe is Robert Mugabe. This is someone who has no concern for the county or its people. It is apparent that Mugabe is not in this position to better the country but for his own selfish wants. This is not what the people want and he is not what a ruler should be."

"Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since the country's independence a quarter-century ago. During those years, Zimbabwe has gone from being the breadbasket of southern Africa to being a basket case begging for handouts from international aid agencies. This terrible decline might have something to do with Mugabe's policy of taking land from successful white farmers and giving it to his friends and relatives. No the people of that country do not want him running the country. He is running the country in the ground and make the people suffer, that's not right."

Now, it should be remembered that these are the opinions of students a very long way from Zimbabwe. If they can grasp the nub of the disastrous rule of Mugabe, why is it that the leaders of the free world lack the same ability?

My thanks to my friend for his contribution to this page.

-o00o-

What on earth is Mugabe doing at a food summit in Rome? Zimbabwe has no food thanks to his dictatorship, so I fail to see just what can be gained by his presence.

And he took an entourage of 60 people!

"Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived in Rome on Saturday for a United Nations summit on food, the ANSA agency reported.

Under sanctions imposed in 2002, Mugabe is banned from visiting European Union countries, but the restriction does not apply to trips for international meetings.

Mugabe and his 60-strong delegation arrived at Fiumicino airport on a private flight to take part in the Food and Agriculture Organisation's three-day World Summit on Food Security, which opens on Monday."

I do not understand why the bodies that set up these summits and conferences are bent on inviting the likes of Mugabe. And nine times out of ten, they have a habit of giving him the floor...

"Mugabe has defended the measures as a necessary redress to colonial-era imbalances, but the country has gone from being an exporter of food to depending on international aid for survival.

Around 60 heads of state and government leaders are expected in Rome for the summit."

Interesting that the entourage that Mugabe has with him numbers the same as the number of state leaders at the summit.

-o00o-

I have written, on various pages, my belief that Mugabe plays for time.

Time is his friend. Whilst he holds the MDC at bay, his party people rain down all manner of audacious acts, arrests, abductions, murders and frame-ups...

"Zimbabweans will no doubt be nauseated by the endless SADC summits and troika meetings discussing the crisis in their homeland.

In September 2008 the three parties to the Global Political Agreement (GPA), ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDC-M signed an agreement to share power.

This was despite Tsvangirai’s MDC trouncing Zanu PF in the Parliamentary elections and their leader Morgan Tsvangirai garnering more votes than Robert Mugabe.

The current political crisis where the loser of the election is failing to honour an agreement that saved his skin should not arise because everything at stake is contained in an agreement.

How thirteen SADC states are failing to force Mugabe to respect what was agreed on paper is beyond me. Only Botswana’s President Ian Khama has called a spade a spade by blaming Mugabe and ZANU PF for the deadlock."

It should be remembered that a dog is at its most dangerous when it is cornered.

Mugabe is becoming more and more desperate in his need and want to remain in power.

As this article says, how can the loser of the election hang on to power?

"It is even more shocking that some SADC states are actually entertaining ZANU PF demands that the MDC must call for the lifting of western targeted sanctions on members of the Mugabe regime and a closing down of so-called pirate radio stations like SW Radio Africa and Studio 7.

Simple logic dictates that the MDC do not own any sanctions and do not have the power nor leverage to have them removed by the countries that imposed them. Worse still those countries have set certain democratic and human rights standards as the minimum condition for any removal.

So the argument that sanctions by the West remain an outstanding issue is quite ridiculous. ZANU PF should be asked to explain HOW the MDC is expected to remove these?"

Mugabe believes that he has an answer for everything - but when we look at the steady deterioration of life in Zimbabwe since he took over in 1980, then we must draw the conclusion that Mugabe as head of State is responsible for much of what has happened in what was once the bread basket of Africa.

"Meanwhile Mugabe continues to toy with the MDC, tying them up in knots with silly court case after court case. Blessing Chebundo (rape case), Thamsanqa Mahlangu (cellphone theft), Roy Bennett (terrorism), Tendai Biti (treason), Shuah Mudiwa (kidnap) and many other cases, too numerous to mention.

The old dictator has no intention of sharing power and will frustrate the MDC until the next round of elections in which he will unleash his violent thugs on the nation.

ZANU PF in this unity government is toying with the MDC while buying time for their lootocracy."

Don't you love the birth of a new word: LOOTOCRACY?

-o00o-

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara, witnessefd by Thabo Mbeki, all signed the Power Sharing Agreement in September 2008.

Within that document, Article 12 states:

"FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION

12. Freedoms of Assembly and Association

12.1 Recognising the importance of the freedoms of assembly and association in a multi-party democracy and noting that public meetings have to be conducted in a free, peaceful and democratic manner in accordance with the law, the Parties have agreed:‑

(a) to work together in a manner which guarantees the full implementation and realisation of the right to freedom of association and assembly; and

(b) that the Government shall undertake training programmes, workshops and meetings for the police and other enforcement agencies directed at the appreciation of the right of freedom of assembly and association and the proper interpretation, understanding and application of the provisions of security legislation."

If the three principals signed this document (which they did), then why is it acceptable for the ZANU PF driven police to arrest the leaders of the ZCTU?

"The last few days of last month saw two sets of arrests in Matabeleland North over the holding of meetings. [See details below] The police claimed the meetings were in violation of POSA - the Public Order and Security Act.

In fact it seems as if the police were not even following the provisions of this unpopular Act and had no cause under POSA to make the arrests.

In the last few years before the inclusive government POSA was often abused by the police using its provisions in an extremely heavy handed way or by not implementing it impartially. POSA replaced the notorious Rhodesian Law and Order (Maintenance) Act and retained many of its draconian provisions.

It has been extremely unpopular and inter-party negotiations before last year's elections led to its amendment in January 2008. Nevertheless the provisions were not altered that much and they remain unduly restrictive."

Mugabe has, on more than a few occasions, proved that what he signed is not what he lives by - and he will use whatever he has in his arsenal to achieve those goals. And SADC don't say anything about it - they would prefer that they have another summit, another conference on Zimbabwe - summits where the resolutions made are lukewarm and are not fulfilled anyway.

How is this acceptable? How is it that Mugabe is able to get away with it all?

"Recognising the importance of the freedoms of assembly and association in a multi-party democracy and noting that public meetings have to be conducted in a free, peaceful and democratic manner in accordance with the law, the Parties have agreed:- (a) to work together in a manner which guarantees the full implementation and realisation of the right to freedom of association and assembly;"

Initiative to Amend POSA.

MDC-T Parliamentarian Innocent Gonese [MP for Mutare Central] has proposed in the House of Assembly that a Bill be brought in to amend POSA. Mr Gonese referred to abuse of the law by police, citing statistics showing how over the years the police have arrested and detained hundreds of people under POSA, but have successfully prosecuted none - and that there have been no known arrests of ZANU PF officials or supporters under the Act. His Bill is designed to re-define terms, reduce police powers and transfer the power to prohibit meetings from police to magistrates, and to repeal the provision penalising failure to carry ID documents. [Details of the proposed Bill in Bill Watch 38.]

Urgent Need to Retrain the Police

As well as reforming POSA there is also an urgent need to ensure that police act both according to the law and when they are in accordance with the law that such laws are administered impartially. The GPA states in Article 12(1)(b) "that the Government shall undertake training programmes, workshops and meetings for the police and other enforcement agencies directed at the right of freedom of assembly and association and the proper interpretation, understanding and application of the provisions of security legislation" and in Article 13 that "State organs and institutions do not belong to any political party and should be impartial in the discharge of their duties."

Mugabe will never allow POSA to be eased, nor the police retrained.

It is also my belief that the ZCTU does not require police clearance (even if POSA says otherwise) to hold a meeting...

Mugabe signed the agreement - but never had any intention of abiding by it. And this is something that he has done ever since the Lancaster House Agreement of the late 1970s.

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Saturday, 14th November 2009

Howzit

Mugabe has made no secret of his dislike for Ian Khama, President of Botswana. Mugabe has even gone so far as to say that Khama is an objectionable man because he is of mixed race (his father was Sir Seretse Khama and his mother was a white English woman) and that is why his views and opinions are skewed.

How his race is a cause for Mugabe's dislike, I don't know - but Mugabe hates him!

"Botswana’s President Ian Khama has again called for the holding of new elections in Zimbabwe as a strategy to break the country’s political impasse.

In a State of the Nation address delivered in the Parliament of Botswana Khama expressed concern at the continued failure of ZANU PF to fully honour the spirit of Zimbabwe’s power-sharing agreement.

"In the absence of genuine partnership," Khama said, "it would be better for all parties to go back to the people, for they are the ultimate authority to determine who should form the Government of Zimbabwe."

Any new election in Zimbabwe would have to have international observers - not regional African observers - to ensure that the violence that was visited upon the people last year is not repeated.

But I have a more profound question... How can the loser of an election remain in power - and then negotiate - if you can call it that - with the winner how much power the winner can have?

This is not democracy!

"He said that since independence, the core principles of Botswana’s foreign policy had remained constant.

"These include a commitment to promoting good neighbourliness and respect for the territorial integrity of all nations, while upholding, in our international as well as domestic affairs, our belief in democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law," said Khama. "Botswana will continue to work alongside other countries within the framework of SADC, the African Union, and the United Nations to promote adherence to these common and universal values.

"In this respect, we will continue to strongly defend the rights of people everywhere to elect their own leaders, to live in peace and achieve better standards of life in freedom."

-o00o-

To me, it is unacceptable that the three principals meet, try again and fail - and then do it all over again a week or so later.

Mugabe is not going to give one inch. He believes himself to be the democratically elected leader of Zimbabwe - and will stop at nothing to ensure he stays there...

"The three principals to the Global Political Agreement met in Harare on Friday to start a 'renewed drive' to settle their political conflict, which nearly derailed the inclusive government. James Maridadi, Tsvangirai’s spokesman, confirmed the meeting but told us he had not been briefed yet of what transpired.

The SADC Troika summit in Maputo, Mozambique last week, resolved that the principals had 15-30 days to engage in dialogue about all the outstanding issues in the implementation of the GPA and the SADC communiqué of 27 January 2009."

ZANU PF makes claim that there is no deadline to resolve anything - and if the three principals are meeting, is there no mediator involved?

"The importance of the January communiqué is that it cleared stated that the appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General should be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formation. It added that negotiators would work out the formula for the distribution of the Provincial Governors.

Robert Mugabe has been saying it was his prerogative alone to appoint the governors and the Reserve Bank Governor and AG.

The meeting came on the day that Botswana President, Ian Khama, said that if the political impasse in Zimbabwe cannot be resolved, the best solution is to hold fresh elections."

It is the Zimbabwean voters' prerogative to vote ZANU PF out of office, but even when that happened, Mugabe somehow still hung on...

"Negotiators from the three parties are expected to begin their talks next week and SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that the issues that will dominate the next round of negotiations are not the ones that Zimbabweans really need to see addressed. Instead, the talks will focus on the removal of targeted sanctions and the shutting down of independent radio stations broadcasting from abroad. These are ZANU PF demands. Tsvangirai has already said he was not responsible for the sanctions and the country’s international isolation, and he certainly has no control over the external radio stations.

The Prime Minister has said that Mugabe needs to appoint the Zimbabwe Media Commission, and genuinely free up the media, allowing independent radio stations to broadcast in Zimbabwe.

The MDC also insist the appointments of Gono and Tomana as central bank governor and attorney general, must be rescinded. Tsvangirai also wants provincial governors from his party to be appointed as soon as possible, as well as deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Roy Bennett."

-o00o-

Let's be very clear about sanctions. It is not full economic sanctions that are in place in Zimbabwe, but targeted travel sanctions against Mugabe and his senior apologists in government.

The setting of sanctions is not something for the MDC to agree or or control. The placement of sanctions on these people has been a decision made by the governments of the country participating.

Morgan Tsvangirai can call for the sanctions to be lifted - but whether they will or not is not of his choosing.

"President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF party has asked the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Commission (JOMIC) to deliberate on the outstanding issues of sanctions and the illegal beaming into Zimbabwe pirate radio stations.

These issues are both in the Global Political Agreement.

The party also wants JOMIC to discuss the allegations that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T has set up parallel Government structures."

What of Mugabe's unilateral appointments of the RBZ governor and the AG? Apart from being unconstitutional, are they not 'parallel'?

Mugabe banned international news stations from entering Zimbabwe - is this not similar to the travel sanctions? So it is okay for him to take steps against those that he perceives as enemies, but not okay for any country in the world to refuse him or his representatives entry?

And when it comes to 'illegal' radio stations, I just can't believe that he can be so blind! Did his trusted friend and ally Dudymus Mutasa not give an interview recently to one of the 'illegal' stations? yes - he terminated the call once he had said what he wanted to, but was his participation in the interview not lend credence to that station?

"ZANU PF also seeks the intervention of JOMIC on continued and consistent use of foreign government funded external radio stations by the MDC-T, saying such radio stations should cease to broadcast as their broadcasting was not in the best interest of the country as enshrined in the GPA."

"Foreign government funded"? I wish!

Even better - prove it!

-o00o-

It pleases me to see ZANU PF arguing amongst themselves - primarily because it shows that Mugabe's voice is at discord with those who he claims to lead.

"Disputed ZANU PF Harare province elections have triggered a row that threatens to tear the party asunder, alienating the war veterans from the political leadership. The former freedom fighters and ex-detainees have declared war against the new Harare provincial leadership and anyone else in the party who supports what they described as "fraudulent" elections and a "dubious" restructuring exercise of the province.

The leaders of the district co-ordinating committee 3 (DCC3), who included mostly war veterans and ex-detainees, told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that they had formed a parallel provincial executive with Hubert Nyanhongo as the legitimate chairperson until the party's top leadership nullifies last weekend's hotly contested results.

They said they will not vacate the district offices and dared any member of the new leadership to try and make them."

Isn't is poetic that Mugabe used the war veterans to spearhead the land grab, and now he is virtually turning his back on them? Mugabe is loyal to no one but himself - and yet he expects everyone else to toe the line when it comes to ZANU PF...

And all of this infighting carries on whilst Mugabe continues to 'rule' regardless of the election results and the agreements he subsequently signed.

-o00o-

Ignatius Chombo is making a name for himself - and his actions can now be compared to those of the Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa.

"Local government minister Ignatious Chombo has dismissed the deputy Mayor of Mutare and replaced him with a discredited councillor who recently defected to ZANU PF.

Chombo was in the eastern border town on Wednesday where he unilaterally dismissed Itai Masaka as deputy Mayor and substituted him with Admire Mukorera, in a move that has left the MDC seething with rage.

The Mutare council is dominated by the MDC who won all the 19 council wards during last year’s elections. Mukorera was elected on an MDC ticket but fell out of favour with the party after he was condemned for stealing meat, meant for mourners at Susan Tsvangirai’s funeral in Buhera earlier in the year. Immediately after this fall-out he defected to ZANU PF but still held his seat in council.

The MDC provincial leadership held a crisis meeting in Mutare on Friday and resolved not to recognise Chombo’s directive. The MDC spokesman for the province, Pishai Muchauraya, told SW Radio Africa that the MDC led council will ignore Chombo’s latest manovoures to bring in ZANU PF people through the back door. He said the MDC will not brook any interference from Chombo in council affairs, and called for the urgent reform of the Urban Council’s Act, which gives too much power to the minister."

If you were to think about it, this is typical ZANU PF. Their actions, they believe, are beyond the law, the electorate and the wishes of all sane-minded people.

"As far as we are concerned Masaka is still the deputy Mayor of Mutare. Council statutes clearly state that the Mayor and his deputy shall be elected by a full council caucus. So when has Chombo become a Mutare councillor?" Asked Muchauraya.

The Makoni South MP said as far as they were concerned the only people who recognise Mukorera as deputy Mayor are those from the Local government offices in Harare and not the people of Mutare.

"This is what we call abuse of power by Chombo. He has no mandate to dismiss a deputy mayor for no apparent reason. In fact we know he was carrying out a ZANU PF mandate,’ Muchauraya said. This is not the first time that Chombo has meddled in the affairs of the Mutare council. In 2005, he ousted mayor Misheck Kagurabadza and his council, and in their place appointed a commission chaired by Fungai Chayeruka."

It all has a ZANU PF commonality, doesn't it?

-o00o-

Although the truth will probably never be known, these soldiers are being systematically tortured to keep up the pretence of a theft and the 'threat' there posed of an attempted 'regime change'. That the beaten soldiers in all probability had nothing to do with the weapons or their theft is beside the point.

"Brutal torture is being meted out on 120 Zimbabwean soldiers at KG VI Barracks in Harare as members of the army’s military intelligence, the military police and the Central Intelligence Organisation intensify interrogation of personnel following the alleged theft of weapons from an armoury two weeks ago.

A human rights organisation, Zimbabwe Democracy Now (ZDN) quotes sources as saying shifts of militia were being transported into the barracks day and night to beat and torture the soldiers.

Meanwhile the state-owned newspaper, The Herald, has reported that Major Maxwell Samudzi had committed suicide in military cells. However, the ZDN sources warn that he was in fact beaten to death.

The paper reported that a black electrical cord was tied around Samudzi’s neck while blood was coming out of his nose and mouth. According to official reports, Samudzi allegedly carried three packets containing cotrimoxazole, aspirin and nevirapine tablets in his left trousers pocket.

The ZDN report says another soldier, Colonel Garira, who is alleged to have master-minded the theft of the weapons, is believed to be close to death."

The idea that as many as 120 soldiers had inside information as to the events that led to the theft of just 20 weapons goes against what we might accept as believable.

That would mean - before we even count any extra 'accused' persons that are bound to be roped in on this case - that there would be one weapon shared between six people. Totally unbelievable.

But even if these 120 soldiers DID have inside information, ir is not acceptable to have them beaten within an inch of their lives by the military police and intelligence members - surely this case should be handled by the ZRP - after all, a theft is a theft, right?

"On October 31, The Zimbabwean newspaper reported that at least 12 soldiers had died the previous week after they were brutally tortured by military intelligence agents following the disappearance of an assortment of guns and bombs from Pomona Barracks.

This took place just two days after the government barred United Nations torture expert Manfred Nowak from visiting the country on a mission to probe torture and the treatment of prisoners.

The 12 soldiers had died at Two Medical Company Hospital at KGV1, while additional soldiers were admitted to hospital following interrogation at the hands of the Military Intelligence Division.

The Zimbabwean reported that foreigners, possibly Congolese or Angolan nationals, were being were being assigned to torture the soldiers."

There are echoes of the Gukurahundi here insofar as their number was made up of foreigners...

"Expressing grave concern for the safety of the soldiers, leading human rights activists warn that once again crimes against humanity are taking place in Zimbabwe.

They have called on the country’s transitional government to ensure immediate access by medical and legal practitioners to these members of the Zimbabwe National Army.

The human rights activists have also called for the urgent intervention of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the highest political body of the UN dealing with human rights."

Which isn't going to happen. Mugabe plays events in Zimbabwe very close to his chest.

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Thursday, 12th November 2009

Howzit

Please be aware that there will be no posting tomorrow...

-o00o-

The situation in Zimbabwe doesn't ever seem to change. Each day we read of abuses, arrests, abductions and then we hear of criminal charges being brought against anyone that Mugabe deems an enemy, then SADC decide that the situation deems yet another conference in necessary... and all the while Mugabe is grinning like a Cheshire cat!

I have yet to work out why Mugabe is permitted to carry on in power when it must be apparent, even to the most unobservant person, that he is in a position of power through nothing more than lies, influence and threats.

"Zimbabwe's few remaining commercial white farmers report they are under increasing pressure, some of it violent, to leave their land. It is the latest surge in farm seizures since the Zimbabwean government embarked on a land-reform program nearly 10 years ago. The program was aimed at righting one of the wrongs of the colonial era, but it has been controversial and is blamed by many for the country's economic decline.

Evening is falling over the rolling fields of Spring Farm in Karoi, about 200 kilometers north of Harare. Owner Temba Mliswa is bringing his herds in for the night.

Mliswa farms tobacco, maize and beans and raises cattle, goats and sheep on 800 hectares he received seven years ago under Zimbabwe's land redistribution program. The program nationalized about 4,500 commercial farms owned by whites and gave them to thousands of black Zimbabweans.

Mliswa acknowledges he has benefited from the program.

"The whole land reform is noble and I think there will always be a debate, when was it supposed to happen, when was it not suppose to happen," said Temba Mliswa. "I am a product of the land reform. I have done well. I have done more than the white farmers used to do."

Whilst I applaud the effort of this new farmer - one of the few that has bothered to carry on with the agricultural efforts of the previous owners, I find it just a little conceited that he should declare that he has done more than the white farmers...

Farming is easy if you have the corrupt Mugabe regime behind you.

What has this farmer done that he believes he has done better than he predecessor? When the farm was 'given' to him, the infrastructure was already in place. All he had to do was change nothing - rather like Mugabe should have done when he came to power in 1980.

"One of the farm's 100 employees, Dadirai Mbeva, works in the fields. She says Mliswa pays them about $40 per month and provides food rations, health care and schooling for the children.

"I have four children," she says. "Our boss treats us nicely. If a person falls sick he helps with money for hospital bills until you are healed."

Mliswa took over the farm after the previous owner (Alan Parsons) and his family were beaten and driven away by a gang allegedly led by Mliswa. The previous owner received no compensation and now lives in Australia."

Forceful evictions make Mliswa a better farmer? The badly thought out land grab have left Zimbabwe better off agriculturally? Mliswa looks after his workers - because he has no choice! The moment he steps out of line, the farm will be passed on to another member of Mugabe's brigands...

"John Worsick founded the Justice for Agriculture Trust after being driven off his farm in 2003. He says at the time the re-distribution began white-owned farmland had already declined by one-half, from 37 percent at independence to 18 percent in 2002."

He says President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF Party targeted farmers and farm workers because their areas voted largely against them in elections beginning in 2000.

"Mugabe knows that he has lost the support he had," said John Worsick. "The support was traditionally from rural areas. But he believes emphatically that he cannot win that back, but he can turn it back to him through a terror campaign, intimidation and terror out there, coupled to food, controlling food out there."

Minister of State in the Presidency and senior ZANU PF official Didymus Mutasa was minister of lands during the first farm seizures.

"The land reform process is the best thing that has ever happened in Zimbabwe and it is the only process that our people will regain their humanity and their human rights," said Didymus Mutasa."

Isn't it strange that Mutasa should claim that the people have regained their humanity, when they took the farms by force, intimidation and, in some cases, murder...?

"He says the land was taken illegally from black Zimbabweans. The white farmers say they purchased their land under a title system set up by colonial Britain 100 years ago.

Critics say the land seizures are largely responsible for the collapse of agriculture in the past decade. This has made Zimbabwe, once a food exporter, dependent on food imports and humanitarian distributions.

And they say the eviction of black farm workers has been a major factor in the country's 90 percent unemployment rate and declining standards-of-living.

Mr Mugabe and ZANU PF leaders, whose families own some of the largest seized farms, blame the economic decline on Western sanctions imposed because of human-rights violations."

Question: What of the farms that were bought by white commercial farmers from the Mugabe regime since 1980? What say ZANU PF of them?

Silence.

-o00o-

The prosecution of Roy Bennett continues - and almost immediately the State has suffered a setback.

The key State witness, a Mutare arms dealer, is allowed to bring up in court that his 'confession' which allegedly shows the implication of Bennett.

"A Hight Court judge says allegations the main witness was tortured can be raised in Roy Bennett's trial dealing an early blow to the State's terrorism charges.

The judge on Wednesday rejected a prosecution request that the defense be barred from arguing that a weapons dealer who is the main witness against Roy Bennett was tortured into confessing and implicating others.

The weapons case against Bennett, a top aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, stems from allegations of a plot to topple President Robert Mugabe.

Tsvangirai says the charges are baseless and part of efforts by Mugabe loyalists to undermine the coalition formed in February between longtime rivals."

The sitting judge has ruled that Hitschmann, the arms dealer, will be allowed to testify that his 'confession' was gained illegally.

"A High Court judge says allegations the main witness was tortured can be raised in Roy Bennett trial dealing an early blow to the State's terrorism charges.

The judge on Wednesday rejected a prosecution request that the defense be barred from arguing that a weapons dealer who is the main witness against Roy Bennett was tortured into confessing and implicating others.

The weapons case against Bennett, a top aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, stems from allegations of a plot to topple President Robert Mugabe."

It will be very interesting to see where Attorney General Tomana goes with his reduced State case... in a trial that is obviously a personal vendetta against Bennett who has continuously campaigned against ZANU PF and Mugabe.

"Judge Chinembiri Bhunu also ruled against a defense request that the weapons dealer be barred from testifying.

The Zimbabwean High Court has dismissed both applications by the State and the defence lawyers allowing the trial of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) treasurer general Roy Bennett, who is facing charges of treason, to proceed.

Justice Chinembiri Bhunu dismissed both applications arguing that this was a serious matter and could not be determined on technicalities but should be resolved on merit.

"It is my firm view that this matter is crying for determination. This is a serious matter that involves the life of a citizen as well as the security of a country. Accordingly both application are hereby dismissed to ensure that the matter is resolved on merit," said Justice Bhunu in his ruling on the preliminary issues raised by both counsels in the Bennett trial which resumed on Monday."

This case has probably got more people's attention than even the prosecution of Morgan Tsvangirai on treason charges a few years ago - probably because of the support which Bennett enjoys, but also because of the threat that a conviction could lead to further false prosecutions of MDC members and MPs.

"I fail to see how the calling in of the witness (Hitschman) can be prejudicial to the accused person (Bennett). The arguments by the defence counsel can only affect the weight of the evidence,” ruled Bhunu.

Justice Bhunu however did not touch on the application by the defence counsel to have the AG investigated for his conduct in dealing with the Bennett case."

-o00o-

It didn't take long, did it? ZANU PF now claim that the decisions made during the summit on the Zimbabwean crisis in Maputo last week did not carry a timeline.

"The Summit of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation held in Maputo, Mozambique on Thursday last week, deliberated on recent developments in Lesotho, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

Like many before it, the summit called on the West to lift its illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, and also urged ZANU PF and both factions of MDC to continue dialogue, which is expected to result in the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

But, contrary to claims by MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, nowhere in its communique does the SADC troika give a timeline by which the outstanding issues in the implementation of the GPA must have been addressed.

A weekend report attributed to the Prime Minister, suggests that the SADC Troika said all the remaining aspects be ironed out in 15 days. In another report, he is quoted as giving ZANU PF 30 days to address areas of contention."

Which goes to reinforce my opinion that Mugabe is intent on playing for time. To what end, I am unsure, but his intention is to hang on to whatever power he can for as long as possible. Time is his friend.

"The summit did not give a timetable of 15 or 30 days as claimed," he said.

"Again MDC-T decided to interpret the communiqué their way. They chose what they want not what the communique says. They are being consistent in dishonesty and cheating."

Coming from ZANU PF, this is a bit rich!

"The time is open, there is no deadline, which means that if need be, we will continue talking until we reach the terminal point, possibly at the next elections. After the summit, the focus must now be on the constitution-making process," Mr Nyoni said."

And yesterday we read how the ZANU PF war veterans demanded that the financing of the constitution making process be diverted to agriculture... It is all a vicious circle.

-o00o-

Finally the people that have been used by Mugabe are beginning to recognise the error of their ways in rushing to his support.

"War veterans occupying former-Forester Estates in Mvurwi have lambasted President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party for using the controversial land reform programme as a political campaign tool.

The war veterans, who spoke to The Zimbabwean, said Mugabe had treated the land reform programme as a purely political issue that has destroyed the economy instead of taking the land reform as an economic empowerment and a developmental programmeme.

"I think Mugabe got it all wrong by politicizing this ill-advised land reform programme. When we came on this farm in 2000 I thought that there was a clear land policy in respect of the new farmers, our leaders just spearheaded the invasions without any future plans laid down and that is why this whole process has failed.

"President Mugabe chose to trade this land with votes to the unsuspecting masses under the disguise of empowering them while he knew it was to his personal benefit and a few other party officials.

"Had this land programme been done with a genuine concern, it could have been a real success because it could have attracted support from the international community," said a Mvurwi-based war veteran identified as Kufa Kuda."

Sadly, the realisation by the war veterans that they had followed the man for the wrongs reasons does not repair the damage. Yes, Mugabe has lost the support of some war veterans, but the damage to the agricultural sector is just about irreparable.

Produce is at an all-time low, and the few remaining white commercial farmers are under increasing pressure to vacate the land.

And then what?

Will the new owners, mostly drawn from the upper ranks of ZANU PF and the security forces, then be able to provide food for the starving people of Zimbabwe?

No.

"Another angry war veteran at the same farm attributed the economic and humanitarian crisis that has characterized Zimbabwe for the past decade to poor planning on the part of the ZANU PF government.

"We have had a situation where our government and cabinet were occupied by economic and political criminals. Innocent civilians suffered the most from the effects of a corrupt and unjust system being led by ruthless and selfish leaders.

"Had the government managed to pay us reasonable rates on our produce over the years we have been on this land, most of us could now be self-sustained and producing enough for this nation.

"I have often wondered how this US$300 million that this country is said to be owing China was acquired and how it was used as well, if the state still fails to pay farmers for their maize," said another newly resettled war-veteran."

You fool some of the people some of the time...

-o00o-

Given that Mugabe and his cohorts are in control of the criminal courts in Zimbabwe, and that his Justice Minister is a dyed-in-the-wool ZANU PF man, even though there are arrests being made, I do not see the case ever making court.

"Nineteen more Harare municipal police officers have been picked up for questioning in connection with Godfrey Tonde’s death on Monday following clashes pitting vendors and council personnel.

This brings to 22 the number of municipal police picked up so far in connection with Monday’s violence after the three that were picked up on Tuesday.

Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka yesterday said their investigations were continuing and they would bring all culprits to book."

Lip service. That is what this is. Given that in recent years we have read of murder upon murder where the perpetrator is known and named and nothing has happened in pursuit of justice, why should I believe that the culprit will ever be identified or prosecuted?

Members of the public, he said, would not be spared and everyone involved would be called in to account for his or her part in the death.

"The case must be given due respect and so far 22 municipal officers have been picked up for questioning.

"We are going to carry out thorough investigations to bring to book all those who were involved in this murder.

"Members of the public who incited the violence will not be spared by the law because no one is above the law," he said."

Sorry? Say that again please...

"No one is above the law."

Careful! You don't want your superiors hear you say that! You could convince the people that the ZRP is genuine in their investigation of the murder!

I then see that the spokesman goes in to bat for the municipal police force... "He, however, warned the public to respect municipal police officers, pointing out that they had the authority to enforce by-laws on behalf of Harare City Council.

"All illegal activities must be curbed, but this must be done in a professional manner which does not result in the loss of human life," he said.

He expressed concern at some residents’ behaviour saying there was no excuse to act illegally regardless of their grievances with law enforcement agents.

"Such behaviour is not tolerated. It is always best to establish rapport with the public for the development of the nation," said Chief Supt Mandipaka."

And just like that, the tables are turned. Neatly done!

-o00o-

"Major Maxwell Samudzi (48), one of the soldiers charged with theft of firearms from Harare’s Pomona barracks last month, committed suicide under unclear circumstances while in army detention on Sunday night.

According to Wednesday’s Herald newspaper, Samudzi, who was the Deputy Officer Commanding One Engineers Support Regiment at Pomona Barracks, was found on Monday morning lying dead on the floor.

A black electrical code was tied around his neck while blood was coming out of his nose and mouth.

Samudzi allegedly carried three packets containing cotrimohazole aspirin and nevirapine in his left trousers pocket.

It was, however, not clear who brought him both the cord he allegedly used to hang himself or the tablets."

In normal circumstances I would happily agree that this was a suicide - but given the political maelstrom that it comes out of, I believe that care must be taken when deciding on the final outcome.

Was Samudzi silenced?

I don't suppose we will ever know...

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu